McKathlin Switchable Text for RPG Maker MZ

Allows a text snippet to vary based on a switch, variable, or party attribute!

Perfect for making your game’s dialogue respond intelligently to the player’s decisions!

Compatibility

This plugin is fully compatible with Tyruswoo_BigChoiceLists in any order on the plugin list. However, Switchable Text may conflict with non-Tyruswoo plugins that alter the way Game_Interpreter makes choice lists. If you encounter conflicts, try switching which choice-list-affecting plugin comes after which. If conflicts with Switchable Text persist, talk to us on Tyruswoo.com and we'll do our best to help you.

When Tyruswoo_EventAI is in the plugin list (either above or below), Switchable Text can also check self variables using the \OV code, and extra self switches using the \ON code. Special syntax even allows checking other events' self variables and self switches. More details near the end of this help text.

Switchable Snippets

Switchable Text enables text codes for use in messages or dialogue choices. Text is inserted in place at runtime based on state of the referenced switch or variable.

To start a switch-based snippet, use one of the following text codes:

Text Code Format	Description
\ON[ID]{text}	Show the contained text if the switch is ON (true).
\OFF[ID]{text}	Show the contained text if the switch is OFF (false).
\ON[ID]{foo}{bar}	Show "foo" if switch is on; otherwise show "bar".
\OFF[ID]{blue}{red}	Show "blue" if switch is off; otherwise show "red".

An integer ID will check the corresponding game-wide switch. If the ID is the letter A, B, C, or D, then the calling event's self switch is checked.

Start a variable-based snippet with a statement like this:

Text Code Format	Description
\OV[vID>=N]{text}	Show the text if the variable with the given ID has a value greater than or equal to N.
\OV[vID==N]{foo}{bar}	Show "foo" if the variable's value is equal to N. Otherwise, show "bar".
\OV[vJ < vK]{blah}	Show "blah" if variable J's value is less than variable K's value.

The following comparison operators are valid for variable-based snippets:

  ==   Equal               !=   Not equal
  >=   Greater or equal     >   Greater than
  <=   Less or equal        <   Less than

Party Attributes

Some statements allow for text snippets based on party attributes.

• \OPS stands for On Party Size.

Examples:

Text Code Example	Description
\OPS[1]{hero}{heroes}	Show "hero" if party size is 1, otherwise show "heroes"
\OPS[>2]{buddies}{buddy}	Text conditioned on more than 2 people in party.

• \OPL stands for On Party Leader, and can check various actor attributes.
• \OPM stands for On Party Member, and is true if any member matches.

When checking an attribute, use a comparison operator and numeric ID. Here is a full list of attributes that can be checked:

Attribute	Ways to write
Actor ID	actor, a
Class ID	class, c
State ID	state, s

Examples:

• Hey \OPL[a=5]{old man}{kid}.
• Put your \OPL[class<=2]{might}{skill} to the test!
• A good meal restores health.\OPM[s=1]{ But it can't revive the dead.}

Switchable Text snippets can be nested inside each other.

Switchable Text in Choice Lists

If a dialogue choice ends up empty for a given Switchable state, it will not appear in the player's list of dialogue choices. This allows available choices to vary dynamically based on game state.

Escaping Curly Braces

Due to Switchable Text's use of curly braces as delimiters, any text in which switchable snippets and literal curly braces both occur will need to escape the literal curly braces with these codes:

Text Code	Stands For
\BO	Opening brace {
\BC	Closing brace }

Actor Attributes

This plugin expands the syntax of the text codes \P[n] and \N[n]: with the form \P[n.attribute] or \N[n.attribute], you can insert any of a variety of Actor attributes.

Examples:

• If it isn't old \P[1.nickname]! Long time no see.
• I see you have a new \P[2.class] recruit.
• Any word from \N[5.nickname]?

Available attributes include class, name, nickname, level, and profile. If some other attribute name is given, Switchable Text will search the notetags for its value. Make up any notetags you like!

Imagine, for the notetag-using examples below, that each party member has a few tags in the Note field of their Actors database entry: a polite address notetag <polite: sir> or <polite: ma'am>, as well as a derogatory notetag <derog: nerd>, <derog: old geezer>, or <derog: brat>... you get the idea.

Good \ON[10]{evening}{day}, \P[1.polite].

Get lost, \P[1.derog].
\OPS[>=2]{I don't want to see you or that \P[2.derog] again.}

More Text Codes

This plugin offers the following additional text codes:

Text Code	Description
\PartySize	Replaced with number of party members
\NumWord[expr]	Replaces expr with the word version of the number: e.g. one, two, three... Numbers greater than 10 are left as numerals.
\Ordinal[expr]	Makes the ordinal version of a numeric expression: e.g. 1st, 2nd, 3rd...
\OrdinalWord[expr]	Makes the spelled-out ordinal, e.g. first, second, ... Numbers greater than 10 are numerals with a suffix.

\NumWord[expr], \Ordinal[expr], and \OrdinalWord[expr] can enclose \V[n], \PartySize, and anything else that resolves to a number.

If you plan to use these features on text codes from other plugins, put McKathlin_SwitchableText under these plugins.

Examples:

• You have squished \NumWord[\V[22]] bugs.
• A \NumWord[\PartySize]-person party like yours is in for a challenge.
• \Ordinal[\V[75]] Place
• You're our \OrdinalWord[\V[158]] visitor!
• This might be difficult for \an \OrdinalWord[\P[1.level]] level group.

Grammar Helper Codes

The following postprocessing text codes resolve after other text codes, to address grammatical issues that commonly occur in variable text.

Text Code	Description
\UP{some text}	This changes all text inside the braces to all caps.
\UP	Without braces, it makes only one letter uppercase.
\LOW{some text}	This makes the contained text all-lowercase.
\LOW	Without braces, it makes only one letter lowercase.
\an	This will insert "a" or "an" depending on whether the immediately after it starts with a vowel sound.
\An	Inserts "A" or "An" with a capital A.

More Examples

\UP\NumWord[\V[38]] soldier\OV[v38>1]{s} left town this morning.

Good \ON[21]{evening}{day}, \OFF[A]{stranger}{friend}.
Go safely. \OV[v143<=10]{Watch out for wolves.}

Excuse me for a moment.
My \OPS[s>1]{\ON[41]{enemies}{friends} have}{\ON[41]{enemy}{friend} has}
arrived.

We have\OV[v22!=v23]{n't} squished the same number of bugs.

Come in\OPS[>1]{, \OPS[2]{both of you}{all \NumWord[\PartySize] of you}}!

\An \LOW{\N[3.class]} passed through here \NumWord[\V[14]] day\OV[14>1]{s} ago.

Checking Self Switches and Self Variables with Tyruswoo Event AI

Snippets like those below require Tyruswoo_EventAI in the plugin list.

The text below checks Self Switch B of Event #28 in Map #12, and changes the text accordingly:

I saw a blue \ON[B m12 e28]{butterfly}{caterpillar} on the way.

Here's the equivalent, but referencing map and event by name.

I saw a blue \ON[B m(West Glade) e(Little Blue)]{butterfly}{caterpillar}
on the way.

Self variables and extra self switches can also be accessed this way. If no map is specified, Switchable Text references the current map. If neither map nor event are specified, Switchable Text checks the event that is currently linked, or if none is linked, the event that is currently running.

Here's an example of checking Alice's self variable. Alice is across the room on the same map as the speaker.

Alice \OV[7 e(Alice) > 5]{likes}{hardly knows} you.

Self variable reference syntax also works inside the \V[n] text code. For example, the sentence below checks Charlie's value of a self variable. The self variable was made from Variable 50, which is named "s:Days Worked".

Charlie has worked here for \V[50 e(Charlie)] days.

Here's an example of checking one's own self variable, vs. checking someone else's.

I've earned \V[45] tokens so far. Dad has \V[45 e(Dad)].

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Version History

v1.0 - 9/3/2020

• Switchable Text plugin released for RPG Maker MZ!

v1.1 - 9/13/2020

• Added nested text snippets! Now, you can use switchable text snippets nested within each other!
• Added variable-to-variable comparison. You can now check one variable's value against the value of another variable.

v1.2 - 9/15/2020

• Added \OPS, which switches text based on party size.
• Added \OPL, which switches text based on party leader attributes.
• Added \OPM, which switches text based on any party member.
• Added \PartySize, a text code for number of people in party.
• Added \NumWord, \Ordinal, and \OrdinalWord, which change how numbers are written out.

v1.3 - 7/29/2022

• Made fully compatible with Tyruswoo_BigChoiceLists.js

v2.0 - 8/8/2022

• Can coordinate with Tyruswoo_EventAI to check a self switch or self variable of any other event anywhere.
• \P[n.attribute] or \N[n.attribute] can insert an actor's class, nickname, level, or any notetag value.
• New text processing utility codes \an, \UP, and \LOW.
• Bugfix: In previous versions, a Name Box Window whose switchable text resolved to empty would still show up on screen. Now, an empty name box window always hides.

v2.0.1 - 8/30/2023

• This plugin is now free and open source under the MIT license.

Happy storytelling!

-McKathlin