I need the assistance of experienced RM2k3 game designers/programmers

[Communist_Gamer]

I say this because this issue arises with the use of parallel and common events which I know is relatively simple when you get the hang of it, but I was playing safe...
Anyway; For context information; The game in question will rely on a system whereby certain equippable items (chiefly accessories but also weapons, armor, etc) will bestow spells, skills and sometikes alter commands for individual players. So what I did was, I created parallel common events with else-branch handlers that will add and remove spells for each individual character based on whether or not they have the item equipped.
In the ideal setting, when they equip the item, exit out of the menu and re-open the menu, the spells will be included into their skillset.
I would then create switches to activate this and have them all turned on in bulk during the opening cutscene.

In practice it would go like--

Floyd obtained "Mage Crystal" and equips it onto his accessories; A parallel common event will activate once the item is equipped and when Floyd cancels out of the menu he learns the spells contained in the crystal.
Once he removes the crystal, the spells vanish based on the else-branch handler.
These parallel, common events where all activated during the first cutscene.

The problem is;
It works, but is unpredictable. I was test running some progress I made in the game and started a new file, periodically fixing the little nuances I missed when I realized sometimes when I swap around the items with spells contained, no one will learn anything when it's equipped.

I went back and re-checked everything, the common events are fine, and the beginning cutscene turns on all necessary switches. Some of the items work, while others do not.
The items that work seem to be the ones where skills or skillsets are given or awarded to one solo character and the issues seem to arise with the items that can be equipped by each individual character-- Of which-- I have individual common events for those characters.

Can any of you experienced designers spot an oversight I may not be considering?
This system of magic learning is paramount to the battle system I devised and if I cannot perfect this then god-damnit...

[Communist_Gamer]

I'm sorry if this isn't where this goes, I really did search for a thread revolving around RPG Maker technical support and just assumed the RPG Maker general discussion thread encompassed it.

[Prpl_Mage]

Hard to tell without seeing the code but my guess is that you don't have a check for each character on each item.
For example, if 4 characters can equip a staff and learn ice bolt - you'll need 4 individual checks for it. First hero 1, then hero 2, hero 3 etc. And then an else handler on this to remove the skill once the item is removed.

[Communist_Gamer]

I actually did that; I tried doing a screenshots but the image file was too big and I kept chopping off edges in my vain attempt at resizing the image.
At least, for a check, I did that in the form of separate Common events;
So if for characters could equip the wind helm and the "Wind" switch needed to be on for the events to take place, I had for common events for each individual characters;

I'm curious, can you overload the game by having an excess of spells and gear to swap around? Maybe it's glitchy?

[Prpl_Mage]

Hmm, it could be a problem with else conditions then.

For example, if everything is stuck in the same branch tree of elses one will prevent the other from activating.

If frost staff is equipped hero 1
YES learn skill ice bolt, activate switch hero 1 ice
NO If ice staff is equipped hero 2
    YES learn skill ice bolt, activate switch hero 2 ice
     NO If ice staff is equipped hero 3
          YES learn skill ice bolt, activate switch hero 3 ice

This will prevent any of the other characters to learn the skill if the first one did it first.




Another option is how you designed the event to remove the skills that might mess things up.

Might take too much CPU if each check for items have the remove in an else like this:
Ice staff is equipped
YES Learn skill ice bolt, switch on hero 1 ice
NO unlearn skill ice bolt, switch off hero 1 ice

The easiest thing to do is have a separate common event that removes the skills.

Hero 1 ice is ON
ice staff is equipped
YES
NO remove skill ice bolt, deactivate switch hero ice 1

So as I said, kinda hard to help without seeind the code

[Meiscool]

For something like this it would be best if you unlearn all skills without a condition, then add skills based on conditions. That way you don't have to do the whole "not wearing this - remove this" part and no bugs will appear.

You can do this one of two ways: create a script that constantly monitors the player's items, and if something changes, call the skill swap command for that character (recommended). Or, just create an event that constantly removes and adds the skills of the items on them.

You should also use PrtScn to post an image of what you currently have so we can look at it.

[Communist_Gamer]

Let's see if this works.

[Communist_Gamer]

Alright so there we go.

It's a very crude system I suppose (I am entirely self educated on this system, so I have no idea where I am on the experience threshold).
As you can see, the common event is activated when a switch is turned on, all of the re-names of the same item is the same code, but for another character.
Every switch is turned on at the start of the game--
So far, in the beginning, it works just fine. It isn't until I've put about an hour and a half of testing in that I notice that suddenly these glitches occur when item is swapped about.
For further information, the there is no one individual switch per one individual item;
If Magestone requires 'blackstone' to be turned on, then every Magestone requires just that one switch.

[Communist_Gamer]

And here is my immediate attempt at booting the game up and strapping the Mage Crystal to the main character; Coupled with the display of my enigmatic-- novice-leveled failure...
UGH

[Communist_Gamer]

ETA;
The Lightning spell the main character has was from the Yellow Bangle equipped; I tried removing all items that edit the skillset, then tried equipping just that lone item, but no. When the disruption in skill distribution (or removal) occurs, it'll be just for one item and it'll effect any character it's equipped too while other items work just fine.

[Meiscool]

Try putting "wait 0.0" or "end event processing" at the end of all your parallel processes.

At the moment there is no pause for the game to think, thus it could be adding and removing oddly.

[Prpl_Mage]

Well, just some thoughts here. But why do you have a trigger switch at all? Any specific reason?

Also, you can put most of those into the same common event. Just copy paste it in after the END. Donno if there's a problem with all those running at once or not.

[Communist_Gamer]

Okay, so!!
Status report;

First, I followed Meis's advice and added in end-event processing;
Nothing.
Then, I replaced end-event processing with wait 0.0;
Nothing.

Then, I read Purple's post... And nearly had a heart attack.

First off, I had no idea it would all work without a trigger event.
I haven't used any tutorial's since I've been using RPG Maker 2K3, so within the span of about 6-7sh years I've just been gradually experimenting with mock games and learning more as I go.
The first thing I ever learned was switches and after I mastered switch usage I expanded upon it to experiment and see what I could do with it---
---As a result; I think I came to believe all events, if not 'auto-started' need to be turned on, or the program won't recognize it.
After that I learned more technical stuff; Like how to edit sprites and use Irfanview to decrease the coloring so RPG Maker could import it, mastering MP3 edit programs to modify the game music so it loops endlessly; I'm just now starting to fully grasp variables but the Input button thingy is still alien to me (as such, I've still never figured out how to apply a run feature. I used a tutorial, but for some weird f#$&ing reason it suddenly stopped the Hero-Sprite from entering any towns and it could suddenly pass through what would otherwise be impassible. Such as mountainous regions and oceans...)
So basically I learned by figuring out how these little functions work and how I can manipulate them, then I think up a cool scene in the game I want to code and figure out how to use what I learned to make it happen.
As it is I wanted to add a section where the game will make sudden switches to a more strategy-like battle system, I have a general idea how to do it in my head, but there are little things I can't figure out yet (like how to make non-hero related events activate by touching one another; So that when two NPCs touch, something happens automatically)... I'm rambling;
Anyway.

So I created a new common event and called it, "Core Powers" and simply pooled all learned spells via equipment into that common event and shut off the trigger switch.

That's when I noticed it...

So I booted the system up to test it, and the Mage Crystal STILL wouldn't load up any magic!
But then I noticed... Everything else works just fine.
It's just that one lone item and now I can't figure out why.
I checked the magic to see if it was designated to the right skillset;
Checked to make sure the right skillset was stationed on every characters Hero-Class section in database;
Checked to make sure the item was the right item on the list;
Nothing.

I'm thinking maybe I just need to delete the item and make an entirely new one and re-script the code?

[Meiscool]

Sounds like you are figuring things out. You can always copy the lightning spell over the fire and ice spell then just change the names/animation/elements too since that spells seems to be working fine.

For any upcoming coding you might do: You should still keep a wait 0.0 at the end of all parallel processes - even if it didn't fix your issue. Anything that changes variables/images/adds pictures/etc. will lag or bug out without a pause for the game to process things.