RPG XP Cutscenes

[CrimsonInferno 35]

I have three crucial parts to my story line and they are:

1: The summoning system (like an Esper system in FFVI) < can wait for now

2: The FF series like battles [resolved! Thanks to Nisage!] < finished

3: Cut scenes! < I really need to know how to make cut scenes.

 

For an example of the cut scene, I don't mean a few talking phases and than you can play. I mean like short movies to show story line.

Like in a Final Fantasy game. There are intros and things like that.

 

Anyway, I need to know if I need to be a scripter to be able to do cut scenes or movies for my game. I know you can import movies, but how does one go about making a movie to even import? Do they move the sprite one frame take a snapshot and than keep going? I did that for a FFVI cartoon using their sprites and it was tedious!

 

Well....does anyone know how to make cut scenes for novice people who don't know stuff about scripts yet?

[LovePhoenix 3]

It depends on what you mean with a cut scene. A cut scene can be characters moving around with texts and animation, or some actions, or some pictures moving around, etc. It depends on what you really want. Can you please be more specific? I am not sure we all played Final Fantasy (I am one of those who did not play it ^^; )

 

If you add more details, I'll see what can I do to help. ^^

[EmilyAnnCoons 7]

For something more Final Fantasy style with cutscenes, you're looking at having to draw the actual scenes by hand. Kind of like drawing a cartoon. For something like that...well, I can't help you with drawing, cause I can't draw to save my life ^^" However, you'd have to draw each frame of the video, then use a script (not sure where you can find it) that lets you put .mov files into your game. You'd also have to make those drawings into a .mov file. You could use flash if you know how to, but -shrugs- I dunno. In either case, it's a lot of work ^^"

[CrimsonInferno 35]

Sorry, LP, I meant cut scenes that could explain some story. Let's say I had a male solider who wanted to buy some potions, but story would let him. A scene would play when he did what he needed to show the scene.

Here's an example of what I mean.

"You're walking through the shop's door, when a group of men surround you and bully you around."

 

All of that being one scene.

. It shows everyone on the ship's bow and they are talking, which creates a scene. I want to be able to add cut scenes like that

 

@EmilyAnnCoons:

Whaa! I have to draw em out? I suck at drawing *sniff, cry, sniff*

[LovePhoenix 3]

I see. So it's the part with small characters walking around and stuff? I am pretty sure that you can do that by eventing, sprites, etc. No need to draw. O.O

[CrimsonInferno 35]

Whenever I tried in 2003, the character had to be on map and if he was on map, it made it so where the player could move him/her at anytime....

I don't how to do all this. I asked on two other forums, but apparently you have to be either a over 34 to get help or already know how everything works.

 

I want to be able to make cutscenes....(and the player won't be able to move whilst it happened!)

[Polraudio 122]

Its better to use events with lots of teleport commands and lots of change character graphic commands with move event commands also. If you need help making it i will make it for you when i get the time. Are you remaking the FF6 intro?

[CrimsonInferno 35]

Well, I'm making my own FF game that has the Esper system. Espers are very important to my story line, and cutscenes would have to show them. The world is in FFVI's time, on Gaia and the Esper Realm.

I also need the cutscenes for another game that currently takes home more time from me than the FF game. My FF game story is already made, I made a novel for it first (love to write! ;D).

 

How do you do character graphic commands and event commands? I can do basic event commands and teleport commands, which I have to say was the less hardest thing to get...

 

(the FF game is much like VI, in fact, it has some of the characters from the real game in it. I'm currently arguing with myself about changing the project from 2003 to XP.

It would be rad if I did remake the intro, or better, the whole game! I could make it what it was suppose to be - full of story and awesomeness!)

[LovePhoenix 3]

Hmm which RPG Maker are you using? If it's XP or VX (assuming that things there are the same with XP) I can teach you a little about event commands. Also, a link you might find useful,

 

Calibre's Guide to Understanding RMXP

[CrimsonInferno 35]

I want to use XP, I don't like VX and its "can't add to the graphics thing". Nothing allows auto tiles to make your stuff look less...square. So, XP please ^^

 

Hm...I'm reading it now! Thanks for the link. Confusing, but hey! I think I might be able to understand a few things :)

 

EDIT:

Although, after reading the stuff I didn't know, it doesn't exactly tell me how to go about making a event/cutscenes. Just how they work. Its a unfinished tut. Y.Y *sniff, cry, sniff*

[LovePhoenix 3]

If it's XP, then it's all better! ^^ Hmm okay, let me begin with pointing out few things.

 

First, when making a cut scene, the most things you will need will be:

 

Set Move Route Command - To make the characters and events move around and react.

 

Text - Didn't see this coming? XD

 

Transfer commands - You might want to use it when moving from a map to a map.

 

Show Animations/Screen Toning/Shaking/Flashing - It is helpful when making an action cut scene or some reactions.

 

Okay, so text, transfer command and Show Animation is very easy to understand, I think. But if you have troubles with any, feel free to ask.

 

Set Move Route allows you to move events around and control the events' movements. It's best when making a cut scene, to make the player sprite invisible (Event command Change Flag's Transparency) and using a Parallel process event setting the things around. Use an event for every character. (You do know how to make a character appear on the map, right?) Name the events well with names. The characters' events will stay blank, and empty of commands.

 

Now, we will create the Parallel process event which will contain all the commands and movements. Let's say we want "Fighter girl" to move upwards, and then move left. We'll make a Set Move Route, and choose "Move Up" three times. Each time means an event place on the grid. Continue like that with every direction. That is how we move the events.

 

If you understand that (cause I honestly don't know what I just wrote xD) I'll go ahead and explain further. ^^

[CrimsonInferno 35]

Actually, I did understand it. :)

 

I can make people move very well, its just that when I do, the character you play has to be on map for the events to even take place. If you would like, I could post you example of what I can do? Its for 2003, but its all the functions you just listed but for 2003. It would show what I do know and what I don't know and how bad I am lol

 

For Parallel process and Autorun, they always screw my stuff up and make it really, really bad.

 

I'm very good with the Set Move Route Command, It was the first thing I learned how to do ^^

[LovePhoenix 3]

Hmm if it's a screenie, feel free to. ^^ If it's a project though, I unfortunately never worked with 2003. xD

 

Placing too many Parallel Process and Autoruns on one map will screw things up and make them lag. But if it's only one event, things should be ok.

[CrimsonInferno 35]

It was actually a video of a 2003 project using the same basic functions as RPG XP.

[LovePhoenix 3]

Ahh video? Ok then, send/post it away. ^^

[CrimsonInferno 35]

Okay, here is a short demo trailer I had to make to show some other people so they knew what I was talking about.

Here is the link. It was all made in 2003, but I used the same functions and events I can use in XP. As you can see, I'm not good. lol

I don't think we can embed videos.

 

I know I suck lol

[LovePhoenix 3]

lol Not really that bad. xD

 

One thing I noticed is that there is no animation when the character moves. Are you sure that the "Move Animation" is checked?

[CrimsonInferno 35]

Not sure. This was for 2003, I'm trying to move the project over to XP...It looks very slow for the video, buts its a little faster when playing...

[LovePhoenix 3]

Sorry for the late reply. ^^;

 

Hmm well, since you know how to control characters around, show text and etc, what exactly do you need help with? Like what you can't really do in a cut scene?

[CrimsonInferno 35]

My main problem is that it always looks like shite. Like its not really a cutscene. Also, I can't seem to give stop points for them and than start them up right, I always fail.

 

So, I don't know how to properly execute cutscenes, they always move freaky stop in weird places....I need to know the right way to do it >.<

[Marked 197]

looks like shit... sounds like all you need is practice :rolleyes:

 

The last game I worked on only got as far as a cutscene, perhaps you could use events from it:

http://www.rmxpunlimited.net/forums/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=142

 

It's basically a whole lot of timing. You dont actually push a button through the whole thing, all the windows auto close.

[LovePhoenix 3]

Hmm cut scenes don't have to look perfect. If you can move events around and make some text, call it a cut scene. Let me guess, you just can't give an "atmospheric feeling"?

[CrimsonInferno 35]

I can't do anything for it lol

 

During a cutscene, I don't want a player to be able to move whilst the movie happens. It screws up everything >.<

 

Is there a complete tut explaining how to do it? Because I'd like to get some of my game going before I hit 34 lol

[Zeriab 9]

I can't do anything for it lol

 

During a cutscene, I don't want a player to be able to move whilst the movie happens. It screws up everything >.<

 

Is there a complete tut explaining how to do it? Because I'd like to get some of my game going before I hit 34 lol

 

As long as an event is triggered and running the player will not be able to move. The only exception being parallel processes.

You can also have a parallel process event which sets the player's move route to 'wait X amount of frames'.

 

One solution would be to add an event on Autorun which waits until the cutscene is over before the triggering conditions are changed. (Or the map is changed)

[Marked 197]

Zeriab, you're the master :P I only recently figured out how to use autorun in cutscenes... embarrassingly...

 

@CrimsonInferno: The link I posted has most of what you will see in a cutscene.. it is not encrypted and you could see how to do it. Thats why i posted it. We could make a tutorial for you... but a lot of it is just learning the event commands.

[CrimsonInferno 35]

As long as an event is triggered and running the player will not be able to move. The only exception being parallel processes.

You can also have a parallel process event which sets the player's move route to 'wait X amount of frames'.

 

One solution would be to add an event on Autorun which waits until the cutscene is over before the triggering conditions are changed. (Or the map is changed)

 

That's strange. For me no matter what I picked, my character could move all the time. I tried some others and all it did was make my character spark up and move by itself...

 

Zeriab, you're the master :P I only recently figured out how to use autorun in cutscenes... embarrassingly...

Oooh! Tell me, tell me! :P

 

@CrimsonInferno: The link I posted has most of what you will see in a cutscene.. it is not encrypted and you could see how to do it. Thats why i posted it. We could make a tutorial for you... but a lot of it is just learning the event commands.

 

I'll take a look at it. I just wanted to learn it so I didn't have to copy and past all the time lol

(a tutorial would be nice...but I wouldn't want to bother anyone that much)

[Zeriab 9]

Thanks Marked :3

You both may learn something form this list: http://www.rmxpunlimited.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=3330

 

Making cutscenes is hard work. There are some parts which can be difficult, but mainly it's just tedious. You have to test a million times tweaking and tweaking. (Yeah, I don't like it)

You just got to keep at it. And ask if you get stuck ^_^

 

*hugs*

[CrimsonInferno 35]

:unsure:

I'm sorry this came later, Zeriab.

 

I read that before I made this thread and....sadly, I got nothing from it >.<

I'm the kind of person that needs an 2000 page "help" book lol

[Obsession 3]

A few primary things to bear in mind with cinematics.

 

Lighting:

Lighting is an important function as a mood-setter. I usually use the tint screen R-85,G -85,B 0,Grey 0, for night time scenes, but R-135, G -135, B -53, Grey 50-100, works really well too, especially misty or foggy settings.

To give people an omnious or sad feel, make it dark. If its an amusing or bright scene, compliment it with sunshine. Making extensive uses of fogs work really well, Lens flare is a popular one for daylight, and mist is good for dungeons.

 

And nothing stops you from doing a sharp cut (Tint screen to black, duration 0 frames) now and again. Best for cliffhangers or tense scenes.

 

 

Setting

Where is the place set?

Does it fit the mood setting your going for?

What's the significance of the objects in your scene?

Why are the characters there?

 

Sound

Nothing is stopping you from mixing silence, sound effects and music. Alot of people slip up when they figure that music makes their game awesome. Sound effects do too! Try to fit some in where you can, to make the area more believable. Silence is perfectly legal as well, say it can be used post the climax of a dramatic event.

Have you:

-Used sound effects in your scene?

-Have you used complimenting music?

-Sometimes its perfectly legitamate to use music that opposes the scene (Say the magic roundabout scene when someone is being tortured), but thats more for the mind-bending horror.

 

Characters:

Who are the characters?

What is their purpose for being in the scene?

What is going to happen in the scene.

 

 

 

Of course, planning out scenes does take some pen-to-paper work too. I find myself writing down EXACTLY what is going to occur in each scene in my game, the actions, the character movements, and significance, etc, etc. You don't have to write alot, just a few notes how it works out, but it definitely helps me getting my project done.

[CrimsonInferno 35]

Oh, I know how to plan, I just don't know how to get them going - to flow.

 

Thanks for that though, it helped a lot :)

[FranklinX 37]

I suggest you go on YouTube and look at some XP tutorials. They will give you a good visual of making cutscenes with events.