Topic: Developing FF4kster: a comprehensive editor for FF4

[Grimoire LD]

Great editor PinkPuff, this is truly awesome! Do you plan on adding compatibility with the inofficial FF4 Hardtype translation? That would be even better, seeing how the Hardtype translation is just infinitely better than that of FF2us (not to mention all the missing stuff in FF2us), so I'd like to continue using that one. I don't know how difficult that would be, but right now FF4kster can load the hardtype ROM and reads most stuff correctly, but it can't save. Whenever I try to save, I'm getting the message that Bank 1 and Bank 2 are overflowing, and the save fails. It works fine with FF2us, but that version just lacks so much content (and I don't know of any patch that restores ALL the missing items, spells, abilities, dialogue and monster stats), so it would be very much appreciated if support for the hardtype version could be added.

The J2E translation is Far from accurate... (Can't really be considered "HardType either, it's the original difficulty of the game) I suggest you check out legendsoflocalization.com to see how bad the fan translation of FFIV actually was.

A more faithful script has been put into the game by Vivify93 for his Project II which restores everything you had just mentioned.

The way they hacked FFIV is rather complicated and their expanded banks, names, etc wouldn't work kindly with the editor and as such would be extremely difficult to add compatibility for.

[Rodimus Primal]

Great editor PinkPuff, this is truly awesome! Do you plan on adding compatibility with the inofficial FF4 Hardtype translation? That would be even better, seeing how the Hardtype translation is just infinitely better than that of FF2us (not to mention all the missing stuff in FF2us), so I'd like to continue using that one. I don't know how difficult that would be, but right now FF4kster can load the hardtype ROM and reads most stuff correctly, but it can't save. Whenever I try to save, I'm getting the message that Bank 1 and Bank 2 are overflowing, and the save fails. It works fine with FF2us, but that version just lacks so much content (and I don't know of any patch that restores ALL the missing items, spells, abilities, dialogue and monster stats), so it would be very much appreciated if support for the hardtype version could be added.

The J2E translation is Far from accurate... (Can't really be considered "HardType either, it's the original difficulty of the game) I suggest you check out legendsoflocalization.com to see how bad the fan translation of FFIV actually was.

A more faithful script has been put into the game by Vivify93 for his Project II which restores everything you had just mentioned.

The way they hacked FFIV is rather complicated and their expanded banks, names, etc wouldn't work kindly with the editor and as such would be extremely difficult to add compatibility for.

Project II's translation is a lot better than J2E's by a landslide. It's the reason I used it as a base for Namingway Edition to bring the names and the like closer to the JP version.

[Shinryuu]

Great editor PinkPuff, this is truly awesome! Do you plan on adding compatibility with the inofficial FF4 Hardtype translation? That would be even better, seeing how the Hardtype translation is just infinitely better than that of FF2us (not to mention all the missing stuff in FF2us), so I'd like to continue using that one. I don't know how difficult that would be, but right now FF4kster can load the hardtype ROM and reads most stuff correctly, but it can't save. Whenever I try to save, I'm getting the message that Bank 1 and Bank 2 are overflowing, and the save fails. It works fine with FF2us, but that version just lacks so much content (and I don't know of any patch that restores ALL the missing items, spells, abilities, dialogue and monster stats), so it would be very much appreciated if support for the hardtype version could be added.

The J2E translation is Far from accurate... (Can't really be considered "HardType either, it's the original difficulty of the game) I suggest you check out legendsoflocalization.com to see how bad the fan translation of FFIV actually was.

A more faithful script has been put into the game by Vivify93 for his Project II which restores everything you had just mentioned.

The way they hacked FFIV is rather complicated and their expanded banks, names, etc wouldn't work kindly with the editor and as such would be extremely difficult to add compatibility for.

Project II's translation is a lot better than J2E's by a landslide. It's the reason I used it as a base for Namingway Edition to bring the names and the like closer to the JP version.

Ah, okay, I didn't know the details about the J2E translation, but I found it was more accurate than FF2us and the Playstation version (the only two others I've played so I can only compare it to those). But if you both say Project II is even better, then I think I'll give it a try. It looks promising, even though it doesn't restore the developer's room.

One more question, Vivify93 also said that he didn't restore the original maps, what does that mean? Does it mean that the "hidden" paths in certain dungeons are still visible, or is it about something else?

[Rodimus Primal]

Vivify93's purpose for Project II was to revitilize the US version of the game so he didn't alter the maps back to how they are in the Japanese Final Fantasy IV. What was changed was certain pathways are no longer doorways but full hallways. The Developer's Room was edited out and some town maps have different entrances to the Beginner's hallway. The maps are minimal, with the only thing actually missing the Developer's Room. That, and of course, censorship. The hidden passages are visable because of a pallette change.

Thanks to Bahamut Zero, Namingway Edition (which is, again, derived from Project II and its wonderful translation) will soon have the hallways in the Tower of Bab-il, the Tower of Zot, and the Giant of Bab-il looking like the original again. It will also have the treasure chests and save points restored too. It already has the Baron Dancer, the guillotine torture (US ball and chain) for Rosa, and certain boss difficulty (such as the final boss) restored in its current version. It also renamed ALL the items and monsters as close to current translations as possible. 

[Shinryuu]

Ah, I see, thanks for clarifying that. I'll also take a look at the Namingway edition then, because I also prefer the original save point graphics.

[Bahamut ZERO]

Is there a way to Add Triggers to a Map set to "None"? I ask this because it seems Square decided to remove the trigger in the Dwarf Cafe which would have been the map transfer to the Developer's room along with it's maps (and naturally it's Triggers as well).

I figured here would be a good place for this since it pertains to the editor and I don't want to flood the board with numerous small threads. 

[chillyfeez]

In the trigger editor, hit the "Insert" key when you've selected your location.
Also how you add NPCs, and extra Bank 2 messages in their respective editors.

I should mention, I guess, that I've never tried to add triggers to a location that has none, but it works for NPCs, so I don't see why it wouldn't for triggers.

[Bahamut ZERO]

Turns out it can add Triggers to a map with none - at the cost of having to take Triggers away from other maps. It seems that the developers took away the DR maps and triggers, they lowered the max trigger cap to reflect those changes.

That or they used those triggers for other things. That's always a faint possibility.

[chillyfeez]

Right, I forgot about the trigger cap.
You must be able to find one that isn't necessary...
I seem to remember some doorway in the tower of bab-il that the player can never reach... Maybe?
Check also locations with two-tile warping points that could be narrowed...

[Grimoire LD]

There are quite a few triggers in the Overworld section of the game that can be trimmed down because they all go to the same place (the Overworld or Underworld)

2 in nearly every town (except for Troia and Silvera)
1 in Mist
Trigger 1 in Troia Cafe Dancer's Stage has a strange unused event trigger which would lead to fighting the Lunasaur's for the Ribbon. I don't know why it doesn't activate, but it is unused.
3 in Baron Castle
2 in Troia Castle
1 in Mt. Ordeals Entrance
1 in Tower of Babil Crystal Room (back exit which traps the player)
----------
1 in Tomra
1 in Dwarf Castle
1 in Dwarf Castle Crystal Room (it's never actually accessed in a normal sense and isn't necessary)
5 in Lunar Whale (Resting for Free, only one will suffice)
5 in Second Lunar Whale (Same case)
Trigger 3 in Lunar Subterrane 4F leads to a Glitch World and can be safely removed.

[Bahamut ZERO]

Oh wow, I had no idea there were so many places with triggers that could be trimmed down! I'll get in contact with Rodimus and see what triggers he feels alright with me using. I

And there's a Second Lunar Whale???? Did Square do that just for the Giant events or something?
 
Last night I think I realized what the DRs' original triggers were used for in the us version - all of the extra doors in towns leading to Baron's Training Academy, and the map transfers inside probably amount to the amount that I need. I also realized the Glitch World maps I chose to recreate the DRs are thier actual maps, as they still have thier original map infos intact! That really made my day hahaha.

EDIT: It seems none of my changes to the 3 Gltich Worlds were not saved, as in tiles changed via the map editor. Maybe they can't be remade there due to the way Square removed them, or the Map editor can't add tiles to Glitch Worlds in general. I hope it's not the second one. My map info changes, however, are intact (renaming them so I can tell them apart).

The Glitch Wrolds are indexed as 41 (Developer's Room), 42 (Composer's Hall) and 43 (Break Room) in the Underworld section after the Dwarf Castle and Tower maps. They have NPC Indexes of the same numbers.

In the meantime I'll be experimenting with some other glitch worlds to see if it happens with others! 

[Pinkpuff]

Ok, one last thing to ask for help on. It seems that there's something missing when the game writes the bow/arrow ranges. Specifically, it has to do with whether the item gives x10 when picked up in a TRAPPED chest. In Unprecedented Crisis, the Artemis Bow works like a bow in every other respect, and will even give x1 in a regular chest, but if the chest is trapped, it will give x10 after the battle.

[Grimoire LD]

Trapped chest? That is admittedly something I never considered, but it does stand to reason that it would apply a different routine since it is technically in battle. I will take a quick look and see if I can't find it.

...Here we go! Not quite what we were looking for, but I found the value that decides why it is whatever value is put into "Enemy Encounter" + C0.

This makes me wonder, is C0 the bit that decides that the byte will act as a Trapped Chest? If so that explains why they use a C0 here, if not and a whole byte is devoted to Trapped Chests, then this is a waste that we should keep it as 1C0+

$00/975E   69 C0   ADC #$C0   A:0015   X:0000   Y:0000   P:envMxdizc - Add C0 to Encounter Byte.
$00/9760   8D 00 18   STA $1800  [$00:1800]   A:00D5   X:0000   Y:0000   P:eNvMxdizc - Store A in Encounter Byte.
$00/9763   A9 01   LDA #$01   A:00D5   X:0000   Y:0000   P:eNvMxdizc - Load 01 into second Encounter Byte (Underworld battles)
$00/9765   8D 01 18   STA $1801  [$00:1801]   A:0001   X:0000   Y:0000   P:envMxdizc - Store A in Second Encounter Byte.

Now here's an odd part... the game checks what value is in 06C6 (It seems to be where Trapped Chest Items are stored at the start of battle) and then proceeds down an encounter list...

$00/8719   A5 C6   LDA $C6    [$00:06C6]   A:002A   X:0014   Y:0003   P:envMxdiZC - Load 06C6 (Location of Trapped Item) into A.
$00/871B   D0 03   BNE $03    [$8720]   A:005E   X:0014   Y:0003   P:envMxdizC - Branch if not 00.
---------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------
$00/8720   20 39 87   JSR $8739  [$00:8739]   A:005E   X:0014   Y:0003   P:envMxdizC - Jump elsewhere.
---------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------
$00/8739   AE 00 18   LDX $1800  [$00:1800]   A:005E   X:0014   Y:0003   P:envMxdizC - Load Current Formation into A.
$00/873C   E0 B7 01   CPX #$01B7   A:005E   X:01D5   Y:0003   P:envMxdizC - Is it less than Golbez and Shadow Dragon?
$00/873F   90 0A   BCC $0A    [$874B]   A:005E   X:01D5   Y:0003   P:envMxdizC - If not, branch.
----------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------
$00/8741   E0 B9 01   CPX #$01B9   A:005E   X:01D5   Y:0003   P:envMxdizC - Is it more than ?Goblin? Formation?
$00/8744   B0 05   BCS $05    [$874B]   A:005E   X:01D5   Y:0003   P:envMxdizC - If so, branch elsewhere.
---------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------

It should be noted that the formation between these two is the final Zeromus battle, but I can't reason what that deals with some trapped treasure items. It may fully be a "cancel item acquisition" though.

And there we go!

$01/D470   F0 1C   BEQ $1C    [$D48E]   A:005E   X:0000   Y:0000   P:envMxdIzc - If the Item in 1804 (Pending Item to give) is nothing than branch.
$01/D472   C9 54   CMP #$54   A:005E   X:0000   Y:0000   P:envMxdIzc  - Is it Arrows?
$01/D474   90 0E   BCC $0E    [$D484]   A:005E   X:0000   Y:0000   P:envMxdIzC - If less than Arrows, branch.
$01/D476   C9 60   CMP #$60   A:005E   X:0000   Y:0000   P:envMxdIzC - Is it Shield or above?
$01/D478   B0 0A   BCS $0A    [$D484]   A:005E   X:0000   Y:0000   P:eNvMxdIzc - If greater than Shields, Branch.
$01/D47A   99 28 FF   STA $FF28,y[$7E:FF28]   A:005E   X:0000   Y:0000   P:eNvMxdIzc - Store A in FF28 (Text to display)
$01/D47D   A9 0A   LDA #$0A   A:005E   X:0000   Y:0000   P:eNvMxdIzc - Load 10 into A.
$01/D47F   99 29 FF   STA $FF29,y[$7E:FF29]   A:000A   X:0000   Y:0000   P:envMxdIzc - Store A in FF29 (Text Amount to display)

It's been a while but you should recognize this pattern, just another check for your Feature section, not to mention with this information and the older information of mine you could change how much is in a Bundle, if so desired.

[Bahamut ZERO]

I realized something quite awesome last night while test playing my project!

As I said earlier, Item Description messages cannot display normal icons correctly. They can, however, display icons added to the font via YYCHR and binded to a key through FF4kster's Font.dat. I noticed this when I saw that the description for my new Napalm item was displaying "(Fire symbol)+Sap Damage)" correctly!

I'm going to experiment with this a bit more before I'm 100% positive it will work with any icon, but if it turns out  to be true then we'll be able to save a ton of space and be able to use more descriptions (which is great because even with the way I've been using icons in ID's I still have less space that I rhought!)


While I'm on the suject, is there a way to bind font characters to the F1-F12 keys?  That would greatly help me now that I need to bind 8 more keys on top of what I have binded already.

UPDATE: Using copies of the Icons works flawlessly! Just do NOT use A4 for an Icon/Squish Tile, as it kills the ability to type uppercase "F"s in the editor hahaha.

Now my items and accessories can have thier proper descriptions! I'm so happy right now I could yell  !

[Rodimus Primal]

Question for those who have messed with the NPC editor. I notice that adding a character doesn't seem to like my selections. So far I've added two characters to a room, added speech for them, and they appeared. What I'm worried about is that if my edits will affect other NPCs in the game. So, does it matter what I select as the NPC and Sprite type? Or will this screw with others in game?

Edit- I figured it out. Just have to select a proper NPC to use.

Edit 2- Think I found a bug. When selecting the soldier in the Training Room, it keeps changing when I go to back out of it to a Porom statue. I can't seem to add it without it messing up.