ROM Hack Fire Emblem Fates: ROM Hacking General Thread

[DeathChaos]

So this modified nightmare could essentially make it easy to test custom DLC characters without compiling them as a CIA everytime?

Well, there's a lot of important stuff we still need to edit, new sprites need to go into FaceData.bin, and we'd need to edit ROM2 and ROM3 to add in new JIDs and AIDs.

Not to mention voices which are iirc currently basically impossible to inject.

 

[thane98]

Not to mention voices which are iirc currently basically impossible to inject.

Actually Ohana and Every File Explorer have code that might make it possible to edit the list of sound names in BCSAR files. That's honestly the only thing to work out before adding in new sounds is possible to some extent. Still no way to do anything like model editing since you can't export the models from Ohana without losing things like skeletons or texture mapping.

Also, what is the format for the FaceData file like? Do the blocks vary in length like they do in the asset files? If not, it might be possible to modify RainThunder's script to add new blocks to the FaceData file.

So this modified nightmare could essentially make it easy to test custom DLC characters without compiling them as a CIA everytime?

It doesn't really provide anything for editing DLC files at the moment (it could in the future depending on how Omegablu's version of the nightmare modules pans out). But you could test the character out by adding them into the base game using this version of Nightmare.

 

[DeathChaos]

Also, what is the format for the FaceData file like? Do the blocks vary in length like they do in the asset files? If not, it might be possible to modify RainThunder's script to add new blocks to the FaceData file.

As far as I know, all blocks are 0x48, although the Corrin FaceData blocks seem a bit wierd.

But Basically, think of it like Character blocks in FaceData, but 0x48 in size, meaning the file has 2 pointer regions, the normal one, and the one that points to the start of the block and then calculates the distance from the end of pointer region 2 to the FSID label for said block.

 

[EmblemCrossing]

Well, there's a lot of important stuff we still need to edit, new sprites need to go into FaceData.bin, and we'd need to edit ROM2 and ROM3 to add in new JIDs and AIDs.

Not to mention voices which are iirc currently basically impossible to inject.

So wait, custom voices won't work through injecting? Only with custom DLC?

 

[whitewolf8]

Next up is Fates Map Editor for dispo file editing. You can move spawns around by simply selecting them from the list and clicking on where you want them to go on the grid.

Finally, I can cheat by spawning bosses right next to my team!

All of these sound fantastic, definitely looking forward to seeing what they're capable of!

 

[DeferredGalaxy]

Well, there's been a lot of news concerning tools recently, so I might as well show off some utilities that I've been working on.

First up, I've started creating a modified version of Nightmare for use with @RainThunder's tools (including the scripts for adding to GameData). The interface offers quick options for opening modules without going through file dialogues which makes for quick editing. Additionally, you can add new characters/classes/etc. directly through the editor. Holistically, these features allow you to add new entries to GameData.bin and configure them without the need for a hex editor or multiple utilities. Between now and release I plan to add in a couple quality of life changes to fix some of the things that annoyed me about Nightmare as well as a section for editing handover files. I might try and add in editors for other .bin files using the library provided with the nightmare modules, though that might need to wait until I'm done with some other projects.

Next up is Fates Map Editor for dispo file editing. This tool isn't quite as useful now that we have tools for turning dispo files into plain text, but it still has some things to offer. With it, you can view and edit map spawns from a grid so that you can see where units are relative to each other. You can move spawns around by simply selecting them from the list and clicking on where you want them to go on the grid. Additionally, you can drag in terrain files to see where units are located on the tile map. The editor also offers features like cloning spawns to make building new map spawns as quick as possible. I don't really no when this will be ready for release as I might try and build a version for editing the text files from fe14dispotools instead of directly editing the dispo files.

Finally we've got Fates Script, an editor for .cmb files in Fire Emblem Fates. I showed a .NET version of this tool way earlier on in this thread, but this version has been completely rebuilt from the ground up. With the editor, you can decompile .cmb files to a text format which makes it easy to add in new events like battle conversations, cutscenes, or terrain effects without the need to rebuild events in a hex editor. This version improves on the original by offering a cleaner interface with support for things like editing multiple scripts at once and highlighting keywords. The new code for compiling and decompiling is also significantly improved. In fact, map scripts recompiled through the current rendition are actually completely identical to the originals! I have a bit more testing to do with this program to ensure that everything is ready to go before I release it. I also plan on releasing a small set of tutorials along with the editor to show you how to create basic events like a conversation between two units.

I don't know when I all of these will be ready to go, but it shouldn't be too long. Fates Script and the modified version of Nightmare are pretty close to a release state, but the map editor needs some work. I plan to start hosting all of my utilities in a single thread to avoid spamming the forums with a bunch of different threads.

I'm open to suggestions about features if anyone has something they'd like to see added to these tools before release.

You, my friend, are MVP to Fates hacking. owo Keep up the good work! Can't wait for the modded nightmare and script editor most of all.

 

[Puppenspieler]

Seeing all those amazing tools makes me feel like even more of an idiot, but... well.
I'm still stuck, and I'm pretty sure I'm just stupid at this point, but maybe someone can help me before I totally go crazy.
Using this tutorial I tried to edit the live 2D model for Asugi. (I tried to change his ears to make them match MU's, for the record.) After obtaining the ctpk.lz file I followed every step 1:1 to get to my final result. And it kiiiiiiinda works. But then it doesn't.
The game works fine, nothing crashes, but when I invite Asugi into my room there is something off with his texture, like they just don't really fit together anymore. There are some lines in his face that definately don't belong there. Since I assumed it was because the new ears were different in size to the original I tried and tried to get them to a correct size - nothing. (and it's actually reaaaaaaaaaally tiresome, since I'm using HANS. All the testing just took up all my day!)
Out of curiosity I took an unedited ctpk.lz file, decompressed it, and without editing anything, recompressed it.
And again I get the same problem with the textures that won't fit together anymore. Can anyone explain to me what the hell I'm doing wrong? I use the FEAT-tool for extraction (the version that does not crash when trying to extract ctpk.lz files.) and BatchLZ77 for recompressing. I also tried using Puyo with no difference at all. It just does not work correctly.

Does anyone have any idea where the problem is? I'm really really confused right now!

 

[cercity]

Is it possible to have Gunter's GK armour model on Corrin? Or would it be easier to apply it to the particular class being used?

 

[TildeHat]

Spoiler

To add in more capture-able units, make the unit's PID in GameData.bin start with "PID_捕獲_". Then when setting up a unit from an outside person file, give them the same labels aside from PID and you should be able to capture them. Of course if you edit an existing unit's PID make sure you also update any places where their PID is referenced in the game(Dispos, events, etc). Else you'll have the game scream at you.

 

[Ghostlander]

I was hoping I could learn how to replace a unit's portraits with a custom one I have. I've seen a few personal projects around that have done it, but nothing publicly showing how, or giving a download of any kind.


Anyone out there that knows how to do this sort of thing? I know the facial expression changes would be different images, but for my purposes, they could all just be the same image without me caring.

 

[EmblemCrossing]

I wonder if the format for Echos will be similar to Fates.. Would be nice if it would, since we would be able to port over a lot of characters that we've already worked on.

Or it could end up like Awakening and be different model formats, making it harder. But it looks to be very similar to Fates, so hopefully.

Also maybe we'll see Roy amiibo support in Echos?

 

[whitewolf8]

I sort of doubt amiibos'll do anything substantial. ...I mean it could happen, but for a remake I don't think so.
...on the other hand, if compatibility is not an issue, Alm and Celica need to be ported to Fates.
...And Dio Saber. And Mycen. And Gray, and Robin, and Cliff and May.
...ALL OF THEM.

 

[KunoichiZ]

I sort of doubt amiibos'll do anything substantial. ...I mean it could happen, but for a remake I don't think so.
...on the other hand, if compatibility is not an issue, Alm and Celica need to be ported to Fates.
...And Dio Saber. And Mycen. And Gray, and Robin, and Cliff and May.
...ALL OF THEM.

...But Robin already has Fates support?

 

[whitewolf8]

Gaiden Robin isn't Awakening Robin.

 

[KunoichiZ]

Gaiden Robin isn't Awakening Robin.

Oh, I haven't played Gaiden. I saw the name Robin and automatically thought Awakening!Robin.

 

[whitewolf8]

Haha, they've reused a few of names from Gaiden in newer ones, like Kamui was the name of a Mercenary in that game, going to be interesting to see name changes.

 

[KunoichiZ]

Haha, they've reused a few of names from Gaiden in newer ones, like Kamui was the name of a Mercenary in that game, going to be interesting to see name changes.

I read on reddit that they gave Wendy (not sure who that is) the name Gwendolyn in Echoes.

 

[whitewolf8]

Wendy was an armour knight in Roy's game, are you thinking for that Heroes thing?

 

[EmblemCrossing]

Oh, I haven't played Gaiden. I saw the name Robin and automatically thought Awakening!Robin.

Haven't played Gaiden? B-but, muh boats..

 

[whitewolf8]

Haven't played Gaiden? B-but, muh boats..

hush you any level with a boat was a nightmare ;_;