MV - MV + MZ : Make an Action Game! Chrono Engine Beginner Guide - On Map Tools and Battles!

AquaEcho · 2024-04-25T03:20:23+0900

This is a beginner introductory guide. I also have another guide Advanced Features! What is Chrono Engine? Chrono Engine is a free, open-source suite of plugins used to make action games by adding on-map tools and battles for MV (and MZ compatible with FOSSIL (see MZ notes at bottom)). It can be confusing and overwhelming for beginners, especially since all the instructions are in Portuguese. This guide will simplify it. Chrono Engine has two modes: ABS (Action Battle System) and Chrono Mode. ABS mode allows you to make a game like 2D Zelda where you fight enemies on the map and use tools or weapons to solve puzzles. Chrono Mode allows you to have a battle system like Chrono Trigger: an ATB or turn-based battle system on the map instead of cutting to the battle scene for battles. What else can I make in Chrono Engine? Chrono Engine can be used to make any game that has on-map battles. Think tower defense games, RTSes, top-down shooters, etc. Can I still use the regular battle scene as well as the on-map battles? Yes, the regular battle scene is still usable, so you can have both in your game. You could have different sections of the game use different systems, or just use Chrono Engine for the map tools while using the regular battle scene for battles. Can I use both the ABS and Chrono modes in the same game? Yes, it's toggleable with the plugin command chrono_mode : true or false Where do I get it? https://mogplugins.com/mv-chrono-engine/ You can also get stock Chrono Engine as part of Cross Engine (basically Chrono Engine on steroids) Once downloaded, open the demo project. Go to Master_MV_23_1 > ChronoEngine> Game (Note: There is another demo project in the download showcasing the rest of Moghunter's plugins, which you can look at later to see if there's anything you want to use). You will want to play the demo first (press the green play button in the top right in the editor) to see all the features in action. Chrono Mode will showcase a Chrono Trigger clone. ABS Mode (Stage 1) will showcase a Zelda clone with an emphasis on puzzles and some light combat. ABS Mode (Stage 2) will showcase a more action/battle-heavy ABS system with advanced features like combos and charged attacks. Plugin Commands (Debug) is simply a testing map to show what the different plugin commands do. Once you've played enough, go back to the project file. This is the Tool Map. Even though it is a map, the player never goes to it. It is simply to store event templates for the tools, spells, and items the player uses on the active map. If you have used an event spawner plugin, this works much the same way. Whenever you use a tool, spell or item in game, its event is temporarily called from this template map and spawned on the active map the player is on, then unspawned when finished. After all, you only need an arrow, bomb or spell to show briefly after using it. Some of the events here are for ABS mode, some for Chrono Mode. Depending on the type of game you want to make, you only need some of them. Spoiler: Overview of all the tool events The first five events are non-ABS items. The next six events are the Zelda tools. The last four are the basic attacks of Ash and his party members in Chrono Mode. (However if you add the party members in ABS mode and switch the leader they'll use them there too.) Lines 3 and 4 are Chrono mode spells. Note it's possible to use these in ABS mode, but you will have to add the note ABS mode in the database note box for them to show up in the skill list. Line 6 is Chrono mode double and triple techs. The last two lines are ABS mode skills used by the player, enemy and bosses. Let's look at the tool event pages. Each tool event will have a number of properties in its event page, like how long it takes to use it, how long it stays on the map, and what item/skill/weapon database entry to get its damage numbers/effects from. The tool willl also have a move route defining how the tool event moves, what sound it makes, etc when its spawned onto the current map. You can see this arrow just moves straight ahead. If there is no move route the tool may not move from the user's position and may not see it. You'll notice on every event on the tool map there is a comment for tool_item_id, tool_skill_id, or tool_weapon_id. That id refers to the database ID and allows that event to use its corresponding database stats. Likewise, the entry in the database will have a Tool Id : X note in the note section to link it back to its tool map event so that when you select that item/skill/weapon from a menu, it knows which tool event to spawn when you use it. The explanation of every comment can be found in the MOG_ChronoEngine plugin file. Translation of the Comments instructions from ChatGPT Spoiler: Translation tool_item_id : ITEM_ID - Defines damage based on the Item ID. tool_skill_id : SKILL_ID - Defines damage based on the Skill ID. tool_item_cost : ITEM_ID - Activates an item cost for the action. (*Bow and arrow) tool_…

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Started by AquaEcho Apr 24, 2024, 06:20 PM 58 posts Page 3 of 3 View original ↗

taylorjeff

#41 Aug 26, 2025, 01:13 AM Source

AquaEcho said:
Another plugin that disables mouse movement would work. I use this with QJ Bullet / Map Projectiles that has a disable mouse movement option

Bullet/Map Projectiles/Afterimage Plugin RMMV by qiujiu
Thank you very much for your explanation!
vampy_graveyard

#42 Sep 11, 2025, 05:26 AM Source

Is there a way to make non-party member npcs (as events) to fight an enemy using this plugin?
AquaEcho

#43 Sep 11, 2025, 02:07 PM Source

vampy_graveyard said:
Is there a way to make non-party member npcs (as events) to fight an enemy using this plugin?
Their data would have to come from either the actor or enemy database, but yes, you can set them as enemies and make enemies fight each other without any additional plugins. You would have to use scripts though.
vampy_graveyard

#44 Sep 11, 2025, 04:19 PM Source

AquaEcho said:
Their data would have to come from either the actor or enemy database, but yes, you can set them as enemies and make enemies fight each other without any additional plugins. You would have to use scripts though.
What scripts would be useful for this?
Gl4ss0nyx

#45 Sep 20, 2025, 02:21 PM Source

How would I hide the actor hud and the gold hud? I tried using the plugin commands (hide_actor_hud) that are apart of the plugin but I couldn’t get them to work. Can someone help me figure it out so I can hide the huds for cutscenes in my game?
AquaEcho

#46 Sep 20, 2025, 08:23 PM Source

vampy_graveyard said:
What scripts would be useful for this?
You would have to adapt the code I used to make the followers fight into the event's page instead.
Gl4ss0nyx said:
How would I hide the actor hud and the gold hud? I tried using the plugin commands (hide_actor_hud) that are apart of the plugin but I couldn’t get them to work
Are you using MZ?
Gl4ss0nyx

#47 Sep 20, 2025, 11:22 PM Source

I'm using MV.

Also how would you make followers fight on an event page?
AquaEcho

#48 Sep 21, 2025, 10:47 PM Source

If you're using MV there shouldn't be any issue with the plugin commands. You'll have to post a screencap of how you're using them if they're not working.

I made a guide on how to make the followers fight in the advanced features thread
Post in thread 'MV + MZ Make an Action Game! Chrono Engine Advanced Features and Scripts (gamepad, status effects, fighting followers)!' https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/inde...ffects-fighting-followers.168094/post-1499791
AquaEcho

#49 Oct 2, 2025, 12:53 AM Source

Moghunter has updated their site with a makeover and new Chrono Engine guide
MV – Chrono Engine
rianez3

#50 Oct 21, 2025, 12:45 PM Source

I'm still new with this engine. Can a common event be run when the enemy hits the player in Abs Mode?
AquaEcho

#51 Oct 21, 2025, 03:32 PM Source

rianez3 said:
I'm still new with this engine. Can a common event be run when the enemy hits the player in Abs Mode?
It depends on HOW the enemy is "hitting" the player. The tool events use a different function from the enemy touching player.
rianez3

#52 Oct 21, 2025, 07:50 PM Source

AquaEcho said:
It depends on HOW the enemy is "hitting" the player. The tool events use a different function from the enemy touching player.
i want to make a custom game over, so I ended up making the event on tool map like this. Since using tool_skill_id makes the player instantly die when their HP is gone.

Spoiler
AquaEcho

#53 Oct 21, 2025, 08:06 PM Source

rianez3 said:
i want to make a custom game over, so I ended up making the event on tool map like this. Since using tool_skill_id makes the player instantly die when their HP is gone.

Spoiler
View attachment 351674
View attachment 351676

Does SRD's Game Over core work?
Game Over Core – MV Plugin – RPG Maker MZ Plugins
rianez3

#54 Oct 22, 2025, 02:51 AM Source

AquaEcho said:
Does SRD's Game Over core work?
Game Over Core – MV Plugin – RPG Maker MZ Plugins
I already tried it. My game got stuck because I had movement route when the player died
AquaEcho

#55 Oct 22, 2025, 07:02 AM Source

You need to put the script to run a common event in the death function either through using a plugin like SRD's one or making a plugin aliasing the death function yourself.

There are multiple ways a player can die (an attack, touch damage, poison, map tile damage, an event subtracting from their HP, etc) that it doesn't make sense to edit all those functions.

If you're having trouble with SRD's plugin I recommend you make a new thread explaining the issue in detail and how youre using it
rianez3

#56 Oct 22, 2025, 08:38 AM Source

AquaEcho said:
You need to put the script to run a common event in the death function either through using a plugin like SRD's one or making a plugin aliasing the death function yourself.

There are multiple ways a player can die (an attack, touch damage, poison, map tile damage, an event subtracting from their HP, etc) that it doesn't make sense to edit all those functions.

If you're having trouble with SRD's plugin I recommend you make a new thread explaining the issue in detail and how youre using it

Thanks for the suggestions. It really helped me get an idea and was able to solve the problem. I forgot that when the player at 0 hp, it will trigger a game-over scene. So I used a script on enemy attack tool to make that no matter how much damage the enemy does, the player will not die and will only have 1 HP left.

var r = 50 + Math.randomInt(5);
Game_Interpreter.prototype.changeHp.call(this, $gameParty.leader(), -r, false);
$gameParty.leader().startDamagePopup();

Then I created a conditional branch: if a player's HP is less than or equal to 1, it will trigger my custom game over.
AquaEcho

#57 Oct 22, 2025, 05:29 PM Source

That isn't a good solution for the reason I stated earlier, unless you want the common event to only trigger when the enemy uses that specific attack, and not the multiple other ways the player can die.
rianez3

#58 Nov 8, 2025, 07:01 AM Source

Hello again, I want to try creating an NPC that can talk but can also be attacked depending on the player's mode. I used the 'Command_Attack' to change the player's mode, but the results aren't what I expected. When you first enter the map, the dialog appears, but when you change the mode again, the dialog doesn't appear.
I try to transfer the player to the same coordinate when the mode changes, but it doesn't work either.
Do you have any suggestions on how I can fix this?

Spoiler