SC4ED - Super Castlevania 4 Editor

[Grimlock]

I'm also pretty interested in seeing what you all are able to do with this editor and your projects.  CV4 has always been a top 10 console favorite of mine. 

[MathUser2929]

Someone could always try making a level hack based on the limits of the editor. Can you edit all levels? Like Zelda 3 you might need to make frequent backups in case you edit something the editor dont do right yet.

[SunGodPortal]

Someone could always try making a level hack based on the limits of the editor. Can you edit all levels? Like Zelda 3 you might need to make frequent backups in case you edit something the editor dont do right yet.

In the case of Zelda 3 that would be "ever" as opposed to "yet".

[Drunken Draconian]

Almost dome my hard mode hack made a few notes for anyone else looking into making some levels for this game. mainly just talking about the limits and interesting used for things I've found so far.

Editor comments:

I have been able to:

-remake scenes with some restrictions
   -You are mostly free to make whatever you want with the existing blocks
      -I've made a few custom blocks
         -Trial and error is your friend.
         -I made platforms easily, other stuff not so much
         -A full art/custom pass of the scenes is possible but I'd wait for better block editing
-move "events" with restrictions
   -candles, enemies, certain blocks and elevators, swinging platforms
      
   -moving events around too much can cause problems
      -they seem to be sequenced in such a way as to avoid despawn/pop-in
      -moving them too far out of order will cause despawn/pop-in
         -I used this intentionally to make enemies spawn in on top of you
         -I used this to make "hidden candles" that only spawn in if you go exploring

I have not been able to:

-gain Control of the camera to open up more spaces in levels
-Make stairs on a scene with no stairs
-Make an existing event into a ring on a scene with rings
-Add rings to a scene with none
-change events with much success
   -If you change the type it usually just does nothing
   -If you change the eventID it doesn't stick

Other notes:
-you can have the orb fall into a pit, LOL
-the event editor sometimes starts to mess up and you have to restart the SC4ed.exe
-Stage 1
   -Being able to enable the 2 layer effect (in front/behind the fence) in other levels would be crazy cool
   -The vine's growing animation will cover and blocks there
   -Would be neat to be able to add the destructible blocks to any scene
      -as secret doors/ passages
      -can even be used over passable blocks (seems like the secret is in the wall behind
   -Stage 2
   - 2-1 is huge, but the camera snapping makes some of the area under the beginning unusable, same with the end
      -control over the camera, a way to set free cam on a map like this open up a bunch of room
   - 2-2 and water
      -would be nice if it didn't crush when 2 water blocks are on top of eachother, SC4 water levels?
      -some of the layers are bugged, unchangeable, same as stage 8, graphical only
      The drooping bridge is cool, being able to bring the floor break event from stage 9 here would allow for a trap bridge
   -Medusa fight is cool with pits (shakes head) if you fall into a pit after the game takes control after the fight you still progress
   - 2-3 Lots of hard coding here
      -any pit will tank FPS to 3-4
      I see this a being hard to "hack"
-Stage 3
   -same as 2-1, control over camera adds more playable area
   -could not move the destructible blocks, would make this area interesting
      -the blocks can have any block as the face of it and still get destroyed (like meat secrets)
   - 3-2 would be nice to be able to move the transparent waterfalls around
-Stage 4
   -Rotating room is hard coded
      -even if you delete/change the blocks in the scene, they are still there (invisible platform)
   -The last screen of Stage 4 with the moving blocks has the largest potential for crazy stuff
      -Stairs override Simon's footing over the moving blocks giving the appearance of stepping just out of the way of the platforms
   -boss room is funky, didn't change anything here
Stage 5
   -5-1 is huge, with lots of random enemies, amazing space to create
      - the harpy, and batmen spawns are based on the x position. so spaces above and below where they regularly spawn will spawn them
   -the short time limit could make mazes more interesting
Stage 6
   -6-1 the random dogs and ghouls will fall in pits
   -can't edit chandeliers, would be cool the eliminate one of the middle platforms
Stage 7
   -Book platforms are movable, Would be cool to be able to add these to levels
   -The creature under the rug
      -changes the block art after passing over it
      -would be cool to add a second to the same rug
      -had trouble trying to make my own spike blocks to add varying lengths
-Stage 8
   -Blood/green goop leaves graphical layers when moved
-Stage 9
   -Couldn't move the chests
      -but I can move the event trigger making a "button" that makes a block appear VERY COOL
         -same for broken floor and crumbling platforms
         -would love more control over this
-Stage A
   -You can move the flat, big and little gears
      -If you move them out of order they don't spawn

[MathUser2929]

If you manage to make a bug free hack I hope you upload it to the site. I know that will take alot of backups to get it bug free but I'm sure alot of people would love to see a level hack.

[SunGodPortal]

I know that will take alot of backups to get it bug free...

Sounds like Hyrule Magic, another unfinished editor. BUT, a broken, buggy, unfinished editor is still an editor.

[Drunken Draconian]

You can check out what I have done so far in my past broadcasts, twitch channel of the same name. It is mostly not buggy. Just a few popins. It will be complete but not finished. I may release my first complete build very soon and make a v2.0 after some more feedback.

[ShadowOne333]

Sounds like Hyrule Magic, another unfinished editor. BUT, a broken, buggy, unfinished editor is still an editor.

But unlike Hyrule Magic, this editor is open source.
Anyone can continue with this project.

That's the biggest drawback of HM, that thing is buggy and has no way to make it better without the source code available. -,-

[RedGuy]

You can check out what I have done so far in my past broadcasts, twitch channel of the same name. It is mostly not buggy. Just a few popins. It will be complete but not finished. I may release my first complete build very soon and make a v2.0 after some more feedback.

Nice work!  You've figured out and were able to do a lot with an editor that still needs major development.

Events were thrown in at the last minute before I stopped working on it.  I'm not surprised the game doesn't like when you move them around or try to change other attributes with them.  The eventId is ignored by the editor when saving the events.  Only the xpos, ypos and type are saved back.  The despawn of events may be caused by reordering them.  I never confirmed, but the game may speed up event checking by assuming all events are encountered in order.  But the editor doesn't try to reorder them if you move and then save.

I appreciate the detailed comments.  If I decide to work on the editor again they will be useful.

[Drunken Draconian]

I hope you do, one more question. how do I use the in game menu that the editor's emu uses? I can use l/r to chose the map but i can get it to launch. I've just been using snes9x and having a savestate before the loading zone. Some of the bigger rooms were "fun" to test. At least I got good at them.

[ShadowOne333]

I hope you do, one more question. how do I use the in game menu that the editor's emu uses? I can use l/r to chose the map but i can get it to launch. I've just been using snes9x and having a savestate before the loading zone. Some of the bigger rooms were "fun" to test. At least I got good at them.

You need to input the following Pro Action Replay codes in the Cheat codes option of Snes9x:

Code Select Expand


00947763
0094789A
009A7764
009A7800
009AF94C
009AFAC5
009AFB94
0094D380


They are found in this page:
https://tcrf.net/Super_Castlevania_IV
A the first subsection.

You need to input each line individually.
Once you enable all of the codes at the same time, restart the game and choose the "START" option from the Title Screen, that should boot you directly into that Stage Select screen.

[Sephirous]

You need to input the following Pro Action Replay codes in the Cheat codes option of Snes9x:

Code Select Expand


00947763
0094789A
009A7764
009A7800
009AF94C
009AFAC5
009AFB94
0094D380


They are found in this page:
https://tcrf.net/Super_Castlevania_IV
A the first subsection.

You need to input each line individually.
Once you enable all of the codes at the same time, restart the game and choose the "START" option from the Title Screen, that should boot you directly into that Stage Select screen.

I had a question about this too but different.
Someone had created a patch for Castlevania III that automatically added the debug screen.
Is there a way to create a patch for Castlevania IV so it automatically opens the Stage Select screen?
However now that I think about it, Most likely the patch created for the debug in Castlevania III was most likely a simple check of the box that activates it in Revamp. Then converted into a IPS Patch.
Castlevania IV will most likely be more complicated.

[MathUser2929]

I think the guy making the decensoring hack should throw in the konami code to open the level select menu.
July 07, 2016, 10:08:28 PM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
RedGuy, do i have your permission to post the editor here?

http://www.romhacking.net/abandoned/

[Sephirous]

I think the guy making the decensoring hack should throw in the konami code to open the level select menu.
July 07, 2016, 10:08:28 PM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
RedGuy, do i have your permission to post the editor here?

http://www.romhacking.net/abandoned/

[RedGuy]

You can post it if you want to the abandoned section, but I may find time to work on it once in a while.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx9gzQZCkH8qamtvcHlKOEtPT2s/view?usp=sharing

- Fixed event editor (and other editors) to not corrupt things when the level changes if they are still open
- Added event Id and SubId editing to the event editor.  What all the values mean are a mystery, but you can now change enemies to rings and other things
- Added ability to (re)sort events with how they are written to the ROM.  It also draws blue/green boxes around events that are not ordered correctly when the event editor is open
- Fixed (hopefully) any problems with the event editor getting out of sync
- Added some missing compressed regions to expansion
- Fixed some missing rooms

I didn't move anything existing around, but it's going to be necessary in the future to make editing levels easier and less buggy.  And that will likely break existing expanded ROMs.

[MathUser2929]

Well, I just didn't want the editor to get lost. If you're gonna work on it off and on it isn't truely abandoned tho. I'm sure they'd wonder why I keep updating a abandoned project. Thanks for working on the editor again.

I'd actually suggest making hidden candles that appear only when you get close a feature of the editor, as unintentional that was. It sounds like a neat idea that hasn't been done in a Castlevania game before.

[Drunken Draconian]

Just submitted the Hard mod level hack. I hope I entered everything right and it gets in first try, lol. I hope you guys like it / die a bunch.

[RedGuy]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx9gzQZCkH8qQ3lvOGFrTFBPWmM/view?usp=sharing

- Added stage name from game in the editor
- Added support for POV on joystick (ps3/4 and other controllers) for internal emulator
- Changed internal emulator to skip level select.  Deaths restart at current level rather than past checkpoint.  Life counter converted to death counter - near infinite lives
- Added compile of second executable that will expand ROMs.  Can be included with mods
- Fixed invisible candle events (inside the editor) in mode7 levels

EDIT:
- Fixed the block and tile editors so they are more usable.  Right click selects.  Left click updates.

This includes a second executable (SC4Expand) which can be included with hacks that will just expand an unmodified ROM.  It's not pretty, but it works.

Some things I noticed about events assuming a (type, id, subid) format.  All number in hex:
- (1,m,n) are mostly (all?) candles.
- (1,6,n) drop subweapons where the subid determines the type.  E.g. n=1A -> dagger.
- (2,15,n) are level ending points.  Some levels use custom boss code or other events to trigger the end.
- (2,41,n) are in-levelcamera locks.  The level has an initial set of bounds looked up by the level ID and then these events can change the bounds.

I'm sure there are a lot of other common codes for events like enemies.  I spent some time looking into how camera locks work and the game uses jump tables with hardcoded constants all over the place.  That's going to ultimately limit how easy it is to make an editor for many things.  Editing things stored as array of structures is much easier than custom functions with inline constants.

[shadow501]

It is great if you add sprite editor also.

[MathUser2929]

The rom expander is totally uncessesary for hacks tho. The only reason DarkSamuses hack needs to be expanded first is cause be didn't use a vanilla rom for the original rom while making the patch. He used a alreaady expanded rom for the vanilla rom. It's a unessesary step and the patch for my hack dont require you to expand your rom first. It's  a plain IPS patch too.