FFVI: Divergent Paths

I can't get the patched game to run past the introduction, because the initial Narche battle displays garbled text and then causes the game to crash. What am I doing wrong?

I can't get the patched game to run past the introduction, because the initial Narche battle displays garbled text and then causes the game to crash. What am I doing wrong?

That's going to be a header issue, or rather lack of one in this case:
The patch needs to be applied to a FF3us v1.0 (Headered) ROM. Without needing to know what a "header" even is, you can add one by using a utility such as SNEStuff:
https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/841/

Basically some patches require this, some require it to be "headerless", meaning without, and some patch authors include a patch for both. Anyways, with SNEStuff you'd just choose to Add or Remove Header (using a clean FF3 ROM), and then apply the Divergent Paths .ips patch afterword.

Can anyone Private Message me a link to find the Unheadered version of FF3 so that I can apply this patch?

Can anyone Private Message me a link to find the Unheadered version of FF3 so that I can apply this patch?

https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/593/

This will display if a rom has a header or not, and allow you to add/remove it.

Thank you Gi, your last suggestion wound up being a good one, I am apparently now able to play this version of this masterpiece. Thanks again.

Glad you can enjoy. Just a heads up that the finished version is probably coming out by Sunday at the latest. I have one thing left, plus a bug I caught yesterday. You may want to wait a few days.

My friends, we have made it. Divergent Paths is in v0.99, meaning that it is complete, pending bugfixes from a full playthrough that I will do. From here on out, I am working on documentation and a PDF manual. Download it as an attachment on the first post.

This version should be compatible with v0.90 saves, though there are many fixes that happen to the middle part of the story (for example, Lola's letter doesn't arrive for Piette before he does). Because these changes are controlled by event bits, you may not see them if you've already progressed to certain points in the story.

High level changes:
1. A new 10-minute segment, the Razing of Vector, has been added. It occurrs right after boarding the airship after the sealed gate, and is a series of 4 boss fights with Leo and Celes.
2. Vargas has been added to Duncan's cottage. He will allow Locke, Relm, and Shadow to change their base commands to from Steal/Mug, Sketch/Control, and Throw/GP Toss
3. Bracers (aka Genji Glove) can only be used with certain weapons.
4. Shadow's Shurikens now do piercing damage. He also has exclusive use of Smoke Bomb and Super Ball through the Throw command.
5. Kappa has been reworked. She gets the full benefit of any equipment, regardless of imp status. Something fun happens if you cast Imp on her though.
6. Locke can steal both a common and a rare item. He also has the "Recapture the Glory" bugfix applied.
7. Tools have a 1 in 32 chance of breaking when you use them. The Tool shop in Figaro Castle now allows you to buy multiple copies, and will sell the Chainsaw after you find it in Zozo.
8. A NEW SONG has been added, composed by William Kage, arranged by me, and inserted into the rom by Gi Nattak. It plays on the boatride to Thamasa and when you re-recruit Leo in the WoR.
9. WoB Minimap has been fixed.
10. All spell animations have been finished.
11. I'm probably forgetting a bunch of stuff, since the rom now works the way I envisioned it all along.

So have fun, and let me know if you run into oddities. I will be doing my own playthrough, and fixing any bugs I come across as I find them. Then I will release this hack widely as v1.0. There will not be a version 2.0.

Nice job PowerPanda. I'm playing it. I'm right after Zozo (or before Opera). Do you think Is better to restart or it's ok if i test from this point?
I wouldn't call this beta but more a release candidate (RC1).

Awesome, thank you! I'll be starting a new playthrough and looking for bugs or typos myself.

Seriously, thank you for all your hard work.

FlandreScarlet64 found a bug on the Veldt while playing this morning. The formations where Cyan fights alone now contain non-boss monsters. I hadn't realized that would cause the formations to show up on the Veldt, and Cyan with them! It's a fairly minor bug, but considering there is no way to fix it on your save file once you're past the Military Camp, I have taken down the v0.99 patch and uploaded v0.99.1. Sorry for the quick switch! Keep the bug reports coming.

(Note that this will likely affect save files from v0.9 as well.)