Faxanadu Retranslation

[Ascended Mermaid]

It'd be a 2-color black and white icon, as it is read as font. I'm closer to getting the load feature to work in the US version, but saving crashes -- it saves right before it crashes, so at least it works. "Hey, I'm gonna go save my game... OH SHIT!!"

[Ascended Mermaid]

My head is pounding...

I decided to try out the SRAM patch due to a bug in the retranslation hack, possibly as a direct result of it. Unfortunately, the SRAM patch *doesn't* alter the battery byte for some reason. As for the bug, it happens when you're wearing Studded Mail and climbing a ladder -- half of your chest will disappear. :\

[Ascended Mermaid]

Oi, I'm impatient. I asked for help on romhacking again. I didn't want to ask for help, I thought I could get it by myself this time. Especially given how absurdly CLOSE I am. Instead, I'm hoping that someone looks over my code and can assist me in making it (much) more efficient.

A9 00 LDA #$00
AA TAX
BD 90 03 LDA $0390,X @ $0390 = #$00
9D 00 60 STA $6000,X @ $6000 = #$00
E8 INX
E0 00 CPX #$00
D0 F5 BNE (LDA $0390,X)
BD 90 04 LDA $0490,X @ $0490 = #$00
9D 00 61 STA $6100,X @ $6100 = #$00
E8 INX
E0 00 CPX #$00
D0 F5 BNE (LDA $0490,X)
A9 5E LDA #$5E
20 0E 8C JSR $8C0E
60 RTS

You should've seen how this code looked before I cleaned it up myself. It was embarrassing!

[Ascended Mermaid]

I like that graphic; I just might could use that! Though it'd have to be compressed; ugh, Faxanadu compression. I think blue is the top and green is the bottom, and white is both. It needs to be cut horizontally in half and redrawn as such. That's how the fonts are compressed. I'll post it when I can.

[Ascended Mermaid]

This is the letter D (the non-bold one I'm not using) when it's compressed:



Note how it's blue for the bottom, green for the top, and white when the lines cross. This is the fun I had when I was making a larger alphabet.

[Ascended Mermaid]

Ladder bug:


Retranslation SRAM hack:


The hacks are the same for the Japanese and Retranslation versions -- the only difference is that there isn't any text for the Guru, so GAME SAVED appears on the top line, instead of the bottom. Otherwise, the Floppy Disk is inserted, due to popular request -- and hey, I liked it afterall! So, in short, I just need to have the Guru talk before he saves the game. The text was removed to make room for the retranslation.

The floppy disk appears as it should in the Japanese SRAM hack -- but it will ultimately have to be removed for that one; because it replaces the Japanese "O" which IS used! (I messed around and named my character OOOO -- four floppy disks. It's used in the regular game text as well.) There's no room for it, and adding it in would be too much hassle.

[Kimimi]

I don't know how you manage to wrap your head around all thise, but it always makes for a fascinating read

[Ascended Mermaid]

Half the time I really don't. Like if anyone were to start talking about flags (C V Z etc.), I wouldn't understand unless they really went into it. I did get help with shortening code, but then I figured out what the problem was -- and level with me here, I actually thought about it when I first did it -- it's the fact that I'm haphazardly saving and loading an entire chunk of data, which includes PPU (picture processing unit) data. Now for the kicker: I'm too specific, and my load code is too long. So now loading crashes the game. Which means I'll more than likely have to find somewhere new for the code. I could probably be less specific, but I don't know how that would affect the game. For all I know, there are more problems than I suspected.

[SkyeWelse]

As always Unsavory, this is fantastic work and great progress you are making. Who would have thought that this was even possible! : )

-Thomas

[Ascended Mermaid]

Thanks! I've been taking a break as I've lost sleep and haven't eaten the last time I worked on the project. It's better to pace myself; I can't really work on the project if I'm dead, right?

[Ascended Mermaid]

Okay. This time, I loaded the original, unmodified ROM, cheated to get the Studded Mail. Guess what? The bug is in the ROM itself. All this time, I was trying to fix something that didn't need fixing! :\

// It DOES need fixing if it's an actual bug. If it's just due to a bad dump, then it doesn't need fixing at all. I replaced the graphic of the unused Fire Crystal with the save icon, now it's just a matter of displaying the save icon instead of Japanese "O".

// Okay, I got it to display. But now the game crashes after you save. Once I figure that out, I'll release the Japanese SRAM patch, and then do the same for the US/EU versions. That shouldn't be too difficult.

// Oops, this is worse than I thought. Apparently, either my save or load code is incorrect somehow. I don't know how it got that way, but I'll definitely have to look into it.

[Ascended Mermaid]

The save code was erroneous, as there was a BNE that I *should've* checked, considering that I was condensing the code. That was easy enough. I also extended the save code by copying everything from the routine that it was originally jumping to, to print that the game was saved. Last but not least, I used NOP to free some bytes and experiment; to check which codes I didn't need at all. Now for the fun part; the game delays before printing some garbage letters (which are probably a Japanese character in the original game) over the save icon. This indicates that it's okay to finally press A and continue playing the game.

My next objective? Copy data from the final JMP, and paste it before the print code, so that there are no delays, and so the save icon doesn't get erased with some garbage text. The save code is almost complete!

// Okay, that's not the right area. It's probably something that happens after the RTS. Also, I've applied the SRAM hack to the original game, and discovered that it's not clearing the text; so whatever is said before it is printed over. I'll have to copy the clear code to the area before the print code, and if possible, have the game jump past the code that's messing up the icon.

[Ascended Mermaid]

Alright, so I got it to blank out previous dialogue properly. All that's left is to get rid of the 15 second ( Gasp!) delay, and to prevent it from overwriting the icon with some illegible Japanese characters garbled together.

I thought the reason for the delay was the fact that it kept saving the game over and over again, but that's not the case -- but it IS repeating itself, so I'm sure that doesn't help. Why it's repeating itself is another thing I don't understand. I could set a breakpoint and be looking through the code for a long time before I'd figure out the actual cause, as there are so many repeating instructions within the subroutines. SP has this area disassembled, but not commented; I've been handling most of the SRAM and Retranslation project hacking without too much help from the disassembly, but this is where I could use the most help.

It's still progress, but the rest of it will have to come later. On another note, maybe I can finally figure out something with the name screen blocks. I'm hopeful, anyway.

[Raison D'etritus]

Other translation projects can really learn a thing or twenty from you. You've been rapid fire on the updates and output.
Most project's approach is "we're making something"
"We'll tell you when it's done."
"Nothing until then."
"Don't you dare ask about it or I'll eat your fucking eyes."
"President Gorbachev tear down this thread!!!"

I'm admittedly not even concerned with this patch, but it's intriguing as all hell to read about what you're doing with it! Keep up the grea work, Faxanadude!

[Ascended Mermaid]

The question is, what's the right balance? Other projects (I believe) are focused more on getting things done, than updating. I find that other projects have more work ethic involved -- whereas I'm trying mostly to balance out my life so I don't get too worn out. So just remember; while I'm talking, others are doing, and I find that admirable!

I would agree that updates are a major plus anyway. Ever since I started hacking Faxanadu, I would say that this is the most balanced output I've given; both in work, and in updates. Earlier on, I was mostly mapping out my plans for Faxanadu -- eventually, I lost both balance and interest. I was both intimidated by the workload (hence why too much mapping is a bad thing; I'm keeping my list short and seeing how much of it I can accomplish) and intimidated by hacking -- and I'd completely forgotten HOW to hack because I was too busy mapping it out! That's why balance is so important in my life; work and relaxation are like my yin and my yang.

// According to ALoY, the original project had started sometime around Sept 20, 2008, and it had been scrapped around May 22, 2009. Around May 3, 2010, I looked into the enemy data, and got SkyeWelse's help with the table (including some pretty neat official game art!). The Bestiary had been uploaded a long time ago, but I posted a link to it on May 11, 2011. That is also around the time that I started the Retranslation project from scratch, citing "it doesn't mean anything" and "don't get your hopes up".

The reality is, I'm going to see how long I can go this time, but I don't promise anything. I'm not trying to sell a car, I'm not making the best thing since buttered toast, I'm simply "drawing a picture"; it's a hobby that I quite enjoy, and I'm moreso doing it for myself than for anyone else. I'm not trying to toy with anyone, and that's the point I'm trying to make. I'd be letting myself down if I didn't finish it, but I don't *expect* myself to finish it. That, and it doesn't feel so much like the weight of the world is on my shoulders this way; not having anyone to let down but myself. Maybe I'm just insane that way!

[Kimimi]

The question is, what's the right balance? Other projects (I believe) are focused more on getting things done, than updating. I find that other projects have more work ethic involved -- whereas I'm trying mostly to balance out my life so I don't get too worn out.

No matter how hard you work there will always be someone else out there doing it faster than you - this is especially true online where you're essentially competing with just about any human with a telephone line. Just work at your own pace and it'll turn out a lot better than forcing it

[Ascended Mermaid]

I wish I could say "better late than never", but in 4 days, I still don't have good news. I haven't even caught a glimpse of what might be causing the redundant cycle of code. I don't know why it hesitates for 15 seconds before you can exit the save dialog, and I don't know why the icon changes to a garbled mess. I'm completely stumped as to why it would do that. I've been trying to brainstorm, and I've tried going through all of my resources, but nothing's coming to mind. I'm quite honestly an amateur, any real 6502 ASM hacker could tell you that.

The thing is, if I can't figure it out on my own, and I just keep asking for help (like I've considered uploading my patch somewhere and having someone look at it) then I'll never get anywhere and actually learn to do it on my own. I've done a lot already, and as I've said, this is the most progress I've made ever since I began this project. I just never expected my progress would come to a standstill so suddenly. I think my best bet is to try and figure out some of my *other* goals with the project, and then come back to the delay and icon bugs at a later date. I think I will backup my files to my website, at least.

[RyuKisargi]

I read the first page, I like the idea of a re-translation. I played through Faxanadu on my PSP not too long ago, it's one of my fav NES titles.

My only gripe is the INSANE death-toll of being pushed back to the first town. If you're gonna pull that, I'd recommend only having three spawn-points, (Eolis, the town in the Dwarven area, and one of the towns in the tree-area where the overworld music changes.)

How goes it with the patch thus far?


EDIT: Official game art? Links?

[Ascended Mermaid]

The only difference between yesterday's post and today's post, is one day -- I've made just about the same amount of progress. To recap what I've done:

- Implemented a large English font; simply for testing purposes, but I might leave that in to keep the name screen aesthetically pleasing.

- Altered the name screen to display all 26 letters in uppercase and lowercase. I still have to get rid of some leftover boxes from this screen.

- Implemented the US Rev 1 / EU font for the already English bits. Means you won't be confusing letters and numbers like I do.

- SRAM saving and loading. Means that you no longer need a Mantra, but you still have to talk to a "Guru" to save. Loading is quick, I can't complain, but saving takes about 15 seconds -- and there are graphical bugs that I have to fix.

- An incomplete (because I lost the files and have *no* backups) Eolis retranslation by Adoru was inserted.

- A save icon drawn by MP83 was inserted.

As for the official game art, you'd have to go to SkyeWelse for that. You can see some really nice official enemy artwork on our comprehensive bestiary table here.

I always thought that the Wolf Man enemy was actually based off of the alien from the Alien movies! Also, Snow Man really doesn't look like a snowman -- who knew?

// I will add that other hacks/patches, such as the long awaited Restoration (for items, etc.), Remix and a few other ideas, are actually on the back-burner until the Retranslation is finished.

I just realized that I have an R-theme...
- Retranslate
- Restore
- Remix

// As for the insane death toll, that'd only be for higher difficulty levels and people as insane as I am.

Other ideas I have include actually expanding on the game's level-up system with more bonuses. Having more gold when respawning was okay, boosted movement speed and acceleration was good (but hard to notice), but I never liked that the Wing Boots just got worse and worse.

[RyuKisargi]

I'm poking around the website the bestiary is on, I liked the adventure book.