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FFT: The Fifty Years War and FFT: The Lions' War Revisited.

Started by gatebuster202, June 28, 2015, 10:49:54 am

gatebuster202

@ Elric, thanks :)

I'm both stupid and patient, Mudvanye. Eventually it will pay off :)

As our wonderful mods love to point out, if you build it, people may help. (I'm not holding out, for anything, but I'll pray for a spriter.)
  • Modding version: PSX
Winner of the 2nd FFT Arena SCC Tourney. -Geomancers

gatebuster202

As it has been pointed out to me, I haven't gotten any events up yet!!! I promise I am getting to them. I scrapped my last Patcher File at this point. I'm not even Touching it til I put chapter 1's new events in and condense the entire game's event files.

I have all my tools to make the work happen, but I am also enjoying Arena, working 40 and trying to put a 2 year old on a schedule. I hope to have this milestone done by Thanksgiving.

The Events of Chapter 1, include
Obornne - Dialoge rewrites to make a little more sense.
Gariland - To be a little more "mature".
Save Algus - You will have to save Algus. Your honor a a Beoulve demands it!
Igros. - Every scene has a rewrite.
The Plains - (Additional Scene) *New
Gariland - (Additional Scene) *New
Sweegy Woods - Changed the Battle (New Character Added)
Dortor - (Altered Battle and Scene to involve new Character. Additional Scene)
Sand Rat's Cellar - (This felt, too small/easy, admittedly the climax of the chapter is not here yet, but in Vanilla, there is great importance on rescuing Elmdore. So, it's a two-part fight, with an additional map added. (And not the standard desert either.) Gustav and Wiegraf see some dialogue alterations. The Iconic Line shall be left unharmed.)
Scenes on the return to Igros
Sweegy - Additional Story on our new Character
Gariland - Algus backstory
Plains - Teta/Delita backstory
Igros it's self. - Dyce and Larg almost unchanged. Second Scene added.
Plains - (New Battle) - Involves New Character, Algus and Delita w/Ramza
Thieves Fort - Significant dialogue rewrite. Both scenes
Plains - (Death Corps Scene.)
Igros - Dialogue rewrite
Plains - Small rewrite. (No real changes)
Gariland - Meets Rad'cliffe' (Rad has his own job, and story in Chapters 1 & 2) (He also gives you a fourth body for you party.)
(Proceeding three fights see additional dialouge for New Character, Delita, and Algus.) (Slight changes of course. Minor plot twist.)
I'll allow players to continue to the Falls, as I only have a few dialogue changes planned. Once you rescue the Princess, your game will then open up Zaland. Zaland will lack the Mustadio and subsequent events. (They'll be dummied out.) Instead you'll get a rumor, when I release Chapter 2 that allows progression. This gives people an opportunity to test more aspects of the combat system and the job tree. Also I plan on releasing 4 "side quests". All of them are time sensitive and important for magic users.

So, when I get "all" this done. I'm going to do all my Patcher work. None of my scenes are fancy. (See anything Dante in Jot5) so, once I get the basics of Eventing I should be able to crank them out. Also half my events are done for me.
  • Modding version: PSX
Winner of the 2nd FFT Arena SCC Tourney. -Geomancers

Xifanie

  • Modding version: PSX
Love what you're seeing? https://supportus.ffhacktics.com/ 💜 it's really appreciated

Anything is possible as long as it is within the hardware's limits. (ie. disc space, RAM, Video RAM, processor, etc.)
<R999> My target market is not FFT mod players
<Raijinili> remember that? it was awful

3lric

O_o how do you intend to 'add' events to the already full vanilla?
  • Modding version: PSX

gatebuster202

I'll be condensing events down. By eliminating the setup events, removing choices and going to two discs. Nuking Chapter 3 & 4 and vice versa. I'm hopefully going to have everything "condensed" in a few weeks and then see how much space I really have. I have to leave DD and the Tuts intact. So for Chapters 1 & 2 that will be less overall space. I do want to almost double the game in length. I am even considering multiple iterations of DD since I am going to have access to Warjilis on both discs.

I personally felt like the three weeks between Lionel and Delita and Ovelia arriving in Zeltinna to declaring outright war for the Crown, were overlooked. Those three weeks, Ramza can encounter Oran, and experience the early parts of going to Lesalia, (except he goes to Igros.) I can then use those moments to tell more of Alma's story. I have mentioned earlier, I like our side characters to feel like characters, not the MacGuffins that Square made them. (Alma, Oran, Delita, Ovelia, Agrias, Mustadio, Orlandu, and Meliadoul.) I want to use chapter 1 and 2 to tell more story, give more insight. I also want to incorporate that this is Az's life work. The man is a historian who has uncovered his family's secret, and he's TELLING a story. we should see footnotes pop up, not Ramza's thoughts. As a History major I want a bit more realism in the story telling, so I will be finding a way to incorporate that.

All of this is eventing. And can honestly be done in the Vanilla combat.  It won't be, but the above is my vision, not the combat.

Thank you for asking though.
  • Modding version: PSX
Winner of the 2nd FFT Arena SCC Tourney. -Geomancers

Xifanie

Double the length?

I'm sorry, but with such an overambitious goal, can you let me question your motivation given that you didn't jump right into eventing and still haven't done so?
  • Modding version: PSX
Love what you're seeing? https://supportus.ffhacktics.com/ 💜 it's really appreciated

Anything is possible as long as it is within the hardware's limits. (ie. disc space, RAM, Video RAM, processor, etc.)
<R999> My target market is not FFT mod players
<Raijinili> remember that? it was awful

3lric

How do you intend to do 2 discs? :P

Also, you have to leave the tutorials intact whether you wanted to or not :P
  • Modding version: PSX

Angel

Gonna back my wife up here; she isn't trying to dissuade you from or prevent you from seeing your project to completion. Just... Elric is at least 3x more active than any other member here, shouldering the majority of the workload on Journey of the Five, and works on it all day long every day with few exceptions. Elric started with events, which is a big part of his success... Xifanie is just trying to keep your head in reality. It is a massive undertaking. Truly massive. The sort of thing you spend years on. Xifanie isn't being rude, she's making you look at reality vs ideal.

*points at other story mod patches and their current states*

That's all I have to say. If you have that sort of dedication, I look forward to it.
  • Modding version: PSX
* Angel should quit being a lazy bitch
<@Elric> I agree to that as well

nyanyame nyanyajuu nyanyado no nyarabide nyakunyaku inyanyaku nyanyahan nyanyadai nyannyaku nyarabete nyaganyagame
At the end of the day, are we not all trapped inside lemons?

gatebuster202

Right, no problem and in fact welcome the questions and will have no problem justifying my goal. Two discs. I'll tackle that first. Very simple in theory. Write everything so that upon completion of chapter 2's end it does what Jot5 did and ends. When you load the second Iso, and load that save file it will pick up in a event that unlocks everything on the world map to that point and has the right shop progress.

For the eventing standpoint, the final event ends, prompts a save and calls Event 101, (or whatever) which is just a blank screen on disc 1, on disc 2 it's, now, the next event and then we go back to the next event. (I assumed that's what Jot5 planned to do.) I'd have to use the same Patcher file an the same everything else of course. Only the events commands would be different.

To Xif/Toshiko. I've played this game since I was six. I've bought seven total copies of Vanilla and WotL. (I broke my first two PSX copies due to sheer use in and out of the disc drive.) All before I found hacktics. I have time and patience. More then my activity promises. I might be looking at a five to six year project before I am done. Don't get me wrong. And I only tried eventing once before my job kicked into high gear, and my daughter went from sweet little girl to terrible Twos. I then took up recording for Arena, because I need the experiance recording before I record my own events. I will be here as long as the lights stay on, promise. I might take a month or two sabaticle, don't get me wrong but then Jot5 saw a year of few updates. These things happen. I will have my first chapter out in a year, that part isn't hard. Chapter two will see more content by far. Though I am working with a lot of my work done for me. I am keeping all but three generic sprites. For example. I'm not going ASM hunting or creating as all have been used in other successful patches. I'm not shooting for epic events where my awesome Dante sprite does an awesome Fatality on a BBE. That's not me as much as telling the sadder, somber moments, engaging the soul of the player to feel for characters like Delita and Agrias more. To give a damn about Oran, to understand Izalude's blind devotion to his father.

One parting thought. Did Alma's kidnapping leave you a sense of urgency and a need to solely hunt for her, or did you have time to grind the DD with little to no remorse, to help another wayward knight reunite with his love, to unearth a Iron Giant. I want you to feel mournful for Zalbaag's death, not like you just killed your douchebag older brother who should have listened.
The only emotional response I ever got in FFT was Ovelia, and that brutal ending. Where was THAT all damn game. It was the War of the Roses FFS!!!

Ps: I am working on eventing, I just get little time at my computer and I did promise to record this season's SSC matches. After this next block of matches I am almost done or done recording and will have time to work on eventing.
  • Modding version: PSX
Winner of the 2nd FFT Arena SCC Tourney. -Geomancers

3lric

Whoa now. Jot5 is always recieving updates. They are just generally not public :P

Also Jot5 is no longer two discs. Cuz Xifanie is a sorceress
  • Modding version: PSX

gatebuster202

That's what I meant, sorry, I did get a mite defensive.
  • Modding version: PSX
Winner of the 2nd FFT Arena SCC Tourney. -Geomancers

3lric

You didn't feel sad when you had to kill DEB? That's some cold shit right there.
  • Modding version: PSX

gatebuster202

LoL- Sadly I never did. Character we see for less then a dozen screens I just asunecare plot MacGuffins.

In seriousness.
I felt like the man had walked into it. Will never feel for Caesar, in the Senate floor either. Now, if DEB gets some human moments, sure I can. Both brothers got what's coming to them, in my opinion... I'd really like both men to be more involved. I want to Z to learn the reality of the Church and his brothers' true goals. I want D to descend in character until we can understand why the Eldest does not love his Father, Family, or respect it's values and honor. (You get told why in the chronical. In any other Square game, that's an FMV moment.) I wish to show more. Jot5 makes excellent use of the Chronical, with it's letters, and few bonus scenes. (BTW I hope you keep that going through out, as those features really made that section come alive.) I want to do similar, with adding more events/"side quests"
  • Modding version: PSX
Winner of the 2nd FFT Arena SCC Tourney. -Geomancers

Tails_Doll_Prower

Quote from: gatebuster202 on June 30, 2015, 01:20:55 am
A thought struck me as I was replaying through Vanilla.

Why does Ramza keep his squad from Chapter 1 to Chapter 2? These are all Knight Cadets, of rich nobles, serving Duke Larg... Why the heck would they all turn Mercenary, with Ramza, when they have stable jobs, in the employ of the Nobility.

Answer: (At least for my patch) They wouldn't.
To implement this, I'm thinking of giving the player, four squad members that they can see in the formation screen. They are the player's B-team, they will be level 5 at the Start of the game, kitted with basic gear. These guys are there to handle a random battle if it pops up, but I'll have them removed after Zeikden. This will include locking out the soldier shop til Chapter 2.

The A-Team, will be set for each battle, growing in level and skill. This is just til Zeikden. So, I might find a way to shorten this section, or make it awesome. (In a game full of choices, it will be hard to take away your options and set up a static squad. Hopefully this A-Team, which will have the same names, as B-Team, will have a story for you to get into.) Also, I'll hopefully create battles that have several solutions. (But not easy ones.)

What this will mean, post Zeikden. Rad, Alice and Lavian, are your three squad members. They will have some nice progression into the skill sets. The next thing then would be taking away the Soldier shop in Chapter 3... After Ramza is declared a Heretic... When the Glabados Church is the only religion, the kind of people that would accept a heretic's coin are... Well, their the social dregs in a society already fret with war.

So, the question would be. Do I have the soldier shop? Do I have it for just a chapter, or the whole time and anyone hired is left in the party if it is done before Zeikden? Do I just give Ramza a moderate hit rate Invite instead?(This is an option I've played with until I saw the Soldier Shop Hack...)

Anyway, an Update for the end of the Month.
Almost done with my first round of item changes to create a fresher battle experience.

Armors are now weak to Lightning, Helmets protect from Darkness and Confusion, in at higher tiers.
Most Robes are now weak to Fire, and Hats either boost PA, MA or Spd.
Clothing was, mostly unchanged

All Accessories, will start with the most basic item. Each one must be poached and provides a bonus that all other accessories in the same family. Then you take a few consumables and your base accessory to the synth shops and make the new accessory. Sometimes, you'll need a synthed accessory to hit the next tier. Still working that out on paper first before I implement the rest.
Boots - Battle Boots (Move +1)
Armguards - Power Wrist (Cancel: Don't Act)
Rings - Protect Ring (MA+1)
Armlets - Diamond Bracelet (PA+1)
Cloaks - Small Mantle (Cancel: Poison)
Perfume - Cherche (Permanent: Regen or Start: Haste)

Consumables. All consumables will need to be poached, including the potions... Now, this might seem a bit extreme, I'm buffing the items to compensate. All non-healing items are going to inflict statuses instead, and either hit at a high rate or be automatic infliction. (I haven't decided what I like better).

Weapons are still in progress. (Most things will see Pwr Reworks.)
Knives +1 Spd, Swords can't be dual wielded, and Coral Sword is Water-based. Knight Sword's can't be dual wielded, Ninja Blades are mostly untouched. Katanas are now Two-Handed only. They will probably get a group of elemental assignments. To match the new Draw Outs.
Axes may get a PA boost in-exchange for not being able to cast Sword Skills. (Which, two-three classes will use.)
Most Rods will protect vs. Silence.
Staves will boost MA as well as benefit from a Pwr increase.
I left off here as I closed the Patcher tonight.

I understand that item changes are the easiest to do and balance. However, putting up the progress helps me stay at a healthy pace.

The nineteen classes I want to create have been put to pen and paper. Now I have to code them. You can see their one-two line descriptions in the OP and their Equipment limitations.


Because Ramza was in charge of the Squad, Duke Larg made sure that Ramza has his own Personal small army. They follow Ramza's orders, a Noble must have a army, or a decent amount. If Ramza never turned Mercenary, the Duke could order the Cadets to follow anyone who pleases. "The Generics" have no Idea what they are doing. They follow orders without questioning them. But if the Cadets were to switch sides with Argath, they could be under Zalbag's command. Although there under no one's command. Then Ramza's they remain Ramza's Officers in training.

gatebuster202

Another valid reason. I've been busy at work and am refusing to post much f anything til I get some REAL work done. Eventing...
  • Modding version: PSX
Winner of the 2nd FFT Arena SCC Tourney. -Geomancers

3lric

  • Modding version: PSX

Jumza

Elric's not wrong man, if you really want to get work done, do it. Even if it's just an hour or two every few days, and it takes you a week to get your first event the way you want it, it feels awesome when it's done, and you'll be motivated to keep going. Plus you can share it with the community to show us you aren't dead :P
  • Modding version: PSX
Nyzer: Alma teleports out of her own possessed body.
Raijinili: Remember that you're telling a modding community that the game they love could use some fixing.