Topics

1

Map Requests / Anyone good with Japanese?

« on: July 20, 2009, 02:25:53 pm »

Posted this request all around the net and still no definitive answers. I'm stuck as far as the requests go at my site because I just can't play the Japanese games people want maps for. None of my help wanted ads have gotten anything so far. Does anybody wanna help? You get to join vgmapper if it means anything. Anybody like doing collabs?

2

Mapping Tips/Guides / How to find scroll and camera control codes

« on: January 11, 2009, 07:08:22 pm »

Say you want a code that will make the game's camera move wherever you want so you can take pictures.  Here's how.



First of all I'm going to assume you know the basics of code making.  The "is greater, is less, is equal" address hunting business.  If you don't then go back and learn that first because this is more of an intermediary to advanced lesson.



First for a test subject lets take Super Ghouls and Ghosts.  When the game starts on the first level immediately take your first scan.  Some code scanners don't like it if your next scan is for no change *coughcheatenginecough* so move Aurthur forward until the screen moves with him and search for a changed code of unknown value.  In other words tell the scanner you don't know the exact number and you don't know weather the new code is greater or less just different.  Ignore the scanners dirty look and move on.



Now that Aurthur is a few steps forward move him back the way he came until he's all the way at the back of the level and take another scan (same kind).  Kill the zombies that have popped up and move Aurthur forward slightly but not so far that the screen moves with him then take another scan only this time look for a value that hasn't changed.  Still standing in one spot kill a few zombies throw a few spears and do a few double jumps while preforming the same "no change" scan.  Now start doing the opposite, move Aurthur, and the camera view, forward scanning for changes as you go.



Once the scanner stops weeding out lots of codes with each step put all the codes you've got left into the place you normally put codes you're about to use and turn them all off.  For insurance purposes you may want to save the list, some codes might crash the game.  As for the value to set them to just use their current number.  Now turn the codes on one at a time and see if they do anything.  A smart coder knows that similar address will control similar things so you could try a bunch of the same addresses at once to save time.  Nix the addresses that do nothing save the ones that produce a somewhat useful result and move on.



Here's what I found:

7E19C518 immediate background won't move

7E19BD18 foreground won't move

These would be examples of X Y control codes.  The values have been locked on so a certain part of the map and nothing else shows.  You can manipulate them by changing the last two digits as with all codes and of course you now know to look for 7E19 when hunting similar codes.  This can be useful for getting pics of impossible to reach places when you know about what the last 2 digits should be but it's not very convenient and it's not what we were looking for.



unfortunately that's the breaks with this kind of code making, that is you strike out a lot or find a fatal code.  You can try again with a more advanced method I will explain next or use the same method with a different scanner.  The whole point of this was to move either the character, or the screen, but only one of the two.  Some games are more rigid then others.  If a the camera seems to move fluidly instead of being locked on you at all times you'll have an easer go.