Setup Guide for Pokémon Red and Blue: Archipelago

Important

As we are using BizHawk, this guide is only applicable to Windows and Linux systems.

Required Software

• BizHawk: BizHawk Releases from TASVideos
  • Version 2.3.1 and later are supported. Version 2.9.1 is recommended.
  • Detailed installation instructions for BizHawk can be found at the above link.
  • Windows users must run the prereq installer first, which can also be found at the above link.
• The built-in MultiworldGG client, which can be installed here
• Pokémon Red and/or Blue ROM files. The Archipelago community cannot provide these.

Optional Software

• Pokémon Red and Blue Archipelago Map Tracker, for use with PopTracker

Configuring BizHawk

Once BizHawk has been installed, open EmuHawk and change the following settings:

• (If using 2.8 or earlier) Go to Config > Customize. Switch to the Advanced tab, then switch the Lua Core from "NLua+KopiLua" to "Lua+LuaInterface". Then restart EmuHawk. This is required for the Lua script to function correctly. NOTE: Even if "Lua+LuaInterface" is already selected, toggle between the two options and reselect it. Fresh installs of newer versions of EmuHawk have a tendency to show "Lua+LuaInterface" as the default selected option but still load "NLua+KopiLua" until this step is done.
• Under Config > Customize > Advanced, make sure the box for AutoSaveRAM is checked, and click the 5s button. This reduces the possibility of losing save data in emulator crashes.
• Under Config > Customize, check the "Run in background" box. This will prevent disconnecting from the client while EmuHawk is running in the background.

It is strongly recommended to associate GB rom extensions (*.gb) to the EmuHawk we've just installed. To do so, we simply have to search any Gameboy rom we happened to own, right click and select "Open with...", unfold the list that appears and select the bottom option "Look for another application", then browse to the BizHawk folder and select EmuHawk.exe.

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?

You can generate a yaml or download a template by visiting the Pokemon Red and Blue Player Options Page

It is important to note that the game_version option determines the ROM file that will be patched. Both the player and the person generating (if they are generating locally) will need the corresponding ROM file.

For trainer_name and rival_name the following regular characters are allowed:

• ‘’“”·… ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ():;[]abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzé'-?!.♂$×/,♀0123456789

And the following special characters (these each count as one character):

• <'d>
• <'l>
• <'t>
• <'v>
• <'r>
• <'m>
• <PK>
• <MN>
• <MALE> alias for ♂
• <FEMALE> alias for ♀

Joining a MultiWorld Game

Generating and Patching a Game

1. Create your options file (YAML).
2. Follow the general Archipelago instructions for generating a game. This will generate an output file for you. Your patch file will have a .apred or .apblue file extension.
3. Open MultiworldGGLauncher.exe
4. Select "Open Patch" on the left side and select your patch file.
5. If this is your first time patching, you will be prompted to locate your vanilla ROM.
6. A patched .gb file will be created in the same place as the patch file.
7. On your first time opening a patch with BizHawk Client, you will also be asked to locate EmuHawk.exe in your BizHawk install.

If you're playing a single-player seed and you don't care about autotracking or hints, you can stop here, close the client, and load the patched ROM in any emulator. However, for multiworlds and other Archipelago features, continue below using BizHawk as your emulator.

Connect to the Multiserver

By default, opening a patch file will do steps 1-5 below for you automatically. Even so, keep them in your memory just in case you have to close and reopen a window mid-game for some reason.

1. Pokémon Red and Blue use MultiworldGG's BizHawk Client. If the client isn't still open from when you patched your game, you can re-open it from the launcher.
2. Ensure EmuHawk is running the patched ROM.
3. In EmuHawk, go to Tools > Lua Console. This window must stay open while playing.
4. In the Lua Console window, go to Script > Open Script….
5. Navigate to your MultiworldGG install folder and open data/lua/connector_bizhawk_generic.lua.
6. The emulator may freeze every few seconds until it manages to connect to the client. This is expected. The BizHawk Client window should indicate that it connected and recognized Pokémon Red/Blue.
7. To connect the client to the server, enter your room's address and port (e.g. multiworld.gg:38281) into the top text field of the client and click Connect.

To connect the client to the multiserver simply put <address>:<port> on the textfield on top and press enter (if the server uses password, type in the bottom textfield /connect <address>:<port> [password])

Auto-Tracking

Pokémon Red and Blue has a fully functional map tracker that supports auto-tracking.

1. Download Pokémon Red and Blue Archipelago Map Tracker and PopTracker.
2. Open PopTracker, and load the Pokémon Red and Blue pack.
3. Click on the "AP" symbol at the top.
4. Enter the AP address, slot name and password.

The rest should take care of itself! Items and checks will be marked automatically, and it even knows your options - It will hide checks & adjust logic accordingly.