Zelda - Link's Awakening Hack WIP (update thread)

[lexluthermiester]

Hey, no worries!   

Currently I am working on finishing up the world map.  It used to be complete, but ever since I expanded gfx data, I've been making a lot of new custom gfx, and also porting some over from the Oracle games.  Just trying to get a lot of variety.  Also, now that grass has been improved, I'm trying to find ways to make use of it.

For dungeons, I'm almost finished with dungeon 7.  I usually create an initial layout for a dungeon and make a lot of revisions over time.  Dungeons 1-6 have been refined over the years after countless hours playing them and learning what is tedious/annoying.  I'm trying to make this fun and not kaizo.  After that, all that's left is dungeon 8, and they will be all done.

Boss rush is complete.  (it's basically like a new puzzle-less dungeon)

I need to finish the item trading side quest.  I have a plan for an all new trading sequence with some new items, but I just haven't gotten to it, yet.

The story events and sequence are mostly complete.  I have almost everything set up, and working, but haven't written any the text.  That will probably be the last thing I do.

For now, I'm trying to finish the world map.  Then I'll probably start working on dungeons again.

The sentiment of anticipation is felt by me as well. This seems like it's going to be very cool! So are you going to do several patches? Like one with Marin, and one for Link? That would be interesting and fun.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Are you gonna force GBC mode, or will you preserve GB/SGB compatibility?

[IcePenguin]

The sentiment of anticipation is felt be me as well. This seems like it's going to be very cool! So are you going to do several patches? Like one with Marin, and one for Link? That would be interesting and fun.

That's the plan.  In the end I hope to have two playable quests.  Right now I'm just focusing on getting Marin's game complete.  I have all the text and story done for Link.  (originally, the hack was only going to be Link.)  After I discovered a method to get Marin to be playable without glitches, I started working on one for her, and she is the main focus of the hack now.

Are you gonna force GBC mode, or will you preserve GB/SGB compatibility?

Are you referring to the game working on real hardware?  I have to be honest, I don't fully understand what you mean.     Oh, by the way, I saw your comment on youtube.  It is great advice!  That is something I always consider when doing level design.  I try to keep things grounded as you put it.  The hack is constantly going through revisions, to hopefully improve level design.  There are many things I've done that I thought were super cool, only to remove them later after realizing they weren't so cool, haha.  I also use a lot of reference of other games for my level design, and that helps a lot.

[RetroRain]

I saw your video with the power bracelet.  I think that is such a great idea, but I do have one suggestion that would make it even better.  Move the bracelet to the right side of the inventory.  You know, the side that shows your instruments and sea shells and all of the other little side-items you get throughout the game.  Much like in Zelda 3, once you get the glove, it doesn't take up space in your item inventory.  It is always equipped, and it is shown on another panel.  If the bracelet is always going to be equipped once you obtain it, then it shouldn't take up space in the item portion of the inventory screen.

This would also allow the possibility of having the boomerang in the inventory without having to trade for it, hence having room for all of the items you get in the game.

[IcePenguin]

RetroRain, I've actually been trying to do that.    Adding new objects to a menu is something I've never done with ASM before, so it might be a bit more tricky for me.  That is a great suggestion, though, especially the boomerang part.  Hopefully I can figure something out!

[assassin]

I thought having to 'pull back' with the d-pad to lift something was a nice touch personally.

echoing this.  broader activation of the bracelet's lifting, when combined with a bracelet you can never un-equip, seems like it would limit flexibility in control and possibly compromise gameplay.

[IcePenguin]

echoing this.  broader activation of the bracelet's lifting, when combined with a bracelet you can never un-equip, seems like it would limit flexibility in control and possibly compromise gameplay.

So far, picking things up feels exactly the same as before.  However, there is one case where it does compromise gameplay.

Ever since making the change, I've noticed that it kinda forces you to use the sword in the A button slot.  For example, if you are trying to poke a wall (for bomb spots) with the sword in the B button slot, Link will try to grab the wall instead of poking it.  This forces you to use the sword in the A slot.  This is the only time I've experienced an issue with the always active bracelet.

So I have to ask, should the bracelet be assigned to the A or B button?  I think it will depend on what is everyone's primary button used for the sword.

[BlackMageJawa]

Could you make it so that Link doesn't hold onto walls? I might be wrong, but off the top of my head I can't remember any point in the game where it's necessary to grab an ordinary wall.

[assassin]

since i don't think anybody pokes walls while pressing away from the wall, it seems obvious that keeping the arrow button for lifting is the remedy here.   doing away with it seems like a solution in search of a problem: were there really that many 1-fingered people complaining about pressing 2 buttons?

[IcePenguin]

Could you make it so that Link doesn't hold onto walls? I might be wrong, but off the top of my head I can't remember any point in the game where it's necessary to grab an ordinary wall.

Interesting idea!  I will look into this.  You may be right and there is no instance in the game where Link needs to grab walls.

since i don't think anybody pokes walls while pressing away from the wall, it seems obvious that keeping the arrow button for lifting is the remedy here.   doing away with it seems like a solution in search of a problem: were there really that many 1-fingered people complaining about pressing 2 buttons?

I think you are talking about the "lifting" part of the animation.     The issue is just the "grabbing" part. (it's a two part action) I haven't removed the directional lifting yet, so you still need to press the arrow button to actually lift things.

The issue is when you try to poke the wall, Link will grab the wall instead.  (during the grabbing part, not lifting part)

[assassin]

ah, gotcha.  i'm obviously in favor of keeping directional lifting, but as for tackling the current issue..  how does the original game behave if you assign Bracelet to B and Sword to A, and press both buttons by a wall simultaneously?  and vice versa?

[Woodman]

ah, gotcha.  i'm obviously in favor of keeping directional lifting, but as for tackling the current issue..  how does the original game behave if you assign Bracelet to B and Sword to A, and press both buttons by a wall simultaneously?  and vice versa?

Just tested. The bracelet always takes priority over the sword, no matter when the buttons are pressed.

[IcePenguin]

For both cases, the bracelet will always take precedence and Link grabs the wall.

[assassin]

thanks both for testing.  some ideas:

- like you said, avoid by assuming the sword will be affiliated with a certain button.  downside: starts abandoning game's flexible approach of assigning items to buttons interchangeably.
- find code that determines priorities, and downgrade the Bracelet.  downside: more complex, possible side effects.
- allow Bracelet priority toggling, or flat-out Bracelet usage toggling, with some special key press or key combo.  it'd have to be a quick and simple one, as going into the menu to change gear isn't that hard.  downside: complex, can border on too much work for user, since there aren't shoulder buttons or X/Y available here.
- maybe allow Start + B/A to override Bracelet?  it seems that while Select to enter menu gets very high priority, pressing Start to enter map is less so, at least with Virtual Gameboy circa 1997.   so if you're able to register the otherwise-discarded Start press, and there's an item in the Bracelet's button's slot, don't have Bracelet kick in.  downside: complex, as you're hacking both controller input, AND finding the code that determines priorities.
- simpler than the last might be a more specific check to have Sword override Bracelet if you're also pressing arrow in the same direction Link's facing.

yeah, ideas are a dime-a-dozen when i won't be the one implementing any of them.

[IcePenguin]

Just tested. The bracelet always takes priority over the sword, no matter when the buttons are pressed.

Almost a same time post!     Thanks for testing that.

thanks both for testing.  some ideas:

- like you said, avoid by assuming the sword will be affiliated with a certain button.  downside: starts abandoning game's flexible approach of assigning items to buttons interchangeably.
- find code that determines priorities, and downgrade the Bracelet.  downside: more complex, possible side effects.
- allow Bracelet priority toggling, or flat-out Bracelet usage toggling, with some special key press or key combo.  it'd have to be a quick and simple one, as going into the menu to change gear isn't that hard.  downside: complex, can border on too much work for user, since there aren't shoulder buttons or X/Y available here.
- maybe allow Start + B/A to override Bracelet?  it seems that while Select to enter menu gets very high priority, pressing Start to enter map is less so, at least with Virtual Gameboy circa 1997.   so if you're able to register the otherwise-discarded Start press, and there's an item in the Bracelet's button's slot, don't have Bracelet kick in.  downside: complex, as you're hacking both controller input, AND finding the code that determines priorities.
- simpler than the last might be a more specific check to have Sword override Bracelet if you're also pressing arrow in the same direction Link's facing.

yeah, ideas are a dime-a-dozen when i won't be the one implementing any of them.

There are a few ideas I'm considering.  If I make any progress on it, I will post back.  Hopefully the solution isn't too complex! 

February 24, 2017, 10:24:40 PM - (Auto Merged - Double Posts are not allowed before 7 days.)
Great news!

Luckily this wasn't too complex to figure out. As a recap, the original issue was the new bracelet interfering with the sword when poking walls for bomb spots.

I've been doing some testing since my last post (~30 min ago lol), and I found a way to assign the bracelet to both A and B buttons.  This seems to be the best solution!  For those who like the sword equipped on A, can use B to pick up items, and vise versa.

The "issue" will still be there - if you have sword equipped on A, you won't be able to poke walls with the A button.  But now that you can use A or B, it shouldn't be a problem anymore.

Edit: I just realized my mistake, haha!     That won't work.  Oh well.  Back to testing!

[assassin]

well, you could be onto something.. maybe when sword's equipped, auto-assign Bracelet to the opposite button of the sword slot?  that's assuming it's not found to interfere with other items.  this way, you're not trying to anticipate which buttons "most players" would favor for various items.

or assign it to both, but demote its priority relative to the sword probe.  so if sword's on A, B gives high-priority Bracelet use (unless somebody bafflingly pushes both buttons at once), and A the low-priority form.  having B as a fallback would avoid (some of) the side effects alluded to in the second method of my previous post.

[dert]

My solution would just be to make it so that Link can no longer grab walls, as grabbing walls does absolutely nothing in the game. With this solution, the only side effect to look out for would be if it made Link unable to pull on those retracting lever things. I don't see why you would need the sword to override the bracelet entirely if the only negative effect of the bracelet binding is your ability to stab walls. Managing the priority of items would be needlessly complex imo.

[Jigglysaint]

I would think the easiest solution is to just make exceptions for certain tiles.  Run a program exception for the four dungeon wall collision types and possibly one for sold objects($01 in collision data).  It wouldn't stop everything from being grabbable, but it might help with the sword poking thing.

Or better yet, just make the power bracelet also allow Link to smash pots with his sword, and really, nobody should be equipping the power bracelet when not needed since the Roc's Feather is clearly a better choice.

[dert]

Or better yet, just make the power bracelet also allow Link to smash pots with his sword.

That wouldn't really work since being able to throw pots is a crucial part of the power bracelet's usefulness.

[Jigglysaint]

That wouldn't really work since being able to throw pots is a crucial part of the power bracelet's usefulness.

I was thinking more along the lines of being able to get past pots without equipping the power bracelet, while still retaining the ability to pull on and lift pots.  The game makes a check to see if the object Link is pulling on can be lifted anyway, so it should be possible to intercept the pulling code and put in the same check too.