ТЕМА: 5 patches I'm sure you don't know yet

Just replace your RPG_RT.EXE with this one.

You have to patch the RPG2003.EXE too:

Open it in Resource Hacker (http://www.snapfiles.com/get/resourcehacker.html), then go to RCDATA -- TFORMEVCMD11110 -- 0. Then scroll downwards to MaxValue = 50 (version 1.08) or MaxValue = 40 (version 1.04) and change it to MaxValue = 100 . Then click Compile Script . Do the same with RCDATA -- TFORMEVCMD11120 -- 0 and RCDATA -- TFORMEVCMD11130 -- 0 and then click File -- Save.

This patch includes everything you need for creating your own title screen
The standard title screen will be skipped, the game starts directly at the start map.
You can call the load menu from an event script.
You can exit the game from an event script.
BetterAEP is a stand-alone patch. You don t need any other patch to get it working. If you want to combinate it with another patch, apply BetterAEP at first.

To call the loading menu or exit the game, the event command Stop Parallel Events (or Stop Event in some versions) and the variable no. 3350 is used. This variable has been chosen, because most of the games don t use it.

If variable no. 3350 contains the value 1 when Stop Parallel Events is called, the load menu will pop up. If it contains the value 2, the game will quit. If it contains any other value, the standard Stop Parallel Events command will be executed.

The CharExpand Patch lets you use bigger charsets in RPG Maker 2000. A charsets now may be up to 1024x768 pixels. It may contain a standard charset (8 chars, with all face directions and all steps, total size: 288x256), 1 bigger char with all face directions (up to 256x256 per sprite) and steps or 1 sprite (up to 1024x768; so you can use charsets like pictures). For exapmles, look in the charset folder of the demo game.

To install the patch, execute the file Patcher.exe , open a RPG_RT.EXE (version 1.07) and click Patch .

To tell the patch, how big a sprite actually is, a filename prefix is used.

%XXYYMy_Char.png

XX and YY are width and height of one sprite, divided by 4.

%0812People.png - One sprite has a size of (8*4)x(12*4) = 32x48 pixels, if the file contains one full char, the total size is 96x192 pixels.

Other chars than numbers are treated like 0 . So %A41B will be treated like %0410 : 16x40.

In RPG Maker you should always use the first char of the charset if you use expanded chars. If you want to use a charset containing only one sprite like a picture, use Fixed Graphic mode with face direction up and step status left (see also the demon event in the demo).


I m sorry, but the patch has some restrictions too.

1. Unfortunately (I haven t found the mistake yet : -( ), if you use the patch, all three vehicles (skiff, ship and airship) will appear at all maps at tile 0/0. Use a blank charset for vehicles to avoid this.

2. Half-transparent terrains don t work with expanded chars. Graphical waste will be displayed (standard chars can step through as usual).

3. Because of the bigger charsets, some problems with priorities (espicially with the upper layer tiles) arise. You can avoid this either by tricky mapping or by using standard chars for uncontrolled moving events (like the hero or events with random movement).

4. You can (as usual) speak with the tile, where the event stands on, only (for example: if you have a big monster, the hero will not be able to interact with its feet by pressing ENTER.)

5. If you use my patch, your game will need a bit more power.

6. Please do NEVER use charsets with a % as first char in filename, but a filename lenght less than 5 (like %OPA )!! This will let your game crash!


I hope, I have helped some people with this (I think, espicially the possibility of using charsets like pictures is interesting)!

The PicPointerPatch, as the name says, lets you use pointers at picture IDs (this means, the destination ID of a Show, Move or Erase Picture command can be choosen at runtime, using a variable). It s very easy to use, if you want to use a fix ID, enter it normally (e.g. Show Picture [7], cloud.png), if you want to get the ID from a variable, use 10000+VarID als picture ID (e.g. Change Variable [208], 7; Show Picture [10208], cloud.png same effect as Show Picture [7], cloud.png). If the variable contains an illegal value, you will get an error.

This also works with transparecy and magnification of pictures at Show and Move Picture commands!

The second important feature (new in version 2) is - you can also make the FILENAME of the picture be choosen through a variable.

If you use 50000+VarID as picture ID...
a) as explained above, the real picture ID will be read out of variable [VarID]
a file number will be read out of variable [VarID+1] - the last 4 chars of the picture filename will be replaced with that number

Some useful examples:

Show Picture 2, (160, 120), Item_0000
This command shows, as usual, the image Item_0000 as picture no. 2.

Change Variable [0208], 9 set
Show Picture 10208, (160, 120), Item_0000
This will show the image Item_0000 as picture no. 9.

Now look:
Change Variable [0208], 14 set
Change Variable [0209], 83 set
Show Picture 50208, (160, 120), Item_0000
This will show the image Item_0083 (!) as picture no. 14!

IMPORTANT: The filename should have space for this number! A example how it should NOT be: If you would the example above using a picture Blue Dragon , the RPG Maker would try to load a file called Blue Dr0083 ! You would get a File not found error then.

Another thing: Everything, the patch can not process, it will hand over to the RPG Maker. So - for exmaple - if you use 10500 as picture ID though this variable is unused, the patch hands this over to the RPG Maker, which would try to show a picture with ID 10500 - this would result in an error.

A practical expamle is attached as demo game (just look into the folder Demospiel ). It s a number display with 6 digits - this only needs 15 event commands! Just open it in your RPG Maker and look at the event (the comments are in german, just ignore them).

The use of this patch? If you didn t understand it until now, I feel sorry for you. But I ll help you: number displays, item/skill/equip menus, etc. - with PicPointerPatch Version 2 you can do all these things in very short time!

At all, who are angry now, because their item menu took them months: SORRY!


HOW TO INSTALL THE PATCH
1. open Lips.exe
2. click at Apply IPS Patch
3. choose version (RM2k or RM2k3)
4. choose the target RPG_RT.EXE (choose All files at the bottom right to see it)

But - the RPG Maker doesn t allow you to use that high picture IDs! So we have to patch the RPG2000.EXE/RPG2003.EXE too.

1. create a backup of your RPG Maker, so you can restore it, if you destroy it.
2. start Resource Hacker (available here: [url=http:// http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/) ]http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/)[/url] and open your RPG2000.EXE/RPG2003.EXE file.
3. go to RCDATA\TFORMEVCMD11110\0.
4. look for the line MaxValue = 20 (RM2k) or MaxValue = 50 (RM2k3) and replace the 20/50 with 100000. Do the same with the two lines MaxValue = 100 below. Then click at Compile Script and save the file (File Save).
5. Do the same with RCDATA\TFORMEVCMD11120\0.
6. Do the same with RCDATA\TFORMEVCMD11130\0 too, but here you have to change the line MaxValue = 20 / MaxValue = 50 only.
7. Save and close.


At the end a little tip:

Transparency values above 100% can cause very interesting effects. For example - with 400% transparency the image will be displayed with inverted colors (as I could see)!

Normally, RPG Maker halts event processing at a show/move/erase picture command when a message box is active. This patch deactivates this behavior. So you are able to create animated faces and much more. Just run the patcher and patch your RPG_RT.EXE file.