Archipelago/WebHostLib/static/assets/tutorial/tutorial_en.md

9.4 KiB

A Link to the Past Randomizer Setup Guide

Required Software

  • MultiWorld Utilities
  • QUsb2Snes (Included in the above Utilities)
  • Hardware or software capable of loading and playing SNES ROM files
  • Your Japanese v1.0 ROM file, probably named Zelda no Densetsu - Kamigami no Triforce (Japan).sfc

Installation Procedures

Windows Setup

  1. Download and install the MultiWorld Utilities from the link above, making sure to install the most recent version. The file is located in the assets section at the bottom of the version information. If you intend to play normal multiworld games, you want Setup.BerserkerMultiWorld.exe

    • If you intend to play the doors variant of multiworld, you will want to download the alternate doors file.
    • During the installation process, you will be asked to browse for your Japanese 1.0 ROM file. If you have installed this software before and are simply upgrading now, you will not be prompted to locate your ROM file a second time.
    • You may also be prompted to install Microsoft Visual C++. If you already have this software on your computer (possibly because a Steam game installed it already), the installer will not prompt you to install it again.
  2. If you are using an emulator, you should assign your Lua capable emulator as your default program for launching ROM files.

    1. Extract your emulator's folder to your Desktop, or somewhere you will remember.
    2. Right click on a ROM file and select Open with...
    3. Check the box next to Always use this app to open .sfc files
    4. Scroll to the bottom of the list and click the grey text Look for another App on this PC
    5. Browse for your emulator's .exe file and click Open. This file should be located inside the folder you extracted in step one.

Macintosh Setup

  • We need volunteers to help fill this section! Please contact Farrak Kilhn on Discord if you want to help.

Configuring your YAML file

What is a YAML file and why do I need one?

Your YAML file contains a set of configuration options which provide the generator with information about how it should generate your game. Each player of a multiworld will provide their own YAML file. This setup allows each player to enjoy an experience customized for their taste, and different players in the same multiworld can all have different options.

Where do I get a YAML file?

The Player Settings page on the website allows you to configure your personal settings and download a yaml file. You may configure up to three presets on this page.

Your YAML file is weighted

The Player Settings page has many options which are primarily represented with sliders. This allows you to choose how likely certain options are to occur relative to other options within a category.

For example, imagine the generator creates a bucket labeled "Map Shuffle", and places folded pieces of paper into the bucket for each sub-option. Also imagine your chosen value for "On" is 20 and your value for "Off" is 40.

In this example, sixty pieces of paper are put into the bucket. Twenty for "On" and forty for "Off". When the generator is deciding whether or not to turn on map shuffle for your game, it reaches into this bucket and pulls out a piece of paper at random. In this example, you are much more likely to have map shuffle turned off.

If you never want an option to be chosen, simply set its value to zero.

Verifying your YAML file

If you would like to validate your YAML file to make sure it works, you may do so on the YAML Validator page.

Generating a Single-Player Game

  1. Navigate to the Generator Page and upload your YAML file.
  2. You will be presented with a "Seed Info" page, where you can download your patch file.
  3. Double-click on your patch file and the emulator should launch with your game automatically. As the Client is unnecessary for single player games, you may close it and the WebUI.

Joining a MultiWorld Game

Obtain your patch file and create your ROM

When you join a multiworld game, you will be asked to provide your YAML file to whoever is hosting. Once that is done, the host will provide you with either a link to download your patch file, or with a zip file containing everyone's patch files. Your patch file should have a .bmbp extension.

Put your patch file on your desktop or somewhere convenient, and double click it. This should automatically launch the client, and will also create your ROM file in the same place as your patch file.

Connect to the client

With an emulator

When the client launched automatically, QUsb2Snes should have also automatically launched in the background. If this is its first time launching, you may be prompted to allow it to communicate through the Windows Firewall.

snes9x Multitroid
  1. Load your ROM file if it hasn't already been loaded.
  2. Click on the File menu and hover on Lua Scripting
  3. Click on New Lua Script Window...
  4. In the new window, click Browse...
  5. Browse to the location you extracted snes9x Multitroid to, enter the lua folder, and choose multibridge.lua
  6. Observe a name has been assigned to you, and that the client shows "SNES Device: Connected", with that same name in the upper left corner.
BizHawk
  1. Ensure you have the BSNES core loaded. You may do this by clicking on the Tools menu in BizHawk and following these menu options: Config --> Cores --> SNES --> BSNES
    Once you have changed the loaded core, you must restart BizHawk.
  2. Load your ROM file if it hasn't already been loaded.
  3. Click on the Tools menu and click on Lua Console
  4. Click the button to open a new Lua script.
  5. Browse to your MultiWorld Utilities installation directory, and into the following directories:
    QUsb2Snes/Qusb2Snes/LuaBridge
  6. Select luabridge.lua and click Open.
  7. Observe a name has been assigned to you, and that the client shows "SNES Device: Connected", with that same name in the upper left corner.

With hardware

This guide assumes you have downloaded the correct firmware for your device. If you have not done so already, please do this now. SD2SNES and FXPak Pro users may download the appropriate firmware here. Other hardware may find helpful information on this page.

To connect with hardware you must use an old version of QUsb2Snes (v0.7.16).
Versions of QUsb2Snes later than this break compatibility with hardware for multiworld.

  1. Close your emulator, which may have auto-launched.
  2. Close QUsb2Snes, which launched automatically with the client.
  3. Launch the appropriate version of QUsb2Snes (v0.7.16).
  4. Power on your device and load the ROM.
  5. Observe the client window now shows "SNES Device: Connected", and lists the name of your device.

Connect to the MultiServer

The patch file which launched your client should have automatically connected you to the MultiServer. There are a few reasons this may not happen however, including if the game is hosted on the website but was generated elsewhere. If the client window shows "Server Status: Not Connected", simply ask the host for the address of the server, and copy/paste it into the "Server" input field then press enter.

The client will attempt to reconnect to the new server address, and should momentarily show "Server Status: Connected". If the client does not connect after a few moments, you may need to refresh the page.

Play the game

When the client shows both SNES Device and Server as connected, you're ready to begin playing. Congratulations on successfully joining a multiworld game!

Hosting a MultiWorld game

The recommended way to host a game is to use the hosting service provided on the website. The process is relatively simple:

  1. Collect YAML files from your players.
  2. Create a zip file containing your players' YAML files.
  3. Upload that zip file to the website linked above.
  4. Wait a moment while the seed is generated.
  5. When the seed is generated, you will be redirected to a "Seed Info" page.
  6. Click "Create New Room". This will take you to the server page. Provide the link to this page to your players so they may download their patch files from here.
    Note: The patch files provided on this page will allow players to automatically connect to the server, while the patch files on the "Seed Info" page will not.
  7. Note that a link to a MultiWorld Tracker is at the top of the room page. You should also provide this link to your players so they can watch the progress of the game. Any observers may also be given the link to this page.
  8. Once all players have joined, you may begin playing.