What are your must-have plugins?

Every game calls for different plugins. I know that there's no single set that covers it all. But there are some that you probably just install by default when starting up a new project. I'm interested in knowing what those are. What plugins do you pretty much always use in just about every project you make?

You don't have to say the exact plugin names. The functionality that they add to the engine is more what I'm interested in knowing.

Orange Mapshots.
Just... everything else doesn't matter as long as I have that. I always start my mapping in MV itself before using Mapshots to pull the map out and put it into photoshop and add in my fancy stuff.

Gameplay wise, I always put Yanfly's CoreEngine and Region Restriction followed by Orange Overlay. So... stuff that has to do with mapping. And layers. Basically anything that lets me make my map the way I want it. After that, everything varies depending on what I'm going to do with the game.

I use a good chunk of Yanfly's plugins. Some of the most important to me are Skill Core, Battle Core, and Buffs & States Core. Many battle effects require Skill Core and Buffs & States Core to create. Still, the exact list varies depending on the needs of the game.

Call me typical, but upon starting a new project I download a good chunk of Yanfly's Battle Core plugins (action sequences, damage core, critical core, skill score, etc), and then find stuff to change up my UI (moghunter, SRD's super tools engine, etc), so that I can get away from the default look as much as possible.

A parallax/picture binding plugin is also mandatory.

There are no "must have" plugins.

I add, or create, whatever specific plugins are needed by my project, once I determine they are needed. If one project needs a plugin/script, it doesn't mean, by default, that the next project will need it.

Some kind of message addon that lets me use additional escape codes, a multi timer plugin and save event position plugin will probably be useful for most of my projects, but none of them are really "must have" - all of those things could be achieved without plugins. Looking at the plugins I've got in this one, I have 17 that I may not have use for in my next project.

I have a feeling there is already a thread like this around somewhere.

@Frogboy Please note, General Discussion is meant to be, as far as possible, engine neutral. I am also unclear what the actual discussion part of this question is. In fact, as far as I can see, there is none, so yes, I will be moving it. As a general rule of thumb, the very name of a forum is often a good indication of the type of thread that is meant to be there. Also the pinned topic to be found in all forums describing the purpose of the forum (often in the form of Guidelines for posting) is a great help for working out what should be there.

[move]General Lounge[/move]

There're several scripts functionality I usually include on my projects despite every project calls different design and needs

• My own basic module, with chunks of functions even though I might never use it in actual game. It just convenient to have just in case
• Yanfly Core / Battle because default script (and default battle UI) is just suck. I'd rather modify yanfly script than modify default script.
• Clone event, for convenient purpose
• Skip titlescreen, for faster debug
• Debug frameskip, for faster debug as well

The purpose is to gauge what functionality devs usually need in a game that doesn't come packaged with the default engine. There is a thread that asks others what functionality they wish future versions will have but those are mostly dreams and wishes of a much higher level. I'm looking for the more common things that most devs use now but need plugins for. Changing resolution is one that I suspect most use by default (in fact, there's now a plugin that comes default with the engine for this reason). Animating battles is likely another one for any game that utilizes the battle scene. Customizing menus is another I expected. Lighting is one that I'm kind of surprised that no one mentioned yet. I wasn't expecting the parallax plugins as I haven't messed around with that yet. Event cloning is very useful but I wasn't expecting it to be mentioned here. I'm sure others will throw out some features or plugins that I wouldn't expect.

Nah, I wasn't talking about that - there was another thread created a while ago, specifically asking people what are their must-have plugins. I saw your post show up in the 'new' list and thought someone had resurrected it. It was basically people listing what plugins they think are essential to every project. Naturally, I can't find it now.

Actually, it's a simple plugin: Control Self Switches from another event :) I use it IN Every event I make to create seamless events.

Yanfly core engine mainly for the resolution change and a few functions. Every project I have started always ends up with this plugin. MogHunter's splash screen, credits, and picture title commands because it makes a project look more professional. And for my parallax mapping needs, Orange Mapshot, Yanfly region restrictions, and an older overlay plugin I would rather not name but continue to use it because I haven't had to many conflicts with other plugins (but I am thinking of switching to galv's). Also Yanfly's move route core always makes it in there. Its a very powerful tool. Control other events self-switches and can give player or events commands to go to a coordinate instead of move left move left move up.

Anything else seems to be case by case, but the above ones I just always put into a new project.

Since that purpose isn't specific to MV, I hope you won't mind if answer from my VX Ace point of view.

* Aeirex's Advanced Movement, for the ability to dash by default and hold shift for slow movement;
* Yanfly's Ace Battle Engine and YSA Battle System: Predicted Charge Turn Battle. CTB is the most interesting and engaging battle system, and now that I'm used to it, I never want to go back to the default system.

Those are the only essentials, really. I don't mind having a lot of default stuff in my game; I'm just happy to have the opportunity to create a game, and don't care whether it ever becomes popular.

No, I don't mind at all. I wasn't specific on the engine for this very reason.

I think the most essential for me would be some of the action battle scripts (as it is the genre I am most comfortable working in) or some sort of crafting script.

Pretty much Yanfly Core Plugin, Save Plugin, Message Plugin, probably Menu layout plugin, and if the game features any combat at all, then Yanfly Battle Plugin too.
Also I like to use Galv's Message Busts and Bust Menu so to show busts instead of faces on text messages and game menu respectively.