Official release of unofficial Boost Ball item for SM.

Bioniclegenius

2008-09-26 05:55:07 pm

Fear Me! (Or else...)

Could some1 attach it, then make an ips of that? I'd really, really like to try it out.

Bloodsonic

2008-09-26 05:58:10 pm

*Bloodsonic glares at bioniclegenius*
There's an ips on the second post that aigamerDS made.

Zhs2

2008-09-26 06:01:31 pm

Yo.

Actually, no. Bloodsonic's incorrect; ZephyrZx was talking about a Game Genie Code, I believe. It can be found in the "Bluesuit patch..?" topic, but I'll repeat it here: C222-C101

Acheron

2008-09-26 06:11:32 pm

Acclaimed Threshold

Constant Sorrows

Actually Bloodsonic's not wrong, and neither are you, 'cause Bionicle's post could be talking about either one, it's hard to tell.

Kejardon

2008-09-26 07:58:15 pm

Embarrasing Fact: Power suit made by lowest bidder

Quote from Deep_Space_Observer:

Unfortunately, I don't think the SM engine currently has any code for turning horizontal momentum into vertical momentum. As is the ball would travel up slopes, then when it hits a vertical wall, it would stop because the game doesn't recognize it as having any upward momentum from the slopes. However, a halfpipe is a logical use for boostball, so maybe Insom's already working on that.

You'd be more correct than you probably realize.
There is code that exists for turning horizontal momentum into vertical momentum, and it's used for running jumps if you have speed boots equipped (it's also buggy and can make you jump lower instead. <_<). However, that is the ONLY case it's used, AFAIK.
Slopes just directly change Samus's position. There is no speed adjustment; in fact, Samus's vertical speed is considered *downwards* into the ground when moving; it's always 1 pixel per frame faster than her horizontal speed. I forget if this value is stored in RAM or just calculated on the fly, but I know it doesn't persist from frame to frame.

No idea if Insom's working on more advanced physics for that though. The current setup irks me because it greatly defies how physics actually work, but it's pretty practical for the gameplay so I'm probably not going to change it anyways.

[quote="Deep_Space_Observer"]
Unfortunately, I don't think the SM engine currently has any code for turning horizontal momentum into vertical momentum. As is the ball would travel up slopes, then when it hits a vertical wall, it would stop because the game doesn't recognize it as having any upward momentum from the slopes. However, a halfpipe is a logical use for boostball, so maybe Insom's already working on that.
[/quote]
You'd be more correct than you probably realize.
There is code that exists for turning horizontal momentum into vertical momentum, and it's used for running jumps if you have speed boots equipped (it's also buggy and can make you jump lower instead. <_<). However, that is the ONLY case it's used, AFAIK.
Slopes just directly change Samus's position. There is no speed adjustment; in fact, Samus's vertical speed is considered *downwards* into the ground when moving; it's always 1 pixel per frame faster than her horizontal speed. I forget if this value is stored in RAM or just calculated on the fly, but I know it doesn't persist from frame to frame.

No idea if Insom's working on more advanced physics for that though. The current setup irks me because it greatly defies how physics actually work, but it's pretty practical for the gameplay so I'm probably not going to change it anyways.

Bioniclegenius

2008-09-26 10:41:29 pm

Fear Me! (Or else...)

I had been talking about the boostball, but hey, I found out what's messing up on my end. You know those two .zip files that come with it? Those were empty for me. They had nothing in them, and even when I re-downloaded it several times, they never had files in them. They were the icon .zip bin and the text .zip bin. Does anybody else have this problem?

Kejardon

Edit history:

Kejardon: 2008-09-27 12:29:10 am

2008-09-27 12:14:24 am

Embarrasing Fact: Power suit made by lowest bidder

Uh.
Those aren't compressed files. Those are binary files. They're hex that is inserted straight into the rom where the assembly file specifies.
Specifically, I think they're graphics for the PLM pickup and the equipment screen. I might be wrong though.

Regardless, you aren't meant to extract anything from those files. If you have the right tools (some sort of tile editor) you can edit them.

::edit:: Oh, uh, I just thought of something you might want to know for xkas.
xkas can convert strings to hex via any table you care to program. I use this for the logbooks so I can type actual logs instead of hex representations of them.
Make a file called something like PurpleTextTable.txt that holds all the conversions:

Code:

 =284E
A=28E0
B=28E1
C=28E2
...

then in the assembly file you can just write

Code:

table PurpleTextTable.txt
DW " BOOST"

You just need to set the table once, but you can freely change tables in the middle of the assembly file. Also, you only have to make the text tables once and then you can completely forget about them except their name. :)

Hmm. If you want to be fancy you could also do the colors like this...

Code:

p=28
g=38
y=3C
 =4E
A=E0
B=E1
C=E2
...

Code:

table TextTable.txt
DB " pBpOyOySyTy"

Yeah. Tables are handy. :P

Uh.
Those aren't compressed files. Those are binary files. They're hex that is inserted straight into the rom where the assembly file specifies.
Specifically, I think they're graphics for the PLM pickup and the equipment screen. I might be wrong though.

Regardless, you aren't meant to extract anything from those files. If you have the right tools (some sort of tile editor) you can edit them.

::edit:: Oh, uh, I just thought of something you might want to know for xkas.
xkas can convert strings to hex via any table you care to program. I use this for the logbooks so I can type actual logs instead of hex representations of them.
Make a file called something like PurpleTextTable.txt that holds all the conversions:
[code]
 =284E
A=28E0
B=28E1
C=28E2
...
[/code]
then in the assembly file you can just write
[code]
table PurpleTextTable.txt
DW " BOOST"
[/code]

You just need to set the table once, but you can freely change tables in the middle of the assembly file. Also, you only have to make the text tables once and then you can completely forget about them except their name. :)

Hmm. If you want to be fancy you could also do the colors like this...
[code]
p=28
g=38
y=3C
 =4E
A=E0
B=E1
C=E2
...
[/code]
[code]
table TextTable.txt
DB " pBpOyOySyTy"
[/code]

Yeah. Tables are handy. :P

Acheron

2008-09-27 12:33:12 am

Acclaimed Threshold

Constant Sorrows

Another thing I never knew you could with xkas, courtesy of Kej. Thanks, dude.

InsomniaDMX

Edit history:

InsomniaDMX: 2008-09-27 01:00:29 am

2008-09-27 12:58:27 am

--Lawrence of Arrakis--

Well, I started to write a general reply two days ago, but I killed the draft of it. I won't do that again.

I have a habit of droning on and on about one particular thing that I find interesting and forgetting to mention other things. By answering questions that are asked to me, I can usually fill in the blanks.

First, I'll answer questions, even some that were answered by others just to clear things up:

The pickup itself looks like a sideways springball. Think about it this way; springball makes you go up, and the graphic illustrates that, and boostball gives you a boost horizontally, so I rotated the graphic. I'm lazy, I know. I'm less interested in the graphic at this point.
Please go ahead and draw some new graphics if you feel so inclined, as I'm sure the entire community will greatly appreciate it. This brings me to my second point.

Sometimes I mention something once and expect people to absorb it the first time. I don't always do that (mainly in abstract arenas like mathematics). I shouldn't do this either. I will repeat myself:

Those bin files are graphics. Plain and simple. No compression. I opened up TLP and pasted and edited the graphics, and saved them as individual files. Why did I do something so random?

Because the ASM patch applies those graphics to the ROM for you! why not use IPS? because I am a fan of modularity. Maybe I'm an extremist or something, but that's where I stand. I am effectively releasing this as source code. There are three components and they're seperate. The .asm and the two .bins. I've already argued my case.

Regarding the IPS, developers who do not release compiled code generally do not actively support a compiled package of their code made by someone else. This does not mean that they take hostility (though they sometimes do) to this practice, it just means that they won't update those versions. I will update my own distribution of my code however. It's up to whoever made the patch in the first place to do that.

I do sort of discourage using the patch, not because of any spite for the maker, nor any distrust, nor any feelings at all toward them. It's because my .asm version will likely be a more current version. Plus, it's a much more modular format. Finally, I do not encourage you use the values for speed and timer length that I have come up with, which you will end up doing if you use the .ips patch. I'm not good at that stuff (at least I don't claim to be). That's what you guys are for. Get out there and really edit this game; Don't slap a bunch of things together. If you want to use this hack, I suggest you tweak the values so that they fit as perfectly into your game as possible, and if you're having trouble doing that, ask me!

And... I think I'm going to take a little liberty here and act like a big-shot moderator for a moment:

Please, if you have comments/suggestions about my publicly released stuff, ELABORATE!
It does us no good if you incoherently mumble something. Sit down for a minute and concentrate your ideas, say something coherent.

I told you about the .bin files for a reason: Open them up with TLP and tell TLP that you're trying to work with SNES graphics. the tiles will show up. Go ahead and edit/replace them. If you save them as the same filename and re-compile, taadaa, your graphics will be in the game.

From now on, everybody who wants to draw some tiles or release any related work to the boostball item, please attach it to a post in this thread. (ie, a palette file for each .bin or any other .bin files containing graphics)
* InsomniaDMX puts on Tim Gund impression:
Make it work, designers.

...and I just KNOW I forgot something... >_>

Well, I started to write a general reply two days ago, but I killed the draft of it. I won't do that again.

I have a habit of droning on and on about one particular thing that I find interesting and forgetting to mention other things. By answering questions that are asked to me, I can usually fill in the blanks.

First, I'll answer questions, even some that were answered by others just to clear things up:

[b]The pickup itself looks like a sideways springball.[/b] Think about it this way; springball makes you go up, and the graphic illustrates that, and boostball gives you a boost horizontally, so I rotated the graphic. I'm lazy, I know. I'm less interested in the graphic at this point.
Please go ahead and draw some new graphics if you feel so inclined, as I'm sure the entire community will greatly appreciate it. This brings me to my second point.

Sometimes I mention something once and expect people to absorb it the first time. I don't always do that (mainly in abstract arenas like mathematics). I shouldn't do this either. I will repeat myself:

[b]Those bin files [i]are[/i] graphics.[/b] Plain and simple. No compression. I opened up TLP and pasted and edited the graphics, and saved them as individual files. Why did I do something so random?

[b]Because the ASM patch applies those graphics to the ROM for you![/b] why not use IPS? because I am a fan of modularity. Maybe I'm an extremist or something, but that's where I stand. I am effectively releasing this as source code. There are three components and they're seperate. The .asm and the two .bins. I've already argued my case.

Regarding the IPS, developers who do not release compiled code generally do not actively support a compiled package of their code made by someone else. This does not mean that they take hostility (though they sometimes do) to this practice, it just means that they won't update those versions. I will update my own distribution of my code however. It's up to whoever made the patch in the first place to do that.

I do sort of discourage using the patch, not because of any spite for the maker, nor any distrust, nor any feelings at all toward them. It's because my .asm version will likely be a more current version. Plus, it's a much more modular format. Finally, I do not encourage you use the values for speed and timer length that I have come up with, which you will end up doing if you use the .ips patch. I'm not good at that stuff (at least I don't claim to be). That's what you guys are for. Get out there and really edit this game; Don't slap a bunch of things together. If you want to use this hack, I suggest you tweak the values so that they fit as perfectly into your game as possible, and if you're having trouble doing that, ask me!

And... I think I'm going to take a little liberty here and act like a big-shot moderator for a moment:

Please, if you have comments/suggestions about my publicly released stuff, [b]ELABORATE![/b]
It does us no good if you incoherently mumble something. Sit down for a minute and concentrate your ideas, say something coherent.

I told you about the .bin files for a reason: Open them up with TLP and tell TLP that you're trying to work with SNES graphics. the tiles will show up. Go ahead and edit/replace them. If you save them as the same filename and re-compile, taadaa, your graphics will be in the game.

From now on, everybody who wants to draw some tiles or release any related work to the boostball item, please attach it to a post in this thread. (ie, a palette file for each .bin or any other .bin files containing graphics)
[me=InsomniaDMX]puts on Tim Gund impression:[/me]
Make it work, designers.

...and I just KNOW I forgot something... >_>

Crys

2008-09-27 04:06:22 am

Green-Kirby, ROAR!

Quote from InsomniaDMX:

From now on, everybody who wants to draw some tiles or release any related work to the boostball item, please attach it to a post in this thread. (ie, a palette file for each .bin or any other .bin files containing graphics)
* InsomniaDMX puts on Tim Gund impression:
Make it work, designers.

Did some one call me? ;<D

No palette file. It uses line 0 in-game like all other items.

Not sure how you wanted the .bin file to look like; So I just used the first two 16x16 tiles.

attachment:

boost ball.bin

J-SNAKE

(user is banned)

2008-09-27 07:06:30 am

thats me

Ha, ha. Some can't wait for cool new tricks Wink

Bioniclegenius

2008-09-27 09:23:14 am

Fear Me! (Or else...)

Ok, when I run the MS-DOS batch file, it says:
Desktop\Boostball Patch>xkas boostball.asm SM.smc
Press any key to continue...|

Is that what's supposed to show up? Ignore all the folder junk.

P.JMan

2008-09-27 11:38:48 am

I like Big Butts and I can not lie

Yeah that's normal (good actually). He put in a pause you can see if there were any errors. The patching is the first thing that's done, the Press any key message comes up after it's patched

Acheron

2008-09-27 11:49:50 am

Acclaimed Threshold

Constant Sorrows

Quote from Bioniclegenius:

Ok, when I run the MS-DOS batch file, it says:
Desktop\Boostball Patch>xkas boostball.asm SM.smc
Press any key to continue...|

Is that what's supposed to show up? Ignore all the folder junk.

Did you try testing it to see if it worked before asking if it was right?

Bioniclegenius

2008-09-27 11:51:11 am

Fear Me! (Or else...)

Yes, and it still hadn't changed anything. I then grabbed GK's images, and then recompiled it to the rom, or whatever you feel like calling it, and then tried it again. Still no dice.

Acheron

2008-09-27 11:53:21 am

Acclaimed Threshold

Constant Sorrows

GK's... images?

Okay, you're the only one having a problem with this. It's clearly something wrong on your end. Did you try the steps I suggested earlier?

-Download a new emulator and put it in a new folder
-Download a new ROM and put it in that folder
-Patch the ROM
-Play

Use the .IPS aigamerDS made if you have to. If that doesn't work, buy a new computer or something. :|

FirePhoenix

2008-09-27 12:29:35 pm

Actually Acheron, I'm having the same problem as him except I have a slightly older version of the upgrade than he does already inserted. I tried inserting the new one and so far have seen no visible changes. And I know what I should be seeing differently too. Item PLM graphic changes, momentum bug fixed, yeah I've seen none of them. Don't know what I'm doing wrong either. Perhaps I'll just have to live with a version 0.9 BoostBall. :|

Bioniclegenius

2008-09-27 12:42:54 pm

Fear Me! (Or else...)

Well, I used the patch, and that worked. Unfortunately, that's the only thing that's working. I got a new emulator, a clean rom, a different emulator, and nothing I tried worked. Only the patch works for me. Was this designed for Linux, or something?...

Acheron

2008-09-27 01:03:38 pm

Acclaimed Threshold

Constant Sorrows

FP: I'll have to catch you on #jzd then and we'll iron it out. It's really quite simple, once you know how to do it, no harder than applying an IPS patch.

bionicle: Any OS that supports SMILE will support xkas use. I will look into FP's problem and if it's a legitimate problem related to the patch I'll post what went on here. Otherwise, you're just doing something wrong, and since I can't look over your shoulder I can't help you any more than I already have, because I can't tell exactly what you're doing.

P.JMan

2008-09-27 01:42:38 pm

I like Big Butts and I can not lie

The only thing I can say is, make sure you have the right xkas version (the deprecated version)

J-SNAKE

(user is banned)

J-SNAKE

Edit history:

J-SNAKE: 2008-09-27 05:22:58 pm

2008-09-27 02:13:11 pm

thats me

Add air-jump and with some hacking it will be Metroid Prime 2D.
(if someone has humor: laugh new

)

Zhs2

Edit history:

Zhs2: 2008-09-28 11:57:24 am

2008-09-28 11:55:12 am

Yo.

The xkas compiling issue was actually covered on page 1 of this thread. Like Insomnia mentioned, make sure you grab the second xkas on the page InsomniaDX linked to in his first post (the one that says 0.06 next to it and it's under the section that says discontinued.) If that xkas absolutely does nothing for you, then grab it from www.romhacking.net.

Edit: Does this help, Acheron? Remind 'em to go to the right place, kay? Wink

Acheron

2008-09-28 12:00:27 pm

Acclaimed Threshold

Constant Sorrows

No one who's done this has mentioned xkas errors (which I would expect they'd be getting if they used the wrong version), but it's still a good point, thank you.

Zhs2

2008-09-28 12:08:04 pm

Yo.

I was reading all of the above posts, and people were saying, "Hey, xkas wouldn't patch the rom," and stuff like that, so hence I posted... (I'm looking at Bioniclegenius and Firephoenix0.)

Xkas will not give you an error if you use the wrong version. It will just not change the ROM at all. Those who were saying that xkas didn't change the ROM generally need to do one of these two things:

1. Make sure the xkas is the correct version;
2. Make sure their rom is named SM.smc.

I'm saying this also 'cuz I'm not too sure InsomniaDX would want ya to recommend using the .ips...

ZephyrZx

2008-09-28 01:01:55 pm

Following insomnias post was simple, yet people are having problems, are you guys sure you used v0.6 or something of xkas?