Pony Fantasy VI Remake

yep, FDh pauses the script's execution, and leaves a "bookmark" for resuming.  iirc, it's just used in the conventional half of scripts and is pointless in the counterattack half (as the former runs on intervals, while the latter runs in response to triggers).  identify the spell/attack the enemy is hitting itself with and post its targeting bits if they don't match vanilla.

Unfortunately it's not one single attack or even single enemy, it's usually bosses who get it. I get past it by adding a line to specify the targeting before each move, but it confounds me how so many vanilla enemies don't need that line when using FD and they don't do this.

So it doesn't depend on which spell the monster casts? Could it be continuing on from a previous 'target self' instruction? The Targeting would need to be manually set again after a target self command. If it's not this it sounds like something is broken... But if you can isolate a case of it happening and then post the AI script that might help identify why it's happening.

Sure, here's one instance. But posting it now I think I see the problem - even simply "target self's HP" counts as designating Kefka as his target?

Code:

FC 15 24 00    ; If VAR036 has all the following bit cleared: 0
F7 20          ; Trigger event: final Kefka mojo
F9 01 24 00    ; VAR036 set bit: 0
FE             ; End If and reset targeting
FC 06 36 AC    ; If target self has less or equal than 22016 HP
FC 15 00 01    ; If VAR000 has all the following bit cleared: 1
F3 8C 00       ; Text: " Chaos_ is only the beginning_<D>"
F9 01 00 00    ; VAR000 set bit: 0
FA 0A 01 00    ; Final Kefka's laughing face, screen shakes
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
DE             ; Chaos Wave
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
13             ; <MB>Meteor
F9 02 00 00    ; VAR000 clear bit: 0
FE             ; End If and reset targeting
FC 06 36 FF    ; If target self has less or equal than 32640 HP
F3 8C 00       ; Text: " Chaos_ is only the beginning_<D>"
F9 01 00 00    ; VAR000 set bit: 0
F9 01 00 01    ; VAR000 set bit: 1
FA 0A 01 00    ; Final Kefka's laughing face, screen shakes
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
F1 47          ; Targeting: use normal targeting
DE             ; Chaos Wave
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
F9 02 00 00    ; VAR000 clear bit: 0
F9 02 00 01    ; VAR000 clear bit: 1
F0 C4 D2 D6    ; Rand. spell: Mind Blast or Chaos Seal or Disaster
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
F0 EC E0 6C    ; Rand. spell: Drainga or Dispelga or Raspga
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
F0 AE DD A0    ; Rand. spell: Gaia Wrath or Hurricane or Quasar
FE             ; End If and reset targeting
F1 43          ; Targeting: allies
C0             ; Fallen One
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
F1 47          ; Targeting: use normal targeting
F0 E9 ED E3    ; Rand. spell: Dark Bolt or Dark Fire or Dark Ice
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
F1 47          ; Targeting: use normal targeting
F0 D3 C5 EF    ; Rand. spell: Evil Noise or N. Cross or Special
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
F1 47          ; Targeting: use normal targeting
F0 14 15 16    ; Rand. spell: <MB>Flood or <MB>Quake or <MB>Cyclon
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
F1 47          ; Targeting: use normal targeting
F0 EF EC 6C    ; Rand. spell: Special or Drainga or Raspga
FD             ; Wait until the attack sequence is called upon again, then continue (reset targeting)
F1 47          ; Targeting: use normal targeting
F0 0E 9E AC    ; Rand. spell: <MB>Scour or MatraMagic or Holy Blast
FF             ; End first wave of attack
FC 12 00 00    ; If following monster is/are dead: 
FC 0C 02 02    ; If variable VAR002 is less than to 2
F5 00 00 01    ; Monsters #1 , if hidden/dead, brought in with their HP restored, suddently
F8 02 81       ; 1 added to VAR002
F1 43          ; Targeting: allies
DE             ; Chaos Wave
FE             ; End If and reset targeting
FC 12 00 00    ; If following monster is/are dead: 
FA 0D 01 00    ; Background gets darker, sounds like boss dying
F5 11 01 FF    ; Monsters #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6 are killed, disintegrates, background may corrupt, screen goes black (final Kefka's death)
FE             ; End If and reset targeting
FC 06 36 80    ; If target self has less or equal than 16384 HP
FC 15 00 00    ; If VAR000 has all the following bit cleared: 0
FC 05 00 00    ; If monster has been attacked
F1 47          ; Targeting: use normal targeting
F0 FE FE D1    ; Rand. spell: Nothing or Nothing or Magiburst
FE             ; End If and reset targeting
FC 06 36 EB    ; If target self has less or equal than 30080 HP
FC 15 00 00    ; If VAR000 has all the following bit cleared: 0
FC 05 00 00    ; If monster has been attacked
F1 47          ; Targeting: use normal targeting
F0 FE EF EF    ; Rand. spell: Nothing or Special or Special
FF             ; End

But posting it now I think I see the problem - even simply "target self's HP" counts as designating Kefka as his target?

Not from my understanding. Command FC check for a condiition only, it does not apply anything. I think FF3usME description should be read as "If self has less than X HP".

@Drakey - What is the part or parts of the script where he is targeting himself with an attack?

One other thing that comes to mind, is if this is happening maybe because a save state was loaded while in the battles and the AI was changed, it will get all confused and do a bunch of random targeting and spells... I highly doubt this is the culprit but just to cross all bridges.

Sorry, forgot to post the vid with it. This shows it happening.

that "Targeting: allies" line doesn't convince me... what if allies is meant from the point of view of the caster? in that case it would mean your enemy
targets his allies(himself included)

Nah targeting allies is definitely the characters. It's used for Fallen One in the vanilla Kefka script there, so it should be fine.

From testing your script on a vanilla ROM, the issue happens there as well. After the first "The end comes...beyond chaos", the Goner spell hits the party members fine, but then every other spell targets himself (Kefka). Then he hits himself with a Disaster spell... Then after the second "The end comes beyond chaos" the Goner spell hits him, as do other spells he casts.

Comparing your script with the vanilla script a couple targeting commands were removed it looks like, mainly the 'use normal targeting' right before Goner...
And then another one right after that when he casts meteor. As well as other use normal targeting down in the main part of the script. So I'd say put back those use normal targeting commands ala the original script and that should do it.

You can use a online tool like https://www.diffchecker.com/diff to paste and compare documents (AI scripts here) to spot where those targeting commands should go.

Aye, I added normal targeting commands just before every attack, just in case, and that did it. Still wish I knew why the original did that though, just for sake of any future work to be done.