As the great end of this manual I want to add a review about the DestinyPatch and its development. Since some years I had the idea to develop a patch for the RPG-Maker, but at that time I had not the required knowledge. I had tried to create a solution with a second exe file, which modifies the memory of the real exe file. This solution has a lot of problems (not only due to the performance). For example the memory addresses differ in the RPG_RT depending on the number of variables allocated, etc.. An other problem whould be the parallel monitoring of memory. This could make trouble on slow computer systems.
At that time I had the idea that a patch, which could read the content of the comment command, whould be optimal. This whould have the advantage that each command, which shall be executed by the patch, is entered into the RPG-Maker. And further that the patch is working serial (so the RPG-Maker whould make a pause during the execution of a patch command).
Three years later (end of the year 2005 - at that time I had gathered much more knowledge about exe files and learned the programming language Assembler) I picked up my old idea and started to develop the DestinyPatch.
To do this I had disassembled the RPG_RT.exe and patched it by hand (with a hex editor). The patch worked, but it was poor. For example it didn't afford a real formula interpreter. Additionally some functions (like the disabling of the F12 key) made trouble. In my opinion the patch was more an impertinance than a helpful tool. Hence I canceled the DestinyPatch.
At the beginning of 2007 I rediscovered the pleasure of modifing games. I modified a game for a friend (more life, etc.). Hence I resumed the project "Destiny" and completely revised. But this time I used more structure! For example I created some structograms for the formula interpreter. This eases the work enormously. Additionally I solved the problems like the F12 key thingy on the first start-up. Sometimes it is useful to make a (short) break. The entire year 2007 I worked continously (this means at leas 1 hour per week) on the patch until it was ready at the end of 2007.
The most difficult part of the project was the development of the help files. (Writing easily readable text is much more complicated than writing procedures which modify the stack of its own calling procedures). But the documentating of the patch included advantages. Because I noticed some meaningless functions, that could be removed, and some missing functions, that should be added (e. g. the
If method). By hindsight some functions, which are from the first project time of 2005, are useless. But I leave them inside because they could be possibly useful (e. g. who needs a arcus secans?!).
Now (Beginning of 2008) the patch is checked ready (for now). I don't know if there will be new versions. (This depends on the requirement of the users). Furthermore some people whould like to have functions, which are hard to include. (For this functions it whould be easier and much more expedient to write an own RPG-Maker).
But for now I wish all people, who want to use the patch (nevertheless to the old RPG-Maker 2000 version) a lot of fun!