SMW Hacking

I've had plenty of time on the computer lately, so how come I haven't been blogging more? Because I found a website dedicated to Super Mario World ROM hacking. And it's a Mario World unto itself.

One problem with wanting to be a ROMhacker has been the lack of organized information. Having no computer programming experience to begin with, the wealth of terms and workings involved are not so much overwhelming as inadequately explained. Tutorials never seem to say enough; they often assume you already know all about something they refer to, or are inapplicable to half of the existing tools for the area.

I have hope with this place because it hosts as much as is currently known on a single game. There are tools for graphics editing, changing game mechanics, and even inserting music via a text file. They have a ~41% (and counting) complete list of all the ROM addresses, with their byte sizes and game effects. And it's a place to share creations, ideas, findings, and questions.

Or so you'd think. The forums give me the impression that they absolutely hate questions from bewildered "noobs" with the "inability to read a readme." Fine, you bunch of stuck-ups. I'm rather averse to message boards anyway. They demand too much time to partake in, and outsiders will have a hard time finding what they need. That's why, when I require an explanation, I use Google[TM-thing!] and search for specific keywords in a single website; this can usually locate a particular post relevant to my problem.

Anyway, I figured if I really want to learn this stuff, I should start where there is plenty to learn. There will be many differences in hacking other games, but this way I'll gain the background knowledge necessary to see where I'm going. It's like feeling your way through a dark, familiar room as opposed to a dark, unfamiliar room.

All I need is the time-and-determination side of nerdage, which I know won't come for me automatically.