Correctly indicate morn/day/nite wild data

[Rangi42]

As discussed in pret's #prototypes-and-leaks Discord, wild data does not come in even morn+day+nite chunks of 6 species each. Instead, it's in overlapping chunks of 11 species each:

We need a convention for commenting or otherwise indicating the overlap.

Long-term I think macros would be helpful -- this is exactly the kind of subtle constraint that's easy to get off-by-one during disassembling or romhacking, so macros to enforce the correct sizes would help. But for now we can at least use comments. Suggestion:

	; morn only
	db 7, DEX_SUNNY
	db 3, DEX_SUNNY
	db 5, DEX_SUNNY
	; morn/day
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 4, DEX_RATTATA
	; morn/day/nite
	db 6, DEX_KIRINRIKI
	db 4, DEX_KIRINRIKI
	db 4, DEX_HANEKO
	db 4, DEX_PIDGEY
	; day/nite
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
	; nite only
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU

When Gold and Silver differ in their wild rosters, we might want to just if/else the whole roster at once so it reads more easily:

if DEF(GOLD)
	; morn only
	db 7, DEX_SUNNY
	db 3, DEX_SUNNY
	db 5, DEX_SUNNY
	; morn/day
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 4, DEX_RATTATA
	; morn/day/nite
	db 6, DEX_KIRINRIKI
	db 4, DEX_KIRINRIKI
	db 4, DEX_HANEKO
	db 4, DEX_PIDGEY
	; day/nite
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
	; nite only
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
else
	; morn only
	db 8, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 8, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 7, DEX_PIDGEY
	; morn/day
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 4, DEX_RATTATA
	; morn/day/nite
	db 6, DEX_KIRINRIKI
	db 4, DEX_KIRINRIKI
	db 4, DEX_MARIL
	db 4, DEX_PIDGEY
	; day/nite
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
	; nite only
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
	db 5, DEX_HOHO
	db 3, DEX_HOHO
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
endc

Or we can keep if/elseing only the different data:

	; morn only
if DEF(GOLD)
	db 7, DEX_SUNNY
	db 3, DEX_SUNNY
	db 5, DEX_SUNNY
else
	db 8, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 8, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 7, DEX_PIDGEY
endc
	; morn/day
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 4, DEX_RATTATA
	; morn/day/nite
	db 6, DEX_KIRINRIKI
	db 4, DEX_KIRINRIKI
if DEF(GOLD)
	db 4, DEX_HANEKO
else
	db 4, DEX_MARIL
endc
	db 4, DEX_PIDGEY
	; day/nite
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
	; nite only
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
if DEF(GOLD)
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA
else
	db 5, DEX_HOHO
	db 3, DEX_HOHO
endc
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU

[Rangi42]

Here's what I'm picturing for macros:

DEF GRASS_WILDDATA_BLOCK_SIZE EQU 11 ; data/wild/*_grass.asm block size
DEF NUM_GRASSMON              EQU 18 ; data/wild/*_grass.asm table size
; the slot in GrassMonProbTable to start at
DEF GRASS_WILDDATA_MORNBLOCK_START EQU 0
DEF GRASS_WILDDATA_DAYBLOCK_START  EQU 3
DEF GRASS_WILDDATA_NITEBLOCK_START EQU 7

	def_grass_wildmons ROUTE_1_P1  ;;; saves the current location and does `map_id \1`
	db 8 percent, 8 percent, 8 percent ; encounter rates: morn/day/nite
	def_wildmons_block MORN        ;;; checks that we're at the
	db 7, DEX_SUNNY                ;;; `GRASS_WILDDATA_MORNBLOCK_START`th slot
	db 3, DEX_SUNNY
	db 5, DEX_SUNNY
	def_wildmons_block DAY         ;;; checks that we're at the
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU              ;;; `GRASS_WILDDATA_DAYBLOCK_START`th slot
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 4, DEX_RATTATA
	def_wildmons_block NITE        ;;; checks that we're at the
	db 6, DEX_KIRINRIKI            ;;; `GRASS_WILDDATA_NITEBLOCK_START`th slot
	db 4, DEX_KIRINRIKI
	db 4, DEX_HANEKO
	db 4, DEX_PIDGEY
	end_wildmons_block MORN        ;;; checks that there were exactly `GRASS_WILDDATA_BLOCK_SIZE`
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA              ;;; slots after `def_wildmons_block MORN`
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
	end_wildmons_block DAY         ;;; checks that there were exactly `GRASS_WILDDATA_BLOCK_SIZE`
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA              ;;; slots after `def_wildmons_block DAY`
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
	end_wildmons_block NITE        ;;; checks that there were exactly `GRASS_WILDDATA_BLOCK_SIZE`
	                               ;;; slots after `def_wildmons_block NITE`
	end_grass_wildmons             ;;; checks that there were exactly `NUM_GRASSMON`
	                               ;;; slots after `def_grass_wildmons`

And a more realistic example with Gold/Silver alternative data:

	def_grass_wildmons ROUTE_1_P1
	db 8 percent, 8 percent, 8 percent ; encounter rates: morn/day/nite
	def_wildmons_block MORN
if DEF(GOLD)
	db 7, DEX_SUNNY
	db 3, DEX_SUNNY
	db 5, DEX_SUNNY
else
	db 8, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 8, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 7, DEX_PIDGEY
endc
	def_wildmons_block DAY
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
	db 4, DEX_RATTATA
	def_wildmons_block NITE
	db 6, DEX_KIRINRIKI
	db 4, DEX_KIRINRIKI
if DEF(GOLD)
	db 4, DEX_HANEKO
else
	db 4, DEX_MARIL
endc
	db 4, DEX_PIDGEY
	end_wildmons_block MORN
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
	end_wildmons_block DAY
	db 5, DEX_RATTATA
if DEF(GOLD)
	db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	db 8, DEX_RATTATA
else
	db 5, DEX_HOHO
	db 3, DEX_HOHO
endc
	db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
	end_wildmons_block NITE
	end_grass_wildmons

[DrippingYellow]

Whoof, the macros are kind of a messy cluster. Then again, so is this whole game mechanic. The comments indicating the ends of each block appeal to me more visually (I keep expecting there to be an indent with the macros because I'm taking a C++ class), but I guess the macros are more consistent with how these things are handled elsewhere.

I'll give you a heads-up though, the block size isn't entirely constant: Adding up the probabilities for the day slot, it has 10 slots, not 11 (13 - 4 + 1).

[Rangi42]

Oh no, I didn't notice the uneven block sizes. :/ I guess it would use three constants:

DEF GRASS_WILDDATA_MORNBLOCK_SIZE EQU 11
DEF GRASS_WILDDATA_DAYBLOCK_SIZE  EQU 10
DEF GRASS_WILDDATA_NITEBLOCK_SIZE EQU 11

Note that indenting is totally possibly if you want. Something like this?

	def_grass_wildmons ROUTE_1_P1
	db 8 percent, 8 percent, 8 percent ; encounter rates: morn/day/nite
	def_wildmons_block MORN
		if DEF(GOLD)
			db 7, DEX_SUNNY
			db 3, DEX_SUNNY
			db 5, DEX_SUNNY
		else
			db 8, DEX_PIDGEY
			db 8, DEX_PIDGEY
			db 7, DEX_PIDGEY
		endc
	def_wildmons_block DAY
		db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
		db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
		db 5, DEX_PIDGEY
		db 4, DEX_RATTATA
	def_wildmons_block NITE
		db 6, DEX_KIRINRIKI
		db 4, DEX_KIRINRIKI
		if DEF(GOLD)
			db 4, DEX_HANEKO
		else
			db 4, DEX_MARIL
		endc
		db 4, DEX_PIDGEY
	end_wildmons_block MORN
		db 8, DEX_RATTATA
		db 7, DEX_RATTATA
	end_wildmons_block DAY
		db 5, DEX_RATTATA
		db 5, DEX_RATTATA
		if DEF(GOLD)
			db 7, DEX_RATTATA
			db 8, DEX_RATTATA
		else
			db 5, DEX_HOHO
			db 3, DEX_HOHO
		endc
		db 5, DEX_PIKACHU
	end_wildmons_block NITE
	end_grass_wildmons

[DrippingYellow]

Yeah, that looks good, just wasn't sure if that's how it's generally styled. I forget if the one pokecrystal doc about style said anything about this

It just occured to me, would you be able to have these size constants tied to GrassMonProbTable in some way? Like, it adds up the probabilities from each successive mon_prob until it reaches 100? Or would it not work because it's not in a constant file

[Rangi42]

Well, we haven't used indent levels deeper than 1 yet, but that's partly because old RGBASM used to have limitations on what kinds of lines could/couldn't begin with any whitespace. In special cases like these, we can add new STYLE.md conventions. (We were just recently talking about if/how to indent the contents of UNIONs in WRAM.)

And yes, you could have a related set of macros that enforce the constraints on mon probabilities adding up for each block type.

I think something like this would be concise and readable, while also being technically capable of checking all those constraints:

GrassMonProbTable:
	table_width 2
	def_probs_block MORN
		mon_prob  1
		mon_prob  4
		mon_prob  5
	def_probs_block DAY
		mon_prob  1
		mon_prob  4
		mon_prob 15
		mon_prob 20
	def_probs_block NITE
		mon_prob  5
		mon_prob 10
		mon_prob 20
		mon_prob 15
	end_probs_block MORN
		mon_prob  5
		mon_prob  5
	end_probs_block DAY
		mon_prob 20
		mon_prob 10
		mon_prob  5
		mon_prob  4
		mon_prob  1
	end_probs_block NITE
	assert_table_length NUM_GRASSMON