Well, since this effort has officially been declared a fork from the main version, I figured I'd make a separate thread for it as well.

I have two different approaches to upgrading the graphics of Pokemon Purple:
One involves re-building the maps and text strings so that they do not conflict. This isn't really worth doing until I have some final versions of the maps to work with, which haven't even been created yet.
The second involves a simple omnicalc font, which will unfortunately render any homescreen text in the game unreadable.

Since the latest beta of the game has no homescreen text, the second approach is very effective. Here is the latest screenshot:

Notice how almost all the sprites (except the blank space) have been replaced. This animation also shows how graphscreen text is unaffected.

If anyone knows a good way I can upload the omnicalc font somewhere where I will be able to replace it with upgrades easily, let me know. How well do the cemetech archives work for this kind of thing?

Very well, although I haven't implemented file updates yet. I'd be very happy to do so though; I need to do it anyway, and this is the perfect impetus for me to do so.

You're trying to make me fail Geometry aren't you?

Mwahahaha! Yes, that is my evilest of evil plans!
jk, jk.

It's all really up to TiFreak, though. Looking at a few pretty pictures is a lot more fun when there is actually a game behind it all.

Also, Kerm, let me know when you've got the archives all fixed up for updating and I'll load up the various files I've created or edited for this.

jbr, they do look pretty good. however, you did see the latest in screenshots with the begining of the events system, right? Not sure if the text will be effected, as I have not used many standard letters for stuff, but I am not sure how it will work...

If just an asm program could be made to take the place of omnicalc's font hook, to where it can be turned on and off at will, then that might work...

Yes, I know the newest event system uses homescreen text when Oak shouts at you from across the town, but I figured that it would be a lot easier to just change that text to work, e.g. change the 'D' in "DON'T" to a lowercase, or perhaps to something random like a yet unused symbol, which would be made to appear as a 'D' in the new font.

Also, I had an idea about how to swap out the font in the middle of the game. My idea is to copy the data of the 8xp with the font into another program with celtic or whatever already does that, and then copy the data of the default font back into the "ZFONT" program. When the program is done outputting the text, it immediately switches the font data back into the "ZFONT" program.

The thing is, the data isn't BASIC data, so I'm not sure if a program exists that can move the data around.

Well, I am talking with BrandonW about just getting the piece of asm action that makes the font replacement work, to make it turn on and off when it goes to the event.

We shall see if he can come up with something when he has time...

Excellent. He produces some really great work, so I'm sure he can figure it out when he has the time.
This is really shaping up to be a cool addition to PP!

Ok so I''ve been working on this rather than BrandonW and I just finished it. As of right now it requires the font to be named "APPVAR" but I can change it to whatever TIfreak would like. The font must be in ram but my program can be in archive once the hook is installed. to un-install just run the program again. Make sure that before you run my prog that any existing Font Hooks are un-installed as my prog does not check to see who installed the existing hook when it un-installs. I can PM it to you Tifreak or whatever you like. Just let me know what you would like the font named so I can change it in the program.

Wait, does this turn the omnicalc setting on and off (requiring omnicalc to be present) or replace omnicalc entirely?

I don't care either way, but I think TiFreak wanted to eliminate the dependency on omnicalc... Either way, great job!

I was calling the font either "ZFONT" or "ZREPFONT" (I had two different versions)

I'd love to see it, so go ahead and PM it to me whenever you get the chance, but I'm sure TiFreak will also want it so he can take a look and add you to the credits or whatever.

I'm wondering one more thing: Does this cause any text or clearing to be written to the homescreen when it runs? Because if it does, the old characters that are no longer loaded may be replaced, but if it doesn't, then there may be the possibility that we can display both the characters from the uninstalled font (left over on the screen) at the same time as the unadulterated, Ti default ones (being output over the old ones where appropriate).

It replaces Omnicalc completly. I'll send you one that uses the Name ZFONT for the fontset. Run once to install and again to uninstall, just make sure the font set is in ram, if need be I can make it work with archived font sets but that would require more time/work. And no it doesn't erase any existing chars from the screen they will keep their old font.

Yeah, ZFONT would probably be best. As to the name of the program, it can be changed via sending to a calc twice and renaming on the second go.

I will see about getting something done with the remainder of this one blasted event, and then off to getting battles taken care of...

Ok ZFONT it is. I can send both of you a version using that name for the font set, I will see about adding code to allow the fontset to be archived but no promises, it just depends on how much time I get to work on it.

Well, it will be a bit before I can really get things integrated. Take your time on it.

If you don't have time to add this, pm / email me the code and I should be able to add this (it seems fairly simple), assuming that your code is legible.

No need, I gave him a hand with it today (read: wrote most of it myself ).

That is, assuming my assumptions about how things are stored in archive were accurate, which I see no reason they shouldn't be. It actually feels like a clever bit of code, considering I did an rr d, rather than loading a new constant to DE at one point.

Hey I only asked you for some suggestions, your the one who decided to write most of it while I was buying my lunch. And I did all of the debugging/research.

Ok, ok. Whoever wrote it, it's still the only was to make it likely my work will get used.
Seriously, lets just get all the files together in one place so work can continue. I'm considering making alternative sprite sets now (such as one with an inverted color scheme), as well as documenting all the characters used by TiFreak in the maps and what they are used for.

EDIT: Ok, that inverse thing actually sounded kinda cool, so I made it. Here's a screenshot:


Maybe it could be used for "night mode" or something... Wait, there was no day or night in first generation pokemon games... Well, it could be used inside dark caves or something, then. Or just if you like it better.

Depending on how much space I have left in my safe ram area I may be able to have special cases for certain chars to maybe make it look like ash is walking or something like that, it wouldn't be too hard to say switch which of two walking sprites is displayed when you see a side view of ash. I could only do a few of these but they are entirely possible, if I have the space that is.

Edit: I just emailed you the program JBR hopefully you got it if not tell me.

(I got it. Thanks.)

What do you mean? Are you saying you could make it animate the character displayed on the screen by changing the font it displays with back and forth? Are you talking about stuff like making the water appear to move, and making Ash's feet move back and forth?

Hmm... Whatever it actually involves, it sounds like it could have an interesting effect on the game. And, it doesn't sound like it would require the basic to be changed any to make it work, which is always a plus (makes it more likely this stuff'll get included!).