RyonaSaga FAQ: Bob Grue's Adventuring Tips

Posted by Bob_Grue 14 years ago

 

Or "Why you don't need a lamp to explore the Underground Kingdom."

Installation
Non-Unicode Language Settings
RyonaSaga uses Japanese characters, both in the game and in the game's file names. This means you need to have your non-unicode language set to Japanese when extracting the files onto your computer. While playing you also need this setting, or you can use Applocale (but only for playing, not extracting).

To set your non unicode language to Japanese:
Windows XP: Control Panel -> Regional and Language Options -> Advanced Tab -> Language for Non-Unicode programs -> Japanese
Windows Vista: Control Panel (Classic View) -> Regional and Language Options -> Administrative (Tab) -> Change System Locale (Button, requires admin approval if you've got that on)

If you're playing that Kai game and followed the link here: stop reading, do what I told you, and try not to rage too hard when you land on the green blob and get face-raped.

If you are playing RyonaSaga and have not done this correctly, you will get an error that reads something like:

blahblah : GameInitialize()
blahmoonspeakblah : Battle\decide_state_P.txt
mehblahblah : (298)
(fufufufu)

(image): viewtopic.php?p=525090#p525090

Here the game is telling you there's an error in that file on line 298, which is surreal since the file doesn't have that many lines. That means you didn't set your non-unicode language correctly either when installing or playing. A similar error message can point to an actual error in your files. But this mistake is by far the most common.


Downloads, Versions, Conflicts, and "Why My Screen Goes Black"
If you're getting a black screen when starting the game, you're probably using a version not suited for your computer.
Newer Windows OSes should use the more recent versions. Older OSes may wish to try the older version listed below.
Try whichever version you're not using. It may be a pain, but it seems to work.

The Most Recent Japanese Version
http://dev.rsaga.org/core/
This version is the best one for newer machines, notably Windows 7 and Vista.

The Latest English Language File for the Above Japanese Version
Language, Dungeon and Event files by CaptainSledge

Older Version (English Patch pre-applied)
Old English version uploaded to 4-Shared by lipucd
Newer machines may have difficulty with this one. Use if you have XP or older and are having the black screen issue.

Up-to-date files for RyonaSaga
Everything in the current version and everything ready for inclusion in the next version can be found here.
You can look through and download the files individually.

RyonaSaga Download Site (Now given over almost completely to RyonaRPG)
There are a few files here you won't find included in the up-to-date link probably because of their poor quality.


Content found on Eka's Portal, but not in the Japanese version


Unstable Files
In the Battle folder, there's a text file named with two Japanese characters. It can cause your game to crash, especially with Windows 7. Delete it. It's just a description of the other files, but since you don't know how to read it, it doesn't do you any good.

.dgc archive format
The .dgc format is a compression format, like .zip or .rar. Use a DGCA program to unarchive it. You can try this:
http://www.emit.jp/dgca/dgca_e.html
Just remember to check the settings and set it to English. You can also google DGCA and .dgc.


Adding Files
Players and Enemies usually consist of a spritesheet and a data file which go in a folder with their name, in the Player and Enemy folders, respectively. Skill files go in the skill folder. Once this is done, you then have to tell the game that the file is there to be read. The files in the StartData folder are lists of all the other files the game is supposed to use. So find the file with the list you want (players, enemies, skills, items, etc.) and add a line with the name of your new player, skill, etc..


Editing Files
Captialization Counts!
Many, many errors before the most recent version were due to uncapitalized letters.


Gameplay
Full Screen Mode
In the file "RyonaSaga\StartData\option_S.txt" (or similar folder) there is the line "FullScreen = 0". Change to 0 to 1, and you should have a fullscreen game.

Levelling
As you gain levels, your skill levels increase. The more you use skills, the more likely their level will increase. However, you do not actually gain access to new skills until you save the game, exit, and restart.

Pausing and Enemy Control
Pressing the Control key pauses the game. Pressing the arrow keys toggles various options such as controlling the enemy, Watch Mode in which your Player Characters don't attack, and a no-damage mode. These let you test out the enemies in a more controlled manner.


Skills and Items
Beat skills:
These could be more appropriately termed "Bludgeoning Weapon" skills.

TeleportAttack:
This Energy skill deals damage roughly equal to 1/4 the enemy's current Hit Points. Use to soften up Boss monsters.

Psychic skills can be used while Silenced or Blinded.

Wish: In exchange for all your caster's spell points and the accumulation of maximum fatigue, you get to choose one of the following effects (In order listed in Japanese)
(1)Auto-win the encounter
(2)Silence on all enemies
(3)Remove most status effects
(4)Restore everyone's hit points
(5)Restore everyone's spell points but mine

Holy Symbol
When equipped and then used against an enemy of the Devil or Undead type (excluding bosses), a Holy Symbol paralyzes the enemy. While the paralysis lasts, this sets their agility to zero, greatly slowing them down. This negates the Rubicante's godlike speed and makes her much more manageable. In theory, anyway.

Character Creation
So now you're getting ambitious? Fine. I'll give you some links to some wordy but very useful guides.

Spritesheets
viewtopic.php?p=461907#p461907

Player Data Files
viewtopic.php?p=507355#p507355

pzdat (Positional Data)
viewtopic.php?p=446298#p446298

Enemy Data Files, adding skills to
Giving the enemies more abilities is very simple. A two line addition to their data files. You'll find pairs of lines like:
sklnum = Mating
sklprb = 20
The first line is the name of the skill, and the second line is the relative probability it will be used. It's relative only to the other probabilities assigned to the skills, though. Drop those two lines into the end of the goblin's data file to see how it works.


Bob's Insect Collection: Bugs that are still hanging around.

Rebirth skill: Yuuna_dark not recognized
That's because it's yuna_dark. Spelling and capitalization are both off in the skill file.
viewtopic.php?p=888004#p888004

BMG_pd.txt
You're using Voreavon's mod, aren't you. It's a reference to a playable Black Magic Girl character that you don't have. Delete the line BMG from StartData\player.txt and you're free of her.

Q-bee nursery planter
This is probably due to an uncapitalized letter. Find the file:
RyonaSaga\Enemy\honey_planter_ed.txt
Capitalize the "h" in honey. You're set.

Monsters disappear while I hit them, evading my continuous attacks
Some of the earlier monsters have the defensive ability to shift into phase space when... Nah.
They just don't have damage animations. In the enemy data file (Enemy\ instertmonsternamehere_ed.txt)
find the standing animation. Copy and paste it, then change the word "Stand" to "Damage". Do the same for the appropriate
pzdat line. The result won't be anything special, but the monster won't flash out when you hit it anymore. Ex:

anim_Stand_0 = 0,0,158,118,1,0,0

copy, paste, and edit to create
anim_Damage_0 = 0,0,158,118,1,0,0

pzdat_Stand = 75,60,130,50,130,50 -> pzdat_Damage = 75,60,130,50,130,50

SonicSword skill
But... The SonicSword skill works, doesn't it? Mostly. The term sklLV_Weapon has a lowercase "v", which means the game doesn't actually include your character's weapon skill while calculating damage.

DownThrust skill
The file "DownThrus.png" should be "DownThrust.png". This bug has probably slipped through the cracks unnoticed for years.