Gaming Dissidia 012 - Help with attack data modifications

[FGF222]

Hi people.

So basically i'm looking to change the base hardcoded values for attacks in this PSP game (Base damage values, base EX force generation, base assist generation on hit, etc)

I have done some hex editing and modding GBC roms over a decade ago, but i'm rusty and PSP roms are far more complex so i'm more than a little lost.



Anyway, after decrypting the ISO, i'm trying to figure out the next steps.

I figured the most likely place to find the data i'm looking for is in the "OVL_BATTLE_APP.elf" file. (Found in PSP_GAME\USRDIR\DATA)



Main thing i'm seeking guidance for, is if anyone more knowledgeable can confirm if this is where the data i'm looking for is most likely to reside.
And additionally, if so, what tools would be best to explore and edit the "OVL_BATTLE_APP.elf" file?

 

[FAST6191]

"PSP ROMs are far more complex [than GBC]"
Not really. If you can hang on the GBC then you are good more or less anywhere. Sure some things might use floats or a greater number of bits, and some of the data structures might be a bit more formal now, but that is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

ELF is an executable format and while it could be a coincidence I am not going to go there. Equally without looking at the game.

I would suggest finding the stats locations with a cheat if you can. Usual way for stats is to find a modifier for them (different weapon perhaps) and change that out enough such that the "is changed, is the same, is changed..." cheat search routine finds it. Once you have the location of one part of the equation in RAM you presumably can get to the rest, and with that either edit things there if cheats are enough for your needs (anywhere you can mod a PSP ROM/ISO you can have a cheat) or go one further and trace ( https://www.romhacking.net/documents/361/ is for the GBA but it is the same on any system really) back to the read from the ISO and get a definite location (and thus file, not sure if we have any this location is this file tool but should not be too hard to figure it out with umdgen or being a bit creative with a hex editor) as well as knowledge of what the file should be/look like as you have just found it in the game.
If it is a baseline stats table as well then you might even be able to search from the data from RAM in the ROM/ISO and if it is not compressed then maybe find it there.