When you hack, what do you do first?

[gkenzx]

So for complete noobies like me, what would you guys recommend I start with after I make a story?

Maybe making a title screen

 

[Resultz]

get everything Bar Maps and scripts done in no particular order, then do Maps and scropts last

 

[Nosophoros]

Overworlds, sprites, maps, scripts. Then the titlescreen and text boxes.

 

[shadowslotter]

I usually import sprites and make trainers first. Hbu? (How About You?)

Yeah Thats What I start Doin.

 

[Awesome]

I start out with an idea, then I'll create a more in-depth storyline for it, which includes Gym Leaders, Elite 4, evil team, rival battles, etc. After, I'll start spriting, then inserting those into the ROM, and edit anything else (like Fakemon stats, etc.). Then I'd develop a rough region map, then add more detail when I actually map everything (which includes inserting new tiles). Then I'll script. Last but not least, I'd do other menial stuff like title screen, copyright info, random trainers, etc.

And after every step (and during each step), I continuously back-up my ROM (on the computer and usually also on a USB/Flash drive) so my hard work isn't lost. =P

 

[Chimchar 9]

My order:
1. Story.
2. Insert tiles.
3. Insert Ow's.
4. Map untill each gym then script... and so on.
5. Finishing/ fixing bugs.
6. Release beta.

 

[DuoRyan]

world map
storyline
character
event
script
graphic
other

 

[Spiky-Eared Pichu]

The first things I change are graphics and maps. But I have also changed music sometimes.

 

[mikocoon]

if me i will make main characters sprite and decide what pokemon should i put on that game.because im not good at scripting,i leave it to last

 

[Faline]

Of course, Mapping is always the first with me followed with a little bit polishing with some graphics then script. :]

 

[saifors]

I always begin with changing the OW's of characters then some mapping and those stuff

 

[professional]

well i start to map and then script events on the map that i finish

 

[Kevin]

You should draw your maps on paper first, then implement them in your ROM.

 

[Chad -]

You should draw your maps on paper first, then implement them in your ROM.

This.

And I write what I want and how to script on paper, too. At the same time, I start thinking of a storyline.

Chad -

 

[Epicness]

Well, I do what Wichu does, but...I'm still working on scripting. I can't hack the TS without glitching it some way, and I suck at Tile inserting (I get it in, but I recolor it all wrong >.>)

 

[Alice]

This.

And I write what I want and how to script on paper, too. At the same time, I start thinking of a storyline.

Chad -

I disagree. Every time I try to plan something out in advance, it always ends up bad. The more I improvise, the better it turns out. Period. It's that way every time.

 

[hitsu.]

I think of a basic storyline.

I load my ROM.

Then I improvise along the way. I often change my mind, so I don't plan in the long run.

 

[Chaos Rush]

1. Make tiles. LOTS OF TILES. That way when I insert some, I won't have to make more for a long time.
2. Insert some of the tiles for the required area. Usually I backup my rom, and then insert all the tiles on the backup. Because everytime you insert more tiles into a tileset, it repoints to precious free space (which is lacking in Pokemon Emerald). So once I'm 100% I've inserted all the tiles I need on the backup, then I just export the palettes and tiles, and then import them, but this time on the original rom. And then voila! All the necessary tiles are inserted, but a lot less free space has been used.
3. Map. Yay...
4. Script. Then play.

Usually I do step 2 & 3 at the same time. Because I'm hacking Emerald, I do it in a way to save as much space as possible. For instance, in my current hack, here's what Pewter City looks like:

If I insert the rest of the tiles, and decide to move on with the hack using that rom, it would just waste more and more space every time I add a new tile in the tileset (If you turn off automatic repointing in AdvanceMap, it requires you to waste at least 4000 bytes everytime you import a tileset that's bigger than the previous one). That screenshot is on a backup rom, on the real rom, none of the tiles have been inserted yet, and that's how I save space. Once all the tiles have been inserted on the backup, insert them on the original, and voila, by doing that you only waste about 4000 bytes of space instead of 99999999 bytes of space.

 

[King Koopa]

I make sprites then come up with a story for them :)

 

[JirachiFan99]

I'd start with YAPE before anything, its kinda hard to import sprites if you dont know what sprite you're importing