FE: Awakening ROM decrypted and extracted

[Doraemon]

I just tested it and it froze when Chrom helps Robin wake up in the beginning of chapter 1. Also there is no video where you can see Chrom and Lissa as Avatar's perspective. This is as far as I can describe without my phone and as a terrible terrible English speaker. Oh most importantly Chrom is wearing weird red armor.

[dreamers]

Sorry, final revision for today. Here's version 3 of the test file: Download

...And 1.1 of the Character Editor: Download

Added basic support for weapon ranks and skills. Note that some skills were just guessed and at least one is wrong (Olivia's Dance should be Luck +4).

To add to the above, I believe I used this tutorial to decrypt the ROM.

EDIT:

You need the Nightmare program to use the modules. First decompress static.bin.lz in the /data/person directory (strip the first 4 bytes, then throw the file into Batch-LZ77 or Dsdecmp4).

Next, open the decompressed static.bin as the "ROM" in Nightmare and CharacterEditor.nmm as the "module".

After making your changes, use Dsdecmp4 to recompress the file, then add the initial 4 bytes back on.

Note that you shouldn't make the new file bigger than the old file--so no more than 12,996 bytes (if this happens, use similar numbers for stats, like all 7s for HP, STR, MAG, SKL, etc.) until the file size decreases.

keeping it below 12,996 bytes is going to be hard.

also i was able to make a CIA out of your 2nd hack but the third revision does not work at all.

[VincentASM]

Thanks for testing!

Hmm, maybe I should try less edits so there's less chance of crashing.

BTW, can you tell me how long it takes to modify the ROM using my file, then running it on your 3DS? I'm interested to know the timescale of things.

EDIT

Oh yeah, I forgot: if you use Dsdecmp, it should compact the file a bit closer to 12,996 bytes compared to Batch-LZ77.

If anyone has time, here's another test file, one that's a bit less modified: Test 4

I've refrained from editing initial classes, since that's a likely cause for the prologue crashing.

Changes:

• First few characters not Avatar have 30s for stat additions.
• Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Sully and Virion have edited skills and reclass sets.
• Chrom and Lissa can reach a S support.

If this file doesn't work, I'm not sure what I shouldn't change XD

Edited December 2, 2014 by VincentASM

[dreamers]

I am using a program called 3ds Lazy 1.2 to make my CIA. it has a make 3ds rom option it builds but doesn't let me run it on the gateway card so i have to make a CIA. and basically if the CIA doesn't save it means there was something wrong with the edit. i ahve the xors saved on my SD card so i don't have to generate them everytime i want to decrypt and try. but it usually takes 3-5 minutes to decrypt if i close the program and then 3-5 minutes to make the CIA.

Installing the CIA takes about 15 minutes.

and i am installing and playing it on my 3ds.

[Doraemon]

It froze at this point again.

[VincentASM]

Thanks for the info, both!

I am using a program called 3ds Lazy 1.2 to make my CIA. it has a make 3ds rom option it builds but doesn't let me run it on the gateway card so i have to make a CIA. and basically if the CIA doesn't save it means there was something wrong with the edit. i ahve the xors saved on my SD card so i don't have to generate them everytime i want to decrypt and try. but it usually takes 3-5 minutes to decrypt if i close the program and then 3-5 minutes to make the CIA.

If you can build the CIA using the second file, what happens when you play that CIA?

Does it play normally or just freeze?

It froze at this point again.

Hmm... actually, does the game freeze before you see any portraits? If so, I think I may know the problem...

Can I ask how you're altering the game? Are you directly pasting the edited static.bin file into DecryptedRomFS.bin (the decrypted ROM, which is about 1 GB in size)? Or are you placing the edited static.bin in the data/person directory and repacking the ROM?

[Doraemon]

I'm placing static.bin and repack romfs.bin and then repacking them to rom.

And yes. It freezes right before the portaits should pop up.

Edited December 2, 2014 by Doraemon

[VincentASM]

I'm placing static.bin and repack romfs.bin and then repacking them to rom.

And yes. It freezes right before the portaits should pop up.

So you unpacked the ROM first to edit it?

In that case the crashing makes sense because the current unpacker corrupts the Japanese file names of all the portrait and some dialogue files. The game will crash because it can't read the file names for those important files.

What you need to do is directly edit DecryptedRomFS.bin without unpacking it. If you don't unpack the files, then the file names don't get corrupted : )

If you use a good hex editor like HxD, you can open very large files (even 1 GB) without causing a strain on your computer.

After opening DecryptedRomFS.bin, go to 0xBED0C50 and you should see something like this, which means you're looking at the right place.

Then paste the edited static.bin into that position (starting from where I highlighted, where it begins 13 D3 C5 00).

Edited December 2, 2014 by VincentASM

[dreamers]

Thanks for the info, both!

If you can build the CIA using the second file, what happens when you play that CIA?

Does it play normally or just freeze?

the second one plays normally. i am not yet up to the place where i can see stats but. it works fine. i played up to chapter 4.

[Irysa]

I wonder: would it be possible to set a specific trigger that allows Lucina's sibling to gain access to the P.Falchion upon achieving an A support with her?

It's just wishful thinking really but I can't help but find the idea amusing and appropriate.

[Doraemon]

So you unpacked the ROM first to edit it?

In that case the crashing makes sense because the current unpacker corrupts the Japanese file names of all the portrait and some dialogue files. The game will crash because it can't read the file names for those important files.

What you need to do is directly edit DecryptedRomFS.bin without unpacking it. If you don't unpack the files, then the file names don't get corrupted : )

If you use a good hex editor like HxD, you can open very large files (even 1 GB) without causing a strain on your computer.

After opening DecryptedRomFS.bin, go to 0xBED0C50 and you should see something like this, which means you're looking at the right place.

Then paste the edited static.bin into that position (starting from where I highlighted, where it begins 13 D3 C5 00).

I think checksum or hashes need to be fixed to make that work. Otherwise the game doesn't even load.

[shadowofchaos]

Who was it that was able to make it work?

Like, the whole screenshots with 100+ numbered stats.

Seems like their repacker doesn't screw up the names?

[VincentASM]

the second one plays normally. i am not yet up to the place where i can see stats but. it works fine. i played up to chapter 4.

Let me think... Didn't you notice any weird stats like Chrom having ridiculous Strength?

If it's the second file, I made sure every character had some weird stats so you can tell the ROM was modified.

Or was there anything different at all, character-wise?

I think checksum or hashes need to be fixed to make that work. Otherwise the game doesn't even load.

Ah, I see. I hadn't thought of that. In that case, I'm not sure how to proceed from here.

I'm mostly a theoretical hacker, so I don't know how we can get around this problem.

The ideal situation would be to find an unpacker that doesn't mess up the file names. If you go to the face directory and see names like #######_##_ct_pose0.ctpk, it means the file names have been corrupted (the # are supposed to be Japanese symbols).

Who was it that was able to make it work?

Like, the whole screenshots with 100+ numbered stats.

Seems like their repacker doesn't screw up the names?

Last I checked, it was thinhvnn.

They just said to decrypt the ROM and repack, which is what we've been doing. I wonder what they used to unpack the ROM?

[Klokinator]

Wow, thank you SSB for allowing us to make FE13 NM modules.

[VincentASM]

Wow, thank you SSB for allowing us to make FE13 NM modules.

I'm sure Pokemon must have had some influence... right? : P

[dreamers]

Let me think... Didn't you notice any weird stats like Chrom having ridiculous Strength?

If it's the second file, I made sure every character had some weird stats so you can tell the ROM was modified.

Or was there anything different at all, character-wise?

from what i can tell there is no different with the character stats. all of them are similar to the base stats.

[VincentASM]

from what i can tell there is no different with the character stats. all of them are similar to the base stats.

Thanks!

Hmm, that's strange, but I guess it's cool the game is running.

Did you use 3ds Lazy 1.2 to unpack the game files? If so, did you rename the modified file to static.bin.lz and thus replace the static.bin.lz that was already there?

[dreamers]

Thanks!

Hmm, that's strange, but I guess it's cool the game is running.

Did you use 3ds Lazy 1.2 to unpack the game files? If so, did you rename the modified file to static.bin.lz and thus replace the static.bin.lz that was already there?

Yes I did. and as i said before. putting the 2nd one in yielded a cia for me to install whereas the 3rd revision outputted nothing.

[VincentASM]

Thanks for the clarification. Just trying to nail down any potential problems : )

Hmm, if the stats haven't changed, let me check my change list...

When you get far enough, can you check for any of these?

• Nearly everybody has a new initial class and can reclass to Tactician.
• Chrom and Sumia can support everyone in the standard marriage pools.
• Chrom can S rank with Lissa and Emmeryn (if you can S Rank Lissa, the support points are probably correct).

I'm assuming the initial class hasn't changed for anybody?

Which is a bit strange since Doraemon noticed Chrom in red armour, which sounds like he was correctly changed to a Conqueror.

[dreamers]

from what i can tell everyone has the same initial class.

[~Silver]

And +60 Dual Attack will make my job with "screwing around videos" a hell of a lot easier.

I look forward to this. :D

[fengaridotdll]

• Chrom and Sumia can support everyone in the standard marriage pools.

That would be awesome to see. Chrom X Panne 4 life

You would need to make your own support conversations for them so the game doesn't freeze when you try to support them

[~Silver]

That would be awesome to see. Chrom X Panne 4 life

You would need to make your own support conversations for them so the game doesn't freeze when you try to support them

Wait. But how would that work?

Would Yarne's prologue be unlocked?

Would Yarne have Chrom's hair? Or... Have his default, fittingly?

[VincentASM]

That would be awesome to see. Chrom X Panne 4 life

You would need to make your own support conversations for them so the game doesn't freeze when you try to support them

Possibly.

How did hacking supports in the GBA games work? Maybe it just skips the non-existent conversation and goes straight to the support level increase?

[fengaridotdll]

Possibly.

How did hacking supports in the GBA games work? Maybe it just skips the non-existent conversation and goes straight to the support level increase?

That could be very logical