Getting started with 'Gimmick type' Rom Hacks Clarifications and Questions [A New ...

[Magix]

Gimmick defined using http://www.bwdyeti.com/cafe/forum/showthread.php?tid=78's, definition.

[CENTER][I][U][B]Gimmick[/B][/U]
A hack that makes changes to game mechanics to create a new experience.[/I][/CENTER]

Also to note, I am more interested in GBA rom editing.

As you can see if you clicked the above link, I come from a fire emblem hacking community...Well, sort of. I am new to the community for about a week now. And have just began dabbling into the hacking scene maybe 4 days ago.
I have achieved some progress with my ability using the user created function like the tools that user's made specifically for the fire emblem roms. E.X) nightmare modules, FEditor, etc...

What I want to do is get into Gimmick editing of roms. I do not like using the other methods of getting the game edited, and really like the idea of going straight into the game's code.
That being said, I've done some research before posting this, but I'd like to clarify some things...

-Hex editing and ASM hacking are different. [?]

They are different in that ASM is a more "user friendly" language in which people can have a more grasp at understanding it. Whereas Hex shows up in the binary code. Hex is the computer's method of understanding what you're trying to input/succeed in input-ing.

Now my question comes in is where do I start with this?
There are loads of tutorials available for "event hacking." in Fire Emblem, which seems to be a method using both Nightmare and HxD. However if that's true, why can't you just use the HxD editor to do all of your hacking? Replacing the need for ASM?

... My own theoretical answer(due to ignorance on this, from starting anew here) is that ASM is required to use a debugger or disassembler to find what information is what in the binary code.

That being said I've seen programs for opening your rom up in vba or no$gba, but have yet to discover some form of program that will read the changes shown when you make any input in the game.

So what I could use:

-A basic understanding of the above term questions answered.
-Some program names/links (would be nice, but google is always there at my leisure to find them on my own, given the apropriate names.)
-[An Answer to (AAt)] I should get knowledge on Event Hacking prior to going into ASM hacking.
-If there are any basic guides around here that you guys know of, I'd love it. If not that's fine
-Any other info you guys would think is essential for my journey

[Pyriel]

There's not a lot of distinction between editing executable code as hex or with an assembler, as far as result go. It's six of one, half-dozen of the other. With the exception of assembler macros that emit two or more machine instructions, there's a one-to-one relationship between encoded machine instructions and their mnemonic representations in assembler. Whether you hex-edit a binary directly or use some sort of assembler to make your changes is a matter of what you think works best in a given situation. When you're talking about editing instructions, hex-editing is just one way of implementing an "ASM hack". If you're editing data, what you'll probably do is either hex-editing, or you'll use some sort of script or programming language to make your changes.

Viewing or writing large amounts of executable code as hex is pretty much insanity. From experience, I know what a lot of instructions are when I see them in hex, but it's pretty unlikely that you'll remember every possible instruction and every possible encoding of it. Assembler isn't required to use a debugger, but you're mental if you try to follow along without it. Unless you're working on some ancient micro controller that only has a relatively small number of op codes.

Try looking in the wiki on this site for information on GBA hacking, and see how well that works for you.

Edit: This "event hacking" seems fairly game-specific to me. I've never heard of it as a concept, aside from the fact that you can use the term "event" to describe a thousand different things that occur in a game. If there are editors for your game, it can't hurt to get your feet wet with them. Sometimes it's also good to recreate work an editor does with more primitive means, and see if you get a similar answer.

[Magix]

Great! This nactually clears a lot up for me! I definitely appreciate it! A couple concerns come to mind when reading about those instructions vs. data editing. But I will read the site's wiki as you've said, once I find it. haha, to clear it up.

If you'd like to further answer questions; if not that's fine I'm sure I can di deeper into the wiki. It's a debugger we use, correct, and not a de-assembler?

It must be something only known to a few communities then, because although I come from an fe, I've heard of it with pokemon rom hacking as well. So be between similar communities. I will certainly get familiar with the event assembler tool, which, ironically has assembler in it's name. Which, now makes me realize how dumb I was to aks that question, seeing as it definitely will familiarize me with the scenery to be seen on my computer screen from here on out.


Anyways, thanks very much! I appreciate the quick reply, very much!

[Pyriel]

You can use both a disassembler and a debugger. A debugger monitors executing code, a disassembler shows you the code within a particular file or set of files. Both have their uses. Generally speaking, a good debugger is far more direct, because it allows you to see what happens as the game runs, while the disassembler requires you to interpret the code and to form your own picture of the system's state.

Usually a debugger is also a somewhat competent disassembler. You can't replace a good disassembler with one, but it does some disassembly so it can present you with mnemonics for the code you're viewing, rather than just the hex values of the machine code. Sometimes a disassembler comes with an emulator and a built-in debugger for whatever system it's for. So there's a lot of overlap between the two.

There's another level up with debuggers, where you actually have information from the compiler about the source files. Then you see code as a high-level language like C or VB instead of as machine-language mnemonics. When you're hacking games, the likelihood that you'll have access to something like that is so slim we'd might as well call it impossible, though. That's the one place where disassemblers and debuggers really differ. A disassembler that could work up to higher level language is usually called a decompiler, and a truly good one is sort of like the Sasquatch of computer science.

You have to be careful with terminology like "assembler" there. I don't know the tools you're talking about, but it may not be an assembler in the sense we're talking about here. If the events in the game are driven by a script language that someone has reverse-engineered, it may just means that it assembles scripts. The could have called it an Event Compiler too, but that wouldn't mean it can compile C++ code.

[Magix]

You've been very very helpful! This explains thing so much better to me, then my viewing various links.

I'll be sure to download them both and find out what works the best for me when that time comes.

This is useful info as well, I don't think that will happen,and although I won't rely on it happening due to it's odds, I'll keep an eye open for it.

Hmm, okay, I'll have to do more research on it then.


Once again, thank you so much. It's been very helpful. I'll be begining with the hex-editing and more "simplistic models" that are there for the Fire Emblem Hackers, and work my way to ASm, probably/hopefully within a few months or less, depnding on how fast I can get my info done. I'm hoping at the rate at which I've been able to work and learn it may be much sooner than that. But never like to have too high of expectations.

[Helder]

Having some ram codes or existing codes can be very helpful in hacking some ASM codes and with a good debugger like no$gba (its on our downloads section) or MESS and a little knowledge and perseverance you can achieve some impressive hacks.