Download Final Fantasy IV: The Darkness Within ROM Hack

					Final Fantasy IV: The Darkness Within
						  A Modification by:
							Rynzer



1. Introduction
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for downloading Final Fantasy IV: The Darkness Within! This romhack is a redesign of the original
Final Fantasy IV game, focusing mostly on a revamped story and rebalanced gameplay. A lot of development time
went into ensuring that the game was challenging and engaging to all playstyles.

This mod was created almost entirely using ff4kster (many thanks to Pinkpuff) with just a few tweaks done
via hex editing. While this is not a difficulty hack, many aspects of the game require more thought on the
player's part so overall there is a difficulty increase. The difficulty curve is fairly generous and gives
even players new to Final Fantasy IV ample time to adjust.

With that said, my main objective was to create something fun! Enjoy!!


2. Installation
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The .zip file includes two .ips patch files; one Complete patch and the Base patch for those of you who wish to 
view stats in ff4kster. The Complete patch will need to be applied to a clean UNHEADERED Final Fantasy II(US) 
version 1.1 ROM. The file name for the original ROM used in creating this mod was
Final Fantasy II (USA)(Rev A).sfc. You will need the Lunar IPS patching tool as well in order to apply the .ips patch.

The mod is incompatible with previous saves of FFIV. You will need to start a New Game. Back up your saves if you
are concerned about losing them.

If you experience strange issues, try patching the ROM file again with a known clean ROM. If you still experience
issues afterward or need help on how to patch, feel free to contact me.

Hash:

    No-Intro Name: Final Fantasy II (USA) (Rev 1)
    (No-Intro version 20130701-030720)
    ROM/File SHA-1: 41A74EB369A7A91815529EF99AB1B20E2BDF3E26
    File name: Final Fantasy II (USA) (Rev A).sfc


3. Gameplay Changes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-First, and foremost, you would be well-served to speak with everyone in the Training Room in the first town you
	explore. You will be told the location of it during the story.

-General menu navigation speed has been increased.

-ATB gauges for the player party have been added in battle!

Characters & Stats
------------------

-Many characters have had their stats and levels adjusted to account for the point where they join the story.

-Some characters join at pre-set levels (mostly the early characters). Later characters will join around the
	average level of your party.

-Potential for stat-downs at levels >70 have been removed. Level ups >70 are still randomized, but will always be
	in the positive direction.

-Spell lists and learned spell levels have been adjusted for most characters.

Spells & Abilities
------------------

-Several spells have had their power/accuracy/cast time adjusted in an effort to make all spells serve a purpose.

-Black Magic is now primarily a single-target spell group, while Summons enjoy mutli-targetting and no damage
	splitting.

-Sylph (Summon) has been removed from the game as a bug present in vanilla causes this spell to cast at no MP cost.
	Because of this, Asura has been made available earlier and had its MP cost and power adjusted.

-Chocobo (Summon) spell power has been increased significantly and changed to deal Air damage.

-The Summon items Imp, Bomb, and Mage have been dummied out and no longer drop.

-Virus (Black) is now Dark element in order to give the party a way to deal magical Dark damage.

-Venom (Black) is now Dark element and equivalent to Level 1 spells.

-The Warp (Black) spell has been removed from the game as it was largely redundant to the Exit (White) spell.

-The Sight (White) spell has been removed from the game.

-Waken (White) has been added. This spell removes Sleep and Stun (Combat only spell).

-Bless (White) has been added. This spell removes Curse (Combat only spell).

-The Exit (White) spell has been disabled in a number of locations to prevent sequence-breaking teleports.

-The Ninja spell Pin has been removed.

-Ninja magic has gained a spell called "Bandg" (Bandage). It provides a small emergency heal to one character.

-A number of enemy-only abilities have been adjusted to provide for more engaging fights.

-Several new abilities have been changed/added/re-introduced to the game:

	*Dark Wave: Everyone's favorite Dark Knight ability is back. Provides group damage at the expense of HP.
	*Pray: Chance to cast a variety of healing spells on the entire party. 20% chance to fail. Spells do
	       NOT consume MP!
		-30% chance of: Grace (10% of max HP heal)
		-20% chance of: Glory (33% of max HP heal)
		-20% chance of: Hope (cures all status effects)
		-10% chance of: Miracle (full HP/MP heal)
	*Sing: Revamped to affect all enemies and removed chance for failure.
		-Equal chance for: Stop, Mute, Charm, Sleep
	*Hide: Has changed characters.
	*Train: A small chance (10%) to cast a VERY powerful spell at no MP cost...
	*Focus: Charge up an attack for double damage. Bypasses "Fight" counter-attacks.
	*Drink: Self-cast Berserk+Blind.
	*Luck: Self-cast increase to critical hit rate by 5. Stackable.
	*Flirt: Reduces one enemy's chance to hit by half of the user's modified Vitality stat. Stackable.
	*Aria: Sets group regen at 25 HP per tick. Caster is able to freely act while this occurs.
	*Sneak: Removed from the game.
	*Dart: Renamed to Throw.

Equipment
---------

-Equipment you find in new shops is *almost* always a direct upgrade in the same weapon/armor class.

-A lot of gear has had its properties and stats changed. Please refer to the included Weapon/Armor chart (may
	contain light spoilers) or to the Equipment screen.

-The Equipment screen has received an overhaul thanks to Crow!'s Equipment Screen mod. Nearly all
	information about a character, their attack/defense power, elements, racial bonuses, etc. can be
	found on the equipment screen!

-Negative stats on equipment have been almost entirely removed.

-Evasion has been removed from most armor. Shields, light bodywear, and medium bodywear are now the only sources.

-Racial, elemental, and status bonuses now only appear on shields and accessories. They are much more prevalent 
	on weapons.

-Several characters are capable of equipping different weapon types. These weapon types offer differing styles of
	gameplay intended to allow the player to hybridize certain characters. Different weapons grant different
	stat bonuses.

-Spells cast by items are now mostly restricted to rods and staves. The power of these spells is lower than their
	casted counterpart, but they cost no MP.

-Accessories such as gloves and rings have been reworked to resemble relics and accessories from later Final
	Fantasy entries. Defensive bonuses these items used to provide have been rolled into bodywear.

-Arrows now enjoy unlimited use. Buy a quiver and fire away!

Items & Status Ailments
-----------------------

-Status curing items have been split up into two different items. This is closer to vanilla, but different from
	previous versions of this mod.

	*Ammonia: Cures Berserk, Sleep, Charm, and Stun
	*Remedy: Cures Poison, Blind, Mute, Petrify/Calcify, Pig, Frog, Mini, and Curse

-Accessories are now more important than ever to help prevent these ailments!

-Curaga items have been made more common and are now purchasable at certain shops.

-Fat Chocobos no longer require an item to summon. They can be found in most small chocobo forests as well as a
	few other places.

Enemies
-------

-Almost every enemy in the game has had their stats adjusted. Enemies as a whole have more HP and hit harder than
	they did in vanilla. DS/mobile HP levels were used for most enemies. It generally takes one round of
	attacks or hitting a weakness to kill an enemy.

-Many enemies now inflict status effects along with their regular attacks. Enemy type often determines what kind
	of ailment you can expect. (Lizards inflict Calcify/Petrify, etc.)

-Many enemies have had their race, resistance, and weakness tables adjusted to make more sense.

-Very Weak to an Element has been removed from every enemy (this was a 4x bonus). Weaknesses hit for 2x,
	resistances for roughly 1/2. Racial bonuses have been lowered from 4x to 3x and are much less
	common than elemental resistances/weaknesses.

-AI of monsters has been altered so not every enemy spams Fight until they die.

-Monster formations have been changed in several places so that there's not as much repeating of old enemies.

-Enemies no longer drop equipment. Most enemies drop consumables at a reasonable rate.

-Several bosses have new tricks up their sleeves...

Dialogue & Naming
-----------------

-Spells, abilities, monsters, and items have had their names changed either to align more closely with what they
	are or to more closely resemble their names in newer versions of the game. Some liberties were taken as
	the game imposes strict character limits, but you should see less abbreviations overall.

-Nearly every dialogue box in the game was edited or completely altered. Proper English is now used in most cases,
	and the characters should display more personality with their new dialogue.

-Townspeople often give hints on where to go or what to expect next.

-The Training Room has been rewritten to provide a good overview of basic game functions as the original text
	was pretty vague or hard to understand.

Map & Events
------------

-Events occur in a different order from the original game almost right from the start!

-Maps were edited in several places to account for dungeon pathing.

-Damage floor tiles have been changed from -50HP per step to -10HP per step.

-Some NPCs were removed from certain areas in order to be re-used elsewhere or to prevent strange occurances.

-Map headers (the thing at the top of the screen when you enter an area) have been spruced up a bit to make
	some areas sound less bland.

-A number of sidequests have been added at roughly the 2/3 point of the game which provide a break from the
	action as well as VERY lucrative rewards.

-Y-button dashing has been added to indoor areas! Hold the Y-button to dash.


4. Known Issues
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-There exists the possibility of a small continuity error involving airships at a certain point of the game
	depending on player actions. Everything plays normally, but airships may be relocated near the player.

-Dashing (Y-button) while entering a cutscene or climbing a rope will result in movement within the cutscene
	playing out faster or slower than intended.

-There is a brief graphical glitch during a ship-riding sequence. It lasts for 1/2 second at most and appears to
	be related to map topography. It is a one-time occurrence.


5. Version History
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Version 1.08 - Fixed some typos.
	       Removed individual-status curing items and replaced them with multiple-status cures. Ammonia can
		be purchased for 50GP each and Remedies for 100GP each. Shops, treasures, starting items, and
		drops have been adjusted.
		 -Ammonia - Cures Berserk, Sleep, Charm, and Stun
		 -Purity - Cures Poison, Blind, Mute, Petrify/Calcify, Pig, Frog, Mini, and Curse
	       As a result of the above item changes, some treasure chest contents are completely different.
	       Corrected the index for KO spells to no longer add Float in addition to KO.
	       Remedies should no longer remove Float.
	       Removed +5 Wisdom bonus from the Leech sword.
	       Lowered D. Knight's HP by 60% (10,000->4,000).
	       Added Y-button dashing indoors, menu speed increase hack, and ATB bars (courtesy of Myself086).
	       Removed the regular battle music in favor of playing the area music consistently while exploring.
	       Adjusted encounter rates to fall between 6/256 steps to 8/256 steps (does not include overworld).
		  -Further breakdown:
		 	*Tower of Babil (all sections) - Reduced (8->6)
			*Path to Feymarch - Reduced (9->8)
			*Sealed Cave - Increased (4->6)
			*Eblan Cave - Reduced (8->7)
			*Watery Cave - Reduced (8->7 in areas without 7 already)
			*Mist Cave - Increased (7->8)
			*Giant of Babil - Reduced (9->8)
			*Lunar Subterrane/Lunar Core - Equalized to 8/256 (a few were lower, most were higher)
	       Added Crow!'s TLD Equipment Screen Mod.
	       Arrow quivers are now obtained in quantities of 1 instead of 10.
	       Since arrows are unlimited, now only one arrow quiver can be equipped at a time (no stacking on
	        a character's hand).
	       Cleaned up the boat ride a bit. It still glitches, but the boat won't travel through rocks anymore.
	       Go b z is no more. RIP Go b z... (corrected an error caused by text in the Equipment menu).
	       Customized the title screen.
	       Added the Critical Hit Fix by chillyfeez and GrimoireLD.
	       Added Long Range Fix by Dragoon ZERO.
			
			

Version 1.07d - Corrected an error with the item index for the Black Shield. It now correctly adds instant-death
		 immunity when equipped.
		Added a new consumable item: Ammonia. Cures Sleep/Stun. Added this item to a couple shops and
		 can be purchased for 50GP each.

Version 1.07c - Fixed the status indeces for Soft and MaidKiss (these were curing more statuses than intended).
		Fixed the status index for Remedy (these were not curing Calcify and Petrify).
		Corrected status/element indeces for several other spells and items.
		Lowered casting delay for Piggy (6->2).
		Lowered casting delay for Toad (3->2).

Version 1.07b - Pray has been overhauled again with effects that will be useful throughout the game.
		More dialogue tweaks and fixes (mostly involving names).
		Corrected some cutscene irregularities if Cecil was not the controlled character.

Version 1.07a - Fixed an issue with the Wind Spear's name appearing as "T".
		Fixed a minor dialogue issue with a name.

Version 1.07 - White D.'s spell power has been increased (31->46).
	       Fixed a broken reaction in Lunar D.'s AI.
	       Fixed a broken reaction in Bahamut's AI.
	       Bahamut's spell power has been increased (17->25).
	       Bahamut's AI script has been changed.
	       Zeromus' AI script has been changed.
	       The D.Knight fight has undergone a significant change.
	       Mist D.'s HP has been increased by 25%.
	       Renamed Glare to Inferno.
	       Corrected Wave and Deluge to be Ice/Water damage (was non-elemental).
	       Black Magic damage spells changed to single-target only.
	       Virus casting delay increased (0->3) and MP cost increased (20->25).
	       Cure4's casting delay increased from 0->1.
	       Bahamut's (Summon) spell power decreased from 60->40.
	       Titan's (Summon) spell power decreased from 42->35.
	       Leviathan's (Summon) spell power decreased from 35->25.
	       Learned spell levels have been adjusted (mostly from level 20 onward).
	       Aria regen ticks reduced from 50->25, but no longer lock the caster in place.
	       Pray has been overhauled to cast varying levels of Cure spells at no cost.
	       Accessories changed to behave more like relics/accessories from later games. Defensive stat
		bonuses have been added to bodywear of the appropriate type.
	       Pricing and availability of accessories have been altered.
	       Terminology of the fifth equipment slot changed from "Arms" to "Accy."
	       Corrected a pricing discrepancy between Karate and Jujitsu (medium bodywear).
	       Ribbon (light helmet) has been renamed to Halo.
	       Headband (medium helmet) has been renamed to Headgear.
	       FireWard (heavy armor) has been renamed to Gold.
	       Iceguard (heavy armor) has been renamed to Platinum.
	       Black (heavy armor) has been renamed to Hades.
	       Black (heavy helmet) has been renamed to Hades.
	       Fixed the Mjolnir mace's attack visuals.
	       Starting equipment has been changed for several characters.
	       Dancing Dagger's item use has been removed.
	       Arrows no longer deplete when fired. Arrow pricing has been adjusted due to this.
	       The Shadow and Black shields now grant Dark resistance.
	       The Black shield is now also usable by classes: Chief, Dragoon, Paladin.
	       The Paladin shield now has Holy resistance.
	       Crystal and Dragoon shields now grant resistance to Fire, Ice, and Lightning.
	       Racial, elemental, and status protection removed from all armor except shields.
	       Several treasure chests have had their contents changed.
	       Cure1, Cure2, and Cure3 potions have been renamed to Cure, Cura, and Curaga respectively.
	       EXP awarded at the end of battle has been reduced approximately 10-20% globally.
	       Added a spell icon to Ninja spells.
	       Fixed a game-breaking bug with exits in Damcyan.
	       Various dialogue tweaks and fixes.

Version 1.06 - Fixed an AI error which caused Red D.s to freeze the game.

Version 1.05 - Many monsters have had their scripts rewritten and stats adjusted (mostly mid-game and onward).
		These changes include many script changes for final dungeon bosses. The final dungeon should be
		much more challenging now.
	       Stardust Rod power when cast as an item has been doubled (50->100).
	       Venom now has power equal to a level 1 spell and is dark element in addition to adding Poison.
	       Level 3 spells have been reduced in power from 64->48.
	       Flare and Holy have been reduced in power from 80->60.
	       Flare and Holy casting delay have been increased from 3->4.
	       Meteo has been reduced in power from 100->80.
	       Changed a trapped chest formation in the final dungeon.

Version 1.04 - Increased the power of most of Paladin Cecil's mid-late game swords. Most have also been changed
		to grant Strength and Vitality instead of Strength and either Agility or Willpower.
	       Added a new weapon type for Paladin Cecil: Maces. Maces are designed to augment Cecil's healing
		abilities. They increase his Willpower and Agility, but have low power.
	       To coincide with the above changes, most rings may now be used by anyone.
	       Paladin Cecil now learns more White Magic. He learns Cure 3 (33), Esuna (35), Haste (37), and
		Cure 4 (40).
	       The Gigas Gloves now grant 10 Strength instead of 5.
	       The Defender sword has been moved.

Version 1.03 - Disabled Exit in the Sylph Cave to prevent a sequence break.

Version 1.02 - The Spoon item was unintentionally equippable. This has been corrected.
	       The little girl in the Eblan hospital should no longer be channeling Cid later in the game.
	       An Eblan guard outside the hospital appeared later in the game than expected. He has been removed.
	       The Toroia, Agart, and Mythril inns were playing the Mysidia music after staying at them. While
		the Mysidia music is awesome, this was unintended and has been corrected.

Version 1.01 - Made some spelling corrections.
	       Rydia was not learning Leviathan despite getting the learned message after leveling. Leviathan
		has been moved to level 36 (from 35) to address a bug caused by gaining multiple spells at
		the same time.
	       Added note about Imp, Bomb, and Mage Summon items to the Readme.
	       Juji and Koga shuriken items were equippable. This has been corrected.

Version 1.0 - Full public release of mod.


6. Credits & Thanks
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pinkpuff - For the glorious ff4kster editor obtainable here: http://www.romhacking.net/utilities/914/
	   Also for creating Unprecedented Crisis, which encouraged me to make this mod.

chillyfeez - For a page on command stance animations I utilized to make some commands look less wonky.
	     Said page can be found here: http://slickproductions.org/forum/index.php?topic=2009.0
	     For finding the bytes related to equipping arrows and monster drops/stealing them.
	     For their part in the Critical Hit Fix found here: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4256/

Grimoire LD - For his notes on hex editing Adult Rydia's joining equipment. Said notes may be found here:
		http://slickproductions.org/forum/index.php?topic=2022.0
		Also for his notes on damage tiles found here:
		http://slickproductions.org/forum/index.php?topic=1883.msg20436#msg20436
	      For his part in the Critical Hit Fix found here: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4256/

b0ardface - For finding the byte related to collecting arrows in treasure chests.

Myself086 - For the Y-button dash, menu speed, and ATB hacks.
	    For taking a significant portion of his time helping get the above hacks working correctly.
	    For taking even more time to help me figure out the Go b z problem.

Crow! - For the TLS Equipment Screen mod found here: http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4378/

Dragoon ZERO - For their Long Range Fix found here: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/892/

Yousei - Creator of FF4ed, which was used to help find world map coordinates and formation areas.

dee_ehn - For assistance with locating a particular trigger in the game's hex regarding the boat.

BTB - For assistance with the Weapon/Armor chart which borrows heavily from his Printme in FFVI Brave New World.
	Also made many suggestions on how to format the chart for easier viewing.

ID/NG+ Chat - For putting up with my inane banter and providing support while I created this mod.

A very special thanks to all of my beta testers (for various versions):

		Anima Zero
		Arcenierin
		Bradley "Aura of the Dawn" Kersey
		Fathlo23
		Kain Stryder
		Lolwayup
		Riza
		RotomPoison (Geno)
		Steven "Catastrophic4" Mosser


7. Contact Information
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am most easily reached via PM on the New Game Plus forums or in our Discord server, username Rynzer.
http://ngplus.net/index.php?/forums/forum/8-final-fantasy-iv-the-darkness-within/

https://discord.gg/0tUe7L5MByjYi5d1

I can also be reached (in order of preference):

Skype: Rynzer
Twitch: Rynzer
Steam: Rynzer
Twitter: Rynzir (I VERY rarely log in to Twitter)