Krozo

Hello :)

I am trying to find a way to have an ability's MP cost increase by a constant amount each time it is used, and then can be reset by using a certain action.

I have been trying to use global ability variables without much luck. Is there another way to approach this that I am not thinking of?

The solution would also need to only increase this cost per combatant, so two combatants could have the same ability that increases in cost independently.

Thank you for your time and support in advance!!

GeneralK

So on the Ability, User Changes, Use Cost, Status Change, Change Value

Normally you maybe have it on Value then an integer (which could then be set to value or percent)

You can have that Change Value be pretty much anything. (Status Value, Level, Variable, etc)

You can use a Formula there (Game-->Formulas) to do some math operations on the value.

Anyway point is that if you had a hidden status value (or maybe object variable) would be per combatant and instead of "Value" as the "Change Value" you'd set that to combatant-->status value and it would change it by that Status Values' amount.

Although this does seem more like what Ability variables would be intended for, but perhaps they are mostly meant as charges or something I dunno.

Krozo

@GeneralK I thought of using Status Values, but that would not allow me to have independent increases per combatant.

Looking deeper I think I will use Ability levels in this case to increase Use Cost, and then if I want to actually create upgrades of an ability, I would just create another ability entirely.

Gonna try this method out and see if it works!

GeneralK

Not sure what you mean. Status values are per combatant like say strength, dex, int, wis.

You have one called skill1 use cost and change it from 10 to 30 and use that as the mana status value change value use cost in the ability

GeneralK

@Krozo I wasn't at computer today so here is example shot now.

Here is status value Strength, start value is 1 so every combatant starts with 1 Str individually. (until changed by development, equipment, status effect, etc)

Then on an ability the use cost change value is set to strength. (it says energy points instead of MP).

So initial would cost 1 EP to cast the ability and if I changed that Combatants strength, the cost would reflect that. If I changed strength to 10 in a schematic for the user of that schematic, then used this ability it would cost 10 EP.

The change value is just assigning a number to use As the cost.

Hope that makes more sense, GiL is going to ban me! Lol jk.

https://imgur.com/a/rKkBarK

Krozo

@GeneralK You're totally right, lol. I'm not sure how I would keep track of which Ability that is learned is associated with which Status Value unless I created a Status Value for each ability, which sounds like a pain.

Currently using Ability levels is working as intended for going up in Use Cost by using the Level Up Type 'Uses' and setting the levels sequentially, but I am having trouble resetting the level of the abilities mid-battle. I have an ability set up called Rest that I want to reset all abilities of the combatant to Level 1.

It seems I am having trouble getting the Rest ability to use a schematic. I have tried setting the User Change or the Target (Self) change to the Change Type 'Schematic', choose the Rest Schematic I have set up, and test it out with a Show Dialogue node, or a status effect node, but it is not working. I have Hit Chance off, so it should always use the ability. Not sure why it does not use the Schematic. Any thoughts of where to look?

Krozo

@GeneralK Ok scratch that, I found out that I was not using a Battle Animation to call the Calculate Action node! That is now running the schematic just fine!

Now I am trying to figure out what node will change an ability back to level 1. "Change Ability Use Level" node to change Use Level to 1 or 0 doesn't seem to change what ability level is being used. "Change Ability Use Count" seems to not do what I am looking for either.

Any tips?

gamingislove

Changing the use level only works if the ability has Allow Level Change enabled in it's Ability Settings. Also, changing the use level will still keep the actual ability at the current level learned - if you want to reset the ability to level 1, you first need to remove the ability (Forget Ability node) and learn it again (Learn Ability node).

Krozo

Thanks for the insight @gamingislove.

I thought about that method, the trouble I am running into is that I am trying to create a way to reset all abilities of a combatant to Level 1.

In this case, it seems Using Selected Data on the Learn Ability node loads the level of the ability that was saved in Selected Data. The Selected Data I am using is selecting All Abilities of the combatant, and stores the level they are currently at, so they get re-learned at the same level.

Here's how I have the schematic set up so far.
https://imgur.com/a/KHptOl3

It'd be great if there was a way to change the level being used numerically, or re-learn a list of Abilities in Selected Data at Level 1.

gamingislove

Well, yeah - abilities stored in selected data will have the level (and other content) that they already had, so that way will simply relearn the exact same abilities.

I don't think this is currently possible like that, you'll have to go through abilities individually for that.

Krozo

@gamingislove gotcha,

Is that something that may become available in the future? To decide what level abilities in Selected Data get re-learned at? Could be a toggle to learn at the level it was selected, or to choose the level.
Or simply setting ability levels to a lower level, since there is a level-up node, rather than forgetting and re-learning.

How would you recommend I go through the abilities individually? It seems like I can only use selected data in this instance to dynamically forget and learn the abilities of any combatant.

gamingislove

I'll look into it, maybe a new node to reset an ability to a defined level or something like that.

Going through the abilities individually means basically that:
- check if ability X is learned
- forget it
- learn it again
And repeat that for all abilities :)

Krozo

Thanks @gamingislove! Very much appreciate the support.

With your advice around Ability Variables, I was able to get an increase to work with schematics rather than Ability Levels so far. Thank you again for all your help!

Krozo

@gamingislove

What schematic node do I use to check if an ability is learned?

gamingislove

The allmighty Check Status node - and alternatively the Status Fork node :)

Krozo

@gamingislove Thank you! Didn't realize all the options in this node!

Any chance Check Status - Ability, and Select Ability nodes will use the Ability index number as an option in the future? Would make it easier to loop through all abilities individually with a loop node.