Looking for Guidance

[ZeroV8]

Backstory:

I've been playing Pokemon Hacks since this Summer when I found WAH. I told myself that too many of these are in a foreign language, so I google searched "Pokemon Rom Hacks". Of course WAH popped up again, but I also found this site called PokeCommunity. So I end up here, playing all these great rom hacks, and so here we are today.

Anyways, while playing these hacks (many of which focused heavily on story) I started to come up with little stories and situations in my head. I thought to myself "how cool would it be to make a Pokemon game the exact way I want it?"

This is where I run into trouble.

I don't really know what is required to hack roms.

I also don't know what kind of work one has to put into a rom, or the levels of frustration one might encounter.

So thats why instead of doing a Google search, I came here to ask these questions.

I chose here because I wanted some personalization in the responses. I am really trying to seek a wide variety of opinions.

1. In your opinion, at the most basic level, what are the most important skills a rom hacker should have?

2. What are the best tools for rom hacking, and why?

3. What sort of unique things do you like to incorporate into your roms, that a lot of other people don't do?

4. What do you think is the best attitude to have when approaching rom hacking?

Those are just some opinion based questions that I would be interested to see responses from.

Also as a beginning rom hacker, I feel I must ask that if you guys have any personal guidance for me, I would gladly appreciate it.

Thank you for your time :)

-ZeroV8

 

[chrunch]

1. Mapping, Scripting, Tile Inserting. Mapping and scripting are needed to make a good hack, and if you insert some nice tiles it will make it look a lot better. :D there are some good tutorials to do all this in the tutorials section.

2. just a short list I put together:

• Advance Map - this allows you to edit the maps ingame. 1.92 is the most stable version, which is the one I linked to.
  
• XSE - The best and easiest to use script editor. The thread I linked to also has a number of other important tools.
  
• YAPE - Allows you to edit Pokemon stats.
  
• Advanced Series - tools to edit Pokemon sprites easily.

I'm sure there are many more important tools I missed, but this is all I could think of off the top of my head.

3. Uh, it's really your choice what you want to implement in your ROM. You can do a lot of things like Day & Night and Headbutt trees, though. :D

4. Be patient. It takes a long time to make a ROM hack, and you won't finish one in a week. Other than that, make some progress and learn scripting before you post a thread for your hack.

Hope that advice helps. Good luck making a hack! :D

 

[papayaperson]

I always use Advanced Map to edit my maps annd wild pokémon, I scipt using Pokéscript, I use Overworld Editer- Rebirth Edition for editing overworld sprites (sprites that walk around), and if you plan to insert your own fake pokémon you should download unLZ.GBA and IRfanview

 

[hinkage]

1. Mapping/scripting/story. Your game must be original in all three categories.

2. AdvanceMap 1.95, A-Trainer, PKSVUI or XSE (script editors). There are other tools, but aren't basic necessities.

3. Elaborate scripts/unique characters that don't try to be overly cool.

4. You have to really have a passion for scripting/mapping and stuff. It will make a huge difference in your hack's quality. Sometimes you might get burned out after awhile; don't bother making anything if you don't feel like it. Take breaks. Sometimes I don't do things for days.

You also need to have a plan before doing ANYTHING. Otherwise, it'll be a disaster. You don't want to be thinking up dialog as your script it.

 

[Full Metal]

1. Mapping, Scripting, Tile Inserting. Mapping and scripting are needed to make a good hack, and if you insert some nice tiles it will make it look a lot better. :D there are some good tutorials to do all this in the tutorials section.

2. just a short list I put together:

• Advance Map - this allows you to edit the maps ingame. 1.92 is the most stable version, which is the one I linked to.
  
• XSE - The best and easiest to use script editor. The thread I linked to also has a number of other important tools.
  
• YAPE - Allows you to edit Pokemon stats.
  
• Advanced Series - tools to edit Pokemon sprites easily.

I'm sure there are many more important tools I missed, but this is all I could think of off the top of my head.

3. Uh, it's really your choice what you want to implement in your ROM. You can do a lot of things like Day & Night and Headbutt trees, though. :D

4. Be patient. It takes a long time to make a ROM hack, and you won't finish one in a week. Other than that, make some progress and learn scripting before you post a thread for your hack.

Hope that advice helps. Good luck making a hack! :D

What he said.
Only, here's a few more tools you might like:
NSE - Nameless Sprite Editor
Hexecute / Somehexeditor / : general hacking utilities. There's lots available, you just have to find one you like. linky

** edit
Also, not to scare you, but here are some tutorials I've written that you may find useful as you progress and feel comfortable with basics in Advance Map (: :
Scripting tutorial
Jargon Tutorial
I highly reccomend reading the second one. If you have, it will save lots of frustration amongst the experts who are willing to help.

-- On a side note: Good job on asking for help. It is obvious that you legitimately are interested in the subject, and take it seriously. Rather than expecting somebody to give things to you on a silver platter. That goes a long ways in my book, and I'm always glad to help people so long as they approach it with an attitude of trying to help themselves learn.

 

[siper x]

Mapping and scripting are needed to make a hack (even though i can't script for my life). not all hacks need new tiles or new sprites but it makes them look better, but all great hacks have to have original maps and great scripts.

As for tools i would say advance map, xse or pokescript (i use pokescript, but heard xse is a better tool), unzl, yape, and overworld editor (even though others are better, they work for my purposes).

As for what i put in my hacks (never released any, but i put it in all the ones i work on) is a mystery/detective player. i either make it so someone is chasing you and you have to cover your tracks and depending on what you do effects future encounters, or you are a detective and try to solve things given clues (both have multiple outcomes which requires a good scripter which is why i haven't released anything).

Lastly the best attitude is to always think your hack is good, but can use improvement. if you think your hack sucks you will quit working on it, and if you think it is great you won't improve it. oh and HAVE FUN!!! work with your friends, if you don't hacking can become boring, even if only one person is your friend in the team it makes it so you still have motivation to work with a friend and can become friends with the others on your team.

 

[droomph]

1. Creativity and basic math and logic. If you want to make decent hacks, you WILL have to learn assembly., since you need to be innovative with hacks to get attention.

But more importantly, you will have to be inspired. If you do this just because you want to be famous (you don't seem like that kind of person, are you?), EVERYTHING you do will be CRAP, because you don't put your heart and soul into researching, thinking, and making hacks. That being said, don't announce your hacks until you have a general idea of what you will do, and have seen the progress of your hack.

2. Advance Map. Lu-Ho and his buddies over at the Research & Development forums have already figured this out for you, and trust me, you do NOT want to figure that out every time you make a map. Everything else can be done with a hex editor, but since people have made tools, use them if you find hex editing too hard. (Something like PKSV, since that decompiles THUMB, and it's free!)

But you will eventually find some tools to grab, because their .inis have lots of offsets you can use, and the programs automate everything that would otherwise make you frustrated (Like TileMolester, or NSE).

But try to do what you can on your own as much as you can.

3. Think, think, think. If you are in any way committed, you will eventually find a new thing.

For example, take removing Pokémon from your party. That isn't a built-in function, so you will have to research all over the internets, and normally people would give up, but you, you would have the patience and dedication to find that routine and stick it in somewhere (and maybe even find the Specials table).

4. Dedication. Lu-Ho made Advance-Map because he was DEDICATED. JPAN and HackMew are masters at assembly because of DEDICATION. People like foullump and thethethethe can make great comprehensive tutorials because they are DEDICATED. You will become the next glorified user on Pokécommunity, but only if you have a semi-career kind of dedication to what you're doing.

(it helps if you don't have ADHD)

You're going to have a fun time. Just remember that no one's ever the best.