Adding New Moves and Creating New Move Effects

[dondon151]

Thirdly, I noticed you discussed stuff about double battles. Did you come to any conclusion about a safe edit to change an attack from hitting 1 to 2 or 3 other Pokemon?

This is a rather late response, but changing an attack to hit both opponents yields no problems if the effect is originally designed to only target a single opponent. It will not work properly if you change the target byte to 0x20 (targeting opponents and partner) unless there is something obvious that I'm missing. You'd have to script a new effect.

And as far as I know, in double battles, moves that hit the entire field (like Earthquake or gen 4 Surf) don't interact properly with certain abilities. Water Absorb, Volt Absorb, and probably Flash Fire halt execution of the move entirely when a target when the ability is hit. Lightningrod seems to do absolutely nothing (technically this is "correct" behavior in later gens if we ignore the extra properties of Lightningrod in later gens).

Here are decompiled BSP scripts for Earthquake and Explosion:

Spoiler:

//EARTHQUAKE

#org 0x1D7B13
attackcanceler
attackstring
ppreduce
selectnexttarget
cmd25
jumpifspecialstatusflag 0x0 0x80 0x1 0x81D7B37
orword 0x2023DD0 0x20000
setbyte 0x2023FD2 0x2
goto 0x81D7B46

#org 0x1D7B37
bicword 0x2023DD0 0x20000
setbyte 0x2023FD2 0x1
accuracycheck 0x81D7B7F 0x0
calculatedamage
attackanimation
waitanimation
missmessage
cmd5c 0x0
waitstate
graphicalhpupdate 0x0
datahpupdate 0x0
critmessage
waitmessage 0x40
resultmessage
waitmessage 0x40
printstring 0x130
waitmessage 0x1
faintpokemon 0x0 0x0 0x0
setbyte 0x2023FD8 0x0
cmd49 0x2 0x10
jumpwhiletargetvalid 0x81D7B17
end

#org 0x1D7B7F
pause 0x20
cmd6
missmessage
resultmessage
waitmessage 0x40
setbyte 0x2023FD8 0x0
cmd49 0x2 0x10
jumpwhiletargetvalid 0x81D7B17
end

// Used Strings
// String 0x130
// =

#org 0x1D7B46
accuracycheck 0x81D7B7F 0x0
calculatedamage
attackanimation
waitanimation
missmessage
cmd5c 0x0
waitstate
graphicalhpupdate 0x0
datahpupdate 0x0
critmessage
waitmessage 0x40
resultmessage
waitmessage 0x40
printstring 0x130
waitmessage 0x1
faintpokemon 0x0 0x0 0x0
setbyte 0x2023FD8 0x0
cmd49 0x2 0x10
jumpwhiletargetvalid 0x81D7B17
end

#org 0x1D7B7F
pause 0x20
cmd6
missmessage
resultmessage
waitmessage 0x40
setbyte 0x2023FD8 0x0
cmd49 0x2 0x10
jumpwhiletargetvalid 0x81D7B17
end

// Used Strings
// String 0x130
// =

Spoiler:

//EXPLOSION

#org 0x1D6A76
attackcanceler
attackstring
ppreduce
faintifabilitynotdamp
setuserhptozero
waitstate
jumpifbyte 0x5 0x2023DCC 0x1 0x81D6A91
call 0x81D6AE7
goto 0x81D6A93

#org 0x1D6A91
attackanimation
waitanimation
cmd25
calculatedamage
accuracycheck 0x81D6ACC 0x0
missmessage
cmd5c 0x0
waitstate
graphicalhpupdate 0x0
datahpupdate 0x0
critmessage
waitmessage 0x40
resultmessage
waitmessage 0x40
faintpokemon 0x0 0x0 0x0
setbyte 0x2023FD8 0x0
cmd49 0x2 0x10
jumpwhiletargetvalid 0x81D6A93
faintpokemon 0x1 0x0 0x0
end

#org 0x1D6ACC
missmessage
resultmessage
waitmessage 0x40
setbyte 0x2023FD8 0x0
cmd49 0x2 0x10
jumpwhiletargetvalid 0x81D6A93
faintpokemon 0x1 0x0 0x0
end

#org 0x1D6AE7
bicbyte 0x2023DCC 0x1
attackanimation
waitanimation
orbyte 0x2023DCC 0x1
return

#org 0x1D6A93
cmd25
calculatedamage
accuracycheck 0x81D6ACC 0x0
missmessage
cmd5c 0x0
waitstate
graphicalhpupdate 0x0
datahpupdate 0x0
critmessage
waitmessage 0x40
resultmessage
waitmessage 0x40
faintpokemon 0x0 0x0 0x0
setbyte 0x2023FD8 0x0
cmd49 0x2 0x10
jumpwhiletargetvalid 0x81D6A93
faintpokemon 0x1 0x0 0x0
end

#org 0x1D6ACC
missmessage
resultmessage
waitmessage 0x40
setbyte 0x2023FD8 0x0
cmd49 0x2 0x10
jumpwhiletargetvalid 0x81D6A93
faintpokemon 0x1 0x0 0x0
end

I haven't really gone through all of this yet, but clearly the effects are specifically designed to hit all other Pokemon on the field.

EDIT: Oh, as an aside, trying to decompile Teeter Dance causes BSP to crash.

EDIT 2: Here's a script for gen 4 Surf that should work (except for the interaction with Water Absorb):

Spoiler:

//SURF

#dynamic 0x740200
#freespacebyte 0xFF
#include moves.bsh

#org @start
attackcanceler
attackstring
ppreduce
selectnexttarget

#org @offset1
cmd25
jumpifspecialstatusflag 0x0 0x40000 0x1 @offset2 //check for DIVE
orword 0x2023DD0 0x40000
setbyte 0x2023FD2 0x2
goto @offset3

#org @offset2
bicword 0x2023DD0 0x40000
setbyte 0x2023FD2 0x1

#org @offset3
accuracycheck @offset4 0x0
calculatedamage
attackanimation
waitanimation
missmessage
cmd5c 0x0
waitstate
graphicalhpupdate 0x0
datahpupdate 0x0
critmessage
waitmessage 0x40
resultmessage
waitmessage 0x40
printstring 0x130
waitmessage 0x1
faintpokemon 0x0 0x0 0x0
setbyte 0x2023FD8 0x0
cmd49 0x2 0x10
jumpwhiletargetvalid @offset1
end

#org @offset4
pause 0x20
cmd6
missmessage
resultmessage
waitmessage 0x40
setbyte 0x2023FD8 0x0
cmd49 0x2 0x10
jumpwhiletargetvalid @offset1
end

// Used Strings
// String 0x130
// =

EDIT 3: Ugh, hitting a Protect also stops execution of the above script. Hmm...

EDIT 4: Oh, I figured it out. Turns out that there's nothing wrong with the script, but BSP was compiling an offset incorrectly for some reason.

 

[misterpoor]

I don't know how to count, 75e8f8+4 = ?

 

[LCCoolJ95]

I don't know how to count, 75e8f8+4 = ?

In hex, 75E8F8+4=75E8FC would be the correct offset.

 

[shaheer07]

How would we do this for NDS games?

 

[Shiny Lizard]

Can anyone could put sone photos? :)

 

[Leafbarrett]

Since none of ya'll wanna help Emerald users with pointers and such, I'm blindly stumbling through the usable parts of the tutorial and praying I get it right.

I think I might have found the base "does damage" code for Emerald. Maybe. Hopefully.
At 2D8A26:
00 01 5E 8A 2D 08 00 00 02 03 04 05 06 07 09 0A 0E 5C 00 3A 0B 00 0C 00 0D 12 40 00 0F 12 40 00

If there's any sort of consistency between the games, add this to the end of the move to complete it:
28 47 8A 2D 08


Also, apparently there's no way to convert effects between the two games, because after like 5 hours of trying pointers (including the ones that following the tutorial letter for letter gave me and the Emerald equivalents as far as I (or anyone else unless someone's not talking) can figure out) I can't get a single one to work, including Hammer Arm.
EDIT: I got it to work by using a battle script instead, though there was still some blind searching for pointers involved, and I'm honestly not super-confident in how exactly I got it to work.

 

[LCCoolJ95]

Since none of ya'll wanna help Emerald users with pointers and such, I'm blindly

Spoiler:

stumbling through the usable parts of the tutorial and praying I get it right.

I think I might have found the base "does damage" code for Emerald. Maybe. Hopefully.
At 2D8A26:
00 01 5E 8A 2D 08 00 00 02 03 04 05 06 07 09 0A 0E 5C 00 3A 0B 00 0C 00 0D 12 40 00 0F 12 40 00

If there's any sort of consistency between the games, add this to the end of the move to complete it:
28 47 8A 2D 08


Also, apparently there's no way to convert effects between the two games, because after like 5 hours of trying pointers (including the ones that following the tutorial letter for letter gave me and the Emerald equivalents as far as I (or anyone else unless someone's not talking) can figure out) I can't get a single one to work, including Hammer Arm.

Spoiler:

Let me check it out. I'm more of an Emerald ROM hacker.

 

[Leafbarrett]

Let me check it out. I'm more of an Emerald ROM hacker.

I got it to work by using a battle script instead (along with some more lucky stumbling). I do need help on some things though, mind if I PM you with some questions?

Also, I think this really needs to be in the OP.
If you're going to be giving the moves descriptions (so basically always), you need to move and repoint the table of move description pointers. If you don't, then when you change the description pointers for new moves, it will start to overwrite the Nature names (which follow immediately after the move descriptions), even if it's a preexisting description (i.e. giving Flare Blitz Double-Edge's description). Trust me, I learned this the hard way... Some of what I'm typing here (like explaining pointers) is explained in the OP already, but just to be safe, I'm adding them.

Step 1:

Spoiler:

In a hex editor, go to:
Emerald: 61C524
Ruby: 3C09D8
Sapphire: 3C0A30
Fire Red: 4886E8
Leaf Green: 487FC4
and copy 1416 bytes of data.

Step 2:

Spoiler:

Paste that to free space. Make sure to write down the new offset! (Notepad is your friend.) Also make sure you're overwriting bytes, not inserting them! If you're not overwriting bytes, then you'll change the size of the rom. That does bad things. (Admittedly, I'm not entirely sure what those bad things are, and I've been able to run the rom after changing the file size, but I know it messes some programs up, and you don't want to take the risk anyhow.) If there's no Paste Write/Overwrite option, then select 1416 bytes at the free space address, delete them, then paste the description table. If for some reason you insert instead of overwriting, just go to the end of the rom and delete the excess bytes (the end of the rom should be 00FFFFFF).

Step 3:

Spoiler:

Once you've pasted that to free space, you need to make sure there's space for all the other pointers - don't want it overwriting your new stuff either, do we?
There are a couple of ways to reserve the space for future pointers. What I personally do is replace FFs with 00s. Select 628 bytes after the end of the new table and fill it with 00s. The table should be 2044 bytes in length overall. If your hex editor doesn't have a Fill function, copy 628 bytes from the beginning and paste it at the end instead (remember, overwrite, don't insert).

Step 4:

Spoiler:

Now we have to tell the game to look at your new description table instead of the old one. We do this by replacing the pointers directed at the old table with ones aimed at the new table.
A pointer, in short, is an address that points to something else in the game's data. It's used for almost every list or table, as well as being used in animations, move effects, scripts... You name it, the game has a pointer in it or to it.
In Emerald, we want to replace pointers to 61C524 with ones to our new offset (E4AA68 for me). For other games, just use the description pointer from the list above instead of 61C524.
However! Pointers don't store addresses normally. Pointers look like this:
ZZ YY XX 08
where XXYYZZ is the address.

So instead of searching for 61C524, we want to search:
24 C5 61 08
and replace it with the new pointer. In my case:
68 AA E4 08

Step 5:

Spoiler:

Now we need to tell PGE to look at the new description list. Before doing this, I suggest making a backup of PGE's files, just in case.

In the folder with PGE (wherever you happened to put it), open the "ini" folder and open "roms.ini" (if it doesn't have a default opening program, use Notepad). In that file, find the game you're hacking (make sure you have this right) and find "AttackDescriptionTable".
The way I do it is I search the rom name, then search "description".
Change it from its original value to your new address (don't use the pointer notation, just a normal address). Make sure not to delete the H before the address - that's what tells PGE that it's looking at a hex value, not a string.

And there you go.
If you've already messed up the natures, don't worry, it's an easy fix. Follow the tutorial, but instead of just copying 1416 bytes in step 1, copy an additional 4 for every new move you gave a description, and in step 3, fill in 4 fewer bytes for every new move with a description. As I said above, the table should be 2044 bytes in length when you're done.
After that:

Step 1:

Spoiler:

Open a fresh ROM in a hex editor. Go to the original move description table, select 1416 bytes, and move your cursor onto the very next byte. This is the start of the natures. In Emerald, it's at address 61CAAC. (I don't know what it is in the other games, sorry.) Once there, select and copy a number of bytes equal to the newly described moves times 4 (at max, 628 bytes). The nature names take up 162 bytes, and the table of pointers for the natures (which follows immediately after) takes up 100 bytes; selecting 264 bytes will get you both (there's 2 bytes extra between the names and the table).

Step 2:

Spoiler:

Go to the nature names' address in your hack and paste overwrite the data fix.

!!WARNING!!
MAKE SURE TO PASTE OVERWRITE! I don't know what the repercussions of inserting at the end of the ROM are, because that just pushes empty space. I DO know exactly what will happen if you try inserting here. Your game will completely cease all function because it will throw off every pointer aimed past this address, breaking everything.

 

[Joltix]

Was wondering if anyone knows how to change the types on attacks. I've added the fairy type to the game for the pokemon and changed its resistance and effectiveness against other types but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to change it for the attacks.
EG. changing tackle from a normal type to a fairy type.

I've read that it can be done with the g3t tools but they are not available at the moment and was wondering if it can be changed using hex in the attack table and if so, any idea of where the table starts.

Thank you.

Edit: Managed to do it with hex. All working fine. Thanks for the help and it's Fire Red I'm using. :)

 

[LCCoolJ95]

Was wondering if anyone knows how to change the types on attacks. I've added the fairy type to the game for the pokemon and changed its resistance and effectiveness against other types but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to change it for the attacks.
EG. changing tackle from a normal type to a fairy type.

I've read that it can be done with the g3t tools but they are not available at the moment and was wondering if it can be changed using hex in the attack table and if so, any idea of where the table starts.

Thank you.

Hmm...it definitely depends on what ROM you are using. So, what ROM are you using?

 

[tdit]

...ehm ......i dont have 250C04....

 

[Giniselono]

Okay, so I followed all the steps correctly. I replaced Pound's effect with 214 (Hammer Arm), but the game freezes before showing the message that says <Pokemon> used POUND! The music still plays, but nothing else happens and I can't click any buttons. Is anyone else having this problem?

 

[DaisukE]

Good tutorial.....can a a-tack work?

 

[kearnseyboy6]

V CREATE:

00 01 5E 69 1D 08 00 00 02 03 04 05 06 07 09 0A 0E 5C 00 3A 0B 00 0C 00 0D 12 40 00 0F 12 40 00 2E 85 3E 02 02 D7 15 2E 85 3E 02 02 D8 15 2E 85 3E 02 02 DA 15 28 47 69 1D 08

 

[Ayonn-]

0x00250C04 can't be find in my rom ....What should I do ??

 

[Spherical Ice]

In HxD, do Ctrl + G and enter only 250C04 to get to that location.

 

[Ayonn-]

In HxD, do Ctrl + G and enter only 250C04 to get to that location.

I know but when I do it , HxD doesn't find this line and shows me another line....

 

[ShyRayq]

I know but when I do it , HxD doesn't find this line and shows me another line....

Did you tick the "from beginning" box? You probably kept it on the "From here" or something.

 

[Ayonn-]

Did you tick the "from beginning" box? You probably kept it on the "From here" or something.

Yeah I checked it...When I do research, HxD goes to a line near to the 250C04 line like 250C06 but he can't find 250C04.....

 

[ShyRayq]

Yeah I checked it...When I do research, HxD goes to a line near to the 250C04 line like 250C06 but he can't find 250C04.....

..Then I don't see the problem. As long as the data you see in the picture is the same as the data you see in your rom, then there's nothing wrong.