New Game Event

New Game Event - v 1.0.0

by JahwsUF

You know how lots of games start off with a cutscene or an intro sequence?  Maybe you get to customize the game a little bit right off the bat, like choosing your main character's game?  Wouldn't it be nice to do that in RPG Maker?  I thought so, and set out to remedy the situation.  The result?  This plugin!

With this plugin, you can set one Common Event to launch immediately once someone starts a "New Game."  This script will disregard any conditions attached to that Common Event - it will be run unconditionally.

Suppose that I want my game to start off with this event:

This is actually possible now!

The images in the next screenshots use the same background as was specified for the title screen... and the intro music keeps rolling, uninterrupted!

Downloads and Use

Sold on it yet, or interested in giving it a spin in your project?  I've attached the plugin to this posting, but in case of future changes, check out my Bitbucket repository.  I've put the code there for safekeeping.  On that site, for some reason they like labeling the download button as "Raw."  Probably some weird developer thing.

Commercial use?  Personal use?  Check and check.  I made this because I wanted to and I know it'd be a huge help.  Credit would be highly appreciated, but it's totally free for use.  I'm not a very legal person, so let's just go with that MIT free-use license thing if you want to get super-formal and have lawyers pushing you to get everything checked out.  If you've read this whole thing, I'm sure my casual tone's been oozing through all the text, so you can probably see that I'm nice and laid back.  All this being said, don't claim credit for the plugin itself.  I made this, and even if it gets edited, acknowledgement of the original authoring and base for whatever comes is only proper.

Uh, and to go with that license mentioned... © 2015 JahwsUF.  Assume the standard text of the license's term applies for any legal matters.  (Note that the copyright + author name is a part of said license.)

FAQ

• Is it possible to use any event command in the "New Game"-event?
  
  Please note that not all commands will be compatible due to the game's architecture.  You will only appear on a map once the event is completed, meaning you won't be able to send movement commands or animation commands, at a minimum.
   
• Any other suggestions for potential uses?
  
  Let's say that you want to have an event auto-run as soon as you spawn onto your first map after selecting New Game.  Problem - for a common event to autorun, you need an activated switch or a variable with a substantial value.  You can use this to pre-initialize those values so that your event will activate immediately. 
  
  (Note that the base game will not autorun an event that you spawn on top of, so map events weren't viable for this either.)

Notes

I'm sure there's potential for extra customization options to be added.  An easy one would be to allow a different set of background images be displayed, and with alternate music, although there would have to be transitions with this.  If you've any ideas on how this might be enhanced, please feel free to let me know and I'll see what's possible.  I wanted to go ahead and get this out as it is for now.

JAH_NewGameEvent.zip

Ok! Sounds nice, could surely use something like this. Love the idea of being able to change backgrounds, that would be great!... As for "an alternate version that allows you to launch events immediately upon transferring into a map", that's not really necessary, people just need to make and event that autoruns at the map they arrive at.

So, kewl script, thanks for sharing :)

The main reason I'm concerned about that is that upon a new game's start, you have no chance to have previously set a switch for autorun.  Then again, this plugin can take care of that, so I guess it's not truly necessary anymore.  Good point!

you come out with some really nice idea for plugins, gonna download and see how it goes :D

Awesome Script

I'm having an error - I specified the common event I'm using (1) in the parameters, but whenever I press New Game, I get TypeError: Cannot read property '0' of undefined.


Do I just not understand how to specify the common event, or is there a certain place I need to have the plugin installed?

What are the contents of the event you're trying to run?  Keep in mind that not all game objects are available at the start of the game; for example, the map isn't loaded yet when the event is launched.

It's a Show Choices line that allows the player to choose difficulty with a variable, and another option to turn on a timer (for testing purposes)

Any chance you could copy the event text for me, so I can be sure to replicate the problem?

Ah, thanks.  I just tested your event in a project of mine but had no issue from it - the only problem I found was a black screen after it finished, which was fixed by removing the "Fadeout Screen" commands at your event's end.


Just in case this might help, try it out again with this version.  I have made a minor adjustment to it since the prior posting, and it's possible that the difference is related to that problem.

View attachment JAH_NewGameEvent.zip

I still got the same error. I'll make a new project and test it with my different plugins, to see if it's a conflict. This is compatible with most Yanfly scripts, correct? Or have you tested that?

I've tested it in a project with quite a number of them - it ought be compatible with them, though I haven't tested 'em all.


Also, could you do me a favor?  When your game crashes, before closing it, hit the "F8" key and copy the red text that appears for me if you can - that might provide some useful extra info.

Here's the log data


Edit: I see what the problem is. Why that interferes, I don't know. Those are both camera plugins, and unless they depend upon how RPG Maker loads games, I don't understand why they would conflict. Then again, I'm not much of a scripter.

The first thing I note there - your error is launching from within a plugin called MBS_SmoothScroll, and it's also passed through MBS_MapZoom.  It may well be due to some interesting interaction between 'em.


It appears that those plugins are assuming something about the game's use of maps that conflicts with the way my NewGame Event plugin interacts with them.  I'd have to look into that plugin directly to save more; it's a compatibility issue between the two.

This will be handy. By the way, are you still supporting your Status Menu Plugin? I hesitate to post in its topic since I'd be necroposting.

Not to be mean, but isn't this kind of redundant? I could just have a map that is the first to load with the player transparent and it runs a map event....


I am curious of how this is an improvement over that.

@Baerthe I think the only appeal to this is that it keeps the exact same picture the title screen had, and plays out the event. If you clicked New Game and then did events the normal way, it would fade out the title screen and then you would have to have it fade in your new map with the new picture of the title screen.


Of course, I have a custom, evented title screen, so this isn't really needed for me, but that's the only perk I can see using this plugin rather than just doing it slightly more manually.

@Prescott
Yeah I read through the plugin. What is does is recreate the title screen then run the event. So...eh....

I'm definitely still planning to support it... I just haven't seen posts on the topic, so I guess all's fine in that direction for now?




At first, that's what I tried to do... and then I realized it wouldn't work.  Unless there's something I'm missing, when the player is first loaded onto the map, the game will not check immediately underneath the player for an event - you must move first.  If you do a global map event, it either repeats infinitely or requires a switch to be on, but all switches are off upon the start of a new game.