- For metadata relating to a specific map, see Map metadata.
This page describes the metadata (otherwise known as global metadata), a set of information contained within the PBS file "metadata.txt" which defines some important information.
Metadata[]
The PBS file "metadata.txt" contains various information used throughout the game (global metadata), as well as information about the defined player characters.
Each section in this file is either the global metadata or one separate player character, where a section begins with a line containing a number in square brackets and ends when the next section begins. Each line in a section is one separate piece of metadata.
Aside from the square bracketed number line, every line in a section follows the format:
XXX = YYY
where XXX is a property and YYY is the value or values associated with it (the spaces are optional).
Global metadata[]
The first section of the PBS file "metadata.txt" begins with [0], and contains various general information about the game.
It looks something like the following:
[0] StartMoney = 3000 StartItemStorage = POTION Home = 3,7,5,8 StorageCreator = Bill WildBattleBGM = Battle wild TrainerBattleBGM = Battle trainer WildVictoryBGM = Battle victory wild TrainerVictoryBGM = Battle victory trainer SurfBGM = Surfing BicycleBGM = Bicycle
Nearly all pieces of information are optional (except for "Home"), but will have default values if they are not defined. The order of the lines does not matter.
| Metadata | Description |
|---|---|
| StartMoney | The amount of money that the player starts the game with. If undefined, this is 3000. |
| StartItemStorage | A comma-separated set of IDs of items that are in the player's PC at the start of the game. If undefined, there are no items there. |
| Home | The point that the player is transferred to when they black out but no Poké Center has been visited yet. This line consists of four comma-separated numbers in the following order:
The map identified by this metadata must have an event page with the "Autorun" trigger, which depends on the Game Switch called "Starting Over" (number 1 by default). This event page, when run, must heal all Pokémon in the player's party (use the event command "Recover All: Entire Party" for this), and then turn that Game Switch OFF again. This metadata is required. |
| StorageCreator | The name of the person that created the Pokémon storage system. The storage system will be called "Someone's PC" until the player has met this person, and afterwards it will be called "<name>'s PC". |
| WildBattleBGM | The default music that plays during wild Pokémon battles. It should be placed in the "Audio/BGM" directory. |
| TrainerBattleBGM | The default music that plays during trainer battles. It should be placed in the "Audio/BGM" directory. |
| WildVictoryBGM | The default victory music that plays at the end of a won wild Pokémon battle. It should be placed in the "Audio/BGM" directory. |
| TrainerVictoryBGM | The default victory music that plays at the end of a won Trainer battle. It should be placed in the "Audio/BGM" directory. |
| WildCaptureME | The default capture music that plays at the end of a Pokémon battle in which the player caught a Pokémon. It should be placed in the "Audio/ME" directory. |
| SurfBGM | The background music that plays while the player is surfing. |
| BicycleBGM | The background music that plays while the player is cycling. |
Player characters[]
All other sections of the PBS file "metadata.txt" begins with [1], [2] and so on. Each of these sections defines a player character, whose character ID is the number in that section's square brackets.
A player character section looks something like the following:
[1] TrainerType = POKEMONTRAINER_Red WalkCharset = trainer_POKEMONTRAINER_Red RunCharset = boy_run CycleCharset = boy_bike SurfCharset = boy_surf FishCharset = boy_fish_offset
Most of the pieces of information in these sections should be defined. Many of the charsets will fall back on using other charsets if undefined, but this is usually not desired.
| Character data | Description |
|---|---|
| TrainerType | The ID of this player character's trainer type. This trainer type is defined in exactly the same way as any other trainer type, and is typically only used by this player character (although some games may turn an unused player character into a rival instead). |
| WalkCharset | This player character's walking charset, as found in "Graphics/Characters". |
| RunCharset | This player character's running charset, as found in "Graphics/Characters". If undefined, the WalkCharset will be used instead when running. |
| CycleCharset | This player character's cycling charset, as found in "Graphics/Characters". If undefined, the RunCharset will be used instead when cycling. |
| SurfCharset | This player character's surfing charset, as found in "Graphics/Characters". If undefined, the CycleCharset will be used instead when surfing. |
| DiveCharset | This player character's diving charset, as found in "Graphics/Characters". If undefined, the SurfCharset will be used instead when diving. |
| FishCharset | This player character's fishing-while-standing charset, as found in "Graphics/Characters". |
| SurfFishCharset | This player character's fishing-while-surfing charset, as found in "Graphics/Characters". If undefined, the FishCharset will be used instead when fishing while surfing. |
| Home | The point that this player character is transferred to when they black out but no Poké Center has been visited yet. If defined, this overrides the "Home" global metadata defined above if the player is this character. It is defined in the same way as the "Home" global metadata. |
If a charset includes the word "offset", then it will be shifted 16 pixels south when being displayed. This is useful for any charset which extends below the tile the player is currently on (such as a lengthy fishing rod while fishing).
Editing the metadata[]
You can edit the metadata in two ways: the first is by editing the PBS file "metadata.txt" directly, and the second is by using the "Edit Metadata" option in the Debug menu.
Note that the "Edit Metadata" option does NOT move any files around, nor does it create any audio files or graphics that may be needed (such as a new player character's charsets). You will need to add these files into the appropriate folders yourself.