Multiple Elements Stacking

Here's my question, if you just want the short story.  Can I get RPG Maker VX Ace to acknowledge more than one set of resistances/weaknesses? 

I'm having trouble working element rates, and I'm hoping there is something I'm missing and the program is not as limited as it seems.

I've tested an axe that has fire and water attributes attacking an enemy that takes double damage from water and half damage from fire.  The system seems to only register the weakness and not the strength.  Ideally, they would cancel each other out.  But ignoring the strength to fire seems like a flaw in the system.

Here's an example of how it will effect my game: if I have an axe that deals more damage to large creatures and use an ability that deals more damage to large creatures, I would expect a greater damage total when using BOTH then I would expect if I were just using one or the other.  The combo is important to me.  Can I get this work without scripting?

Any help is appreciated.

Each weapon can have only one attack element by default. If you add more than one attack element, then all but one element gets ignored.


However, that does not depend on values but on the sequence what was added first or last.


Only the target can have several element rates, and then the value matching the weapon element gets used.


However, this is only the default and that can be changed by scripts - I heard of at least one script that can do this (it was requested before) but I don't have the link and don't know how that script works.

So if I have a weapon with an element, and use a skill with a different element, I'm assuming it ignores my weapon's element?

I'll look around for that script. 

Skill element overrides weapon element...

Weapon element is only relevant if your skill uses "normal" element.


A weapon can have any number of elements, added via features.

Might not be the best solution, but you can also include the targets element rate in the damage formula:

b.element_rate(ELEMENT-ID)

a result of 1.0 equates to 100% element effectivity, so you could just multiply this statement with your actual formula.

While I actually prefer the strategy to only take the most effective element, you could bypass it by creating a third element that combines the other two. Everywhere you change the element rate of either water or fire, change the combined element along.

Then you can use the third element as the only attack element of the weapon.

Another Fen, actually, the main use that I want is a weapon that has one element used with a skill that adds another.  It looks to me like your methods wouldn't address that.  Do you have any ideas?

You could select "Normal Attack" as the skills element and include the additional element in the skills formula as described above.

The result will be different from adding the additional element to the attack element set, since both elements will be multiplied to the damage value instead of only the more effective one. But as far as I understand your initial post, that could be exactly what you wanted.


 

That sounds good.  Something like this?  So if I set the attack element as normal, it will draw from the equipped fire axe, but the skill will always multiply by the targets ice vulnerability?

(a.atk * 4 - b.def * 2) * b.element_rate(ice)

I think you have to use the element number for ice, not ice itself, for that to work. For instance, if ice is the 2nd element in the list, try b.element_rate(2)

That got it!

Thanks everyone.  I really appreciate it.