FF6LE Rogue CE / Zone Doctor CE

Thank you for fixing the issue with 0.2, I can load and expand my hack correctly now.

I tested the editor and some of the new features without expanding the ROM and noticed that any changes to location names within the Editor doesn't save but does save when the ROM is expanded. However I can edit location messages just fine without expanding. Intended?

I tested the editor and some of the new features without expanding the ROM and noticed that any changes to location names within the Editor doesn't save but does save when the ROM is expanded. However I can edit location messages just fine without expanding. Intended?

It's intended. Editor map names change feature was mainly to rename your expanded maps. I see no real point of having it for non-expanded projects. However, I should disallow it completely and disable the textbox for non-expanded ROM. The current solution can be confusing, I agree. About location messages, you can edit them in both situations and they should save fine in a non-expanded ROM. However I will set a limit of bytes total to not overflow on next data after the names. There's some free bytes after the names in vanilla ROM.

This is super awesome! I'm going to start diving into this, thanks so much Madsiur and crew!

By far, the number one thing I've heard mentioned about expanding maps in the past was in reference to being able to make the Dragon's Den from FF6A. So... who's going to jump on that?

Well I'm going to definitely see if it's feasible for my skill level, as it's been the dream feature of my hack for a while! Were I to somehow complete it before anyone else I'd just release it as it's own thing so others could use it without all my other crap bolted on. XD

Oh, right: after you use this tool, is there any tool that you won't be able to use anymore?

Oh, right: after you use this tool, is there any tool that you won't be able to use anymore?

FF6MDE shows an empty list of chests to me after expanding the ROM with FF3LE Rogue CE. FF3usME seems to work fine tho.

Oh, right: after you use this tool, is there any tool that you won't be able to use anymore?

Any editor that can edit or use NPC, event trigger, exits, chests, map, tilemap and location name data and has hardcoded offsets for those in its code. The expansion wipe out all the original data with $FF before expanding and re-copying them to the ROM. I'm not sure how those editors are affected and if they will load nothing or crash but outside FF6MDE for chests (that seems to load nothing and is working) I don't see any case where it would apply (except Zone Doctor). Luckily you can edit chests with FF6LE, otherwise I would have made chest editing possible with FF6LE Rogue CE. Making something non-editable by moving and allowing it on expanded maps would be counter-productive.

Well I'm going to definitely see if it's feasible for my skill level, as it's been the dream feature of my hack for a while!

I'm not sure if there are enough dummy monsters in FF3us to have all new Dragon's Den monsters. There are also the "Ultimate" weapons (14) that are obtained there I think. While monster expansion and an editor that goes with it is already in the work, a proof-of-concept concerning item expansion has not been made on my side. The only reference the FF6 hacking community has is FF6 T-Edition but even this feature implementation is not from T-Edition creator as he used a "special" Japanese ROM has a base that already had a bunch of neat features.

Regardless a map similar dungeon to the Dragon's Den in FF3us will be refreshing and enjoyable. There is also the post Dragon's Den (or is it post ending?) Shrine in FF6 Advance where you fight waves of monsters that I would like to see in FF3us. An event approach to the "monster wave problem" can definitely produce a similar result that is in FF6 Advance.

Version 0.3 is up! (see original post)

Edit: Bug with version 0.3! Trying to expand a ROM with a filesize bigger than 0x400000 bytes will result in a validation error hence blocking the expansion process. The problem is fixed but I'm in a middle of other edits. A 0.4 version will come later on today.

Changes:
- Bank $DA can no longer be selected as Expanded Data bank or in Expanded Tilemaps banks range. Bank $DA is used for Location Names and Location data.
- Root folder for path selector is now MyComputer instead of MyDocuments. This gives access to all drives to choose a path from.
- Disabling of FF6LE Location Names textbox for non-expanded projects. You can still edit FF3us map names in a non-expanded project.
- Trimming of FF6LE Location name ID ([$XXX]) when editing. It is reapplied when saving the name to appear in the list.
- Limited Message Name (in-game map name) length to 37 characters.
- Added verification if total length of Message Names is higher than max space available when saving. (This can only happen in vanilla ROM as expanded data is exactly 37 * 256 bytes)

From now on source code will be on GitHub: https://github.com/madsiur/FF6LE-CE

I added the ASM changes reference file to the download archive as well as on GitHub (see releases).

Well I'm going to definitely see if it's feasible for my skill level, as it's been the dream feature of my hack for a while!

I'm not sure if there are enough dummy monsters in FF3us to have all new Dragon's Den monsters. There are also the "Ultimate" weapons (14) that are obtained there I think. While monster expansion and an editor that goes with it is already in the work, a proof-of-concept concerning item expansion has not been made on my side. The only reference the FF6 hacking community has is FF6 T-Edition but even this feature implementation is not from T-Edition creator as he used a "special" Japanese ROM has a base that already had a bunch of neat features.

Regardless a map similar dungeon to the Dragon's Den in FF3us will be refreshing and enjoyable. There is also the post Dragon's Den (or is it post ending?) Shrine in FF6 Advance where you fight waves of monsters that I would like to see in FF3us. An event approach to the "monster wave problem" can definitely produce a similar result that is in FF6 Advance.

Even if I can't get the extra items and monsters in (yet) it'd be nice to get the maps built and some of the events wired up. I'm already having nightmares about the "king of dragons" puzzle...

Version 0.4a is up! (see original post)

Version 0.4a fix two things:

-Fixed bug that was blocking Expansion with a ROM bigger than 0x400000 bytes.
-Enabled Lord J misc compression saving changes for ROMs bigger than 0x400000 bytes. (mini world maps and others)

Version 0.4 has the same changes, except in addition it has DTE optimization for Location Names as well as allowance of special characters. This has an effect off allowing actors names or icons in location names. However since the game use the ratio 1 byte = 1 character, it has the effect of de-centering the text if actor names are used. The following screenshot is the result of the string [lit] [TERRA]'s Nightmare [lit] (replace [ by < and ] by >). So basically version 0.4a has not this feature, only allowing A-Z, a-z, 0-9 and a few other characters and saving each character on one byte. I leave version 0.4 available for those you'd like to mess with this and see if some padding to the right with spaces can re-center the text. Version 0.5 will likely behave like 0.4a in that regard.



available special strings (0.4)

Code:

<TERRA>         Actor 00 name
<LOCKE>         Actor 01 name
<CYAN>          Actor 02 name
<SHADOW>        Actor 03 name
<EDGAR>         Actor 04 name
<SABIN>         Actor 05 name
<CELES>         Actor 06 name
<STRAGO>        Actor 07 name
<RELM>          Actor 08 name
<SETZER>        Actor 09 name
<MOG>           Actor 10 name
<GAU>           Actor 11 name
<GOGO>          Actor 12 name
<UMARO>         Actor 13 name
<note>          Musical note
<pearl>         Elemental icon
<death>         Elemental icon
<lit>           Elemental icon
<wind>          Elemental icon
<earth>         Elemental icon
<ice>           Elemental icon
<fire>          Elemental icon
<water>         Elemental icon
<poison>        Elemental icon

I've attempted to put a Message Name on a dummy map ($10B) and even if the Exit Field that lead into that map has Show Message enabled, no message is shown. Do you have any idea why? My theory is that since it's a dummy map, many elements (strings?) are missing and Message Name is one of them. If that's the case, maybe there's a flag somewhere? Otherwise new maps wouldn't be able to show a Message Name either.

Edit: I tested both expanded and not-expanded, same thing. Tested with v0.2, v0.3 and v0.4a.