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Looking for help on a new FF5 ROM hack

#1
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Howdy everyone,

We're currently working on a new ROM hack for FF5 and could really use some extra hands.  This hack is relatively minimal, but as I'm sure many of you know, this game can be a bit.... difficult to work with at times.
We'd really love some help in the ASM department particularly focused on leveling and menus.  But any help at all would be welcome.
Here's some info about the planned features for the hack.

Currently there's no title for the hack yet.

The main core of the game will be preserved, with minor changes (more like fixes) to the dialogue.

That being said, here are some of the larger changes that are planned:
- Major exploits will be removed (chicken knife, etc)
- All elemental damage, etc will be one of the four elements in the story (Earth, Fire, Wind, Water)
- Jobs are received in a different order that makes more thematic sense according to crystal
- Butz and friends are unique characters with actual personalities and different stats (yes even Cara/Krile/budget Galuf)
- Some of them cannot use certain jobs
- Spells and abilities have been moved around
- A few jobs (Dancer and Beastmaster mainly) will be reworked to function differently but still be their namesake
- Jobs now have abilities that can only be used when the character is that job
- There are still abilities that can be transfered to other jobs
- Some abilities are added or changed, and some are removed entirely
- The Demons of the Rift (taking a note from Azulmagia or Apocalypse or whatever you call him) will each be a representation of one of the jobs.
- Job Leveling will be revamped, so that a level in a job gives a permanent stat boost to the character
- Thus, equipping a job no longer gives stats
- What job can use what equipment is altered
- Equipment overall is altered (a good 40% of it) with a variety of things like Bells being strong versus Undead
- Shop wares are, of course, changed so you can get appropriate equipment for your current jobs
- Equipment stats have been lowered and raised appropriately (in case that was unclear)
- No more Mime or Freelancer job (please hold off on the hate mail) but the fight with Gogo remains for different rewards
- Rework of enemy AI especially some particularly shitty bosses (Liquid Flame >.>)
- Update to names of abilities, spells, and monsters where able/appropriate

This is just a general overview.  We would gratefully welcome any help on the project. 


Please let me know if you would like to help.  Or ask me anything if you would like to know more.
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#2
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(08-31-2020, 05:25 PM)odym82 Wrote: - All elemental damage, etc will be one of the four elements in the story (Earth, Fire, Wind, Water)
<>
- Some of them cannot use certain jobs
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- Equipment overall is altered (a good 40% of it) with a variety of things like Bells being strong versus Undead
Some of these are really neat ideas.  I like tying elements to the crystals.  That'll also let you use whatever elements weren't covered by the spells for special effects, like bonus damage for weapon types.  For instance, making all spears Lit element and making certain enemies weak to Lit lets you set up a spear bonus.
...Though FF5 might have mechanics for that already; I don't know anything about its battle engine (or at all, really).

Restricting jobs is also a neat idea, and could help with some of the redundant 'fighter' type jobs.  I can picture restrictions like "Only Galuf can use Monk" and "Only Faris can use Dragoon".  It might make the game a little linear in the beginning, though, with so few jobs on hand, since you're talking maybe 1 job per character.  I suppose it'd depend on how much overlap you allow.

The thing about bells and the undead is a really cool concept.  I hope you explore other ideas like this, like a bonus against plants for axes and a bonus against mundane animals for whips.

Can't really help you on the ASM front; what little custom code I made for my hack was hexxed directly, and was heavily contingent on the extensive disassembly groundwork of Assassin and Novalia Spirit.  I think I saw somewhere that Lenophis was doing disassembly for FF5, but I haven't looked into it.  Everything is also making a custom browser editor for all the 2D Final Fantasies, including FF5 I think.  If you aren't already using it, maybe it can help with your goals.
https://everything8215.github.io/ff6tools/ff6tools.html
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#3
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Hi C-Dude,
Its funny you should mention Everything, because he is actually already helping on this hack lol.
He tells me you're being overly modest about your abilities. So if you're interested, we'd love to have your help.
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#4
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I can't promise I'll be helpful, but if you post hacking situations here I might be able to suggest some hex approaches for you.
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Current thing you might have some knowledge on:
I'd like Harps to always target all enemies. It seems the targeting values attached to all the weapons are only valid when used as an item.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
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#6
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Hmm...

From what I can see, the fight command is incredibly simplistic, but the X-Fight command is excessively complicated.  While it might be possible to introduce a weapon check and change the targets, maybe having harps swap "Fight" for a different command that works like magic would be easier.

The Right Hand and Left Hand weapons are checked maybe a dozen times each in the combat bank, but they're checked against variables that are undocumented (weapon types, maybe? Or perhaps item numbers, though that seems too restricted).

I'm looking at the code and there are a bunch of JSRs to $4AFE, which is in the MIDDLE of another command.  It executes a completely different function when interrupted, which makes me fear this code is quite maliciously intertwined... in a manner which frightens me.
Code:
C2/4AFB: 14 A2        TRB $A2          C2/4AFB:        14 A2 -16-
C2/4AFD: 16 A6        ASL $A6,X        C2/4AFE:        A6 32        LDX $32        [Commonly called subroutine...]
C2/4AFF: 32 DA        AND ($DA)        C2/4B00:        DA            PHX           [In the middle of another command?]
C2/4B01: 64 0E        STZ $0E          C2/4B01:        64 0E        STZ $0E        [What is this mess?]
Is it even stable to change a byte in this ROM, or does some other function use the same value for a completely unrelated purpose?
Or... perhaps the disassembly I found is off by a byte, and the function on the left is not performed at all?

I'm unsure, but it does make me wary to meddle.

...OH!  Maybe it's a data table and the subroutine starts after it, in which case 16 is a table value and A6 32 is the first command.

...anyway...

Not sure there's an easy answer for this.

EDIT: And setting "Always target all" on the harp weapons doesn't achieve the intended effect? Nope, dangit, the weapons don't check target info when you attack. Needs to be some tweak to the Fight command.
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#7
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Yeah unfortunately the main targeting is only used when it is used as an item, which is weird considering that most weapons can't be used as an item, but oh well.
In the meantime whilst I let that stew for later, I'm changing some spells to abilities, like Psych for example, and Quick. Would you happen to know where the list of abilities in the C bank begins?
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#8
 
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You could edit the abilities with this and compare the modified rom to a vanilla rom:
https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/528/

I'm pretty sure there are binary diff tools on github, and some hex editors have the feature.
 
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#9
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Thanks MysticLord. I've been editing in a HexEditor already. The problem here is that targeting for Weapons is hardcoded to the Fight command, so changing it seems to be a bit more involved in the ASM department.
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#10
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Currently we'd also be eternally grateful if someone who does music porting would like to do a few ports for us
Please and thank you (cookies, pictures of my puppy, or our undying gratitude as payment)
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