Strength & Weaknesses

Like with every tool, the workshop also has its strength and weaknesses.

(+) New Entries

Adding entirely new equipment, actions, etc. without replacing current ones is very easily possible by just copying an entry in a current list, pasting it to the end (or anywhere else) and then editing it to your wish.

(+) Mass Editing

Since all files (except textures) are unpacked into a text file, it is extremely easy to mass edit. So if you wanted all foes that cast Cure to cast Cura instead, you could easily do it by searching for all instances of a specific text (e.g. Action: 0) and then replace it with something else (e.g. Action: 4).

(+) Reordering

Changing the order of an action, item, etc. is easily possible by simply cutting an entry in a current list and pasting it elsewhere.

(-) No Drop-Down Lists

Almost all values in the unpacked .json files are simply numbers so their real meaning is unknown until it is looked up in a spreadsheet that maps its values.

For example, to know that Action: 0 means Action: Cure, you will have to check out one of the resources in the toolkit wiki or look up their value in the drop-down list of the toolkit itself.

This behavior is intended as otherwise, only a single change to the name of an action for example can break compatibility with all previously unpacked .json files. Not to mention it would make mass editing more difficult as replacing a number is way easier and less error prone than replacing a long and possibly slightly wrongly written text.

(-) No Real-Time Editing

Since all edits are done to files instead to an actively running game, you will first have to install them as a mod for them to show an effect in the game. However, while changes to files like the battle_pack.bin (and its sections) require a game restart, others like .ard and .ebp are loaded whenever you change the location (or more). So it isn't always a hindrance.