Metroid Prime hacking research

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Antidote: 2015-08-30 02:37:24 am

Antidote: 2015-08-30 02:35:21 am

2015-08-30 02:34:37 am

Quote from Parax:

Yes, you'd need to make some modifications to the game's assembly code to do that.

Quote from SkippyJr:

BTW, where in memory is the RNG for Prime? There are Cheat Engine configs which locate it within running Dolpin, but what is the actual address as seen by the PPC?

Miles thinks it's 0x45AAA4

If you want details on how the RNG works internally, Jack and I reversed it a while back, it's address isn't going to do you any good. It's not static.

The way RNG works in MP is this: You construct a CRandom16, then you either use it locally and then let it go out of scope, or you construct a CGlobalRandom using that CRandom16, CGlobalRandom then calls CRandom16's static function "SetRandomNumber" which sets it as the current. From there any calls to CRandom16::GetRandomNumber will return the current CRandom16 stored in CGlobalRandom. Nailing down an address won't do you any good, because it will change the next play through at best, or the next frame at worst.

2015-08-30 02:39:15 am

For the programming savvy:
https://github.com/RetroView/PathShagged/blob/master/Runtime/CRandom16.hpp
https://github.com/RetroView/PathShagged/blob/master/Runtime/CRandom16.cpp

2015-08-30 03:27:21 am

I run this here hotel of an evening

Is there a way to view multiple STRGs at once? I keep losing my place because hex tends to blend together in my eyes.

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Antidote: 2015-08-30 03:48:26 am

2015-08-30 03:48:19 am

Want me to get you a YAML dump? Tell me which game and I'll get them for you.

2015-08-30 03:57:44 am

I run this here hotel of an evening

Prime 1. What's YAML? Probably yes either way, much appreciated

2015-08-30 04:00:14 am

YAML is "Yaml Ain't Markup Language"

Think of it as a lightweight XML.. a way to express any sort of structured data
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML#Examples

Edit history:

Antidote: 2015-08-30 04:04:37 am

2015-08-30 04:00:30 am

YAML is a markup language, like XML, but it's expressive rather than descriptive.

dangit jack, ninja'd me.

2015-08-30 04:04:48 am

For instance:

ENGL: ['&just=center;''Half-pipe'' structure detected.']
FREN: ['&just=center;Structure en demi-lune détectée.']
GERM: ['&just=center;U-förmiges Gebilde lokalisiert.']
SPAN: ['&just=center;Rampa semicircular detectada.']
ITAL: ['&just=center;Rilevata struttura a U "half-pipe".']
JAPN: ['&just=center;人工的地形を確認。']

2015-08-30 04:38:14 am

I run this here hotel of an evening

Yeah that seems pretty cool. I would very much like it. Xml, while understandable (for the most part) can get a litle annoying

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Antidote: 2015-08-30 04:51:31 am

2015-08-30 04:50:17 am

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/21757902/STRG.zip
Let me know if any are missing.

And their IDs if at all possible.

Edit history:

Odylg: 2015-08-30 08:27:04 am

Odylg: 2015-08-30 08:24:10 am

Odylg: 2015-08-30 08:23:18 am

2015-08-30 08:14:07 am

I run this here hotel of an evening

Questions. How can I tell if any are missing? If I search for STRG in the folder transfered to after unpacked to it says I have 1,478. As for the YAML I have 1293

For the IDs, you mean the missing ones if any?

EDIT: Wow, posting while half asleep probably isn't the best thing to do lol

Edit history:

Antidote: 2015-08-30 02:55:08 pm

2015-08-30 12:16:53 pm

yeah, that's what I mean, lol.
Unfortunately the only way to tell is to check against IDs, any of the named ones will be in the non-world paks (i.e paks without "Metroid" in the name)

Edit history:

Odylg: 2015-09-02 11:03:38 pm

Odylg: 2015-09-02 11:02:51 pm

Odylg: 2015-09-02 11:02:23 pm

Odylg: 2015-09-02 06:38:31 pm

Odylg: 2015-09-02 05:52:20 pm

Odylg: 2015-09-02 05:42:41 pm

Odylg: 2015-09-02 05:42:19 pm

2015-09-02 05:41:30 pm

I run this here hotel of an evening

Sorry that took me so long. Ended up setting up a macro to remove the "STRG_" from the beginning of all YAMLs then added in all the STRG files. That way the YAMLs were every other file, with the EditPad Pro logo in contrast to the generic "can't find icon" icon of the STRGs made it pretty easy to see.

None were missing, though I was thrown off by the named ones. Now the real fun begins.

EDIT: what's the deal with some of the STRGs being in more than one pak?

EEDDIITT: BBFE0D7D and 324D0835 are Credits and CreditsTest, but which one is which?

EDITish: http://imgur.com/QL70QYDQYD
...now where am I gonna get my tacos?

Edit history:

Antidote: 2015-09-02 11:25:23 pm

2015-09-02 11:24:28 pm

mmm tacos

Retro duplicated resources to help speedup loading, back in 2002 optical disc speeds were really bad.

2015-09-02 11:32:55 pm

I run this here hotel of an evening

So if I wanna change 1 I need to change the duplicates as well?
Come to think of it that's probably why the intro message didn't change.

Man, organizing these is gonna suck

Edit history:

jackoalan: 2015-09-02 11:37:31 pm

2015-09-02 11:35:04 pm

Testers Wanted!!!

This is the first public prototype of a tool to extract models and animated characters from MP1/2, with MP3 support underway.

It's steadily gaining new functionality, so we're going to put out prototype releases as major new features are added. Area extract is in the works too!!

Please understand that this project is fairly new and needs lots of testing to discover bugs and data issues.

https://github.com/RetroView/PathShagged/releases

Extra thanks to bearborg, our resident Guinea Pig for several grueling rounds of testing.

Edit history:

Odylg: 2015-09-03 12:06:16 am

2015-09-03 12:02:39 am

I run this here hotel of an evening

I would love to be a tester, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't use them. Unless NifScope works, that's all I havehave

Oh yeah, I was gonna get blender

2015-09-03 12:06:35 am

It's a blender-based utility.. It turns the MP files into .blend files basically.

Blender is free and can be downloaded from here:
https://builder.blender.org/download/

2015-09-03 12:08:01 am

I run this here hotel of an evening

Yeah, I'd tried before but the download failed for some reason

Edit history:

Antidote: 2015-09-03 12:42:35 am

2015-09-03 12:42:26 am

Hmm, how long a go was it? blender.org had some really bad stability issues a while back.

2015-09-03 01:58:06 am

I run this here hotel of an evening

I dont remember exactly. Awhile ago sounds pretty accurate though.

Which version of blender do I need? It says not the current release, gooseberry?

2015-09-03 02:03:21 am

Take the "official" release from that link I posted (not the one on blender's homepage ATM), 64-bit