Patch: Wilder Randomness

Well, the reason why you want a balanced random number generator is because you want to ensure that every outcome is possible. If you have a situation where certain patterns of numbers never appear, or appear very infrequently, you risk locking out game content.

It can be true, but i doubt about the risk of locking out something permanently.

The patch can affect both the good and bad outcomes. If it can lock something, it can unlock something as well. Even if the outcome is bad, quantity is a important factor. You can repeat the event until you have a good outcome.

If in a sample of 100 numbers, a number is infrequently or never appears, it will not necessarily lock an outcome. As example, consider the algorithm, which calculates two outcomes by a 50% chance:

Code:

JSR get_random_number       ;get a random number between [0, 255]
CMP #$80                    ;is it higher or lower than 128?
BCS option1                 ;do something if higher or equal than 128
BRA option2                 ;do another thing if lower than 128

If there is at least one number which is lower than 128, the option 2 will be triggered. If in the sample sequence of 100 numbers the number 20 doesn't appear but the number 68 appears 50 times, the option 2 will still be triggered. To lock the option 2, all 100 numbers must be higher or equal than 128.

Technically, random numbers will be generated as long as the player plays the game. All numbers will be generated soon or later. There are only 256 random numbers in the C0/FD00 table and, from the start of the game until the end of the game, the number of generated random numbers must be astronomical.

The question is how the functions use the random numbers generated to determine a specific outcome. As example, C0/062E is a random number generator called by many functions, many of them without documentation. The same generated number will have different effects based on the function which called it. In my opinion, the functions which calls the random number generators are more important than the generated numbers. A irregular number called by a specific function can have more effect than a regular number in another function.

I suppose the scope of random generated numbers is more complex than the generated number themselves. How the game uses them is of relevance.

For example, one thing I was concerned about in randomizing the RNG table is the Auction House. The chance of getting Espers in the Auction House is very low, and the RNG depends on the movement of NPCs outside. Since there are many NPCs in Jidoor, the RNG skips over several values at once, and there is a very slight possibility that it might skip over every value where you are able to buy an esper, essentially making it impossible to get Golem and Zoneseek.

If i remember correctly, the Auction House is a event. As long I know, no event opcode reads the coordinates of another NPCs. Please, can you give more information about how the NPCs movement interfere with the Auction House?

If i understood the script, it use flags to determinate if an item/esper is available. If the item is available, its uses the BD opcode to determinate if the item will be used in the auction. It is a 50% chance to skip the item for another one. I don't see where the NPCs movement/coordinates are used.

Of course, if you're just making a static mod, you can easily test whether the Espers are obtainable. It's more of a concern if you're making a randomizer where the random number generator is randomly randomized.

I will test the Auction House when i have free time.

Many players have different tastes. They may like unpredictable games where they must adapt their strategy. Others may enjoy a more predictable and balancead game. No one is right or wrong. In the same way, this patch is more inclined to players who like unpredictable things. I suppose it is a question of personal preference.