You need to know which version of Sonic Heroes you have. This implementation is only compatible with the PC version of the game. There are two versions of the PC release. One of these requires the disc to be inserted for the game to run, the other does not.
If you know you have the NoCD release, you can skip the following section and go straight to Setup
The CD release of the game uses a digital rights management system called safedisc to ensure you have the disc on booting the game. Unfortunately, the driver allowing the code to be re-injected into the game on launch is removed from windows due to a vulnerability. To get the game running on PC, you'll need SafeDiscShim. This app runs in the background and runs the code to re-inject the code into the game on launch.
Once you've installed SafeDiscShim you should be able to launch the game with the disc inserted. Keep in mind that in the setup section you'll need to pay attention to the extra steps to run the mod
You'll need
- A legally obtained copy of the PC Version of Sonic Heroes
- SafeDiscShim [CD RELEASE ONLY]
- Reloaded-II Mod Loader
- The APWorld [FOR GENERATION AND UNIVERSAL TRACKER]
First, follow the setup for Reloaded Mod Loader
Once you've set up the Sonic Heroes application, go to the add mods page in Reloaded-II, search for Sonic Heroes Archipelago Client, and install the mod.
After a world is hosted, in Reloaded, enable the Mod and click Configure. A UI will open up and you can set a server, port, slot name and password (if required).
REQUIRED - To get the UI overlay to show up providing you with more information throughout the session, you'll need to add the latest version of D3D8to9 to your game directory. For Linux, add a DLL Override in the Proton/Wine prefix (can be done easily with winecfg)
Finally, launch the game through Reloaded and if the mod is enabled and the correct settings are set the Mod will connect to AP.
If you are running using the SafeDiscShim setup, you will not be able to load the mods directly. Instead, you'll need to launch first then inject after.
To do this, go to the application in Reloaded-II and select edit application. Expand the Advanced Tools & Options dropdown and select Don't Inject Loader.
When you launch the game, you'll see the game appear in the processes list in Reloaded-II. Click the listing and press Inject to load the mods.
Once you have the game booting, check the log that appears to ensure you're connected. If you're not, check your mod configuration and try again.
If you connect successfully, you should then create a save file. You'll have to manage your saves manually but you have 99 slots so it shouldn't be too hard.
At the start of an AP session, either start a new save or delete an old one and start a new one in its slot. You can reselect this slot without any issues if you need to relaunch.
The entire session is handled through the level select menu under Challenge. You will not be able to select any other options if connected to AP.
Universal Tracker is a client that allows you to see which locations are in logic (or expected to be done with the current items). Given how complicated the new logic is, UT is heavily recommended to help keep track of what's possible.
To use UT, just install it (and the Sonic Heroes APWorld) like a regular APWorld, relaunch the Archipelago client, and Universal Tracker client will be an option to launch. Just connect the client to the multiworld like a text client and it will show the possible locations in logic.
The new version now has yaml-less support for Universal Tracker.
The legacy version does not work with Universal Tracker and will show incorrect information.
The new version now locks out characters and abilities (except for a single starting character). These abilities and characters are items in the multiworld that will unlock their respective ability once received.
There are 2 exceptions:
- Flight requires Thundershoot
- Triangle Jump requires Homing Attack
In the In-game UI, If you have Flight but not Thundershoot or Triangle Jump without Homing Attack, that ability will be Yellow to indicate that you need the corresponding ability in order to use it.
All 14 regular levels are unlocked from the start (though they are not possible to complete without more characters and abilities).
Bosses are currently not in the new version.
The final boss is Metal Madness/Overlord.
The new version has music shuffle. First, change the Music Shuffle Option to true and use the folder picker option Heroes BGM folder to point to the BGM folder in the Sonic Heroes game directory. Enabling the Heroes Shuffle option will add all of the Sonic Heroes songs to the pool to be selected from to replace the vanilla songs.
Music is either a song (which loops) or a jingle (which doesnt loop).
The following options help change how the music is shuffled. These will separate their respective songs into a separate pool to then shuffle only with themselves when enabled.
- Separate Boss Music (Boss themes)
- Separate Long Jingles (The intro theme and a theme for each team. These do not loop.)
- Separate Menu Music (The 4 menu themes)
- Separate Short Music (2P battle themes)
There is support for Sonic Adventure 2 (with the Battle DLC) and Sonic Adventure DX music builtin. Just use the folder picker option for that specific game to point to the correct folder (ADX folder for SA2 and WMA folder for SADX) and enable the option to add that game's music to the pool.
Custom Music requires a specific setup. First have a folder to store all of the custom music and use the folder picker option to point to that folder. Make sure that the file path is under 200 characters and that no individual folder has too long of a name.
This music must be in a ADX format (with loops set for music in order to have the game loop that song). Then, create the following folders (with this exact name) in that folder:
- ShortMusic
- LongJingle
- Jingle
- Music
- MenuMusic
- BossMusic
Place the desired ADX files in the folder corresponding to the type of music. If not enabling the specific Separate option for that type, then that folder is combined with either the Music folder or Jingle pool by the mod.
If the pool is not large enough to fill all of the Heroes songs, then the vanilla song is placed there (this happens with SA2 only with Separate Boss Themes as Heroes has more boss themes than SA2).
The sonic heroes implementation follows similar patterns to SA2. The world is split into gate as specified in the options. Each gate has a random boss from the pool of Heroes bosses. Bosses are unlocked by collecting a set number of emblems. When a boss is unlocked, it will be available for all active teams. On completion of the boss with any of the available teams, the checks for all available teams will be sent for that boss.
The number of levels in a gate is determined by the number of teams you have active and the emblem cost is determined by a percentage set in the yaml.
The final gate will always have the boss as Metal Madness. Upon completion, your client will send Release status.
Each level in the game has some base checks. There is a mission 1 completion check (referred to as Act 1), a mission 2 completion check (referred to as Act 2), and, if the stage is the second in the zone, a check for completing the emerald stage. The emerald stage completion check will always be a priority location.
Emeralds can be turned on as a completion condition. When this is done, all seven chaos emeralds must be found throughout the multiworld for Metal Madness to open.
The emeralds that have been found are tracked through the level select.
Each team plays slightly differently in archipelago based on the sanity options available.
Team Sonic is the most basic team with no sanity options. They're a great pick for some standard gameplay with no fuss.
Team Dark adds enemysanity to mission 2 for each level. For every X enemies killed (specified in yaml), you'll send a check.
Team Rose brings us ringsanity. For every X rings (specified in yaml) collected in the second mission of each level, you'll send a check. This scales the weight of ring items in the pool to avoid cascading checks finishing the mission immediately for low ring intervals.
I see you Shadow the Hedgehog players... and I respect you. So this adds a check to every single mission objective in the Chaotix treasure hunt, enemy killing, and ring missions... all of them.
The following items can be obtained in AP
- Emblems
- Chaos Emeralds
- Extra Life
- 5 Rings
- 10 Rings
- 20 Rings
- Shield
- Speed Level Up
- Power Level Up
- Flying Level Up
- Team Level Up
The following traps can be activated in AP
- Stealth Trap
- Freeze Trap
- No Swap Trap
- Ring Trap
- Charmy Trap
Thanks to EthicalLogic for developing the APWorld and taking over development of the Mod, Sewer56 for Reloaded-II, and Mayo and Seri for help playtesting.