How do I develop my own AR codes?

[Colossus]

Is there a guide available on how to start doing this?

[degasus]

(05-15-2016, 09:41 AM)Colossus Wrote: Is there a guide available on how to start doing this?

You first must understand what an AR code is. It's an "encrypted" command to overwrite a memory location with a given value.
While I have no clue about the encryption (just look at the dolphin srouce..), you must hack the game. So start dolphin in the debugger mode (-d as argument), look at the PPC binary, and have fun.
I guess you'll run out of luck with only using the dolphin debugger. It's often wise to also use a general debugger to set breakpoints on the MMIO writes to detect eg the VI configuration.

[degasus]

Because the OP is not looking for AR codes, he wants to make them on his own.

[JosJuice]

(05-17-2016, 09:55 PM)degasus Wrote: Because the OP is not looking for AR codes, he wants to make them on his own.

Cheat Search is used to search through memory and create AR codes based on found memory addresses. It doesn't look for existing AR codes.

[Admentus]

It is not a new function. But if I were you I should not spent any time studying it. If you are not capable of handling the Search Engine properly, then the debugger is far out of your league. I don't want to be harsh but that is the reality. The debugger is certainly aimed for some of the more advanced users. Personally myself, I am still struggling to grasp the debugger. So I just started learning how textures packs work, modifications of ini files and such. You will have to start somewhere. I managed to even make some simple AR codes, such as always having 98 lives for the NTSC version of New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Yes, I know, but the NTSC version was missing an AR version and it is a good learning practice. It even works for New Super Mario Bros. Wii hacks). The best thing to start with is trying to learn how to work with the Search Engine (for example the difference between 8, 16, 32 bit pointers, writes, activators, additions and so on).

You will have to know how the hexadecimal programming language works. Ohh, and please merge your posts, that makes it easier to oversee what your are writing. Double (or triple in your case) posts are sort of annoying. The easiest thing you can do with the Search Engine is modifying values such as health and lives to stay at a fixed integer value (let's say you want unlimited health in Paper Mario). As for codes such as receiving double damage, well... that is where things are starting to get complex.

It may very well surprise you how many AR and Gecko codes exists on the internet. AR and Gecko codes are not Dolphin exclusive, it even works on a real GameCube or Wii. But Dolphin being awesome, it support AR and Gecko codes too, and even has an internal list of codes for a lot of games. However, not all codes are provided within Dolphin. So you may have to look further than the Dolphin forums for adding more codes. There is no need for creating a double damage modifier for Wind Waker for example, just check out the internet archive. If I am correctly, game ini files within Dolphin are already listed with the Gecko codes found at: http://geckocodes.org/. I am not sure about AR codes through, http://arcentral.net/Codes/ perhaps?

[degasus]

(05-17-2016, 10:23 PM)Admentus Wrote: I you are not capable of handling the Search Engine properly, then the debugger is far out of your league.

Indeed, hacking dolphin is easier than hacking the game itself.

So if you're looking for an AR code to increase your HP, the cheat searcher may be the best tool.

If you want to develop an AR code for 60fps, 16:9, or even game-internal changes, have fun.