HorvatM wrote:
OK, I spent the last 5 hours making a primitive control scheme selection screen.

To use it, press Select + R during gameplay. Right now, you can choose between the original BPS scheme (selected by default) and my scheme.

While you are on the selection screen, the timer will appear to stop but will actually still be counting down. I don’t know how to fix this. I also haven’t tested it on hardware.

Wow. Would it be possible to have the control scheme screen accessed through the start screen or the stage-select screen? That way you wouldn’t have to bother about the counter anymore.

HorvatM wrote:
New version of my control scheme patch. This one modifies the controls like this:

Left D-pad: strafe and move forward/backward
Right D-pad: turn
L: hold down to run

Other controls are the same as before.

Pretty cool. Do you plan more changes?

I designed 13 levels till now. I feel like I should do something special for the last level so I stopped here. I tested every level to check if technically works. However, I feel like someone should play-check the levels (Ben, I’m looking in your direction!) to make sure the levels are well ballanced.

I have 8 mazes now and I slowly run out of ideas. I try my best to give every level a unique feel. I started with the invisible enemy stage so there is not too much variety in terms of enemies.

I designed 3 levels today. I already had an idea of how the levels should look like. Took me about an hour or so to fine tune everything. Doing the levels is pretty fast using the FacEdit so I might be done with my stages soon.

Of course I need to make sure every level can be beaten on hardware so that may take some time as well.

HorvatM wrote:
Here’s a patch that lets you to strafe with the left D-pad while turning with the right D-pad, allowing you to circlestrafe. However, you can’t also walk at the same time, but you can still walk and strafe without turning.

If there’s enough demand, I can try to improve this control scheme or even add support for multiple schemes in the game.

This patch should work with thunderstruck’s additions, but I have not verified that.

It makes the controls pretty smooth. I for sure would like to see what else you can come up with. Let me know when you are done so I can add your control-scheme to the editor.

Protoman85 wrote:
I think I could do this, if I connect the camcorder to a TV so I can look at it while I play.. does anyone have interest in such a video?

I would watch it.

I was just looking though games I could play with my SuperScope (there are not so many in the end) and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing: Faceball 2000. This game is just everywhere. So I guess the next thing to do is somehow connect my SuperScope to my VB… never mind.

I made my final changes to the level-editor. Unless I find some Bug this will be the final version. There are some nice-to-have features left I could implement but I will make a cut here. (Wait for applause to stop)

Furthermore, I made my final changes to the ROM (just missing the new levels). I never liked how my Faceball Logo looked like. I didn’t want to change it though because converting a bitmap, copy it to the ROM, make sure everything is loaded correct and fine-tune the window parameters is allot boring work.

However, Morintari contacted me and told me that he could provide my with the original logo. Apparently, he already had a 3D model which he could use to generate a pretty cool looking Faceball logo. Honorable mention goes to RunnerPack who fine-tuned the result. Obviously, I have already put you guys in the credits.

Just as a side-note between us: Usually you have to pay for artwork like this or agree on a restrictive license. Morintari gave away his work for free without any restrictions though. It is really great to see people supporting a project like this just because they like what is happening.

With this awesome new logo image in my hands I had no chance but to code it into the ROM (I was faster then I thought).

I attached a screenshot of the result. I think it looks a 1000 times better then my initial try. A video will follow soon.

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Guy Perfect wrote:
On a similar note, I can provide programming training and resources for people who want to build game software from the ground-up.

What kind of training exactly?

OK, I added an option to the Level-Editor that allows the user to write into the credits whatever he wants. I already figured everything out a while ago but wasn’t in the mood for adding it to the editor. So it was kind of boarding but now I’m done with the credits. I still have a few optimizations I want to do but the game should be done soon.

Also, there are already some levels done. I didn’t do them though. Benjamin Stevens jumped in and is now helping me by designing 2 stages. This is great because that way I also have a new game (well, a half game) to look forward to.

Besides designing the remaining levels there is only one bigger thing left to do. It is something I thought I was done with but somehow I think I can do better. However, we are close!

I found a way to enable strafing on the right D-Pad as well. I also added it to the Level-Editor. I hope everyone is happy now!!!!!!! I added a screenshot as a proof.

There were several request about how exactly I hack the controls so here is a brief explanation:

The game copies the low and high byte of the input controls to 0x500926d. Note that the ‘Always 1’ will be set to 0 during the copy process. It took a while for me to figure this out but in the end you can see it if you add a read-breakpoint at 0x02000014 (Game Pad Input High) and look what happens with the loaded value.

If you want to change the input controls you can simply add a read-breakpoint to 0x500926d and check what happens when playing a level. There is a piece of code for every input control and the value is loaded every time. So you can just go ahead and jump from breakpoint to breakpoint to see the code for the respective input controls.

The game usually loads the value to r10. After that it performs an “andi” with some value on r10. This is done to exclude certain buttons from the following check. After that there will be a “movea” which loads the compare value to r1. To find a specific control you can just look at this. The button combination for the debug menu is for example 0x303C. After that there will be a “cmp” that compares r1 and r10. The compare condition then jumps to the respective code if the correct buttons had been pressed or otherwise to the next check for input controls.

I hacked the controls by manipulating these jumps. Meaning if left on left d-pad (0x200) is detected I don’t jump to the original code but to the code that is executed if left on both D-Pads (0x4200) is detected.

Finally, here are the positions where the code for the controversial movement controls can be found:

Strafe Left (0x4200): 0xfff0d888
Strafe Right (0x180): 0xfff0d958
Left D-Pad Left (0x200): 0xfff0d8b8
Left D-Pad Right (0x100): 0xfff0d988
Right D-Pad Left (0x4000): 0xfff0d8d0
Right D-Pad Right (0x80): 0xfff0d9a0

I didn’t check if there is another hidden button-combination that triggers anything. But know that everyone knows how to check I also don’t have to.

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HorvatM wrote:
If you remember my demo with GameHero and Fishbone joined, it is possible, but Benjamin Stevens said that didn’t run correctly on hardware and I didn’t bother to look into the issue. You might need a bigger flash memory chip for this, or special hardware in the cartridge altogether to avoid the problems that come with ROM hacking.

But why would you want unfinished demos? If there’s going to be a multicart at all, it should have finished games on it.

Of course I remember your demo but I wasn’t sure if you solved the running-on-hardware issue. I think some of the demos (especially VB racing and hunter) are outstanding great work that show what the VB would have been capable of. I really would like to see them make a full game. However, having a card I could plug in once in a while to play though all of these great demos would be cool as well.

There are other games I would like to see on card first though. I would be cool to have the translated Jap games. I also would like to see some of the Homebrews released. SU double cards sounds great. Or maybe Fishbone (cough)…

So you guys actually like the original controls? I could never get across the “use both d-pads at the same time to strafe” thing. For me strafing is a key element of the controls as you need it to dodge enemy balls and take cover. Also defeating Shieldman is much easier if you strafe. However, I never get the strafing working right when I need it. Sometimes I fail to hit both Pads at the same time resulting in the player to turn and getting a direct hit. Other times I strafe but think it doesn’t work resulting in a half strafe/turn thing.

With the changed controls though I can easily navigate through the levels and, dodge incoming fire and take cover behind walls. It feels so much smoother and intuitive to use. And yes, the new controls make the game easier but on the other side the new level will be harder. Maybe I’m missing something but I also don’t see the point in having the turn-feature on both D-Pads.

I understand the some people prefer having controls that established within the series or that they know from other games. However, this is a remastered edition so I will go with whatever I feel works best.

I think a demo card would be great. Just ine xard containing the hunter demo, virtual racer, mario kart and so on. I don’t know if this is technical possible though.

Holy shit, this looks great in 3D.

Lester Knight wrote:
strafing is a gaming element that aids the play-ability of 1st person shooters (1st person perspective) games. it isn’t a required control scheme, and one that some will choose to embrace while others completely ignore it. for more than 10 years, the main control elements were on the only (left) d-pad (until the ps dual shock we never had dual d-pads/analog sticks), this is what a great majority of gamers are used to. as such, we have played countless hours of console and handheld first person shooters using shoulder buttons for strafing. i am only asking for you to keep this in mind.

Benjamin Stevens wrote:
Is there a way to make it so that the player can swap the controls if he or she desires, so that the left pad turns the player and the right pad lets the player strafe?

morintari wrote:
I understand what Lester Knight is saying, but some of us don’t play FPS. Is there anyway the alternate control scheme could be a preset so thoes of us that are familer w faceball could retain it’s original controls?

OK, I will loose some more words on this topic. I choose to have strafing on the left d-pad as it is the way I use to play FPS on a PC. You strafe/move using your left hand (WSAD) and turn with your right hand (mouse). For me who played countless games this way these controls make perfect sense and I find the game very comfortable to play. I also played countless Shooter using my XBox360/PS3. Usually I find the same control scheme most convenient there. Walking and strafing using the left analog stick while moving the camera with the right one.

It seems like there are concerns using this control scheme though. I understand that you guys only want the best possible final result. I can switch the controls on both D-Pads with little effort. I can also add an option to the level editor to allow the user to patch a certain control-scheme to the ROM.

However, making the controls configurable in the game is more effort then you guys might imagine. Right now I simply overwrite a jump-command that happens when the left d-pad is pressed and jump to strafing code instead. Configurable controls would mean I would have to jump out of the original code, check which configuration has been chosen and and then jump back to the respective code of the new control. On top of that I would have to add an extra menu (or whatever) so the control-scheme can be chosen. All of this is of course possible but it is a really big chunk of work and I will not waste my time on this as the controls are pretty smooth the way they are.

Please also remember that I’m not talking about writing c-code but writing assembler commands in binary format, convert them to HEX and then write them with a Hex-Editor directly into the ROM. Even a simple piece of code takes a long time if I write it this way.

The best thing I can offer is that I publish two Demo-ROMs in some days. One with the strafing on the left d-pad and one with strafing on the right d-pad. You can tell me then what works best for you.

I would be in for Gundam (or any other translated Jap. game).

Benjamin Stevens wrote:
(The only things not translated into English in this game are the credits. I’m guessing that thunderstruck – with his newly acquired, advanced ROM-hacking skills – could easily take the English credits that already appear on this site under the Game Credits tab for SD Gundam and replace the Japanese text in the current English-patched ROM… just sayin’ 😉

I was already wondering if there are some untranslated screens left in any of your rom hacks. I guess we can eventually translate all of them.

Lester Knight wrote:
what i posted was not a complaint, it was constructive criticism. i thought that i had worded it as such, but evidently it seems that you read it quite differently. if you end up choosing to view my suggestions as complaints, then we aren’t going to be able to have a control-scheme discussion of any kind.

strafing is a gaming element that aids the play-ability of 1st person shooters (1st person perspective) games. it isn’t a required control scheme, and one that some will choose to embrace while others completely ignore it. for more than 10 years, the main control elements were on the only (left) d-pad (until the ps dual shock we never had dual d-pads/analog sticks), this is what a great majority of gamers are used to. as such, we have played countless hours of console and handheld first person shooters using shoulder buttons for strafing. i am only asking for you to keep this in mind.

you have quoted only my post, so i will only comment on my behalf… i am making suggestions in an attempt to better the project as a whole. my position is for the end result to be user friendly. providing a control scheme for which gamers are already equipped to pick-up-and-play seems to make a lot of sense to me. i felt that locking users into only 1 control scheme would put some minor limitations on the end result. please know that when i am passionate about a project, i will attempt to make a few good suggestions. if you choose to implement my idea, then great, if you don’t, then so be it. i am going to be appreciative of your work and enjoy the editor either way.

Sorry, I didn’t wanted to sound rude. It was just a long day. You are right, the controls on both d-pads should be switched.

Lester Knight wrote:
I have to agree with the comments above, I would much prefer that the controls were reversed, or even better, that the strafing was mapped to the trigger buttons. Movement with the right d-pad will be a bit awkward for myself. It’s not unlike trying to play two things with both hands on a piano, I find it difficult to coordinate both hands in a way I have never done before. My brain fights my muscles with each attempt, and I resort to recording the two parts separately. With gaming, I am simply more accustomed to moving with the left d-pad.

I think it is odd to complain about the controls even though you never had a chance to try them out. If it is such a big deal for you guys I will change it. Making the controls map-able in the editor is possible but tedious. If you want to I can explain you where you find the code in the rom and how to hack it. You can then change the controls yourself by writing asm commands with a hex editor into the rom.