Hello, first I should preface by saying I'm new to this site and very unfamiliar with how it works, though I was told this was the most likely place to receive an answer on this.
I've been having a growing interest in the potential that Mega Man Zero 2 has to become a much better game that can stand more closely with Zero 3 in quality. However, I'm no rom hacking expert, just a person who really enjoys Mega Man Zero. What I am curious about though is how possible it is to implement the quality of life features I feel Zero 2 desperately needs. I've seen an almost nonexistent amount of discussion about making improvements to the game and no hacks that have done so. So here I am to lay out my ideas of what a revised version of Zero 2 could look like if it is possible for anyone to implement the ideas I've come up with.
Hit Priority System
From what I've seen of videos and wikis covering the topic, the hit priority system should be very similar to how it's set up in Zero 3 and Zero 4, save for there being no 0, 5, or 6 values for attacks. The main issue stems from the fact that most of the moves have a combo value of 1, which creates the issue of the hit priority system hardly having any combo potential as it may or may not have been intended to have at this point in the series. If someone can find the hit priority values in the code of each attack, wouldn't it theoretically be possible to alter those values and mold them to have the combo potential that Zero 3 has? And if possible, add in the missing 0, 5, and 6 hit priority values?
Weapon Levels
This was always a notorious pace breaker between Mega Man Zero 1 and 2 regardless of the quick grinding methods to mitigate it. It would greatly help the pace of the game if you had all your level ups from the start as it is in the latter half of the series, or at the very least don't lose them all on new game plus runs of the game.
Forms
The make or break element of the forms is easily the bizarre alterations to your saber combo, or lack thereof with some of them. An argument could be made that it's to balance the forms, however the implementation of that balance was sloppily handled and dropped as the effects the forms offered you were transferred over to the cyber elves and body chips at no cost of your saber combo. I propose that every form has the full saber combo by default. As for the proto form, it would be interesting if it had the saber combo and charges outside of hard mode so it can be seen as a sort of glass cannon form. This change to the forms would also be essential for the hit priority system, assuming the alterations for that is possible. It would allow for every form to be properly viable.
Carryarm And Spiking Enemy Speed
Tell me, for anyone that hasn't had the levels burned into their muscle memory. How many times have you rammed into these enemies? Probably to a degree that it drives you insane. Reasonably so, considering that unless you aren't dashing, you have a mere few frames to react to attacking them. It becomes less of a skill issue and more of a test of patients and aggravation, especially on Panter Flauclaws stage where much of it looks extremely similar making memorization of the enemy placement a chore. A very simple fix would be to adjust their speed values so you have a slight bit more of a buffer to react and counter attack.
Cutscenes
This is easily the greatest pace breaker on repeat playthroughs. Unless you play using a controller with a turbo function or an emulator with a speed up feature, you have to tirelessly mash the A button through dialog that drags on and on every few stages. It may be more on the unlikely side to implement a function to skip cutscenes, however it is possible to skip the intro on new game plus playthroughs, so it's not as if it's impossible. An alternative would be to implement a button combo (One that you would never naturally press during gameplay such as L and select) that progresses the dialog as quickly as possible so playing on original DS hardware or other devices is less tiresome.
Ex Skills
Rather simple, buff the damage on the buster EX skills to increase their viability and widen the range on sharp edge so it's more easily usable against bosses during combos.
Vague Cyber Elf Locations
This is more so a QoL implementation for people who would be new to Zero 2. I feel more hints should be given to the locations of some very obtuse cyber elves and the nature of how they spawn in general. I propose that someone within the resistance base has added dialogue something along the lines of "Zero, our recon ran a structural analysis of the power room. There appears to be walls with weaker structure than they seem. Be sure to keep an eye out/the drones in the power room are designed to call in a more dangerous set after being disposed of, do be careful if you engage/Zero, it's imperative that you also dispatch as many enemies along the way to your objective. Not just to avoid them getting the jump on you, but to free the captive cyber elves within them," things like that. No one should have to use a guide after they've combed every level multiple times for cyber elf completion.
- IN CONCLUSION -
Mega Man Zero 2 could be a far more polished game with some love and care put into it. While I posted this thread in the DS section with this being an idea to hack specifically the DS collection version of the game, if this hack/mod idea is easier done on the PC version of the legacy collection then I see no issue in that. I'd only suggest avoiding this for the GBA version due to the lesser audio quality and button options if played on original hardware. It would be amazing to see interest in this spread around, and if made real, coverage of it in video form. That's only if most of these ideas are possible though, which is why I came to see if there was interest in it. Hopefully this convinces someone.
I've been having a growing interest in the potential that Mega Man Zero 2 has to become a much better game that can stand more closely with Zero 3 in quality. However, I'm no rom hacking expert, just a person who really enjoys Mega Man Zero. What I am curious about though is how possible it is to implement the quality of life features I feel Zero 2 desperately needs. I've seen an almost nonexistent amount of discussion about making improvements to the game and no hacks that have done so. So here I am to lay out my ideas of what a revised version of Zero 2 could look like if it is possible for anyone to implement the ideas I've come up with.
Hit Priority System
From what I've seen of videos and wikis covering the topic, the hit priority system should be very similar to how it's set up in Zero 3 and Zero 4, save for there being no 0, 5, or 6 values for attacks. The main issue stems from the fact that most of the moves have a combo value of 1, which creates the issue of the hit priority system hardly having any combo potential as it may or may not have been intended to have at this point in the series. If someone can find the hit priority values in the code of each attack, wouldn't it theoretically be possible to alter those values and mold them to have the combo potential that Zero 3 has? And if possible, add in the missing 0, 5, and 6 hit priority values?
Weapon Levels
This was always a notorious pace breaker between Mega Man Zero 1 and 2 regardless of the quick grinding methods to mitigate it. It would greatly help the pace of the game if you had all your level ups from the start as it is in the latter half of the series, or at the very least don't lose them all on new game plus runs of the game.
Forms
The make or break element of the forms is easily the bizarre alterations to your saber combo, or lack thereof with some of them. An argument could be made that it's to balance the forms, however the implementation of that balance was sloppily handled and dropped as the effects the forms offered you were transferred over to the cyber elves and body chips at no cost of your saber combo. I propose that every form has the full saber combo by default. As for the proto form, it would be interesting if it had the saber combo and charges outside of hard mode so it can be seen as a sort of glass cannon form. This change to the forms would also be essential for the hit priority system, assuming the alterations for that is possible. It would allow for every form to be properly viable.
Carryarm And Spiking Enemy Speed
Tell me, for anyone that hasn't had the levels burned into their muscle memory. How many times have you rammed into these enemies? Probably to a degree that it drives you insane. Reasonably so, considering that unless you aren't dashing, you have a mere few frames to react to attacking them. It becomes less of a skill issue and more of a test of patients and aggravation, especially on Panter Flauclaws stage where much of it looks extremely similar making memorization of the enemy placement a chore. A very simple fix would be to adjust their speed values so you have a slight bit more of a buffer to react and counter attack.
Cutscenes
This is easily the greatest pace breaker on repeat playthroughs. Unless you play using a controller with a turbo function or an emulator with a speed up feature, you have to tirelessly mash the A button through dialog that drags on and on every few stages. It may be more on the unlikely side to implement a function to skip cutscenes, however it is possible to skip the intro on new game plus playthroughs, so it's not as if it's impossible. An alternative would be to implement a button combo (One that you would never naturally press during gameplay such as L and select) that progresses the dialog as quickly as possible so playing on original DS hardware or other devices is less tiresome.
Ex Skills
Rather simple, buff the damage on the buster EX skills to increase their viability and widen the range on sharp edge so it's more easily usable against bosses during combos.
Vague Cyber Elf Locations
This is more so a QoL implementation for people who would be new to Zero 2. I feel more hints should be given to the locations of some very obtuse cyber elves and the nature of how they spawn in general. I propose that someone within the resistance base has added dialogue something along the lines of "Zero, our recon ran a structural analysis of the power room. There appears to be walls with weaker structure than they seem. Be sure to keep an eye out/the drones in the power room are designed to call in a more dangerous set after being disposed of, do be careful if you engage/Zero, it's imperative that you also dispatch as many enemies along the way to your objective. Not just to avoid them getting the jump on you, but to free the captive cyber elves within them," things like that. No one should have to use a guide after they've combed every level multiple times for cyber elf completion.
- IN CONCLUSION -
Mega Man Zero 2 could be a far more polished game with some love and care put into it. While I posted this thread in the DS section with this being an idea to hack specifically the DS collection version of the game, if this hack/mod idea is easier done on the PC version of the legacy collection then I see no issue in that. I'd only suggest avoiding this for the GBA version due to the lesser audio quality and button options if played on original hardware. It would be amazing to see interest in this spread around, and if made real, coverage of it in video form. That's only if most of these ideas are possible though, which is why I came to see if there was interest in it. Hopefully this convinces someone.
