Download War Room Challenge 2012 - Advance Wars 2 ROM Hack

"Welcome to the War Room Challenge!"

Version 1.3 - Bugfixes for Features after the fact

Preface:
This was a wildly out of control result of what was supposed to be a one-month hack to develop a new War Room challenge for Advance Wars 2. Instead, it has turned into something that's taken over a year to put together, complete with a  large amount of refinements and gameplay additions.

I hope you all enjoy it and it doesn't make you rage too much…the challenges in this range from the level at the easy introductions of the series to some of the toughest, nail biting challenges of Advance Wars 1's Advance Campaign. You'll find a variety of maps, opponents and goals so go set some new records!
-Xenesis

Contents:
[Preface]
[Installing]
[Features]
[Game Rules]
[CO Listing]
[Unlocks]
[Credits and Acknowledgements]
[Version History]
[Contact]

[Installing]:
Two IPS patches are included. Use an IPS patcher to apply it to a clean US Version of Advance Wars 2. If the regular patch doesn't work (Eg, you get a blank white screen or something) try the alternate included patch. If you have a regular Advance Wars 2 save, make sure you rename/delete it beforehand - the game may do unusual things without fresh savedata.

[Game Features]:
-30 New War Room Maps to play on - Some remixes of existing maps, most brand new from the AW Community.
-Tutorial map with summary of game rules, scoring and new hack features.
-Each map has an info dossier with the par time and author of the map.
-Each CO has unique combat abilities in the War Room setting.
-Improved high score support - The game records S-ranks achieved on each map with each CO.
-Pre-deployed maps provide unique army compositions depending on your CO selection (returning from Advance Wars 1!).
-New weather rules for fairer scoring.
-Improved status screens - The unit status screen now shows CO abilities more accurately and with more stats.
-Extended Status Screen - Shows your rank in progress and whether you have S-Ranked this map with the current CO.
-Improved Enemy AI - Enemy COs no longer use CO powers when they'd have no reason to use them and use them more intelligently!
-Unlockables - Earn more COs by scoring S Ranks on maps!

[Game Rules]:
The gameplay rules are mostly the same from traditional Advance Wars 2 - all units are unchanged and each CO has access to their own unique sets of gameplay changing powers and abilities. Some of the COs have had their abilities altered for the new setting, while some COs retire for this challenge. Likewise, some other faces join the fray from later Advance Wars gmes.

The scoring is harsher, meaning you will have to work harder to get those coveted S-Ranks. Indeed, S-Ranks are only obtained by winning a map with a perfect 300 score. The game records your complete progress, recording which COs you have mastered a map with.

For predeployed maps, each CO setup has a core army of forces. Most COs get a small regiment of forces that they're skilled with - Grit will get extra artillery, Eagle will gain extra aircraft. The bonus COs however, don't gain any extra forces on a map.

Weather is now deterministic. If you choose or are fighting an Olaf, it will snow every ten days. Vs drake it rains every six days. This amount increases by every duplicate of the CO in play.

[CO Listing]:

Andy
"It's Time for a Tune up!"

Skill: No strengths or weaknesses.
CO Power - Hyper Repair: Restores 3 HP to all units.
SCO Power - Hyper Upgrade: Restores 5 HP to all units. Gain 20% firepower and 1 movement for all units.

Max:
"Roll tanks, roll!"

Skill: Gain 20% firepower for direct combat units. Indirect combat units lose 10% Firepower and 1 maximum range.
CO Power - Max Force: Firepower bonus increases to 60% total.
SCO Power - Max Blast: Firepower bonus increases to 90% total.

Sami:
"Ready or not, here I come!"

Skill: Foot soldiers gain 1.3x capture strength and 20% firepower. Direct combat units lose 10% firepower.
CO Power - Double Time: Firepower bonus increases to 40% total. Foot soldiers also gain 1 movement.
SCO Power - Victory March: Firepower bonus increases to 70% total. Capture strength increases to 2000%. Foot soldiers also gain 2 movement.

Olaf:
"Let the winds of war bring snow!"

Skill: No movement reductions during snow. Causes snow every 10 days.
CO Power - Blizzard: Makes it snow.
SCO Power - Winter Fury: Makes it snow and inflicts 2 HP of damage to all enemy units.

Grit:
"Once you're in my sights, there's no getting away!"

Skill: Indirect units gain 1 maximum range. Direct units lose 20% firepower.
CO Power - Snipe Attack: Indirect units gain 30% firepower and increase to 2 extra maximum range.
SCO Power- Super Snipe: Indirect units gain 50% firepower and increase to 3 extra maximum range.

Colin:
"Don't underestimate me because I'm new!"

Skill: All units cost 20% less to purchase. All units have 10% less firepower.
CO Power - Gold Rush: Currently held funds are increased by 25%.
SCO Power - Power of Money: Firepower is increased by 1% per 1000G of funding held.

Eagle:
"The Eagle soars above you!"

Skill: Aircraft gain 15% more attack and 10% more defence,  while consuming 2 less fuel per day. Naval units lose 10% firepower.
CO Power - Lightning Drive: Aircraft improve their ability bonus to 30% firepower and 80% defence.
Super CO Power - Lightning Strike - All non-infantry units may take another action.

Drake:
"Wave goodbye to your troops!"

Skill: Naval units gain 1 movement range, 10% bonus to attack and defence. Causes rain every 6 days and is not slowed by rainy weather. Aircraft lose 10% firepower.
CO Power - Tsunami: Inflicts 1 HP of damage to all enemy units and halves their fuel.
SCO Power - Typhoon: Inflicts 2 HP of damage to all enemy units, halves their fuel and causes it to rain.

Jess:
"I always give 100%! Always!"

Skill: Vehicle units gain 15% firepower. Naval and aircraft units lose 10% firepower.
CO Power -Turbo Charge: Vehicle units increase their bonus to 40% total and gain 1 movement range. All units get supplies of ammo and fuel replenished.
SCO Power - Overdrive: Vehicle units increase their bonus to 60% total and gain 2 movement range. All units get supplies of ammo and fuel replenished.

Kanbei:
"Your numbers mean nothing!"

Skill: All units have 20% improved attack and defence. All units cost 20% more to purchase.
CO Power - Morale Boost: Attack bonus is improved to 40% total.
SCO Power - Samurai Spirit: Attack and defence bonus is improved to 40% total. Counter-attack strength is improved by 50%.

Sonja:
"I see through your plans!"

Skill: Causes battles to be fought in Fog of War. Counter-attacks are 50% stronger.  Vision range is increased by 1 space. HP is obscured from enemy players.
CO Power - Enhanced Vision: Vision bonus is increased to a total of 3 spaces. Can also see into hidden squares (reefs and forests).
SCO Power - Counter Break: All units will counter-attack before an opponent's attack. Can also see into hidden squares (reefs and forests).

Sensei:
"Paratroopers, prepare to jump!"

Skill: 40% more firepower for foot soldiers, 50% more firepower for B-Copters. 1 movement space increase for APCs, T-Copters and Landers. 10% less firepowers for vehicles and naval units.
CO Power - Copter Command: B-Copter firepower bonus increased to 80% total. Deploys 9 HP infantry on all unoccupied allied cities.
CO Power - Airborne Assault: B-Copter firepower bonus increased to 80% total. Deploys 9 HP mechs on all allied cities.

Lash:
"What, broken already?"

Skill: 10% bonus firepower for each terrain star the unit has.
CO Power - Terrain Tactics: Reduces movement costs to 1 for all passable terrain. Not hindered by rainy weather.
SCO Power - Prime Tactics: Doubles terrain stars for all units. Reduces movement costs to 1 for all passable terrain. Not hindered by rainy weather.

Adder:
"Kneel before Adder!"

Skill: No strengths or weaknesses.
CO Power - Sideslip: Gain 1 movement space for all units.
SCO Power - Sidewinder: Gain 2 movement spaces for all units.

Hawke:
"Goodbye."

Skill: 10% bonus firepower for all units.
CO Power - Black Wave: All allied units heal 1 HP. All enemy units suffer 1 HP of damage.
SCO Power - Black Storm: All allied units heal 2 HP. All enemy units suffer 2 HP of damage.

Sturm:
"Burning Earth!!!"

Skill: 30% bonus firepower for all units. 20% defence penalty for all units. Movement penalties reduced to 1 for all passable terrain. Not hindered by rainy weather.
SCO Power - Meteor Strike: Targets a 5x5 diamond of enemy troops to inflict 8 HP of damage. Firepower bonus increased to 50% total.

Von Bolt:
"You're..hnnn..just a worm on a hook!"

Skill: 10% bonus firepower and defence for all units.
SCO Power - Ex Machina: Targets a 5x5 diamond of enemy troops to inflict 3 HP of damage and disable them until next turn.

Caulder:
"Fascinating!"

Skill: All units within 3 tiles of his CO Unit gain a boost of 30% firepower and defence (Indicated by a plus-icon). The CO Unit gains a boost of 50% firepower and defence (indicated by a medal icon). All units that start their turn in the CO Zone are healed by 5 HP.
SCO Power - Supreme Boost: Designates a unit as a CO Unit. The SCOP will activate on a unit that is either on a HQ or a deployment property on the first unit by the unit list (Use L).

[Unlocks]:
Sturm, Von Bolt and Caulder: Complete a map with an S-Rank
Blue Map Name: Earn S-Ranks with every CO on a map.
Gold Main Menu: Complete every War Room Map.


[Credits and Acknowledgements]:
This fun little diversion wouldn't have happened without the following people!

Map Contributors:
x0_000
CO Siegfried
Frankdeslimste
Mark999
Britzer
Radioshadow
SonicBoom
Laureola

Programs:
Nintenlord - For being an awesome dude and modifying his MAR Inserter to work for Advance Wars, making map editing easy as pie. And for his most excellent GBA Graphics editor for inserting and dumping graphics.
Zahlman - For his excellent M4A GBA Audio song utility.
RadioShadow - For programming me a quick and dirty Unit Script generator.

Graphics:
x0_000 - Providing me with a 16-colour Caulder sprite for use in AW2, new title screen images and the Von Bolt missile sprite.

Misc:
Dragon Fogel - His relentless mockery of the War Room and silliness has provided the inspiration for this work in the first place.
Wars World Newsians, Advance Wars Netians, Board2ers and JuLers - Providing feedback and commentary on the work as I went.
You - For playing this!

Original Game:
Thanks to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems for providing a game I've spent so much of my time on. Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising is their game - the mod I've created is not to be sold or otherwise profited from.

[Version History]
1.3: 18/06/2015
-Fixed a palette index error for the Current Score Display Function
-Tiling Error Fixes in these maps:
Feeling Blue

1.2: 17/05/2015
-Added a new GUI Option: Time Countdown. Counts the days left for an S-Rank, turn it on in options.
-Added a new GUI Option: Current Score Display. Shows your current score in each category. Turn it on in options.
-Edited the GUI: Instead of a 5th Rank, displays what fraction of COs have S-Ranked that map (x / 18)
-Tiling Error Fixes in these Maps:
Barracuda Bay
Battle Bridge
Beach Head
Bombardier
Crescent Isle
Feeling Blue
Island Nation
Legion Peninsula
Marshlands
Split Mountain
Comet Catcher
Whirlpool
Mial's Cape

1.1: 24/03/2014
-Fixed a bug that would cause the S-Rank tally for all COs to not update if you did not beat your high score.
-Fixed a typo in the description for Old Wounds

1.0: 25/03/2012
-Initial Release

[Contact]:
If you have questions, comments, etc. please contact me at xenesis (at) warsworldnews.com!
I'll try and answer all emails for genuine questions, even if I'm a bit slow. Hope you enjoy the hack and see you for my next project! :)