Fixing Block 0 Bugs, Part 3

16 years ago by Mato

Lots more code-tracing to fix some Block 0 problems. The first and probably most important fix was the Block 0 cut scene stuff, especially one during the final battle. Rabid readers may remember that we discovered Block 0 would crash the game during the final battle during a big playthrough test a few weeks ago.

Anyway, it was annoying as hell, but I managed to fix it, allow for more text, and allowed the centering routine to work with the longer text. Then I finalized this scene’s text, formatted it, and tested it a lot.

As expected, fixing this broke something else Block 0-related: the scrolling text that appears throughout the game. The text would act strangely after 11 lines and repeat some of its previous lines. It was very strange, but after some random swearing for a few hours, I got that fixed. Tested a bunch (not all) the scrolling text in the game and it all works, and the various Block 0 cut scene text also works properly.

That’s two major things fixed in about a day, whew. That leaves just about three other Block 0 issues to fix, each one being connected to a key item in the game. They’re notebook-like items, and they display a text overlay on the outside screen when you use them. You can flip through pages by pressing left and right, and one of these items has about 10 KB of English text total. I’m not 100% sure, but I bet these things all share the same code, but we’ll see.

In any case, with the recent stuff completed, we can say this Block 0 stuff is somewhere around 40%-ish done on the to-do list. With any luck, those key items WILL share the same code, so fixing one might fix them all. But right now they crash/reset the game or do that weird memory corruption stuff from a previous update.

More updates as stuff happens, though I’m sure there’ll be plenty of mini-updates in the comments before then.

Posted on Saturday, September 13th, 2008 at 6:51 pm by Mato, filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Comments and pings are currently closed.

75 Responses to “Fixing Block 0 Bugs, Part 3”

  1. Kuroneko said 16 years ago:

    Cool, I just checked for fun, and I was early, gonna admit though, I’m leaving a comment and reading afterwords >.> Still can’t wait though!

  2. soupy said 16 years ago:

    I love you

  3. Captain Bozo said 16 years ago:

    Epic.

  4. SemiJuggalo said 16 years ago:

    Can’t wait for this to be done!

  5. Jak1437 said 16 years ago:

    WOOOOOT!

  6. shelbycakes said 16 years ago:

    Yessssssssss. <33
    I’m so ridiculously excited for this. 😀

  7. triangle said 16 years ago:

    Hooray for Random Swearing!! 😀

    good job man… we all knew you’d deal with that scrolling issue in not too long at all..
    Keep on truckin’, and i hope you got your hacking groove back

  8. Brendan said 16 years ago:

    Thanks you huys, this is really cool! 40% WE’RE SO CLOSE!

  9. Old West said 16 years ago:

    Good good

  10. Mabyn said 16 years ago:

    Congratulations on tackling that Block 0, even if it is only around 40% done. 40% is better than 30%, right? Plus, you’ve inspired me to take Japanese as an elective.

  11. Ty said 16 years ago:

    I can’t wait for this game. NOA not translating this game makes me want to go down there and punch all them in the face. Well ok maybe not but hey. Guys we are all rooting for you. “Generic Praises”

  12. Hyperstar96 said 16 years ago:

    AWESOME. Hey, do you think you could do a video of some memory corruption? That would be awesome.

  13. Half-san said 16 years ago:

    Cool, I just started to listen to “Eight Melodies” and checked this site to find a new update. Whee, you guys rock.

  14. soupy said 16 years ago:

    Hyperstar: He’s already done a video showing some of the memory corruption that block 0 causes, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urT9dgKJ4c4&fmt=18

  15. Luminaire said 16 years ago:

    Is it sad that this is my homepage so I can read the updates shortly after they’re released? Anyways, grats on getting past that.

  16. Kira said 16 years ago:

    Sweet! This is awesome!

  17. beelzebub06660 said 16 years ago:

    Wow! It definitely looks like Block 0 might not take as long as everyone thought. If you keep at it like you have been, it should be done in no time. Keep up the good work Tomato and team I can’t wait to see it when it’s done.

  18. 199X said 16 years ago:

    Awesome!

  19. 8BitWalugi said 16 years ago:

    C’mon! you can do it!

    Everyone, post pollyanna lyrics! it keeps your spirit up!

    I believe the morning sun
    Always gonna shine again and
    I believe a pot of gold
    Waits at every rainbow’s end, oh
    I believe in roses kissed with dew
    Why shouldn’t I believe the same in you?

    I cant believe i did this.
    http://www.lyred.com/lyrics/Cathrine+Warwick/MOTHER+Soundtrack+(Japan)/Pollyanna+(I+Believe+in+You)/

  20. Mato said 16 years ago:

    I think I may have fixed one Block 0 key item already. Just need to format the text better and tinker with it.

  21. TheBird said 16 years ago:

    seeing as you just owned two big block-0 problems and you’re still only at 40%, i’m guessing block-0 controls a good crapload of stuff

    maybe posting a list of all the tings block-0 controls will help us see exactly what is left to be done, kind of like a to-do list within a to-do list (well, dont post anything spoiler-y, of course)

  22. nosesquid said 16 years ago:

    Just one? So no shared code then 🙁
    Even so, the light at the end of the tunnel is growing larger and larger. Good luck + generic praise!

  23. BlueStarManDX said 16 years ago:

    *Randomly swears at game for giving Mato a semi-hard time*

    …No secret link? Or maybe I’m just blind…

  24. Dark Hamstelord said 16 years ago:

    Oh wow.. Have you been eating nothing but Skip Sandwiches for the past few days, Mato? You’re going awfully fast.

  25. Mato said 16 years ago:

    The text data for these special items is really strange, and being ever-so-slightly off will make the game freak out. It feels like the programmers did these last-second or threw it together real fast without much care. At least enough care to make it work just barely in Japanese.

    First Block 0 item (you get in Chapter 1) works now. Testing the second Block 0 item now, it also seems very fussy, but I think it may work exactly the same as the other one. It’s somewhat possible I could have most of this finished before bed. Have a headache though so maybe not. But maybe.

  26. kevinchai said 16 years ago:

    Man, Mato, you are a hacking machine. I can’t believe the progress you’ve made. It’s just amazing.

  27. Fillerman said 16 years ago:

    Mato = <3.

    or something.

    Either way, you deliver the final blows to evil Block 0 coding. and I is crossing fingers on the key item thing, please let us know soon how that goes because I want to be excited for YOU with the whole hacking thing.

  28. mike k said 16 years ago:

    How many block 0 items are there?

  29. aricvomit said 16 years ago:

    uh hey first time poster, anyways really exciting to see this is almost done. Im really impressed with the speed your completing these arduous tasks, you must be a freakin wiz kid mtomata .. peace

  30. Ty said 16 years ago:

    Keep going I hope this gets done soon. Whenever they get finished and it gets released we will have Mother 3 day. YAY!!

  31. Mato said 16 years ago:

    Think I got the second of the three Block 0 items done. They work and display properly, but they’re strange, so I hope they’re not causing any unseen trouble.

    The third item is the really crazy one that’s like 10 KB in size (seriously, go try to write 10+ KB in a text file, it’s huge) and it’s the one we all knew would be hell when we first started the project. I don’t even know how it loads the text here, I sure hope it doesn’t load all the text at once at any point, might not have enough RAM for it.

  32. Lizz said 16 years ago:

    I just have to say… you guys rule! I’ve been following this since day one. Keep up the good work!

  33. Germ said 16 years ago:

    Mato, toil comfortably knowing that I, too, swear uncontrollably. Though, for me, and in this context, I swear, not in frustration, but in excitement.

    Mato-san Kenobi, you’re our only hope.

  34. Rai said 16 years ago:

    These special items must be like the cups of coffee in EarthBound. You’re making real progress on all this Block 0 stuff Mato! Is fixing the menu morphing problem going to be easier than this, do you think?

    Also, I found the secret link.

  35. Yves said 16 years ago:

    Honestly, Mato. I don’t see how the hidden videos can get any more devious from here. Feel free to prove me wrong!

  36. Random Lurker said 16 years ago:

    “jyxtKzhc00c”
    Er… I don’t get it…
    I wonder how many people will find that.

    Good work Mato. I thought progress on Block 0 would be much slower than this. Keep up the fast pace, we’re all counting on you. Just don’t work yourself too hard.

  37. samlzx said 16 years ago:

    Oooo you all had made all of us feel proud! keep up the good work.

    I think everyone will appreciate the game when everything’s done… especially those who followed the translation progress since years ago =D

    Ganbate Ganbate! It’s chinese mooncake festival today =D

    Hope I have the chance to treat you one… hehe..

  38. Random Lurker said 16 years ago:

    Actually, never mind. I just got it. You really were evil with this one. >-<

  39. Kitten said 16 years ago:

    ^,..,^
    Everyone who touches this project has my eternal gratitude, keep up the incredibly hard work. I must return to organic chemistry.- Hides-

  40. aricvomit said 16 years ago:

    gah this hidden video is hidden toooo well…

  41. Lei said 16 years ago:

    Got a tiger plush today. Named it Kumatora. <3

  42. avid reader # 1717 said 16 years ago:

    this is my first time commenting, but i’ve been reading along since about the beginning. (shy) you’ve worked so hard! and once this block 0 is finished we’ll all be in the homestretch! i’m sure there are many other people who read (and wait!) and haven’t commented who are also very grateful.

    thank you very much kind sir.

  43. Mato said 16 years ago:

    Oog this huge file is huge, and I have to format it without aid of the preview tool because it’s so much text that it breaks the previewer. I’ll also have to slim down the text for sure, since it seems there are other weird limits involved, but things are looking up for the third and last and craziest Block 0 item. It’s gonna take me all night to format/edit this stuff though, bleh. Hopefully no new issues will arise.

    In other unrelated news, I did discover one slight display bug possibly related to my previous debug menu fix, but I think it’ll be easy to fix later.

  44. Zade said 16 years ago:

    Next time I have a problem I’m just going to swear randomly and see if it works out…

  45. Germ said 16 years ago:

    Am I reading too far into this, or does this mean Block 0 nears its doom?

  46. Shadiko said 16 years ago:

    Ugh, This one sound’s like it will take a while. Good luck Mato.

  47. Jama7301 said 16 years ago:

    He’s Mato the Hacking Man
    He’s Mato the Hacking Man
    He’s strong to the finish
    ‘Cause he eats his… Nut bread?

    He’s Mato the Hacking Man!

    Very nicely done. Keep diligent and you’ll have your vacation in a bit.

    Kudos.

  48. Mato said 16 years ago:

    Germ: No, that’s exactly what this means, but because this stuff is such a tangled mess, there’s always a chance a fix here might cause some strangeness elsewhere in the game, so some testing will be needed to make extra sure everything is a-ok.

    But gotta finish this last item first.

    For those wondering, the sprite text morphing thing won’t be easy, I’ve tried a few things already in the past. It’s going to take a few weeks, like I mention in the to-do list. I have other ideas for it, but that whole sprite text system is such BS that there’s no guarantee things how will turn out until we try them all.

  49. Fuzz said 16 years ago:

    yay random swearing

  50. Vers said 16 years ago:

    There needs to be a “I survived Block 0” t-shirt. Cuz I would totally throw money at you for that.

    Also, Mato, you’re the best person. Ever.

  51. Fuzz said 16 years ago:

    I just realized this project has spawned so many memes and in-jokes.

    NUT BREAD IS NOT FOR THE HEAD

  52. Jorge said 16 years ago:

    what’s this sprite text morphing? I’ve been following the blog since forever, but I probably missed it somewhere, or forgot.

  53. Coconut of Enlightenment said 16 years ago:

    10kb of text is really big. Unless you’re using Microsoft Word. A blank Word document is 11kb, just because of all the strange extra formatting that Microsoft puts into every word document. It’s a wonder that Word is the industry standard, but oh well…

  54. Germ said 16 years ago:

    Mato, this is all very exciting.

  55. thedeo said 16 years ago:

    fantastical

  56. Reaver490 said 16 years ago:

    We’re cheering for yah! Keep going Mato!

  57. CJC said 16 years ago:

    Mato, you are some kind of hacking demon. It frightens me a bit, to be honest.

  58. Vagn said 16 years ago:

    Mato take a break man. Sometimes its more efficient to sleep on things and look at it with fresh eyes. No one wants you to tire yourself out. Go buy some beer, smoke a doobie, get laid. We all can wait as long as its gonna take to finish the patch.

  59. Zero said 16 years ago:

    I second the motion for a “I Survived block 0” shirt, simply because seeing someone else wearing it would be a big trip.

  60. Mato said 16 years ago:

    About halfway through formatting this huge thing. Blargh so much text.

  61. Richarbro said 16 years ago:

    Sweet you guys are coming close to completion 😛

    Do you think it’ll be done by November Mato?

    We really appreciate how much time your dedicating into this 😀

  62. Fireblend said 16 years ago:

    Wow, and you said there would be little activity for the last points on the list (you won’t hear me complaining, though!). Good to be aware of the progress and best of luck in finally getting the Block 0 issues out of the game.

    Keep it up! Also, it is a known fact that swearing randomly at faulty code is a sure way to fix it. The louder, the better, too. Banging your head against a wall/table if possible.

  63. Ausl0 said 16 years ago:

    I finally found the secret link. Yeah, it was a toughie. I actually missed it the first looking at the source code.

  64. Triple10X said 16 years ago:

    Go Mato! Keep up the great work!

  65. Mato said 16 years ago:

    About 2/3 done formatting this huge text.

  66. Dusty said 16 years ago:

    You’re on a streak

  67. Impossible said 16 years ago:

    Awesome, just a bit more and you’ll have hit an OmelettesHome Ru. Or something like that…

  68. Acacia Sgt said 16 years ago:

    Well, it’s good to hear about Block 0 no longer being the threat it once was.

  69. XYZ said 16 years ago:

    I love you guys.

  70. Kaos said 16 years ago:

    Wow. You’re amazing, Mato.

    Lesser hackers would probably have given up by now.

    I salute your stubbornness.

  71. buttfrenzy said 16 years ago:

    This is so exciting! 😀

  72. Jay6 said 16 years ago:

    Cool. o.o;
    Umm… crap, can’t find secret link… can’t find it by tabbing, and is it even a hyperlink? You’ve hid it well. >_> (I’m assuming it exists somewhere in the source code >_<)

  73. A Fan said 16 years ago:

    Ahh, so no link is the link. Got it 🙂

    I wish fixing the evil of block 0 and sprite morphing was as easy as that 🙁 We need to hire some commandos to steal the M3 source code, then get a time machine so they can bring it to Mato back at the start of all this…

    I suspect that the hack that finally Block 0’s doom, if rendered in anime, would look something like Archer’s ‘Unlimited Blade Works’ attack, but with a lot of 1s instead of swords… 🙂 But Mato has probably already lost his ‘reality marbles’ from hacking this for so long…

    [Anyone who doesn’t get the reference should go watch Fate/Stay Night.]

  74. Jay6 said 16 years ago:

    Oh, okay… found it. No need to be assholeish about hiding the link though. @_@

  75. GARcher said 16 years ago:

    I am the bone of my sword.