Question about headers

I know that some FFVI patches require a header to put into the game, but I also want to add some other .ips patches and also one or two .bps format patches (like, say, hairy_hen's Retranslation). My question is: What is the exact order for adding the header, putting in both kinds of patches, and removing it?

I use NSRT for adding/removing headers, if that matters. Should I try another program like SNEStuff?

I don't really understand your question.. If the patch you want to apply is for headered ROM, make sure your ROM has a header, if the patch is for a headerless ROM, make sure your ROM has no header, it's that simple. You can repeat this process an infinite amount of time and the order doesn't matter. If NSTR works for you there's no need to use another option, but both options are fine.

I'm asking because so far, my attempts to patch FFVI always inevitably end in the game crashing, or graphics garbling up and my player character turning into a Chocobo. Usually, the problem is that I add too many patches and so I always have to cut myself back, but I want to be sure if there's other issues to be mindful of.

In this case the issue is likely using a headered patch with a headerless ROM or the opposite, patches conflict(s) (check with this tool) or straight up bugged patches. The common way to test is testing after each patch applied to make sure the game is working smoothly.

In this case the issue is likely using a headered patch with a headerless ROM or the opposite, patches conflict(s) (check with this tool) or straight up bugged patches. The common way to test is testing after each patch applied to make sure the game is working smoothly.

Does this tool check .bps patches, too? All the checker programs I've seen so far only check the normal .ips ones.

I don't know if it can check BPS patches, you'll have to try it.

You can use LeetSketcher's Headerizer to add or remove header requirements from any patch you have.

BPS patches are trickier, because FLIPS checks if the ROM is the correct hash before it applies the patch.  If you're using more than one BPS patch, you'll have to apply one BPS patch to a clean ROM, use LunarIPS to make an IPS patch from the changes (to bypass the hash check), and then apply THAT to your cumulative ROM.

I think I found my problem. That patch to restore the Button Config menu scrambles the whole game past the title. I'm starting to get somewhere now.

So far, I've been adding one patch, going as far as the forced pincer attack in Narshe, and then if there's no problems, I add the next patch and repeat. Caught several crash-causing patches this way.

Some hacks crash when Terra morphs, unmorphs and if a spell is cast when Terra is about to unmorph

Some hacks crash when Terra morphs, unmorphs and if a spell is cast when Terra is about to unmorph

I saw your review on Romhacking.net, about HatZen's Lucky Slot patch causing this crash, but it seems to be fine testing it here...
Could you have applied it to a headerless ROM instead of a headered ROM like the patch is intended for? Which this thread is about ironically lol. Or if not that, possibly a confliction with some other previous patch you used? It'd be messed up to put up a review that states there's a game-crashing bug if there isn't, and I'm thinking there isn't if it works on a clean headered ROM, which it does for me. I'd have probably opted to PM the author firstly, and only after making 100% sure I patched it as intended.

Anyways I let the Morph timer run out and...the game does not crash.  Is there something else to it? As far as I can tell from the included documentation, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Morph code.

Were there other hacks also that is causing this crash in your game? "Some hacks" leads me to believe so, maybe that's the one(s) that are conflicting...? If it isn't simply a header issue.