A question about coding.

2007-10-15 09:42:11 am

This specific function seems like it would be easy to implement to me, and I believe it would be easy to code. But since my knowledge on the subject is extremely limited I was just wondering (from a vet's point of view) if it is possible to do these two things:

-Make Samus invulnerable to heat ONLY while the ice-beam-combo is active, even without the Varia suit

-Allow Samus to move freely in water ONLY while the wave-beam-combo is active, even without the Gravity suit

The reason I ask is because this could make for a very interesting hack, which I started a long time ago but I hadn't a clue on how to get started on this. Any input appreciated

Thread title:

Crys

2007-10-15 12:16:47 pm

Green-Kirby, ROAR!

http://www.romhacking.net/docs/109/
>;D

ICheatAtGolf

2007-10-15 01:10:18 pm

Thanks for the link, it will prove to be useful in the future, however it doesn't answer my question.

Edit: Actually, let me rephrase that. Because i'm sure its possible, my real question would be, what would be a rough estimate of the difficulty of this specific task?

P.JMan

2007-10-15 02:59:07 pm

I like Big Butts and I can not lie

It'd be relatively easy with the right tools

Kejardon

2007-10-15 10:47:52 pm

Embarrasing Fact: Power suit made by lowest bidder

Water: Most of the checks for underwater are case-by-case, so you'd have to add a check at several locations. It'd be easy to make a check, but a bit annoying to make sure you get every check. Careful searching in a hex-editor should work though.
The game currently checks with LDA $09A2, BIT #$0020 or similar code. Search for LDA $09A2's and look at the nearby code for the appropriate BITs and you should find what you want. Wave beam check via LDA $09A6, BIT #$0001, BNE WaveEquipped
Heat: I don't remember particularly where the code is for that, but I imagine it would be easy to find and change regardless. Heat damage is considered environmental damage and will be a write to $0A4E. Set a breakpoint for reading 09A2 and writing (but not STZ) to 0A4E, the read from 09A2 that happens just before 0A4E will be the suit check, where you'll want to add your beam check. Ice beam check via LDA $09A6, BIT #$0002, BNE IceEquipped.

I'd just replace the command(s) before the equipment branch with a JSR that goes to some empty space in the same bank, and there add the check. If it succeeds, set the appropriate flag and return, if it fails, run the original code then return.

I'm assuming you know how to use assembly. :P

Water: Most of the checks for underwater are case-by-case, so you'd have to add a check at several locations. It'd be easy to make a check, but a bit annoying to make sure you get every check. Careful searching in a hex-editor should work though.
The game currently checks with LDA $09A2, BIT #$0020 or similar code. Search for LDA $09A2's and look at the nearby code for the appropriate BITs and you should find what you want. Wave beam check via LDA $09A6, BIT #$0001, BNE WaveEquipped
Heat: I don't remember particularly where the code is for that, but I imagine it would be easy to find and change regardless. Heat damage is considered environmental damage and will be a write to $0A4E. Set a breakpoint for reading 09A2 and writing (but not STZ) to 0A4E, the read from 09A2 that happens just before 0A4E will be the suit check, where you'll want to add your beam check. Ice beam check via LDA $09A6, BIT #$0002, BNE IceEquipped.

I'd just replace the command(s) before the equipment branch with a JSR that goes to some empty space in the same bank, and there add the check. If it succeeds, set the appropriate flag and return, if it fails, run the original code then return.

I'm assuming you know how to use assembly. :P

Tonski

2007-10-16 03:20:48 am

Assembly is hard as excrement.

P.JMan

2007-10-16 10:43:29 am

I like Big Butts and I can not lie

So you replace all the checks for the gravity/varia suit with checks for the wave/ice SBA

Kejardon

2007-10-16 12:24:37 pm

Embarrasing Fact: Power suit made by lowest bidder

Wait wait.... combo / SBA? You mean the powerbomb + charge + beam ability? I assumed you meant if it's any of the beams in your current equipment.
That would be a bit more tricky: You'd need an additional check to see if a combo is currently active. Off the top of my head I don't know where to check that, though I've disassembled some related routines and they're in my notes (Not online, on my PC)... I think.
And the idea is to check for the beams first, and then if that fails, do the normal check for the suits.

Tonski

2007-10-16 12:41:40 pm

If your hack would need some humanly impossible hot zones to be passed without the Varia, that would be only possible using this trick you're about to code then you could just forget it and tell people to use the pause screen abuse. I think it's possible to do in real-time with savestates?

ING-X

2007-10-16 03:35:18 pm

yeah

Quote from Tonski:

If your hack would need some humanly impossible hot zones to be passed without the Varia, that would be only possible using this trick you're about to code then you could just forget it and tell people to use the pause screen abuse. I think it's possible to do in real-time with savestates?

Emphasis on "with savestates".

ICheatAtGolf

2007-10-16 03:39:01 pm

Quote from Tonski:

If your hack would need some humanly impossible hot zones to be passed without the Varia, that would be only possible using this trick you're about to code then you could just forget it and tell people to use the pause screen abuse. I think it's possible to do in real-time with savestates?

No. I actually planned on it being the same difficulty as the original, just with a different variety/taste. It would be fairly easy to make it through the heated area, even with less than enough energy tanks. Of course, it wouldn't be painfully easy, either. Trust me i've had my fair share of mega hard hacks and I think we should take a break from that type of gameplay.

ICheatAtGolf

2007-10-16 03:44:29 pm

Quote from Kejardon:

Wait wait.... combo / SBA? You mean the powerbomb + charge + beam ability? I assumed you meant if it's any of the beams in your current equipment.
That would be a bit more tricky: You'd need an additional check to see if a combo is currently active. Off the top of my head I don't know where to check that, though I've disassembled some related routines and they're in my notes (Not online, on my PC)... I think.
And the idea is to check for the beams first, and then if that fails, do the normal check for the suits.

Yeah, that's what I meant, charge beam combo. How would it be more tricky? Wouldn't it be the same as adding a check to see if the correct beams were equipped on the status menu? (although different coding) Well, even if not, I believe this will probably be easier to do than some of the stuff i've seen in the past Shocked

Edit: Sorry about the double post, I forgot i'm not on GameFaqs.

Kejardon

2007-10-16 05:08:14 pm

Embarrasing Fact: Power suit made by lowest bidder

The coding itself would most likely be very simple, just add another LDA, BIT or something. But figuring out WHAT to load and test may be tricky. I really haven't looked into any of the charge beam combo code, aside from the trigger itself.