What tools to start with?

[zenmode]

Hello Everyone,

After years of fantasising about it, I finaly decided to give ROM Hacking a go. After looking around a bit I realize that there is TONS of material to work with, much bigger community then I expected. However, there appears to a few different work flows. Some not supported anymore and a few looks very alive. Before I start pouring hours into this I just wanted to ask what people generally prefer to work with.

Under Windows I found the biggest tool(and most updated) to be PGE. In which you insert scripts to modify the game as you wish. But after looking around some more I found a github page (not sure what the rules are about linking so I won't) that has the source code for fire red that you can compile under Linux.

I downloaded and compile that and it worked as a charm. The git server looks very much alive so I would like to know if thats a good way of starting?

I tried modify starter pokemons in the special_fields.c and function sStarterSpecies it could compile but nothing changed, probably need to change more stuff, but anyway it feels better to work with source code then outdated script programs. But maybe I'm completly off.

Thanks,
Zen

 

[megatyler30]

Hi Zen,

I'm still very new at this too but I thought I'd share what I've learned so far.

There are two different approaches nowadays to romhacking: modifying a rom file and modifying decompiled code. The first approach is the "traditional" approach and PGE falls under that. The github you found it for the decompilation of the game and while it is active, that's somewhat unrelated to rom hacking as they are changing the (base) decompiled code itself.

Tools for the rom file editing are more common such as the old Advance series. The only GUI-based tools I know of for decompilation-based hacking are porymap and poryscript.

The hot thing right now is the Complete Firered Upgrade (CFRU) which Radical Red and Unbound use. Some of the tools have been ported/adapted to pokeemerald.

I think the question for you to decide on where to start is what kind of hack do you want to do and what experience do you have? If you want more customization then perhaps decompilation is the way to go. If you have not much programming experience and/or want to take advantage of CFRU and countless tools, then perhaps rom editting will be best for you.

Tyler

 

[Gavoca]

advance map and xse (eXtreme script editor) use them they are pretty easy to use also to know them better watch some tutorials

 

[megatyler30]

If you decide on rom editing, these tutorials are great: https://www.pokecommunity.com/threads/369646