FE DS hacking poll

[VincentASM]

Just out of curiousity.

I can imagine why FE9/10 hacking never caught on, but I was slightly surprised with the lack of FE DS hacking (outside of Wi-Fi...).

[Junkhead]

I didn't vote yet...well, one of the reasons is that I don't get what to do when I use nightmare, I mean, I know how to use Nightmare, but when I open FE DS the character's stats/bases and other stuff look messy (i.e Marth's base Str is displayed as 16).

[VincentASM]

Are you opening the whole FE DS file or just the decompressed database file? Unlike the previous games, FE9+ compress the statistical files.

[Fei Mao]

I think its just that not a lot of people plays it on emulators since the DS is still popular, (while GBA and SNES are dead) and also since that DS emulation is still in its early stage people needs powerful CPUS to play them and not a lot of people can afford powerful CPUS, and also most people didn't like FE DS's art style. (as in battle animations and sprites).

Edited January 28, 2010 by Generic Officer

[VincentASM]

I think its just that not a lot of people plays it on emulators since the DS is still popular

From what I can recall, GBA FE hacking was much more popular when the games were still new. I don't know how the popularity of the GBA compares with the DS though.

also since that DS emulation is still in its early stage people needs powerful CPUS to play them and not a lot of people can afford powerful CPUS

I'm not completely sure on this, but I reckon my CPU is pretty average and FE DS works great on NO$GBA. Now FE9 on the other hand... >___<

[Kaplan]

For me, it's not that I think it'd be too complicated but hacking the GBA FEs is just far easier in comparison especially with programmes such as FEditor Adv. At the moment there's far more customisation that can be done which requires not a lot of effort or knowledge. Plus I generally prefer the GBA games to FE:DS anyway.

Edited January 28, 2010 by Tambo

[Celice]

DS emulation takes little power if you're using no$gba. That program never was meant to.

As for why, outside of this niche area, romhacking exists for fans to play around with their favorite games, and to revisit them in new ways. I never bother with games I don't exceptionally like, nor do many others that I used to know.

[Crimson Red]

So if I had Xeld make FEditor DS for FE11 would you guys hack it? XD

DS Emulation isn't bad... no$GBA runs fine speed wise although has a few problems with emulation, Desmume is GREAT but it's slower on the other hand (or maybe it's just my computer that emulates the game slowly).

I hack FE11 the most so I can't really answer the poll, but I can bring a counter to each point.

1. No, it's not that complicated, you're just intimidated. If anything it's easier because the game is already divided into various folders and files, locating data and crap is easier. I also made guides/doc for a ton of stuff and it's not like there aren't any programs to help hack the game...

2. @DS Emulation I already talked about this some odd sentences ago...

3. The graphics are better than GBA, screw color limits, you have more freedom, the only things to really not like are the battle animations. lol. I guess I can understand this being used as a reason... but it's not a great one IMO... oh well.

4. No, barely anyone hacks it, but there are at least like 4-5 people who do... and if you start hacking it, you'll be changing that statement to "some people hack it", so the statement is only valid if you take it to heart and don't hack because of it. I hope that made sense... and the fact that barely anyone hacks FEDS should be incentive to get started hacking it and be unique as opposed to all the GBA hacks.

5. Lack of customization... you can't hack maps and I haven't completely cracked events... but there's still plenty to customize. In fact, before Icy Toast came around with the map and event tutorials, there were still plenty of Fire Emblem hackers and there wasn't any FEditor Adv or Event Assembler. At the moment you can do about just as much with FE11 hacking as you can with GBA hacking back in the day. Maybe even do more with FE11 hacking considering one can hack almost any graphic in the game easily except for battle animations and maps...

6. Other... I can't say much about this... lol.

All the numbers correspond to the options in the poll, btw.

[Mousefire]

I don't like the emulation. the sound is horrid

[Bryan]

I hate the Battle sprites in this game. That alone made me not want to play it for a long time. :/

I like the 16 color limit because it makes spriting easier. (Yes, there is more shading and such, but it takes a lot longer to do.)

[Celice]

You can enforce the color limitations yourself, and also fix/import animations that you do like :/

I don't like the emulation. the sound is horrid

Look around for extra plug-ins and programs to run coupled with the emulator. There's a few that fix many sound issues for different players, as well as incorporating scaling and filters, and some other neat stuff. I think ngemu (or something like that) has a thread or some pinned detailing such and such.

5. Lack of customization... you can't hack maps and I haven't completely cracked events... but there's still plenty to customize. In fact, before Icy Toast came around with the map and event tutorials, there were still plenty of Fire Emblem hackers and there wasn't any FEditor Adv or Event Assembler. At the moment you can do about just as much with FE11 hacking as you can with GBA hacking back in the day. Maybe even do more with FE11 hacking considering one can hack almost any graphic in the game easily except for battle animations and maps...

If it was created by man, you can change it.

Before Icy Toast, Iggy Koopa displayed interest in Fire Emblem. He detailed map data and other stuff long before--all interest that currently exists largely stemmed from him and through others that became interested. Iggy had a map editor created for FE8 too, and had an entire program setup, if only his interest hadn't waned (as did his Yoshi's Island hacking--but the reason EggVine exists is because of him as well).

[Phoenix Wright]

Too complicated and takes up too much time.

[Junkhead]

Are you opening the whole FE DS file or just the decompressed database file? Unlike the previous games, FE9+ compress the statistical files.

Well, I didn't decompress the database file, so that must be it. I can't find a decompresser anywhere.

But as for hacking...I am not looking to hack the game very much, just basic stuff like editing growths, bases and caps, the usual =P

Edited January 29, 2010 by Alan Rainsworth

[VincentASM]

Its LZ77 compressed. You can use Nintenlord of SandwichSage's de/compressors. The latter is linked in shadowofchao's post in the first page.

Blazer pretty much echoed my thoughts on the subject. I haven't delved into graphical hacking much, but the events look fairly easy to work out, since they more or less follows FE10's event structure.

Well, it can get a bit tiring compressing files and recompiling the ROM multiple times only to find you've screwed up. Luckily a few of the files (unit disposition and maybe events?) are uncompressed. I wonder if there's a better way of doing this...

Edited January 29, 2010 by VincentASM

[Bryan]

Wait, How do I use Nightmare? I have to decompress it first? O.o

I don't know how to hack the DS at all. D:

[VincentASM]

You need to extract all the files from the ROM first. Then locate the "database" file and decompress it. Most of the Nightmare modules are designed to work for the database file, though I know Blazer made some for the dispos (unit disposition) files as well.

It's the same process for hacking FE9/10 (just replace "database" with "System.cms" or "FE10Data.cms").

Edited January 29, 2010 by VincentASM

[Bryan]

You need to extract all the files from the ROM first. Then locate the "database" file and decompress it. Most of the Nightmare modules are designed to work for the database file, though I know Blazer made some for the dispos (unit disposition) files as well.

It's the same process for hacking FE9/10 (just replace "database" with "System.cms" or "FE10Data.cms").

Thanks :)

I won't do much though, because I don't care for FE11.

[CT075]

I just don't like FE11 that much.

[Aleph]

Not a fan of it either. Also there seems to be a depressing lack of documentation.

[Crimson Red]

@Xeld... umm... try downloading the editing package...

To hack FE11 using the Nightmare modules, read the text file called "Obtaining the database", then "How to Decompile", then read the README in the Character Editor folder, and the same rules apply to the class and item editors. The same concept also applies to unit data (Unit Disposition Editors) as well.

For graphics, go into the Graphic Editing folder and navigate from there, reading the files in the folders for documentation/information/tutorials/guides.

There is some miscellaneous documentation in the "documentation" folder.

The "Text Editing" folder includes information on decompressing text, recompressing and reinserting text, as well as the text format.

(Quoted from "What Is Possible" file in FE11 Editor)

What Can Be Hacked (Known Aspects Thus Far)

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

Character Stats: Yes

Character Growths: Yes

Class Stats: Yes

Class Growths: Yes

Item Stats: Yes

Miscellaneous Character/Class/Item Info: Yes

ReClass System: Yes

Unit Placement: Yes

Unit Classes: Yes

Starting Inventories: Yes

Unit Allegiances: Yes

Events: Somewhat

Text: Mostly

Shops: Yes, not heavily tested

Chests: Yes, not heavily tested

Animations: Switchable, palettes, no customization yet

Map Sprites: Yes

Palettes: Yes

Chibi Insertion: Yes

Portrait Insertion: Yes

General Graphic Insertion: Yes

Custom CG Insertion: Yes

Custom Battle Backgrounds: Yes

Custom Dialog Backgrounds: Yes

Custom Maps: No

Some Miscellaneous: Yes

General Music Editing: Yes

This may or may not shock some of you doubtful ones...

If only Xeld had the interest to make a GUI editor that would cut hacking time in half... The only editor there is now is a Japanese one that edits stats and growths...

If it was created by man, you can change it.

Before Icy Toast, Iggy Koopa displayed interest in Fire Emblem. He detailed map data and other stuff long before--all interest that currently exists largely stemmed from him and through others that became interested. Iggy had a map editor created for FE8 too, and had an entire program setup, if only his interest hadn't waned (as did his Yoshi's Island hacking--but the reason EggVine exists is because of him as well).

You're correcting me on technicalities... you know when I say "you can't hack ____" I mean that I haven't covered the subject or figured out how something works... I'm not going to tell everyone "you can hack any part of the game" and then when they ask me how say "I have no idea". >_>

I don't like the emulation. the sound is horrid

Try Desmume.

I hate the Battle sprites in this game. That alone made me not want to play it for a long time.

Hack them, turn them offor stop exaggerating because they aren't even that bad. Everyone seems to have thought "oh noez 3D battle sprites" since the first screenshots were released and taken that "the battle animations are horrible" philosophy all the way through... oh well.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Luffy

[Aleph]

Blegh. 90% of that stuff looks Ctrl+F'd to me.

All the stuff with "Yes" next to it, put together, is lame compared to the things that don't have "Yes" next to them.

Any interest I have in anything is moot because I'm lazy and have other things I want and need to be doing...

[Ike-Mike]

I wanted to say "lack of documentation" too, but seeing as Luffy pointed out that there already is a solid amount of documentation I might try it sometime soon ...

Also lol at people who complain about the graphic style. The backgrounds and mugshots are more detailed than ever and all the new animations in Sacred Stones used faux-3D too ...

Edited January 31, 2010 by Ike-Mike

[Crimson Red]

@Xeld, no. The only things I haven't completely cracked are events and maps. Well you know it's kinda boring and tiresome to hack a game when you're the only person doing it and everyone else just talks shit about the game without knowing anything or doing anything themselves.

That being said there isn't a ton of documentation, I add more and more whenever I have free time... but there's more than nothing and more than there is GBAFE documentation, excluding ASM hacks.

I should just stop posting here so I don't get warned by some mod

[Celice]

You're correcting me on technicalities... you know when I say "you can't hack ____" I mean that I haven't covered the subject or figured out how something works... I'm not going to tell everyone "you can hack any part of the game" and then when they ask me how say "I have no idea". >_>

You're assuming that in order for someone to modify their game, they must first ask you, or out of context, someone, for the necessary data. It does not matter whether you or anyone else has looking into a game in regards to the ability to edit data.

Further, you're misrepresenting the difficulty of editing the data by assuming that if it has not been documented then it will be hard. Simply because you haven't "cracked" the format does not mean it will be equally difficult or otherwise time-consuming for someone else to take a look at the relative data. Instead for clarity you should state that you yourself has no clue on how to edit the data in question and that asking me for tips is useless because of such, not "you can't." What will happen is perhaps someday someone will be searching up if someone had previously edited the game before they themselves had tried, and if upon seeing your statement, they will see that you apparently decided it wasn't possible. No one knows what you mean "when you say" something. If you want to remain objective and helpful, make your findings as clear and unproblematic as possible. All your statement does is allow the reader to become misconstrued in understanding the possibility of editing what they wish to edit.