MZM Randomizer

[biospark]

The randomizer is here!

Download
1.5.0 - 2023-08-10
- New item placement system with customizable logic by Dragonfangs
- Added options to disable wall jumping and infinite bomb jumping
- Fixed "Skip suitless sequence" when "Remove cutscenes" is also enabled
- Improved palette randomization by using CIELAB color space
- Fixed bug where user settings from previous version could prevent program from loading
- Fixed bug where loading a config string wouldn't reset custom item assignments
- Fixed bug where manually removing items at locations wouldn't update the minimap
- Simplified program settings
- Moved config string settings to separate window
- Added reset button to "Locations" tab
- Added item numbers to included map images
- Config strings from previous versions are no longer valid


The download includes map images and a readme. If there's something you don't understand or if you encounter a bug, please ask about it here. Feel free to share notable settings/seeds.

[FelixWright]

For those interested CaptGlitch and I will be racing this rando tonight as well.

[ReptileMonster]

The hack sounds interesting. I'll give it a try, sometime.

[MetroidNerd#9001]

I just tried this today and it was really fun. I have a few comments to give.

Really funny moments from my playthrough:

• Getting Space Jump right after bombs
• Seeing Wave beam during the Zero Suit Segment
• Finding Wave beam in the first Power Bomb Location after getting the Fully Powered Suit
• Finding Plasma beam right after the Chozo Guardian when you don't have Gravity Suit
• Getting Long beam in the Space Pirate Mother Ship
• Finding Gravity Suit completely submerged in Lava in Norfair, where you normally use Gravity Suit

It is very interesting trying to go through Kraid, Norfair, and half of Ridley without the Power Grip, and

Things I'd like to see in the future:

• Normal looking item icons for the Unknown Items when they are obtainable and usable
• More specific instructions on how to activate the randomizer in the readme
• Patching in the ability to Wall-Jump after you have acquired Space Jump

Overall I had lots of fun, and I hope other people enjoy it as much as I have!

[jaysee87]

Do you plan to release how you place items (as in fill order, not the code itself) and the logic applied to each item location (what can/can't be at a given location, ammo distribution)?

We're starting to toy with the idea of mzmr bingo instead so it's not a race of find pbs go straight to mecharidley but still keep pbs possible early.

[Cpt.Glitch]

You can set it to not allow PBs until chozodia.

[MetroidPeter]

Oh ho ho hoh!!! I've GOT to try this sometime!

[Omegaknuckles]

Sounds awesome. I was going to ask about settings to prevent non-completable seeds, but it appears there are settings present to address that too. Nice!

Can't wait for the races with this. Would be a lot more manageable than that door randomizer.

[samthedigital]

Would it be possible to fix the softlock that can occur when going to long beam first and not finding an item that can get us out of the long beam area?

[SacredHooves]

@samthedigital I have yet to see that issue, I always have gotten either Regular or Super Missiles. Maybe the percent chance something beside those and long beam can be fix?

My thoughts: I freaking love this. I just finished a run, and my only complaint was honestly late game Long Beam. I ended up not getting it and just back doored into the final area.  I mean for speedrunning purposes maybe refine some of the lessers away from major locations? I had a couple missiles show up at Beam points and vice versa [Dunno if that was intended or not, I only found it a 0.0001% bother]

Beyond all of that: If you haven't played Zero Mission: here's an excuse to git gud.

@MetroidMst: When's this MetConst race? :p

[samthedigital]

@samthedigital I have yet to see that issue, I always have gotten either Regular or Super Missiles. Maybe the percent chance something beside those and long beam can be fix?

There's a chance of getting an energy tank which is a softlock afaik. I would also like to see the suitless cutscenes removed. An option to have fully powered suit instead of starting suitless section or something like that would be nice too. Otherwise it seems to work really well though. I don't have any complaints otherwise.

[Dragonfangs]

I am having so much fun with this, it's amazing. Had a 6 hour streaming session yesterday and will likely do a lot more of that in the future. Thank you so much.

That said, doing a quick race with early power bombs enabled easily just turns into a goose chase of finding the first power bomb expansion and then rushing to Mecha. But if you play without power bombs you have to go through a mostly pointless endgame. Both of these are fine as options, but some sort of middle ground would be nice. There were various proposed solutions to this. So from the speedrunning/racing peeps we have a small wishlist :P. If any of these aren't a huge hassle we think they could really make races better.

• Include post-Tourian cutscene in skipped cutscenes
• A combined string for both config and seed for easier distribution when racing
• Don't reset all settings after generating a randomized ROM.
• Some way ingame to verify that you're using the correct seed/config. just display a string on the main menu or in the options or something.
• Option to skip suitless by simply spawning you at the Chozo Ghost save room after Tourian.
• Option to require all Major Bosses (Kraid, Ridley, Mother brain(?), Chozo Ghost) defeated before opening the door to Mecha.
• Option to additionally require Mecha defeated to get into Tourian and Tourian escape triggering credits instead. (This seems complicated to implement, but hey maybe not)
• Maybe an option to prevent soft locks. (Not getting a ranged weapon at long beam. Getting into lower Kraid without Speed booster, SA+PBs or ziplines activated. Getting items that break bomb blocks before bombs (this one might be a bit excessive but you can end up stuck in a tunnel with a respawning bomb block blocking the exit)
• It's possible to generate a map that's supposed to restrict power bombs until Chozodia but has a pb in the acid in Kraid and has Gravity, Speed and Hi-Jump obtainable before chozodia.

[samthedigital]

We encountered a seed that can not be completed as far as we know.
2080236633
O6YyAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA6Bol7

Does the logic consider that Ice Beam (and maybe high jump) can grab the item that's normally an etank at the start of Brinstar by the way?

[Cpt.Glitch]

Where do you get stuck at? It looks like it can be completed by looking at the item maps. You can get morph, bombs, and power bombs in brinstar and thus opens up the ability to end the game.

EDIT: Ah nevermind. I see that due to the placements of missiles and bombs, you can't get either without the other.

[samthedigital]

On second thought I might be wrong about what I said originally.

[makazuwr32]

Intresting and original. Love it.

[NightwolfXVI]

Any chance of making it so a European version of Zero Mission will work for the randomizer? I don't have an American version and all the sites I can find want me to download an installer which is scary.

[biospark]

Any chance of making it so a European version of Zero Mission will work for the randomizer? I don't have an American version and all the sites I can find want me to download an installer which is scary.

I don't plan on it, sorry.

[NightwolfXVI]

Any chance of making it so a European version of Zero Mission will work for the randomizer? I don't have an American version and all the sites I can find want me to download an installer which is scary.

I don't plan on it, sorry.

RIP my hopes and dreams

[Jordan5]

Any chance of making it so a European version of Zero Mission will work for the randomizer? I don't have an American version and all the sites I can find want me to download an installer which is scary.

After a google of the game name with 'rom' after it, the first result allowed me to download the rom inside a zip file. I'm not sure what sites you tried, but maybe have another look.

[biospark]

Include post-Tourian cutscene in skipped cutscenes

Will do in the future.

A combined string for both config and seed for easier distribution when racing

I'll think about this one.

Don't reset all settings after generating a randomized ROM.

Done.

Some way ingame to verify that you're using the correct seed/config. just display a string on the main menu or in the options or something.

I'll look into this.

Option to skip suitless by simply spawning you at the Chozo Ghost save room after Tourian.

Done.

Option to require all Major Bosses (Kraid, Ridley, Mother brain(?), Chozo Ghost) defeated before opening the door to Mecha.

I'll think about this one.

Maybe an option to prevent soft locks. (Not getting a ranged weapon at long beam. Getting into lower Kraid without Speed booster, SA+PBs or ziplines activated. Getting items that break bomb blocks before bombs (this one might be a bit excessive but you can end up stuck in a tunnel with a respawning bomb block blocking the exit)

I intentionally left this in (like a risk racers could take), but I'll think about making an option for it.

It's possible to generate a map that's supposed to restrict power bombs until Chozodia but has a pb in the acid in Kraid and has Gravity, Speed and Hi-Jump obtainable before chozodia.

I had code for this written, but it was commented out until I implemented the unknown item stuff. I simply forgot to uncomment it.

We encountered a seed that can not be completed as far as we know.

Fixed.


I'll release an updated version within a couple weeks.

[Fish_waffle64]

Suggestion: in the Read Me can you have the original item locations? I'm trying to exclude the Power Grip and Long Beam but I can't tell which one it is using only the coordinates ^^; I also tried making a vanilla log but it only said the things were unchanged and didn't have the locations...
EDIT: Oh, there's a map folder. Feesh is in dinglefritz mode  :eyeroll:
Sorry about that

[Anyway]

I have a minor complaint, which may not a be huge deal to many, but playing the entire game without power grip can be quite frustrating. Especially since I'm not really good (speak: unable) at horizontal/diagonal bombjumps. So, could it be possible to work it into the logic that certain items require power grip/hi-jump? And making ridley/lower norfair access require either speed or power grip?

I had one seed where both speed and pg were in lower norfair or ridley, and since I was unable to get there, I couldn't complete the seed, despite it being a 100% completable seed by logic.

love the work on this, thanks for doing the randomizer

[Cpt.Glitch]

So, could it be possible to work it into the logic that certain items require power grip/hi-jump? And making ridley/lower norfair access require either speed or power grip

While I can't speak for biospark, a lot of the fun and challenge of the randomizer is dealing with the items you have and making the best out of them. If options were added for everyone that had difficulties with certain parts to make it easier it would quickly get convoluted.
If you're  having trouble with diagonals, keep in mind they are and function almost exactly the same as a normal bomb jump. The only difference is you need to be on the right or left of the bomb explosion, and hold either left or right when jumping. A little practice will go a long way.

[Steel Sparkle]

Gave this a play and it was pretty fun. Cool thing you made :)