ROM Hacking Discussions

[Corvidae]

Thing is, new people don't. I have to remember that not everyone knows how to use it. They have a tutorial for IPS, but not for UPS.

When I remove data, I simply convert a couple hundred bytes to 0x00 or 0xFF just to see how the game will react. This way, I learned how to tell what many kinds of data are just by looking. Funny thing is, I use a Tile Editor for hex editing, but they are practically the same (each number is shown with a different colour on a 16 colour palate). It's actually much easier to read pointers this way.

Also... I went in to image hack Pokemon Pinball R/S, and practically EVERYTHING is uncompressed o.o

[colcolstyles]

Originally Posted by Charon the Ferryman

When I remove data, I simply convert a couple hundred bytes to 0x00 or 0xFF just to see how the game will react. This way, I learned how to tell what many kinds of data are just by looking.

Hm, sounds interesting. I'll have to give it a go sometime.

Here's a question that I've been curious about for a while: who here uses the grid in AdvanceMap while mapping? I didn't even know it existed until somebody posted a mapshot in the MR/RT with the grid on, so I've learned to map without it.

[Aljam]

Originally Posted by colcolstyles

Hm, sounds interesting. I'll have to give it a go sometime.

Here's a question that I've been curious about for a while: who here uses the grid in AdvanceMap while mapping? I didn't even know it existed until somebody posted a mapshot in the MR/RT with the grid on, so I've learned to map without it.

The grid function is a great feature in advance map. It helps me find tile errors easier.

[Tropical Sunlight]

I don't use a grid, no way!
It'll spoil the joy of mapping!

[sasquatchd00d]

I don't use a grid either. It just annoys me and it makes it harder to spot tile errors when I'm mapping. I learned to map without it and I don't intend to use it anytime soon either.

[Conan Edogawa]

I didn't even know there was a grid feature in A-map.

On the topic of UPS I've used it a couple of times and it isn't difficult to use. and that's coming from a new hacker.

[Vrai]

I use the grid occasionally, when I have to count tiles (to see the player's view limits, etc.). I'm never going to map with it on, though; I learned to do without.

On another topic of A-Map; has anyone else realized that there's an option for setting the opacity of the movement permissions? I guess I never found it before, but it's pretty neat. Much easier to map the permissions when I can see what I'm mapping the movements over.

[Corvidae]

Wat grid feature wat

Actually, I knew about it, but I never use it. I count the tiles... normally... without a grid... o.o

[Ninja Caterpie]

Originally Posted by Charon the Ferryman

Wat grid feature wat

Actually, I knew about it, but I never use it. I count the tiles... normally... without a grid... o.o

Same here, and it hurts when it's grass.

The opacity of the Movements? Yeah, I've seen that, I just never changed it because the default is fine with me.

[sasquatchd00d]

Originally Posted by Atlus

On another topic of A-Map; has anyone else realized that there's an option for setting the opacity of the movement permissions? I guess I never found it before, but it's pretty neat. Much easier to map the permissions when I can see what I'm mapping the movements over.

I knew about that, and I end up changing it A LOT. Seriously, one day it'll be one setting and the next, I'll change it to a different opacity. I guess it changes with my mood or whether or not I feel like wearing my glasses. It's a nice feature though.

[Corvidae]

The opacity for me is set pretty low, because I sometimes have trouble determining what the hell the tile is underneath. So it's .7 for me. I agree, however, it's a very nice feature.

Lol. I've been hacking Red Rescue Team for the lulz. Turns out most of the sprites are uncompressed and can be easily edited in any tile viewer. See attached images for an example in which I changed Eevee to a Venus Djinni and Torchic to a Mars Djinni. The colours aren't exact due to the palate restrictions, however... and I got lazy so I just changed a few of the sprites instead of the whole sheet.

[Wichu]

I haven't used AdvanceMap very much; the last time I used it was a few months ago, when I was messing around with tilesets (I was bored).
Anyway, in RPG Maker XP, the tile passability is set for the tileset, rather than the map. For example, a tree tile is automatically unpassable. So, do you think the system in ROMs is better (setting the passability for each tile on the whole map)? It gives you a bit of flexibility, at the expense of mapping time. Would implementing a system in AdvanceMap that automatically set the passability of every tile on the map, based on its position in the tileset, improve the ease of mapping, or just make it more confusing?

For that matter, does it bother anyone else that ROM hacking is so separate from game development? They're both basically the same thing, yet half the people in the ROM Hacking forum have never heard of the Game Development forum, let alone been there... I think the two activities should be closer together (hence my tool actually being made in RPG Maker XP, and also being compatible with the graphics naming scheme and format of the icon files in Pokémon Essentials, a starter kit for RPG Maker XP).

[colcolstyles]

Originally Posted by Atlus

On another topic of A-Map; has anyone else realized that there's an option for setting the opacity of the movement permissions? I guess I never found it before, but it's pretty neat. Much easier to map the permissions when I can see what I'm mapping the movements over.

Yeah, I initially had trouble finding a good one but I eventually settled at 0.65, I believe.
I was thinking about maybe making a document that explained all of those little AdvanceMap features that most people don't know about (although in this case it seems a lot of people have already gone exploring).

@Wichu
Well as for your first suggestion, I think it would be nice to have a button or something which will set all the tiles to their respective movement permissions but afterwards, the player could go in manually and edit some if they didn't like what they saw. That way you get the best of both worlds: less mapping time and full control over passability (maybe we should suggest this to LU-HO, eh?).

[Corvidae]

Originally Posted by Wichu

I haven't used AdvanceMap very much; the last time I used it was a few months ago, when I was messing around with tilesets (I was bored).
Anyway, in RPG Maker XP, the tile passability is set for the tileset, rather than the map. For example, a tree tile is automatically unpassable. So, do you think the system in ROMs is better (setting the passability for each tile on the whole map)? It gives you a bit of flexibility, at the expense of mapping time. Would implementing a system in AdvanceMap that automatically set the passability of every tile on the map, based on its position in the tileset, improve the ease of mapping, or just make it more confusing?

A-Map has no such function to my understanding, but I see what you're getting at. Most of the time when mapping, the tiles are usually the same when it comes to impassable tiles, but the system would fail with maps featuring several levels and requiring the 0 tile passibility setting (overlap of layers). You see, Pokemon, when generating maps like Lilycove City, requires different passibility levels even though they use the same tiles, just so they don't have to put an obstacle every single time there is a level change (like a row of rocks).

In the end, it would be a very useful feature, if it could be used in an .ini file, but in the end it would need to be an option or else it would be very difficult to work with maps like Lilycove.

[Wichu]

Yep, as colcolstyles said, such a feature would be used once when the map is finished (mapping-wise), and then the hacker could simply edit the tiles normally afterward. It could be a useful head start.

[Corvidae]

Less advanced hackers could also utilize the feature, but it would most likely need an out-of-program file, like .inis though.

[Wichu]

Yeah, that's true. It might be pretty annoying to change it because you're using a custom tileset.

Anyway, on the topic of maps, do you think I'd be able to make a tool which converts an RPG Maker XP map into a map in a hack? It would be pretty tough, but I have an idea of how to do it... Basically, I'd have the tool scan through the map, finding all the different combinations of tiles used (there are three layers of tiles). For each combination of up to three tiles (one on each layer), the user would select a corresponding block. It could probably work in reverse, too; I've seen a few ROM hackers who have turned to RPG Maker, who might appreciate this.
So, would anyone actually use a tool like this?

[colcolstyles]

Originally Posted by Wichu

Anyway, on the topic of maps, do you think I'd be able to make a tool which converts an RPG Maker XP map into a map in a hack? It would be pretty tough, but I have an idea of how to do it... Basically, I'd have the tool scan through the map, finding all the different combinations of tiles used (there are three layers of tiles). For each combination of up to three tiles (one on each layer), the user would select a corresponding block. It could probably work in reverse, too; I've seen a few ROM hackers who have turned to RPG Maker, who might appreciate this.
So, would anyone actually use a tool like this?

I don't know if it's possible but it seems like a lot of work for a tool that a lot of people won't be able to use. The only people who might need it are people who are switching their game from one platform to the other, and there aren't many people who do that. But if you decide to make it, remember that there is a maximum map size in AdvanceMap.

[Conan Edogawa]

Originally Posted by colcolstyles

I don't know if it's possible but it seems like a lot of work for a tool that a lot of people won't be able to use. The only people who might need it are people who are switching their game from one platform to the other, and there aren't many people who do that. But if you decide to make it, remember that there is a maximum map size in AdvanceMap.

I agree completely. It would be useful to some, but it's a lot of work for a small crowd of people.

[hi sir tomato my password is syvniti]

Originally Posted by Charon the Ferryman

The opacity for me is set pretty low, because I sometimes have trouble determining what the hell the tile is underneath. So it's .7 for me. I agree, however, it's a very nice feature.

Lol. I've been hacking Red Rescue Team for the lulz. Turns out most of the sprites are uncompressed and can be easily edited in any tile viewer. See attached images for an example in which I changed Eevee to a Venus Djinni and Torchic to a Mars Djinni. The colours aren't exact due to the palate restrictions, however... and I got lazy so I just changed a few of the sprites instead of the whole sheet.

Me and The*4 used to do a bit of research on PMD... We decoded a bit of the scripting...
I remember I wrote an crappy overworld editor, text editor, starter, pokemon, attack, and a bit other stuff...

How serius are you in hacking the PMD, Would you like me to dig a bit of stuff up?

[Corvidae]

I'm not particularly interested, but I may be after I finish Jupiter, my current hack, and I wouldn't mind doing a tad of meddling for fun.

[colcolstyles]

Originally Posted by Gvdl bmmzpv tuvqje cjudi

Me and The*4 used to do a bit of research on PMD... We decoded a bit of the scripting...
I remember I wrote an crappy overworld editor, text editor, starter, pokemon, attack, and a bit other stuff...

How serius are you in hacking the PMD, Would you like me to dig a bit of stuff up?

Personally, I'm not very interested because I never really enjoyed the gameplay. Still, I'm sure a lot of other people would be eager to give PMD hacking a shot. The problem is we just don't have enough people who are willing to research a new game (hence the lack of progress on D/P/P hacking).

[Blaziquaza]

Originally Posted by colcolstyles

Mm, good idea. This will probably clear up a bunch of threads in the main ROM Hacking forum that can be answered in a single post.
Let's see, what to talk about...
Oh yes! How 'bout why people don't like hacking Emerald? They claim it's "unstable" but I haven't seen any proof of that. I've been working with it for a little while now and I think it's great! Animated battle sprites, larger secondary tilesets (as opposed to FR/LG), more map "folders", all R/S/E and FR/LG music plus select tracks from G/S and even Crystal. I mean, what's not to love?

Exactly what I'm thinking.I've been hacking on two seperate Emerald
ROMs(Because when you have ZipGenius just about everything you
download gets an archive)and I love the features of them.

[Wichu]

I think one of the problems people might have with Emerald is that it's a bit harder to edit sprites. Sure, you get animations, but what if you want to add a new Pokémon? I haven't seen anyone actually edit those animations... Also, aren't the palettes of the Pokémon sprites stored somewhere else in the ROM? I think I remember seeing something along the lines of that editing the palettes of the two-frame sprites with unLZ-GBA doesn't work, and you have to find the actual palettes that are used... Maybe this puts people off Emerald, as they're used to inserting both sprites and palettes at the same time...

[tImE]

Originally Posted by Wichu

I think one of the problems people might have with Emerald is that it's a bit harder to edit sprites. Sure, you get animations, but what if you want to add a new Pokémon? I haven't seen anyone actually edit those animations... Also, aren't the palettes of the Pokémon sprites stored somewhere else in the ROM? I think I remember seeing something along the lines of that editing the palettes of the two-frame sprites with unLZ-GBA doesn't work, and you have to find the actual palettes that are used... Maybe this puts people off Emerald, as they're used to inserting both sprites and palettes at the same time...

xD, Actually I don't think that's it at all.
I've managed to insert a animated turtwig with new palletes, only using unLZ-GBA.
But I don't really remember, It was a long time ago.

//44tim44