Editing help

Alright so, I am very new to this hacking/editing thing. I have downloaded two programs, Miza and Sue's workshop. I am still not sure what each of them does...

I am trying to completely make a new game, but with the same sprites.
Like a game maker program or a rpg maker. I guess I can edit the map tiles on Miza, but I am not sure how to get new sprites and add them to the program. And I also want to change characters, npcs, monsters, etc. and I read somewhere that I need to use Sue's workshop to edit dialouges, characters, and more? I tried to use Sue's workshop but I don't know how to use it. I couldn't find any faqs for Miza or Sue's workshop, so I don't know what to do.
For Sue's workshop, I click the load tab and load the doukutsu.exe file, then I don't know what to do with it.

Could anyone help?

 

*Sigh*

Something tells me you haven't done something like this before....

If you want to make a 'completely new game', those two editors are the wrong way to go.
They work with what Cave Story's already got, they don't mess with the actual game engine.
You'll be making something that's just like the original game, unless you do some really heavy Assembly hacking... {Which is complicated}
If you're going to use a game maker program, you'll have to start completely from scratch, only using the original game for sprites, sounds, story-line, etc.
Now, for "how to's" on using the regular editors, like Sue's Workshop or Cave Editor, I can help you there, easy. {Don't bother with Miza, SW and CE beat it}
Unfortunately, I can't be too specific with Sue's Workshop, as I've only used Cave Editor...
But I should be able to help with the general stuff.

Although, I can't really help until I know wither you're going to use a game maker or one of the Cave Story editors...

 

You don't have to be too specific with Sue's in the first place. It's just a click and drop interface, and a text editor. You'll need to grab TSC.txt off the FTP or something, or just use Cave Editor for scripting.

However, you can't use the same .exe with Cave Editor as you do with Sue's, due to how Cave Editor modifies the .exe after opening it. It has coloured TSC commands inside the editor and a sidebar with the text editor so you can see what the hell you're doing to the scripts better, though. Sue's's is just like Notepad, except for the huge "Save" button at the top.

EDIT: You could say that for scripting, Sue's is Notepad, and Cave Editor is Notepad++.

Each one has its ups and downs. With Cave Editor, you can edit the script easier, and even the tilesets and other .pbm files. However, you can't run the game directly from Cave Editor, meaning you have to save it, then navigate to where you keep your mod, and run it there. Sue's is basically the opposite - you can easily test right from the editor, but it's a tiny bit harder to see what you're doing with the scripts, and Sue's isn't an image editor too.

Oh, and Cave Editor can zoom in/out on the map you're editing, for mass erasure/planning/what have you. I don't remember if it has the same rectangle tool as Sue's, though, since it hasn't worked in a long while for me.

 

We should make a hack pack... That's updated every so often. So newbies (not meant to offend anyone, just referring to the people who are new to this hacking thing stuff) can just download the whole thing instead of searching all over the forums while they don't know what exactly they're looking for... :/

... has it been already done before, btw? >.>

Edit -

Okay... Sue's Workshop is mainly used for writing out what happens in your mod. Basically, you can add maps, script the events that happen in each map and tile out the whole map according to your preferences. You can also place NPCs and monsters (sprites) with this program.

If you wanna edit sprites, theres a "data" folder in the Cave Story folder. This folder contains ALL the sprites and maptile sheets used in the game. You can edit each sprite in their respective spritesheets. You can also rename them. If you're not sure how to edit .pbm files, use the search function (trust me, it's not hard to find ) I made one, if I'm not wrong.

 

If you wanna edit sprites, theres a "data" folder in the Cave Story folder. This folder contains ALL the sprites and maptile sheets used in the game. You can edit each sprite in their respective spritesheets. You can also rename them. If you're not sure how to edit .pbm files, use the search function (trust me, it's not hard to find ) I made one, if I'm not wrong.

There's a sticky on that as well.

 

thanks for the replies guys

Alright so, what I am trying to do is to make a game using the same engine or w/e. I am not good with tech stuff. I am not really sure how to word this, but I am trying to do something like adding new place, add a new story, different npcs, etc. I guess I want to use the editors and not a completely new engine.

On the forums, I saw a lot of mods, and I see different backgrounds and like different npcs and stuff, so that's where I got my idea to make my own game like that. I guess if I were to use Cave Editor or Sue's workshop, I can edit the existing maps, like the starting point, and rearrange the stuff. BUT, I couldn't understand how to add new tilesets, characters, and stuff, if it's even possible. I also need to know how to change what the character's saying, different events, etc. I can keep the original weapons but I want to make a completely different story

According to Metalogz, I guess I can use Sue's workshop to do all that, but I have no idea how. It would be great if there was a newbie friendly guide to it.

And jcys810, I read that thread but I have no idea how to get it started... Like am I suppose to download my own sprites and use a editor to open it and stuff? I am new to doing this so I have no idea what I am doing if I only find little bits of information from all over the place, so I posted here

 

Don't forget...

Hey, don't forget Cave Editor T.T; {You can't use both, unless you do some really time-consuming coping/back-upping and swapping..}

Anyways, have you been using the search button to check through the Hacking/Modding sub-forum?
You should be able to find almost anything you need to know, after reading the threads of other new-users that've asked the same questions...
When you say "Change tilesets and Characters", if you mean the looks, the sprites, that's pretty easy. Like Metalogz said, the Data folder contains ALL of the sprites and room files {The files used to create the rooms} in Cave Story, so if you wanted to, say, make Quote green instead of red, you'd look in the Data folder for MyChar.PBM.
Open it with some paint program {I think most of everyone here just uses Paint}, do what you want, and than save it as a .BMP {24-bit is recommended, for the best colours}. Just remember to rename the .BMP part to .PBM, and you'll have to either re-add the (C)Pixel ending manually with a Hex Editor, or use something like Cave Editor to do it automatically...
Tilesets and Backgrounds would work the same, you'd just have to find their appropriate files and save them the same way.
And here's a thread you should have been able to find, searching the child forum Hacking/Modding, on dialogue.

The easiest way to learn all of this is to play with the script yourself.
Using the originals as a guide, it'll help you wrap your head around all of this and get use to it, at the same time.
And when you're scripting, you'll have to find a TSC command file to look off of, for now.
I'm not sure if Sue's Workshop comes with one, but Cave Editor automatically brings one up when you edit a room's script...
TSC commands are what Cave Story's scripts use to tell the game what to do; like in the dialogue thread, the TSC command <MSG would create a message box at the bottom of the screen, and <CLO would close any opened message boxes..
Like I said, it's easier to look off the original script and learn how the game works, there...

And make sure you frequent this thread, here.
It would have been a good idea to have checked there first, and further questions would be better posted there....

 

Thanks for the links, I'll read them later since I have to study

But all this talk about script confuses me, as I have no experience in scripting.
I guess what I really wanted to know was how to add new tilesets and maps into a program like Sue's workshop or CE, and then use those new tilesets and stuff to create a new background, etc.

I know that I can just edit the mychar and the stuff in the data by using paint, but I don't know how to add new things I download off the internet and put it in the program.

Like if I were to use Sue's workshop, I would open the SW.exe, load the donkutsus.exe, then click on a map, how would I edit that map with NEW tilesets? How do I add these new tilesets if Sue's workshop doesn't offer a tab or a button that lets me add them?

 

you just make a drwing called PrtWhatver.pbm, put your tile set in, and sues will recognize it. then you use sues built in tile set editor thing to make the blocks do something.

 

Search Button!

Scripting for Cave Story's not really that hard.
I don't think I've ever done anything else like it, and I learned it, easy enough...

Now, when you say "Add", are you going to ADD to the game, or just edit the old ones?
Adding whole new Tilesets is a bit hard, but you usually do it by coping two parts of an old one, the Prt***.PBM {The *'s are what the tilesets are called, like Egg or EggX, the first and second visits to the Egg Corridor} and the .PXA {PrtEgg.PBM and Egg.PXA would be the tileset for the first visit to the Egg Corridor}.
The Prt governs what the Tileset looks like, the sprites.
The .PXA tells the game how each tile works in the game, if it's a slope underwater, a impassable block that can be shot through, or just a blank space.
If you copy both of these and rename them, you can then edit the Prt like you would with a sprite, and Cave Editor {Iono about Sue's Workshop} can set the .PXA for you.

I don't know about Sue's Workshop, but Cave Editor will automatically load these new Tilesets up and use them just like the old ones, if you put them in the Stage folder, located in the Data folder.

Rooms are different, but you should just edit the old ones.
Now, when I say edit, I don't mean just re-arrange the old stuff, I mean use the old shell of the rooms to make things easier.
Adding rooms is a pain, editing old ones makes it easier.
You can change anything and everything, just leave the braced syntax alone {Like, the syntax for Grasstown is {Weed}, and {Pens1} is Arthur's house}.
You should search around {Search Button!} for a detailed tutorial, though, I'm sure "How to's" on rooms have been asked a bazillion times....
Which means they must've been answered, at least once

 

Lace, so I just download changed the tileset to .pbm and then I put it in the stage folder, but when I open tileset editor in SW, I don't see the tileset there

EDIT: I just saw Void's post and ah I understand a lot more now. I will try it later tonight or tomorrow, and I guess I just keep the old rooms. So I guess CE is more newbie friendly?

 

Heh...

Lace, so I just download changed the tileset to .pbm and then I put it in the stage folder, but when I open tileset editor in SW, I don't see the tileset there

Did you read my post? Tilesets come in two parts....

 

EDIT: I just saw Void's post and ah I understand a lot more now. I will try it later tonight or tomorrow, and I guess I just keep the old rooms. So I guess CE is more newbie friendly?

He did.

 

ce is the vista to sue's xp.

 

Vista sucks Balls.
Windows XP is more stable. more functional. so use SW.


€: Or just kick the whole M$ Stuff aboard and go for FreeBSD / Linux

 

Ho ho ho

ce is the vista to sue's xp.

That's a good analogy.
Vista was bad at first, but now it's great, I don't even notice the difference between this and XP.
CE was just like that to SW, but now it's just as good, or even better
I can't say which is more newb friendly, only using one, but I DO know that CE is a lot easier to script with, since it makes everything a lot easier to read and brings up a TSC command list, right there for you....
SW also has a history of not playing very nicely with other 3rd-Party programs on the same EXE....
Oh yeah, and before you pick your editor, don't forget that it'll be really hard to change inbetween them. So your choice might be final.

 

SW also has a history of not playing very nicely with other 3rd-Party programs on the same EXE....

SW only can't edit the Map headers anymore after you imported orgs. That's the only issue.

But that is no problem actually, you can just edit your exe and save it and then you make a copy of it everytime you want to test it with the orgs and import the orgs into the copy. So you can still edit Map headers with SW if you use the original one. If you upload it somewhere you can upload the copy.

 

I like CE better, it has easier interfaces
Hey Void, I played your mod and that's exactly what I was trying to say, like adding new tilesets, new char sprites and stuff. I was hoping you could give me a step by step guide? I just don't understand the other threads

And when I tried to add a char sprite, it's all weird
You know how a sprite sheet has like for example 8 different image of a char going left, right, up, down, etc. When I try to use that sprite, the char is just that sheet, and not the one char that goes up, down, etc. It's just the sheet that comes out

 

Eh?

And when I tried to add a char sprite, it's all weird
You know how a sprite sheet has like for example 8 different image of a char going left, right, up, down, etc. When I try to use that sprite, the char is just that sheet, and not the one char that goes up, down, etc. It's just the sheet that comes out

Eh?
Did you copy and paste a new image?
You've gotta make sure it matches Quote's animations completely! That's why so many of the mod's main characters look Quote-ish.
It's easiest to take Quote's original sprites and use them for a basis as yours, so you know how far down your feet can be, how tall your dood can be, etc....
{I had a problem at the very beginning of my mod, where Lowell would float in the air if you looked up and moved right, because I accidentally shuffled those animations up a pixel XD}
Now, whaddya mean by "the char is just that sheet"?
Do you mean he's just the first animation, or something? Like, he's sliding around, using his standing animation, instead of walking....?
Maybe you should show us the MyChar.PBM? It'd make things a lot easier

 

Wait first of all, are you editing the right file? If you want to change the player's appearance (Quote's appearance in other words), you need to edit MyChar.pbm. As long as you do that, it should work fine. If you're editing something else like the background (bk*.pbm) or the tileset (Stage\Prt*.pbm) or one of the NPC spritesheets (Npc\Npc*.pbm) then Quote's appearance won't change.

Also, what is it exactly that you are trying to edit that's not working for you? Is it Quote's appearance or something else?