Final Fantasy Hacktics

It occurred to me today:  besides FFH, what group in the world has comparable knowledge regarding the functioning of Tactical RPG's?  This group has weighed and debated, both individually and in groups, the mechanics of FFT to the extent where expertise is the only word that could describe the collective body of knowledge.  And then I thought:  Why not use this knowledge to create a totally new TRPG?

I propose that members of this community collaborate on a from-scratch, totally new TRPG, perhaps as a spiritual successor to FFT.  And sell it. 

Granted, due to time commitments and the amount of work involved, this would be a multi-year effort, likely involving a rotating cast of characters.  I see the work being done in three stages:

First, the *total* design and concept art.  The game mechanics would be in place, including pseudocoded AI algorithms, elevation maps, etc., so that the game could be tested in toto "on paper."  This would be the stage where wrangling over features would occur, and they would be subject to rigorous testing.  The storyline/script would be totally written.  As of this point, there would be no coding and no actual art done for the game.

Second, as testing continues, the working group will cast the net for additional talent.  With a design and story in place, as well as some native art and coding capabilities, I do not think it would be impossible to get help.  At this point spriting and coding begins, as testing has provided proven mechanics.

Third, work on implementing all features of the game is completed.  The game becomes a finished product, and testing turns from validating designs to "bug-hunts."  Finally, the game is done, and ready to sell.

A few immediate issues:

Consensus:  I propose a group of 3 or 5 "elders" be chosen to steer the project.  They will vote on controversies.  There should be periodic chat meetings, with predetermined rules of order, to handle issues and guide action.  In the initial stages of this project, they may occur once a month, while the rate would increase during periods of heavy work.

A Seperate Forum:  If the community has any interest in this, it should have its own forum where the preliminary design and decision-making is done.  The forum will be active throughout the project.

Compensation:  I have to admit I am almost totally clueless as to how this would work.  I imagine there would be some kind of system of "shares," with more ownership of profits accorded to those who put in the most work.

That's all I've got for now.  This topic is open for discussion.

I don't know what happened to my OP, but here it is again:
Oh yeah, working title "Hierophant"
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With much noise and much violence the river crashed o'er the rapids-rock, which mutely protested the unceasing cascade.  Boulders uncrested, dry where touched sunlight, stood in defiance of the prophets of flux.  You will yet yield, thought Griselm, in her moment of reverie.  She searched the chaos for hints of pattern, knowing these to be merely projections of mind.  There is only one thing that can be known about the river:  the ungraspable flow breaks all that resists.  The vanity of these rocks!  No, not vanity.  The ignorance.  If agency was theirs, would they seek this rage?  But they have agency not, and as all, act their role.

The path cut through cedars had led them uphill, where snowmelt in this season made war with the earth.  Brynn was resting against rock, spear lain cross his shoulders, gathering strength for the trial soon coming.  Brynn, of the crimson robes, blonde hair thick and cut at his ears.  Of the Thunder Priests, the mediators between storm and man, perhaps two dozen remained.  The old faith, which for generations had held men in thrall, was being routed by men who put faith in the demos.  A mob, the master?  A crowd, the king?  Such blasphemies issued from the new temples.  Temples to the One who laughs.  Be we the rock?  Be we the river?  Griselm pondered.  I would wager that even a jester can bleed.

The bridge cross the rapids, swayed in the carrying, of the other would-be avenger, eldest of their party.  Greying hair tied back, but shortspiked on the top, the style of warriors serving the crown.  Anachronistic, and as defiant as Brynn's vestments.  Xaviuus approached, resting hands on twin machetes, hung crossed off his hips.  He was pristinely eager to draw them from behind him, to interrupt a life with an iron exclamation.  Brynn raised his head and regarded him.  Xaviuus spoke:

--They will be here anon.

He said, and looked at Griselm.  Then, addressing Brynn:

--Thy confidence she has?

Brynn said, laconic:

--She will not fail us.  She has yet to fail us.

And Xaviuus:

--This time there is no surprise.  You wished to confront them direct.

And Brynn:

--There is no other place where meeting is certain.

Xaviuus, again:

--These men, when awoken, will become as clockwork.  She must pierce as an arrow, should she send the visions.

Griselm spoke, then:

--It is not a matter of sending, it is a matter of awakening.  The presence of gods will wash over as surf; like grains of sand, it will bind their delicate cogs.

Xaviuus seemed unconvinced.  Then he spoke:

--It is foolish of me to express doubt however.  They are nearly upon, and it will be what it is.  Brynn, will you pray for us?

Brynn straightened himself, and held his spear upright.  Xaviuus and Griselm bowed their heads as Brynn intoned:

--O Destroyer.

Brynn paused, then continued:

--O Destroyer, O Eater of Worlds, grant us thy presence; for we seek to make offering.  Fight we the arrogance, fight we the insolence, of the builders of dwellings of delusions of men.  Readeth we thy will in the Book of All-Living, readeth they their lies in the book of men.  Help us to decipher this world-prison mathematick, help us to dance as you flicker through the unreal.  Thy flicker the promise of consuming fire.

Brynn cleared his throat and recited:

--The dancer stalks the energies; detects the fearful symmetries; absorbs all forms by mimicry; and manifests zoologies; morphologies distinkt; species differentiated; for all is of warrior descent; and by blood consecrated...

Xaviuus interrupted:

--They come.

Sure we can make all these new crazy skills,  but does the AI actually know how to use them?

For instance, say I made books a smart targeting range three AoE.  If the AI had a book it its hand, would it realize this and utilize it effectively?

There's a lot of info on this site, but I can't seem to find a FAQ on how to actually get started hacking FFT.

I both the PSP and PSX version, is one easier to work with than the other?  I'd like to eventually do some pretty hardcore warping of the game.

For instance, I want to make it so battles and events flow one after the other (no world map) and Agrias is the main char.   Those are just a couple fo the things I'd like to do, if they are possible.

So, is there an utter beginner FAQ somewhere that I'm missing?

So I've always loved FFT, but when I think about ways I'd like to warp it to my will, I wonder to myself:  why not attempt to make your own game?

I'm not a total noob to design;  I've got a table-top RPG system on sale for kindle.  That probably took a hundred hours to design and test, so I've got commitment to follow-through.  I'm not bad with fiction either, but I haven't published or self-published any of that--it hasn't gotten through my internal censors.

What I'm wondering is if I can get a sprite artist on board while the game is still in a nebulous form, so when the story and gameplay are in a more concrete form, We'll(!) have some art to back it up.  I'd love for the art to be done FFT-style. 

I'm imagining a FFT-like game with much larger battlefields, that are semi-randomly generated (by which I mean, there will be strict parameters for an iteration to comply with, but the exact layout will be different on every playthrough).

There will be no levels (there are none in my table-top RPG either);  skills will be closely balanced and every skill will have an opportunity cost.  There will be no obviously *right* build.  Many of the opponents will have their skills generated randomly, in the same way as the battlefields.

The player will take multiple roles in a story that centers on a Vietnam-like conflict.  At different points in the game, the player will be fighting with different characters at different points in the history of the conflict.  The whole shape of the conflict will be illustrated to the player as the game moves on, although the story will not necessarily proceed with a linear chronology--the player will probably start in the middle of the war, and there will be flash-forwards and flash-backs.  The player will also play characters from different factions of the conflict.  Certain paths will be mandatory, and some will be elective.  I'm not sure if some will be "unlockable" or not.

My plan for skills right now is:  Every unit will have a basic class, with 2 support skills.  A Healer may have half-MP cost and extra magic range, or she may have turbo-MP and doublecast.  Every unit will probably have a specific weapon, so that can be animated with the sprite.

So, does this sound like an interesting project to anyone?

I joined this site because the thought of hacking fft, warping it into what I want a TRPG to be, makes me shiver.

But lately I've been wondering, why don't I just try to make my own game, instead of bending the FFT engine to my will?

So, that said, is there some kind of program where I can experiment with making FFT-like sprites?