[Other] Just Beginning...

[xThreexDx]

I'm absolutely brand new to hacking. I've messed around on Advance Map a bit, but that's the extent of my knowledge. I've got the base of my story written and I've got some stuff sketched out, but I have no idea where to even start my hack. Help? Please?

 

[Cello]

The good thing about hacking is you can start wherever you feel most comfortable, but it does require that you plan ahead.

Mapping requires that you know what you want your world to look like,
Scripting requires that you know exact locations of everything you plan on using in the script your writing,
so on and so forth.

I suggest you start by doing quick sketches of maps and place them side-by-side to see how your region will look. That way, once you have your mapping done, all you need to do is accomplish the scripting and replace any sprites/graphics, put it all together, and it'll be ready to go.

 

[sab]

Start by mapping and then learn basic scripting. Then try to make some basic talking scripts and such. Next look around the R&D and Toolbox sections for tools having to do with battles and sprite changers. After that you should probably learn some more advanced scripting and maybe even begin to learn about how all the hex fits together. From there you can pretty much do watever you want, because the only thing you shouldn't know then is asm. You don't really need to learn asm but you should at least try.

 

[xThreexDx]

What would be the best program to use for my mapping and scripting?

 

[pkmntrainerpaul]

For mapping, I'd recommend AdvanceMap.
For Scripting, I should take XSE.

 

[aguinn99]

Start by mapping and then learn basic scripting. Then try to make some basic talking scripts and such. Next look around the R&D and Toolbox sections for tools having to do with battles and sprite changers. After that you should probably learn some more advanced scripting and maybe even begin to learn about how all the hex fits together. From there you can pretty much do watever you want, because the only thing you shouldn't know then is asm. You don't really need to learn asm but you should at least try.

I agree.start with mapping and so on. I do not really no anything about it but i recommend getting info from people like these.

 

[Echidna]

well i would say follow these steps:
storyline
tiles and insertion
pokemon or fakemons and insertion
OWs and insertion
mapping
scripting
special stuff like title screen and world map and stuff.......

WHY ??? cause you're gonna need your custom tiles in mapping, and if you insert them without replacing old ones, it'll be really hard to re-map. so insert all stuff first... that's always best.... you see the part 1 and part 2 in my sig...... those are links to my tutorial to teach about all of the above excep the special stuff. i hope this helped.....

 

[0m3GA ARS3NAL]

My own personal way to plan for a hack goes as follows...
Story Planning
Feature Planning
Region Map Design
Individual Map Design
Pokemon Design *If any*
Character Design
Tile Design
Tile Creation
Map Creation
Sprite Creation
Music Design
Music Creation
Miscellaneous Graphic Design
Miscellaneous Graphic Creation
Tile Insertion
Map Creation (Insertion)
Sprite Insertion
Sprite Placement
Miscellaneous Graphic Insertion
Music Insertion


Mind you I often make small changes and edits along the way.
ALWAYS be sure to backup your ROM often, and most importantly, have fun with it.

 

[Divider]

My method is to tackle the hard stuff right off the bat.
I started with Editing the Title Screen. D-Trough's NTME is a Must-have tool for rom hacking. I would start with Just getting the picture to show up correctly, then work on getting your Color Scheme. This way you have a good solid rom to work with, without worrying about corruption Later on in the rom.

They I would jump into scripting, scripting is extremely bothersome, It's not that it's hard. It's just very Repetitive and the slightest mistake can ruin the entire script into going back into debug.


Mapping is without a doubt the easiest to learn, tile insertion can be a pain, but mappers are easy to come by. Scripters are the hard one's to find.

My Advice, Learn the hardest parts, that makes you the guy in charge. You'll need more than just basic ideas, you'll need a whole storyline. Otherwise, how can you tell someone what to work on, if you have no idea what's next?