Persona: Persona Encounter Mod is a modification for the PlayStation Portable version of Persona. It alters the encounter rate mechanics by adjusting the step count required to trigger combat. The mod features a patcher that allows users to select various encounter rate multipliers, effectively modifying the pacing of battles in the game while addressing underlying clock speed issues from the original PlayStation version.
Found out that the game has a register that counts the number of steps, from a x value to zero.
When it's zero it starts a pseudorandom generator and if the output / 8 equals to a reminder of zero, then it starts the combat.
The steps required to start this algorithm are also hardcoded into the executable (EBOOT.BIN), so if these are changed, the problem related with the clock will not be fixed, but it will delay the execution of this routine.
This mod comes with a patcher that will help in this task.
==INTRODUCTION==
Last month I started working in something a lot of people have been asking for,
I present to you the Persona (PSP) Encounter Mod!
Do you want to know more about it?
Well, I started researching the encounter routine system and found out that the game has a register that counts the number of steps, from a x value to zero.
That register is v0.
When I found this, I thought that ATLUS made the system so when this register has a value of zero it starts the combat.
But in reality, when it's zero it starts a pseudorandom generator and if the output / 8 equals to a reminder of zero, then it starts the combat!
So... Why the encounter rate is so obnoxious in PSP?
Probably due to a straight port of this routine from PSX, the PSP MIPS chip has a clock speed of 333mhz while the PSX only has 33mhz.
This might be the cause, the pseudorandom algorithm is going too fast for the game.
The steps required to start this algorithm are also hardcoded into the executable (EBOOT.BIN), so if we change those numbers we will not fix the problem related with the clock, but we will delay the execution of this routine!
==HOW TO APPLY==
The patcher is compiled in .NET Framework 3.5, it should not be a problem but, if you don't have the runtime installed, it's a requeriment.
You need to export a decrypted EBOOT.BIN from the SYSDIR inside the UMD and place it in the EBOOT folder.
Open the patcher and select an option:
1) Multiply the encounter rate (X2) [Between 18 and 24 steps]
2) Multiply the encounter rate (X4) [Between 36 and 48 steps]
3) Multiply the encounter rate (X6) [Between 54 and 72 steps]
4) Multiply the encounter rate (X8) [Between 72 and 96 steps]
5) Multiply the encounter rate (X0.5) [Between 5 and 6 steps]
6) Write the original values [Between 9 and 12 steps]
This will not mean that the combat will start after X steps, this will delay the pseudorandom algorithm X steps.
After that, you need to insert the modded BOOT.BIN file inside the UMD.
You have to be aware that for the game to read the decrypted BOOT.BIN you need to link the BOOT.BIN to the EBOOT.BIN, there's more info about that here:
http://gitaroopals.shoutwiki.com/wiki/PSP:Patching_the_executable_(BOOT.BIN)
==BLACK SCREEN?==
If you are using UMDGen, you will always need to regenerate the LBA table.
For that you need to do what you can see below:
1) File -> Export file list. (ORIGINAL ISO!)
2) Insert the modded BOOT.BIN file inside the UMD like it's seen in the HOW TO APPLY section.
4) File -> Import file list and pick the file list exported in step 1.
5) Save as ISO.
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