Update:
Get the alpha patch here:
dropbox.com/s/k744s857itautrs/Final Fantasy III (U) (V1.0) (Headered) [Command Edit Upgrade] ALPHA 10262015.ips?dl=0
Still needs several bugs squashed, but this is a good representation of what I want to accomplish.
Update:
Since this project is actually getting some work done I changed the title of the thread and will continue to use it to keep track of the work on this.
OP:
OK. A long while back I got some opinions here about creating a sort of a Job system for FF6.
Since then I've been refining that idea into something a bit simpler and more viable.
To that end I'd like some opinions from others that are more familiar with the inner workings of the game.
I haven't gone into any detailed research about free space issues in the relevant banks so take that into consideration.
Anyway here's my idea:
Title: Skills Menu Upgrade
The gist of this is to move the command set functionality from the Status sub-menu to the Skills sub-menu and apply it to all characters.
This would add a new way to customize characters and allow for new relics / item effects in future hacks.
A new 'Command' selection on the Skills menu would be added that displays a new sub-menu adapted from existing configurations. Here
the command set routine would be implemented and reworked to give each PC access to certain commands they can set to their battle
menu in much the same way as Gogo can, but with differences.
Gogo's command list would be altered to populate based on the available commands of the current party only. So his command list will
change as the party he is currently in changes, but if a command is removed from his list it won't be removed from his battle menu in
order to reduce the amount of ASM coding I'd have to do and give the player a way for Gogo to 'memorize' commands even if the
associated character isn't in the current party. Fight, Item, and Magic would still be added to his command list as normal. Mimic would
also be added as per HatZen08's Extra Mimic Slot patch. Gogo would be the only character that can edit all 4 of his command slots.
An alternate routine would be used for the rest of the PCs that will populate their lists based on their starting commands and the availability
of specific items. This version of the routine would first add the current character's default commands to the list. Then additional commands
are added based on specific factors; for example the Magic command is added only if the character in question has at least one spell in their
learned spell list or if the command is Morph it checks for the event flag that unlocks it. Next some commands are added based on the
presence of specific key items and/or other commands.
Examples:
Check for "Autograph" key item (text changed to "Dragoon Boots") and if present add Jump to command list.
Check for "Sketch" command in default battle menu, if present check for "Manicure" key item (text changed to "Fake Mustache"),
and if present add Control to command list.
Etc...
Since the code would check key items instead of the relic bytes that swap commands these items can be made into new relics, the key items would have
to be placed into chests, the command swapping code can be disabled and used as free space, and the command relic bytes can be used for new effects.
This patch could be taken even further, but it's already a pretty big project to consider given the need to pretty drastically alter the Skills sub-menu.
Given the number of unused key items I could accommodate all the standard commands plus Health and Shock. Any more would require that more Key Items
be added and I don't know if expanding that particular list is feasible.
Beyond that it would be cool to add a number of new commands based on some of the other relics that currently function as support abilities like the Offering
and Sniper Eye, but then I would have to add more commands and again I don't know how feasible that would be either. Then again Master ZED basically did
just that in his Controllable Umaro patch.
If I could accomplish this one thing to consider is that Jump and X-Magic would now be openly available to all characters once a single key item is found.
So when during the game these items can be found should be taken into careful consideration. Since I'd make this with compatibility for other patches in mind things like the Imbued Magic patch or Restricted Espers by Character could be used as limiters.
What do you guys think? Is this doable or too much of a pipe dream?
Get the alpha patch here:
dropbox.com/s/k744s857itautrs/Final Fantasy III (U) (V1.0) (Headered) [Command Edit Upgrade] ALPHA 10262015.ips?dl=0
Still needs several bugs squashed, but this is a good representation of what I want to accomplish.
Update:
Since this project is actually getting some work done I changed the title of the thread and will continue to use it to keep track of the work on this.
OP:
OK. A long while back I got some opinions here about creating a sort of a Job system for FF6.
Since then I've been refining that idea into something a bit simpler and more viable.
To that end I'd like some opinions from others that are more familiar with the inner workings of the game.
I haven't gone into any detailed research about free space issues in the relevant banks so take that into consideration.
Anyway here's my idea:
Title: Skills Menu Upgrade
The gist of this is to move the command set functionality from the Status sub-menu to the Skills sub-menu and apply it to all characters.
This would add a new way to customize characters and allow for new relics / item effects in future hacks.
A new 'Command' selection on the Skills menu would be added that displays a new sub-menu adapted from existing configurations. Here
the command set routine would be implemented and reworked to give each PC access to certain commands they can set to their battle
menu in much the same way as Gogo can, but with differences.
Gogo's command list would be altered to populate based on the available commands of the current party only. So his command list will
change as the party he is currently in changes, but if a command is removed from his list it won't be removed from his battle menu in
order to reduce the amount of ASM coding I'd have to do and give the player a way for Gogo to 'memorize' commands even if the
associated character isn't in the current party. Fight, Item, and Magic would still be added to his command list as normal. Mimic would
also be added as per HatZen08's Extra Mimic Slot patch. Gogo would be the only character that can edit all 4 of his command slots.
An alternate routine would be used for the rest of the PCs that will populate their lists based on their starting commands and the availability
of specific items. This version of the routine would first add the current character's default commands to the list. Then additional commands
are added based on specific factors; for example the Magic command is added only if the character in question has at least one spell in their
learned spell list or if the command is Morph it checks for the event flag that unlocks it. Next some commands are added based on the
presence of specific key items and/or other commands.
Examples:
Check for "Autograph" key item (text changed to "Dragoon Boots") and if present add Jump to command list.
Check for "Sketch" command in default battle menu, if present check for "Manicure" key item (text changed to "Fake Mustache"),
and if present add Control to command list.
Etc...
Since the code would check key items instead of the relic bytes that swap commands these items can be made into new relics, the key items would have
to be placed into chests, the command swapping code can be disabled and used as free space, and the command relic bytes can be used for new effects.
This patch could be taken even further, but it's already a pretty big project to consider given the need to pretty drastically alter the Skills sub-menu.
Given the number of unused key items I could accommodate all the standard commands plus Health and Shock. Any more would require that more Key Items
be added and I don't know if expanding that particular list is feasible.
Beyond that it would be cool to add a number of new commands based on some of the other relics that currently function as support abilities like the Offering
and Sniper Eye, but then I would have to add more commands and again I don't know how feasible that would be either. Then again Master ZED basically did
just that in his Controllable Umaro patch.
If I could accomplish this one thing to consider is that Jump and X-Magic would now be openly available to all characters once a single key item is found.
So when during the game these items can be found should be taken into careful consideration. Since I'd make this with compatibility for other patches in mind things like the Imbued Magic patch or Restricted Espers by Character could be used as limiters.
What do you guys think? Is this doable or too much of a pipe dream?