This patch has one main objective, and is making the game much more enjoyable on the gameplay side. Loads of tweaks to avoid mass grinding and to have a fairly challenging game in front of us in every moment.
This patch is made on IPS format. The patch include several changes, from monster stats to a shared weapon and spell script to make powering those much more easy.
Tested on the
http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/24/ hack and it works fine.
The 1.1 version enhance previous balance mechanics solving some minor bugs, modify boss magic power, an alchemy overhaul, covers most common exploits, adds a few extra monsters on the latter part of the game (one completely new) and solve a few known bugs.
For author insert routines and news visit
http://www.ninakoru.com site.
UPDATE: New version also for Spanish version, and hard mode for both United States and Spanish versions.
Complete list of changes from original version, grouped by type:
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A. Bug fixes
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1- Fixed a sound issue that made most SNES emulators would play the sound with delays.
2- Fixed the stat magic wear-off code to prevent some exploits, like the increasing accumulative stats from spells upon death (dog can be resurrected and boy can use pixie dust), and prevent the massive damage exploit that can be obtained getting more attack with atlas than the current boy's attack, and saving while spell effect is on.
3- Fixed a bug on Miracle Cure that didn't heal confound reverse movement effects.
4- Added three 3rd party fixes, one to prevent unlimited bazooka ammo, other to prevent the Silver Sheat to have effect even if you don't have it, and finally one to give bazooka base level 1 and proper equip and ammo information. Many thanks to assasin17 for that work done there.
B. Game Mechanics changes
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1- Modified weapon charge multiplyer to base damage, as how defense works in this game (it substracs directly to damage output), Specially L3 attack was too powerful, so I made some changes:
(L1) - (L2) - (L3)
1x -> 2x -> 4x (original)
1x -> 1.75x -> 2.75x (new)
2- Shared exp for weapons. Now as you level your axe, once each 4 kills (you need one kill/final blow to get experience into your equipped weapon), will level all the other axes on the game, even if you don't own them at that point in the game. Same goes with swords and spears.
3- Now alchemy will need at least boy's 100% weapon charge (if lower, spells are greyed on the ring), and will lower charge to 0%. This prevent the dogcasting exploit and add a little extra strategy and pacing for the alchemy use.
4- Shared magic experience. First of all, I grouped all alchemy spells into 5 different groups. With some special procedures, we also get experience into the magic of the same group, every time we have used our magic, 2,4,8,16,32 o 64 times in that level growth. This special method makes mass magic levelling harder as you reach higher levels. Here is a guide table:
Physical attack - Element attack - Healing Spell - Stat Boost Spell - Miscellanoeus Spells
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(Corrosion) (Acid Rain) (Cure) (Atlas) (Call Up)
(Crush) (Fireball) (Heal) (Barrier) (Escape)
(Double Drain) (Fire Power) (Miracle Cure) (Defend) (Levitate)
(Drain) (Flash) (One Up) (Energize) (Revealer)
(Explosion) (Lightning Storm) (Regrowth) (Force Field) (Stop)
(Hard Ball) (Slow Burn) (Revive) (Reflect)
(Lance) (Sting) (Super Heal) (Speed)
(Nitro)
C. Game Stats Modifications
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1- Modified weapons base damage to encourage people to use stronger weapons, as no more new era sword attack = previous era spear attack. They also are a 20% average more powerful. This also help normal L1 attacks not being so weak.
2- In coherence to new charge multipliers, I also changed the Cryo-blast bazooka ammo damage, from 800 to 600.
3- Reduced dog attack/defend growth, making him still a physical beast, but not a godly character. Also, to give the dog a minor weak point, I lowered his Magic Def :P Boy M. Def also reduced, but to a lesser extent.
Stat growth (original) (new)
Boy M.Def +1 +0.75
Dog M.Def +1 +0.5
Dog Attack +4 +3.5
Dog Defend +6 +3.5
4- Max evasion is capped at 64%. This will prevent the speed evasion exploit that could give the characters 100% evasion against physical attacks.
5- Modified the boy defense bonus values for helmets and bracelets, they drop down drastically to obtain something like a 30% decrease in armor gained. Boy's plate/armor and dog's collars are left unchanged.
6- In coherence with all the stat tweaks, me modify the special toaster form attack and defend bonus values, this are the values:
+80 Attack / +250 Defend (original)
+70 Attack and +180 Defend (new)
7- Dog attack experience growth cut in half. Before, the dog needed 128 blows to get to L2 charge, and another 128 to get to L3. Now he need 256 to each level. Even with that mod, he will get L3 attack before omnitopia if you don't skip monsters too much.
8- I modded Magic learn rate, you get a set points of experience into the magic to reach to 100 and up one level, I modded those points to get decent levels with less effort. Here es de point gains to reach each new level:
(L1 - L2 - L3 - L4 - L5 - L6 - L7 - L8 - L9)
(10 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 1) (original)
(10 - 7 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 1) (new)
9- Modified stats 90% of monsters and bosses of the game. They now hit for damage, and hit a bit more frequently. Bosses now have more Hit points at higher levels, and monsters will give experience in an increasing fashion, as you advance through the game and you fight tougher monsters. First world monsters/bosses have minor tweaks, second world ones have some slight upgrades and third/fourth world monsters have massive changes. You have money-oriented reward enemies and exp-oriented enemies in all four worlds.
10- Some boss magic damage has been upped for some specific bosses that needed it. Basically Megataur, Aquagoth, Timberdrake, Sterling and Mungola have their magic damage upped from 2x to 2,5x. Upped base boy and dog magic defense by 5 and 4 points respectively.
11- Lowered barrier duration from 45 to 30 sec and changed the limestone ingredient with atlas amulet, to prevent the barrier infinite immortality exploit.
12- Slightly modified some spells base damage, basically lowered heal and crush a bit (they are still quite powerful), and upped spell damage of acid rain, and all gothica spells onwards. Speed stat gain has been cut in half, and duration prolonged from 45 to 60 seconds. Regenerate duration prolonged from 60 to 90 seconds.
13- Some little economy tweaks. Feathers cost lowered from 1000 gold to 600, to make feather-based alchemy use-able in cost/efficiency. As you end in omnitopia with too much money, I decided to balance it out a little with doubling some armor costs, namely the ultimate armor of 3rd and 4th worlds.
14- Modified some rewards out of monster coin gains. The price of the chocobo egg from the mad monk has been lowered from 10k to 5k gems, the reward arter beating Aquagoth lowered from 5k to 4k gems, and the reward from the king after defeating Mungola lowered from 10k to 5k gold.
D. Game Alterations
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1- Made some minor tweaks for all the windwalker part of gathering all the ingredients tinker need from the space shuttle. Added three special monsters one of them completely new, and upped some monsters damage, so all the ingredient gathering is a bit challenging aside Coleoptera battle.
2- Fixed a bug that loaded the Aquagoth boss tentacles on the space station junkyard, now are loaded the more powerful versions that are on the on the monster data witch were designed for that (the appearance is the same anyways). Added a few guardbots on the junkyard to make the zone a bit more interesting. Now the "Neo Greebles" that appear on the upper floor with the radioactive tanks, have an attack.
IPS versions compatible with Spanish and United states version of the game. Compatible for both headered and non-headered roms. Compatible multiplayer third party patch (not supporting this combination though).
Secret of Evermore US (Original Version):
Checksum: CC3D
Headered ROM MD5: 64F5639BCC46A2393E170E222A0D046
Unheadered ROM MD5: 6E9C94511D04FAC6E0A1E582C170BE3A
Secret of Evermore ES (Original Version):
Checksum: 7813
Headered ROM MD5: 8CE4F4EC4D234CF751D97797BBA00DE2
Unheadered ROM MD5: F6516A3B18C262EC00CD4348921C3897
