As of version 3.7.7 of the Ocarina of Time Randomizer it is possible to create and apply patch files to the base ROM which can be shared between people who want to play on the same exact seed without distributing copyright material.
For more technical information view the ZPF patch format Documentation on GitHub
Advantages of Using Patches
First and foremost, by using patch files you can legally share randomizer ROMs as the patch files do not contain any copyrighted content in them.
If you want to conduct a race where only the organizer, or a third party individual, has the spoiler log you can do so by having the person who you want to have access to it create a patch file, then share that patch file for the racers to use on the website. This way you can have a race without fearing someone cheating by reading the spoiler log, and you can still have a spoiler log to look back on later which would not be available if creating a race seed on the website.
Patch files also currently work no matter the version of the randomizer. A patch file created on 3.7.7 will work on the latest generator. A version 5.1 patch file will work on the 3.7.7 generator; However is not recommended to do due to a bug related to cosmetics with that earlier version that was fixed prior to version 4.0. This means you can generate a randomizer patch on the Dev branch, a Pull Request, or a an entirely different fork of the randomizer and use it on the website and it will just work!
Create Patch Files
Generating a patch file for a normal seed will create a ZPF file. A Multiworld seed will create a ZPFZ file.
Website
The website will only create patch files which you then apply to your ROM. To download the patch file go to the seed page. We will use the Vanilla plando seed as an example. At the very bottom of the page, below the "Patch ROM" button is a link Save unmodified Patch File. Clicking this link will download the patch file to your computer. You can then send this to people by uploading it to a file sharing site or on Discord.
Bundled Release
Under the "ROM Options" tab there is an "Output Type" section. You want to choose "Patch File" instead of "Compressed [Stable]". This will only create the patch file. If you also want a ROM for yourself, you'll want to apply the patch file.
Apply Patch Files
- It is recommended to use the website method. It is also much easier to create a
.wadfile this way. - If you are applying a Multiworld seed make sure to select the ZPFZ file and set your Player ID to the correct value.
Website
At the bottom of the Generator page above the "Generate Seed!" and "Generate Race Seed!" buttons is a section with two tabs. "Generate From Seed" is selected by default. Switch it to "Generate From File" and you'll see a "Patch File" textbox appear. Choose "Select File" and locate your ZPF patch file and select it. You can scroll up to choose between creating a .z64 file or a .wad file. Once everything is set, click "Patch ROM!" button and your ROM will be generated.
Bundled Release
Make sure to change "Output Type" back to "Compressed [Stable]" if you previously generated a patch file. At the bottom of the Generator above the "Generate!" button is a section with two tabs. "Generate From Seed" is selected by default. Switch it to "Generate From File" and you'll see a "Patch File" textbox appear. Choose "Select File" and locate your ZPF or ZPFZ patch file and select it. Once everything is set, click the "Generate!" button and your ROM will be generated.