Survey: What tools / resources would you like to see?

[Le pug]

I don't see one of these out there so as the thread title says ... What tools / resources would you like to see built that would help benefit you while hacking ROMs?

I know a few people who like to make programs and try to figure out ways to help the community by making programs to ease everyone's life while hacking ROMs but sometimes they don't know WHAT to make and the best consensus would be from the forum so let's see if anyone has any ideas or suggestions for things they'd want.

Personally, I'd like to see a Emerald Pokedex Expander tool for Chaos Rush's method or a final working version of touched's tag team battle hack method, Emerald expanded OW palettes and OW #s, and Honey + swarm events. I'm sure there are more but all I can think of right now lol.

 

[CynicalUnicorn]

Expanded move tutor and TM/HM list, assuming it's even possible. I have no idea where to start. Editing the existing ones is easy enough, but...

 

[Joexv]

A finished Pokemon Editor and a half decent map editor. I'm getting tired of having to clean up after tools failing to do their job.

 

[Wobb]

I want a tool thats easier to use to insert tiles... ;-;

 

[Le pug]

I want a tool thats easier to use to insert tiles... ;-;

What's your issue with inserting tiles? It isn't that hard, have you checked out my tutorial on it? You can realistically add tiles with one program outside AdvanceMap so this is technically already done

 

[DarkPsychic]

I would like to see a XSE Script Generator, I don't mind if it comes with no scripts but it would be great to add my own scripts to it and then generate them when needed. It would be great if it can toss on something like XSE's Command Help with a better explanation of the commands...

There was a tool similar to this but it wasn't really geared toward XSE.

I'm not sure if this one is possible but,
A tool that can spider through a rom and list all the known offsets/pointers, with a small description of basic data structure and information...
In summary it can be a library of sorts or a Map of all know data...
Also this could be used to keep track of data in a mod that is in progress an find data/pointers one forgot to write down with some sort of recognition.
Example:
You repoint the evolution table and even expand it, well it would search for the string of bytes that make up the table or search the byte table structure. I don't know I am just coming up with this now >_<

A ASM Editor that is built similar to XSE wouldn't be to bad to have.
Syntax highlighting, Command Description/Help and debug feature with basic error explanation...
I only say this as it would be nice for learning and practicing.

Maybe a New Animation Editor.

ASM Generator similar to the XSE generator...( Place to keep all these amazing routines that are around )

That's all I can think of at the moment...
^_^ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

[Gamer2020]

Personally I'm wondering if anyone ever made a script editor for the Animation scripts. I'd like to see that.

 

[tzujm33]

I would love to see a tool that lets me easily add doesntknowhowtoplays ev asm hack without asm knowledge. https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=307117

 

[CynicalUnicorn]

A finished Pokemon Editor and a half decent map editor. I'm getting tired of having to clean up after tools failing to do their job.

You're referring to AdvanceMap, I assume? What's the problem with it exactly? You're the second person I've seen who calls it not-great and claims it breaks the ROM.

 

[Dionen]

Something with a block editor where I can flip more than 1 tile at once

 

[NewDenverCity]

I would like to see a XSE Script Generator, I don't mind if it comes with no scripts but it would be great to add my own scripts to it and then generate them when needed. It would be great if it can toss on something like XSE's Command Help with a better explanation of the commands...

There was a tool similar to this but it wasn't really geared toward XSE.

I'm not sure if this one is possible but,
A tool that can spider through a rom and list all the known offsets/pointers, with a small description of basic data structure and information...
In summary it can be a library of sorts or a Map of all know data...
Also this could be used to keep track of data in a mod that is in progress an find data/pointers one forgot to write down with some sort of recognition.
Example:
You repoint the evolution table and even expand it, well it would search for the string of bytes that make up the table or search the byte table structure. I don't know I am just coming up with this now >_<

A ASM Editor that is built similar to XSE wouldn't be to bad to have.
Syntax highlighting, Command Description/Help and debug feature with basic error explanation...
I only say this as it would be nice for learning and practicing.

Maybe a New Animation Editor.

ASM Generator similar to the XSE generator...( Place to keep all these amazing routines that are around )

That's all I can think of at the moment...
^_^ HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We have an IDB for both FireRed and Emerald, that has a ton of stuff from the engine that's documented and marked. The problem is getting IDA.


Also, what do you mean by ASM generator? That's pretty much C, just assembled. Other than that, each piece of ASM is different from another because they all do specific things.

You're referring to AdvanceMap, I assume? What's the problem with it exactly? You're the second person I've seen who calls it not-great and claims it breaks the ROM.

It'll break the ROM by saving your maps to completely arbitrary offsets, removing map footers/headers just because, it's UI isn't great, and (depending on which version you're using) will completely ignore the offsets that you insert for it. This obviously can cause some huge problems if it overwrites something important.


As for me, I'd just like to see a working version of Pokémon files that are easily inserted, as base stat and move list editing are the most annoying part of hacking for me. Oh yeah, and having an animation editor for moves would be good too.

 

[Joexv]

You're referring to AdvanceMap, I assume? What's the problem with it exactly? You're the second person I've seen who calls it not-great and claims it breaks the ROM.

Not just A-Map, there are quite a few programs.(not bashing on any of the creators, mine have a few issues too so no angry eyes at me), Most of the programs that we have were based on old understandings of the gen 3 ROM data(or in a-maps case, the lack of understanding how to repoint offsets correctly).

I'm not sure if this one is possible but,
A tool that can spider through a rom and list all the known offsets/pointers, with a small description of basic data structure and information...
In summary it can be a library of sorts or a Map of all know data...
Also this could be used to keep track of data in a mod that is in progress an find data/pointers one forgot to write down with some sort of recognition.

Well as NewDenverCity said we have the idbs for both Fire Red and Emerald but as for changed offsets due to expansion, I had already made a small program to do just that. A-Offset.

 

[Hiro TDK]

I would like to see any finished* tool for the Gen IV games. Just take a small specific function of the games, and write a single tool for modifying it. Egg moves, for example. I could use simple program for modifying egg moves in D/P/Pt/HG/SS. The same goes for pretty much everything Gen IV. Attack editor, item editor, sprite editor, BTX editor, Pokemart editor. Most of these either haven't been done or haven't been done reliably.

 

[Deokishisu]

A god damn font editor for all the Gen 3 games so we don't have to do so much god awful flipping and ripping and guessing when editing the fonts. Have it able to edit every character (even useless/unused in English ones) and font present in the game. A preview of how sample strings would look in a text box would be a bonus feature that I'd like to see too.

 

[Le pug]

Not necessarily a tool that is NEEDED, but would you guys like to see an applymovement tool? Personally, I hate having to keep going to the .txt file I have and scrolling for the most common movements and what not. This tool would always have #raw 0xFE at the end, allow you to drag around the movements already entered on the left or you could just use the arrows on the left, you can edit the names of the movements and what they input with a .ini file that comes with, and of course choose between R/S/E and FR/LG. Let me know if this is something you'd want to see done.

 

[CynicalUnicorn]

It'll break the ROM by saving your maps to completely arbitrary offsets, removing map footers/headers just because, it's UI isn't great, and (depending on which version you're using) will completely ignore the offsets that you insert for it. This obviously can cause some huge problems if it overwrites something important.

1.95's UI is pretty alright. An undo option would certainly be nice.

Does it just use the default offsets? If yes, then it sounds like it would be fine to repurpose existing maps or only shrink and not enlarge them. Obviously that's not always an option, but it would minimize risk if done whenever possible.

Not just A-Map, there are quite a few programs.(not bashing on any of the creators, mine have a few issues too so no angry eyes at me), Most of the programs that we have were based on old understandings of the gen 3 ROM data(or in a-maps case, the lack of understanding how to repoint offsets correctly).

Programs deserve criticism but creators do not. The sheer amount of time, effort, and skill that goes into these tools is pretty amazing.

Are there other map editors, or is A-map it? It certainly seems like the go-to program, but beta 1.95 is a bit old now.

 

[Spherical Ice]

Not necessarily a tool that is NEEDED, but would you guys like to see an applymovement tool? Personally, I hate having to keep going to the .txt file I have and scrolling for the most common movements and what not. This tool would always have #raw 0xFE at the end, allow you to drag around the movements already entered on the left or you could just use the arrows on the left, you can edit the names of the movements and what they input with a .ini file that comes with, and of course choose between R/S/E and FR/LG. Let me know if this is something you'd want to see done.

https://www.pokecommunity.com/misc.php?do=movie

 

[Le pug]

https://www.pokecommunity.com/misc.php?do=movie

That looks very buggy, unclean, and doesn't have all the features I'm trying to implement on top of the fact that it is in a web browser and it requires the internet to use.

 

[NewDenverCity]

1.95's UI is pretty alright. An undo option would certainly be nice.

Does it just use the default offsets? If yes, then it sounds like it would be fine to repurpose existing maps or only shrink and not enlarge them. Obviously that's not always an option, but it would minimize risk if done whenever possible.

Are there other map editors, or is A-map it? It certainly seems like the go-to program, but beta 1.95 is a bit old now.

It doesn't use default offsets, it repoints randomly into random places. Even when you shrink the map dimensions. In fact, I think 1.92 has an issue when you shrink map dimensions, making that dangerous too.


There's MEH, but that wasn't finished. It's also very buggy, so I don't recommend using it. In addition, there's also Blue Spider, which is good because you can just use manual offsets all the way. The problem there becomes knowing enough about the maps to know what to repoint and what to leave alone.

 

[Lance32497]

A tool for cry editing and allows you to edit even expanded mons