Hacking Guide.doc | "Lazy Shell complete hacking guide."

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Main - Super Mario RPG Hacking - Hacking Guide.doc | "Lazy Shell complete hacking guide."

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Elementalpowerstar

Posted on 07-09-11 09:31 PM (rev. 3 of 07-09-11 10:10 PM)

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Earlier in Lazy Shell's releases, before version 2.3, giangurgolo included a file in the releases called "Hacking Guide.doc" which outlined what he believes is the best possible way to create a hack, and what he most likely did when creating The Bob-Omb Mafia and/or OFFEREZEPS, the flagship and demonstration hacks resepectively.

However, in the most current versions of Lazy Shell, he did not include Hacking Guide.doc, and I believe it contains wonderful tips and a streamlined basic outline for any hack wanting to make a hack, as well as pointing out that some people don't want to make full hacks and just want to mess around with some stuff (being most of the hacks on here.)

Below is the entire document excerpted from the file itself. However, if you want the document itself on your computer for use whenever you would like, you can download it in his website or Extract it from this .zip of Lazy Shell version 3.2b.

Below is the document. Be reminded that this document is slightly out of date on features, but most of it retains to what is correct.

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LS complete hacking guide

This guide was made with the intention of creating a complete hack. If you just want to edit monster stats, dialogues, and palettes, go ahead. Just remember to do them in the order that they appear in this guide, or it will become confusing. If you plan to create a full hack, use this ordered sequence guide to do it otherwise I guarantee it will get very very confusing and time consuming. Do not waste precious hours getting headaches and neck aches because of a poorly thought out hacking strategy. I wrote this because I hope anyone else who has an unquenchable desire to hack this game to pieces will not have wasted hours and hours trying to figure out what went where, getting frustrated, etc.

Of course, you can avoid all of this by remembering that there’s always the option of not doing any of this at all. Most individuals simply want to play around with the editor for a little while, and not invest countless hours into something which offers little in return other than being an outlet for creativity. Unlike other mediums, though, remember that ROM hacking probably won’t yield any revenue. Unless there’s the rare occasion that someone might become involved with an electronic gaming studio as a result of gained experience from using this editor.

It is highly recommended to use existing elements and modify those instead of creating something entirely from scratch. Base the hack off of sprites, items, and monsters that already exist in the game with the intention of modifying those items. If you want a poison-protection item for example, use Antidote Pin and rename it later after everything else is done. Use existing sprites and change their palette using the “COLOR MATH” feature as an easy suggestion. Use existing level maps, or even use one of the several dummied ones that are already drawn.

Also, before all of this, take notes using the notes database feature or use a word processor to catalogue all of the levels, events, monsters and dialogues you want to create. If this seems is a waste of time you have no idea how much time you will waste trying to keep everything organized without notes, eventually being forced to either give up or start taking notes. Also consider the event memory addresses you will need, and assign each bit an event completion (example: Terrapin guards in level #4 are defeated). Even if you don’t think you will need to check it, do it anyways. There’s plenty of memory addresses available.

Here’s the editing sequence I recommend you follow (there might be a better one, but this one should make the task much simpler and quicker):

1. Levels (drawing or modifying the actual level)
a. create new levels starting at Level #4

b. sequentially group levels together that have a similar theme

c. ex: levels #5 through #10 could be grasslands levels, levels #11
through #15 could be house levels, levels #16 through #24 could be sewers levels (just a few examples)
d. do not edit the exit at Level #3

e. do not edit anything not in the LAYERS or MAPS tabs, yet

2. Levels (drawing the physical field)
a. draw the outline of the impassable boundaries (walls) with physical tile #255

b. draw the other tiles afterwards

3. Levels (exits)
a. add the exits for the levels

b. if you do this before you finish drawing all levels, it will get confusing

4. World Maps
a. modify or create world maps

b. add or modify map points that lead to the new levels

c. do not worry about the event #’s for the points, yet

5. Levels (NPCs)
a. add your NPCs

b. use the search “Edit NPCs…” to find NPCs but do not edit them, yet

c. do not worry about custom sprites you want to make, yet

d. edit the partitions, use the search to find the right one based on the pixel sizes and types of sprites have in the level

6. Levels (overlaps)
a. add the overlaps for things like tables, parts of walls, etc.

b. use the “OVERLAP TILESET…” to find the right one

7. Sprites (dialogues)
a. it is recommended to start editing dialogues at #2048 and beyond

b. write all of the dialogues you want to use, group them together like the levels

c. you can edit the font and BG if you want

8. Event Scripts
a. make notes of every single event you will have

b. write notes of all the memory addresses and bits that will be checked in events

c. do not use any memory addresses before 00:7050, those are used by common events (battles, treasures, etc.)

d. group events together like the levels

e. start making events at #512, it is not recommended to modify the earlier ones

f. consider the fact that many levels will need “Entrance events” as well

g. do not worry about pack #’s for battles, just leave them at 0 for now

h. avoid importing event scripts if possible, the pointer update is buggy in that regard

(It may not be buggy anymore.)

9. Levels (NPCs)
a. assign the NPCs the events you created for them

10. Levels (events)
a. assign each level its designated entrance event, or just use event #15 which could be considered a default entrance event

b. add the event fields, and assign them the events you created for them

11. World Maps
a. assign event #’s to the map points

b. it is better to modify existing events instead of leading to new ones

12. Sprites (sprites)
a. edit the sprites as much as you want, just modify the palettes for an easy task

b. it is recommended to modify current sprites instead of starting from an empty one

13. Stats (formations)
a. make new formations with the monster you will use

b. make new packs with the new formations

c. it is much easier to use existing formations/packs that are similar

14. Event Scripts
a. go back and change the pack #’s to the new ones you created

15. Stats (monsters)
a. change the monsters’ stats, names, etc.

16. Stats (items, shops)
a. edit the item stats and the shops, based on what items you decided to use

17. Battle Scripts
a. create new battle scripts for the monsters you modified

b. you can go back and forth between editing monster stats and battle scripts

18. Animation Scripts
a. modify the animations of the spells, attacks, battle events, etc. that you have already assigned in the battle scripts, you can go back and change them in the battle scripts if you want

b. this is the most complex and difficult of all portions of the game, so be forewarned when intending to make heavy edits of spells

c. easy suggestion: just modify which sounds, sprites and spell effects are used, and don’t try to move around stuff or change the main command values

19. Sprites (spell effects)
a. modify the spell effects that will be used in the animation scripts

Anything else (like the other stuff in the stats editor such as starting stats, shops, or items) you should edit after everything else.

—giangurgolo

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Anything written in this guide is all giangurgolo's work, and I hold no rights, credit, or claim to his work. He and Omega did a wonderful job with the editor and this guide is no exception.

Last edit:
Made it with lists, and more HTML thingies. Should look goodlike now.

____________________
Introduction to The Lazy Shell Editor (youtube)
Super Modify RPG's Youtube Channel.

DJSonicFreak

Posted on 10-07-11 05:27 PM

Link | Quote | ID: 147890

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Thanks for this, I had no idea where to start first originally with Lazy Shell because there was so much to do and learn within it, I'll keep a copy of this guide saved in a document. Thanks again!

Main - Super Mario RPG Hacking - Hacking Guide.doc | "Lazy Shell complete hacking guide."

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