DKC Atlas Forum

[Simion32]

Barrel Cannon Factory: Test Zone (Debug Patch)
DKC1_BCFTestZone_v1.00.ips
This patch will allow extensive object testing,
with using up to 256 of the objects in the level.
Patch is For: Donkey Kong Country (U) (V1.0) [!].smc
WARNING: This patch is incompatible with other hacks using the same general area of memory.

Features:
---Warps instantly from Jungle Hijinxs straight to the test level.
---Does NOT require a previous save game to get started!
—Place up to 256 objects in the level!
—No Camera Limits, so you can place objects where ever you want to.
---Completely flattened floor except for the start of the level.
---Expressway Shortcut Cannons are built in to the top quarter of the level.
---There's a DK Barrel which is automatically hit upon level entry.
---For convenience, you're provided with a Steel Keg and Rambi.
Overwrites This Data:
---Jungle Hijinxs
---Oil Drum Alley
---Oil Drum Alley (Bonus #1)
---Objects of the level located before ODA in the ROM
---During old shortcut development, Really Gnawty got overwritten with a rope.
---Also the last few objects in Rope Bridge Rumble were moved/overwritten.
---Last but not least, the terrain for Rope Bridge Rumble bonus #1 is gone.

Note: Available objects to "place" are present in the level as Stationary Mincers. Many of these are far off-screen to prevent severe game lag.

In preparation for my Snow Barrel Blast hack, I took Oil Drum alley and transformed it into a Barrel Cannon testing facility where you can go nuts and place objects one after the other in quick succession. This allows the placing down of any "0x0001" object -- meaning it can be used to test unknown object digits to find out what they are!

Researching has been completed (but needs to be typed out) for around 129 unknown objects throughout the supposed range of Barrel Cannons in the ROM. Most of these are barrel cannons (the exceptions being 6 varieties of Necky throwing nuts).

[Scraps69]

Heh, for some reason this reminds me of the matrix where Neo learns to fight against Morpheus in that training room.

Hmmm, it's all good Simion32 but I find that after obj 84 - objs 85-255 are a bit far off in the white space after the level concludes. And when I drag over it, it takes 255 and not 85. And then 254. 253 etc. But I can easily use the x and y co-ordinates so it's not really a problem.

Further, does this latest DKEdit have a object re-numbering scheme in case I wanted to pile on some objects or would I need to move your barrels on the top so that things can start appearing (put them in obj order)?

[Simion32]

Further, does this latest DKEdit have a object re-numbering scheme in case I wanted to pile on some objects or would I need to move your barrels on the top so that things can start appearing (put them in obj order)?

Just hit the Sort button in the sprite window. It will re-order them for you (I had to do that SEVERAL times when creating the barrel-expressway). Then hit Re-Draw to get them to show up correctly.

[Scraps69]

Nice. This all makes for very easy production.

[Simion32]

I forgot to mention something. If you want to move a lot of "empty" objects around (or delete them by setting each set of 8 bytes to all 0000's, which indicates the end of the object map) you can use a hex editor (search for: Translhextion).

The new offset of the ODA object map is 0x3DBE20.

By hex editing you can also get away with flood-filling object slots, which is why all the "empty" Mincers are piled on top of each other wayyyy out of bounds.

[Scraps69]

Oh ok, fair enough. Simion32 - Just want to ask you something - I was testing your map re mid save barrels as I noticed the same issue in Kong Fu's Stop and Go Station and my Tree Top Town. Despite moving the save barrel elsewhere and hitting it, you would still appear in the same location the mid save barrel was originally located. Further, if you go further and see the mid save barrel - you will get transported and burst out of it. If we have problems in the future regarding that, is it fixable or permanently fixed into the system? It looks really cool in tree top town, but it may not look so great in future stages.

[Simion32]

The game is actually programmed to place DK at some spot upon entry to the level, depending on how he is entering it.

If it happens to be from a bonus level, usually Rare used this thing:
AEE1 = auto-barrel cannon: point up, shoot down {Bonus Return, Dissapears}-{NO SET PALLETE}

Checkpoint Barrels, on the other hand, are designed to "capture" the Kong immediately after he is placed in that area, making it seem like they are coming from the Checkpoint Barrel. But in actuality, the barrel is only a re-entry decoration.


It's friggin late here... 2:46AM?! I'm going to bed (trying to curb the night-owl behavior before College starts in a few weeks).

[Simion32]

Here's an example of what NOT to do when designing your levels:

Barrel Cannon Loop of ETERNAL DOOM
(a screen shot taken in early development of this patch)

DKC Barrel Cannon Factory (Sector1) [Simion32]_00000.png (22.49 KiB) Viewed 16793 times