Gold hack: Pokemon Gold Beta Map Restoration Project.

[glitchhunter09]

READ THIS WHOLE POST OTHERWISE YOU WON'T KNOW EVERYTHING I'M DOING FOR THIS HACK! IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO BECAUSE IT WILL ENSURE THAT I WON"T GET MAD AT YOU FOR MAKING RUDE COMMENTS! ALSO FROM NOW ON IN THIS THREAD YOU MUST STATE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS WHOLE POST AND WATCHED THE YOUTUBE VIDEOS AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR POST. THIS WILL LET ME RULE OUT WHO HAS READ THIS ANNOYINGLY LONG POST AND WHO HASN'T I'M NOT TRYING TO FLAME ANYONE. JUST TYPING IN CAPS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE READ THIS WHOLE FIRST POST LIKE THEY SHOULD. I IN NO WAY INTEND ON ATTACKING ANYONE WITH THIS ALL CAPS MESSAGE. ALL I WANT YOU TO DO IS NOTICE THIS POST AND NOT JUST LOOK AT THE "PRETTY PICTURES". WHAT ARE YOU, FIVE YEARS OLD OR SOMETHING? GEEZ! JUST READ THIS POST. OKAY? IF YOU PLAN ON CRITICIZING MY HACK YOU MUST DO SO POLITELY LIKE THIS:


"No offense Mr. Glitch, but your hack is missing elements." or something like this. You also have to have a reason for criticizing my hack. "Your hack sucks" is not acceptible and is also really generic and it makes you look really dumb when you do that. So don't do that. Okay? I'm done here now. you don't nesscessarily have to address me as "Mr. Glitch" that was just a example. anyways. I'm not trying to back seat mod so forgive me if I sound like it. I'm just trying to keep my thread under control so nothing bad happens to it because It took me 2 plus hours to make this thread.





This is a Pokemon Gold Hack. Due to the annoyingly large number of FireRed hacks I thought I'd be a little different. No offense to all of you FireRed hackers but my VBA just won't process the battery files of FireRed and LeafGreen correctly even if I change the settings so I can't play your hacks. Also if I do get the battery files to work they end up stop working when I close VBA. Even if the setting stayed the same.


Introduction: Glitchhunter09 here to give you a heads up on what's coming up from my hack production line. I got this idea for this hack after going to a certain other Pokemon forum inferior to this one. For some reason a moderator opened up a GSC beta thread. Now I don't know if all the rules still apply to moderators of or Admins but if they do then this guy got away with murder because that forum didn't allow discussion of ROMs and he was discussing them. Well anyways when I asked for his goldmap .map files I got in trouble for saying the word rom. The other people in that thread didn't get in trouble for mentioning the word rom but I did. It angered me so much that I blew that popsicle stand as well as another pokemon forum. (both of whom's names will never be mentioned due to my dislike for them both and the forum rules in effect here)

That was nearly two weeks or more ago. I got the beta map hack idea from that thread. It took me nearly two months to get to where I am now. My major slow down was that I had a lack of knowledge and ended downloading the crapiest version of Goldmap: 1.4. Two weeks ago I came across 1.5 and 1.6. I downloaded both and used them together. This hack is nearly 30% complete as of two days ago. I've reached a dead end because I don't know how to edit the files in Goldmap so that more maps are displayed in the program. Anyways with all that stupid garbage I was talking about behind me I will discuss the details of my hack with you (the reader) so pay careful attention to what I have done here. As you may have already heard this hack is an attempt to restore beta maps and some other beta objects to the game. I in no way claim to be the discoverer of these fine beta maps. The people responsible are good with hex programming which I am not skilled at. Some beta map designs in this hack have been slightly changed to fit the surroundings (i.e. Route, cave and building entrances and exits as well as additional building were added to some beta maps as well to keep from having unused warps. Don't worry though these buildings won't hurt the layouts that much. I made sure I was careful doing that.



Story: The storyline is exactly the same as Pokemon Gold. The player starts off in New Bark Town. The player's name is Gold. He decides to become a Pokemon trainer so he goes to Professor Elm to get one of three starter Pokemon. Before he enters he notices a shady looking kid staring into Professor Elm's Lab's window. When asked what he is doing he shoves you and says to scram. The player goes inside and Elm asks him to run an Errand using the Pokemon he just gave Gold. Gold runs the Errand and meets up with the famous Professor Oak. Oak gives Gold a Pokedex, an electronic Pokemon Encyclopedia.
On the way back to Professor Elm's Lab, Gold gets an urgent call from Professor Elm who tells him to get to the lab quickly. Gold gets to the entrance to Route 29 only to have the way Barred by the Shady kid who was staring into the Lab earlier. The kid fights Gold. After the battle he tells Gold his name and walks off. When Gold gets back to the lab he finds a police officer asking questions to Professor Elm. Elm notices Gold and explains that a Pokemon was stoten by a kid with red hair. Gold says he fought a kid like that. The officer then asks if he can give the theif's name. Gold does and Professor Elm is shocked when he finds out the item he sent Gold after was a Pokemon Egg. Professor Elm takes the Egg for research. Gold then sets out on his Pokemon journey to catch every Pokemon and defeat the Pokemon League to become the ultimate Pokemon Master.


Features: The Feature of this hack include:
-Slightly different layouts for various maps in the game based off of the beta maps found within the internal data.
-possible additions of beta objects as well Including the Legendary beta Skateboard (need beta screenshots from someone to make this happen of course.)
-Strange and unusual in game trades and weird Item locations.
-Regular access to the Safari Zone Beta Map. (Warps implemented and map may be expanded upon. No wild Pokemon data implemented yet, sadly)
-The return of Cinnibar Island map layout from Red and Blue (Note: This was unintentional But Blue appears on top of the lab. You can talk to him as he is standing on the top right-hand corner of the lab's roof. It is quite funny and I might keep it for humor purposes. His text will probably have to be changed though. All building warps except for the Pokemon Center aren't implemented yet.)
-A new gym leader and gym located in the Lake of Rage Beta Town (Not implemented yet)
-Anything else that belonged to the beta version can go in here but I need your help to make this happen so donate anything you can to me. Goldmap beta map .map files (Preferably of ones not available normally with any version of gold map.) , Beta screenshots, hacking team member recruitment, new sprites, etc. Your help would be greatly appreciated in any way you possibly can.


Screenshots:

Indigo Plateau gets a downgrade and new look.

Welcome to Lake of Rage Town. Home to Only the Hidden power guy currently but has trainers from the Lake in it so watch out for fighting townsfolk.

Ah the famous Olivine Beta house. Notice the lady mentions a Pharmacist in Ecruteak. Maybe I should redirect the pharmacy warp to Ecruteak but I don't want to screw around with the warps and other objects and end up corrupting people data like I did in Saffron. (I have to add everything back in manually. Ouch!)

Beta Sprout Tower outdoors. While in Violet City if you see Earl Don't say yes to him unless you want to see something strange happen in the "Follow me" sequence




Videos: YouTube video made by me. They are in order from oldest to newest.

 

[エロカメ]

Very impressive! Love the fact that it's a gold hack ;>

PS. first ;]

 

[Thrace]

You're kidding right? How exactly is this impressive?

Maybe you should try to make this hack original instead of using things that Nintendo has made.

 

[エロカメ]

What? The maps are impressive, don't you like them?

 

[Alistair]

Yeah, if all your changing is the maps, than you really need to rethink why you are making this hack. Many of the beta maps indicate that the original story is different, so altering that the way you see fit would be a good idea. The tiles could use an edit, too, considering the original ones were completely different (If I can still find it, I might have Coolboyman's extended Gold tileset patch).
By the way, I had a project like this a while ago. This is exactly why I stopped.

 

[Chrona]

I like it, but a few original maps would be fun too

By all beta maps, I hope you`re also including the Safari Zone =p

 

[Hiche..]

Your only mapping/editing the game?
Even if the maps are changed, the game will stay as it is. Unless you change the scripts, some others too, this hack will be considered only an edit.
But that's just me.
Good luck.

 

[Hat?]

I think this is a good idea, I just hope you stick at it! Good luck!

 

[glitchhunter09]

Hello. Some of you act like you haven't even watched the YouTube videos I made and The descriptions. You people and your Eye candy. READ THE DESCRIPTION AND WATCH THE YOTUBE VIDEOS BEFORE STATING YOUR CLAIMS WITH ME!

I'm going to quote the dopes who didn't read the whole post and/or watch the Youtube videos.


"You're kidding right? How exactly is this impressive?

Maybe you should try to make this hack original instead of using things that Nintendo has made"

Do you want to take it up with Sonic Hackers? They do this kind of stuff with the Sonic the hedgehog prototypes that have been discovered and dumped already. This is their kind of rom hacking. Restoring lost maps and features from the prototypes to the final version of the game. If you said this kind of thing in a Sonic Hacking forum you would most likely be labeled as a noob and banned instantaneously for it. So before you start something I suggest you think about what you're saying instead. Okay? Good! I'm not trying to be rude but you need to learn that Some people want to do their own thing.

"Yeah, if all your changing is the maps, than you really need to rethink why you are making this hack. Many of the beta maps indicate that the original story is different, so altering that the way you see fit would be a good idea. The tiles could use an edit, too, considering the original ones were completely different (If I can still find it, I might have Coolboyman's extended Gold tileset patch).
By the way, I had a project like this a while ago. This is exactly why I stopped."


I have been making the maps different so they fit with the Storyline. Did you even bother to read the description Or watch the youtube. That patch would be greatly appreciated for my project. I'm also going to go a seprate way with this hack eventually. I'm just doing what I'm capable of. I don't have hex editing expertise so any people who want to jump in and help finish this hack are welcome to. Rude comments will not be tolerated though. Your's wasn't rude but I'm telling those other people that think this hack is dumb.


" I'm not so sure about this project. I kind of like the idea but I really don't know...
Also the building in your first screenshot is odd..."

It is supposed to be because I looked off of the beta map for route 23/Indigo Plateau.



"I like it, but a few original maps would be fun too

By all beta maps, I hope you`re also including the Safari Zone =p"

Currently my hack has been put on hold. I actually do plan on leaving some of the original maps. Lake of Rage isn't changed much at all except for some people layout changes and the addition of buildings including a gym.
I already put in the Safari Zone in as accessible. It was one of the very first maps I put in. Click the first YouTube link to see it as well as cinnibar Island. BTW almost all of the Kanto maps will stay the same. I might make the addition of an actual Viridian Forest eventually though and get rid of that crappy cheap GSC knock off of Viridian Forest.


" Your only mapping/editing the game?
Even if the maps are changed, the game will stay as it is. Unless you change the scripts, some others too, this hack will be considered only an edit.
But that's just me.
Good luck."

Not exactly. I would have to hack it in order for Some of the new beta maps to have places to go. Otherwise they are just there for show. Cinnabar Lab Actually has some map data present in it. This was one of the reasons why I put Cinnabar Island back to the way it was. Of course I' m not sure if you watched the Youtube videos or not but you should.



Now that that is out of the way I'm going to be busy with things like expanding the Safari Zone Beta map and creating an actual separate map for Viridian Forest using one of the MT. Silver Beta Maps as a base and looking at old Red and Blue beta maps for a base. Quite frankly the current GSC Viridian Forest is a pathetic Maze of trees and has been pathetically downsized.

Wish me luck. And read the whole opening post from now on, for crying out loud!

 

[Stalin Malone]

Great thread. I hope this goes somewhere. Got any other plans you haven't mentioned yet for this?

 

[glitchhunter09]

Well I just recnently wanted add some unused text and events they go with to the game. However, I can't do that myself due to problems such as Lack of hex editing knowledge, No Goldmap Wild Pokemon data editor, Safforon City (I screwed it up now the event have to be replaced manually.

I couldn't select rebuild events for the changing Beta Mount Silver Map to Viridian Forest. Sadly I need to put my hack on hold until I find more people willing to help with this project. If I don't it may never be finished. I might release a beta download soon. I have a beta already released but I can't tell you where to download it because it isn't in .PAT format. It is in . RAR format. Don't ask how to get it either because I won't tell. I'm going have to ask someone else to patch this game because everytime i patch a game it ends being a dud patch and not working or the Download link goes to and almost blank webpage that has the Text "PATCHEOF" on it. Similar to the kind of page when you type https://www.Something.com
That link is there just to show you what hte page looks like. The message on that page is quite hilarious or at least last time I checked anyways.

Edit: Yeah the Word "something" is still there. This is only relevant to the conversation because it some times does that When I post download links for patches. Other times the patches just simply don't work.

Also expanding the Safari Zone was a lot tougher than I thought. all the collision is screwed up now. Luckily it was only on my back up copy of my rom. I used it for testing out the newly expanded map . Now When I should collide with some things I walk on top of them instead. Also I get pushed back and forth haphazardly by messed up collision data. Of course it seems it might have to do with those tiles I edited. I get pushed back similar to when you try to enter a building with no warp that has been edited in goldmap.


Edit2: I may have misinterpreted which people who I quoted were dopes. Only one of the people is an actual dope and he should know well who he is because I made very clear that he wouldn't last in a Sonic Hacking Forum if he criticized Prototype material being restored to the final version of the game's rom. I only referred to everyone else as a dope because they didn't read the first post the whole way.

I could have called them worse. Just because I called them dopes doesn't necessarily mean they are stupid. I guess the word I was I should have used would have been "Ignorant" Which contrary to common belief is actually acceptable. The actual meaning of the word "Ignorant" means lack of knowledge, uninformed, or simply you just don't know. Well I hope that clears some things up with previous posters who I may have ticked of or made them cry. My apologies to all of them except for that one person afore mentioned. I can't apologize to him until he apologizes to me. Simple as that.

 

[poddish]

I like it.

I think that it is a original idea for pokemon hacking, because most of the time hacks are similar to this, they just put glitches from the first gen BACK into the hack of a newer version. (note I like how people do that, as long as they either add more content, or don't
hack fire red/ leaf green)

 

[glitchhunter09]

Thanks I apologize for my other posts being so long. Yeah I'm actually not trying to make bad glitches happen because it is just a hack to restore beta maps and possibly some other beta objects as well later on, providing I can find some hacking team recruits that is.

 

[GKS]

So you are adding new maps, and changing the items around...

I did watch two of your youtube videos.

Just to tell you something, don't think I being mean or anything, but without scripting and making new events you are just making the new games with different maps, how fun could that be? No new tiles, no new story, no new scripts. Just a couple additions to what they already had. I suggest you get yourself to the tutorial section and learn how to script. When I started doing my hack, I didn't know how to script either, later I noticed it is required to make a good hack, and I went over to the tutorials section and learned it. I doubt you will have a decent hack by only changing a couple things, but I could be wrong. I'm just suggesting, since I have some experience, well good luck.

 

[glitchhunter09]

Thanks. Well I'm searching for more beta material and what not. Trying to get a hold of some people to see if they have what I need for this hack. I plan on finishing this hack but for some of the things I'm going to need help from other people so if you could donate any services to me they would be greatly appreciated and I'll be sure to credit you in the read me file that comes with the patch. Like I mentioned earlier I need more .map files of beta maps.

As for beta tile sets, I refuse to use them due to glitchy tiles.


I'm going to post some screens of Goldmap 1.5 beta maps and why I refuse to use the lost prototype tiles.

What are those weird objects that are blue. They look like stone carvings or something. Perhaps there is more data than just pokemon game data present in the coding of GSC. What I'm saying is:

Prototypes are generally put on flash Cartridges. Flash carts are usually reused for many different games. Flash carts are sometimes known to have some data that has yet to be written over by the programmers so that data stays in the game along with the data of the current game.

For example. When the Sonic 2 beta cart was dumped, there were two strange unused sprites. Often people are often called noobs for thinking these two sprites were from sonic 2 beta. Come to find out it was data on the cartridge that was leftover from a prototype of Capcom's Chiki-Chiki Boys. Another Prototype cart with leftover from another game's prototype is Sonic Crackers (which as stupid as it is is the prototype's actual name on the title screen.) The rom header says Sonic Studium (not stadium) though. This is actually an early alpha of Knuckles Chaotix for the Sega Genesis 32x. There are unknown Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Prototype sprites present in the 2MB dump of Crackers.
Assuming this is leftover data that wasn't taken out even during the final release. It makes me ponder what game these are actually from.
If you haven't caught on already I'm referring to the weird blue objects in the bottom of the Tile set. They have faces on them. They are too big to be pokemon sprites but one of the heads looks like a mewtwo with its eyes closed but I don't think it is due the the wolf head next to it and the strange looking head that looks like a guy with a beard. These and other prototype tiles came with Goldmap 1.5.

Unlike sonic protos Pokemon and Mario protos are less likely to leak unless it is an inside job. (i.e. Corrupt Nintendo Employee for instance.) As a result this leftover stuff is all we have of the prototypes.

Let's look at the next one:

Hmmmm..... the same Safari Zone/National Park tileset as in the final. However this one is obviously from an Alpha build as it matches the color scheme of Alpha screens perfectly. Oh and that one thing isolated from everything else looks like a RBY Victory Road button. It could be something else though.

Next screen:

This is the Ecruteak/Blackthorn/Violet city beta tile set. The tower tiles came out okay but not some of the other tiles on some of the other beta maps. In fact the prototype maps become so garbled up when imported in place of a regular map because the Tile sets no longer match up properly.
Here is a screenshot of the beta vilet city taken from Goldmap 1.5:

The design of the tower nearly matches this early Alpha build screenshot:

This bothers me. The towers in the final just look like a whole bunch of houses in Ecruteak were stacked on top of one another. The prototype tiles for the towers are much better than the ones in the final.

That's all the prototype tiles I'm going to talk about right now. I'm going to experiment with tiles in Goldmap 1.5 to see if I can import the Beta towers to the maps of the final.

 

[Melash]

Well, this hack looks pretty good. Although, I'm not sure if this is going to be too good, not to be rude. However, if you can figure out how to add the Safari Zone scripts and other stuff like that, this could come out really good. But you did say you didn't have much experience with hex, so I don't know...

Anyway, good luck!

 

[Stalin Malone]

They were planning on putting in honey trees since second generation so..

 

[Mitchman]

Wait is this gold with maps changed and some areas added? If so then this really snt considered a hack. I saw the vids and read the post but i really dont think this could be considered a hack. Oh in the cinibar vid-the first one-you mention you cant hex edit. Does that still apply? Cause if so then well you wont go far. No one will come in to the thread and say gee ill spend my time working on the main part of someones hack instead of making my own!

 

[GSanky]

I'm going to post some screens of Goldmap 1.5 beta maps and why I refuse to use the lost prototype tiles.

What are those weird objects that are blue. They look like stone carvings or something. Perhaps there is more data than just pokemon game data present in the coding of GSC. What I'm saying is:

Prototypes are generally put on flash Cartridges. Flash carts are usually reused for many different games. Flash carts are sometimes known to have some data that has yet to be written over by the programmers so that data stays in the game along with the data of the current game.

For example. When the Sonic 2 beta cart was dumped, there were two strange unused sprites. Often people are often called noobs for thinking these two sprites were from sonic 2 beta. Come to find out it was data on the cartridge that was leftover from a prototype of Capcom's Chiki-Chiki Boys. Another Prototype cart with leftover from another game's prototype is Sonic Crackers (which as stupid as it is is the prototype's actual name on the title screen.) The rom header says Sonic Studium (not stadium) though. This is actually an early alpha of Knuckles Chaotix for the Sega Genesis 32x. There are unknown Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Prototype sprites present in the 2MB dump of Crackers.
Assuming this is leftover data that wasn't taken out even during the final release. It makes me ponder what game these are actually from.
If you haven't caught on already I'm referring to the weird blue objects in the bottom of the Tile set. They have faces on them. They are too big to be pokemon sprites but one of the heads looks like a mewtwo with its eyes closed but I don't think it is due the the wolf head next to it and the strange looking head that looks like a guy with a beard. These and other prototype tiles came with Goldmap 1.5.

The blue snake tiles are from Crystal, they are all used in Blackthorn city's cave.
And, about S2 beta, I know what you are talking about. But this is GAME BOY, not GENESIS. It's not the same. The data is stored pretty much differently. And there is everything overwritted. So, no, your theory is wrong.

 

[glitchhunter09]

Oh sorry about that. Those objects looked really strange though. Ihardly play crystal anymore so my apologies/


~link smash~'s quote:

"Wait is this gold with maps changed and some areas added? If so then this really snt considered a hack. I saw the vids and read the post but i really dont think this could be considered a hack. Oh in the cinibar vid-the first one-you mention you cant hex edit. Does that still apply? Cause if so then well you wont go far. No one will come in to the thread and say gee ill spend my time working on the main part of someones hack instead of making my own!"


Oh really then I guess back in the old days that means that when all we could do were pallete and sprite hacks it wasn't considered hacking now was it? Judging by the way you are talking you're saying searching for offsets that are for maps not normally used by a map editor isn't hacking? I also think you are one of those people who has never used a single hacking tool in his life and relies on hex coding for everything. Yo udon't know that editing offsets exist in a tool. I don't enjoy hex editing because I would like to see visually what I'm editing before I edit it. I don't feel to safe doing that otherwise. Trial and error slows down the process. It doesn't speed it up. Recently though I planned On learning hex but only after I fully hacked the visual aspects of my hack first. My motto is "Get the stuff you know out of the way first. After that figure out how to do the stuff you don't know.

It would be great to have a skilled programmer work with me on hex and/or scripting side by side but i guess that will never happen seeing as I can't get anyone to cooperate with me. I don't plan on having that person do everything anyways. Just getting the hard stuff out of the way. Unfortunately m major slow down has been that no one has donated any new beta material to me yet. As a result I may have to postpone the hack.


If anyone wants to lift a finger and get beta stuff for me (i.e. map files, Prototype screenshots and/or prototype videos. Any of those thing are urgently needed) I'm not looking for the four early Alpha screenshots that are seen most often. I'm talking about any other prototype screenshots. (Most notably the beta Skateboard screenshot. These and the scrapped prototype objects and text are all we have of the prototypes.


Don't ever think that someone will ever steal and dump a GSC rom. Nintendo has been known to hold onto stuff forever and lie to the public about some things. Trust me on this NOA is especially notorious for this. They have become so money hungry now that they no longer care as much as they used to for their customers. They were just as noble to their customers as SEGA was to theirs during the 90's. Now it appears some new hot shot is pulling the strings at NOA rather than the same caring person who ran NOA back in the 90's. If it is the same guy I would really want to know why he changed so much. It actually saddens be that such a good company would be ruduced to distrust to its customers. What's the world coming to these days? Now all everyone cares about is money. It makes me wonder how many years away it will be until the next console manufacter loses all of its money and is downgraded to third party or nonexistant. Sorry for going off topic but I'm basicallly saying that since NOJ has such a tight lock on protos the only way to obtain one would be to buy one from NOJ or Gamefreak. That could cost millions of dollars/yen to buy just one pokemon prototype. The only reasons why SEGA has prototype leaks is because they are careless, they now are a third party company, and at least one prototype was stolten from a game show (Not contest Game Show, Game show as in a convention similar to a Car show.) in new York. It was then dumped and spread throughout the internet and eventually reached the Sonic Hacking Community in 1998. Don't expect a theif to steal a protoype cartridge from a facility like NOJ without running into some high standard security systems.

Anyways back on to topic: For all those newbies using Goldmap (any version.) Don't ever edit the tiles it screws up the collision data and can most likely make you walk out of the boundaries and send you to the glitch dimension. (Aka see Ho-Oh fly in full color on the title screen glitch.)

I'm experimenting with tiles and stuff using Golmap 1.5 to restore the beta tiles. (Which will probably be quite glitchy.)

Oh and ~link smash~ sorry for going off on you but you sounded really sarcastic which is not allowed by forum rules. I'm not trying to back seat mod just warning you to watch how you say stuff because people may take it the wrong way and get you into trouble.