How to get started?

[scorpiova]

Hello everyone,

I am brand new to this site - and a long-term player of FFT.

Years ago I used to edit my Playstation copy of FFT using a game-shark and had a lot of fun using special sprites for my main generic characters - also using skill sets from characters like Olan to make my generics unique.

So now I would like to edit my Vita version of the game.

So I am wondering if the following is possible using this sites tools.

1. I use the Vita version of FFT: WOTL.
2. Can I use sprite sheets listed through this site (such as Tifa) for one of my generics that I name Tifa? Or any other sprite set.
3. Can I use skill sets that belong to unique characters like Olan -  so that my generic unit can have the Astrologist skills as a base job?

Effectively can I do what I did years ago on Playstation with the game shark?

If so, do I just scour the tutorial section to get what I need?

Thanks!

[Nyzer]

The thing is, no one here really works on the Vita version... at all.

http://ffhacktics.com/smf/index.php?topic=10785.msg204097#msg204097

A google search for "lion editor vita" doesn't show anything either, so even that route's closed off to you.

If you're really attached to WotL and don't want to do any heavy modding, you should use the PSP version, possibly on an emulator on your phone if you can. Most of the really big stuff is for the PSX version only though, because while the PSP version is decently easy to work with compared to all the other WotL ports, the PSX version is about a thousand times easier than that. And by easy, I mean "easy" - even a fair portion of the stuff that goes on for the PSX is ridiculously time-consuming.

That said, no, you can't do that sort of stuff with generics anyway - you described the process of turning them into special units, at which point they wouldn't be generics. Your Gamesharking was probably changing the base jobs of characters already in your roster. You could use the FFT Patcher to drop a copy of Olan or whoever in an event and make them recruitable, or you could probably use the Lion Editor to do what you did with your Gameshark (full disclosure, I've never used the LE). All-new sprites like Tifa would be a bit more involved, but it's easily doable with both the PSX and PSP versions.

If you decided to get one of those versions and start tinkering around, I'd suggest downloading the FFT Patch Suite: http://ffhacktics.com/wiki/Tools
and give the Patcher a go to see what you can easily mess with.

[Angel]

None of the patching tools will work with the PSN version for either PSP or Vita, so that is a lot of functionality lost. No custom sprites, no custom jobs or skill sets, no custom battles or formations, etc. Sadly, not even Lion Editor will work on Vita due to the lack of injection method for forcing no-encrypt on save data. Unfortunately, Vita is the one version of FFT/WotL that cannot be modified in any way with our present tools and knowledge.

Android and iOS at least have save editor support, so you can, say, add Olan to your party and have him dual-wield knight swords.

PSP WotL has both save state and game patching support, but very very very little in the way of ASM. Which is to say, very nearly none at all.

PSX FFT, the sky is the limit. Well okay, you're limited by file sizes and VRAM, but some of the greatest artistic pieces in the world came about under greater restrictions. If it's at all possible for you to do so, we recommend sticking to the original game for any and all modding purposes.

Edit: sniped by less than two minutes. *shakes fist*

[scorpiova]

Ok cool, thanks for the feedback.

So I need to get the PSX ISO to do what I want to do.

WOTL is off the table in terms of sprite adding/editing.

EDIT: In terms of what I used to do with the gameshark - yes it would replace the unit that was on my roster with the skin of the character I wanted - I used to use Balma and Olan in particular (they would have portrait, battle formation screen model and full combat model). They were then permanently the face of that specific unit. It is unfortunate that that is not possible with these tools.

[Nyzer]

WOTL is off the table in terms of sprite adding/editing.

Erm, no. The PSP version is WotL, and all the versions that came after that are just ports of the original WotL.

All-new sprites like Tifa would be a bit more involved, but it's easily doable with both the PSX and PSP versions.

PSP WotL has both save state and game patching support

Also,
*waves at Angel with a smug grin*

[Angel]

PSP WotL can still have custom sprites, with the caveat that the new sheet be the same size as the old sheet. Edit: I think I may have confused you with my last post - the UMD (physical copy) version of PSP WotL is the one with patching support, while the PSN (download-only) version has no such support regardless of platform.

Android and iOS have no patching support whatsoever right now, so no custom sprites.

PSX can have custom whatever-you-like.

[Nyzer]

In terms of what I used to do with the gameshark - yes it would replace the unit that was on my roster with the skin of the character I wanted - I used to use Balma and Olan in particular. They were then permanently the face of that specific unit. It is unfortunate that that is not possible with these tools.

Yeah, that sounds like it's just taking your existing generics and changing their jobs. I expect the Lion Editor could make that work. Unfortunately, you picked literally the only port of WotL that doesn't have LE support >_>

[scorpiova]

Yeah, that sounds like it's just taking your existing generics and changing their jobs. I expect the Lion Editor could make that work. Unfortunately, you picked literally the only port of WotL that doesn't have LE support >_>

Haha yeah - stupid Vita. I have noticed with most games that have been moddable in other systems, completely lost that ability on the Vita version.

Ok so I should be able to replace a generic's skin with say Tifa's skin with Lion editor? Sorry if I'm being annoying - reading stuff all over the place here to try and understand the process. Found some nice tutorials on the forums that will definitely help.

I remember back in 2002 finding the master list of sprite codes online - and being in my glee when they worked on the gameshark lol.

EDIT: Ok, I think I will start with Shishi and go from there.

[scorpiova]

PSP WotL can still have custom sprites, with the caveat that the new sheet be the same size as the old sheet. Edit: I think I may have confused you with my last post - the UMD (physical copy) version of PSP WotL is the one with patching support, while the PSN (download-only) version has no such support regardless of platform.

Android and iOS have no patching support whatsoever right now, so no custom sprites.

PSX can have custom whatever-you-like.

Oh no worries. I might check into the PSX version - and try out some of the beautiful sprites I have seen on the site.

[Nyzer]

No, you won't be able to import custom sprites with the Lion Editor. But if you can get your hands on a PSP or WotL ISO and do some sprite reshuffling (we have multiple Agrias/Mustadio for example) you can shove Tifa's in somewhere and maybe edit a generic later

[scorpiova]

No, you won't be able to import custom sprites with the Lion Editor. But if you can get your hands on a PSP or WotL ISO and do some sprite reshuffling (we have multiple Agrias/Mustadio for example) you can shove Tifa's in somewhere and maybe edit a generic later

Cool. I might try that.

On the other side of things, I suppose I could just replace the female monk sprites with Tifa's? And still have Tifa in my party by turning said unit into female monk. Of course all fem monks will look like her then lol (I am just using Tifa as an example, but I would add her in some way provided this works out).

[Nyzer]

I mean, if you want female monks to look like Tifa, sure, but if it's just for a custom character, you'd be better served by, say, taking one of the duplicate Agrias sprites, going through the Patcher's event listing, and changing all the Agrias appearances to the one sprite, before importing Tifa over the duplicate. Agrias doesn't need two different sprites, there's no change made there. It'd be decently tedious to go over it in the Patcher for that, but the end result would speak for itself.

[scorpiova]

I mean, if you want female monks to look like Tifa, sure, but if it's just for a custom character, you'd be better served by, say, taking one of the duplicate Agrias sprites, going through the Patcher's event listing, and changing all the Agrias appearances to the one sprite, before importing Tifa over the duplicate. Agrias doesn't need two different sprites, there's no change made there. It'd be decently tedious to go over it in the Patcher for that, but the end result would speak for itself.

Cool. I will dive in a check things out this weekend and see what happens. Thanks for the info to both Angel and Nyzer.