Quick Modding/Hacking Answers Thread

Well, I've changed "New" to "Tutorial" (Graphic edit only) and when It's chosen, I want to send them to a map where I can show the basics of cave story (Easily script driven), and at the end of it, I want to make a save just to put a profile.dat file in the cave story folder (eg you've completed the tutorial)

I've also changed "Load" to "Tutoral" (Graphic edits only), which if chosen with the save file made earlier, should send them to the start of this little mod. However, without a profile.dat file in there already, "Load" does the same thing as "New". This is the problem I'm having. I want to be able to check if they chose "load" despite there being no profile.dat present, so I can send them to the correct place instead of them going into the tutorial level despite them selecting "Play"

 

you could do this with tsc though, could you not?
<> at first all events lead to new, as per usual, you've renamed this tutorial, so no problems there.
<> you beat the tutorial, it fades out, teleports you to what will be the new starting map, saves, and exits to the title screen.
<> now play is default select, and when you load it it will load the game with you in the new starting room.

the only real problem with this is that when you load into a random room, I'm not sure how it loads, so no intro cut scenes, at least not until you exit the room.

 

Almost. I'l post some screenshots to show the problem

When I start cave story without a profile.dat file ready, I get this. Selecting it has no problems, as it sends me to the tutorial level, however.

Selecting this without a profile.dat in the cave story directory makes this do the same thing as tutorial, which isn't what the button says.


However, I might have thought of a workaround for this, but this forces the preselection to "Play", which I can live with if I have to, but I'd prefer to get my other idea working.

 

haha, didn't need screenies, just didn't get this ikkle bit:

Selecting this without a profile.dat in the cave story directory makes this do the same thing as tutorial, which isn't what the button says.

that offset I gave you earlier should be right, if not I can procure another one.
you are assembly savvy, right?

 

Not yet

 

the things that come up the most are the simple ones, so you're lucky. these are movs, pushes, pops, calls, jmps, cmps, and some arithmetic. the first bit of that code movs e_x,[blablabla] this gives whatever is at that value into e_x, think of both as variables, except e_x takes up less space to get, but is used for other purposes, so doesn't hold the value for long. the next thing that happens is an and with another pointer, this checks if z is being pushed. if it isn't, it jumps farther down the code, which is what the je does. if you continue on the path of z-pushiness, the next thing that happens is a few pushes and a call, this makes a sound. then a number is added onto esp -- the stack pointer. whenever something is pushed, the stack pointer changes, and if it changes too much, bad stuff, so the addition keeps it constant. now you see a jmp to way down below. I haven't looked at this code much, but the loop is pretty evident.

...

that made no sense to you, but I hope it helped a tad.

 

Curly with Nemesis?

I want to find where the Curly sprite for when she's on your back in Hell, with the Nemesis, is. It's NOT NpcCurly.pbm, that's the boss form. Help?

 

My guess would be it's in NpcRegu.

 

My guess would be it's in NpcRegu.

Yes, it is.

NOW I just need to see if editing Arms.pbm will affect what gun SHES carrying as well, or if it's somewhere else...

EDIT: Nope, it COULDN'T be that easy. I have NO IDEA where Curly's gun data is now...damn.

Anyone know where it is?

 

So many guns...

Just a guess, but there's a few guns in NpcSym, specifically the Nemesis, Polar Star, and Machine gun.
I'm pretty sure those three guns {As in, these three graphics} are what she uses in places like the Labyrinth and Hell.
This thought is reinforced by the fact that the Polar Star and Machine Gun both lack a down animation there, and Curly never shot downwards when in the Labyrinth, but there's a downward animation for the Nemesis, and Curly will aim downwards with you in Sacred Grounds....

This is just a guess, though, I haven't tested it ;

 

Just a guess, but there's a few guns in NpcSym, specifically the Nemesis, Polar Star, and Machine gun.
I'm pretty sure those three guns {As in, these three graphics} are what she uses in places like the Labyrinth and Hell.
This thought is reinforced by the fact that the Polar Star and Machine Gun both lack a down animation there, and Curly never shot downwards when in the Labyrinth, but there's a downward animation for the Nemesis, and Curly will aim downwards with you in Sacred Grounds....

This is just a guess, though, I haven't tested it ;

...Of course, the thought is reinforced by the simple fact those are the three and the only three guns Curly uses. I'll check tomorrow. Thanks!

EDIT: Yeah, it worked! THANKS!

EDIT 2:

Now, I have another, DIFFERENT problem. I'm trying to animate quote. I just want him to WALK TO THE RIGHT. Yet, I plug in <ANP0150:0050:0002, whilst in a <KEY, and NOTHING HAPPENS. The event itself isn't hung up because the text box that's supposed to come up while he's walking still appears. I officially HATE <ANP...I must have the wrong <ANP number for Quote, even though the version of ANP.txt I have says Quote is 150. I've even tried spawning a seperate entity quote (Which is number 150, and running the event, but NOTHING happens. I've tried with 3 different animations (0010, 0050, and 0051) and none of them registered. What am I doing wrong??

 

Now, I have another, DIFFERENT problem. I'm trying to animate quote. I just want him to WALK TO THE RIGHT. Yet, I plug in <ANP0150:0050:0002, whilst in a <KEY, and NOTHING HAPPENS. The event itself isn't hung up because the text box that's supposed to come up while he's walking still appears. I officially HATE <ANP...I must have the wrong <ANP number for Quote, even though the version of ANP.txt I have says Quote is 150. I've even tried spawning a seperate entity quote (Which is number 150, and running the event, but NOTHING happens. I've tried with 3 different animations (0010, 0050, and 0051) and none of them registered. What am I doing wrong??

Hmmm...
<ANP is a bothersome command in that the specific animations have no standard logic to them.

Try all values from 0001 to 0099 in sequential order.

The next best I can think to suggest is to create a new sprite sheet based off of Curly and use her if possible (as the entity, anyways. The graphics would be the new sheet you attach to the map).

Failing that, I might get off my ass and document every animation for every entity.
-Has an idea for a way to test this easily-

Also, failing me unlazifying, you could *try* the Quote sprite from the scene outside the Red Flower Warehouse.

 

...Of course, the thought is reinforced by the simple fact those are the three and the only three guns Curly uses. I'll check tomorrow. Thanks!

EDIT: Yeah, it worked! THANKS!

EDIT 2:

Now, I have another, DIFFERENT problem. I'm trying to animate quote. I just want him to WALK TO THE RIGHT. Yet, I plug in <ANP0150:0050:0002, whilst in a <KEY, and NOTHING HAPPENS. The event itself isn't hung up because the text box that's supposed to come up while he's walking still appears. I officially HATE <ANP...I must have the wrong <ANP number for Quote, even though the version of ANP.txt I have says Quote is 150. I've even tried spawning a seperate entity quote (Which is number 150, and running the event, but NOTHING happens. I've tried with 3 different animations (0010, 0050, and 0051) and none of them registered. What am I doing wrong??

What you have to do is fairly simple:

A) Spawn seperate entity quote, make his event number XXXX
B) In script use <ANPXXXX:0050:0002. Remember, the first value refers to the entities event number, not the entity type.

 

Failing that, I might get off my ass and document every animation for every entity.
-Has an idea for a way to test this easily-

That's a nice idea. <ANP values are just Scriptstates in the ASM, so you wouldn't need to brute-force it as long as you can read the Assembly properly. Another important thing to document would be all the entities; there's way too many -??? in the list :/

 

That's a nice idea. <ANP values are just Scriptstates in the ASM, so you wouldn't need to brute-force it as long as you can read the Assembly properly. Another important thing to document would be all the entities; there's way too many -??? in the list :/

The majority of the ???'s are secondary sprites (Eg. 232 is Orangebell and 233 is the little bat that follows it).
They tend to cause a crash when used directly, though, because thier behavior is generally linked to the primary.

Interesting sidenote: NPC's don't go anywhere when you kill them - They just change to a 0000.
Proof: Orangebell and its followers - They hang around the area the biggy was killed.

 

Documentation for every <ANP value for all entities would be really helpful.

But usually, for cutscenes, I either test numbers or look at what Pixel did and replicate that.

 

Documentation for every <ANP value for all entities would be really helpful.

But usually, for cutscenes, I either test numbers or look at what Pixel did and replicate that.

You know there is a semi-complete list right?
ANP.txt

It's got all the most used/useful entities.

 

I already had that file from some time ago.

Yup, compared your link to the file on my computer, it is exactly the same, no new additions.

Funny thing, there seems to be a lot more info on the entities than I remembered... why didn't I look at this more? *facepalm*

 

....
:/

well then.
My anp.txt only has 1 update, and it all were made by me.

	Zuma [0055]
0000	Dun do nuthin
0003	Walk forward

screw this.

 

Little activity? Is it working?

Hey, er, does anyone know what needs to be changed to prevent missiles from dropping?
I know the call for dropping EXP, but I don't know about the one for missiles...
{The question's been asked a few times before, too, but never really answered...}