Originally posted by GuyInDogSuit:

I wonder if we can get to the point where mods like a playable General Leo would be possible as they were with the SNES version.

Long answer, as Nyxo stated, data relative to Leo starting equipment, adding Leo to party or make him appear during scenes (both done by events) could be done. I think Leo can equip anything potentially on the SNES version (probaly same on GBA) if you mod him in game because there is not "equip bit" for him (a bit that if set on equipment data show the equipment piece in the equip menu for the character). What could be more difficult is restricting his potential equipment (to what you want) and lift up the non-ability to change equipment because those two things are taken care in the game's code (at least on SNES/GBA versions). There's also the whole magic learning aspect that is restricted (at least on the SNES) for Umaro and characters 15 & 16 (guest characters such as Leo).

I have no idea how memory (RAM) is mapped (or in fact how the game stores progress before saving on the save files) on the Steam version or where the game store the code relative to combat or menu backbone (equipment checks & exclusions described previously). I hope the Steam version allows easier modding and more complete mods but for now a lot is still undocumented.

On a personal note, I've been busy with school since a week but I'm getting back on my ROM map testing tomorrow!

Originally posted by pluckylump:

The obb has a remade sprite for Celes chained to the wall. It is not part of Celes's sprite sheet, but it is there.

It's tagged in my sprite thread. Char41.bmp

Thanks! That will help me test the NPC sprite change. Does anyone has a save file at the scenarios choosing screen he could send me?

Also, Saftle thread is a good idea: people should contribute to sending savefile of various points in the game, for graphical modding or modding in general. I'm not trying to tell what people should do, but it does speed up the modding process, at least for people like me who haven't made a complete playthrough yet.

The Celes chained sprite is a standalone sprite in the SNES version (meaning another sprite ID than her sprite sheet). I would be only a matter of changing the sprite ID in the corresponding NPC data if the chained sprite is not on her spritesheet in the steam version. If the chained sprite is on her spritesheet then you have to change the pose ID of the NPC. This cannot be done in the NPC data but can be done in the entrance event of the South Fiogaro basement map. I could write a small tutorial on how to do it.

If you patch (well the GBA patch) does include the chained sprite, well I didn't understood right and made a useless post :P

There might be few of the existing GBA patches like these that could be converted directly to .fep for the PC version. I haven't looked what could be applied to the PC version and whatnot.

In this particular case it cost nothing to ask the original author but is making a patch in another format than ips (I haven't looked at the archive but I assume ips format) considered as redistributing the original file of the archive?

On a side note, I tried to contact Novalia Spirit two times for public use of some of his documents pertaining to the SNES version but never got a reply to my emails. His website also has been down for more than a year. I hope you'lll have more success than me.

Originally posted by pluckylump:

I have a save file for you.

Thanks you! You saved me a lot of time!

For those who want to see my progress, here's a list of data identified in the rom file. So far everything tested in the rom is confirmed being used by the game.

"T" = succesfully tested
"U" = unconfirmed yet

http://madsiur.net/rom_bin_map_V3.txt

That's nice work!

There are historically other censored sprites, not sure if all this still applies to the Steam version, but Lakshmi esper, Chadarnook boss and the cigarette smoke of Misty enemy are among those.

version differences list[finalfantasy.wikia.com]

I hope at some point someone will tackle the rest of them. This is a good start!

Double post as well as somewhat lame post that doesn't deserve a thread, but could anyone send me or post a link to a savefile where you have control of the airship (WOB or WOR). I need such a savefile for testing purpose. Thanks!

Originally posted by Nyxo:

Once there's a decent rom map in place, a custom editor can be put together for modding the steam version of the game specifically -- I'm excited to see what can be put together ^-^

Working on the ROM map right now and documenting data formats :)

We can already forecast a general data editor (similar maybe to FF3usME[www.romhacking.net]) and a event editor. I'm also thinking a map editing module (similar to Zone Doctor[www.romhacking.net]) could be possible if we understand how maps are assembled and find data related to NPC and event triggers/tiles.

We could also make an event dump (readable event data) generator module similar to the SNES one with proper items and summon names once we identify which event commmands works the same and/or if some are overlooked by the exe.

Originally posted by Krisan Thyme:

All this can I can't fully confirm that maps as a whole are constructed based on the ROM, but the fact I moved around a chest suggests that the actors themselves at the very least are pulled from the ROM.

Yes, using "map data" was a bit vague because it consist at least of the map tile arrangement, tile assembly (tilesets), tile properties, palettes. Some of these might work differently but you confirmed the first one by moving the clock.

It's a great era to be alive!

Events can be modified:

http://imgur.com/wnzyFUa (dialogue entry change)
http://imgur.com/KjWaGDp (Battle invoke pack change)

Enemy AI can be modified:

http://imgur.com/3BVPOVC (guard casting stop)
http://imgur.com/RLcZnJH (guard casting life 3 on self)

Enemy stats can be modified:
http://imgur.com/dkWT7Jy (enemy EXP change)

I'll say mostly what Krisan stated: a lot seems to be fetched from the ROM. I still want to make tests with the following:

• magic/espers/blitz/swtech/etc.. data (255 entries considered as "spell" data)
  
• Chest data (already confirmed by Krisan?)
  
• Item/weapons/armor/relic/etc... data (255 entries) +14 new weapons
  
• Formations data / Pack data (a pack is a group of 4 formations maximum used for random encounters)
  
• Shop data
  
• Esper data (which spell learned at which rate)
  
• Weapon / Spell animation strings (I suspect changing these will have no effect)
  
• Colosseum Battle Data
  
• Characters initial data
  
• Item stolen/dropped table
  
• sketch / control tables
  
• Entrance / Exits points
  
• Event triggers
  
• NPC data
  
• Map data (already confirmed by Krisan?)

There's also other known data from the SNES version that hasn't been found in the GBA version (most likely because of format differences). I started the project of identifying as much as possible two years ago but dropped shortly the project after beginning something else. I think it's time to get back on that.

All this can easily be modified with a hex editor once you know what to modify and where. I'll stat putting up a hex modding document tomorrow with the rest of the tests mentionned above.