About "Scream" type attack

[Squall78]

Hi !

I've finished to write my monsters editor program (which is called 'Hojo', please tell me if a program 'Hojo' already exist).
So I can edit all monsters but I can't find what is "Scream" elemental attack in the game ("Cut" is Cloud's blade, "Punch" is Cid'attack etc).

What is "Scream"  ?

Element types (8 records):
00h - Fire
01h - Ice
02h - Bolt
03h - Earth
04h - Bio
05h - Gravity
06h - Water
07h - Wind
08h - Scare
09h - Health
0Ah - Cut
0Bh - Hit
0Ch - Punch
0Dh - Shoot
0Eh - Scream <= <=
FFh - No element

[Ragna]

Well, if I remember right, Cait Sith uses megaphones as weapons, so... maybe...?

Maybe not, because he don't really "Scream" to the enemy with those weapons (that is something I've always thought about..).

Or maybe yes.

[Squall78]

Yes I tought the same thing, but Cait Sith "hits" the enemis (so it's "hit" elemental attack)...

[ultima espio]

Doesn't ultima scream when you cast it?

[Vehek]

Is "Scream" just another name for the "Shout" element?

[Cyberman]

I think there is one that has this attack.
That weird woman just before the snow field (optional thing of beating her to get a materia).

Cyb

[Squall78]

Well if Cyberman is right, why Square puts the elemental "Scream" on enemis defense while our characters can't use attack with this element ?
Weird thing

I don't know how to call this element in french because I don't see what it is ^^'

[Cyberman]

Well if Cyberman is right, why Square puts the elemental "Scream" on enemis defense while our characters can't use attack with this element ?
Weird thing

I don't know how to call this element in french because I don't see what it is ^^'

Think sonic attack?
Cyb

[mav]

According to:

Battle Mechanics by Terrence F.

A couple of monster have this type of attack. It's called "Shout" there, as Vehek pointed.

PS. I don't recall a program named 'Hojo' was written before .

[Squall78]

Well, I've txo more questions for you guys .

1) My program works and edits all about monsters, but even if a monster can drop 4 items (according to the 4*2 bytes for items), it seems only the first drop-items appears when I defeat the monster.
For example I put :
Drop Potion 63 chances of 63
Drop Ether 63 chances of 63
Drop Hi-Potion 63 chances of 63
Drop X-Ether 63 chances of 63

But only Potion is dropped. I suppose that finally only one item can be dropped... What's your opinion ?

2) I don't see why we have to modify the kernel.bin file if we change the scene.bin file. We can get the number of files in each block just reading each pointer until we found a 0xFFFFFFFF. So why getting it from kernel.bin ? Is it only if we add or delete some files ? If we just modify existing files, there is no need to edit kernel.bin ?

[kruci]

1) I dont remeber, but how much items can you get from one moster? If only one, so game try give you first, if it succeed, end selection, and give you item.

2)game read lookuptable first, than it looks to scene.bin(based on lookuptable). You dont need read kernel.bin. But if creating new scene.bin, you need check if lookuptable is correct.
Scene.bin is in blocks. Each block contain some file. If you change size of file, it can be bigger than remaining space in block, so it will be shifted to next block. But game doesnt know it, game looks to lookuptable, and get wrong monster...

[mav]

1) From one enemy you can win/steal only one item. If all chances are max, It'll always be the first. That's why often chances are 8/64 for each item, so you can get each one of them.

2) When you repack scene.bin file, sometimes gzipped file won't fit into the bank it was before. You have then rewrite all banks until there is enough space. Of course *you* can still read until FF's and know location of each file, but FF7 reads the look-up table and if it doesn't find file in specified section, you'll end up with weird results.

Edit: kruci beat me to it.

[Squall78]

Ok all is clear now . I've not tought about 4 possible items  with 8/64...

About the kernel.bin. If I modify the scene.bin file and a block is bigger than 8192 Bytes I can put the last file of this block in the next block (and I have to decrease by 1 in the kernel.bin for this block and increase by 1 the next block) ?

[mav]

Yes, but you must do this recursively. For example, you have layout like this (this is simplified layout, not the real one):

- Section 1
 * File 1
 * File 2
 * File 3
 * File 4
- Section 2
 * File 1
 * File 2
 * File 3
- Section 3
 * File 1
 * File 2
 * File 3
 * File 4
- Section 4
 * File 1
 * File 2
 * File 3
 * File 4
 * File 5

You modify files in Section 1 and notice that it doesn't fit in the bank. So you take File 4 and write it at the beginning of Section 2. But now, probably Section 2 will be too big, so you take File 3 from it and place to Section 3 and so on, to the end of an archive.

I have sources for my Scene Reader program that does this, I can post them if you want.
Edit: They are a real mess in Object Pascal though, so I'm not sure you'll learn something from them .

[Squall78]

Ok the order of the files must be kept.
Yes I'd like to see your sources They can help me for optimizations for example

Thanks for your explanations and your help M4v3R

[mav]

Link: RebuildScene routine in Object Pascal

I wrote it long ago so the source isn't as friendly as for example my FieldTools's, I hope you don't mind .

[Squall78]

Ok thanks a lot

I've to rewrite my code lol. Just a last question : do you think (if files become really too big), that we can add new sections to the scene.bin file ?

[mav]

It's not tested, but I think it's possible. Look-up table in kernel.bin has many empty spaces. So there's a chance that if you run out of space and create another section file, it'll work. As long as you still have 256 files in there.

[Squall78]

Ok thanks again.

[kruci]

I've to rewrite my code lol. Just a last question : do you think (if files become really too big), that we can add new sections to the scene.bin file ?

We had new section in scene.bin, and it works normal with updated lookuptable.(not tested by me:P).
New section was created by SceneExplorer.