Quick Modding/Hacking Answers Thread

autumn_mnya · Nov 19, 2021

HaydenStudios said:
I believe the map limit for Cave Story is 128. Although if you can help it, I'd suggest replacing existing maps instead of adding new ones.
That's weird, the duplicate map feature in BL seems to work okay for me. Might be a problem with version 0.4.5.0, but obviously that can't be helped much in your case.
I'm not aware of any specific limit on the size of maps, but I do know that the game will let you make maps that are pretty darn big. Generally, one design practice we try to discourage is to make your maps too enormous. Even in the case of mods that did this gracefully, like Jenka's Nightmare and CS Redesign, it can make the mod hard to navigate. Also, not sure if this matters, but if your map exceeds certain dimensions (don't know the dimensions off the top of my head), then the map system won't work on that map.

I believe Boosters Lab allows you to have more maps than 128, if I remember correctly.

AQUA BARRIER had around 142~ maps in the freeware exe, if that says anything. I believe it crashed after 142, but that might've been a weird windows issue that has been fixed since. I remember testing in June/July, and you may be able to add as many maps as you want. You'll start risking it after 128 maps though, probably.

Cibryll · Nov 19, 2021

Okay, I may've figured out the error's cause (duplicating a new map that hasn't got a script; duplicating maps with a script don't bring up the error), so that's hopefully not an issue now.

Thank you! =)

EnlightenedOne · Nov 20, 2021

Cibryll said:
Thirdly, what are the size limits for maps? (I think 21x16 is the minimum, but not sure on the maximum...)

307200 tiles is what I've heard. Theoretically this allows a perfectly square map no larger than 554x554, but any dimensions within this bound should work (albeit not be fun to traverse in). Also as Hayden said earlier the map system item will stop working correctly far below this threshold (unless you use the modloader .dll that dynamically resizes its rendering).

Cibryll · Dec 23, 2021

Problem:
Player does not appear on map until reloading game

Details:
The mod uses the TSC+ hack (and IMG/PHYS add-ons), and after the cutscene (following the PHYS stuff), the player... just isn't there.
Thought they were out-of-bounds so I added the Map System equip flag, but turns out they are at the starting point where they should be, just hidden... and SMC doesn't reveal them.
I even used TRA, to no avail.

So far, the only way to actually go on as normal is to reload (there's an "autosave" in the script at the start of the mod that I copied from one of the mods I've worked on in the past, but that didn't cause any issue in that mod).

I was wondering, is there anything that can be done, other than using LDP and an H/V trigger for part of the cutscene?

Raichu · Dec 23, 2021

Cibryll said:
Problem:
Player does not appear on map until reloading game

Could you show us the TSC for the cutscene?

Cibryll · Dec 23, 2021

I'll try, but my mobile device imposes a character limit. -_-
So I'll have to shorten it (by a lot), at least until I can find a way around that.

Code:

#0200
<KEY
<PHY0000:0812 (etc.)
<PHY0016:0000<FL+0500
<MS2<TUR
text<WAI0040<CLO<MS2<TUR
more text, etc.<WAI0040<CLO<MSG<TURDo you wish to shorten (or even skip) cutscenes?
(alt+0134)<YNJ0201<FL+0432<EVE0201

(events 0201 to 0207 are more YNJ questions like "more save points?" or "disable optional areas?")

#0208
<CLO<MS2<TURDone.
Autosaving.<WAI0080<CMU0008<SVP<CLRAutosave complete.
Press any key to continue.<NOD<CLO
<FL+0431<EQ+0002<TRA0013:0210:0030:0024

#0210
<KEY<FAI0004<SMC<FLJ0432:0211<IMGJil1<MSG
some dialogue<NOD<CLO<IMG0000<END

#0211
<KEY<IMGJil1<MSG
...? Where am I?<NOD<CLO<IMG0000<END

(Alt+

Brite · Dec 23, 2021

Cibryll said:
(Alt+

All I see is that maybe when you equip item 0002, with whatever you've done with it, causes you to disappear. That or the flag.

Cibryll · Mar 29, 2022

What's the most recent version of Resource Hacker that's needed to replace ORGs and such?
(As I understand it, using the latest versions would be unwise?)

TrashboxBobylev · Mar 29, 2022

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/312733438153326593/549488835118235648/resource_hacker.zip

Brite · Mar 29, 2022

Cibryll said:
What's the most recent version of Resource Hacker that's needed to replace ORGs and such?
(As I understand it, using the latest versions would be unwise?)

You can get an older version here. (They work better.) https://www.filepuma.com/download/resource_hacker_3.6.0-165/

Cibryll · Mar 29, 2022

Thanks; it seems version 4.2.5 works, but it always helps to have an older version just in case. =P

Natsuki said:
All I see is that maybe when you equip item 0002, with whatever you've done with it, causes you to disappear. That or the flag.

Removed one, tested it, player is invisible and uncontrollable until reload.
Tried the other way around, same issue.
Removed both flag and equip flag, no change.

Since I can now post from a PC (rather than a lousy mobile device), I might as well post the full script from the starting map.

Code:

#0090
<MNA<CMU0008<FAI0000<END
#0091
<KEY<MYB0002<WAI0002<PRI<MNA<CMU0008<FAI0001<END
#0092
<MNA<CMU0008<FAI0002<END
#0093
<MNA<CMU0008<FAI0003<END
#0094
<MNA<CMU0008<FAI0004<END

#0100
<PRI<FAO0003<MYD0002<TRA0014:0093:0026:0001
#0101
<PRI<FAO0002<TRA0019:0092:0001:0061

#0200
<KEY
<PHY0000:0812<PHY0001:1535<PHY0002:0080<PHY0003:0032
<PHY0004:0085<PHY0005:0032<PHY0006:0051<PHY0007:1280
<PHY0008:0406<PHY0009:0483<PHY0010:0060<PHY0011:0012
<PHY0012:0072<PHY0013:0072<PHY0014:0025<PHY0015:0720
<PHY0016:0000<FL+0500
<MS2<TUR[            ]
Initializing physics<WAI0040<CLO<MS2<TUR[|           ]
Initializing water physics<WAI0040<CLO<MS2<TUR[||          ]
Initializing graphics<WAI0120<CLO<MS2<TUR[|||         ]
Initializing sound<WAI0120<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||        ]
Loading ORG files<WAI0080<CMU0040<CLO<MS2<TUR[|||||       ]
Loading weapon data<WAI0040<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||||      ]
Loading inventory data<WAI0080<CLO<MS2<TUR[|||||||     ]
Feeding flower dragons<WAI0080<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||||||    ]
Scanning for viruses<WAI0160<CLO<MS2<TUR[|||||||||   ]
Loading character data<WAI0040<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||||||||  ]
Revving it up<WAI0080<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||||||||| ]
Loading map data<WAI0160<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||||||||||]
Done. Initializing questions.
Press any key to continue.<NOD<CLRWARNING! Once most options have been
set, they can never again be changed
from the Hub area.      (Press any key.)<NOD<CLRThese questions will be marked with a
dagger (†). Careful not to hurt yourself
with it.<NOD<CLO<MSG<TURDo you wish to shorten (or even skip)
cutscenes?
(†)<YNJ0201<FL+0432<EVE0201
#0201
<KEY<MSG<TURDo you wish to have more save points?
(†)<YNJ0202<FL+0433<EVE0202
#0202
<KEY<MSG<TURShould NPCs repeat the same things over
and over, with no new text?<YNJ0203<FL+0444<EVE0203
#0203
<KEY<MSG<TURDo you want to restrict items to only
mandatory items? (These will be marked
with a sparkle near the chest.)<YNJ0204<FL+0445<EVE0204
#0204
<KEY<MSG<TUR
Simplify the Hub area?<YNJ0205<FL+0446<EVE0205
#0205
<KEY<MSG<TUR
Disable optional areas?<YNJ0206<FL+0447<EVE0206
#0206
<KEY<MSG<TURPlay on Easy Mode?
(+10 starting HP, and infinite ammo and
 mana for ALL weapons and spells.)<YNJ0207<FL+0448<ML+0010<EVE0207
#0207
<KEY<MSG<TURDisplay warning signs in boss rooms?
(†)<YNJ0208<FL+0449<EVE0208
#0208
<CLO<CMU0000<MS2<TURDone.
Autosaving.<WAI0080<CMU0008<SVP<CLRAutosave complete.
Press any key to continue.<NOD<CLO
<FL+0431<EQ+0002<TRA0013:0210:0030:0024

#0210
<KEY<FAI0004<SMC<FLJ0432:0211<IMGJil1<MSGMmmph… 
Hm?<NOD
Where am I?
Is this… a dream?<NOD<CLR
......<NOD<CLRDon't have amnesia… I mean, my
name's Jillian Percival, age
19.<NOD I'm human, and the chosen
wielder of the legendary sword
Ritesoa, back home.<NOD<CLRBut I see it's not with me. I
think I should… maybe get out
of this dump…?<NOD<CLO<IMG0000<END
                          |   |         |
#0211
<KEY<IMGJil1<MSG
…? Where am I?<NOD<CLO<IMG0000<END
                          |   |         |

#1000
<END

The only ASM hacks applied to the mod in question would be the "errors" one (that translates the errors into English) and the TSC+ with the PHYS and TIMG add-ons.
(I removed a <LDP from the script that was placed before the <TRA event; at the time, that's the only work-around I could think of.)

_{Or… is it possibly a side-effect from having like 181 maps in the executable (despite only 128 being usable from what I could tell by testing)?}

Brite · Mar 30, 2022

Cibryll said:

Thanks; it seems version 4.2.5 works, but it always helps to have an older version just in case. =P

Removed one, tested it, player is invisible and uncontrollable until reload.
Tried the other way around, same issue.
Removed both flag and equip flag, no change.

Since I can now post from a PC (rather than a lousy mobile device), I might as well post the full script from the starting map.

Code:

#0090
<MNA<CMU0008<FAI0000<END
#0091
<KEY<MYB0002<WAI0002<PRI<MNA<CMU0008<FAI0001<END
#0092
<MNA<CMU0008<FAI0002<END
#0093
<MNA<CMU0008<FAI0003<END
#0094
<MNA<CMU0008<FAI0004<END

#0100
<PRI<FAO0003<MYD0002<TRA0014:0093:0026:0001
#0101
<PRI<FAO0002<TRA0019:0092:0001:0061

#0200
<KEY
<PHY0000:0812<PHY0001:1535<PHY0002:0080<PHY0003:0032
<PHY0004:0085<PHY0005:0032<PHY0006:0051<PHY0007:1280
<PHY0008:0406<PHY0009:0483<PHY0010:0060<PHY0011:0012
<PHY0012:0072<PHY0013:0072<PHY0014:0025<PHY0015:0720
<PHY0016:0000<FL+0500
<MS2<TUR[            ]
Initializing physics<WAI0040<CLO<MS2<TUR[|           ]
Initializing water physics<WAI0040<CLO<MS2<TUR[||          ]
Initializing graphics<WAI0120<CLO<MS2<TUR[|||         ]
Initializing sound<WAI0120<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||        ]
Loading ORG files<WAI0080<CMU0040<CLO<MS2<TUR[|||||       ]
Loading weapon data<WAI0040<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||||      ]
Loading inventory data<WAI0080<CLO<MS2<TUR[|||||||     ]
Feeding flower dragons<WAI0080<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||||||    ]
Scanning for viruses<WAI0160<CLO<MS2<TUR[|||||||||   ]
Loading character data<WAI0040<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||||||||  ]
Revving it up<WAI0080<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||||||||| ]
Loading map data<WAI0160<CLO<MS2<TUR[||||||||||||]
Done. Initializing questions.
Press any key to continue.<NOD<CLRWARNING! Once most options have been
set, they can never again be changed
from the Hub area.      (Press any key.)<NOD<CLRThese questions will be marked with a
dagger (†). Careful not to hurt yourself
with it.<NOD<CLO<MSG<TURDo you wish to shorten (or even skip)
cutscenes?
(†)<YNJ0201<FL+0432<EVE0201
#0201
<KEY<MSG<TURDo you wish to have more save points?
(†)<YNJ0202<FL+0433<EVE0202
#0202
<KEY<MSG<TURShould NPCs repeat the same things over
and over, with no new text?<YNJ0203<FL+0444<EVE0203
#0203
<KEY<MSG<TURDo you want to restrict items to only
mandatory items? (These will be marked
with a sparkle near the chest.)<YNJ0204<FL+0445<EVE0204
#0204
<KEY<MSG<TUR
Simplify the Hub area?<YNJ0205<FL+0446<EVE0205
#0205
<KEY<MSG<TUR
Disable optional areas?<YNJ0206<FL+0447<EVE0206
#0206
<KEY<MSG<TURPlay on Easy Mode?
(+10 starting HP, and infinite ammo and
 mana for ALL weapons and spells.)<YNJ0207<FL+0448<ML+0010<EVE0207
#0207
<KEY<MSG<TURDisplay warning signs in boss rooms?
(†)<YNJ0208<FL+0449<EVE0208
#0208
<CLO<CMU0000<MS2<TURDone.
Autosaving.<WAI0080<CMU0008<SVP<CLRAutosave complete.
Press any key to continue.<NOD<CLO
<FL+0431<EQ+0002<TRA0013:0210:0030:0024

#0210
<KEY<FAI0004<SMC<FLJ0432:0211<IMGJil1<MSGMmmph…
Hm?<NOD
Where am I?
Is this… a dream?<NOD<CLR
......<NOD<CLRDon't have amnesia… I mean, my
name's Jillian Percival, age
19.<NOD I'm human, and the chosen
wielder of the legendary sword
Ritesoa, back home.<NOD<CLRBut I see it's not with me. I
think I should… maybe get out
of this dump…?<NOD<CLO<IMG0000<END
                          |   |         |
#0211
<KEY<IMGJil1<MSG
…? Where am I?<NOD<CLO<IMG0000<END
                          |   |         |

#1000
<END

The only ASM hacks applied to the mod in question would be the "errors" one (that translates the errors into English) and the TSC+ with the PHYS and TIMG add-ons.
(I removed a <LDP from the script that was placed before the <TRA event; at the time, that's the only work-around I could think of.)

_{Or… is it possibly a side-effect from having like 181 maps in the executable (despite only 128 being usable from what I could tell by testing)?}

It might be the <IMG command. But you should put a <PRI and then a <KEY at the beginning. I've never used <IMG myself, but it could be the issue.

Serri · Jun 15, 2022

How to make myself look hopeless: I'll ask an ASM question in this thread! Cuz I ain't getting help in the CSMC, and I'm all out of options.

So I'm trying to modify my <BLO command to have an argument so it can read off an npc's event number, turning it to <BLOXXXX. However, even with looking at my ASM notes and even looking off of commands by Thomas Xin or Cyber for reference to see what I'm doing right, and what I'm doing wrong, I still can't figure out why the command just won't work with the added argument. Help would be appreciated, thanks.

Code:

cmp dword [eax], {<BLO
jne :START<CLO
push 0
:startloop
pop eax
cmp ah, 2
jnb :endloop
imul ecx, eax, 56
lea esi, [ecx*2+4a6220]
inc eax
push eax
test byte [esi], 80
je :startloop
cmp dword [esi+30], EventNum
jne :startloop
push 1
push dword [esi+0c]
push dword [esi+8]
call 40ea70
add esp, 0c
jmp :startloop
:endloop
add dword TSCLoc, 4
jmp ParserEnd

Code:

cmp dword [eax], {<BLO
jne :END<BLO
mov esi, TSCLoc
add esi, 4
push esi
call ascii2num
pop ecx
push eax
push 0
:startloop
pop eax
cmp ah, 2
jnb :endloop
imul ecx, eax, 56
lea ecx, [ecx*2+4a6220]
inc eax
push eax
test byte [ecx], 80
je :startloop
cmp [ecx+30], eax
jne :startloop
push 1
push dword [ecx+0c]
push dword [ecx+8]
call 40ea70
add esp, c
jmp :startloop
:endloop
add dword TSCLoc, 8
jmp parserend
:END<BLO
jmp 423783

cell2312 · Feb 11, 2023

Is there a way to make the colliders around enemies, tiles and player visible? (and hitboxes)

NecromancerLeam · Sep 1, 2023

I pray that anyone still checks these forums because for a while now I've been having an issue where making a map using Layered mode to build separate layers of tiles with Booster's Lab will cause the map to be entirely empty in-game. Unfortunately, no amount of googling has helped so uhhhh anyone got any idea? This happens on so far all three different computers I try it on, by the way.

HaydenStudios · Sep 1, 2023

My memory may be a bit fuzzy, but I think that the tile layer feature in Booster's Lab was intended specifically for either a special customized engine that Noxid made for his now abandoned mod, or it was specifically for an assembly hack. If you're working with a copy of Cave Story that doesn't have said hack or isn't Noxid's custom engine, then that might be the problem.

Serri · Sep 1, 2023

I feel it has to do with the tiles used for Treasure Islands, which uses ASM. The layered tiles hack for it was never publicly distributed, tho. ~~Unless anyone decides to reverse engineer it...~~ Uh, I know someone's made it work with CSE2, but no distribution allowed. Unless someone did a thing on D-RS?

NecromancerLeam · Sep 1, 2023

HaydenStudios said:
My memory may be a bit fuzzy, but I think that the tile layer feature in Booster's Lab was intended specifically for either a special customized engine that Noxid made for his now abandoned mod, or it was specifically for an assembly hack. If you're working with a copy of Cave Story that doesn't have said hack or isn't Noxid's custom engine, then that might be the problem.

I assume this means it isn't going to work? I mean, base Cave Story and the few mods I've used have working layering, any replacements at the least?

Serri · Sep 1, 2023

Base only supports two layers. The version of BL you're using uses four, which requires an assembly hack.

NecromancerLeam · Sep 1, 2023

Serri said:
Base only supports two layers. The version of BL you're using uses four, which requires an assembly hack.

I'd be glad to use even two layers, but the classic mode of Booster's Lab just greys out all layer buttons. I only get one to work with which makes it hard to design maps is what I mean.
Sorry if I'm being confusing, I'm still pretty new to this. I tried CaveEditor but I can't find anything to change layers, plus It's a bit hard to use. Am I missing something, or am I just not going to be able to edit more than one layer, or? Sorry again.