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HeartGold hack: Refined Gold Overhaul [COMPLETE]

RefinedPlat

RefinedPlat

  • Premier Ball Poké Ball Great Ball Ultra Ball
    • 101
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    122
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    • Seen today
    Notice: Current version is v4.1.2 as of 4/17/2025

    Do you love the atmosphere of Heartgold, but can't stand the level curve? Wish you could spend a little more time with the cast and crew? Find the pacing embarrassing? Annoyed you can't just USE a Sneasel for Lance? Disappointed by Kantonian incompetence? Only remember Petrel as "the Koffing guy"?
    I present to you, Refined Gold.

    Refined Gold has been my hobby and passion project since 2021. Since then I have spent countless hours tinkering, documenting, and adding all sorts of dollops of flavor and content to augment and enhance the game I loved so much as a kid.

    Refined Gold offers improved wild Pokemon diversity with a focus on integrating Pokemon normally unavailable or agonizing to find such as Sneasel and Marill, while keeping true to the regional dex. Overall progression, design and especially postgame content has been bolstered and improved to make the game play and feel better while retaining the sense of identity of vanilla Heartgold as much as possible. In the Overhaul, the level curve has been completely redone to make the slog of grinding weak mons for weak gyms into a proper, engaging Pokemon experience. In both games, Kanto has been remade into an actual postgame instead of an empty parade of nothing.

    Whether you're here to relive old memories, or make new ones, I hope you have a great time!

    To play, simply apply to a clean Heartgold USA. Anything relating to the Xenophobia dump or other region versions will not work.
    At time of writing, the Unipatcher does not work - use delta-wasm if you are a mobile user.
    Refined Gold Coarse is the basic version, while Refined Gold Overhaul contains movepool and main game trainer changes . ONLY APPLY ONE PATCH, DO NOT STACK PATCHES.
    If you don't know which to play, you probably want Overhaul.

    A quick rundown of the features:
    Both Versions
    - A bustling new encounter table that stays true to vanilla while incorporating Pokemon like Omanyte, Sneasel and Snubbull in a way enjoyable and accessible for the player.
    - Access to EVERY POKEMON in the G4 National Dex in the postgame WHILE keeping the main game encounter table Regional Dex only.
    - - Pokedex location tables have been updated to match these!
    - All trade evolutions are fixed of course.
    - Improved access to evo items so Pokeathlon is less mandatory. Gliscor etc are still post-Lance.
    - A postgame TM, berry and evo item shop as QoL - no need to hoard main game!
    - Access to Shard Tutors, written by myself! Now you're cooking with coverage!
    - - Tutors are Ecruteak City, Lake of Rage, Saffron City respectively. Shards are more accessible now.
    - Substantially improved trainer rematches for the Fighting Dojo and misc. postgame rematches.
    - A mini-quest of Post-Blue Superbosses that has you face off against familiar faces to prevent a looming threat. This offers both thrilling challenges for your well-furnished team and a pantheon of challenging foes to Exp. Share grind on should you pursue the National Pokedex.
    - Full restoration of the Celebi and Spiky-Eared Pichu events!
    - All legendaries can be rebattled infinitely once they are captured so you can finish the dex and still shiny hunt.
    - Misc Trainer additions to add more trainer class variety and give Lyra/Ethan a little more screentime
    - A variety of script and flavor text additions to breathe life into Kanto and Johto! Enjoy the Pewter Museum, chitchat with Blue, hang out with Whitney, and more!
    - To be clear: absolutely no type, stat or ability changes. As well as no Fairy-type. The hack is lavish within its bounds and minimalist outside of it; these go against the spirit of the hack.

    Coarse
    A very purist approach for people just looking for a definitive edition to play and complete the Nat Dex.
    - ~No trainer changes outside of rematches and other postgame content. ALL ADDED CONTENT IS STILL PRESENT.
    - - Postgame content is similar to Overhaul, but scaled down in levels and IVs to match vanilla's curve.
    - Negligible movepool changes as QoL instead of buffing anything.
    - All of the above changes to provide an enjoyable experience while keeping the vanilla experience to a T.
    Overhaul
    A fine meal of trainer buffs and careful movepool changes to further enhance your experience and add challenge to your journey.
    - Overall difficulty is well above vanilla but below Renegade Platinum, even accounting for the player's limited options.
    - A thoroughly refined level curve to make progression more fluid and enjoyable. Wild Pokemon that aren't 20 levels below you! Wow!
    - My crown jewel of romhacking, nonlinear progression!
    - - After defeating Morty, the player may either go to Mahogany or Olivine first. Trainers and wild encouners will get stronger after completing one track.
    - - Kanto is also more cohesive, making you battle the first set of gyms in any order before moving on to the second set, Megaman 7 style.
    - Complete revamp so Team Rocket teams are more engaging and interesting!
    - - Grunts use a core of Poison, Ground, and Normal, while the Executives are rebuilt from the ground up!
    - A basic set of level up pool buffs on nearly every line, typically a token move or two as if there was a second round of the DP->Platinum buffs.
    - - Johto Starters have been comprehensively redone to make them more engaging and fun to use.
    - - These are all legal as of HGSS, there's no Seed Flare Venusaur.
    - All trainers have IVs scaling as you go along in the game.

    [PokeCommunity.com] Refined Gold Overhaul [COMPLETE][PokeCommunity.com] Refined Gold Overhaul [COMPLETE][PokeCommunity.com] Refined Gold Overhaul [COMPLETE][PokeCommunity.com] Refined Gold Overhaul [COMPLETE]

    Link to the Changelog (see also the files inside the downloaded .zip)
    Main Changelog:
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I_Vukoq3CK2q4BtcglUp9x-OZh4hEJqHhfzjmPQv0l8/

    If you have any bug reports or want to share anything about your experience or thoughts, please contact me on Discord at RefinedPlat or Blue Sky at refinedplat.bsky.social
    These are both much more preferred over Pokecommunity for contact, as Pokecommunity is only checked intermittently. Feel free to leave any comments you'd like here! But for bug reports, please use Discord or BSky.
    If you DO have a bug on the current release, please let me know! I will not be accepting bug reports from before the Pokecommunity releases (v5.0 for Gold, and v6.0 for Platinum). If you have a bug from an earlier release, please reproduce it on the current version before contacting me.

    CREDITS:
    Input on design, theorycrafting, and balancing/encounter distribution was provided by Frozen Metroid/Senate, Julian Kaffeebohnen, SpagoAsparago, PathologicalLurker, Quick, Worcestershirey, TitaniumTogekiss, PksLab, Gorapa, DarmaniDan, Tanning Bed, Dr. Fizz, SkarmTSK, and McGee. TwilightMenu++ compatibility courtesy of DeadSkullzJr.
    Assistance in hacking and discovering absolutely ridiculous new ways to surmount obstacles was provided by AdAstra, Cannons, Drayano, turtleisaac, Nomura, Lhea, Saucettya, and BluRose.
    And, of course, there are countless others who have provided small bits of insight or suggestions. Shoutout to Melki, PathoLurk, Vbeechu, Kobe, Rei, Viridian, Wobb, Nathaniel, Minkuru, Brandon, Lord of Baguettes, Yimpyomp, and Gelius.
    Special thanks to Aero in particular for their unrelated but valuable research!
    Thank you as well to all of the beta testers who helped make sure this hack was a quality and enjoyable one.

    Thank you to everyone who helped me, gave me suggestions, and cheered me on. I love all of you :D
     

    Attachments

    • Refined Gold Overhaul v4.1.2 - 4.17.2025 - Protector Polish.zip
      9.6 MB · Views: 224
    Last edited:
    RefinedPlat said:
    Notice: Current version is v4.0 as of 1/18/2025

    Do you love the atmosphere of Heartgold, but can't stand the level curve? Wish you could spend a little more time with the cast and crew? Find the pacing embarrassing? Annoyed you can't just USE a Sneasel for Lance? Disappointed by Kantonian incompetence? Only remember Petrel as "the Koffing guy"?
    I present to you, Refined Gold.

    Refined Gold has been my hobby and passion project since 2021. Since then I have spent countless hours tinkering, documenting, and adding all sorts of dollops of flavor and content to augment and enhance the game I loved so much as a kid.

    Refined Gold offers improved wild Pokemon diversity with a focus on integrating Pokemon normally unavailable or agonizing to find such as Sneasel and Marill, while keeping true to the regional dex. Overall progression, design and especially postgame content has been bolstered and improved to make the game play and feel better while retaining the sense of identity of vanilla Heartgold as much as possible. In the Overhaul, the level curve has been completely redone to make the slog of grinding weak mons for weak gyms into a proper, engaging Pokemon experience. In both games, Kanto has been remade into an actual postgame instead of an empty parade of nothing.

    Whether you're here to relive old memories, or make new ones, I hope you have a great time!

    To play, simply apply to a clean Heartgold USA. Anything relating to the Xenophobia dump or other region versions will not work.
    At time of writing, the Unipatcher does not work - use delta-wasm if you are a mobile user.
    Refined Gold Coarse is the basic version, while Refined Gold Overhaul contains movepool and main game trainer changes . ONLY APPLY ONE PATCH, DO NOT STACK PATCHES.
    If you don't know which to play, you probably want Overhaul.

    A quick rundown of the features:
    Both Versions
    - A bustling new encounter table that stays true to vanilla while incorporating Pokemon like Omanyte, Sneasel and Snubbull in a way enjoyable and accessible for the player.
    - Access to EVERY POKEMON in the G4 National Dex in the postgame WHILE keeping the main game encounter table Regional Dex only.
    - - Pokedex location tables have been updated to match these!
    - All trade evolutions are fixed of course.
    - Improved access to evo items so Pokeathlon is less mandatory. Gliscor etc are still post-Lance.
    - A postgame TM, berry and evo item shop as QoL - no need to hoard main game!
    - Access to Shard Tutors, written by myself! Now you're cooking with coverage!
    - - Tutors are Ecruteak City, Lake of Rage, Saffron City respectively. Shards are more accessible now.
    - Substantially improved trainer rematches for the Fighting Dojo and misc. postgame rematches.
    - A mini-quest of Post-Blue Superbosses that has you face off against familiar faces to prevent a looming threat. This offers both thrilling challenges for your well-furnished team and a pantheon of challenging foes to Exp. Share grind on should you pursue the National Pokedex.
    - Full restoration of the Celebi and Spiky-Eared Pichu events!
    - All legendaries can be rebattled infinitely once they are captured so you can finish the dex and still shiny hunt.
    - Misc Trainer additions to add more trainer class variety and give Lyra/Ethan a little more screentime
    - A variety of script and flavor text additions to breathe life into Kanto and Johto! Enjoy the Pewter Museum, chitchat with Blue, hang out with Whitney, and more!
    - To be clear: absolutely no type, stat or ability changes. As well as no Fairy-type. The hack is lavish within its bounds and minimalist outside of it; these go against the spirit of the hack.

    Coarse
    A very purist approach for people just looking for a definitive edition to play and complete the Nat Dex.
    - ~No trainer changes outside of rematches and other postgame content. ALL ADDED CONTENT IS STILL PRESENT.
    - - Postgame content is similar to Overhaul, but scaled down in levels and IVs to match vanilla's curve.
    - Negligible movepool changes as QoL instead of buffing anything.
    - All of the above changes to provide an enjoyable experience while keeping the vanilla experience to a T.
    Overhaul
    A fine meal of trainer buffs and careful movepool changes to further enhance your experience and add challenge to your journey.
    - Overall difficulty is well above vanilla but below Renegade Platinum, even accounting for the player's limited options.
    - A thoroughly refined level curve to make progression more fluid and enjoyable. Wild Pokemon that aren't 20 levels below you! Wow!
    - My crown jewel of romhacking, nonlinear progression!
    - - After defeating Morty, the player may either go to Mahogany or Olivine first. Trainers and wild encouners will get stronger after completing one track.
    - - Kanto is also more cohesive, making you battle the first set of gyms in any order before moving on to the second set, Megaman 7 style.
    - Complete revamp so Team Rocket teams are more engaging and interesting!
    - - Grunts use a core of Poison, Ground, and Normal, while the Executives are rebuilt from the ground up!
    - A basic set of level up pool buffs on nearly every line, typically a token move or two as if there was a second round of the DP->Platinum buffs.
    - - Johto Starters have been comprehensively redone to make them more engaging and fun to use.
    - - These are all legal as of HGSS, there's no Seed Flare Venusaur.
    - All trainers have IVs scaling as you go along in the game.

    View attachment 170481View attachment 170483View attachment 170482View attachment 170484

    Link to the Changelog (see also the files inside the downloaded .zip)
    Main Changelog:
    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I_Vukoq3CK2q4BtcglUp9x-OZh4hEJqHhfzjmPQv0l8/

    If you have any bug reports or want to share anything about your experience or thoughts, please contact me on Discord at RefinedPlat or Blue Sky at refinedplat.bsky.social
    These are both much more preferred over Pokecommunity for contact, as Pokecommunity is only checked intermittently. Feel free to leave any comments you'd like here! But for bug reports, please use Discord or BSky.
    If you DO have a bug on the current release, please let me know! I will not be accepting bug reports from before the Pokecommunity releases (v5.0 for Gold, and v6.0 for Platinum). If you have a bug from an earlier release, please reproduce it on the current version before contacting me.

    CREDITS:
    Input on design, theorycrafting, and balancing/encounter distribution was provided by Frozen Metroid/Senate, Julian Kaffeebohnen, SpagoAsparago, PathologicalLurker, Quick, Worcestershirey, TitaniumTogekiss, PksLab, Gorapa, DarmaniDan, Tanning Bed, Dr. Fizz, SkarmTSK, and McGee. TwilightMenu++ compatibility courtesy of DeadSkullzJr.
    Assistance in hacking and discovering absolutely ridiculous new ways to surmount obstacles was provided by AdAstra, Cannons, Drayano, turtleisaac, Nomura, Lhea, Saucettya, and BluRose.
    And, of course, there are countless others who have provided small bits of insight or suggestions. Shoutout to Melki, PathoLurk, Vbeechu, Kobe, Rei, Viridian, Wobb, Nathaniel, Minkuru, Brandon, Lord of Baguettes, Yimpyomp, and Gelius.
    Thank you as well to all of the beta testers who helped make sure this hack was a quality and enjoyable one.

    Thank you to everyone who helped me, gave me suggestions, and cheered me on. I love all of you :D
    Click to expand...
    Thank
    Hope to see you again in another ds or gba hack maybe with original region and story if you decided to stick around. I on 3rd gym. The improvement is subtle yet still noticable
     
    Hey, so I started playing this today and the game consistently freezes for me when I encounter the Kimono girl in Ilex forest. That aside, I've liked the changes so far, a shame I can't play more.
     
    Good thing I'm still finishing another romhack before playing this one. Hope you get it fixed soon as it's in the queue for playing.
     
    RefinedPlat said:
    More or less, but it won't have TWM compat for some time as I need to upload the de-bloated patch and TWM will need to have an update to have the new AP patching for these versions.
    Click to expand...
    Thanks a lot for the updates :)
    But let's say I only ever play on my Phone (DraStic), which means I don't really benefit from Twilight Menu (but again, doesn't make it any less important), would it be better to just wait for the de-bloated patch (v4.0.2?) whenever it's ready for release?

    No pressure tho, this Hack looks like it's worth the wait until it's ready for smooth sailing, so we'll keep cheering from the sidelines :)
     
    PokemonUser212 said:
    What is TWM compat?
    Click to expand...
    If i'm not mistaken (but feel free to correct me) TWM is the abbreviation for "TWilight Menu", which is a NDS Homebrew Menu, ergo, TWM Compat (compatibility) means the patch may not play "as nice" with real hardware as it would with an Emulator.

    But whichever is the case, I would still hold on playing this ROMHack while RefinedPlat irons out those small details, I think it will be worth the wait :)

    ***

    EDIT: Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention this but if you wanted to apply the Patch and MarcRobledo isn't helping, consider using the Delta Patcher (in the ROMHacking community), I got a bit of trouble patching my game (as I'm familiar with the GBA process but not NDS) but after I found about Delta it became almost second nature. Probably you already know about this, but I just wanted to add this edit in case this is someone else's first time patching a DS Game and they're wondering why Marc isn't helping :P
     
    Last edited:
    Actually, there are no details to iron out. You can play it right now, this current version *has* the bugfixes concerning Ilex Forest etc. However, TWM does not have proper AP-patching for it and the data shifting from the tools I use (unavoidable part of it) results in a bloated patch size (the actual patch is around 1MB) and makes it more temperamental on real hardware.
    Regardless, there is no reason you can't play the game now, whether on Melon or on real hardware, but if you are playing on real hardware it would be a good idea to save often.
    I will make a note once the file is properly processed but this will not be for some time.
     
    Last edited:
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