[SOLVED] 2 very noob questions from a virgin hacker

[BrightVega]

Hi to all, just started tinkering around with Nightmare Editor and 2 issues-questions popped:

1>---

I've made various changes to all weapons, growths and stat bases,

I have confirmed the changes are in effect as the Hex Editor does show the new parameters on the items

and starting a new file does show the changes in the base stats

BUT i can see these changes in-game only on a New Game file.

If I load a save file (either a normal save file or a savestate) from a clean ROM into the hacked ROM,

the game just loads the parameters of the clean ROM and ignores everything from the hacked one.

Also, if I start a new file on the hacked ROM, save and close the emulator,

go back to Nightmare and do some extra changes

and load the previously hacked save file of the same but newly altered ROM

the result is as before: the file will load with the old settings and for the new changes/settings I'll have to do a new game file again to see them in-game.

So, If I wanted to do "event or whatever" changes in a far away chapter (ex. Ch.20)

do i have to actually play that far?

I don't know how else to say it but

how can you see + check your modifications (through whatever tool/program you've done them)

without having to always start a new file ???

2>---

I've seen many other patches like "ASM patch that does this" or "extra music tracks" or "extra space"

for various FE games.

Do you have to apply these patches only on a clean ROM? Or can you apply them right on top of your own hacked ROM?

Can they alter your own changes on the ROM or can they corrupt your game?

In general, are there limitations on applying a patch in an already patched ROM?

Thx in advance.

Edited September 27, 2015 by BrightVega

[Tequila]

1) I'm not sure if I'm understanding this correctly. Are you asking if changes you make using nightmare will affect whatever you've previously done in-game? If so, the answer's no. However, the stuff you change will take effect from that point onwards. For instance, if you play on a vanilla rom until chapter 16, then change Eliwood's growths to all 100, his current stats won't change, but his future level-ups will. Basically, you can't change things that have already been written to the save file.

2) Generally, you want to apply them to a clean ROM to make sure they work. Depending on what you've done to a ROM, it may or may not be possible to patch something; it really depends on what the patch affects. For instance, if you change the location of the item table, and then patch some ASM that uses the item table, the game will break. Most (if not all) patches come with a README.txt. Do exactly as it says: read the thing. It often will tell you what parts of the ROM will be affected. If you're still not sure, patch the patch onto a clean ROM, then use a hex editor to look at the differences between the clean and the patched ROMs. If an area that you've previously messed with is involved with the patch, odds are you'll have to fiddle with it to make it work properly.

Hope this helps!

[Alex95]

I have no experience with hacking, but I have experience with game making, so it's... kinda the same? Anyway, I can probably answer both.

From my experience, if you have already started the game on a "clean" file and then add more parameters into the game engine, the system will progress as if nothing is wrong, due to already having the parameters set in the one file. If you want to keep making changes to the game, you have to start the file with a number of the hacks already in place so, when you save, the game keeps them.

A good way to constantly check if the hacks have worked is to play through multiple files. I know FE games generally have about 3 files, so you may have to overwrite them or move them to a separate folder/place then move them back once you wanna use them.

Like Tequila said above, if you need/want to get to a certain point to test if something works correctly, greatly improve or max the stats of the characters so you can get to that chapter quickly.

Game making and hacking both include a LOT of trial and error, so you will find yourself going back and forth on a large number of things. Hope that helps! Cause I barely know what I'm talking about :3

[Lamia]

stuff like units being created by events in any FE (or any game for the most part, really) is a one-time event

for example units won't suddenly change class because the save/RAM data needs to save their class, so that they can actually promote without problems

and a savestate is literally a saved state

absolutely everything in the RAM is saved in a snapshot, and loading that savestate will make everything follow that; things like items and class stats and other things easily update because their data is called up AFTER your savestate loads

with proper practice and figuring out how events and similar work you can make more efficient savestates for testing

Edited September 26, 2015 by Lamia

[BrightVega]

So basically, from what i gather from all your responses, there's no "easy" way to just load a specific section of the game.

I'll have to play through the game normally and do changes along the way, step by step.

2) Generally, you want to apply them to a clean ROM to make sure they work. Depending on what you've done to a ROM, it may or may not be possible to patch something; it really depends on what the patch affects. For instance, if you change the location of the item table, and then patch some ASM that uses the item table, the game will break. Most (if not all) patches come with a README.txt. Do exactly as it says: read the thing. It often will tell you what parts of the ROM will be affected. If you're still not sure, patch the patch onto a clean ROM, then use a hex editor to look at the differences between the clean and the patched ROMs. If an area that you've previously messed with is involved with the patch, odds are you'll have to fiddle with it to make it work properly.

Hope this helps!

That clears things up. Thx.

Edited September 26, 2015 by BrightVega

[Agro]

if you save a state, then make some changes, then load the state, the changes won't appear. but, if you load the state and reset the game, the changes will appear as long as they're things like events etc. character bases won't change (though class bases will) but I think everything else does change

[BrightVega]

if you save a state, then make some changes, then load the state, the changes won't appear. but, if you load the state and reset the game, the changes will appear as long as they're things like events etc. character bases won't change (though class bases will) but I think everything else does change

I've done that and everything (bases, stats, weapons, weapon effects, bonuses) from the clean save state remain as the vanilla ones

even after a reset.

Maybe it has to do with the save file being a post-game file (FE8) where every item and character has already loaded with the vanilla parameters

and doesn't change now (?)

Oh, well...

[Agro]

It has to be a hard reset, too. Soft resets won't work.