Um, the S tiles ARE already used (or, at least, I designed them to be). The 2 examples you gave should already be in use, as well as Zoras (for the submerging/surfacing tiles) and the Gleeoks (for the neck and head tiles).
And how about this idea for shops (maybe for ZC 2.6 or something)... Add a new variable to each item. Call it "Next Shop". Basically, when you buy that item, the shop number for that room is permanently changed to the shop number listed in that variable. By default (and for old quests), this number would be set to the current shop number.
Examples:
A shop from an old quest (this is the actual shop data of shop 0 from 1st.qst) would be converted to this:
Code:
Shop 0
Item Price Next
Magic Shield 160 0
Normal Key 100 0
Candle 60 0
or possibly this (the -1 means "whatever the current shop number is"):
Code:
Shop 0
Item Price Next
Magic Shield 160 - 1
Normal Key 100 - 1
Candle 60 - 1
Suppose you wanted a shop that sold a Blue Ring, then sold a Red Ring once you bought the Blue Ring, then sells out of rings completely:
Code:
Shop 3
Item Price Next
Normal Key 80 - 1
Blue Ring 255 4
Bait 60 - 1
Shop 4
Item Price Next
Red Ring 999 5
Normal Key 80 - 1
Bait 60 - 1
Shop 5
Item Price Next
Normal Key 80 - 1
Bait 60 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Notice that the items don't always have to appear in the same places. Also, note that the shop is dependent on if you buy the item from that shop, not just if you happen to already own it.
Or, suppose you wanted to recreate the bean seller from Ocarina of Time (but with Keys, since ZC doesn't have beans):
Code:
Shop 2
Item Price Next
Normal Key 10 3
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 3
Item Price Next
Normal Key 20 4
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 4
Item Price Next
Normal Key 30 5
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 5
Item Price Next
Normal Key 40 6
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 6
Item Price Next
Normal Key 50 7
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 7
Item Price Next
Normal Key 60 8
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 8
Item Price Next
Normal Key 70 9
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 9
Item Price Next
Normal Key 80 10
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 10
Item Price Next
Normal Key 90 11
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 11
Item Price Next
Normal Key 100 12
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 12
Item Price Next
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Or, you want a shop that sells Magic Shields at a discount if you ever bought one from them before:
Code:
Shop 0
Item Price Next
Magic Shield 160 1
Normal Key 100 - 1
Candle 60 - 1
Shop 1
Item Price Next
Magic Shield 20 - 1
Normal Key 100 - 1
Candle 60 - 1
Finally, a shop that sells Shields and Rings and upgrades to the next level of item if you purchase one:
Code:
Shop 0
Item Price Next
Magic Shield 160 1
Blue Ring 255 2
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 1
Item Price Next
Mirror Shield 780 3
Blue Ring 255 4
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 2
Item Price Next
Magic Shield 160 4
Red Ring 999 5
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 3
Item Price Next
Blue Ring 255 6
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 4
Item Price Next
Mirror Shield 780 6
Red Ring 999 7
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 5
Item Price Next
Magic Shield 160 7
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 6
Item Price Next
Red Ring 999 8
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 7
Item Price Next
Mirror Shield 780 8
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Shop 8
Item Price Next
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
(None) 0 - 1
Yes, we would definitely increase the number of shops from 15 to something like 255 or even 65535. Thoughts?