ROM Hacking Discussions

urk. I used to go straight to ROM Hacking from the main page, but now I can't if I want to see the hacks and/or teams. D: Confusing (not to mention the changes don't make sense, aside from to lessen the amount of sub-forums of ROM Hacking), but I'll get used to it.

Although, couldn't you have a sub-section of ROM Hacking with "Hacks Directory" or something (with hack discussions and/or walkthroughs, etc in there?) and have more subsections in there being Showcase, Sideshow and Progressing.

Ninja Caterpie said:

urk. I used to go straight to ROM Hacking from the main page, but now I can't if I want to see the hacks and/or teams. D: Confusing (not to mention the changes don't make sense, aside from to lessen the amount of sub-forums of ROM Hacking), but I'll get used to it.

Although, couldn't you have a sub-section of ROM Hacking with "Hacks Directory" or something (with hack discussions and/or walkthroughs, etc in there?) and have more subsections in there being Showcase, Sideshow and Progressing.

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This. NC has a great point, that system would work a lot better than the current one.

I'm also quite confused with the new layout. The beginner's lounge forum is OK, but, the rest is kind of annoying. I propose returning to the old, with an extra subforum under 'ROM hacking' being 'beginner's lounge'.

Ninja Caterpie said:

urk. I used to go straight to ROM Hacking from the main page, but now I can't if I want to see the hacks and/or teams. D: Confusing (not to mention the changes don't make sense, aside from to lessen the amount of sub-forums of ROM Hacking), but I'll get used to it.

Although, couldn't you have a sub-section of ROM Hacking with "Hacks Directory" or something (with hack discussions and/or walkthroughs, etc in there?) and have more subsections in there being Showcase, Sideshow and Progressing.

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I could not agree more. The new system is annoying. I have ROM Hacking bookmarked for a reason,,, Or at least, there used to be a reason. Your idea is a much better option.

Team Fail said:

I agree. I liked the old system. I was used to going to ROM Hacking to get to the Simple Questions sticky, where it always was. If they had a shadow of the sticky in Rom Hacking, and moved it to the beginner's lounge, then I'd be happy.

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Not only that, but move the Hacks Showcase back into ROM Hacking. I don't mind Progressing Hacks and Sideshow Showcase being in the Hacks Showcase, but it needs to be under ROM Hacking. Also, Team Discussions should be located under ROM Hacking again.

On another note, I do like the idea of the Beginner's Corner.

Just a question on the Sideshow Showcase; I'm working on this sort of mini FE hack. It's a (mostly) total revamp of the game, but it only goes for 11 chapters. Most FE games go for like 2x chapters, so I'm wondering whether this would go in the proper Showcase or be a Sideshow? I mean, it's got a full storyline and all, but would it be considered big enough?

It's the equivalent length in Pokemon of, say, a Mystery Dungeon DS hack that's as long as the game up until the end of the first big Expedition thing.

Darthatron said:

I could not agree more. The new system is annoying. I have ROM Hacking bookmarked for a reason,,, Or at least, there used to be a reason. Your idea is a much better option.

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I did the same thing, just to come back one day all discombobulated. This new system feels very disorganized, and missed placed.

NiKaNoRoU said:

Okay guys, I've seen enough. I really would like to know your opinion on whether gen V Pokemon in hacks are good or bad, and why.

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I don't think one can say definitively whether they're "good" or "bad". It's really subjective. Personally, I won't play any hacks with 5th generation pokémon simply because I'm trying to avoid them as much as possible until Black & White come out here in the States. But it's not up to me; it's up to the hacker.


As for the whole new Emulation format issue, I think it will all blow over eventually. I mean, I dislike the new layout just as much as the next guy but I don't see the point in complaining about it. When the Progressing Hacks forum was first introduced, there were some really nasty arguments about what it would do to Emulation but in the long run, it seems to have performed pretty well. However, I do think that the staff has over-organized the forum by having too many sub-forums. Having Progressing Hacks and the Sideshow Showcase inside the Hacks Showcase is unnecessary in my opinion. Furthermore, I don't like the new "ROM Hacking". I, like others, believe that the Hacks Showcase should have remained in ROM Hacking. However, on the other hand, I'm completely lost as to why Toolbox is inside ROM Hacking. Seems counterintuitive to me but I don't make the decisions.

I do agree that the format is fairly odd. But I thing the main thing that strikes me odd is what's actually IN the beginner's forum. EVERY SINGLE THREAD has been locked within it so far. Yes, with reason, but still. . . it doesn't bode well for the new forum.

Exon said:

I do agree that the format is fairly odd. But I thing the main thing that strikes me odd is what's actually IN the beginner's forum. EVERY SINGLE THREAD has been locked within it so far. Yes, with reason, but still. . . it doesn't bode well for the new forum.

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Haha, yeah I noticed that too. It makes you wonder what the forum is supposed to be used for. So far, the only reason why I check that forum is for the Help threads. I think some of the threads in the ROM Hacking main forum (e.g., how you found out about hacking, favorite world environment, etc.) could be moved there but other than that, the forum doesn't seem to be serving any real purpose.

colcolstyles said:

Haha, yeah I noticed that too. It makes you wonder what the forum is supposed to be used for. So far, the only reason why I check that forum is for the Help threads. I think some of the threads in the ROM Hacking main forum (e.g., how you found out about hacking, favorite world environment, etc.) could be moved there but other than that, the forum doesn't seem to be serving any real purpose.

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Indeed, the idea sounds good, but in practice it doesn't really work very well. I still wish they would move everything back the way it was before, but I guess that's never gonna happen, so we better get used to the way it is.

Crimson Stardust said:

hahax..yeah,we need to get use to it..
i seriously believe the scrapbox was better in a way that it gives new hackers to post their ideas and people can discuss,[excluding the spams/not logical threads that were made],but people from the scrapbox,for me that is,their hack improved when it was moved to the progrssing hacks as during the time at scrapbox,people have given ideas,sugestion..etc..
But thats what i think,the beginner lounge is also a good idea but as we all see,there been locked threads there instead of good threads that are made..

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Well, the Scrapbox was a fantastic forum... in theory. However, in practice it just turned into a spambox (pun definitely intended) that was a burden for the moderators to check on every day. If you could come with a system for people to post ideas that wouldn't end up like the previous Scrapbox, I'm sure the staff would be glad to hear it.

I was dissapointed when they closed the scrapbox. The only problem was that everyone kept abusing it, it would have worked much better if the scrapbox threads needed to be approved, and if they had some more rules. but it's gone now, if people had treated it better, it'd probably still be here today. D:

About the beginner lounge, I think what's the point of it if every thread a beginner made has been locked?

The removal of the scrapbox was the best idea ever! The moving of the threads is silly, it mixes emulation, and rom hacking in a weird way.

Binary said:

I agree with you on that point, since Beginners Lounge, Team Discussions etc. don't really come under Emulation. The main forum should be Rom Hacking.

That's the only thing that bothers me. Apart from that, I'm completely fine with the new layout.

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I agree with this, I don't really like the new layout, it's just confusing and inconveniant. I really think they should change it back, and call Emulation "Rom Hacking and Emulation", as suggested by Spherical Ice.

Well, the new layout doesn't really look like it's changing any time soon. Other than that, I'm getting quite used to it about now (so I don't mind as much).

I do have a new discussion topic though. What is your input about giving the player the ability to speak. What I mean is giving the player speech. I'm actually against the idea, I think that the Player should stay a mysterious character, however, the Player saying '...' instead of speech is a different story in my opinion. You could even make it seem like the person the player is conversing or saying '...' to is actually responding to he player. Example:
Man: Why do you think ROM hacking is fun?
Player: ... .. ....
Man: That's true, but mapping isn't really hacking.

Which I think it more than enough (because it feels weird when I play as the player and he says stuff).

Like to hear some of your thoughts :)

It feels weird to have you talking, even with just "...", mostly because the character is a representation of you in this world. It's not some other character, it's really meant to be you. That's what that whole introduction with a severe lack of fourth wall is for. I don't say anything besides YES/NO or one of the multichoices, so I don't want the game to say anything aside from those in my stead.

Alignment said:

I do have a new discussion topic though. What is your input about giving the player the ability to speak. What I mean is giving the player speech. I'm actually against the idea, I think that the Player should stay a mysterious character, however, the Player saying '...' instead of speech is a different story in my opinion. You could even make it seem like the person the player is conversing or saying '...' to is actually responding to he player. Example:
Man: Why do you think ROM hacking is fun?
Player: ... .. ....
Man: That's true, but mapping isn't really hacking.

Which I think it more than enough (because it feels weird when I play as the player and he says stuff).

Like to hear some of your thoughts :)

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I prefer games with the "silent protagonist" concept. Even using "Player: ... ... ..." is pushing it, in my opinion. In R/S/E, the programmers used only dots (i.e., no "Player:") once which was passable but whenever I see "[player]:" followed by text, I usually close VBA. There are plenty of fantastic games that have silent protagonists so it shouldn't be too hard.