-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 63
Overworld Scripting ‐ Specials
This tutorial is centered around using specials, which are other events that ROM hackers can use in their scripts alongside regular scripting commands (like playsong and trainerbattle). All specials can be called with the special and special2 script commands, and each special has its own numeric ID and name.
As of version 0.5.1 [citation needed], the names of specials are preferred when displaying scripts instead of their numeric IDs. For instance, users of Hex Maniac Advance (HMA) would see special HealPlayerParty in their scripts instead of special 0.
This tutorial will cover common specials, how to find other specials beyond the scope of this GitHub page, and how to incorporate them into overworld scripts.
To get started with understanding and using specials, this section will list some common, easy-to-incorporate, and/or useful specials that are either abundant in the handheld Generation III Pokémon games or something ROM hackers are most likely to implement in a new script.
This special has a numeric ID of 0x0. When calling this via a special command, all of the main character's Pokémon are fully restored as if they were healed at a Pokémon Centre.
This special has a numeric ID of 0x116 in Pokémon Emerald and 0x113 everywhere else. When calling this via a special command, it lets future applymovement and move.camera commands move the camera instead of an NPC. (The camera has an ID of 127.) In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the special is named SpawnCameraDummy.
This special has a numeric ID of 0x117 in Pokémon Emerald and 0x114 everywhere else. When calling this via a special command, it no longer allows script commands to move the camera. In Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the special is named RemoveCameraDummy.
This special has a numeric ID of 0x3E in Pokémon Emerald and 0x3B everywhere else. It is called BattleSetup_StartRematchBattle in the Hoenn games. This is particularly useful for starting a trainer battle with custom background music. The way to do that is outlined below:
special StartRematchBattle
playsong [song name] playOnce
trainerbattle 01 [trainer name] 0 <introText> <defeatText> <continueScript>
Fill in a valid song name (or number) and a trainer name (or ID), as well as a pointer to text for when the trainer is defeated. Note that due to the way this special works, the introText and continueScript pointers don't actually work, but it is a good practice to still put valid addresses. In addition, using this setup for NPCs that need to walk up to you prior to battling will cause the game to crash at runtime, so this setup would be most ideal for boss battles with more elaborate scripts.
This special has a numeric ID of 0x91 in Pokémon Emerald and 0x8E everywhere else. When calling this via a special command, the map refreshes in-game (in a sense) so that edits to the map (mainly via setmaptile commands) will properly register in-game.
This special has a numeric ID of 0x138 in Pokémon Emerald and 0x136 everywhere else. In Pokémon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald, the name is actually ShakeCamera. Depending on the values of a few temporary variables, calling it via a special command will cause the screen to shake as if an earthquake was occurring. ROM hackers can configure the shakes' intensity and direction by using a few setvar commands beforehand.
This special has a numeric ID of 0x1F3 in Pokémon Emerald and 0x16F in Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen. The other handheld games do not have this special. When calling this via a special command, the player will have the National Dex from now on. In Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, another special, IsNationalPokedexEnabled (0x193) is used to determine whether or not to allow trading with the Hoenn games/evolve certain Generation I Pokémon. Most ROM hackers elect to enable the National Dex right away.
TODO
You can find every available special, with examples from the game, here.