What is your opinion on "improvement" type romhacks?

[Zerpina]

If they are REALLY well done like the Castlevania II IPS patch by Bisqwit, Love'em

 

[Mochi Panic]

As long as its not too much to the point that it is almost unrecognizable from the base game. Sometimes I wonder if its better for the makers of "Improvements" to work on a original game if so much of the base game is changed to meet the new look.

 

[χKai]

Hate 'em.
Not even because of the principal concept but because of alllll the falsely labeled "Improvement" hacks that are really more of a personal preference or some kind of stupid self-insert.

 

[thanonyx]

It depends, are said improvements quality of life improvements?

 

[Cheela]

Depends on a game to game basis but for the most part i tend to avoid them, at least if haven't played the og game.

 

[Montisaquadeis]

Bugfixes and restoring content that was removed by coming overseas for example are 2 things I always try and download before I even start a game. As for gameplay changes and the like I wait until I beat the base game at least once

 

[Ikagura]

I mostly only play them after beating the vanilla game.

Same. Unless the game itself is tedious like Simon's Quest.

 

[Xdqwerty]

Same. Unless the game itself is tedious like Simon's Quest.

I first used the retranslation and then simon's redaction for that game

 

[Ikagura]

I first used the retranslation and then simon's redaction for that game

What's the difference?

I cannot remember which one but I think it was just with a map and an instant day/night transition.

 

[Xdqwerty]

What's the difference?

I cannot remember which one but I think it was just with a map and an instant day/night transition.

Basically the retranslation still has the fake hints while it adds a proper save feature and a map while simon's redaction only changes the texts to be more straight to the point and remove fake hints

 

[χKai]

I first used the retranslation and then simon's redaction for that game

Is that the one by Ed Findlay

 

[Xdqwerty]

Is that the one by Ed Findlay

Idk

 

[Ikagura]

Basically the retranslation still has the fake hints while it adds a proper save feature and a map while simon's redaction only changes the texts to be more straight to the point and remove fake hints

Thanks. I think I got the retranslation so next time I'd go for the Redaction.

I should try the Linear version of Dracula's Curse.

 

[RageBurner]

I should try the Linear version of Dracula's Curse.

I like that one with the Alucard resprite optional patch.

 

[miguk]

I generally prefer improvement hacks to the originals, as many old games have bugs, removed content, and balance issues. Anything that fixes a bad translation/localization (especially if it was by Working Designs) is appreciated. And the ones that add a map system to games that sorely needed them are magical.

That said, some romhackers don't get the concept of "improvement", and just throw in what they like aesthetically. I don't need someone's bad sprite redraws for a game that looks fine as is (although adding some subtle things like more animations to existing sprites can be good).

One that I'd like to see that I've never seen is decensoring hacks. We have uncensoring hacks (where the US rom sprites are put back to the JP rom sprites), but we never seem to get any that fix the already existing issues in some games in the JP release. It's not a common thing, but some games go a bit far with covering things up in any version (such as Xenogears' ending and Yggdra Union's bath scene).

 

[Xdqwerty]

One that I'd like to see that I've never seen is decensoring hacks. We have uncensoring hacks (where the US rom sprites are put back to the JP rom sprites), but we never seem to get any that fix the already existing issues in some games in the JP release. It's not a common thing, but some games go a bit far with covering things up in any version (such as Xenogears' ending and Yggdra Union's bath scene).

I think earthbound begginings has some decensoring hacks

 

[Cheela]

That said, some romhackers don't get the concept of "improvement", and just throw in what they like aesthetically. I don't need someone's bad sprite redraws for a game that looks fine as is (although adding some subtle things like more animations to existing sprites can be good).

I ve seen that happen a lot with gba fire emblem hacks. A lot of them kinda throw stuff against the wall and see what stuck in terms of changing some animations or sprites or bloating the games with a lot of Skills, classes and rebalances.

Although i have seen some great ones too. Personally speaking i like the ones that don’t present themselves as an “improvement” but as an “alternative”. I will probably make a forum thread when i finish them but currently i am playing Fire emblem The sacred stones Reforged and Project Jade. Two different approaches to a alternative to FE8. But they not present themselves as a Replacement.

 

[YuriSukiSan]

.. Everyone pretty much said all that you can say! If it's like the FUComplete patch then I like it!

 

[Ikagura]

I generally prefer improvement hacks to the originals, as many old games have bugs, removed content, and balance issues. Anything that fixes a bad translation/localization (especially if it was by Working Designs) is appreciated. And the ones that add a map system to games that sorely needed them are magical.

That said, some romhackers don't get the concept of "improvement", and just throw in what they like aesthetically. I don't need someone's bad sprite redraws for a game that looks fine as is (although adding some subtle things like more animations to existing sprites can be good).

Yeah, there's a major difference between fixing genuine flaws and ""fixing"" designs (which are a subjective matter).

One that I'd like to see that I've never seen is decensoring hacks. We have uncensoring hacks (where the US rom sprites are put back to the JP rom sprites), but we never seem to get any that fix the already existing issues in some games in the JP release. It's not a common thing, but some games go a bit far with covering things up in any version (such as Xenogears' ending and Yggdra Union's bath scene).
Probably because it would require more efforts than importing back sprites from the JP version.

It would also make some things NSFW and some site straight up forbid that.

 

[miguk]

It would also make some things NSFW and some site straight up forbid that.

Romhackiing.net has some uncensoring hacks, and those have been pretty common place in the scene. And while I get not wanting random gratuitous nudity (which a lot of such hacks are), I don't see the issue with making the already existing nudity visible. I doubt anyone appreciated that big bloom during the ending of Xenogears, which only hurt the seriousness of the scene (along with the Ken doll moments). Weird that the scene can appreciate a return to the original concepts of games in other cases but can't handle a little tasteful nudity.

 

[jankusanagi]

I haven't played any "improvement" version yet, but generally I like the idea. Like others said, mostly if they're very small changes, fixing some bug or annoyance. Removing something that like 95% of players hated about that game back in its day, that sort of thing.

That's assuming we're not including undubs and translations in the "improvement romhack" category. If we are, I absolutely LOVE those!

Also, in some cases, like FFVII: Survivor, I love the idea, as an "alternate universe" game, to play after the original.

 

[starseeker300]

When they are good, i love em, like making qol changes and removing unnecessary grind
when they are bad, and try to make weird random changes to push an agenda of some kind (usually being my versions better), or worse self insert or try to change the story, i avoid them.

Purists will bemoan me and throw the 'ole "git gud" non-argument my way, surely, but I don't care.

then git gud lol jk jk, in all seriousness i actually had a similar experience with xenoblade 1 definative in the future connected "dlc" , i was getting super frustrated because i kept dying to random enemies and just deicded to turn on casual mode and it made the experience instantly so much more enjoyable, i had already played the main game without it on so i dont feel any shame or like i was losing my "true gamer card" by doing it, so i completely understand that

Often I feel like it's very presumptuous of the modder to think he knows more than the developers, but it varies a lot, some games are indeed really flawed and can be improved with a few changes.

i completely understand this and while personally disagree overall, the ones were the modder goes in with this attitude generally tend to suck, and you can really tell those ones apart from the ones that the modder wanted to make an alternative

 

[RageBurner]

When they are good, i love em, like making qol changes and removing unnecessary grind
when they are bad, and try to make weird random changes to push an agenda of some kind (usually being my versions better), or worse self insert or try to change the story, i avoid them.


then git gud lol jk jk, in all seriousness i actually had a similar experience with xenoblade 1 definative in the future connected "dlc" , i was getting super frustrated because i kept dying to random enemies and just deicded to turn on casual mode and it made the experience instantly so much more enjoyable, i had already played the main game without it on so i dont feel any shame or like i was losing my "true gamer card" by doing it, so i completely understand that

I wonder why they went tryhard with the DLC on this one. Did they think the player base would really enjoy a post game difficulty spike?

 

[starseeker300]

I wonder why they went tryhard with the DLC on this one. Did they think the player base would really enjoy a post game difficulty spike?

its more so that its a separate save file with different characters combined with the problems already inherent in xenoblade 1's combat system. basically making the player start over from square one almost

 

[RageBurner]

its more so that its a separate save file with different characters combined with the problems already inherent in xenoblade 1's combat system. basically making the player start over from square one almost

Not my idea of fun in the slightest, to be honest.