Follower Control Plugin for RPG Maker MZ

• Provides greater control of party follower movement!
• Allows event commands targeting the "player" to affect any follower of your choosing!
• Plus, unlimited followers!

1. Download the file, and unzip it.
2. Make sure the unzipped file is named Tyruswoo_FollowerControl.js and is saved as a .js file.
3. Open the file folder of your project. Place the file in your project’s “js” folder, within the “plugins” folder.
4. Open your project in RPG Maker MZ, then go to the Tools menu and select Plugin Manager. Use the Plugin Manager to add and activate the plugin.
5. I recommend you place this plugin toward the bottom of your plugin list, so it has high priority.

Tyruswoo Follower Control for RPG Maker MZ

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Plugin commands:

• Leader: Selects the party leader. (Default.)
• Follower 1: Selects the 1st follower.
• Follower 2: Selects the 2nd follower.
• Follower 3: Selects the 3rd follower.
• Follower 4: Selects the 4th follower.
• Follower 5: Selects the 5th follower.
• Follower 6: Selects the 6th follower.
• Follower 7: Selects the 7th follower.
• Follower 8: Selects the 8th follower.
• Follower 9: Selects the 9th follower.
• Follower by Position: Select any follower, based on marching order.
• Follower by Name: Select follower by name of actor in database.
• Follower by Actor ID: Select follower by actor ID.
• Follower by Position Var: Select follower by position stored in variable.
• Follower by Actor Var: Select follower by actor ID stored in variable.
• Stop Chase: Prevent followers from chasing the leader.
• Chase: Allow followers to chase the leader. (Default.)
• Pose: Change a party member's character image to pose.
• Reset Pose: Change a party member to their default pose.
• Change Actor Stepping: Change whether one's step animation stays on.
• Save Party: Save current party as an available party.
• Load Party: Remove current party, then add a saved party.
• Add Party: Join current party with a saved party.
• Clear Party: Remove party. (Be sure to add a party member!)

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Plugin parameters:

• Max Battle Members: Set how many party members can be in battle at a time. The current battle party will also be visible in the follower lineup. Default 4.
• Max Non-Combat Followers: Up to this many actors who never battle may join the party at a time for plot reasons and be seen following the active party. Default 1.
• Non-Combat Class: Pick a class from the database. Actors of this class will show up in the follower lineup but not in the field menu or in battle.
• Search Limit: Set the pathfinding search limit. Default 12.

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Notetags:

• <stepAnime: true> Give an actor this notetag if he should always do his step animation, even when staying in one place.

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Script calls: (Advanced. Use these within the Set Move Route command.)

• this.path(x, y); Pathfind to the absolute coordinates indicated.
• this.path('event', id); Pathfind to the event of ID number id.
• this.path('e', id); Same as this.path('event', id). May use 'E'.
• this.path('follower', i); Pathfind to the follower of position i.
• this.path('f', i); Same as this.path('follower', i). May use 'F'.
• this.path('leader'); Pathfind to the party leader.
• this.path('L'); Same as this.path('leader'). May use 'l'.
• this.moveToward(x, y); Move toward the absolute coordinates indicated.
• this.moveToward('e', id); Move toward the event of ID number id.
• this.moveToward('f', i); Move toward the follower of position i.
• this.moveToward('L'); Move toward the party leader. May use 'l'.
• this.path($gamePlayer.x+n, $gamePlayer.y+m); where n and m are integer numbers to indicate coordinates relative to the player's position. Pathfind to the coordinates indicated. (May use +n or -n, +m or -m.)

Note that this.path() scripts are to be used within Set Move Route commands, and only result in taking 1 step on the path. Use multiple this.path() scripts in the move route for multiple steps on the path.

Note also that this.path() seeks a path around obstacles, whereas this.moveToward() may result in bumping into obstacles. When using this.path(), be sure the character's Through is Off to find a path around obstacles. If Through is On, then this.path() will cause the character to move through obstacles, instead of pathing around obstacles.

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Basics of how to use this plugin:

1. First, select the desired party member. This may be the leader, for default RPG Maker behavior. To control followers, select a follower.
2. Next, use an event command on the "player", and the selected party member will be affected! This works for many commands, including:
   • Set Move Route
   • Show Balloon Icon
   • Show Animation
   • Transfer Player
   • Conditional Branch
3. Note that if you are moving the party leader, the followers by default will chase the leader. If you want the leader to move independently, without the followers chasing, you will need to use the "Stop Chase" plugin command.
4. After you are done with the eventing, remember to use the "Leader" and "Chase" plugin commands to return to default RPG Maker behavior, if desired.

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Advanced uses for this plugin:

• Make common events with preset movement patterns for the party. Then, use these movement patterns for cutscenes throughout the game!
• You can make a follower that looks transparent, like a ghost! Select a follower, then using the Set Move Route command to change the follower's opacity, and/or to turn off (or on) the follower's walking animation, stepping animation, or direction fix.
• You can make a follower turn toward the party leader. First, select a follower. Then, use the Set Move Route command and use the move route "turn toward player". (If you also want the party leader to turn toward the follower: Use conditional branches to check the direction faced by the follower; then, inside the conditional branch, select the leader, and use Set Move Route to make the leader face the opposite direction.)
• If followers are on the same tile as the leader, you can make them face the same direction as the leader. Select a follower, then use the Set Move Route command and use the move route "turn toward player". (This also works for events that are on the same tile as the leader.)
• Poses! These allow you to change an actor's character image, without needing to know which actor is being affected. Based on the follower you choose, the follower's actor's character image will change to the pose you choose. Example: If you have an actor named Tyruswoo with character image "Tyruswoo.png", then you can use the Pose plugin command with the argument "wounded" to change the character's image to "Tyruswoo_wounded.png". Most importantly, this affects the chosen follower, without needing to know which actor ID is being affected, and without needing to know the current graphic of the actor. To change the pose back to default, use the Reset Pose plugin command.
• Pathfinding! You can make any character (party leader, follower, or event) take a step toward coordinates, or a step toward any other follower or event! Within the Set Move Route command, use this script: this.path(x, y) and the character will step toward coordinates x,y. To make the character step toward a follower, use the script this.path('follower', i) where i is the position (marching order) of the follower. To make the character step toward the party leader, use the script this.path('leader'). To make the character step toward an event, use the script this.path('event', i) where i is the ID number of the event. If you don't want pathfinding, but want the character to attempt to take a step without trying to avoid walls, you can use the script this.moveToward(x,y), this.moveToward('follower',id), this.moveToward('event',i), or this.moveToward('leader'). In all these scripts, you can also abbreviate 'follower' to 'f', 'leader' to 'l', and 'event' to 'e'. Using abbreviations can make it easier to read the scripts inside the Set Move Route window. Note that by default, followers have Through On, so if you want the followers to pathfind around solid obstacles, you will need to use Set Move Route on the follower to set Through Off.
• Followers who don't battle! Comes in handy for escort or rescue quests or other tag-alongs. To make a character a Non-Combat Follower, put him in the Actors database and assign the Non-Combat Class as his class. He can join and leave the party in the same way that adventuring party members do, and he counts as "in the party" for the purposes of on-map events. As a Non-Combat Follower, he will walk behind the active adventuring party, but he won't appear in the field menu or in battle.
• Make some player characters always do their step animation, even when they remain in one place. This is useful for a flying character whose wings are always flapping, for instance. Do this up front with the Actor notetag <stepAnime: true>, or toggle during play with the plugin command Change Actor Stepping. Actor stepping status persists for each save file. If a move route turns a party member's stepping ON or OFF, step animation runs if Actor stepping is ON, or move route stepping is ON, or both.

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For more help using the Follower Control plugin, see Tyruswoo.com.

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Version History:

v1.0 8/22/2020

• Follower Control released for RPG Maker MZ!

v1.1 8/25/2020

• Removed a bug that caused Tyruswoo.FollowerControl._follower to be reverted to $gamePlayer whenever a Game_Interpreter closed. Now, the selected follower is remembered from one event to the next (as long as the player stays in the same map). This also allows the Follower Control plugin to much more easily communicate with other plugins. For example, this allows Tyruswoo_TileControl to use information about the current follower in its plugin commands.

v1.2 8/30/2020

• Corrected bug in replacement method for the function Game_Interpreter.character(), in which if Tyruswoo.FollowerControl._follower was not defined using the Follower Control plugin, then the first instance of eventing (such as a Transfer Player event) could result in Game_Interpreter.character() returning null instead of returning $gamePlayer. Now, if Tyruswoo.FollowerControl._follower is not yet defined, Game_Interpreter.character() will never use a null value Tyruswoo.FollowerControl._follower, but will instead use $gamePlayer, as is the default behavior for the function.

v1.3 9/12/2020

• Now, if a follower is selected, and the follower does not exist, the leader is no longer selected; instead, the non-existent follower is selected. Therefore, eventing intended for a follower that is not present will have no effect, instead of affecting the party leader.
• Added the Tyruswoo.FollowerControl.follower() function, which allows improves compatability with other plugins that may need to access the current valid follower (if available) stored in the Tyruswoo.FollowerControl._follower variable. Plugins that may use this information include Tyruswoo_TileControl and Tyruswoo_CameraControl.
• Changed the method Game_Interpreter.character() to an alias method. This increases the chance of compatibility with other plugins that use the Game_Interpreter.character() method.

v3.0 8/27/2021

• Fixed a bug in which it was possible to select an absent follower. (Followers always technically exist, even if there is no associated actor. If there is no actor, the follower is absent/invisible.) This bug manifested when the player had a small party, and the follower selected was less than the Max Party Size but greater than the current party size. This "absent" follower still exists, but has no associated actor and therefore no image. If Show Balloon Icon or Show Animation was used, then the balloon icon or animation would appear at the "absent" follower's location. Note: We made a similar bugfix in Follower Control v2.2 for RPG Maker MV. Big thanks to Lei-Yan for bringing this bug to our attention!
• Fixed a rare bug affecting loading and saving in some projects. Thanks to Edsephiroth for bringing this to our attention and helping us test!

v4.0 1/21/2022

• Introduced non-combat followers.
• Introduced notetag for always-stepping Actors.
• New plugin commands: Follower by Position Variable, Follower by Actor Variable, and Change Actor Stepping.

v5.0 12/2/2022

• Introduced Party plugin commands! Save Party, Load Party, Add Party, and Clear Party.

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Terms of Use:

1. You joined Tyruswoo.com as a paying member when you downloaded this plugin. You do not have to remain a paying member to use the plugin you downloaded. However, your support is greatly appreciated, and allows me to continue improving and updating plugins.
2. You agree to not redistribute this plugin. You agree to direct others to Tyruswoo.com if they want the plugin.
3. You may use this for any game for which you are one of the main developers. This includes any commercial or non-commercial game you are creating.
4. Adding "Tyruswoo and McKathlin", "Tyruswoo Studio", or "Tyruswoo Team" to your game's credits is greatly appreciated, but not required.
5. Likewise, listing which Tyruswoo Team plugins you used is appreciated, but not required.
6. A free copy of your game is awesome, but not required.

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Remember, only you can build your dreams!

Tyruswoo