im going to be conducting a full system swap test to see what things can be changed with a new system and which things are set in stone. i will need to test hard data, so the main focus will be changing stats.

i will need to test changing character names, stats, adding characters, changing what level magic is learned, the picture of the char.

i will need to change item stat numbers around, remove some items, change so other parts of them, add new items.

magic i will have to change the graphics, the damage abilities, the class and inner systems of it, removal, addition, and mana use.

ill also need to change some parameters to see if the system saves the first set or checks each time the game is loaded.

monsters i can play around with but there is very little i will need to test as i dont reuse monsters often.

is there anything else ive forgotten that i should test?

swap items by number. Like item #1 is now where #2 was and vice versa. Also things that remain equipped as well as in inventory.

Give a character a class but remove it from the second system. Give a character a class and alter the class attributes.

I am sure there's more along these lines.

Assuming you're continuing a save file with the next system card, I can already tell you that character names are among the things that are saved, so trying to change them won't work.

Try seeing what would happen if you had different custom graphics loaded, with different names.

preliminary test has been done.

i learned a valuable lesson about setting a monsters hp too high - dont do it unless you are sure you have magic to kill it and have mana to use it! auto attack sucks.

so far i found that characters do indeed stay set with their names.

-items retain their placehold so if you recieved a slot one item then you will get to keep that item but the stats will become what the new one is including names.

-characters who equip an item and its removed will keep the basic default item setting which is other. once you remove it you cannot reequip it and it has no stats.

-skills appear to work fine changed so you can edit a skill later and add to it without too much problems. i was able to change all the stats for skills. name seanms to be fine but im not 100%.


magic becomes default as well when deleted. adding new magic appears to work fine, same with skills.

what else should i test more deeply?

new test to be conducted:

-check if adding new custom graphics over top of old ones in the second card will come through.
-check magic placement. see if changing when a magic skill is learned will cause it to be learnt at the old and new spot.
-check for magic graphic change. can i change what the graphics look like in the new card?

-recheck a skill requirement. see if editing stats in the second takes effect, editing skill placement changes anything.
-recheck magic and items for stat changing. does changing the stats in the second card take effect?

i really need definitive answers on these questions as i get close to require swapping system data. once i complete this test over the next few days ill do a final report of the changes and effects of system swapping.

finally got around to this and here are my results:

stuff not effected by system swap. this stuff is not saved in any way shape or form unless listed in another section.

-field data
-magic
-items
-skills
-monsters
-dungeons
-parameter names
-skills
-imported characters, monsters, and title screens oh my!

anything you can change in the sub menus for these items are not saved and can be changed at any point.

what is saved:

characters: we already knew that you had to have every char created in the menu, however if you add the char later, they are level one, have zero stats, no skill, or equipment.

-if you level that char up you will find that they gain stat boosts proportionate to the new stat you gave them on the sys card. they lose the first level of stats but gain the new growth there after. further tests concluded that this is true of ALL stat changes for chars. if you edit a char later, those new stats will apply on the new sys card. additionally, a char who levels up who was not included in the first sys will gain magic according to where you set the parameters.

-you keep any magic earned up till the sys switch. if its been replaced or axed it will change to the new stat or show up as an unusable dead skill.

-if you turned off a parameter such as magic defense (status effect blocking) this zeroed out any magic defense stat you may of gained and kept it zero there after.

-name, character level, start party, initial equipment, appearance, initial skill, could not be changed.


conclusion:

these are the cardinal stuff you need to finalize before anyone can play your game without issues.

-all characters created and named.
-start level, initial equipment, appearance, initial skill must be finalized, even if the respected equipment or skill have not been fully developed you must at least link them to the character.

these are advisory things you should be aware of before you change anything later on.

-every item gained will remain in the inventory, and will change to whatever the new item in its old spot becomes or become an other item of no use.
-all magic and s skills gained will remain with the character. any future change to already learned mag/s skill will be reflected on the new mag/ s skill.
-all stats earned will remain earned and any new stats earned there after will be reflective of the new changes.
-any change to the core mechanics (s skill on or off, magic grd on or of ect) will result in the game preventing s skills from being use or will zero out magic grd stats ect.

everything else is irrelevant!

now i can finally move forward with my game without fear. i no longer need to have as much stuff figured out as i had originally thought.

This is a very interesting and potentially useful piece of information, Karr.

Kudos for doing all this.