Quick Modding/Hacking Answers Thread

It's a function.
You push the value you want to give the entity
and it makes an entity

The first three can be zero. That's what I always did before discovering their use.

 

I got it. That's what I thought, about putting in values.
And I understand everything but parent, I think. So I'll leave that one as zero.
Oh, I also need to destroy an entity, for when XXXX is zero. Do you push the init slot and call a function or something? I don't think you would need to know all the values of an entity to destroy it.

 

Use <DNA ?

 

Isn't it DNP?
Well yeah, that would work. Can't believe I didn't think of that. =L
Thanks for the help!

EDIT: One more thing. How can I store the X and Y positions of a specific entity into registers?

 

This is probably nowhere near where I should ask this, but...
What is a good way to start a mod? Focus on the level design, then add cutscenes and details later? Just do the cutscenes in order?

 

What is a good way to start a mod? Focus on the level design, then add cutscenes and details later? Just do the cutscenes in order?

I think most people use the second method. Make a map, add details, then create a cutscene for it (if any), make another map, add details, make a cutscene for it (if any), and so on.

The first method (create all the level designs, then add details, then make all cutscenes) is a more layered approach that might work better for some people. Neither method is actually incorrect.

 

I use the first method since I could care less if the story's good, I'm more focused on making the levels fun.

 

Well first thing's first, you need to plan out your mod. Plan your story, weapons, characters, etc. before you even touch a hacking program. Without a good foundation, your mod will most likely fail.

 

Focus on the level design, then add cutscenes and details later? Just do the cutscenes in order?

Generally speaking, those two approaches are called top-down and bottom-up.

Making something top-down essentially means making a large, vague plan, and then working the smaller details out as you continue.
Working bottom-up means that you start with the small things, and they build together to make something larger and more complex.

Top-Down:
+ You can better control the flow and have a more sweeping story
+ In metroidvanias, the different zones tie together better and make more sense
- Often it is hard to follow a more general outline while you are actually modding
- If you don't have a good foundation, it is very easy to plan beyond your abilities.

Bottom-Up:
+ Smaller details interact better
+ Much easier to finish
- Gameplay is generally more linear
- Anything you add as an afterthought will seem very out of place

Of course there are others, but those are perhaps main pros and cons. You should decide yourself which way to go, but for a beginner I'd surely recommend bottom-up. Even for the more advanced modders, I'd say a combination is better (I almost always work top-down, and I have nothing to show for it).

 

I don't mean to sound like a gestapo officer attending the holocaust victim convention, but you should also create a mod "spontaneously". By which I mean you make everything as you go along, adding details to maps instantly instead of drawing a raw skeleton of it. I'm not saying you should mod non-stop for seven hours like GIR and Noxid probably once did, but it's quite fun and you get the hang of TSC. Again not to sound like a gestapo officer, but you should totally try this out.

 

EDIT: One more thing. How can I store the X and Y positions of a specific entity into registers?

I guess no one saw this earlier, so here it is. Does anyone know how to do this?

 

mov eax,[ebp+8]
mov ecx,[eax+n]

Where n is something according to this chart:

+0x00: Event.InUse
+0x04: Event.Collision
+0x08: Event.X
+0x0C: Event.Y
+0x10: Event.MoveX
+0x14: Event.MoveY
+0x1C: Event.MoveY
+0x20: Event.TargetX
+0x24: Event.TragetY
+0x28: Event.NPCID
+0x2C: Event.EntityID
+0x30: Event.EventNum
+0x34: Event.Tileset
+0x40: Event.HP
+0x44: Event.EXP
+0x4C: Event.Direction
+0x50: Event.Flags
+0x54: Event.Display_L
+0x58: Event.Display_U
+0x5C: Event.Display_R
+0x60: Event.Display_D
+0x64: Event.FrameTimer
+0x68: Event.FrameNum
+0x6C: Event.ObjectTimer
+0x70: Event.Directive
+0x74: Event.ScriptState
+0x78: Event.ScriptTimer
+0x9c: Event.HitTrue
+0xA4: Event.Damage
+0xA8: Event.Parent

So to get an x value into a register, you'd do:

mov eax,[ebp+8]
mov ecx,[eax+8]

Is that what you wanted to know? Your question was a tad vague.

 

Sort of. I needed to find the x and y of entity XXXX in a TSC command.

 

That would require you to set up a loop that cycles through each entity slot looking for a match with whatever XXXX is supposed to be, and then once you find that entity you grab its .x and .y values.

 

I am having issues with cave editor. For whatever reason, it no longer will insert entities into the game. For example: I placed a sign, set up all the flags, and scripted it. I go into the game, and it does not show up when I load the map.

 

Check your editor's read/write protection in the options. If that fails, manually turn off the write protection to your folder with windows explorer.

 

Simple n00b question.

How can I port just wtf stories gun actions to psp cave story. I know how to port all the sprouts and actions but not what they do. Thx.

 

You can't.

There is no arguing the fact; no hypothetical "Well if..", nothing. It is impossible and you will not be able to do it.

And stop making a new thread every time you have a question.

 

/newbie question
Do I put these each in their own line or into one line?

Odds are into their own... I just wanted to make sure.

http://www.cavestory.org/forums/threads/3269/

 

/newbie question
Do I put these each in their own line or into one line?

Odds are into their own... I just wanted to make sure.

http://www.cavestory.org/forums/threads/3269/

In OllyDbg, each onto its own line.

You also have to translate the lettering into addresses.