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FF6 Multitap

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(I can't imagine there's a tremendous appetite for a patch like this, being as FF6 makes for a pretty lackluster multiplayer game, but I thought I'd toss this up on here just in case there's somebody out there who's interested...)

Over the last little bit, I've been piecing together a multitap patch for FF6 that does the following:
  • changes the "Controller: Single/Multiple" config option to a "Players: 1/2/3/4" option
  • scraps the individual controller/character assignment submenu (see controller allocations note below)
  • allows any connected controller to control the field/menu (think Twitch Plays, but hopefully more civilized), so P2-4 aren't just along for the ride until battle comes along, and can be responsible for their own shopping and character loadout
  • allows any player to pause at any time, so long as an active player isn't in a menu or selecting targets
  • allows any player to dismiss end of combat messages
  • this also fixes a Blitz bug where controller 2 used to be able to screw up player 1's Blitz inputs and vice versa due to a weird merged input schema that Blitzes were pulling inputs from for some reason
With the strict controller assignment menu scrapped, controller/character slot assignment for battle works as follows:
  • 1 Player: 1/1/1/1
  • 2 Player: 1/2/1/2
  • 3 Player: 1/2/3/1
  • 4 Player: 1/2/3/4
As it stands right now, this appears to be working in at least bsnes+ and Snes9x. Ensure your multitap is connected to controller port 2, and then player 1 will use controller port 1, while players 2-4 will use multitap ports 1-3.

This is all built within the existing space of the controller assignment menu and input decoding routines, so if your ROM is based on a FF6us ROM and has the "Controller: Single/Multiple" toggle (and isn't using C3 optimized) then it will presumably work fine.

You can find the asm and ips patches for this on my github here: https://github.com/SirNewtonFig/FF6multitap

(Credit to Bropedio for optimizing the M mod N controller assignment loop, and Vitor Vilela for showing me how to read P4 inputs from the multitap, because that's apparently not straightforward at all)
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I've made some updates to the multitap patch over the past few weeks, so I've updated the original post to reflect the latest. This release includes the following:
  • made it so that anyone can dismiss end of battle messages
  • made it so that anyone can pause between turns or on another player's turn, so long as they are on the main command window (cannot pause if they're in a menu, selecting targets, etc) – this is intended to allow players to cover for unexpected periods of AFK/connection loss, so please pause responsibly.
  • fixed some, uh, stability issues in the original version
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(06-06-2021, 09:12 AM)SirNewtonFig Wrote: (I can't imagine there's a tremendous appetite for a patch like this, being as FF6 makes for a pretty lackluster multiplayer game, but I thought I'd toss this up on here just in case there's somebody out there who's interested...)

Over the last little bit, I've been piecing together a multitap patch for FF6 that does the following:
  • changes the "Controller: Single/Multiple" config option to a "Players: 1/2/3/4" option
  • scraps the individual controller/character assignment submenu (see controller allocations note below)
  • allows any connected controller to control the field/menu (think Twitch Plays, but hopefully more civilized), so P2-4 aren't just along for the ride until battle comes along, and can be responsible for their own shopping and character loadout
  • allows any player to pause at any time, so long as an active player isn't in a menu or selecting targets
  • allows any player to dismiss end of combat messages
  • this also fixes a Blitz bug where controller 2 used to be able to screw up player 1's Blitz inputs and vice versa due to a weird merged input schema that Blitzes were pulling inputs from for some reason
With the strict controller assignment menu scrapped, controller/character slot assignment for battle works as follows:
  • 1 Player: 1/1/1/1
  • 2 Player: 1/2/1/2
  • 3 Player: 1/2/3/1
  • 4 Player: 1/2/3/4
As it stands right now, this appears to be working in at least bsnes+ and Snes9x. Ensure your multitap is connected to controller port 2, and then player 1 will use controller port 1, while players 2-4 will use multitap ports 1-3.

This is all built within the existing space of the controller assignment menu and input decoding routines, so if your ROM is based on a FF6us ROM and has the "Controller: Single/Multiple" toggle (and isn't using C3 optimized) then it will presumably work fine.

You can find the asm and ips patches for this on my github here: https://github.com/SirNewtonFig/FF6multitap

(Credit to Bropedio for optimizing the M mod N controller assignment loop, and Vitor Vilela for showing me how to read P4 inputs from the multitap, because that's apparently not straightforward at all)

Sounds like a blast!  I recently discovered an .ips file that allows the player to reassign the native button layout of the controller.  Unfortunately, I have yet to get it to work...I mean at all.  I was a little bummed out at first because I'm a BIG fan of the VGM music player patch that replaces the mono-audio option in the config menu.  And, I can't get that patch to play nicely with any other menu patch out there.  If it's at all possible, try to make your patch compatible with the music player patch.  You might want to try and format the config menu options in a similar fashion as the music player, by highlighting one of the options blue and assigning a submenu to it.  Of course, you'd have to rename each option so that they communicate their intended purpose: one for button layouts and the other for single/multiple controller layouts.  If you install the music player patch, you'll intuitively see how everything is formatted.  They've written good notes.  I only mention stuff like this because the Stereo option just greys out for mono quality audio.  Obviously, there's no reason to create a submenu for that.  The most intuitive renamed option handles I can think of right now would be something like: Button + Multiple.  You could just have the Multiple option grey out for single-play layouts.

Have you thought about doing something like this for Sunset Riders?
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(07-01-2021, 08:39 PM)Joshua H. Wrote: Sounds like a blast!  I recently discovered an .ips file that allows the player to reassign the native button layout of the controller.  Unfortunately, I have yet to get it to work...I mean at all.  I was a little bummed out at first because I'm a BIG fan of the VGM music player patch that replaces the mono-audio option in the config menu.  And, I can't get that patch to play nicely with any other menu patch out there.  If it's at all possible, try to make your patch compatible with the music player patch.  You might want to try and format the config menu options in a similar fashion as the music player, by highlighting one of the options blue and assigning a submenu to it.  Of course, you'd have to rename each option so that they communicate their intended purpose: one for button layouts and the other for single/multiple controller layouts.  If you install the music player patch, you'll intuitively see how everything is formatted.  They've written good notes.  I only mention stuff like this because the Stereo option just greys out for mono quality audio.  Obviously, there's no reason to create a submenu for that.  The most intuitive renamed option handles I can think of right now would be something like: Button + Multiple.  You could just have the Multiple option grey out for single-play layouts.

Have you thought about doing something like this for Sunset Riders?

Ok, there's a lot in here to respond to. First and foremost, are you telling me you've tried using my multitap patch with the music player patch and that they're incompatible? Or are you just proactively suggesting I look into it? The multitap patch is built entirely within the space already utilized for the single/multiple toggle and the controller/character assignment submenu, so if there's some sort of clash with another patch, it's because they dipped into that space or moved things around.

I don't understand what you're suggesting about formatting config options. The multitap patch defines a very straightforward slider where you just pick the number of players, 1-4, much like the battle speed and text speed sliders, 1-6. Do you think there's something unintuitive about this?

Multitap doesn't deal with button layouts, so that's not of concern to me. There are routines already in the ROM for handling button remaps, there's just no interface to configure the remapping in the US ROM (there is in the JP ROM though). If someone else built a patch to allow the payer to remap their buttons (and did so without infringing on the controller/character assignment code), then it should work fine alongside multitap. I don't see any need to combine the two into a single config line item, because then I'd just be coupling multitap to another patch. It's a nice self-contained standalone as it is, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Re: Sunset Riders – no. I have never even heard of the game, so I don't see myself having the motivation to hack it.
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(07-01-2021, 09:49 PM)SirNewtonFig Wrote:
(07-01-2021, 08:39 PM)Joshua H. Wrote: Sounds like a blast!  I recently discovered an .ips file that allows the player to reassign the native button layout of the controller.  Unfortunately, I have yet to get it to work...I mean at all.  I was a little bummed out at first because I'm a BIG fan of the VGM music player patch that replaces the mono-audio option in the config menu.  And, I can't get that patch to play nicely with any other menu patch out there.  If it's at all possible, try to make your patch compatible with the music player patch.  You might want to try and format the config menu options in a similar fashion as the music player, by highlighting one of the options blue and assigning a submenu to it.  Of course, you'd have to rename each option so that they communicate their intended purpose: one for button layouts and the other for single/multiple controller layouts.  If you install the music player patch, you'll intuitively see how everything is formatted.  They've written good notes.  I only mention stuff like this because the Stereo option just greys out for mono quality audio.  Obviously, there's no reason to create a submenu for that.  The most intuitive renamed option handles I can think of right now would be something like: Button + Multiple.  You could just have the Multiple option grey out for single-play layouts.

Have you thought about doing something like this for Sunset Riders?

Ok, there's a lot in here to respond to. First and foremost, are you telling me you've tried using my multitap patch with the music player patch and that they're incompatible? Or are you just proactively suggesting I look into it? The multitap patch is built entirely within the space already utilized for the single/multiple toggle and the controller/character assignment submenu, so if there's some sort of clash with another patch, it's because they dipped into that space or moved things around.

I don't understand what you're suggesting about formatting config options. The multitap patch defines a very straightforward slider where you just pick the number of players, 1-4, much like the battle speed and text speed sliders, 1-6. Do you think there's something unintuitive about this?

Multitap doesn't deal with button layouts, so that's not of concern to me. There are routines already in the ROM for handling button remaps, there's just no interface to configure the remapping in the US ROM (there is in the JP ROM though). If someone else built a patch to allow the payer to remap their buttons (and did so without infringing on the controller/character assignment code), then it should work fine alongside multitap. I don't see any need to combine the two into a single config line item, because then I'd just be coupling multitap to another patch. It's a nice self-contained standalone as it is, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Re: Sunset Riders – no. I have never even heard of the game, so I don't see myself having the motivation to hack it.

Well for one, I just stumbled upon your post.  I haven’t even had a chance to install your patch yet, so I’m not TELLING you anything. But I’ll do what I can to unpack my earlier stream of consciousness...

Yes, I’m just suggesting that you look into the music player, if you’re unfamiliar with it.  No, the two patches are most likely NOT incompatible.

There’s no way for me to clarify my statements about the config menu.  But I’ll do what I can to attach an image of the config menu below.  If you compare the image with my previous statements, then it may become clear...otherwise, I don’t mind being misunderstood.

Finally, your last paragraph was a trip. LMAO! Take a breath DUDE.  You’re way to pretentious for your own good.  I won’t even bother attaching that image file I mentioned earlier...

Any further response like the one displayed in quotes above will be reported.
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(07-01-2021, 11:03 PM)Joshua H. Wrote: Finally, your last paragraph was a trip. LMAO! Take a breath DUDE.  You’re way to pretentious for your own good.  I won’t even bother attaching that image file I mentioned earlier...

Any further response like the one displayed in quotes above will be reported.

Let's not bring it there please... SirNewtonFig said nothing that deserves that sort of snippy response. It's his thread and patch and just because you did not receive an answer you deemed fit about something that doesn't even directly concern the patch in question, doesn't mean you should get so defensive - that's exactly what sours an otherwise fantastic patch-thread.


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I hear ya. It’s true, there’s nothing wrong with being proud of your own work. The patch itself does sound like a blast. I’ll have to install it and see how it plays. It’s seems impressive.
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  • Gi Nattak (07-02-2021)

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Right on. I would love to try it out as well, if I only had some friends to play with lol...sigh. Well I have some, but they're not exactly the RPG-playing type >_>
I watched the Brave New World fellas try it out the other day though, was really entertaining! And nice to see more updates rolling in.


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(07-01-2021, 11:03 PM)Joshua H. Wrote: Well for one, I just stumbled upon your post.  I haven’t even had a chance to install your patch yet, so I’m not TELLING you anything. But I’ll do what I can to unpack my earlier stream of consciousness...

Yes, I’m just suggesting that you look into the music player, if you’re unfamiliar with it.  No, the two patches are most likely NOT incompatible.

There’s no way for me to clarify my statements about the config menu.  But I’ll do what I can to attach an image of the config menu below.  If you compare the image with my previous statements, then it may become clear...otherwise, I don’t mind being misunderstood.

Finally, your last paragraph was a trip. LMAO! Take a breath DUDE.  You’re way to pretentious for your own good.  I won’t even bother attaching that image file I mentioned earlier...

Any further response like the one displayed in quotes above will be reported.

Hi! 3 Main things I want to respond to here:

1. Sorry if my earlier response came across as pointed, or some sort of attack in some way? Try re-reading it in the voice of Commander Data for the intended tone.

2. I am familiar with the music player patch. I've not used it before, but I have seen what it looks like, and have the source code in my workspace as a reference for another menu hack I've been chipping away at between other easier projects. I don't recall seeing anything in there that should cause problems with the multitap patch. Though if you do also happen to stumble upon my notext patch, be advised that that one will surely have issues with the version of the music player that lives in the config menu where the stereo/mono switch used to be, as it also repurposes that switch for turning the dialogue on and off (which is noted in its readme).

3. As a general rule of thumb, I'd suggest trying out someone's patch before offering them up suggestions on things to do to it. If you do take this for a spin and come up with any ideas for improvements (or find any bugs or unexpected interactions with other patches), I'll be happy to hear your feedback.

Cheers!

(07-02-2021, 12:34 AM)Gi Nattak Wrote: Right on. I would love to try it out as well, if I only had some friends to play with lol...sigh. Well I have some, but they're not exactly the RPG-playing type Sweat
I watched the Brave New World fellas try it out the other day though, was really entertaining! And nice to see more updates rolling in.

Dan'll be looking for bodies to do the finale around 5:30PM EST this evening! I know there's one regular who can't make it, so it's gonna be a scramble to fill the roster – you should hop in! Wink
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