Project preview: Comments/suggestions/testing welcome

Vicks is blue, Wedge is green. Should be that way in the menu unless I tried to un-switch their places last minute in the wrong place. (Had a problem during the battlefield that either Wedge, or Vicks if he was asigned slot $0B, would use the soldier sprite in battle, which shouldn't even be possible in my case because soldier is in its normal number slot, Vicks is about sprite dec64 and Wedge is sprite dec71, character details are $20 and $21, so how it linked map character slot $0B to a brown soldier sprite really shouldn't be possible.). Will have watch it all slowly again to double check. 

Yeah, I didn't touch the video at all. Forget that crap. At most, IF the credits text is not part of the video which I think it is, I might add to it, can't really convince myself to remove credits to the original coders (even the noob that coded the horror that is the auction house... It was digusting and not jusy because it was my first total from blank page rewrite.)

Lobos, that might or might not be intentional, I'll go through your post again, as a check list,while I'm looking at it and see if it was missed or intentional. There's not really many choices from a standard sheet for being surprised or "ready for battle" while looking up, for instance. The reason I didn't change anything with the battle on the second map where a dog and guard attack directly from top and bottom.

As for the guard's expressions, I don't recall if that's one I personally stretched from the original small sheet or if it was made by someone that is actually a sprite creator. If it was by me, then yeah I don't think I ever posted any of those for input. 

As for all of the OAM, I've got several OAM related code in my last spread sheet. I don't recall how much was necessary, part of expanding other things, or for that matter exactly how much of it is already added to the ROM. (I say "last" because part of this project is literally putting EVERYTHING in one file. Instead of having 6-10 disassumblies, it in one sheet split up by tabs, chunks of code with headers, etc.) I could have swore I already had code to fix save/shop screens, but that'll come when I need a break from events.

As for the Whelk Guard... That IS 1 of the "finger wag" poses, but its not animated. At some point, either while attempting to fill out the sheets I HAD to have that either hadn't already been made and I couldn't get a real spriter to make, or used custom palettes that I had to convert to work with the rest of the sprites, I noticed most of the first half of the "finger wag" animation looked a lot like they were "flying the bird" if they were not animated. So, while its to quick to really get a great look at, that's not his index finger in the air...

As for Gestahl... Yeah, that's the primary reason I have to go through the entire event script. Was the same thing with Arvis when he's telling Locke to help Terra. Way to many minor cases to try and adjust every single one individually.

The "excited" guard? Yeah, I couldn't think of anything "natural" to add to them (other than a split second angry face on one of the guards looking down?) Then I kinda got distracted laughing at the idea of one guard being oddly happy and trying to get her attention rather than just standing there. In the script I labeled him "drunk guard", while the scene is pretty short, pointless, and wasn't really anything obvious to add. He's actually waving kinda excitedly when she looks his way, jumps a few times when she looks away from him, then goes back to happily waving wgen she looks down again. So yeah, almost "Easter egg" type thing. 1 guard just being really out of character for a scene which didn't really have anything needed. Although, while writing it all out, the guard in the upper left (despite having the ability to "pass through objects") does a jump, over the small part of the wall sticking out into the path. I didn't add that, never even noticed it before, so I gotta give props to the original coder that added that little extra animation despite having a minimal sprite sheet to work with.

The typo, nice catch, thank you. Had a feeling there had to be at least one. I was passing out/falling asleep about every hour for a few days there. Not near good enough to code or type dialog in my sleep anymore. 

Yeah, that very first vomammoth is a bit of a "shock trooper" to literally rush the player. It also makes you realize just how tight that battle field is too. Never tried to fight him with Locke's party. One of the reasons I ask for not me testing. The soft lock almost has to have something to do with Party 1 (Locke's). I started every battle by running Locke down and 1 step to the left, Mog's party (#2) down and 1 step to the right to block the runner (and obtain Mog's dance) then party 3 (Vicks)straight down (at least 2 tiles past the intersection. Get Locke moved in behind him, then move Mog's party back to the center of the intersection as a rear guard (also never realized how much of a beast Mog is at this point). Then I'd use Vicks' party to escort Locke close to the commander (there are several that come up that middle path (despite odds favoring either the extreme left path or extreme right path). Couple of times I had all but one of team 3 die, other times they survived with nobody over 20 hp before Locke could make a dive for the commander. (Yeah, I can't help but want to steal from the commander AND with as long as it takes for Jump to come back down, the only thing that lives long enough to get hit by that moogle IS the boss (I've got to shorten that damn jump timer, it takes way way to long to land for such a small boost to attack. As is, all it does is get that one moogle clear of blizzard on normal battles, of course he can also solo the commander as long as the rest of the party kill the 2 dogs before they die). In other words, I'll have to run Locke straight into the first "shock" vomammoth, but I never had that problem when Not fought him, or if I was slow and fought him with team 3 several times... 

As for Rushing the commander.... I'm not sure that's possible, unplausble at best. There are only 3 of the vomammoths that can possibly respawn. THAT vomammoth is one of them, and has a "pseudo" 50% chance to respawn, then another (roughly) 50% chance to either go down the far left, or far right side of the map. I think its the first vomammoth that comes in from the far left path that has slightly less than a pseudo50% chance (he has to fail one pseudo50, than pass another pseudo50 in order to respawn and run again, but he only takes the middle path. The other potential respawner is the very last "slowish" moving vomammoth that comes in. When they "resurrect", they are all changed from different speeds, to "Normal" speed (same as that very first, "seemingly fast" vomammoth... Yeah, that's "Normal" speed...)

Those 3 are far enough apart on their 1st kills it makes it almost feel like 1 long continuous attack. With the "random" chance to respawn, you might only have 5 or 6 attackers. On the other hand, during one of my test (and Wedge had the "Shock" ability) I think all 3 kept respawning for a good 20 or so battles, before one finally failed its rebirth check. Most of the time it was anywhere between 8-15 battles before I could get to the commander, every team less than 25 health, and only 4 tonics to heal the boss killing party. So, yes, it is POSSIBLE to try and wait it out till there are no enemies left, but not really a dependable bet. Even with only 2 running across the entire map, their walk speed at normal can crush all 3 parties pretty quick. That's what I wanted, which is why I really don't want to nerf it(despite being very non-first time player friendly). I'm not looking for a "hardmode+" which is why I'd rather buff temporary moogle rather than PCs. Vicks and Wedge might turn into roaming NPC's, maybe to add variety to random town. Its a difficult call for me here, I don't want impossible or purely luck only winnable, but I really like how it functions on a code level forcing not just a tactic, but a combination of tactics (such as a rear guard being left to stop a runner from sneaking around you, and at the same time forcing the player to use ALL the characters to the point of exhaustion). The next battlefield is alot roomier (I've already wrote part of that script) so it'll have more like "checkpoint officers" across the field to stop respawning a few at a time, rather than all or nothing.) "Higher ice defense" is a very nice idea. Didn't do the hairpin preemptive strike thing already because it was a bit OP even on Locke's weaker team. Maybe one of Locke's moogles with "Health" to make up for their weakness. Vicks and Wedge are soldiers, on a mission, into a very cold area... Them having something for some cold protection would be very logical yet not OP...

I think I caught all of that. If I missed a note I'll catch it when I go through while looking at the game.

"Thanks for playing!" ... (What end game used to say that at the end? Or did most of the old games say that back when large game companies actually appriciated their players?) 
And very much thanks for the comments/assistance!

---

Oh, as for Vicks and Wedge...

It always kinda bothered me that two, random, standard battle dress uniform (BDUs...) Would be given 3 sets of (what has to be expensive) M-Teks, and given control of Kefka's Weapon of Mass destruction (AKA Terra with a slave crown) then the 3 of them, sent into a town that is neutral to the Empire (at best) to steal (they definitly were not there to "request" it or "purchase it") an untapped (the Empire knows draining an esper doesn't last forever, we can see they had been through enough espers in the factory to have a dedicated "disposal" line and pit so they have an idea of its value) Esper? Two random soldiers even being given control over Slave Crown Terra by an Empire isn't gonna happen, let alone that valuable of a mission target. An amry like Kefka marches in with later? Sure, not just 2 random grunts. Isn't the green armor soldier an officer (based on Locke's scenario stealing outfits?)

Now, if they were to SpecOps soldiers (not straight up undercover "spies" but "operators" with the cover of "adventures" or traveling mercenaries). Just like with most world SpecOps, they can do almost anything required for the mission (such as how a Navy SEAL can have facial hair, even in uniform, if it makes them blend in for their active mission or posting.) At this point, they could have been in Figaro, doing small mercenary jobs (guard caravans and such) reporting any rumors or info they come across (despite not actively searching for it...) Then, if the Emperor ordered, assassinate Edgar for being a spy/returner ally.

This type of active opperators, already in the area, WOULD be the type to receive orders to secure something like an extremely rare frozen esper from a not so friendly town. They'd also be the kind that would be given 3 M-Tek suits, and a weapon of mass destruction named Slave Terra, in advance of Kefka marching in with an entire army.

One or the other would have rank, but while not actively on a specialized mission they'd wear gear that would pass for standard adventuring clothes (as they are wearing). Terra being sent with them (being Kefka's "pet") could have been sent ahead with orders to torch the entire town (not just "secure the Esper") We know as a fact from later in the game, many of the Empire's soldier hate Kefka. So would it really be a stretch for someone carrying or writing down the orders to pray General Leo goes (with or in place of Kefka) and DOESN'T order Terra to torch the town and everyone in it?

I left their story vague (for one I'm not entirely sure they'll be a story for them, but they'll probably show up as NPCs, or at least replace some positive guards during the Empire's banquet later...) Which is why their last line was "looking into... Some things". As in "these orders were strange to begin with, the esper didn't murder us, etc". In other words, things they've seen lately are making them wonder if serving the empire is really the right thing to do, and find out before they report back. As long as they didn't just report "we're still alive awaiting orders" or encounter Kefka's army they'd be listed as Killed In Action, Dead, or Missimg in Action rather than Absent WithOut Leave or "traitors" (which they might show up in the Returner's hideout too...)

Regardless of who outranks who, after awhile under cover and outside the normal rank and file military structure, its not a stretch to believe they'd act more like brothers or a 50/50 team rather than one being the subordinate to the other.

At least, thats how I viewed it in the writing. Just the same, none of the vanilla story felt right to me about playing them off as 2 common grunts. Not on that type of mission given unsupervised control of that much firepower to do it with.