Maximum number of maps?

[Onmi]

How many maps maximum can you include in a hack? are you limited to the various maps each hack gives you? or can you create new maps wholesale and expanded on and on? Has this been stress tested before? I assume the code for Event Assembler would have to be modified to look for new maps (Unless there's a manual method of insertion I'm missing, which is most likely adding the map, checking the ASM that map created and then physically adding it later on while modifying pointers if that makes sense)

I'm sure I'm not the first person to be interested in this and most likely wont be the last.

Related, lets say for example FE7. Are all the maps in 'Lyn Mode' locked there? or can I empty them, script my own maps then use them to extend the main story? Or are they forever tied to 'Lyn Mode' Though I don't see why they would be.

This isn't necessarily an Event Assembly question so much as it is ASM, if what I theorize would need to happen is indeed what would need to happen.

My theory is, in the long hand.

Step 1. Create a Working map

Step 2. Point it to the end of the Rom

Step 3.When you've assembled the map, check your hex editor for the ASM that was just added.

Step 4. Copy that ASM, save it to a word document

Step 5. Modify the same map as before, into a new map, and GOTO 3

The problem I forsee is the pointer at the end of each map for the GOTO Map x. Can you indefinitely extend it through ASM hacking?

[Crimson Red]

There are as many maps are there about chapter data slots. About 64 (0x40) though it might be one or two more. Some of the maps near the end shouldn't be edited (like the link arena map) without extreme caution first. No one's had a need to expand said # of maps so it's not known if you can expand them. You can only have as many maps as you have chapters, when loading a map you're in essence loading a chapter that has the map attached to it. This includes cutscenes; however, you can have multiple maps be part of 1 map through careful planning*.

It doesn't matter what order you load the chapters/maps. You can skip around as you like. ASM is what controls mode identification (Lyn's mode vs. Eliwood's mode). The numbers are just for identification, and it's only natural that earlier chapters are earlier in the data than later chapters, really. :\

*Here's the explanation of how to do this. I've done this in TU to conserve chapter space.

Purpose: Save chapter space.

Method: Combine two maps into one.

Required: Know how to use mappy, BwdYeti's FE-map converter, insert a map, figure out co-ordinates, and the two maps must use the same tileset. There are some other requirements but I'll include them as I go along.

Have your two maps. The combined dimensions must be no larger than the max map size since you'll ultimatley be inserting one map.

Using paint, place one map at the top left corner. Then, at the bottom-right corner of that map, place the other map. All other space should be black/empty.

Use BwdYeti's FE-map converter to turn this into a map file. Then insert the map. Then, when loading the map using events, load the first map at the top-left normally/however you like, and load the 2nd one by making the camera's "starting co-ordinates" the center of the 2nd map (using Mappy to help you with co-ordinates). If you position it right, only a 15x10 section of the 2nd map will show. Of course this can only be used for cutscenes or else players could explore to see that there are actually two maps combined in one.

You can also use this to make a cutscene mid-battle by making the map start from an area outside of the map the battle is taking place. I also did this in TU. Essentially, if your real map where the battle is taking place is 20x20, have your other map's top left corner start from 21x21. Then load the map with proper co-ordinates during a turn-based or whatever-based cutscene and since the map starts off dimensions that are outside of the visible range, the player won't be able to see the real map or all the units. Then, after the cutscene, switch back to the normal map and be sure to delete all units that were loaded in the extra area (cuz that area will disappear after loading the normal battle map). Note that unit counts are shared so when loading units you have a max of 50 per allegiance--if there are 45 enemies on the normal map and there are 13 planned enemies for the cutscene, that wont' work because the 45 enemies on the normal battle map are still technically there in the RAM--and 45+13=58 = too many units. Some of the cutscene units likely won't show. At least that's what I think will happen.

That's all I feel like explaining on map conservation/manipulation, good luck. Just for the record I thought of these ideas on my own while implementing them into a hack of mine. Maybe if someone else can understand it they can make use of it. *shrug*

[Onmi]

I see, so for FE8 which I'm hacking right now, I have a maximum of 38 or 39 chapters to work with (I'm not sure if the 'Lord Split' chapter can be reworked into an entirely new chapter)

Which means Since FE6 has 38 chapters that if I want to include new content completely separate from the chapters of FE6 I'll have to be inventive with the chapters I have.

I can do that.

[Crimson Red]

Chapters are determined by the slots in the chapter data editor (which might be expandable, but no one has confirmed this publicly). Keep that in mind

[Jubby]

Ahhhh I swear I'm gonna test it... Dx Anyway, I find the map thing very useful :3

[FalconVegeta1986]

For FE8, are all the maps for valni/lagdou counted as chapters, or are they seperate from the regular chapter data?

[Crimson Red]

They should be, but if you look for yourself that should confirm it. if it uses it's own map it almost definitely counts as a chapter

Edited February 10, 2012 by Strawhat Luffy

[Onmi]

The Tower/Ruins maps are separate chapters, totaling around 20 maps. It's just when disassembling the chapter data with Event Assembler the Tower/Ruin maps weren't dumped. So I don't know how to edit them even using the Chapter Data Editor, at least event wise, since I only came into event hacking after Event Assembler was made.

With those extra maps though I have a lot of things I could do especially since they total 78 (Though some of them seem like cutscenes)