Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Fortune

[WindchildWhimsy]

So this hack has been out for a few months but I've been putting off on posting it here for a while.  But now that I've finished 1.1 with a slew of new features, I decided it was finally time!

The goal of Explorers of Fortune was to add extra content and quality of life to Explorers of Sky as possible, while keeping the original's difficulty level and spirit!  Sky was always a comfort game for me, so I didn't gel with similar hacks that focused more on difficulty.  Thus I set out to create my own take on an expanded Sky, and I ended up very pleasantly surprised with the result!  So without further ado...

 

Story and characters:
 

Spoiler

-Archen from Super Mystery Dungeon appears as a regular townsperson!  He'll give you hints towards a lot of the new features.  
-Postgame, a Sableye will appear in town.  
-Repair Original Color Magearna over the course of the game!  When she's back online, she'll join your team, and each day, she'll hide in a random spot in town.  Find her, and she'll reward you!
-Fixed Corphish misgendering Mesprit

QoL and features:
 

Spoiler

-The starter list has been greatly expanded!  In addition to all the starters from Vanilla, none of which are gender-locked anymore, you can additionally choose from Alolan Vulpix, Galarian Ponyta, Ledyba, Litwick, Snivy, Sandshrew, Aron, Glameow, Oshawott, Petilil, Finneon, both normal and Hisuian Zorua, Hisuian Sneasel, Fennekin, Espurr, Amaura, Rowlet, Scorbunny, Swirlix, Mareep, Popplio, Deino, Rockruff, Pawniard, Machop, Cubone, Axew and Froakie!  
-Yes, I did say CHOOSE.  If you don't like what the quiz gave you, then you can freely select from the list of options for your gender!  
-Additionally, your partner can now be the same type as you!  
-Xatu now gives you the option to appraise all of your treasure boxes at once!  
-Tips have been disabled!  
-You can now press start to toggle complete team control!  Coordinate against a boss or manage your team to get out of sticky situations!  
-Tired of all your main story recruits getting left in the dust?  Worry no more, for Experience Share is here!  All teammates will gain EXP, not just active ones!  You will need to bring them into a dungeon for their level to refresh though.
-Fairy type has been added, along with Fairy Gummis!  
-A handful of moves have been added!  Judgment, Dazzling Gleam, Moonblast, Fairy Wind, Disarming Voice, Play Rough, Ivy Cudgel, Fusion Bolt, Sacred Sword and Spirit Shackle have all been implemented!  
-Vacuum-Cut has been buffed to deal low but non-fixed damage, but in return the TM has been made much harder to come by.  
-Several Cafe-related changes!  Spinda's drink-making animation has been shortened!  Kangaskhan will now appear in the cafe, so you don't have to walk all the way across town!  Lastly, IQ gains have been increased!  Regular gummis now yield double the original value, and Nectar and Wonder Gummis will give you massive increases!  
-Rank points have been reworked to give a steadier curve.  
-One For All, All For One now plays during the graduation exam instead of The Gatekeepers
-Text speed has been increased!  

Dungeons:

Spoiler

-Every dungeon with recruiting, and even some that don't, have at least one new Pokemon to be found!  
-There's a small chance of finding a Secret Slab or Mystery Part on the final floor of main-story dungeons!  All special encounters besides Darkrai can now happen regardless of story progress, so you can recruit some Legendaries before the credits.  
-Every dungeon that allows recruiting has a Shiny Pokemon to be found!  They will tend to be a higher level than the surrounding Pokemon.  Besides their coloration, they also have a different talk group ("personality") from their usual counterparts!  A few dungeons even have multiple Shinies!  Shinies are more common in Monster Houses, so keep an eye out for outlaws who hide in one!
-You can revisit the future dungeons after recruiting Dialga!  If you bring a Secret Slab or Mystery Part, you may encounter some old friends...
-Aegis Cave has been made a bit easier!  Now, the essential Unown appear in Ice, Rock, and Steel Aegis Caves, while the rest appear in the Pit instead!
-Eastern Forest is finally a real dungeon!
-You can visit a special dungeon filled with Paradoxes by bringing a specific item to the end of Bottomless Sea.
-World Abyss has been revamped to be less of a Concealed Ruins clone.  
-Each Zero Isle has a locked door on the penultimate floor.  If you bring its contents to the end of the dungeon, you can visit a special place.  If you find a Mystery Part on that floor, then something extra special will appear in the mysterious Zero Hoard...
-Destiny Tower has been redone!  Instead of a level 1 dungeon, it's now free-level vs powerful enemies in type-themed stretches a la Super Mystery Dungeon. At the top now awaits a powerful ally...
-Oblivion Forest now allows recruitment.  
-Visit the Ultra Wilds after recruiting Giratina!  
-Fairy Fortress unlocks after clearing the game.
-Chargestone Temple unlocks after beating Darkrai.
-Hey, remember how you fell way down upon first entering Spacial Rift?  And how Spacial Rift goes downwards?  Now you can visit Upper Spacial Rift!  
-A smaller-scale level 1 dungeon has been added, Purity Grove!  
-A post-game sidequest will unlock Mystic Gorge, which is full of Psychic types!  
-Freedom Coast, a side dungeon from Super, has been added!  
-Occasionally in the postgame, you'll be able to visit Mirage Oasis, a strange desert dungeon chock full of treasure!  
-Once you've befriended Rayquaza, it can take you to Astral Thicket, a dungeon in spaaaaaaaaaaace!
-The Final Maze now has an extra reward at the end!  

Pokemon:

-New additions:
 

Spoiler

Arceus (Normal form only)
Victini
Snivy
Servine
Serperior
Oshawott
Dewott
Samurott
Purrloin
Liepard
Munna
Musharna
Cottonee
Whimsicott
Petilil
Lilligant
Maractus
Yamask
Cofagrigus
Archen
Archeops
Zorua
Zoroark
Gothita
Gothorita
Gothitelle
Solosis
Duosion
Reuniclus
Joltik
Galvantula
Axew
Fraxure
Haxorus
Litwick
Lampent
Chandelure
Golett
Golurk
Mienfoo
Mienshao
Pawniard
Bisharp
Rufflet
Braviary
Durant
Heatmor
Larvesta
Volcarona
Deino
Zweilous
Hydreigon
Cobalion
Terrakion
Virizion
Tornadus (Incarnate only)
Thundurus (Incarnate only)
Reshiram
Zekrom
Landorus (Incarnate only)
Keldeo (standard only)
Meloetta (can freely "evolve" between forms)
Genesect (no Drives)
Fennekin
Braixen
Delphox
Froakie
Frogadier
Greninja
Swirlix
Slurpuff (use Link Cable)
Espurr
Meowstic
Honedge
Doublade
Aegislash (which form is determined by whether attack or defense is higher upon evolving)
Helioptile
Heliolisk
Amaura
Aurorus
Tyrunt
Tyrantrum
Sylveon (IQ+Beauty Scarf)
Hawlucha
Carbink
Goomy
Sliggoo
Goodra
Phantump
Trevenant
Pumpkaboo
Gourgeist
Xerneas (Active only)
Yveltal
Zygarde (10% and 50%, can "evolve" between each)
Diancie
Volcanion
Hoopa (can freely evolve between forms)
Rowlet
Dartrix
Decidueye
Popplio
Brionne
Primarina
Grubbin
Charjabug
Vikavolt (Thunder Stone)
Cutiefly
Ribombee
Rockruff
Lycanroc (all forms, determined by whether a Sun Ribbon, Lunar Ribbon, or Link Cable is used)
Dewpider
Araquanid
Fomantis
Lurantis
Salandit
Salazzle
Bounsweet
Steenee
Tsareena (IQ+Beauty Scarf)
Wimpod
Golisopod
Minior (all forms)
Type: Null
Silvally (Normal form only)
Mimikyu (Disguised only)
Jangmo-o
Hakamo-o
Kommo-o
Tapu Koko
Tapu Lele
Tapu Bulu
Tapu Fini
Cosmog
Cosmoem (53+Sun or Lunar Ribbon)
Solgaleo
Lunala
Nihilego
Buzzwole
Pheromosa
Xurkitree
Celesteela
Kartana
Guzzlord
Necrozma (normal and Ultra, can evolve between the two at high IQ)
Poipole
Blacephalon
Stakataka
Marshadow
Zeraora
Magearna (normal and Original Color)
Scorbunny
Raboot
Cinderace
Sobble
Drizzile
Inteleon
Hatenna
Hattrem
Hatterene
Milcery
Alcremie (8 forms, based on whether you used a Sun or Lunar Ribbon and a Cheri, Rawst, Pecha or Oran Berry)
Indeedee
Snom
Frosmoth
Duraludon
Dreepy
Drakloak
Dragapult
Eternatus
Regieleki
Regidrago
Spectrier
Enamorus (Incarnate and Therian, "evolve" to swap forms)
Nymble
Lokix
Tinkatink
Tinkatuff
Tinkaton
Cyclizar
Glimmet
Glimmora
Farigiraf (IQ)
Kingambit (King's Rock)
Flutter Mane
Scream Tail

Slither Wing
Iron Hands
Iron Bundle
Iron Valiant
Chi-Yu
Gimmighoul
Gholdengo (Lost Loot)
Fezandipiti
Ogerpon (use a Fire, Grass, Water or Moon stone to swap forms at Luminous Spring)
Archaludon (Metal Coat)
Applin
Flapple (Big Apple plus Attack>Defense)
Appletun (Big Apple plus Defense>Attack)
Dipplin (Big Apple plus Attack=Defense)
Hydrapple (Golden Apple)

-Regional Variants:
 

Spoiler

Vulpix
Ninetales (Frozen Rock)
Ponyta
Rapidash
Sandshrew
Sandslash (Frozen Rock)
Typhlosion
Samurott
Raichu
Zorua
Zoroark
Marowak
Zapdos
Moltres
Corsola
Cursola
Wooper
Clodsire
Sneasel
Sneasler
Sliggoo
Goodra

-Added forms:
 

Spoiler

Pikachu Libre (special SS/MP encounter)
Mega Mewtwo Y (can freely swap at high IQ)
Primal Kyogre (can freely swap at high IQ)
Primal Groudon (can freely swap at high IQ)
Mega Lopunny (can evolve at high IQ)
Origin Dialga (can freely swap at high IQ)
Origin Palkia (can freely swap at high IQ)
recruitable Primal Dialga and Purple Kecleon

-Shinies:
 

Spoiler

Celebi (Dusk Forest)
Charizard (Mt Horn)
Typhlosion (Steam Cave)
Snorlax (Apple Woods)
Dragonite (Surrounded Sea)
Furret (Foggy Forest)
Scizor (Landslide Cave)
Crobat (Quicksand Cave)
Ho-Oh (Mirage Oasis 24)
Medicham (Northern Desert)
Illumise (Crystal Cave)
Flygon (Crystal Crossing)
Milotic (Serenity River)
Rampardos (Mt Bristle)
Drifblim (Sky Peak 1-6)
Lickilicky (Waterfall Cave)
Gallade (Drenched Bluff)
Rotom (Amp Plains)
Hisuian Zorua (Blizzard Island)
Hisuian Zoroark (Blizzard Island)
Volcarona (Sky Peak 7-peak)
Carbink (Shimmer Hill)
Goodra (Brine Cave)
Gourgeist (Mystifying Forest)
Ribombee (Marine Resort)
Tsareena (Treeshroud Forest)
Nihilego (Ultra Wilds 1-9)
Buzzwole (Ultra Wilds 10-18)
Pheromosa (Ultra Wilds 19-27)
Xurkitree (Ultra Wilds 28-36)
Celesteela (Ultra Wilds 37-45)
Kartana (Ultra Wilds 46-54)
Guzzlord (Ultra Wilds 55-63)
Poipole (Ultra Wilds 64-72)
Naganadel (evolve Shiny Poipole)
Blacephalon (Ultra Wilds 73-81)
Stakataka (Ultra Wilds 82-90)
Cosmog (Ultra Wilds 91-98)
Cosmoem (evolve Shiny Cosmog)
Solgaleo (evolve Shiny Cosmoem)
Lunala (Evolve Shiny Cosmoem)
Lokix (Dark Crater)
Flutter Mane (Paradoxical Plane)
Iron Bundle (Paradoxical Plane)
Iron Hands (Paradoxical Plane)
Iron Valiant (Paradoxical Plane)
Masquerain (Beach Cave)
Swampert (Craggy Coast)
Spiritomb (Chasm Cave)
Alolan Marowak (Dark Hill)
Hariyama (Sealed Ruin)
Mightyena (Dusk Forest)
Beedrill (Deep Dusk Forest)
Rhyperior (Crevice Cave)
Armaldo (Miracle Sea)
Unown (Y only) (Aegis Cave)
Arcanine (Mt Travail)
Porygon-Z (Spacial Rift)
Reuniclus (Concealed Ruins)
Inteleon (Bottomless Sea)
Mawile (Shimmer Desert)
Weavile (Mt Avalanche)
Absol (World Abyss)
Salamence (Sky Stairway)
Whimsicott (Mystery Jungle)
Seviper (Lush Prairie)
Lucario (Tiny Meadow)
Torterra (Oran Forest)
Haxorus (Labyrinth Cave)
Vaporeon (Lake Afar)
Sylveon (Happy Outlook)
Skarmory (Mt. Mistral)
Farigiraf (Lost Wilderness)
Sableye (Midnight Forest)
Mimikyu (Fairy Fortress)
Luxray (Chargestone Temple)
Hawlucha (Final Maze)
Dragapult (Oblivion Forest)
Latias (Zero Hoard 5 from Zero Isle West)
Zekrom (Zero Hoard 2 from Zero Isle North)
Genesect (Zero Hoard 3 from Zero Isle East)
Tapu Lele (Zero Hoard 1 from Zero Isle North)
Salazzle (Giant Volcano)
Regirock (Zero Hoard 7 from Zero Isle South)
Groudon (plus Primal) (Zero Hoard 8 from Zero Isle South)
Giratina (Origin only) (Zero Hoard 4 from Zero Isle East)
Happiny (Zero Hoard, can also be found but not recruited in Zero Isle)
Chansey (Zero Hoard, can also be found but not recruited in Zero Isle)
Blissey (Zero Hoard, can also be found but not recruited in Zero Isle)
Yveltal (Zero Hoard 6 from Zero Isle West)
Suicune (Zero Hoard 9 from Zero Isle Center)
Normal Deoxys (cannot swap between forms) (Upper Spacial Rift 1, 5, 9, etc.)
Attack Deoxys (cannot swap between forms) (Upper Spacial Rift 2, 6, 10, etc.)
Defense Deoxys (cannot swap between forms) (Upper Spacial Rift 3, 7, 11, etc.)
Speed Deoxys (cannot swap between forms) (Upper Spacial Rift 4, 8, 12, etc.)
Minior (Astral Thicket)
Lopunny (plus Mega) (Eastern Forest)
Roserade (Purity Grove)
Maractus (Mirage Oasis)
Heatran (Zero Hoard 10 from Zero Isle Center)
Gothitelle (Mystic Gorge)
Araquanid (Freedom Coast)
Alcremie (Star Cave)

Misc:
-The UI is now gold!  
-Intimidator's activation odds have been lowered.

 

Screenshots:

Spoiler

 

Credits:

Anonymous: Appraise All, Choose Starter, Expand Poke List, Add Experience Share, Add Types, Dungeon Interrupt, Implement Fairy Gummies, Move Shortcuts, Fix Evolution Glitch, Change Evo System, Change Fixed Floor Properties, Change Text Box Background, Externalize Mappa File, Externalize Waza File, Extract Anim Data, Extract Bar Item List, Extract Dungeon Data, Extract Hardcoded Item Lists, Extract Item Code, Extract Move Code, Extract Object Table, Extract SP Code, Provide ATUPX Support

End45/Frostbyte: Disable Tips, No Weather Stop, Same Type Partner, Better Enemy Evolution, Move Shortcuts, Compress IQ Data, Edit Extra Pokemon, Extra Space

Cipnit: Far Off Pal Overdrive, Partners Trigger Hidden Traps, Reduce Jumpcut Pause Time, Complete Team Control

Adex: Pitfall Trap Tweak, Special Actor Name, a TOOOOON of special processes

psy_commando: Actor and Level Loader

Jawshoeuh: Ivy Cudgel

Happylappy, Chesyon, and I, with help from Adex, Hecka, Mond, deltaflare, and Frostbyte: StarterMenuTool Quiz Recreation

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many spriters to list here.  check the included sprites/portraits credits document for the full list! 

Misc credits to Mond, happylappy, and Sergey, who were instrumental in me learning SkyTemple, and without, this hack would not be possible. 

 

Download

You will need a US rom of Explorers of Sky.  Use XDeltaUI to install the patch. 

 

Enjoy! 

Explorers of Fortune.zip

Edited September 23 by WindchildWhimsy

[Belladonna]

Appreciate you putting this one out. My fiancé has been playing in bed with me at the end of the night. 

 

I tweaked a couple things in skytemple to up the difficulty a bit and add a few QOL features. But made sure not to spoil anything for myself. 

 

Appreciate you taking the time to make this, it's not going unappreciated. Just a notice to those who have some "suggestions" for the hack. It's not the onus of the hack maker to put in every little thing you want. Even if "Oddish is your pokemon persona" it's quite easy to make tweaks in sky temple yourself. 

 

Hope to see any further projects you're working on. 

[Starmanexe]

Hello! I am having some trouble with the patched ROM: When the patch is complete, the resulting file has no specific classification and, as a result, cannot be read by my emulators. Is there a fix to this?

[Belladonna]

1 minute ago, Starmanexe said:

Hello! I am having some trouble with the patched ROM: When the patch is complete, the resulting file has no specific classification and, as a result, cannot be read by my emulators. Is there a fix to this?

Heya. When you patch the rom and you are at the point where you name the new rom. After the name add .nds 

 

For instance if you name it Fortune 

 

It'd be Fortune.nds

 

This will fix it. Enjoy playing!

[Starmanexe]

1 hour ago, Belladonna said:

Heya. When you patch the rom and you are at the point where you name the new rom. After the name add .nds 

 

For instance if you name it Fortune 

 

It'd be Fortune.nds

 

This will fix it. Enjoy playing!

Holy crap, it was that simple lol I feel stupid now hahaha

Thank you so much! I was half-wondering if anyone would reply, but I am glad you did

[Kowaid]

Help, i stucked at the chapter 12 when i played on drastic. It ran smoothly at the begining, however when it came to chapter 12, the screen just blacked out and i couldn't do anything.

[PandaTrash]

Excellent rom hack! I was wondering how do I evolve Swirlix? What item do I need to evolve it?

[WindchildWhimsy]

7 minutes ago, PandaTrash said:

Excellent rom hack! I was wondering how do I evolve Swirlix? What item do I need to evolve it?

Link Cable! 

[Rican.pr96]

How can we update it cause the game stops at chapter 12 bruh

 

[WindchildWhimsy]

have you downloaded the latest version?  If you got it earlier than a couple days ago or got it from a site besides here or the SkyTemple directory, it's out of date. 

Edited September 11 by WindchildWhimsy

[shyanddreamy]

I have been looking forward to play it, but when I get to the part where I have to hold the finger on the screen, I had some problems. I arrive until the part "Take a deep breath" but then after that it says "Don't move your finger quite yet" and it restarts, even if I didn't move my finger from the screen. I tried it for a bit, but I still got the same result

 

I'm sorry if I ask, but do you perhaps know why it does that? (I have played Explorers of Sky in the past on the same emulator and it didn't give me any problems of this type)

[WindchildWhimsy]

53 minutes ago, shyanddreamy said:

I have been looking forward to play it, but when I get to the part where I have to hold the finger on the screen, I had some problems. I arrive until the part "Take a deep breath" but then after that it says "Don't move your finger quite yet" and it restarts, even if I didn't move my finger from the screen. I tried it for a bit, but I still got the same result

 

I'm sorry if I ask, but do you perhaps know why it does that? (I have played Explorers of Sky in the past on the same emulator and it didn't give me any problems of this type)

Fortune's personality quiz was remade from scratch.  I've noticed our version is a bit more finicky than OG Sky's.  I wasn't the one who worked on that part, so I'm not quite sure why that happens.  I can ask the guy who wrote the aura bow script, but in the meantime I suggest just keep trying, it should work eventually!  ^^;

[shyanddreamy]

46 minutes ago, WindchildWhimsy said:

Fortune's personality quiz was remade from scratch.  I've noticed our version is a bit more finicky than OG Sky's.  I wasn't the one who worked on that part, so I'm not quite sure why that happens.  I can ask the guy who wrote the aura bow script, but in the meantime I suggest just keep trying, it should work eventually!  ^^;

Alright, thank you!

 

You were right anyway, it finally worked after I gave random answers to the questions, so now everything is fine

[Rican.pr96]

14 hours ago, WindchildWhimsy said:

have you downloaded the latest version?  If you got it earlier than a couple days ago or got it from a site besides here or the SkyTemple directory, it's out of date. 

I downloaded from here and it still happened

[Rican.pr96]

23 hours ago, Kowaid said:

Help, i stucked at the chapter 12 when i played on drastic. It ran smoothly at the begining, however when it came to chapter 12, the screen just blacked out and i couldn't do anything.

Did you figured something out?

 

[WindchildWhimsy]

may I ask what your starters are? 

[Rican.pr96]

11 hours ago, WindchildWhimsy said:

may I ask what your starters are? 

Sneasel and ponyta 

[WindchildWhimsy]

ahhhh gotcha.  yeah my hack has had weeeeeeeeeeeird problems with sprite file size limits in certain cutscenes on-and-off for a while.  I thought I'd managed to fix things but apparently not lol.  I am working on figuring out a solution, please remain patient!  ^^

[Rican.pr96]

3 minutes ago, WindchildWhimsy said:

ahhhh gotcha.  yeah my hack has had weeeeeeeeeeeird problems with sprite file size limits in certain cutscenes on-and-off for a while.  I thought I'd managed to fix things but apparently not lol.  I am working on figuring out a solution, please remain patient!  ^^

Alright thank you for the info and plz let us know cause im soo into the game im new to this rom hack but i like it already soo much soo let us know plz when its done

[WindchildWhimsy]

Okay I seem to have fixed it!  Or it fixed itself.  I'm honestly not sure lol but everything seems to be in order.  Gotta wait for the edit to be approved, but in the meantime you can find the update on the SkyTemple hack directory! 

[Eagle0395]

Hello, I am having an issue where after the personality quiz I go to select piplup and the portrait is missing then I start the game as monferno. 

[WindchildWhimsy]

ah thanks for bringing this to my attention!  You can find the fixed version here!

[JolteonofVapor]

Where do you find the final item to repair magearna? I can't figure it out and I haven't seen anything about it elsewhere.

[WindchildWhimsy]

33 minutes ago, JolteonofVapor said:

Where do you find the final item to repair magearna? I can't figure it out and I haven't seen anything about it elsewhere.

Spoiler

Temporal Tower, in Monster Houses and inside the walls (use One-Room Orbs, Trawl Orbs (I think?), or get lucky with Rock Smash lol

 

[Hyro]

Hello,

Really nice hack i loved my first playtrough of it with pawniard and cubone

I plan to start again but with a little bit more of min/maxing in mind this time. By any chance do you have a doc with the movepool and iq groups of the Pokémon you added? Or a way to find it beforehand.