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Utility description

The goal of this project is to create an all-in-one comprehensive rom editor / hacking tool for FF4 (technically FF2us).

This editor tends to use config files rather than hard-coded strings for as many labels as possible. This includes things like element names, status names, shop names, map names, etc.; basically all the things you need names or descriptions for that can't be read from the ROM directly (as opposed to things such as character names or job names, which will be read directly from the ROM you're editing, and the labels will display as such). This is particularly useful for large-scale hacks which replace a lot of, for example, events; you can rename all the replaced events to something more descriptive of their new function instead of having to mentally keep track or keep checking the event scripts.

In addition, this editor attempts to incorporate as much graphic data from the ROM as possible. For example, it currently reads the menu and font graphics from the ROM you're editing, as well as the graphic tiles for the maps. More graphic data is planned to be incorporated in future releases as sufficient information becomes available.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

* This editor has only been confirmed to work with roms of FF2US v1.1. Usage of this editor with other roms is at your own risk. I may eventually add compatibility for other versions in future releases.

* This editor is not designed to "play nice" with other editors, patches, or external modifications to your rom besides graphics editing. If you are able to use other editors or patches or make other changes by means other than FF4kster and it happens to be compatible, that's great; but if they cause FF4kster to no longer work or to mess your rom up, too bad; you were warned.

* Always back up your rom before making any modifications of any kind with this or anything else, especially if you are planning any kind of large-scale changes. This editor is currently in active production and bugs, big and small, slip by from time to time. Thus, it is useful and prudent to always have a "stable" version of your rom to fall back on in case it gets horribly messed up.

* There are some areas of memory to which this editor allows you to add or append data. Most of these have built-in safeguards preventing you from adding in more data than there is room for in the rom. However, there may still be others which do not (yet). Thus, be careful when adding in extra data, since if you add too much and it doesn't check for room, the new data will simply bleed into whatever comes after it in the rom, possibly breaking your game in a way that may be difficult to repair. As mentioned above, always back up your rom.

* This editor uses the keyboard as its only input device; no mouse. This is a deliberate design decision, and while it may be a little unfamiliar to those who grew up in an age of mice and touchscreens, once you get used to it, I promise its efficiency will become obvious. As well, when combined with the editor's use of the in-game graphics for the menus, etc., it adds to the feeling of hacking the game from inside the game. The readme file details all the controls.

* If you publish a hack that made use of this editor, you don't have to feel compelled to include me in the credits (though it's always a nice gesture) but I would appreciate a link to the hack so that I can see what kind of wonderful creations my editor is capable of producing and/or assisting with.