[Other✓] Absolute Beginner looking for general help

[AHMYLEGS]

I've been trying to get into some basic ROM hacks for the Pokemon games, and failing miserably. I seem to be lacking some really basic knowledge about hacks and can't decipher half of the tutorials and instructions I come across. So I want to try something different.

I need someone to give me a link to a hacking tool to download and a task to acomplish with that tool that would insult the intelligence of most if not all hackers. Hopefully I will be able to figure it out on my own and if not then I guess I'll ask for instructions. If I complete this and nothing goes horribly wrong, then I'll ask for a new assignment. Repeat until I can ask my own questions other than "How I mak game plz".

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Whoops almost forgot, I'm using a Linux Ubuntu distribution. I know that limits a lot of the tools I can use, but if I really need to use something not supported I'll try to run it using Wine.

 

[JohnHenryC]

Here is an assigement for you! :)

Google
1.Advance map 1, 95(this is a basic tool, and one of the most important)
2. Use the program to edit the wild pokemons appearing on route 1 (firered/leafgreen). Make the pokemon NUMEL appear.

3. Use ur newly found skills to make some wild grass in vidrian city with pokemon appearing inside.
3. Done! U can now remake/edit wildgrass battle.

Please PM and i will help you!
Have fun! :)

 

[Gemini8910]

Hey there! I'm pretty new to this myself, but I've made progress. :) And you can too!

Getting Advance Map is definitely the first step. I found a really great tutorial when I first started, but I can't find it at the moment. If you'd like, I can PM you the copy that I pasted into Word so that I could highlight important sections.

I'd say that proper planning is essential. I played around with a test ROM at first, but I didn't really start learning stuff until I actually started on my actual ROM hack. It also helps that I accidentally planned it out so that there are less changes in the beginning; so the difficulty in hacking is gradually increasing as a go along. X) You may be different though; this is just what worked for me personally. I did a play-through of the game on an unhacked ROM and took notes throughout the whole thing, noting what I wanted to change. It's definitely made things easier for me.

If you're just looking to learn the bare minimum basics right now, I'd say John's suggestion is pretty good. Editing what Pokemon can appear is simple yet essential.

Oh, and don't try to hack Sapphire or Leaf Green. I've heard that they don't work with any tools. Ruby and Firered are usually recommended, and they're essentially the same thing as Sapphire/Leaf Green, but I'm hacking Emerald personally. I've heard people say that Emerald is more difficult, but I've yet to find any evidence of that.

Good luck! If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask! :)

EDIT: I found the guide! You can find it here.

 

[DarkenedEclipse]

I've been trying to get into some basic ROM hacks for the Pokemon games, and failing miserably. I seem to be lacking some really basic knowledge about hacks and can't decipher half of the tutorials and instructions I come across. So I want to try something different.

I need someone to give me a link to a hacking tool to download and a task to acomplish with that tool that would insult the intelligence of most if not all hackers. Hopefully I will be able to figure it out on my own and if not then I guess I'll ask for instructions. If I complete this and nothing goes horribly wrong, then I'll ask for a new assignment. Repeat until I can ask my own questions other than "How I mak game plz".

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Whoops almost forgot, I'm using a Linux Ubuntu distribution. I know that limits a lot of the tools I can use, but if I really need to use something not supported I'll try to run it using Wine.

Hey man! I used to have the same problem too, definitely look into getting advanced map start learning how to build maps, another step I recommend is learning how to hack a title screen! Always start with firered then to emerald!:) here's a link on how to replace the title screen pokemon:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Bb_8Zc_As



Pm me if you need help :)
~DarkenedEclipse

 

[AHMYLEGS]

Here is an assigement for you! :)

Google
1.Advance map 1, 95(this is a basic tool, and one of the most important)
2. Use the program to edit the wild pokemons appearing on route 1 (firered/leafgreen). Make the pokemon NUMEL appear.

3. Use ur newly found skills to make some wild grass in vidrian city with pokemon appearing inside.
3. Done! U can now remake/edit wildgrass battle.

Please PM and i will help you!
Have fun! :)

Route 1 is currently being invaded by Numels. I think I made the wild grass in Viridian City but I didn't reallly have the patience to test it was there. Could have edited Route 1 but I don't have the patience to go through the intro again.

Browser might be bugging up, can't quote the other posts. Thanks for the guide Gemini, it seems incomplete but it is approachable. I actually have a three-step plan right now: first to just fool around to get comfortable, then a simple parody hack to apply everything, and then I move on to my own creations.

DarkenedEclipse, I'll check out the video. Thanks!


One more thing. I tend to test a LOT, and the intro scene (getting the pokemon and all that) is already annoying. Considering the amount of logic being used I don't know if there is a quick fix, but is there a way I can skip it and change the player's spawn? Seems it would be real useful in the long run.

Edit: Forgot something again, from my lurking I know Advance Map 1.95 isn't coming out of beta anytime soon. Is 1.92 more stable, and is it a comparable choice?

 

[Gemini8910]

I believe I'm using 1.92 at the moment, mostly because I was following that guide and they said something about the newest version being unstable. I'm not sure it makes too much of a difference though.

And I'm right there with you with testing a lot. If you aren't doing anything to the beginning parts, like naming yourself and choosing a starter, I'd start a file and then save just before where you plan on editing. Then you only have to load the file each time. When you know you are done with a section, move on and save before the next thing. Simply reopening the rom with VBA will update any changes you made, so you don't have to start a new file every time.

If you want a more difficult assignment now, how about replacing the over world sprite of a basic trainer with custom sprite? Its a bit of a process but definitely essential if you want more unique characters.

 

[JohnHenryC]

I believe I'm using 1.92 at the moment, mostly because I was following that guide and they said something about the newest version being unstable.

Thats true, 1.95 is a little unstable... but u need if u resize your room to 32 mb! 1.92 cant handle 32 mb roms.

U could also use the program Advance Trainer too edit for example the first trainer in Vidrian forest.
Make the world now about that numel invasion of yours..

 

[AHMYLEGS]

Ello people. Can someone post me a link to Advance Trainer? Can't seem to find it.

Thats true, 1.95 is a little unstable... but u need if u resize your room to 32 mb! 1.92 cant handle 32 mb roms.

U could also use the program Advance Trainer too edit for example the first trainer in Vidrian forest.
Make the world now about that numel invasion of yours..

When would I need to resize to 32mb? Guessing that's more memory to use though if Game Freak put the entire base game into the smaller size I don't know how I would possibly need more memory.

 

[DarkenedEclipse]

Ello people. Can someone post me a link to Advance Trainer? Can't seem to find it.



When would I need to resize to 32mb? Guessing that's more memory to use though if Game Freak put the entire base game into the smaller size I don't know how I would possibly need more memory.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...NXNXKh1E_P30U_SR2WgKtrQ&bvm=bv.73231344,d.b2U

Kinda long but XD there

 

[Gemini8910]

Or you could just Google "Advance Trainer", it should come up. Most of those tools aren't exactly necessary, but if you really want you can download that whole pack.

Also, I suppose really complex hacks that add a lot of new Pokemon or something would run out of space eventually, but I don't quite see the need either.

 

[AHMYLEGS]

Thanks for the link to AdvanceTrainer, couldn't find it. I have to start looking in toolbox threads for those sneaky hidden tools. Sadly I can't seem to get it to run, or even find another trainer editor that isn't glitching out on me. The best I could do is Jambo51's UnnamedTrainerEditor though I don't remember half the trainers having Lvl. 5 Ekans. Are there any cross-platform trainer editors?

 

[AHMYLEGS]

At least you were able to follow the tutorial. I spent an hour working through the one posted above's first five minutes, then got screwed over with a broken download link. I'm praying right now I don't have to do this for every image in the game...

 

[Gemini8910]

I think it'll definitely be tough working with Linux on this. Most tools are made for Windows, although I think more Mac tools are coming out. I have spotted the occasional Linux one but they are few and far between.

Also, for A-Trainer, make sure you're getting the official newest one. I downloaded mine from here, which is the official thread for it and other tools by the same creator. If it still doesn't work, mind sharing exactly what happens when you open it? :)

I can't really help you with the title screen though, I've honestly never tried to change it.

 

[AHMYLEGS]

I was a little whiney in my last post so I think I'll try and be more positive here. I noticed that in GIMP there is a tool called posterize which reduces the amount of colors in an image. If I set the slider to 16 the image doesn't change at all, likely due to the fact that the sprites I'm using use 16 colors. Perhaps if I can use this to prep a sprite for the title screen without breaking the ROM...still above my pay grade, but I'm due for a promotion anyways.

As for Advance Trainer, it doesn't open. My spinny-spin wheel of loading goes for about five seconds before deciding that since the union collapse it hasn't been getting the benefits it deserves and so decides to try to follow its passion and take a job as a social worker.

 

[Gemini8910]

Lol, that was the most creative way to say that something crashed/stopped loading I have ever seen. XD

Sprites have to be indexed before they can be used in the game. Indexing is basically what you're doing with GIMP, which is reducing it down to a 16 color palette. Most things recommend that you use the program Infran View to index sprites, but you can see if doing it the GIMP way will work for you. :)

 

[AHMYLEGS]

I'm just doing it in GIMP cause I already have it downloaded. Little more convient for me, plus I can use it to create sprites as well.

Oh, and I edited a trainer battle! Made the first bug catcher you go up against only have one pokemon, a lvl 6 squirtle. Tested it out and everything went smoothly. I'm thinking all that junk data I was coming across was just that, junk. The trainer sprites are all for the Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald games, not used in FireRed. Besides one or two others I don't think those lvl. 5 ekans everyone seems to have actually are seen in-game. Just an educated guess after reading about junk map files.

Bonus points, just edited some pokemon info! Used karatekid's conviently cross-platform pokemon editor, and it is both user-friendly and powerful. Although the hex editor tool is like a women with a handlebar mustache; not going anywhere near that.