Some general modding questions

[Klokinator]

Hi guys. I wanted to get some help with hacking FFTA. I'm currently using the AIO editor, though I may try using the NMM's next as well if I can't fix these problems with the AIO.

1. How do I make Montblanc unessential? I wanna be able to kick that shithead out of the party by the tutorial map end screen. I'm well aware he can be killed off in a jagd dorsa or sent to jail, but I wanna be able to get rid of him in more legitimate ways.

2. I was wondering how I could edit Ability Data? I wanted to change some of the Paladin abilities, like giving him the Burial and Auto-Life abilities. Thinking of making a more normalized ability set hack and giving the player the option to reclass into any class from the start, except sniper, assassin, and ninja. I wanted to get the Paladin more into the role of "Killing undead and healing allies" but I can't figure out how to edit the ability data. I altered a sword to give paladins the auto-life skill, but can I actually adjust this bit?

3. Is the AIO or the NMM's preferred at this point in time, or do they each have their own unique features and both should be used together?

[bcrobert]

1.) Not sure. But if you made Montblanc unessential at the beginning of the game it would likely make a few beginning scenes glitchy or illogical, so you'd need to edit the actual events too. It's not like the game is coded to understand that he's gone that early, and he's in like...every scene.

2.) The easiest way to edit ability data is to click on the little pencil icon on that screen. When the list pops up, replace abilities you don't want with abilities you do want using the menu. For example you could find Parley on the ability list and replace it with Auto-Life to give the Paladin Auto-Life. Make sure to replace it on the weapon that teaches the ability too. If you want to add abilities without removing them you'll need to know how to repoint.

3.) In general, use both. AIO is definitely the main one, but Darthatron hasn't gotten around to putting every one of the structures from my modules into AIO. So if you plan on editing literally everything, you need both. It just depends on what structures you need to edit.

[Darthatron]

Yeah the game would almost definitely crash if he's not in your party for the early missions.

[Klokinator]

1.) Not sure. But if you made Montblanc unessential at the beginning of the game it would likely make a few beginning scenes glitchy or illogical, so you'd need to edit the actual events too. It's not like the game is coded to understand that he's gone that early, and he's in like...every scene.

2.) The easiest way to edit ability data is to click on the little pencil icon on that screen. When the list pops up, replace abilities you don't want with abilities you do want using the menu. For example you could find Parley on the ability list and replace it with Auto-Life to give the Paladin Auto-Life. Make sure to replace it on the weapon that teaches the ability too. If you want to add abilities without removing them you'll need to know how to repoint.

3.) In general, use both. AIO is definitely the main one, but Darthatron hasn't gotten around to putting every one of the structures from my modules into AIO. So if you plan on editing literally everything, you need both. It just depends on what structures you need to edit.

1. I read that if Montblanc dies in a Jagd Dorsa, he is replaced by whomever is #3 in your party in dialogue. I assumed that meant the same if you just deleted him before that.
2. Okay, I'm quite familiar with repointing. I have a fairly popular romhack for Fire Emblem I'm working on so I'll give that a shot. I presume I should use nightmare if I repoint, correct? Or does the AIO read a pointer list and detect the new location automatically?
3. Good to know. Thanks.

[Darthatron]

2. Well if I recall most of the data is read from the pointers, rather than the hard-coded offsets... I haven't got the source-code with me at the moment. I won't have it until the new year either, so I can't give the pointer location to you. bcrobert may have it though?

[Klokinator]

2. Well if I recall most of the data is read from the pointers, rather than the hard-coded offsets... I haven't got the source-code with me at the moment. I won't have it until the new year either, so I can't give the pointer location to you. bcrobert may have it though?

No no, I can find the pointers via the NMM's. I was just wondering if the AIO was smart enough to detect the new pointer location like the FEditor tool does in the FE community. In Fire Emblem, there's a master pointer list that points to each data chunk, like 0x80D00000 might be poited to for items, and if you repoint that to a new spot, it also changes the pointer in little endian on the master list as well. If you have a smart tool, it always grabs the data by reading the master pointer list.

[Darthatron]

It kind of works like that. Except there is no "Master List" each routine links to it's own offsets and such. Since it works like this, there are sometimes multiple pointers to the same data. AIO generally checks the first pointer that points to the required data and loads/edits everything from there.

[bcrobert]

I'm fairly certain AIO loads by reading pointers. I seem to recall you mentioning once that I should be able to repoint things in the ROM without any problems. Idk though, I've put off FFTA hacking for so long that I only half remember.

I'm pretty sure I used to have a copy of your source code but I don't know what I did with it. It's not in my tool folders for some reason.

[Klokinator]

I'm fairly certain AIO loads by reading pointers. I seem to recall you mentioning once that I should be able to repoint things in the ROM without any problems. Idk though, I've put off FFTA hacking for so long that I only half remember.

I'm pretty sure I used to have a copy of your source code but I don't know what I did with it. It's not in my tool folders for some reason.

That's good enough by my standards. Thanks a bunch!