Level Zero - A Fixed Stat Modification for CT

[Maelstrom]

It's a concept hack that was initially designed to circumvent the quirky nature of magic defense and other stats by removing the level-up entirely.  After changing character and enemy stats, I mainly tried to learn to do more things with the ROM and improve the game's balance by tweaking more and more components of the game, even tweaking/adding a few minor events.  While all these changes meant making certain battles more difficult, it also meant making the game more forgiving in other regards.

Level Zero v0.7c (formerly Frozen in Time)
Edit: Main Readme

For those who may have seen Frozen in Time v0.6, this patch is a major update.

While this is not explicitly a hardtype hack, it is probably is a bit on the difficult side, so if you'd like to play Chrono Trigger with a bit of an edge, Level Zero is worth a go.

I've tested it over and over again, and I'm at the point I could really use some feedback.

So, give me your best shot.

Thanks very much,

-Maelstrom

[ZeaLitY]

Do you plan to submit it at romhacking.net? For the time being, I'll just announce it here.

[Maelstrom]

I do now.

(submitted)

And... posted!

[Maelstrom]

Private changes since last release: (up for debate)

Replacing "HyperEther" with "Adrenaline": Casts "Haste" on target, costs 10000 GP, used in battle.  This addition serves to complement the "Barrier" and "Shield" items.

If Crono is your lead, the Spekkio you fight is the easiest form you have not beaten yet.  This setup allows the player to access all forms of Spekkio and all of its prizes without having to complete the Ocean Palace first.  Each of the six forms can be accessed by having a particular non-Crono character as the lead.

Golem's magic owns less (down 29%, so Ayla isn't taking nearly 400 damage from spells).  This change isn't really that important if you keep making Golems change the element they copy, but it will make broken magic-chains less annoying.

The Choras and Black Omen shops have been tweaked to accomodate replacing HyperEther with Adrenaline.

Fixed Grand Dream (base power up 29%, since Frog Squash's base power is "up" 30%).

Changed Magic Seal from +10 Mgc & Mg Def to +20 Mgc.  It could be over the top, and it's a little bit of a bummer to lose the Mgc + Mg Def combo, but this brings the Magic Seal on par with the Power Seal.

That Defender by Magus's statue is replaced with a MuscleBelt.  That +15 Defense may seem like a big deal, but with the way the damage mechanics work, the MuscleBelt is less useful at the beginning at the game than it will at the end, so there's no harm in having this item available early.

[anclunn]

So what's the pont of the wallet then?  I mean since there's no longer XP.  Also, maybe you should remove the display of the level, experience and xp needed entirely, though that's a purely cosmetic change.

[Rickets]

Maelstrom, I think you know better than anybody what should be done... All I can add is that maybe the Evade stats should be raised a little for every body... I haven't seen many misses from the enemies except I saw robo dodge a laser/slash attack from an enemy on the moving belt when you first get into the GenoDome (the origins of machine) I think it's called...

So yea, it's not a very big deal, but it's something...
I think money is sort of over abundant, and I've bought mostly tonics and eithers and revives, maybe it would be OK to force the player to buy some armor for a battle or something... somehow...
Anyway I really like this mod and I wish there was more discussion on it.

About the experience and level status on the menu screen, maybe it could be replaced by something else.
...I just thought maybe it could show how many gems you have in the inventory, and maybe you could sell a new ultimate weapon at a store for some crazy amount of cash.

[Zakyrus]

Suggestion:

Make Wallet into item that doubles G earned?

[Unclever title]

Sorry for reviving an old thread but just in case you're still considering working on this hack I do have a few suggestions. 

I played through the game Lavos was a little challenging this time, but then I went back through the Black Omen (also challenging) a few times and got more prism dresses and with the three girls it was actually pretty easy. 

Started up a new game + and almost beat Lavos with just Crono, got really far into the final battle but then I got hit so that my HP was about 36 and then the Left Bit (which had recently been revived) smacked me in the head and I died.  Pretty much the most insulting way to lose that battle, but still I it was really fun.  If I had had access to the adrenaline item you mentioned then I probably would have stood a better chance with a prism helm and moon armor.  But still I could probably do it if I wanted to even now with a haste helm. 

Anyway my main complaint is about the lack of a reason to do a new game +, I'm not sure where I got the impression but I had the impression somewhere that you had removed tabs ordinarily but instead had set it up so that somewhere you could buy them at an exorbitant price.  Maybe I just have a strange imagination, but I think that would be a great idea, not necessarily available even in the first play-through but only in the new game + eventually. 

That or some other method of powering up would be nice perhaps (though this to me seems more difficult to accomplish) increasing aspects of character's ultimate equipment on other play-throughs. 

But I guess it is a kind of moot point since I could already (maybe) defeat Lavos with just Crono (by using the Haste Helm, Prism specs and a whole lot of barriers, shields, and elixirs). 

I do think there should some incentive to do a new game + though, other than to see all of the endings. 


Edit:  On the third attempt I beat Lavos with just Crono, the 2nd attempt I got hit with that dang lightning bolt when my HP was down about 200 and before I could toss up a barrier.  I had only enough time to either heal up or set the barrier and I needed both to survive that strike.  Owned. 

My third attempt was better, I admit I reloaded a save state once, but that was to prevent me from losing my status defense which turned out to be a very wise decision.  And I did survive a lightning bolt strike this time, happened to get hit with a barrier on and full HP not to mention that my MP was low so it was the perfect time to use an elixir. 

After that strike and before the elixir my HP was I believe 28. 

[Quenditar]

I'm new to the idea of ROM hacking (savestate hacking was as far as I went).  How did you change the multipliers for techs?