Data Crystal talk:About

Being marked discussion I assume I can start a public discussion...

Can ROM hacking include emulator hacking as well, and emulator information? Or related game information? Or things we'd like to see if we could find others to work on a project with?

Some examples off the top of my head: 1) The emulator VectorDream doesnt seem to be well known. It's one of the few that's not even on Zophar's Domain which contributes to it's obscurity and the original website it was once on is long gone. A public database of all emulators and information about them would be a good idea.

2) 'Emulator hacking' might include modifying INI files to get them to play more games and how one goes about the process... anyone since the days of UltraHLE knows it can be done, but i've never seen a tutorial on how others done it or i'd try it myself. Centralizing how to, process, and links to such information would also be beneficial.

3) Certain projects like MetalMAME are also unique - modifying the original arcade games to add rock'n'roll digitized audio soundtracks to be played in the background. Centralizing a discussion about 'wishlists' for community projects could act as a catalyst to network interested parties together for doing new groundbreaking and unique projects. But might verge close to that personal messaging service prohibition...

First, discussion pages are for discussion, as long as it is on topic, it is fine.

1) I suppose that makes sense. You cannot do ROM hacking without emulators. Perferably, discussion of emulators would be focused on ones with features to aid ROM hacking like a dubugger, tracer, memory editor, etc.

2) I am not sure exactly what information is stored in those INI files you are talking about. As long as it is not copyrighted, it is probably okay, especially if the information is required in order to play a hack.

3) I am not sure on that...

It seems to be the common belief on Acmlm's Board that Zophar's Domain is dying. As such, DataCrystal would like to be not at all reliant on Zophar's if possible. From that, I think emulator listings are pretty much required.

--AnyoneEB 22:27, 18 Oct 2005 (EDT)

WikiRAM

What is the difference between this site and WikiRAM?

My interpretation is that Datacrystal differs from WikiRAM in scope and organization. While both sites are attempting to present a comprehensive resource for hackers, I believe Datacrystal acts as more of an encyclopedia than a stockpile. In addition to the (ideally) complete ROM and RAM map for (ideally) every game, Datacrystal also gives mention to the hacks of each game, the significant data found within, available utilities and so on, answering a number of common questions asked by hackers. Datacrystal can also serve as a source of general hacking information, both in regards to the technical aspects and to the culture. In this regard, Datacrystal could have a wider appeal and broader scope. Datacrystal also adheres to rigorous standards of organization to present a professional and uniform resource. I have not seen WikiRAM's latest organizational improvements, though I do recall that they had developed a much more convenient interface (though I also noticed that their article on hexadecimal contains not a single mention of the number 16... but I digress). Regardless, none of this is to say that Datacrystal is superior to WikiRAM by virtue of its broader scope or more even structure; it is conceivable that a hacker may very well prefer the convenience of tossing a bit of info into the WikiRAM project rather than formatting it as per Datacrystal's standards.

And of course, that is just my perspective, and I am a member of Datacrystal. While I'd certainly like to claim that I am impartial and only looking for the best for the hacking community, from my point of view, actions have been taken that have resulted in a competition of sorts between the two websites... it's very unfortunate. By all means, I'd be open to any varying interpretations, especially from the WikiRAM project heads.

--GuyInSummers 00:50, 26 Oct 2005 (EDT)

Might as well make a forum...

Even tho this is a wikipedia, I think a user friendly forum would be good also. Something where people can't edit eachothers messages, and soemthing that is familiar with everyone to use. Plus this page wasn't easy for me to find either. I had to be linked to it by Gau. A nice link on the side of the site saying "forum" or something could be helpful.--Hiro1112 08:42, 4 January 2007 (EST)

Legal?

Is ROM hacking legal? Basically it's reverse-engineering copyrighted material. The point is I'm learning a lot about the structure of certain games, but I'm afraid to post anything to this site.