Item starts the random encounter calls

I'm using visible monster sprites in my game so there are no random encounters. However, as there are lots of items to collect such as materials and ingredients from the monsters, I'd like the player to have an item which when "activated" or used would start the normal random encounter count of that desired map. Is this possible to do without scripts and if not, would someone be willing to script this for me? 

What do you mean "start the normal random encounter count of that desired map"? You need to be VERY specific about what you want this to do, and what you don't want it to do.


Are you saying you want to turn on random encounters, but only for the map you're on when the item is used? Does that mean the visible monster sprites will disappear? Are random encounters disabled again when you leave the map? What about when you return?


If you don't want random encounters, what is the random encounter count used for?

Currently I'm only fiddling with ideas on how I should actually accomplish this.

I have random encounters on the world map and visible monsters everywhere else. Some of the monsters are underground creatures and it wouldn't fit in the game if those monsters would be encountered in the world map so thats why you'd need to be inside a dungeon to find those. I also don't like the fact that when player clears a dungeon and comes back the monsters have spawned again. Running back and forth between the same map just to get the visible monsters spawn kinda ruins the immersion imho. When visible monster is dead, it stays dead (with some exceptions of course, like an area with some sort of infestation that spawns those monsters if the areas quest is not completed).

This is where the item would come in to play. Monster Attractomator-3000™. With that item you could attract the attention of monsters by allowing random encounters to occur. Or perhaps an easier way (and more convenient) of doing this is to make the item call common event with a timer (or no timer) and have it call battle process "same as random encounters"?

But if there'd be more powerful version of that item, like Monster Attractomator-4000™ to attract more powerful monsters, how'd you make that since the other item already uses the random encounters pool? And what if you'd tried to use it on a location that has no enemies like in a town?

Why all this? Because the player might have missed some skill for his blue mage, some stealable skill, item, ingredient, material etc, or just want to level up his characters.

If you just want a Random Battle, you can ask the Battle command to start a random battle.

I think it would be trickier if you wanted one of the "force an encounter" items to pick different selections of monsters than exist in the random encounter list.  You'd probably need to pick a subset of Troops and randomly select from them.

You should be able to turn random encounters on or off via events.

Just make your encounters and add them to the map, as you would on the world map, then make an item call a common event that turns random encounters on for a set time or steps or whatever.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. The only issue is trying to call 2 separate groups of encounters in the same area, though you could possibly use another common event to swap out certain enemies when a switch is active, I haven't tried anything like that, but I feel it should be possible.

So anyone has new ideas on how to accomplish this "upgradeable monster caller"? Could it be accomplished by scripting? 

You could use Yanfly's script that runs a common event when an item is equipped or uneqipped. When equipped it would use the 'enable encounters' command and when uneqipped it runs 'disable encounters'. Not on my computer so can't provide link. If you want to restrict this to one map put disable encounters in the transfer event out.

I already have script that allows me to run common events from items usage put the problem is how to make it draw the enemies from different pools so I can make the item upgradeable and have it summon harder monsters when upgraded?

That is actually harder then it sounds, I can't figure out any way to do it that doesn't look....bad.

The only option I have gotten to work at all is the the transform option, when a switch is on it will spawn the initial enemies the random encounter would call, and then they transform into something else. So unless you have in game reasons for that to happen and keep them to the same types that will look weird.

Putting this here in case it will be helpful...but I don't foresee that being the case (You probably tried the same options I did, with the same results.)...I'm thinking this will require some (probably light) scripting:

You might be able to use this script and then set it up so that your upgraded item triggers a switch: http://www.rpgmakervxace.net/topic/18658-enhanced-encounter-conditions/

I found it while looking for something similar for my game, haven't tried it yet so no idea how well it will work though.

That looks like a solution. I'm going to create item which calls common event that turns encounters on and adds value to variable (=Variable determines the hardness of the monsters/level of the used item). Then I'll just add Encounters off to every map transfer.