SMILE 2.5.0.0

[Weterr123]

Hello everyone.

Super Metroid is my all time favourite game ever, and I desperately want to become part of the community and get stuck in. The problem is that I'm a complete SMILE noob. By no means am I a moron - I play the hacks on my hacked PSP, and do stuff like custom themes and such all the time, and I can grasp new stuff usually very easily... but SMILE just seems completely alien to me, no homage pun intended ;)

Also, I'm not one of those who will ask for help before googling and trying to sort it on my own. I started to follow person701's noob guide and was immediately thrown off by the fact that there aren't the numbers in the top left allocating space when I opened up the rom!!

So, to clarify:

1) I got SMILE (it is version 2.5.0.0 if that makes any difference)

2) I got the correct rom (Super Metroid (JU) [!].smc)

3) I understand nothing about editing... yet

4) If this post is irrelevant, or in the wrong section, I apologise in advance, my bad.

Thank you to anyone who can get me going.

Oh and 5) I have no actual coding experience. I don't mind just making a very basic hack and then learning as I go.

-Weterr

[Zero One]

To view the numbers, save the room.

[Weterr123]

...Aaah. Lol, I shall get straight back on it, thanks!!  :^_^:

[A_red_monk_called_Key]

More Tools http://metroidconstruction.com/tools.php?x=top
Projectiler  SME
Helpful Info http://metroidconstruction.com/documents.php?x=top

[FullOfFail]

Here, this should have almost everything you need to get started. It'll have gfx editors, hex editors, ect.

[spoiler]

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/68301023/Public%20Stuff%20%28Don%27t%20Delete%29/Super%20Metroid%20Hacking%20Bible%20v1.0.zip

[/spoiler]

In terms of Information, I recommend sticking with the Docs site on the main site for the most part. But there's also info on hacking spread all around the Internets.

I'll continue what Red_Monkey started and put a few links I have in my bookmarks.

[spoiler]

http://wiki.metroidconstruction.com/doku.php

http://sadiztyk.metroidconstruction.com/references.php

http://interdpth.arc-nova.org/PJs%20stuff/65816.php?url=http://interdpth.arc-nova.org/PJs%20stuff/ROM%20data/Super%20Metroid/Doors.txt

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/18141148/website/ASM.html

http://interdpth.arc-nova.org/PJs%20stuff/

[/spoiler]

[Quietus]

Of course, that's not to mention that there're videos on the site too, in case you're more of a visual learner. :^_^:

[FullOfFail]

Also, I forgot to mention, on the main site there's a link to a IRC. That's where most hackers dwell. When I first started hacking, I just went in there and asked 50 billion questions until I had a decent grasp on hacking. Once you understand enough about the basics, experimentation and the Docs section should take care of the rest.

[Weterr123]

Just got back in and it's late, so gonna be tomorrow when I have a proper delve into all of this. Thank you everyone who has lent a hand, and I will keep you all updated with how I go :D

[Weterr123]

Ok, so I'm now starting to get the hang of a few things, but I'm just wondering how to go about planning the hack I'm gonna start. As in: how to plan item order collection and just have the general idea mapped out. Is there a way to 'start from scratch' so to speak?

[Zero One]

If by 'start from scratch', you mean you want to remove all rooms and data for existing enemy and item placements, I suggest you go grab Squishy's Template patch. I use it, and it's pretty awesome. But, you will need to know how to add in new rooms and doors from scratch and you'll need detailed information of exactly how much data you're using and where you're using it.

[Quietus]

If you're talking about pre-SMILE work, then I find that good ol' paper is best.  A few quick notes before any real planning is done.  How big will the hack be?  What type of hack is it?  Exploration based?  Combat focused?  Easy or hard?  Planning any hex tweaks or ASM?  Original tilesets or original artwork?  A mix?

Once you've got a basic list of what you want to include, then think of the general item order for your hack.  Will it follow a similar order to the original game?  Will it include all of the normal items, less of them, or some new additions?  Once you've got the item progression, you can think about how you plan to restrict the player (if at all), so that this order is followed.  Think about physical structures in your rooms.  Are their impossible jumps without certain items, certain door caps, hazards, or enemies with certain vulnerabilities?

Once you've sorted that little lot out, then you can look at getting a clearer map planned, with rough sizes of rooms, locations in relation to other rooms / areas, and where bosses should be located.

After doing some / all of the above, you should begin to tinker with a ROM (make backups!) to get it ready for working on.  Get all of the hex changes done, tilesets created, and patches applied.

Finally, once you've done that, you can  open SMILE, and begin to alter stuff. :^_^:

[Charmander106]

You can also check this out if you want: Beginners Guide To Hacking

It provides detailed information on how to start a hack, but only if you are seriously want to make a good hack. :grin:

[Weterr123]

Thanks dudes, this is all appreciated. I will get there!! :)

[Weterr123]

Hey guys, I have a problem, I wonder if it's common. This is the landing site, no problem when testing the room, but start the game from scratch and boom, we have bits of orange door everywhere. If you know how to fix this, please help!!

Thanks :)

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/108950856/problem.png

[Metroidz]

Check the Scrolls (Click the "Scroll Editor" under tools) and make sure the box isn't red, if not it's either a bad background or a Scrolling Sky. Also you may want to check out http://forum.metroidconstruction.com/index.php/topic,300.0.html That's the FAQ with general info if you get stuck on any particular subject. :P

[Weterr123]

Hmmm, nothing I have read seems to cover it, but thankyou all the same  :^_^:

I'll try and be a bit more detailed:

When I start the game (and only when I start from scratch) the linked screenshot happens. Samus can only change direction of where she's facing, cannot actually travel in a direction. If I make samus crouch, that's it, she ain't gettin back up. There's no falling off the screen millions of times, like if there was no floor - there's just no movement whatsoever. There's just those damn orange door bits and fog - why the hell is there fog?! All pointers are as they were, I have not changed landing site pointers. Also, the starting music is the title sequence, NOT the empty crateria as listed.

This is really starting to do my tits in - A couple of weeks or so ago, I decided to send about a week's worth of playing around and learning in SMILE to someone here, just to see what things he thought was bad, what was good, any potential etc. I took everything on board that he mentioned and started a new project, put more planning and time into it (I am of course still learning all this), and everything seems to work well except the sodding landing site when I start from beginning.  :evilno: :evilno: :evilno:

EDIT: I sound like a whinge-bag, sorry for that. It's just that doing this means a lot to me, I'm prepared to spend years learning this stuff, and who knows, in 6 years I may release a hack haha  :lol:

But for the last 2 days, my first room is screwed, and I'm currently devastated  :sad:

[Zhs2]

Check your pointers.

[Metroidz]

Also be sure you're BTS values aren't set to Solid Block and you're not starting out inside a Wall. :P

[Weterr123]

I have checked the pointers, they are still identical to the landing site from the original rom, I have not changed those.

The BTS values are right, Air Xray.

I haven't done any work in the map editor yet, could it be that maybe? So far, I have just mapped out some rooms on paper, connected them, and tested it all so far, and it all works. It seems like Samus isn't starting in Crateria on the ship, looking at the map on the HUD. It's like she's starting in a completely empty room, which would explain the weird generic no tiling = orange doors thing. I'm just hypothesising here. I would have no idea how to find out if Samus starting location had changed or anything.

I am still changing certain qualities like skipping the opening, then not skipping, just to see if anything makes a difference, but alas, nothing as of yet.

[Charmander106]

I think the problem maybe your ship. My fix for you is go to a room that connects to your landing site room. Now press the L key on the door tile connecting to the landing site. Then under Edit, go into Area Load Stations and press the button under the RoomID button. Then just press Save and then done. Try this out and see if it was the cause.

[Weterr123]

THAT DID IT!!

I don't quite understand what that is doing, but it worked, and now I can carry on!

Thank you so much you absolute legend  :grin: