Arena Hacking Guide

(Credits: S.K. Stylez)

This is how I go about making an arena. This may require learning of how arena hacking works for some of you. This is EXACTLY what I do. When I design stuff, I start out with a blank image, and go from there.


First, I choose what arena I want to actually make. For this walkthrough, I will make the Royal Rumble 2002 arena. I dig up media, images, and anything else I can find for the event. I start with notes on what all it actually has, and these will be actual notes I use when I make this arena.
===========================
Black ropes
flat stage - black/white/black/white tile
black ramp
1- circle scaffolding at entrance
2- 2nd circle larger, flattened at the bottom
3- 3rd circle larger - 05 summerslam shape. middle of both sides of stage
2 trons - 1 on each side -mirrored ok
1 circle scaffold over main entrance - connected to trons with 1/2 ellipse scaffolding above*orange lum.*
8 lights on elip* scaffold
black/purple curtain
===========================
Then I start making a design PSD. This is just like making wrestlers in the aspect that you have to find your own style, or own way to do things. I only design the actual parts such as trons, scaffolding shapes, and logos. I DO NOT texture curtains, or stages in the main design. I always do those individually when the time comes.

Here is the design I ended up with (scaled down)

Then I choose which arena I want to replace with this new one. Since it is a royal rumble event, I guess I will choose the Royal Rumble. I gather all of the stage addys, and put them in with my notes.

7. Royal Rumble
-Ramp (Road)
80050608-(05C4) Polygon
80050620-(08AB) Graphic
-Top Left side of Entry Doors
8005060A-(05C5) Polygon
80050622-(08AD) Graphic
-Top Right side of Entry Doors
8005060C-(05C6) Polygon
80050624-(08AF) Graphic
-Lower Left side of Entry Doors
8005060E-(05C7) Polygon
80050626-(08B1) Graphic
-Lower Right side of Entry Doors
80050610-(05C Polygon
80050628-(08B3) Graphic
-Taxi Cab
80050612-(05C9) Polygon
8005062A-(08B5) Graphic
-3rd Row Crowd behind the Entry Way
80050614-(05CA) Polygon
8005062C-(08B7) Graphic
-2nd Row behind the Entry Way
80050616-(05CB) Polygon
8005062E-(08B9) Graphic
-1st Row Crowd behind the Entry Way
80050618-(05CC) Polygon
80050630-(08B9) Graphic
-Left side wall in the Aisle
8005061A-(05CD) Polygon
80050632-(08BB) Graphic
-Right side wall in the Aisle
8005061C-(05CE) Polygon
80050634-(08BD) Graphic
-Barricades
8005061E-(05CF) Polygon
80050636-(08BF) Graphic

The order they appear in, is the same layer order they take. For instance, the ramp's polygon is at the bottom, and all of the other polygons overlap it.

I already know the shapes of all of the polygons in the arenas, but they have little basic descriptions to help out the new people.

I have 12 different parts I can use, so I go back to my notes, and label the stuff I want and how many polygons it will take. I also put them in the order I want them to overlap.
=====================================
back curtain - 1
flat stage - 1
flat ramp - 1
side scaffolding & top structure - 4
center scaffolding & top circle tron - 4
barricades - 1
=====================================
I bypass the first seven addys I want to save for other parts of the floor/ramp/curtain, and go straight to the stuff for main scaffolding I do this one first, so I can layer the other parts around that.
-2nd Row behind the Entry Way
80050616-(05CB) Polygon
8005062E-(08B9) Graphic
-1st Row Crowd behind the Entry Way
80050618-(05CC) Polygon
80050630-(08B9) Graphic
-Left side wall in the Aisle
8005061A-(05CD) Polygon
80050632-(08BB) Graphic
-Right side wall in the Aisle
8005061C-(05CE) Polygon
80050634-(08BD) Graphic

There are tons of values you can use to piece the image together for the front of the stage, but I prefer using the values from the Survivor Series arena. They make it easier to splice, with no problems.
81050616 05C0
81050618 05C1
8105061A 05C2
8105061C 05C3


Then I just use random values from anything between 0EC0 to 1000. A majority of these are square (64x64) and for the stage area, but since a majority of people just texture the ring area view, and use Stubbs code, they are useless. I ended up getting graphics from the Survivor Series animation
8105062E 0F5C
81050630 0F5A
81050632 0F58
81050634 0F56


I dump those images, and start a new image in PSP. 512x512. I cut out that part of the PSD I created, and fit it into the new image.
[imghttps://i.imgur.com/aqkAQ3d.jpg[/img]
I splice the bottom left corner, 256x256, and export that as a png file, over the one I used in the game. I check it out in the game to see if the size will work, and it works perfect.

I repeat for all sides, testing each one as I go. SOME require a slight pixel adjustment.


Next I look to add the side trons and top scaffolding. This will take some trial and error to get right, but it should be fun. I want it to be a layer below my last structure, so I take the 4 sets of addys before. Since it is symmetrical, I can use polygons that are for 2 mirrored shapes, but one value. The smackdown stage structure would be perfect. It is in 4 parts. 2 for the sides, 1 for the top middle, and one for the bottom middle.
-Lower Left side of Entry Doors
8005060E-(05C7) Polygon
80050626-(08B1) Graphic
-Lower Right side of Entry Doors
80050610-(05C Polygon
80050628-(08B3) Graphic
-Taxi Cab
80050612-(05C9) Polygon
8005062A-(08B5) Graphic
-3rd Row Crowd behind the Entry Way
80050614-(05CA) Polygon
8005062C-(08B7) Graphic

8105060e 0594
81050610 0593
81050612 0592
81050614 0591
81050626 08AF
81050628 08B1
8105062A 08B3
8105062C 08B5

If you notice I changed graphic values, it means I fucked up while doing this walkthrough. I do it on every arena I do. The best part about it, is that once you texture mod a specific value to work with a certain polygon, you can use it anywhere you need to. I go back to my PSD, and cut the top structure in half. I open a new image, 512x512 again. I cut and splice again, but checking that I am lining things up properly each time.


Now that I have the base finished, I can go back and add a stage curtain. There are about 4 different sizes, but I always use the KOTR curtain, and shape it as desired. I use the very first
-Ramp (Road)
80050608-(05C4) Polygon
80050620-(08AB) Graphic

81050608 059B
81050620 08AD
After texturing the curtain, it shows through below the scaffolding.

I personally don't like it, so i go back to my original PSD, and add some black background.

Now all I need is the stage, and the aisle. Those will be the next two addys after the one I used for the curtain. Since it is a flat floor, I will use the values from the Summerslam arena's stage area.
-Top Left side of Entry Doors
8005060A-(05C5) Polygon
80050622-(08AD) Graphic
-Top Right side of Entry Doors
8005060C-(05C6) Polygon
80050624-(08AF) Graphic

8105060A 05AB
8105060C 05AC
81050622 0f5e
81050624 08AB

After texturing the ramp and the stage, this is my finished product.


I add a line to change the ropes from default red, to black/grey.
800528FA 0002

Making my final code
81050616 05C0
81050618 05C1
8105061A 05C2
8105061C 05C3
8105062E 0F5C
81050630 0F5A
81050632 0F58
81050634 0F56
8105060E 0594
81050610 0593
81050612 0592
81050614 0591
81050626 08AF
81050628 08B1
8105062A 08B3
8105062C 08B5
81050608 059B
81050620 08AD
8105060A 05AB
8105060C 05AC
81050622 0F5E
81050624 08AB
800528FA 0002

I then use my universal mods, change the aprons, and this is the final look:


Arena Addys
http://nextwave-64.online/forum/showthread.php?tid=1259