[Old] Counter Throw stone?

[Glain]

The ability index that it uses for the counter for Counter Tackle seems to be hardcoded at 0x117318 in BATTLE.BIN (0x0093 = Dash).

EDIT: Ability ID is actually a two byte value, so it's 0x117318 (low byte) and 0x117319 (high byte). For ability 015E (Grand Cross), it would be "5E 01" starting at 0x117318. The command is: XXXX0634.

[Dome]

The ability index that it uses for the counter for Counter Tackle seems to be hardcoded at 0x117318 in BATTLE.BIN (0x93 = Dash).

This is good or bad?

[RavenOfRazgriz]

It means you can use hex editing to make Counter Tackle call a different skill.

[Glain]

Exactly. You counter with whatever ability ID is at that location in BATTLE.BIN. You can get the ability ID from the gameshark handbook or from just counting down the list in FFTPatcher and just converting the number to hex (<Nothing> is 0, the next ability is 1, etc). (Maybe we should add the IDs into FFTPatcher's list?)

[Neophyte Ronin]

Trying to make Counter Tackle appealing?  Try reducing all Swords' Weapon Evasion so everyone doesn't pick Weapon Guard at first level.  Ha!  Kidding.

Working on the assumption that probational warriors tend to be overzealous, overconfident, reckless if untamed, or temperamental in some way, I have devised two possible ideas based on that assessment alone:

Idea One: Counter-Threat

The idea behind this is that Squires can be trained to shout at their opponent--a bellow fierce enough to cause aggressors to rethink their tactics and scurry off.

When dealt a direct weapon attack, subject has Br% shot at casting the new Threaten, which adds Don't Act/Disable to the Target if successful.  Ranged weapons apply if subject stands in a panel where Threaten may legally apply.  The low chance of dealing Threaten to a Target is one thing, and as an added bonus, it requires Monster Talk to function on Monster opponents.  There you go: a hit-and-miss ability useful against human targets but not monsters.  It's just as take-or-leave as the original Counter Tackle.

Variant: use the original Threaten (if it still exists in the game data), which lowers the odds of Reaction Abilities and weakens a small variety of weapon attacks.  While in Vanilla Tactics it could be game-breaking, it's not the case here, and it gives a fair shot at making melee aggressors turn Chicken if they persist.  Using Steal Courage to duplicate this idea (if the original Threaten is no more) might make it look goofy.

Either way, the odds of one happening over the other whenever it triggers gives it added unreliability, which makes it an even weaker Reaction Ability but on par with the original Counter Tackle.  Assuming Br50, the new Threaten (Don't Act) would occur 20% of the time, assuming the reacting caster survives the blow that triggers it.  A Br70 would do it 35% at the minimum, and this would improve with both Magic and Precision.  The original Threaten had a rate of (90+M), so if that is used, a Br50 unit casts it on an opponent 45% of the time, with zodiac variance affecting all outcomes.

On second thought, consider the first idea.

Idea Two: Infuriate (pick a good name)

I know for a fact this will be thrown out completely.  But I'm throwing it out there.  I love throwing competitions.

This delves into the good old D&D tradition with Barbarians (3.5), only here we nix the impossibility of reacting to danger to make it happen.  We're talking about going into a bloodthirsty rage, where short-tempered soldiers lose all finesse and go for the enemy's throat.

If dealt either a weapon attack or (heh-heh) HP Loss, the Unit has a Br% chance of losing his cool, adding Berserk to self.  The visual effects for the old (and long-gone?) "Scream" ability complement this perfectly.

With proper gear, support abilities, and back-up from someone with mastered Basic Skill, this might actually be fun to work with.  Heal/Salve covers Berserk now, so his buddies can rush up and calm him down before he kills himself; this zany tactic can happen in Chapter One.  The drawback is that Weapon Guard or Abandon--crucial defensive abilities for a Berserk fighter, cannot be hooked up and will not apply to this unit; other, safer methods of inducing Berserk remain in place.  The ability will have limited appeal and will only work if players prepare for said confrontations where it might happen.

Variant: staying true to Barbarian style, it adds another buff like Haste, Regen, or Transparent.  Maybe not Transparent, but certainly not Protect, Shell, or Reraise.  That's just stupid.  Maybe make it Always Berserk and possibly Add another, if the unit gets lucky.  If this happens, remember that another attack won't trigger the Reaction again (Berserk negates Br% Reaction Abilities); curing Berserk gives the character another chance to fly into a rage, another chance to gain another status effect alongside Berserk.  It's sort of a whimsical chance, rather than one set in stone, so it remains an unreliable, dicey ability you could take or leave.

Here's a few more:

Idea Three: Uncanny Dodge

Always Defending (Critical only); stops Defending upon next turn if health is restored between then and the effect.

Throw up your guard.  Constantly Defending even during a Turn, unlike Caution, while in Critical Condition.  However, Weapon Evasion can never apply, Abandon does roughly the same thing, and... yeah, it's not that great an Ability either.  That's what we're going for, right?

Idea Four: Shield Bash

Caster of avoided/guarded weapon attack in melee is subject to Shield Bash.  (Range: 1V1, Effect: one Target; Formula: [P*(P/X), Always Hits, Always Knock-Back; never works without a Shield equipped]

Where X equals a division number from two to nine (never zero) that corresponds to the equipped Shield.

The caveat goes between the Shield and your character's defense.  It's not too hot when used with certain high-evasion shields, while lighter versions can deal heavier blows.  Another issue is that you have to avoid, guard, block, or evade an oncoming melee attack for it to work, so with lighter shields, this proves difficult.  Finally, it is a Br% whenever you do avoid, so it's a dicey passive technique.  It has no effect upon opponents with Concentrate set up.

This requires an additional parameter issued to Shields.  The blow should never exceed a Dash or Bulls-Eye in terms of strength, not without getting the really good Shield (Escutcheon II, which means its division parameter is 2).  With new shields coming into the fold, often superior to previous versions, you could make earlier Shields possess good striking power (Buckler, Escutcheon) and transition to those with phenomenal striking power (Escutcheon II).



That's all I can think of.  If anything, don't nudge Throw Stone around to 3*P, since 100% Knock-Back is more than enough to have fun with.  As for other Abilities, I'd bring the cancellation chances for Dash to 100% instead of 25%; besides its limited grappling range, it is otherwise identical to Bulls-Eye and might even require a reduction in power just so you can tell one from the other.

Post-Script: Bulls-Eye with low-powered, high-range firearms is crazy funny.  Pair it with a Romanda Gun and see what I mean.