Hello again. I'm halfway through my test run on real hardware, everything good so far. So here it is, finally
You probably can tell by the time it took that the jump from "v15" to "v16" involved major rewrites, both in the hacks and the patcher tool, so I'm jumping to "v2.0" instead. It's gonna be "v2.0 RCx" until I test it a bit more and make sure it's ready to publish it on this site and other places. So everyone who was willing to give it a test run, now it's the time.
Please report any bugs or weirdness you run into. There's bound to be some.
(RC1 to RC3 were here)And, what's new? Pretty much everything I've mentioned here ever since v15 was released about a year ago. Retranslation, voice clips, custom mugshots, player mechanics, damage tables, armor by parts, etc. I just went through the whole set of features for the readme, so I'm just gonna copy it all below. You can also check some highlights with screenshots in the
updated first post.
The patch and included profiles come in three self explanatory forms nows. There's no longer a "light" and "complete" profile. The big difference there was the removed content (Alia's dialogues and Nightmare Effects), but since these can now be changed in-game (in the "Localization" profiles), there was no need for that. Instead, the new profiles are:
"Localization", which comes with the retranslated script, restored title screen, menu hacks and restored voice clips (a selection of them, the rest is in the patcher).
"Localization+Custom Art", which includes all of Metalwario64's beautiful mugshots and palette tweaks.
As always, these are just samples, and all of these features can be selected individually in the patcher.
Features from previous versions:Parts, Ranks, and Nightmare Souls:- Parts are no longer permanently missable (see Rescuable Reploids)
- Parts allowance by Rank has been edited from 0/0/0/1/2/2/3/4 to 1/1/1/2/2/3/4/4 so you can equip at least one part right from the start.
- Rank progression has been edited from to 0/200/300/500/800/1500/5000/9999 to 0/200/300/500/800/1500/3000/5000, so Level 4 boss battle start sooner (Rank PA, 3000), and the newly added unlockables of Rank UH can be reached without excessive grinding.
- Story scenes unlocked by reaching 3000 are now split and set to match Rank PA (3000) and Rank UH (5000) respectively. As noted above, this allows you to encounter Nightmare Zero Lvl. 4, which isn’t possible in the original game (Lvl. 4 bosses appear at Rank PA, Rank PA requires 5000 souls, but at 3000 souls the game would trigger an event that would make Nightmare Zero not appear anymore).
- Dynamo’s Green Orbs drops have been increased from 200 to 400 souls (each). If you’re grinding souls with Dynamo, you might as well get it over with faster.
Rescuable Reploids, Nightmare Virus:- Rescuable Reploids reappear after getting infected or killed, as if you’ve never encountered them.
- All rescuable Reploids not holding any items are marked as “MISSING” at the start of the game, drastically reducing the number of Reploids clogging stages (keeping only the ones that matter).
- Rescuable Reploids no longer give extra lives and health. Instead, you get a consistently higher number of lives (from 2 normal/4 with EX Tank, to 4 normal/6 with EX Tank).
- Nightmare Virus’ Blue Orbs will always appear (would normally reappear only after a Nightmare Effects has been activated for the corresponding stage)
- Blue Orbs left alone won't turn back into a Nightmare Virus
Player Mechanics:- Shared Character Stats: X and Zero now share Heart Tanks, Life Up parts, Energy Up parts, Souls, and Rank.
- Dash and Air Dashes with the Hyper Dash part equipped have been made a bit longer.
- Unarmored X and Shadow Armor now also have the ability to Air Dash.
- Height of Zero’s Hyoroga and Shadow Armor’s ceiling jump has been increased (enough to reach Rainy Turtloid’s ceiling).
Unlockables:- Beating Nightmare Zero on Lvl. 4 unlocks Zero's Black Armor. This is coded in the original game, but the original souls requirements for Ranks/events wouldn’t allow it to happen normally.
- When X and Zero reach Rank UH, the Ultimate Armor and Black Armor will be unlocked respectively.
- Cheat Code 1 (Ultimate Armor) now gives both Ultimate Armor and Black Zero.
- Cheat Code 2 (Black Zero) has now been repurposed to start the game with Zero, making a Zero vs. Nightmare Zero match possible (you can have him earn his Black Armor himself)
- Both cheat codes can be combined.
Others:- “Exit Stage” button always available.
New and updated features:Localization:- Script based on DuoDynamo's incomplete translation. NectarHime's script rewrite was used to fill the gaps.
- Font replacement for stage dialogues and menus (Gemini's Blood of Bahamut)
- Variable font spacing for both the new font and the regular one.
- Restored all missing voice clips from the japanese version (and prototype). Some are included on the default patch, the rest are available as patcher tool options. (Hack Credits: DarkSamus933, initial research).
- Title screen from japanese version, with official "Mega Man" logo edited in (Art Credits: Metalwario64)
Player Mechanics (X):- Activate Incomplete Armors: Armor abilities and enhancements are now linked to their individual armor parts instead of the armor itself. You can now get access to the armor as soon as you get the first part and get its abilities progressively, like you would in X1-X4.
- Blade Armor: "Hybrid Mach Dash" controls. You can have both the normal behavior of the Mach Dash (with a stop mid-air) when pressing "jump", and a immediate, more maneuverable air dash with the "dash" button. Speed and duration of either can be set separately.
- Blade Armor: improved "Hold/Release" input option. Direction press will also count as "hold", as it does on a regular Dash.
- Shadow Armor: when sticking to walls, you can also slide down by pressing down.
- Improved control of the Saber animation. Cooldown has been shortened.
- To balance the shortened Saber animation, dash cancelling has been removed (can still be enabled to both X and Shadow X in the patcher).
- Falcon Armor's Air Dash jump button input has been removed.
Player Mechanics (Zero):- Sentsuizan: improved "Hold/Release" input option. Tremor sound effect won't play if the technique is cancelled before it makes contact. Direction press will also count as "hold", as it does on a regular Dash.
- Sentsuizan: input has been remapped (from Up + Attack to Down + Special)
- Ensuizan: "Air Move mode". Can now only be used in the air, but let's you do multiple spins in a row by holding the button.
- Ensuizan: input has been remapped (from Down + Special anywhere, to Special in the air)
- Control of the third slash Saber animation. Cooldown has been shortened.
Damage Table:- Blade Armor: Charged buster damage has been increased (now handled by modifying damage tables instead of external code).
- Blade Armor: Charged saber "tip" contact deals +1 damage against all enemies
- Zero: Z-Buster damage has been slightly reduced against bosses
- Damage against Nightmare Snake has been doubled.
- Damage against Commander Yammark has been slightly reduced.
Boss Health Bars:- Commander Yammark and Ground Scaravich have increased Health Bars. Others received minor modifications for consistency.
- Nightmare Snake health bar has been cut in half (this, and the x2 damage buff by damage tables, match the x4 damage buff in previous versions of the patch)
- Nightmare Mother health bar has been cut in half (matches the x2 damage buff in previous versions of the patch).
Stage modifications:- Amazon Area: the ceiling has been extended on the equally infamous blind jump in the section with transport enemies over spikes.
- Secret Lab 1: removed a few spikes to reduce Armor/Parts requirements to be able to go through. X can now pass through using only Ice Burst (and dash jumping very carefully)
- Secret Lab 2-2 (X): a platform can be added to the infamous jump section (Credit: DarkSamus933)
- Recycle Lab/Secret Lab 2-2(Zero): if crouching safely on a tight spot and let go of the down button, you'll be locked in the crouch position until the ceiling rises (instead of getting immediately killed).
Custom menu options:- Navigator (Alia alerts) and Nightmare Effects can be enabled/disabled anytime during gameplay from the setting menu within the pause menu.
Cutscenes voiceover- Voice-over won't be cut when pressing the button to display the whole block of text, will be cut when moving to the next page instead.
- Slight speed up of text.
Unlockables:- Cheat Code 2 (Unlock Zero): You will now start using Zero from the Intro Stage.
- Unlockable by Rank UH: A message in the "Mission Report" screen will notify any secret armor unlocked by reaching Rank UH.
- A flashing effect was added when Zero himself gets the black armor by defeating Lvl. 4 Nightmare Zero. Normally, it would simply change to the black palette immediately.
Custom art:- Custom mugshots for characters that didn't have one: the intro stage Hunter and Dr. Light (Art Credits: Metalwario64)
- Cleaned up and custom mugshots for existing characters (Art Credits: Metalwario64)
- Custom palette options for X's Ultimate Armor and Nightmare Zero (Art Credits: Metalwario64)
Fixes from the original games:- Fixed swapped icons for the Hyper Dash and Speedster Parts
- Fixed the "overwright" typo on the Save File screen
Tweaks Patcher additional options:- Nightmare Effects: Can still be permanently removed (apart from the new custom menu options)
- Dialogues: Stage Alia calls and "briefing" dialogues can still be permanently removed (apart from the new custom menu options)
- Intro: Skip Capcom intro video, skip opening video.
- Player Mechanics: More complete set of Dash parameters to tweak. Double-jump and double-tap inputs can now be disabled.
- Player Mechanics: Frame-by-frame controls for the animation timming of X's Saber, Zero's ground combo cooldown, and the Z-Buster.
- Player Mechanics: Attachment to ceiling can be set unlimited (Shadow Armor, Zero's Hyoroga)
- Player Mechanics: X's Saber can be set cancellable by dashing, both normal and with Shadow Armor.
- Balance: Boss health bar size controls, by level. Includes sub-bosses health bars.
- New Game Status: Randomize Parts carried by Rescuable Reploids.
- Localization: Additional title screen options, including the original japanese version.
- Localization: Additional voice clips can be selected separately, adding two not included in the sample profile (title screen "Rockman X6", and vocalized boss "Warning" from the Prototype version)
- Custom Art: Individual selection of mugshots by Metalwario64.
- Custom Art: Colors scheme options for X Ultimate Armor (mugshot and sprite palette).
- Stage Mechanics: Auto-crouching for Recycle Lab/Secret Lab 2-2 (Zero). If the ceiling crushes you in a tight spot where you would've survived crouching, you'll crouch automatically and stay locked in this position until the ceiling rises.
- Stage Mechanics: Recycle Lab/Secret Lab 2-2 (Zero), ceiling movement can be completely disabled.
- Damage Tables: Complete access to all damage tables. Damage values can be modified by enemy/by attack.
- Damage Tables: Gate and High Max can be made vulnerable to normal attacks
- A few more smaller things.
Known issues- Script: On some cutscenes, character names don't have the same colors they have in the original game.
- Activate Incomplete Armors: Shadow Armor will always have the Buster sound effect and saber color palette from the complete armor, even if the corresponding Parts haven't been collected yet.