FEXNA (Currently In Private Beta)

[Brendor]

For example, I'm really wanting to get a FEditor text converter to FEXNA format.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean with that. You mean something to take text from a ROM made through feditor? FEditor autopatches an antihuffman patch and writes text in ASCII so does XNA use some other format for text that the ASCII needs to be converted(which would be very very odd tbh) or are you just wanted some single program to open a ROM, copy text from it to a clipboard, and insert it into FEXNA. Hell if you're gonna make a program like that you may as well have it "copy and paste" all the ROM's data; events maps portraits stats sprites etc. If not I don't see why you'd need a separate program to copy and paste

text except for the hardcoded commands I guess. I'm just asking because it sounded unclear

[Klokinator]

Err, I want to use FEditor's dump function to dump text in the FEditor format, then convert to the FEXNA text format. This would be useful for not only a FE6-8 recreation project, but also for people who want to convert their romhacks to fexna without retyping every bit of dialogue or a huge stream of copypasting with tedious edits.

I posted a topic about it on FEU some time back. http://feuniverse.us/t/anyone-feel-like-scripting-a-text-converter/508/4

Edited November 12, 2014 by Klokinator

[Crazy Li]

I respect you about that Yeti.

However I understand everyone that is here looking for updates and such staff.

I too want that tool to be made but, With words "Hurry up" or "keep it up Can't Wait for this tool" doesn't help much.

FEXNA Will somehow resemble FEXP so if you want to make something epic already you must take your hand at FEXP.

Yeti made it but you all make it like he only wasted his time on that tool. Speaking by Myself I made Ragefest submission using FEXP made battle conversation events etc. and it turned out fine.

Yes I agree that it is Limited. These limits can be ignored.

First of all I give my thanks to Yeti for shering FEXP with us. Of curse you could destroy it instead of giving it for us to use.

Next I will give advice to Klok. I you can't insert text editor in FEXNA tool than make it as another program and put in folder Related to XNA tool.

And Finally to all SF users. Please don't bother them. If you all want to have this program that much wait for it and don't bother much.

That is all I can say good luck guys.

Yes, FEXP is something one can fool around with in the meantime, but it by no means can make a proper game (unless you're a good enough programmer to extend the skeleton to do such). It's incomplete because Yeti abandoned it for a superior way of making a FE maker (XNA). There's a reason he's doing XNA now. If RPG Maker XP was practical enough for the job, he would have finished FEXP instead of jumping ship.

Right now, FEXP is best for making single maps and testing your balance with regards to stats and placement. You can also practice dialog. I've planned out my prologue map using this... but going further into the project seems like a waste since the further you go in, the less like a game it's gonna be. While I have enough programming skill to take the prologue and make it go to another post-battle scene that shifts into the next chapter change for Map 2... at some point you'd want the player to be able to re-position their units and have a base camp and whatnot. These just aren't things that I feel are very feasible especially since no one is gonna support FEXP any longer to help with that sorta thing.

FEXNA, on the other hand, is going to come with a lot of the features one would need to make a proper game standard, I would imagine since Yeti and crew are already using these things in their FE7x project.

[Brendor]

Err, I want to use FEditor's dump function to dump text in the FEditor format, then convert to the FEXNA text format. This would be useful for not only a FE6-8 recreation project, but also for people who want to convert their romhacks to fexna without retyping every bit of dialogue or a huge stream of copypasting with tedious edits.

I posted a topic about it on FEU some time back. http://feuniverse.us/t/anyone-feel-like-scripting-a-text-converter/508/4

FEXNA text format looks pretty similar to how strings are handled in C++ (derp)

I'd recommend looking at FEditor's source code or asking Alex how the dumps and inserts work

You could probably make a simple console application in Python for this or Visual C# since it looks like all the FEXNA apps are made in C#..

Edited November 12, 2014 by Brendor

[PowerOfKaishin]

Asking me to do anything relating to romhacks is a hopeless endeavor. I know next to nothing about programming them. ;-;

Anything else?

[Klokinator]

It's not programming something for a romhack, it's programming a text converter from one format to another... If I knew the slightest inkling about how to code a program I might attempt it myself. It really amounts to a batch of find/replace commands and adding/removing some formatting.

I want to use FEditor's dump function to dump text in the FEditor format, then convert to the FEXNA text format.

[PowerOfKaishin]

Actually, I meant to edit in the following line, but serene's crashed before I could do it.

"Edit: Just looked at the Gyazo. That doesn't look as bad as I'd have expected. But it feels more like busy work than anything else, since a simple C application could do it. Honestly the hardest part would be how absolutely dreadfully boring it is to write and you still have to write quite a bit."

Edit: Wait a sec. If you can't program what's your role in this whole ordeal? I was under the impression you were a part of the muscle. >_>

Edited November 12, 2014 by PowerOfKaishin

[Brendor]

Wouldn't it behoove you to learn some C#?

Seeing as how pretty much everything relating to FEXNA uses it

[Klokinator]

Edit: Wait a sec. If you can't program what's your role in this whole ordeal? I was under the impression you were a part of the muscle. >_>

I'm PR, and the guy who made it possible for everyone to even get a hold of FEXNA via a deal I made with Yeti. He was originally going to not release it publicly (Maybe he'd release it in a couple years after he finished FE7x but certainly not asap when it was complete) and aside from that I and a few other people are his main bugtesters. I've suggested numerous features and caught a ton of bugs, but that's my role. I don't code or anything. I'll also be writing the tutorial/guide for it when it's ready (In fact once I'm out of college I plan to start work on it, and that's less than a month away.) and I'm currently trying to gather people to do things like write programs for easy importation so that way Yeti doesn't have to do everything himself.

So yeah, I'm not "the muscle" but I don't think of my role as marginal either.

[Lord Wolfram]

So the text comands are the same as in FEXP?

It would be useful because than I can copy paste script that is being written in my FEXP game.

And can you answer single question? Hope that it won't bother much.

How looks Animation inporting?

Will it be the same as in FEXP or like in ROM hack?

Or there is another way?

[Klokinator]

The text system is identical to FEXP's, but FEXNA has a previewer now.

How looks Animation inporting?

We will see.

[BwdYeti]

"Edit: Just looked at the Gyazo. That doesn't look as bad as I'd have expected. But it feels more like busy work than anything else, since a simple C application could do it. Honestly the hardest part would be how absolutely dreadfully boring it is to write and you still have to write quite a bit."

This is basically accurate. It's a fairly trivial conversion, but I haven't done it myself yet because of the above 'busy with 7x, FEXNA stuff early next year' thing.

(An event converter would be similar, though more difficult due to structural differences in event setup, since FEXNA events work similar to RMXP ones and I didn't bother, or see any reason to bother, making them similar to GBA FE events)

Edited November 12, 2014 by BwdYeti

[Garnef]

So seeing as how FEXNA is going to be in a very similar/same format as FEXP, I'm left to wonder if this means custom scripting/asm will be an option in FEXNA. I'm thinking it's probably is, though, I'm simply asking just to confirm if this is a thing or not.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Nexas

[Brendor]

So seeing as how FEXNA is going to be in a very similar/same format as FEXP, I'm left to wonder if this means custom scripting/asm will be an option in FEXNA. I'm thinking it's probably is, though, I'm simply asking just to confirm if this is a thing or not.

You don't do assembly when you have the source code

[Crazy Li]

So seeing as how FEXNA is going to be in a very similar/same format as FEXP, I'm left to wonder if this means custom scripting/asm will be an option in FEXNA. I'm thinking it's probably is, though, I'm simply asking just to confirm if this is a thing or not.

Custom scripting would be C#, I think. You're going to be allowed to write your own routines/systems/features if that's what you're wondering... in fact, you're pretty much expected to make it yourself for most things that don't naturally serve to help with the FE7x project. From what I can tell, XNA will have all the stuff needed for FE7x by default and maybe some other FE-common stuff... but a lot of things you'll hafta figure out how to make work on your own.

[fengaridotdll]

Would it be possible to import our own music into it?

[Klokinator]

As easy as it is in RPG Maker.

[fengaridotdll]

I would not know how easy it is in RPG Maker cause I have not used it

[BwdYeti]

Custom scripting would be C#, I think. You're going to be allowed to write your own routines/systems/features if that's what you're wondering... in fact, you're pretty much expected to make it yourself for most things that don't naturally serve to help with the FE7x project. From what I can tell, XNA will have all the stuff needed for FE7x by default and maybe some other FE-common stuff... but a lot of things you'll hafta figure out how to make work on your own.

Pretty much this

(to be fair that is a lot of stuff already, and the community can always work together to implement new things)

[Klokinator]

IIRC Yeti will be adding a few systems the community desperately wants, like multiple promotions. Like, the only systems he won't be adding is the kinda extraneous stuff you should be adding for yourselves, like biorhythm and marriage. The really core major stuff will be there. He's not adding monsters, but there are slots in the editor for monster-specific effects, movement noises, etc, and I'll be adding those myself. Really, FEXNA's got just about everything a guy would want.

[Crazy Li]

Pretty much this

(to be fair that is a lot of stuff already, and the community can always work together to implement new things)

I agree with the community aspect. Other people can come along, figure out how to add stuff, and share for the rest of the community. That's what's so great about open-source stuff. I imagine most of the things I want will either be there already or popular enough that someone else will figure out how to do it for me :p

I am curious about how many things I'd hafta do myself out of all the features I want for my project though. Would you (or anyone who's been testing it really) mind answering a few things about what's currently supported? (sorry, I haven't been following the whole thread)

1. How easy would it be to split Str/Mag? I know this has been asked to death, but I've only seen first-page replies that said they were combined as one stat for the purpose of this. Adding a new stat as a variable would be super easy, but my concern is managing it. Early screenshots of the editor made it seem that stats are fixed without room to add in another stat you can alter in bases/growths... I personally feel the ideal approach would be to make a Str and a Mag stat seperately innately (because this is going to be a desired enough thing anyway) but have a setting that determines whether or not it's a seperated or combined stat. If people don't want to use both, they can set combined and ignore the one that's not applicable, whereas if they want seperate, they can set them both independantly and without trouble. That's my way of thinking anyway...

2. Are transformations supported? And if so, what kind? There's your classic Mamkute that only transforms in battle if equipping a specific item, then you have Laguz which are either automatic or user choice when their transform bar fills and untransform when it empties... I plan to make laguz characters, so the latter would be handy if it's not too hard to pull off. If I'd have to script a skill to handle the transform system and give it to all characters who can do so to pull it off, that's fine.

3. How easy is it to add new types of weapons? I like the idea of thieves using knives and being outside the melee triangle. I imagine there would be a place to define the types of weapons and it would automatically populate as a dropdown or whatever choice? Considering I've added knife functionality in FEXP, I can't imagine it being any harder in FEXNA, but just asking. Also related to question 2 and laguz, I'd like to create a "Strike" type that determines the Mt of laguz attacks.

4. Mounting/Dismounting? I hate force mounts. It's just a personal thing, but I will not have cavaliers, peg knights, dracoknights, etc... I think it's dumb to have a mount tied to a class and even more when promoting suddenly gives them a horse. But I don't dislike the concept of mounts in general, so I'd like to have wild horses/pegasi/wyverns that can be mounted mid-battle and used to gain extra movement (and probably Canto as well) and can also be dismounted. This could be done by player and enemy alike. I think the core functionality should be in place anyway if you consider Ballistas operate under this premise. You can go up to one with an Archer/Sniper and choose to ride it which is the same basic idea, so would I be right in guessing that this could be extended/repurposed for a mounting concept?

5. Assuming I split Mag off into its own stat, how feasible would it be to create weapons that did damage based on Mag instead of Str like they had in Path of Radiance?

6. For that matter what about non-weapon items that can do damage (think Cards from Radiant Dawn) from either Str or Mag as the base stat?

7. What sound formats will it support? I know in FEXP, you basically scripted looping to get it to work with mp3 files... but things would be a lot easier if you had .ogg support and made the program able to read tags for loopstart and looplength. This way you could use music already created to loop properly without having to mess with code. If that was done, I wouldn't mind going through and making .ogg files of all the GBA music with their proper loop data set into the tags for people.

That's all I can think of for now... sorry for so many questions!

Edited November 13, 2014 by Crazy Li

[fengaridotdll]

IIRC Yeti will be adding a few systems the community desperately wants, like multiple promotions. Like, the only systems he won't be adding is the kinda extraneous stuff you should be adding for yourselves, like biorhythm and marriage. The really core major stuff will be there. He's not adding monsters, but there are slots in the editor for monster-specific effects, movement noises, etc, and I'll be adding those myself. Really, FEXNA's got just about everything a guy would want.

Branched promotions! REJOICE!

[Topaz Light]

This is a very neat project! I'm very much looking forward to getting to make my own Fire Emblem game with an engine that's as user-friendly as RPG Maker.

Speaking of that... I do hope this hasn't been asked before, but in the final version, will creating new class animations and spell animations work more or less the same way as creating skill animations in the RPG Maker engines, or will there be a different process for it?
From the screenshots I saw, it didn't appear to differ too greatly from that setup.

[Crazy Li]

FEXP used the same setup for obvious reasons. I expect XNA to be fairly similar, but with a previewer that is tuned to FE battles.

[Klokinator]

It's better in almost every way, except (currently) it doesn't have drag and drop for frames. But who cares when it has gif importation?!