Dear RPG Maker users! This is VTuber MinamiYotuba and today I am bringing you more developmental news regarding RPG Maker Unite! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/df792e9ddae8bb0f4f0b5e86405f63b3d79f9943.png[/img] Last time, we covered graphical asset specs and the addition of “Tile Groups” so that users are no longer bound to a “tileset” making map creation more free and convenient! If you have not read it, please do have a look down below! [h3][b]■ RPG Maker Unite Dev Log #3 [/b][/h3] https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1650950/view/3181242290510188241 Today, we will cover “Switch Lines''! This is a further extension of the Outline Editor we introduced in Dev Log #2 in April, and is a convenient new feature to manage game and event progress visually! But before we charge right into the feature itself, we should first explain what “switches” are in games. Then you will better understand how Switch Line really improves the usability of the engine from a developer’s perspective! [h1][b]Switch - Conditions That Determine Game Progression [/b][/h1]In RPG games, it is common that a player needs to complete many smaller objectives, and the sum of these would contribute to the grand adventure of the game. As a simple example, let’s imagine the following quest series: [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/b7f9e2425cc7f61935e9029808e03517081750f7.png[/img] ● The player talks to the Village Chief, who will offer a quest to defeat a certain monster in a nearby cave. The target monster will only spawn in the cave when the quest is accepted. ● Player goes to and defeats said monster. ● Player reports back to the Village Chief about completion of the quest, and the path to the next region is unlocked. In order to make this series of actions unfold in the way we want it to, the game must have some way to track what the player has done. One of the ways to track this is a “Switch”. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/740e63da373563d64ee14279fca9f1204de12bd8.png[/img] A Switch, as the name suggests, tracks game progress in an ON or OFF manner. Switches need to be assigned a unique number in the game and can be controlled independently of each other. Using event commands, the developer can control the conditions for when a switch would turn on or off, which in turn tracks whether the player has done the correct action to progress to the next stage. It is also possible to use switches to have the world react differently to the player. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/d06719147df07f8a59923535183b2a9e17cbd2bf.png[/img] Going back to our previous simple example, the switches would likely be set in the following way. ● Talk to the Village Chief, and turn ON Switch #1. ● When Switch #1 is ON, the objective monster in the cave spawns. ● Talk to the cave monster and defeat it, to turn ON Switch #2. ● Player can report back to the Chief because Switch #2 is now ON, which allows a new interaction. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/7f4c8a2d35696994f669557ddd72eebc29ebf71a.png[/img] Here, all switches start from the OFF position. We then can logically say that the condition “Switch #1 only turns ON via accepting the Chief’s quest” is analogous to “if Switch #1 is ON, the player has accepted the quest”. In other words, the system can tell if the quest was accepted by the player or not by checking the state of Switch #1. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/97cc8b5dd81d1ea16b8fa2d6943ca01a725239da.png[/img] Then, we can tie the spawning condition of the cave monster to the state of Switch #1. Only when Switch #1 is in the ON state would the monster appear and the event could progress. From the player’s perspective, they will realize that only upon accepting the quest can they find the monster in the cave. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/48e35fcfb5685679a33bc666092e71b4917f18c8.png[/img] We then turn ON Switch #2 when the cave monster has been defeated. Now we add another page to the Chief’s quest series, and set Switch #2 as the “trigger” to open up a supposedly blocked path to the next area. This completes the procedures of actions the player must take in order to progress the story! Hopefully this example is easy to follow! As you can see, this is how switches are used in a game to record the player’s action, and unfold the event sequence the way it is intended. [h1][b]A Real Game Would Have Many More Switches! [/b][/h1] On the other hand, there are also variables we can set as the trigger to story progression. We will not cover variables here, but it is good to know about their existence. Setting variables directly tend to be for more advanced users, but they offer greater freedom of complexity. In comparison, switches are simpler in nature due to its ON / OFF binary status, and are easier to understand to track whether an event has been initiated or not. However, in actual game-making, it is certainly not uncommon to see thousands of switches being used in a single game! [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/3de4494231d0f50f72464ef9be2ade9bbdb60f5f.png[/img] (Switch management window from past RPG Makers) While switches are easier to understand, in past RPG Maker titles, the creator still needed to find a way to track where each switch was used, and the conditions to turn it ON. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/a7a494bc5a08f12b8b1c5c6d0db5e44978714708.png[/img] In order to solve this tracking problem, the ‘Switch Line’ feature is developed for better switch management in RPG Maker Unite! [h1][b]Switch Line - Tracking Switches Visually through Connecting Lines[/b][/h1] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/053e1967a9a39c9eedae2943d8fc391b6208ed29.png[/img] The new Switch Line feature is an extension of the Outline Editor we introduced in Dev Log #2 in April, which at the time we mentioned how it helps the developer by being able to visually track connections between different story sections. A line will be automatically drawn between the section that contains a switch and its corresponding section that uses the switch as trigger. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/105016dcb1eb7319ca60ae133b71599663096284.png[/img] （チャプター：Chapter　セクション：Section） Setting this is simple in Unite. First, add a new section in the Outline Editor. Second, assign the map that the section takes place in, and set the Chapter and Section. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/cfa38df3dcf5032a466c4e3952c13f8494de5084.png[/img] Once that is dealt with, we can assign a switch and its corresponding event to turn it ON. Again, a line is automatically generated to visually connect the two for easy confirmation. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/8f725818a15ded2d77ef64e98b3fa081e90a8460.png[/img] （イベントID = Event ID、イベント名 = Event Name、マップ名 = Map Name、 セクション名 = Section Name） The benefit of connecting switches via a Switch Line does not stop at just visual confirmation! You can click on each section on the Outline Editor, which will give the list of switches and the events that control them. Clicking on the Event IDs would take you directly to the event so you can edit it quickly. [h1][b]Switch Line Works For Items Too! [/b][/h1] Switch Line is not limited to just normal event switches! By checking “Switch Item” and assigning a specific item, a line can also be drawn between the event that grants the item, and the one that is triggered by it. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/4bf1c281ce81efae9b7cb77e106601c50af934df.png[/img] The “Switch Item” trigger is a new addition available in RPG Maker Unite. Like its name suggests, this checks whether the player has a particular item to progress an event. Setting Switch Items is similar to pure switches. You would make an event that grants the Switch Item, and another event that is triggered by it. A line is automatically generated between the two as you go to the Switch Line tab. Unlike pure Switches, checking event details does not work for Switch Items. Nevertheless, being able to visually see how things relate to each other is a great plus to event management! [h1][b]How Switch Line Benefits Creators [/b][/h1] Switch Line and Switch Items are a very welcomed addition to RPG development. This is especially true for more ambitious projects that have a larger degree of complexity. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//41957561/8f725818a15ded2d77ef64e98b3fa081e90a8460.png[/img] (セクション未設定: lit. Section Unassigned) Switch Line also prevents Switch setting mistakes. Using the same screenshot earlier as an example, in Switch #0001, two events are made as ON condition for the Switch but one is actually having status Unassigned Section (lit. =セクション未設定). Being able to click on the Event ID to check it directly really helps a developer to confirm quickly what was originally intended for these events, and perform the proper corrective actions. In addition, this is also great for those who wish to resume a paused development due to life matters and unforeseen circumstances, as well as fixing bugs for a title that was released a long time ago. As time passes by, it is inevitable that creators forget the connection and triggers between events. But the RPG Maker Unite’s Switch Lines really helps regrasp the original intention and concepts. This makes resuming a project far more efficient, and not making catch-up feel like a full-time job by itself! I am certain that you can feel the same excitement I have as a creator, about how Switch Line contributes to the Quality of Life as a game creator! [h1][b]4th RPG Maker Unite Q＆A Corner [/b][/h1] [h3][b]Q1: Will 3D RPG development be supported? A1:[/b][/h3] RPG Maker Unite does not officially support 3D RPG. We are certainly very aware of the demand for making 3D games or classic RPG games with 3D elements without coding! However, our first priority for RPG Maker Unite is to bring most of the fundamental features of past RPG Maker titles onto Unity, plus an emphasis on ease-of-development for both young and veteran developers. Although we cannot provide official support, advanced users who cannot wait, are free to modify RMU through Unity to attempt accommodating 3D. That being said, 3D is always within our vision, whether as a post launch add-on of Unite or a totally new product. We are always evaluating what sort of tools we can make to best serve the community! [h3][b]Q2: Is there a Character Generator for RPG Maker Unite too? A2:[/b][/h3] There will not be a Character Generator included in Unite itself to generate Character Data. As some of the users have already noticed, the default character assets are made from 3D models converted into 2D images. Because of how Character Data spec has now changed drastically, instead of a character generator, we adopted the VRM character model format that is popular and compatible with Unity, and used that as a basis for designing our default characters. To help users in the conversion process, we are currently developing an official tool that can assist users converting 3D character models into 2D animation images compatible with RPG Maker Unite. This character converter would be compatible with VRM format character models, and users can use it to convert free or paid character models found in the Asset Store or web stores, as well as users’ own custom models. [h3][b]Q3: Can RPG Maker Unite use Unity Assets? Or is Conversion Needed? A3: [/b][/h3]The answer to this is very dependent on the type of assets, but it is safe to assume that some editing will be needed. As aforementioned in Q2, VRM format character models, when paired with the planned character converter, can convert and export 3D models into 2D animations. In that sense, it can be said that VRM models have great compatibility with Unite. [h3][b]Q4: Regarding Plugin Manager - Part 2 (from the Dev) [/b][/h3]In our April Dev Log #2, we mentioned that a Plugin Manager-like feature will be “evaluated post-launch, pending on user demand”. However, due to the large amount of passionate requests from the community, we have decided to go forward to develop it now! However, it should be noted that owing to how Unity is drastically different from past RPG Makers, it may not work exactly like the traditional Plugin Manager, and thus will likely receive a different name. Also, for large scale modification of RPG Maker Unite, it is still recommended to modify via C# directly. While we currently cannot guarantee that this feature could arrive at launch, we do not expect it to be far apart! [h1][b]The Next Dev Log is at the End of July![/b][/h1] In this Dev Log, we introduced another new feature “Switch Line” that can help users manage events and a player’s game progression. Along with the “Story Line” we introduced in April (both are a part of the Outline Editor), they are a powerful combination to make story and game management easier than ever! The next Dev Log is planned for the end of July. The dev team is expecting some major progress in development, and I certainly cannot wait to show more new features to the valued readers! We now have reached the 4th Dev Log and introduced many features so far. If you have any further questions about any of them, please tweet your question with the hashtag #RPGMakerUnite, and we will try to answer them in our next Dev Log! Hopefully you have enjoyed reading this Dev Log too! I will see you next time! [h3][b]■ Related Links [/b][/h3]・RPG Maker Series Portal Site『RPG Maker Official』： https://rpgmakerofficial.com/ ・『RPG Maker Unite』Official Site： https://rpgmakerunite.com/ ・RPG Maker Unite Steam Page https://store.steampowered.com/app/1650950/RPG_Maker_Unite/ ・RPG Maker Unite Official Twitter https://twitter.com/RPGMakerUniteJP　（Japanese） https://twitter.com/RPGMakerUnite　（English） ・RPG Maker Series Twitter https://twitter.com/tkool_dev　（Japanese） https://twitter.com/rpgmakerweb　（English）