FF8/BattleStage/Pointers

FF8 engine reads Battle Stage files by positions coded in executable (.text section of .EXE) Engine loads whole file, but starts working with it from specified position. You CANNOT replace stages, even with originals with the stages, that camera section starts at different position.

How to change levels that use different camera positions:

• Check camera position in the stage that'd be replaced
• Add, delete, manipulate bytes before camera data to be EQUAL to amount of replaced stage
• Voila!

Example: You want to change a0stg004.x to a0stg000.x

1. Check where camera starts in a0stg004.x (this file will be replaced)

2. Copy and rename a0stg000.x to a0stg004.x

3. Open HEX editor and add FOUR additional bytes at beginning of file (because a0stg000.x cam_position is 0x5D8)

4. Done

Here's the list:

5D4	5D8	OUT
4	0	8
5	1	16
9	2	19
12	3	20
13	6	30
14	7	31
15	10	37
21	11	44
22	17	45
23	18	46
24	25	48
26	27	51
29	28	52
32	38	54
33	41	56
34	42	79
35	43	92
36	47	107
39	49	108
40	57	136
50	58	137
53	59	142
55	60	147
61	74	157
62	76	
63	77	
64	80	
65	81	
66	84	
67	93	
68	95	
69	101	
70	102	
71	103	
72	104	
73	109	
75	110	
78	111	
82	112	
83	113	
85	114	
86	115	
87	116	
88	117	
89	118	
90	119	
91	120	
94	128	
96	129	
97	130	
98	131	
99	132	
100	133	
105	134	
106	139	
121	140	
122	143	
123	146	
124	152	
125	153	
126	154	
127	155	
135	156	
138	159	
141	161	
144	162	
145		
148		
149		
150		
151		
158		
160		

• OUT are other locations I didn't investigate yet [TODO].