Make Morph work like Quick?

I'm working on some changes to Terra.  Specifically, I'm replacing the Morph command with the Magitek command, which gives her access to her own personal list of 8 unique spells (provided they share targeting data with the rider spells).  To maintain her half-esper-ness, one of these spells is Trance which triggers the Morph status (with a different animation, because she doesn't play nice and move back into position with the Morph animation).

I'm running into the same problem everybody does with Morph, though, which is the wretched Revert timer.  So I want to remove it and make the status turn-based, applying its effect to the next 1-3 actions that Terra (or whichever character is morphed) takes.

I had two basic plans for how this might be achieved:

1) Turn off countdown of Morph Timer.  Check for Morph status on taking an action, and if present decrease Morph Timer by a fixed amount [say... 16].  Floor it at 0, triggering built-in revert.
  A) Possibly set the Morph Timer back to max at the end of Revert, so that Morph always has a fixed turn count.

2) Turn off countdown of Morph Timer.  Add Morph status to the Quick spell and its special effect, so that when Quick ends Morph ends too.  Not sure if this will work.


The first sounds more aesthetically pleasing because the morph meter will show roughly how many turns Terra has left with the morph bonus.  However... it involves interrupting actions which seems rather complicated.

This is some code I got from DataCrystal's rom map:

Code:

==============================================================
Pick Action for Berserk, Zombie, Muddle, Charm, Colliseum
(For Morph changes: add check, redirect, and timer deduction?)
==============================================================
C2/0420: 8A           TXA
C2/0421: EB           XBA
C2/0422: A9 06        LDA #$06
C2/0424: 20 81 47     JSR $4781    (X * 6)
C2/0427: A8           TAY
C2/0428: 64 FE        STZ $FE      (save Fight as Command 5)
C2/042A: 64 FF        STZ $FF      
C2/042C: B9 2E 20     LDA $202E,Y  (get Command 1)
C2/042F: 85 F6        STA $F6
C2/0431: B9 31 20     LDA $2031,Y  (get Command 2)
C2/0434: 85 F8        STA $F8
C2/0436: B9 34 20     LDA $2034,Y  (get Command 3)
C2/0439: 85 FA        STA $FA
C2/043B: B9 37 20     LDA $2037,Y  (get Command 4)
C2/043E: 85 FC        STA $FC
C2/0440: A9 05        LDA #$05     (indicate 5 valid commands to choose from)
C2/0442: 85 F5        STA $F5
C2/0444: BD E5 3E     LDA $3EE5,X  (Status byte 2)
C2/0447: 0A           ASL
C2/0448: 0A           ASL
C2/0449: 85 F4        STA $F4      (Bit 7 = Muddled, Bit 6 = Berserk, etc)
C2/044B: 0A           ASL
C2/044C: 10 04        BPL $0452    (If no Berserk status)
C2/044E: 64 F4        STZ $F4      (Clear $F4, then skip Charm and Colosseum checks if Berserked)
C2/0450: 80 0C        BRA $045E    
C2/0452: BD 95 33     LDA $3395,X  (Which target Charmed you)
C2/0455: 49 80        EOR #$80     (FFh indicates no Charmer, so Bit 7 will now be set if there IS a Charmer)
C2/0457: 04 F4        TSB $F4
C2/0459: AD 97 3A     LDA $3A97    (Top bit indicates Colosseum battle?)
C2/045C: 04 F4        TSB $F4
(Note that Berserk status will override Muddle/Charm/Colosseum for purposes of
determining whether we choose from the C2/04D0 or the C2/04D4 command list.
In contrast, Zombie will not; Charm/Colosseum/Muddle override it.)
C2/045E: 9B           TXY          (Y now points to the attacker who is taking this turn)
C2/045F: DA           PHX
C2/0460: A2 06        LDX #$06       (start checking 4th command slot)
C2/0462: DA           PHX            (save slot position)
C2/0463: B5 F6        LDA $F6,X
C2/0465: 48           PHA            (save command)
C2/0466: 30 1A        BMI $0482      (branch if slot empty)
C2/0468: 18           CLC            (clear Carry)
C2/0469: 20 17 52     JSR $5217      (X = A DIV 8, A = 2 ^ (A MOD 8) )
C2/046C: 3F D0 04 C2  AND $C204D0,X  (is command allowed when Muddled/Charmed/Colosseum?)
C2/0470: F0 10        BEQ $0482      (branch if not)
C2/0472: A5 F4        LDA $F4
C2/0474: 30 12        BMI $0488      (Branch if Muddled/Charmed/Colosseum but not Berserked)
C2/0476: A3 01        LDA $01,S      (get command)
C2/0478: 18           CLC
C2/0479: 20 17 52     JSR $5217      (X = A DIV 8, A = 2 ^ (A MOD 8) )
C2/047C: 3F D4 04 C2  AND $C204D4,X  (is command allowed when Berserked/Zombied?)
C2/0480: D0 06        BNE $0488      (branch if so)
C2/0482: A9 FF        LDA #$FF
C2/0484: 83 01        STA $01,S      (replace command on stack with Empty entry)
C2/0486: C6 F5        DEC $F5        (decrement number of valid commands)
C2/0488: 7B           TDC            (clear 16-bit A)
C2/0489: A3 01        LDA $01,S      (get current command)

(Loop below sees if our current command is one that requires special code to
work with Muddle/Charm/Colosseum/Berserk/Zombie.  If it is, a special function
is called for the command.)

C2/048B: A2 08        LDX #$08
C2/048D: DF D8 04 C2  CMP $C204D8,X  (does our current command match one from table?)
C2/0491: D0 06        BNE $0499      (if not, compare it to a second command in this loop iteration)
C2/0493: FC E2 04     JSR ($04E2,X)  (if it does, call the special code used by that command)
C2/0496: EB           XBA            (put attack/spell # in top of A)
C2/0497: 80 10        BRA $04A9      (exit loop, as we found our command)
C2/0499: DF D9 04 C2  CMP $C204D9,X  (does our current command match one from table?)
C2/049D: D0 06        BNE $04A5      (if not, our current command didn't match either
                                     compared one.  so move to new pair of commands
                                     in table, and repeat loop)
C2/049F: FC EC 04     JSR ($04EC,X)  (if it did match, call the special code used
                                     by that command)
C2/04A2: EB           XBA            (put attack/spell # in top of A)
C2/04A3: 80 04        BRA $04A9      (exit loop, as we found our command)
C2/04A5: CA           DEX
C2/04A6: CA           DEX
C2/04A7: 10 E4        BPL $048D     (Loop to compare current command to all 10 commands
                                    that utilize special code.
                                    If this loop doesn't exit before X becomes negative,
                                    that means our current command has no special function,
                                    and the Attack # in the top half of A will be zero.)
C2/04A9: 68           PLA           (get command # from stack)
C2/04AA: FA           PLX           (get command slot from stack)
C2/04AB: 95 F6        STA $F6,X     (save command # in current command slot)
C2/04AD: EB           XBA
C2/04AE: 95 F7        STA $F7,X     (save attack/spell # corresponding to that attack)
C2/04B0: CA           DEX
C2/04B1: CA           DEX
C2/04B2: 10 AE        BPL $0462     (loop for first 4 command slots)

(Fight has been put in the 5th command slot.  Any valid commands, with their
accompanying attack/spell numbers, have been established for slots 1 thru 4.
Now we shall randomly pick from those commands.  Each slot should have equal
probability of being chosen.)

C2/04B4: A5 F5        LDA $F5     (# of valid command slots)
C2/04B6: 20 65 4B     JSR $4B65   (RNG: 0 to A - 1 .  we're randomly picking a command)
C2/04B9: A8           TAY        
C2/04BA: A2 08        LDX #$08    (start pointing to Command slot 5)
C2/04BC: B5 F6        LDA $F6,X
C2/04BE: 30 03        BMI $04C3   (if that command slot is Empty, move to next one)
C2/04C0: 88           DEY         (only decrement when on a valid command slot)
C2/04C1: 30 07        BMI $04CA   (If Y is negative, we've found our Nth valid command
                                  [starting with the last valid command and counting
                                  backward], where N is the number returned from the
                                  RNG plus 1.
                                  This is what we wanted, so branch.)

C2/04C3: CA           DEX
C2/04C4: CA           DEX
C2/04C5: 10 F5        BPL $04BC   (loop for all 5 command slots)
C2/04C7: 7B           TDC         (clear 16-bit A)
C2/04C8: 80 04        BRA $04CE   (clean up stack and exit function.  A is zero,
                                  indicating Fight, which must be a fallback in case
                                  all 5 Command slots somehow came up useless.  not
                                  sure how that'd happen, as Slot #5 should always
                                  hold Fight anyway...)

C2/04CA: EB           XBA
C2/04CB: B5 F7        LDA $F7,X
C2/04CD: EB           XBA         (bottom of A = command # from $F6,X
                                  top of A = attack/spell # from $F7,X)
C2/04CE: FA           PLX
C2/04CF: 60           RTS

I think to do (1) I'd have to add another check and redirect.  I don't understand Assembly, though.  I can change hex values easy, but adding addition code creates space issues in a ROM, doesn't it?  I wouldn't even know what to add; all I've done thus-far is copy animations from one ability to another, and that with an editor.

I also have code from DataCrystal relevant to (2):

Code:

===============================
Morph Status Toggle
(For reference of status flag?)
===============================
C2/4678: A9 02 00     LDA #$0002
C2/467B: 80 CF        BRA $464C    


===========================================
Decrease Morph Timer
(Turn off... or attach to actions instead?)
===========================================
(Decrease Morph timer.  If it's run out, zero related Morph variables,
and queue the Revert command.)

C2/1211: C2 20        REP #$20    (Set 16-bit Accumulator)
C2/1213: 38           SEC
C2/1214: AD 30 3F     LDA $3F30   (Load the morph timer)
C2/1217: ED 32 3F     SBC $3F32   (Subtract morph decrement amount)  [Remove?  Or move to Quick?]
C2/121A: 8D 30 3F     STA $3F30   (Save the new morph timer)
C2/121D: E2 20        SEP #$20    (Set 8-bit Accumulator)
C2/121F: B0 13        BCS $1234   (Branch if it's greater than zero)
C2/1221: 9C 31 3F     STZ $3F31   (zero top byte of Morph timer.  i assume we're
                                  neglecting to zero $3F30 just to avoid adding a
                                  "REP" instruction.)
C2/1224: 20 36 0B     JSR $0B36   (adjust Morph supply [in this case, zero it]
                                  to match our new Morph timer)
C2/1227: A9 FF        LDA #$FF
C2/1229: 8D E2 3E     STA $3EE2   (Store #$FF to Morphed targets byte [no longer have a
                                  Morphed target])
C2/122C: A9 04        LDA #$04
C2/122E: 8D 7A 3A     STA $3A7A    (Store Revert as command)
C2/1231: 20 B2 4E     JSR $4EB2    (queue it?)
C2/1234: AD 31 3F     LDA $3F31    (Load the remaining amount of morph time DIV 256, if any)
C2/1237: 9D 04 3B     STA $3B04,X  (Store it to the character's Morph gauge?)
(Why do we bother zeroing all these timers and variables here when the forthcoming
Revert can handle it?  Presumably to avoid gauge screwiness and a bunch of pointless
calls to this function should Terra's Morph timer run down in the middle of an attack
animation..)
C2/123A: 60           RTS


==========================
Update Morph Supply
(Relevent to Morph Timer?)
==========================
(Establish new value for Morph supply based on its previous value and
the current Morph timer)
C2/0B36: AD E2 3E     LDA $3EE2   (Which target is Morphed)
C2/0B39: 30 0E        BMI $0B49   (Exit if no one is Morphed)
C2/0B3B: AD F6 1C     LDA $1CF6
C2/0B3E: EB           XBA
C2/0B3F: AD 31 3F     LDA $3F31
C2/0B42: 20 81 47     JSR $4781   (16-bit A = morph supply * (morph timer DIV 256) )
C2/0B45: EB           XBA
C2/0B46: 8D F6 1C     STA $1CF6   (morph supply =
                                  (morph supply * (morph timer DIV 256)) DIV 256  )
C2/0B49: 60           RTS
    
                                    
===========================================
Special Effect: Quick (Change status flag?)
===========================================
C2/42CA: AD 02 34     LDA $3402
C2/42CD: 10 09        BPL $42D8   (If already under influence of Quick)
C2/42CF: 8C 04 34     STY $3404
C2/42D2: A9 02        LDA #$02
C2/42D4: 8D 02 34     STA $3402
C2/42D7: 60           RTS

C2/42D8: C2 20        REP #$20    (Set 16-bit Accumulator)
C2/42DA: B9 18 30     LDA $3018,Y
C2/42DD: 0C 5A 3A     TSB $3A5A   (Set target as missed)
C2/42E0: 60           RTS

Here I'm thinking in terms of what I know about the game.  When Quick gives a player an extra turn, it removes itself as a status.  If I modify the Quick spell to add Morph as well, restrict it to Terra (with the Magitek menu), and then adjust the values in the Quick special effect, I should be able to make it turn off Morph as well, right?
This approach would make the green Morph bar mean absolutely nothing, though, which is a bit obtuse for me.  And while I know all I would need to do here is change two values, I can't figure out WHICH two values I need to change, or what they would need to be changed to.



I really don't know what I'm doing.  I'm spoiled by editors, and when it comes to direct hex or assembly I'm pretty much helpless.  I know many of you have extensive experience modifying these values, though; what would you do for this?


Would this change be something that would interest you in your own mods?  A single turn of Morph is mechanically identical to a patched Economizer, cutting the cost of a single spell in half (since casting it grants double power, saving a cast).  Each turn on top of that makes it an increasingly broken buff, with more than three turns being absolutely absurd.
If you don't like these ideas, what would you do instead?