This major update focuses on taking modding and customizability to the next level. At last, the map editor used to create MMXOD maps has been exposed to the public! This allows the community to independently create custom maps, and share them with the world. As this update is focused on maps, some new map options were added, including the option to mirror some maps for more balanced matches.
Another major moddable feature was the introduction of an optional voice system, giving more life to the characters when playing the game. Other customizability-related features added include custom match options, where you can tweak a variety of settings to your heart's content, opening up a wide variety of possible customized game modes.
The MMXOD map editor is now available for download in the tools section of the site: Tools. This editor is actually the same exe as the Sprite Editor and comes packaged in the same download, but you'll need to run the "MMXOD Map Editor.bat" file to launch the map editor instead. Refer to the editor help guide in the tools section of the site for more details on how to use this editor to create maps, best practices, FAQ, etc.
Using the aformentioned editor you'll now be able to create your own custom maps. A custom map consists of a top-level folder containing various map files. Installing a custom map is easy, simply move the folder representing the custom map into the assets\maps_custom folder. Then when you are in the host menu, you can change the "Map Pool" from "Official" to "Custom" to select your map.
To avoid too many non-standard matches, there's a limit of one custom map that can be hosted in any region at a time. Remember, custom maps the community creates aren't bundled with the game. So everyone you play with needs to download and install your custom map. If a player tries to join your match but does not have the custom match, they will be presented with a download link (which the map creator would specify when creating the map in the map editor) where they should go to get it.
Custom maps made by the community will not be bundled with the official game. Community members will have to host the map files and share the link, in places such as the discord, MediaFire, their own website, etc. However, to kick things off, I've bundled 9 custom maps made by GM19 myself, as examples and demonstrations of how far you can take the system. There are 3 1v1 maps, 3 medium maps and 3 large maps:
By default, vanilla MMXOD won't have voices. This is to preserve the 16-bit feel. However, with the new voice engine you can now mod in voices easily. To start things off and provide a template, I've provided an official voice pack in the "Bonuses" section of the website here: Bonuses. See that section of the website for more details, but in summary, you can stick a "Voices" folder in the assets folder with sound files named and structured in a certain way to get unique character voices on any animation or weapon shot. No special MMXOD tools are required for this, just Windows file explorer, and perhaps a good sound editor like Audacity.
In addition to voices, there were a few more sound modding features added, including the ability to override certain sounds in the new assets/sounds_overrides folder globally or by character, and the ability to have character-specific music. See the Audio Modding Guide for mode details.
A frequently requested addition, every character can now bolster their equipment in the new Upgrade Menu. For X and Vile this is a separate screen in their armor menu. For every other character it is accessed in the same place as X and Vile's armor menu.
Each heart tank purchased adds 2 HP to the character's max life pool and lasts until the end of the match. Up to 8 heart tanks can be bought. The cost of a heart tank starts at 3 scrap but increases the more you buy. Heart Tanks must be re-bought for every different character; there isn't a shared pool. Note that heart tanks purchased as Sigma will also apply to Mavericks in Tag Team mode; similarly heart tanks purchased as Vile will also apply to Ride Armors with less than 32 max HP.
Sub tanks can also be purchased as items that last for the rest of the match. Up to 4 sub tanks can be purchased, and each sub tank costs 5 scrap. Any healing at full health will fill the first available tank with capacity. Each tank holds up to 16 HP. In the upgrade menu, players can use purchased tanks to heal themselves, as long as they are alive and not at max health, emptying the tank in the process. Like with heart tanks, sub tanks are character specific and must be re-purchased for every different character. To make healing with a sub tank in the midst of battle easier, your in-game menu positions will now be saved whenever closed and re-opened.
Overall these new options, available to every character, are sure to add a lot of strategy and depth to the game, and finally allows characters other than X or Vile to upgrade themselves as the match progresses, ensuring they're not left behind. These options can also help patch up some weaknesses of certain characters, such as survivability, and open up new play styles previously not viable.
The long-awaited, but ill-fated sequel to MMXOD is now available as a demo! I had originally started working on this roughly a year ago but gave up on it due to the investment and playerbase of the current game, and honestly at this point it's unlikely I'll ever finish it. However, I've finally decided to release the work done so far to the public, in the "Bonuses" section of the website here: Bonuses. Given this update is all about maps and voices, this was a good oppertunity to finally unveil an X4 concept of MMXOD to the public. Interested modders can use the content in this demo to add in X's X4 voice and the X4 maps to MMXOD, which can be good exercises to get up to speed with the new tools.
In offline and private matches only, you'll be able to configure a wide variety of special custom settings, in the host menu (under "Custom Match Settings"). These options let you go wild with all sorts of game mode ideas, like a "Maverick" mode where one player has increased HP and attack power and must defeat everyone else to win. Here are the current settings that can be configured:
Given that this update is all about maps and customization, I've taken the oppertunity to introduce some frequent map suggestions:
Previously, modders could not change certain aspects of sprites (i.e. hitboxes) without being blocked from playing online. This was to prevent gameplay tampering. v16.0 introduces a new modding system based on "checksums". Any changes to a certain set of files that can impact gameplay will result in a unique "checksum" being generated by the game. This is in essence a unique fingerprint of your changes made to gameplay files. Like with the client game verison, the checksum is now sent to the server everytime a match is created online. Only clients with the same checksum can connect to a match created with a specific checksum. Due to these changes, the old allowFullSpriteMods setting was no longer needed, and thus removed.
As part of this change, there is now a assets\sprites_visualmods folder. The existing folder, assets\sprites, is now the source of truth for sprite gameplay data. Any changes to sprites here will result in a different checksum being generated. If you just want to apply visual mods as in previous versions, put your overrides in the assets\sprites_visualmods folder to override existing JSON alignment and offset settings, which won't impact the checksum version.
Remember that mods aren't supported if used optimized sprites. In fact, if that setting is on it tells the game to use assets\sprites_optimized as the override sprite folder instead of assets\sprites_visualmods.
Official maps are also now part of this checksum system. These maps are in the assets\maps folder and edits to these map files will generate a new checksum. As with sprite mods, modders can still host matches with map gameplay edits, but only players with the same exact edits can join that match.
Adding or removing sound files in the assets\sounds folder also modifies the checksum (for netcode-related reasons) so don't do this unintentionally. The contents of sound files however can be changed without any effects.
If you make any changes that would change the checksum from the current official version, the main menu will show a "Mod Checksum" label below the actual game version with the checksum. You can copy your checksum to the clipboard at any time by pressing F1 on the main menu.
Last but not least, I want to reserve a special section to dedicate the 16.x family of updates to influential MMXOD streamer and community moderator Jape, who unfortunately passed away recently before he could experience and stream this v16.0 update. Jape would frequently and passionately host MMXOD tournaments and streams, bringing much-needed attention to the game. Jape in fact has faithfully streamed every major update since 1.0 and it pains me that this time around he is no longer here to stream v16.0 or any future update ever again. Jape was even the reason for this game's very existance, due to his initial stream which motivated me to add online to what was once a browser-only prototype. His importance to the community cannot be overstated, and so I've decided to honor his memory in the following ways in this update:
As this update's focused on maps, I decided to convert community member/moderator Michael Felstein's Jape tribute poster into a 1v1 map (thanks Michael for making this on short notice). Even though it's not a stage that's part of the Mega Man X games, this map is still in the official map pool, and will be placed as the first 1v1 map available for selection for the rest of 16.x, as a tribute to Jape's legacy on the game.
I've also placed some Jape memorial statues in the center of various maps (credit and thanks to Metsu/Astral for making these). These will remain for the rest of 16.x as a way to dedicate this update family to him. Come 17.0 and beyond, these statues will appear every last week of July, to honor the time period in which he has passed on. The maps in which they were placed are as follows, and are usually either maps Jape himself was fond of or hosted in the finals in one of his tourneys:
General
Mega Man X
Charged Spin Wheel: reduced to 1 damage per spoke, but all 8 can hit more easily now for up to 8 damage.Charged Speed Burner: increased recoil damage from 1 to 2.
Hadouken/Shoryuken: can now only be used at full health and with buster selected, but no longer costs scrap.Hyper Charge and Giga Crush no longer preserve ammo after death. With Heart and Sub Tanks it should now be easier to keep X alive long enough to use these moves.
No longer locked out of upgrading armors if X6 saber is unequiped. This also fixes a bug where X sometimes could get locked out of the armor menu.Ultimate Armor Giga Buster no longer shoots 2 plasma shots. The second shot is the standard X2 buster level 4 shot.Nova Strike: now uses ammo again.Cross Shot/Hyper Charge X-Buster: can now turn around when using this attack.Giga Crush/Nova Strike: Added settings where X can now activate these via SPECIAL button (down special for Giga Crush, side special for Nova Strike). Note that if the settings are on, X can no longer switch to these weapons, and thus cannot refill their ammo with capsules. Also note that if both are turned on, downwards Nova Strike is no longer possible.Gold and Ultimate armor: changed activation method. Now must first navigate to armor menu, and then press SPECIAL, to upgrade. While it slows down activation a bit it helps free up the SPECIAL button for X and reduce accidental activations.Zero
3-Swing Ground Combo: Increased combo speed, and can now turn around before each swing.Raijingeki/Purple Raijingeki: now pierces defense.Rekkoha: energy cost reduced from 32 to 24 bars.C-Flasher: now pierces defense.Vile
Stun Shot/Stun Balls: can no longer stun enemies recently grabbed.Stun Shot/Stun Balls: Zero and Sigma can now block this move with Guard.Fat Boy: increased projectile speed.Air Bombs: damage increased to 3 and now fires in the same direction (but can use LEFT/RIGHT to change).Peace-out Roller: increased E-bar use to 24.Frozen Castle:
Reduced damage reduction from 1/4 to 1/8.Scrap cost reduced to 3.No longer removed by fire attacksSpeed Devil: Scrap cost reduced to 3; speed boost reduced from 15% to 10%.Distance Needler: now pierces defense.Axl
Axl Bullets: now recharges ammo when not active, albeit at half the normal rate.All One-Handed Weapons: 25% reduction in fire rate when shooting backwards.Spiral Magnum: can now zoom in on Large Camera mode.Sigma
Summoner: introduced a new "Attack Move" command (LEFT/RIGHT + SPECIAL). This causes active Mavericks to keep walking in Sigma's direction at the time of issuing the command, attacking any foes along the way.Summoner/Puppeter: added an option for Mavericks to follow Sigma by default.Puppeteer: Removed 25% defense buff. With the introduction of Heart and Sub Tanks it should be easier to keep Sigma alive.Tag-Team: swapping now has a start-up delay of 0.5 seconds where the player is vulnerable and cannot move.Sting Chameleon: can now climb background walls by pressing UP when in front of them. (Climbable areas are configured in the map editor on a per-map basis as "Backwall Zones".)Storm Eagle: Storm Tornado now has separate ground and air cooldowns.Storm Eagle: now has a flight limit bar (like Hawk armor). When this is empty, Storm Eagle is forced to descend.