Veldt packs hacking

I was just wondering if anyone ever changed the formations that you meet in the veldt? As we all know, thee are 64 packs with 8 formations in each. Some are empty or contain only a few formation. I would like to change some formation from a pack to another or simply add/remove formations to a specific pack.

I know they are two requirment for a formation to appear on the veldt. First, the formation number must be below 300 something (I don't remember the exact number) and you must have cleared the formation in the game.

I had a look at the ROM map but haven't found where the data concerning the veldt packs is stored, especially the data of which formations are in the 64 packs. Has anyone ever played with that?

I personally never touched the veldt but I was always considering tweaking a few pointless/repetitive formations myself

but I never got to that

I personally never touched the veldt but I was always considering tweaking a few pointless/repetitive formations myself

but I never got to that

I want to tweak it mostly to make the best rages harder to get. Also some items will be available thru metamorphosis and/or stealing only, so I want to make the encounter of the concerned monsters rarer on the veldt. Plus I would like to add some bosses available on the veldt but I think that would need some assembly changes in the veldt mechanism due to the formation number of most of the bosses. Finally, I want to fill up the unused slots in some veldt packs.

sounds good

do u plan on making a patch?

sounds good

do u plan on making a patch?

I hadn't thought about that. Most of the changes will be for my hack but I could release a patch with 8 formation in each of the 64 packs and some packs with some bosses in them. But I need to know how to change them first lol.

---

Well I found my answer soon enough. (Thanks to Angelo for finding the code). Here's the code that create the veldt formations and enable the possible encounter on the veldt:

Code:

C2/49E5: D0 1F        BNE $4A06   (exit if this formation has "Don't appear on Veldt"
                                   property)
C2/49E7: A2 0A        LDX #$0A
C2/49E9: BD 02 20     LDA $2002,X (Get MSB of monster #)
C2/49EC: D0 14        BNE $4A02   (If they're a boss, don't mark formation as found,
                                   but check next monster)
C2/49EE: AD D5 3E     LDA $3ED5  
C2/49F1: 4A           LSR         (Get bit 9 of formation #)
C2/49F2: D0 12        BNE $4A06   (If set^, formation # over 511.  skip it)
C2/49F4: AD D4 3E     LDA $3ED4   (Get battle formation)
C2/49F7: 20 17 52     JSR $5217   (X=formation DIV 8, A=2^(formation MOD 8) )
C2/49FA: 1D DD 1D     ORA $1DDD,X
C2/49FD: 9D DD 1D     STA $1DDD,X (Update structure of encountered groups for Veldt)
C2/4A00: 80 04        BRA $4A06   (Once Veldt structure is updated once, we can exit)
C2/4A02: CA           DEX
C2/4A03: CA           DEX
C2/4A04: 10 E3        BPL $49E9   (Move to next enemy and loop)
C2/4A06: 60           RTS

This code is executed for each monster of the formation encountered after a win or an escape.

First it will never brach in that function if the "Don't appear on Veldt" proprerty is checked (which can be done in FF3usME). Then it will check if the monster number is over 255. If it's the case the monster is considered as a boss and the formation won't appear on the veldt unless unless one of the other monster of the formation as a number below 256. Then it will check if the formation number of the monster is over 511. If it's the case, the formation won't appear on th veldt, no matter what number the monster has.

If the requirments are met it will set the good byte in the following range which say that the formation can be encountered on the veldt:

Code:

$1DDD-$1E1C : Monster formations beaten (to fight on veldt) (64 bytes)

Those bytes are located in the RAM. So there's 64 bytes with 8 bits each exactly like the 64 packs with 8 formation in each. There is a possibilty of a maximum of 512 formation to be encountered on the veldt. The formation need to have at least one monster with a number below 256 and the formation number must be below 512. This is why bosses like White Dragon (Pearl Dragon) appears on the veldt because his monster number is below 256 and has a formation number below 512 (it's 482 I think).

So to change add/remove/change formations on the veldt you must play with monster numbers and formation numbers as well as which monster is in which formation. There is no pre-existing veldt list in the ROM. It's created and updated each time you win/escape a battle.

Here's finally the Veldt packs and formations (taken from Djibriel Rage guide available on gamefaqs). The empty spots are because the formation didn't met a requirement:

Code:

Pack 1:
0 Lobo
1 Lobo, Lobo
2 Guard, Guard
3 Bleary, Bleary, Crawly
4 Lobo, Lobo, Marshal
5 Hornet, Bleary, Bleary, Bleary, Hornet
6 Leafer
7 Leafer, Leafer, Dark Wind

pack 2:
0 Leafer, Leafer, Dark Wind, Dark Wind
1 Sand Ray, Areneid, Areneid, Areneid
2 Sand Ray, Sand Ray
3 Areneid, Areneid, Areneid
4 Sand Ray, Areneid, Areneid
5 Hornet, Hornet
6 Were-Rat, Were-Rat, Were-Rat
7 Hornet, Crawly, Crawly

pack 3:
0 Tusker, Tusker
1 Vomammoth, Lobo
2 Crawly, Crawly, Crawly
3 Rhinotaur
4 Rhinotaur, Rhodox, Rhodox
5 Rhodox, Rhodox, GreaseMonk
6 Rhinotaur, GreaseMonk, Rhodox, Rhodox
7 GreaseMonk, GreaseMonk

pack 4:
0 Rhodox, Rhodox, Rhodox, Rhodox
1 Soldier, Soldier, M-TekArmor
2 Repo Man, Vaporite
3 M-TekArmor
4 Trilium, Tusker, Cirpius, Cirpius
5 Cirpius, Cirpius, Cirpius
6 Trilium, Trilium
7 Tusker, Cirpius, Cirpius, Cirpius

pack 5:
0 Brawler, Brawler
1 Brawler, Trilium, Vaporite, Vaporite
2 M-TekArmor, M-TekArmor
3 Pterodon, Pterodon
4 Zombone, Zombone
5 Nautiloid, Exocite, Pterodon
6 Nautiloid, Exocite
7 Pterodon, Exocite, Exocite

pack 6:
0 Empty
1 Lobo, Guard, Guard
2 Empty
3 Empty
4 Were-Rat, Repo Man
5 Were-Rat, Were-Rat
6 Doberman, Doberman
7 Actaneon, Actaneon, Actaneon

pack 7:
0 Empty
1 Stray Cat, Stray Cat, Stray Cat
2 CrassHoppr, CrassHoppr, Stray Cat, Stray Cat
3 CrassHoppr, CrassHoppr, CrassHoppr
4 Rhobite, Rhobite, Rhobite, Rhobite, Rhobite
5 Beakor
6 Beakor, Beakor, Stray Cat
7 Beakor, Rhobite, Rhobite

pack 8:
0 Rhobite, Rhobite, Rhobite
1 Beakor, Stray Cat, CrassHoppr, CrassHoppr
2 Empty
3 Empty
4 Empty
5 Telstar, Soldier, Soldier, Soldier, Soldier
6 Doberman, Doberman, Doberman
7 Empty

pack 9:
0 HeavyArmor
1 Ghost
2 Ghost, Ghost, Ghost
3 Actaneon, Actaneon, Actaneon, Aspik, Aspik
4 Ghost, Poplium, Poplium
5 Ghost, Ghost, Poplium, Poplium, Poplium
6 Whisper, Whisper, Hazer
7 Vaporite, Vaporite

pack 10:
0 Bomb, Bomb, Hazer, Hazer
1 Apparite, Apparite, Lich, Lich
2 Whisper, Whisper, Whisper, Whisper
3 Over-Mind, Over-Mind
4 Bomb, Bomb, Bomb
5 Bomb
6 Over-Mind, StillGoing, StillGoing
7 Empty

pack 11:
0 Whisper, StillGoing, Hazer, Hazer
1 Whisper, Hazer, Hazer, Hazer
2 Anguiform
3 Anguiform, Anguiform
4 Vomammoth, Vomammoth, Guard, Guard
5 StillGoing, StillGoing, StillGoing
6 Anguiform, Actaneon, Aspik
7 Rider

pack 12:
0 HeavyArmor, Trooper, Trooper
1 Fidor, Trooper
2 Whisper
3 Trooper, Trooper, Trooper, Trooper
4 Bounty Man, Trooper, Trooper
5 FossilFang
6 Red Fang, Red Fang
7 Over Grunk, Vulture, Iron Fist

pack 13:
0 Iron Fist, Iron Fist, Mind Candy, Mind Candy
1 Red Fang, Vulture, Red Fang
2 Over Grunk, Over Grunk, Mind Candy, Mind Candy, Mind Candy
3 Vulture, Vulture
4 Vulture, Iron Fist
5 Mind Candy, Mind Candy, Mind Candy, Mind Candy
6 HadesGigas
7 Crawler

pack 14:
0 Gabbldegak, Gabbldegak, Gabbldegak, Gabbldegak
1 SlamDancer
2 SlamDancer, Gabbldegak, Gabbldegak, Gabbldegak
3 Harvester
4 SlamDancer, Harvester, Harvester
5 Harvester, Gabbldegak, Gabbldegak
6 HadesGigas, Harvester
7 Mag Roader (purple)

pack 15:
0 Vermin, Sewer Rat, Sewer Rat
1 Sewer Rat, Vermin, Sewer Rat, Sewer Rat, Vermin
2 Crawler, Crawler, Crawler, Crawler
3 Garm, Garm, Commando, Commando
4 Garm, Garm, Commando
5 Mag Roader (purple), Mag Roader (red)
6 Trapper, Trapper, Trapper
7 General, General

pack 16:
0 General, Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak
1 Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak
2 Chaser, Trapper, Trapper, Trapper
3 Chaser, Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak
4 Gobbler
5 Commander, Commander, Commander
6 Empty (Allo Ver would go here)
7 Empty

pack 17:
0 Nastidon, Nastidon
1 Empty
2 Empty
3 Empty
4 Empty
5 Empty
6 Nohrabbit, Nohrabbit, Nohrabbit
7 Bomb

pack 18:
0 Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb
1 Io
2 Maliga, Maliga, Maliga
3 FossilFang, FossilFang
4 FossilFang, Bug, Bug, Bug
5 Bug, Bug, Bug
6 Bug, Bug, Bug, Bug, Bug, Bug
7 Ralph, Ralph

pack 19:
0 Ralph, Wyvern, Wyvern
1 Ralph, Wyvern, ChickenLip, ChickenLip
2 WeedFeeder, WeedFeeder, WeedFeeder
3 Ralph, Joker
4 Joker, Joker, Joker
5 ChickenLip, ChickenLip, ChickenLip, ChickenLip, ChickenLip
6 Zombone
7 Zombone, Ing, Ing

pack 20:
0 Ing, Ing, Ing
1 Apparite, Apparite
2 Coelecite, Coelecite, Coelecite
3 Lich, Apparite, Coelecite
4 Lich, Lich, Lich
5 Sp Forces, Sp Forces, Sp Forces
6 Balloon, Balloon, Balloon
7 Balloon, Balloon, Balloon, Balloon, Balloon, Balloon

pack 21:
0 Baskervor
1 Chimera
2 Cephaler, Baskervor
3 Cephaler, Cephaler, Cephaler
4 Adamanchyt, Slurm, Slurm
5 Adamanchyt, Adamanchyt
6 Slurm, Slurm, Slurm, Slurm, Slurm
7 Mandrake, Mandrake, Mandrake

pack 22:
0 Mandrake, Insecare, Insecare
1 Abolisher, Abolisher
2 Gigantos
3 Empty
4 Empty
5 Empty
6 Empty
7 Sky Armor, Sky Armor, Spit Fire

pack 23:
0 Sky Armor, Spit Fire
1 Behemoth
2 Apokryphos, Misfit, Misfit
3 Apokryphos
4 Ninja, Ninja
5 Wirey Drgn, Wirey Drgn, Wirey Drgn
6 Apokryphos, Apokryphos, Apokryphos
7 Brainpan, Misfit, Apokryphos, Brainpan

pack 24:
0 Brainpan, Brainpan, Brainpan
1 Dragon
2 Behemoth, Misfit, Misfit
3 Behemoth, Behemoth
4 Ninja, Ninja, Wirey Drgn
5 Grenade
6 Chimera, Cephaler, Cephaler
7 Baskervor, Baskervor

pack 25:
0 Peepers, Peepers
1 Peepers, Peepers, Peepers
2 EarthGuard, Peepers, Peepers
3 Black Drgn
4 Didalos, Veteran
5 Mesosaur, Mesosaur
6 Mesosaur, Mesosaur, Mesosaur, Mesosaur
7 Gilomantis, Mesosaur

pack 26:
0 Gilomantis, Gilomantis, Mesosaur
1 Chitonid, Gigan Toad, Gigan Toad
2 Lunaris, Osprey
3 Lunaris, Lunaris
4 Osprey, Chitonid, Gigan Toad
5 Madam, Veteran, Veteran
6 Veteran, Veteran, Veteran
7 HermitCrab, HermitCrab, Pm Stalker

pack 27:
0 Empty
1 Scorpion, Scorpion, Scorpion
2 Intangir
3 Pm Stalker, Pm Stalker, Pm Stalker, Pm Stalker
4 Vectagoyle, Vectagoyle
5 Buffalax
6 Buffalax, Delta Bug, Delta Bug
7 Bloompire, Bloompire, Lizard

pack 28:
0 Bloompire, Bloompire
1 Delta Bug, Delta Bug, Delta Bug, Delta Bug
2 Bloompire, Bloompire, Delta Bug
3 Buffalax, Lizard
4 Maliga, Maliga, Nohrabbit, Nohrabbit
5 Cactrot
6 Sand Horse, Sand Horse
7 Sand Horse, Maliga, Maliga

pack 29:
0 Latimeria
1 Latimeria, Nohrabbit, Nohrabbit, Nohrabbit
2 Doom Drgn, Doom Drgn
3 Land Worm
4 Humpty, Humpty, Humpty
5 Cruller, Humpty, Humpty
6 Humpty, Humpty, Humpty, Humpty
7 NeckHunter, NeckHunter

pack 30:
0 NeckHunter, Cruller, Humpty, Humpty
1 Dante
2 Drop, Drop, Drop
3 Pugs, Pugs, Pugs
4 Harpiai
5 Hoover
6 Harpiai, Deep Eye, Deep Eye
7 Bogy, Bogy

pack 31:
0 Deep Eye, Deep Eye, Deep Eye, Deep Eye, Deep Eye, Deep Eye
1 Deep Eye, Muus, Muus, Deep Eye
2 Muus, Muus, Muus
3 Muus
4 Orog, Orog
5 Orog, PowerDemon, PowerDemon
6 Osteosaur
7 PowerDemon

pack 32:
0 PowerDemon, Exoray, Exoray
1 Exoray, Exoray, Exoray
2 Mad Oscar, Exoray
3 Mad Oscar
4 Empty
5 Pug
6 Poppers, Poppers, Poppers, Poppers
7 Kiwok, Ceritops

pack 33:
0 Kiwok, Poppers, Poppers, Poppers
1 Ceritops, Ceritops, Ceritops
2 Anemone, Anemone, Tomb Thumb
3 Anemone, Anemone, Anemone, Anemone
4 Ceritops, Tomb Thumb, Tomb Thumb
5 Luridan, Luridan, Luridan
6 Punisher, Scrapper, Punisher
7 Borras

pack 34:
0 Borras, Ursus, Scrapper
1 Ursus
2 Luridan, Luridan, Luridan, Luridan, Luridan, Luridan
3 Ursus, Punisher
4 Toe Cutter
5 Toe Cutter, Toe Cutter
6 Rhyos
7 Vectaur, Vectaur, Vectaur, Vectaur

pack 35:
0 Brontaur, Evil Oscar
1 Red Wolf, Red Wolf, Red Wolf
2 Test Rider
3 Nastidon, Red Wolf, Red Wolf
4 Wizard, Wizard, Wizard
5 Wizard, Wizard, Psychot, Psychot, Psychot
6 Red Wolf, Red Wolf, Psychot, Psychot
7 Psychot, Psychot, Psychot, Psychot, Psychot, Psychot

pack 36:
0 Mag Roader (yellow), Mag Roader (yellow), Mag Roader (brown)
1 Mag Roader (yellow), Mag Roader (brown), Mag Roader (brown)
2 Brontaur, Brontaur
3 Empty
4 SoulDancer, SoulDancer, Crusher, Crusher
5 Vindr, Vindr, Wild Cat, Crusher, Crusher
6 Vindr, Vindr
7 SoulDancer, Wild Cat, Wild Cat, Wild Cat, Wild Cat

pack 37:
0 Dahling, Dahling
1 Nightshade, Nightshade, Nightshade
2 Still Life
3 Opinicus, Opinicus
4 Displayer
5 Opinicus, Hipocampus, Eland
6 Hipocampus, Hipocampus, Hipocampus
7 Hipocampus, Cluck, Cluck, Cluck

pack 38:
0 Slatter, Warlock, Eland
1 Slatter, Slatter
2 Warlock, Cluck, Cluck, Eland, Eland
3 GtBehemoth, Vectaur, Vectaur
4 Doom Drgn
5 Goblin, Goblin
6 Goblin, Figaliz, Figaliz
7 Boxed Set, Boxed Set, Figaliz, Figaliz

pack 39:
0 Boxed Set
1 Lethal Wpn
2 Enuo, Enuo
3 Enuo, Goblin, Figaliz
4 Boxed Set, Boxed Set, Boxed Set, Boxed Set
5 Rain Man, Rain Man
6 Samurai, Rain Man, Rain Man
7 PlutoArmor, PlutoArmor

pack 40:
0 Barb-e, Critic
1 PlutoArmor, Sky Cap
2 Allosaurus, Parasite, Parasite, Parasite
3 Critic, Pan Dora, Pan Dora, Pan Dora
4 Allosaurus
5 Barb-e, Samurai, Suriander
6 Suriander, Pan Dora, Parasite, Parasite
7 Crawler, Crawler, Crawler

pack 41:
0 Tyranosaur, Tyranosaur
1 Tyranosaur
2 Brachosaur
3 Mantodea, Sprinter, Spek Tor, Spek Tor
4 Reach Frog, Reach Frog, Reach Frog, Reach Frog
5 Mantodea, Mantodea
6 Geckorex, Geckorex, Reach Frog
7 TumbleWeed, TumbleWeed, TumbleWeed, TumbleWeed

pack 42:
0 Sprinter, Sprinter, Spek Tor, Spek Tor
1 GtBehemoth, Evil Oscar, Vectaur
2 Evil Oscar, Evil Oscar, Evil Oscar
3 Harpy
4 Harpy, Prussian
5 Prussian, GloomShell
6 GloomShell, GloomShell, GloomShell
7 Empty

pack 43:
0 Phase, Phase
1 Trixter, Trixter, Trixter
2 Phase, Parasoul, Necromancr, Necromancr
3 Trixter, Trixter, Necromancr
4 Sea Flower, Sea Flower, Sea Flower, Sea Flower, Sea Flower
5 Uroburos, Sea Flower, Sea Flower
6 Chaos Drgn, Uroburos, Sea Flower, Sea Flower
7 Aquila, Chaos Drgn, Chaos Drgn

pack 44:
0 Empty
1 Empty
2 Ogor, Ogor
3 Covert, Ogor
4 Wart Puck, Wart Puck
5 Karkass, Karkass
6 Tap Dancer, Covert, Covert
7 Tap Dancer, Woolly

pack 45:
0 Woolly, Woolly, Karkass, Karkass
1 Wart Puck, Ogor
2 Empty
3 Magic Urn, Magic Urn
4 Flan, Flan, Flan, Flan, Flan, Flan
5 Flan, Flan, Flan, Flan
6 Empty
7 Empty

pack 46:
0 Rhinox, Rhinox
1 Gobbler, Rhinox, Gobbler
2 Empty
3 Empty
4 Empty
5 Empty
6 Empty
7 Empty

pack 47:
0 Empty
1 Empty
2 Empty
3 Empty
4 Empty
5 Vector Pup, Vector Pup, Commander
6 Vector Pup, Vector Pup
7 Trilobiter, Primordite, Primordite

pack 48:
0 Gold Bear, Primordite
1 Trilobiter, Trilobiter, Trilobiter
2 Primordite, Primordite
3 Dark Side, Dark Side
4 Dark Side, Spectre, Rinn, Rinn, Rinn
5 1st Class, Wild Rat
6 1st Class, 1st Class, 1st Class
7 Wild Rat, 1st Class, 1st Class, Wild Rat, Wild Rat

pack 49:
Empty

pack 50:
0 Empty
1 Empty
2 Empty
3 Innoc, Fortis
4 Fortis, Fortis
5 Empty
6 Dueller, Dueller, Sky Base
7 Scullion

pack 51:
0 Innoc, Innoc, Innoc
1 Junk, Junk, Junk
2 Empty
3 Empty
4 ProtoArmor, Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak
5 Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak, Pipsqueak
6 Mag Roader, Mag Roader (both purple)
7 Mag Roader, Mag Roader, Mag Roader, Mag Roader (all red)

pack 52:
0 Empty
1 Empty
2 Templar, Templar, Soldier, Soldier
3 Balloon, Balloon, Balloon, Balloon
4 Soldier, Soldier
5 Sky Base, IronHitman, IronHitman, IronHitman, IronHitman
6 IronHitman, IronHitman, IronHitman
7 Dueller, Fortis

pack 53:
0 Commando, Commando, Commando, Commando
1 Empty
2 Commando
3 Empty
4 Empty
5 Empty
6 Empty
7 Empty

pack 54:
0 SrBehemoth (The undead Behemoth only)
1 Dark Force, Dark Force
2 Retainer, Retainer, Dark Force
3 Hemophyte, Retainer
4 Outsider, Outsider, Madam
5 Mover, Mover, Mover
6 Steroidite
7 Didalos, Didalos

pack 55:
Empty

pack 56:
Empty

pack 57:
0 Empty
1 Empty
2 Empty
3 Empty
4 SrBehemoth (The undead Behemoth only, the living formation is swapped out at
              battle start. Meeting it on the Veldt opens the possibility of
              encountering the SrBehemoth monster formation in Pack 54)
5 Empty
6 Empty
7 Empty

pack 58:
Empty

pack 59:
Empty

pack 60:
Empty

pack 61:
0 Empty
1 White Drgn
2 Empty
3 Empty
4 Empty
5 Empty
6 Empty
7 Empty

pack 62:
Empty

pack 63:
Empty

pack 64:
Empty