Topic: Initial Spell List

[Deathlike2]

Ok, I have some idea how this works, but I need a better idea on the exact format...

Additionally, is the initial spell list initialized at the very beginning of the game?

[Phoenix]

The spell lists are ordered per character id, with 1 byte per spell. If there's less than 24 spells in the list then the list is separated by FFs; if there's 24, then there's no break between them. And yes, the spell lists are initialized at the beginning of the game, which means if you change something in the initial spell data and load a save game or save state, it's not going to be there.

[Deathlike2]

How would that system deal with spells that are not normally initial for Rydia (speaking of monster/enemy spells)? Remember she starts with 3 different lists....

I think it's a little more fuzzy that what you're saying...

This list is based off FF4's internal listing...

0E FF FF FF FF 35 FF 0F 03 04 12 13 16 FF 1D 20 23 2C 2E FF 0E 01 0D 07 17 FF 1D 20 23 29 1C FF 0E 01 0D 07 17 FF 01 .. 30 42

The stuff in bold are the terminators, the last value in italic is not separated due to a filled spell list.. however, the list doesn't read that way you say it is...

First spell is Cecil's (though, I wonder if that's inserted as a DK or Paladin), followed by Rydia's.. but it has three preceding terminators instead of 2 (for White and Black magic).. which has some wondering if Kain was supposed to have a spell list.. anyways, that's followed by Tellah's White Magic, then Black Magic.. then Rosa's White Magic (most likely), then Palom's Black Magic, then Porom's White Magic, then FuSoYa's entire spell list, then Edge's only initial Ninja spell.

It could not possibly be that FuSoYa is ahead of Edge in the character ID order.

 

Similar stuff occurs with the spell learning lists.. at least in regards to the format... the terminator that comes from the middle of nowhere really makes it all the more confusing at times.

[Phoenix]

Sorry, I forgot that the order is not exactly the character ID, though it does follow the same basic order the characters join your party. The order is:

00 Cecil (White)
01 ? (probably supposed to be Kain)
02 Rydia (White)
03 Rydia (Black)
04 Rydia (Call)
05 Tellah (White)
06 Tellah (Black)
07 Rosa (White)
08 Palom (Black)
09 Porom (White)
0A FuSoYa (White)
0B FuSoYa (Black)
0C Edge (Ninja)

[Deathlike2]

As an aside, you can stuff/insert more spells to be learned from events right? I hadn't really looked over that code too much, but I wanted to see if there was some trailing FFs so I may be able to update my spell learning patch to include the missing spells for Tellah when he comes back from Mt. Ordeals.

I'd also like to know I can make those changes w/o starting a new entire game (this is very important to me). I have no plans of worrying about the other characters that won't benefit here.

[Phoenix]

Yes, you can fill up the rest of the spell list(s) with spells from events. I believe that once it reaches 24 in the list, it won't add any more.

As for not starting a new game, are you asking for a permanent hack, or just a work-around so you don't have to start a new game this one time? If it's the former, you would need to find the location of the code that initializes the game, and then change so that it happens when you load a save state (which doesn't seem very practical, since it would overwrite the spells the characters have learned). If it's the latter, the best way to do it is to change the initialization code so it's ready when you do complete the hack, and instead of starting a new game, add a temporary event to add those spells for the characters. Activate the event, and you'll end up with the same result. Then you can take that event out later.

[Deathlike2]

Yes, you can fill up the rest of the spell list(s) with spells from events. I believe that once it reaches 24 in the list, it won't add any more.

Same thing happens with the spell learning/leveling code.

As for not starting a new game, are you asking for a permanent hack, or just a work-around so you don't have to start a new game this one time? If it's the former, you would need to find the location of the code that initializes the game, and then change so that it happens when you load a save state (which doesn't seem very practical, since it would overwrite the spells the characters have learned). If it's the latter, the best way to do it is to change the initialization code so it's ready when you do complete the hack, and instead of starting a new game, add a temporary event to add those spells for the characters. Activate the event, and you'll end up with the same result. Then you can take that event out later.

I was talking about learning the spell via events... does that require doing a new game, or is it as dynamic as the spell learning code?

As a workaround for the spell initialization not going my way (since I screwed up), there are some nice codes to add/remove spell data for each character (I should be able to properly simulate reinitialization w/o too much hassle (but I'd have to be very sure of the changes I make so I can properly reproduce by testing).

[Phoenix]

Sorry, misunderstood your question. Yes, events are dynamic -- the event code is not activated until the event is, so you can change the event and it will accept the changes as long as the event hasn't been activated yet.

[Deathlike2]

Sorry, misunderstood your question. Yes, events are dynamic -- the event code is not activated until the event is, so you can change the event and it will accept the changes as long as the event hasn't been activated yet.

I got adding spells working from the event in the patch found here - http://slickproductions.org/forum/index.php?topic=917.15

However, as a negative side effect, it seems that some sort of event data pointer(s) have to be updated because it made the save point on Mt. Ordeals the "Found Black Chocobo" event.