[Other] NOOBS NEEDED: The Read This First Feedback & Update Thread

[Deokishisu]

EDIT: The first bigish pass has been done on the post. Among the additions were a Table of Contents with anchors to quickly skip to a specific section, fixing typos, updating tool and thread links, reworking the "Choosing your Pokemon... ROM" section to not discourage Emerald, and the addition of a small directory of tools/tutorials/resources to the very bottom to be expanded upon at a later date. I am up for suggestions to add to that directory as well. I don't really need tutorials for most things anymore, so some recommendations would be appreciated. There's still more changes that I'd like to merge into the post, but this is fine for tonight.

THIS IS A LINK TO THE POST I'M TALKING ABOUT.

If you don't know, the Read This First post was intended to be a starting point for the absolute beginner to ROMHacking. Its goal was to answer a lot of the questions that beginning hackers tend to have, as well as lay out an easy to understand groundwork for getting started with the de facto mandatory tools and techniques. It was to include a section with links to some of the best tutorials in our community, links to important tools (which will probably be impossible to keep up to date), as well a mini-dictionary of ROMHacking terms and concepts.

FOR THE NOOBS: I require your assistance. The planned dictionary/glossary section of the post is a mess. I'd like to focus on the ROMHacking terms that our newest members felt were the weirdest or most difficult to figure out from context. If you're new and have seen a term thrown around and don't know what it means, post it here and I'll add it to the list and give it priority. If you had difficulty with a term, post it here as well. If you're an older hacker but remember being confused over some of the lingo we use, post what you remember being confused about.

If you could also give general feedback on the post itself. What was most helpful/least helpful, what's still confusing for you, etc., that would be very, very helpful for me. I've been doing this hobby for eleven years, and I have a hard time putting myself into the shoes of someone new to the scene. Help me do that.

FOR THE VETERAN HACKERS: Tell me I'm stupid/out-of-date/ignorant about things so that I can shore up specific weaknesses with the post. It's been a little more than 2 years since the original incarnation of the post, and a lot has changed for us. Once the post is moved/I can edit it, I'll be doing a big general update and will refine it based on feedback from there. We're all friends here and you all know me, so don't mince words; it's no big deal. Also, if you want to define a few terms for me in each of your posts, it would make generating the glossary easier on me. One or two ROMHacking-related terms at the end of your posts would be much appreciated. Crowd-sourcing for the win?

HERE IS ANOTHER LINK TO THE POST I'M TALKING ABOUT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO SCROLL UP.

 

[Christos]

There's no way to edit the post if the thread is closed so I went ahead and opened the thread. If anyone posts there I'll just move the post over to this thread. Good luck with this!

 

[Deokishisu]

There's no way to edit the post if the thread is closed so I went ahead and opened the thread. If anyone posts there I'll just move the post over to this thread. Good luck with this!

Thank you! Hopefully people actually give me some feedback this time.

EDIT: Just realized that the first post of the Getting Started Thread is out of date, Christos. Mana is linking to closed threads.

 

[BluRose]

Thank you! Hopefully people actually give me some feedback this time.

EDIT: Just realized that the first post of the Getting Started Thread is out of date, Christos. Mana is linking to closed threads.

would almost ask that you say how to make amap fully compatible with emerald, i.e. change the free space search offset to begin at actual free space
not sure how to do this honestly but i know it's a thing

 

[Deokishisu]

would almost ask that you say how to make amap fully compatible with emerald, i.e. change the free space search offset to begin at actual free space
not sure how to do this honestly but i know it's a thing

Yikes. I've had that for so long now that I forgot it has to be done. Maybe I'll just include a link to an edited ini after the A-Map download and instruct them in how to use that instead. Or package up an A-Map download myself with those changes already applied for them.

 

[Christos]

Thank you! Hopefully people actually give me some feedback this time.

EDIT: Just realized that the first post of the Getting Started Thread is out of date, Christos. Mana is linking to closed threads.

I can close and unsticky the current one and replace it with a brand new one if you want to make one.

 

[Proygon]

Most helpful = Choosing your first Pokémon... ROM
Least helpful = Please Note: This document refers to hacking the main series GBA games only. I have no knowledge of the Gameboy or Gameboy Color games in the Pokémon series (which are also hackable). Therefore, if you're looking to hack Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, or Crystal, you'll have to look elsewhere. Likewise, the DS and 3DS Pokémon games are still not widely understood, so I will not be covering them either. If you're looking to hack Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, Heartgold, Soulsilver, Black, White, Black2, White2, X, Y, Omega Ruby, or Alpha Sapphire, I'm sorry but I can't help you.

You should mention rom bases in your article because they only work on clean roms. If someone spent many years trying to make a game and finally succeeding with no knowledge of rom bases there could be the possibility of a disappointed hacker and pokecommunity unless the hacker implemented mechanics post third gen. I am talking about MrDollSteaks Decap and Attack Rombase 1.5a.

I think Fire Red is the most beginner friendly because of the XSE scripting tutorial by diego is awesome.

R/S/E starts off with less control by the player (the truck field script) you can delete this script remap the truck and add or move warps around which wastes time compared to fire red. Fire red starts off with the player in control of the protagonist which means more creative stuff for the hacker to add at the beginning of the game. R/S/E story restricts the hacker's vision unless he or she wanted to have the player warp from location to another at the beginning of the game. Modifying a field script is not very beginner friendly.