The only problem with this method is that the engine allows for monsters that exist within different scenes to have different stats, so when modding you will not be able take advantage of this.
The correct method to deal with that is to make a new enemy, not modify a single Scene file. Modifying encounters to be 'special' when they're not already a unique enemy requires that you know exactly where this encounter appears. Please note the Battle Square example I've already brought up. Most encounters that should be unique already use a unique monster anyways.
Another thing about the battle square, you wouldn't happen to know what the bonus is that monsters within the battle square have applied to them. They are deffinatly harder even without penalties, to kill than they're standard form.
Enemy Mechanics FAQ.
Try to remember that the field file calls up the IDs for the scene files it wants to use.
From there it uses the Fight IDs/Formation IDs, which are unique.
<sigh>
It really helps if you know what FF7 expects from its Scene.bin file.
Scene.bin contains 256 sub-files, which are compressed and divided up into several 'segments' of 8kb each.
Each 8kb segment contains 16 4-byte offsets at the start, allowing up to 16 files to be allocated to this segment - this offset list takes up the first 64 bytes. Each offset is multiplied by 4 before used, so the first offset is always 0x00000010. These files are individually gzip compressed and stored.
So, when FF7 wants a particular scene file, it must know two things: (1) which segment to check, (2) which file in the segment to decompress.
Both (1) and (2) are handled by a table in one of the kernel.bin files, which has the ID of the *FIRST* file in each Scene.bin segment. FF7 can support up to 64 segments leading to a maximum Scene.bin size of 512kb. However, the standard English PC version only requires 33 segments, leading to a size of 264kb. (Note: The French version of Scene.bin requires 34 segments, leading to a larger size and an obvious adjustment in kernel.bin - the two files are thus incompatible without a modification of kernel.bin)
So, when it wants, say, the Sample:H0512-opt fight, it will know it has to look for Encounter 456. (Note: I am going to use my standard calculation where the first file of Scene.bin is *0*, not 1, which is exactly how FF7 uses its IDs) The Scene file we need is thus [456 / 4] = 114, and it's the first encounter of that file. Now, we look up Scene 114.
From the table in Kernel.bin, FF7 knows that Scene 114 is contained in the 14th segment of Scene.bin, and is the *first* file in that segment. So, FF7 fetches that segment and then fetches the 1st file of that segment and decompresses it. It now has what it believes to be the correct scene file, and will act accordingly.
If, however, due to editing, one of the previous scene files is just a little bigger after compression than it used to be... you may find that you can't fit the original files back into their original segments. Not know exactly how the program you're using works, I'm willing to bet it's pushing them into the next segment instead. Which is all well and good, but without kernel.bin being updated, FF7 will still believe that Scene 114 is the first file in the 14th segment of Scene.bin.
In our possibly not so hypothetical example, Scene 113 no longer fits in the 13th segment, so got shoved into the 14th segment instead. It's now the first file in the 14th segment. Scene 113 no longer exists: FF7 now believes that this is now Scene 114. So it loads up the Sample:H0512-opt fight, and wouldn't you know it?
A Zenene approaches. Command?And of course, this creates a domino effect where later encounters from that same segment are also affected. Instead of Hundred Gunner, say hello to Sample:H0512-opt. Instead of Rufus, I hope you like having solo-Cloud for a Hundred Gunner/Heli Gunner fight. Rufus will be ambushing you on the highway *AND* in the swamp, and you'll get random Midgar Zolom encounters in the Mythril Mines. And all this continues until there's enough space in a segment to fit all the Scene files FF7 expects and the IDs match up again.
So now do you see the problem?
