Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Image Preparation
Collect reference images of wolves and prey animals and store them on your computer. You will do best to create a specific folder for these images.
Load Adobe Photoshop and load the "face tiles.png" file from the RPGMaker VX directory (which is 384x192 pixels in size.) This will be the template for your "facial" character images which represent your wolf's various emotional states. The specific tone of green background color is used for a transparency.
Crop and scale several wolf images to 96x96 pixels and insert them into the .png file adjacent to one another. You can use up to eight images total to fill the template. Pick images which show a distinctive wolf facial expression - such as scared, aggressive, inquisitive or passive. If you wish to have a transparent background, fill the area with the green background color from the template.
Save the file as "wolf face tile.png" and move it into the RPGMaker VX directory.
Load the character.png file from the RPGMaker VX directory. It should be 384x256 pixels in size. This will become the template for animations for the wolf and other animals it might encounter during the game.
Create animation frame images of the wolf moving in each of the cardinal directions (your animation is only three frames, so make them as seamless in transition as possible). The images must be 32x32 pixels. Use the reference wolf videos to create moderately believable images. Paste each frame into your reference image, using the character images as a guide for placement.
Create animation frames for each stance you wish the wolf to be able to take, such as crouching, running or leaping. Repeat this same process for any animal you wish the wolf to to hunt or encounter such as bears, deer or rabbits.
Save the file as "wolfcharacter.png" or "wolfprey.png" or "wolfencounters.png" as appropriate and move the files to the RPGMaker VX directory.
Create the Characters
Open a new Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and create multiple columns. Label each with the important statistics to your game and the name of the creature. For example, you might have a column labeled "Prey" and others called "Camouflage," "Evasion," "Hunger," "Health," "Weight" and "Speed."
Build a database of appropriate values by comparing real world statistics on the wolf or other animal and using the wolf as the baseline for all comparisons. Rather than trying to come up with a metric on your own, use actual values such as weight in pounds and speed in miles per hour where possible. For values such as "Evasion," determine a relative chance for the animal to elude the wolf, such as 80 percent for most small mammals since only one in five such wolf hunts usually succeeds. Some statistics, such as hunger, will vary with time and frequency of feeding.
Transfer your database into the RPGMaker VX database by creating a creature for each entry in the list. Assign statistics to the creature that correspond to the figures in your database.
Create items for each creature to drop during their lives and death. For most, this should include wastes, meat, bones and inedible bits. Add these items to the creature's base inventory. To better create the wolf experience, create a "scent marker" item which creatures drop at random intervals during their daily activities, and an "identify scent skill" which allows a wolf to learn the scents of various creatures and track them across a region.
Assign graphic images to the creatures you have created.
Create a World
Select an appropriate world tile set for your map. For most wolves, you will want to use a woodland tile set to represent their habitat, though some live in desert, plains or even semi-urban settings.
Paint a world map using the world tiles based upon real-world map features. Remember that many wolves migrate up to 100 miles, so your map should include a large region to represent an appropriate hunting area. Be sure to include regions with water and appropriate plant life to provide areas for hunting.
Create submaps within the regions (connected by "door items") to represent a more close-up view of areas of particular interest to the wolf or his story. These can range from hunting areas to breeding grounds or even sites of social importance to a wolf, such as a cliff-side vista. If the wolf simulation includes an urban area, add food to several garbage cans to represent a source which some wolves use to supplement their diets.
Create plot events that are triggered by various in-game statuses. When the wolf's hunger reaches a certain threshold, you can trigger an "urge to hunt" event. Create an in-game timer and use it to trigger social or mating events, or even change the frequency of appearance of certain prey or predators.
Test the game frequently until you are happy with the overall look and feel of the simulation. You can add music and sound effects (such as wolf howls or growls) for a finishing touch.