"Noob" requesting help, please.

[Ivoire]

Hello, everyone.

I'd like to edit the PSP version of FFT, more specifically, adding custom sprite
sheets from the main page such as "Old Snake (Metal Gear Solid)", "VicentCraven",
"Monica Ausbach [Cape] (FFT remix)", possible more in the future as playable
characters, and adding custom jobs to three mentioned above.

I'd also like to replace Agrais with "Agrias (Redone), the female thief with "Melodia
Fenzol (FFT Remix)", and Milleuda with "Miluda", all three of them playable as well.

But... I'm pretty new at all of this, and I've managed to get as far as extracting
FFTpack.bin from my ISO using UMD GEN and extracting it with FFTpatcher.

I've got most of the programs from the main site, such as:

FFTEVGRP
Shishi Sprite Editor version 1.0.0.457
FFTacText
FFTPatcher
FFTorgASM
PalSuite3.

I'd just like to uh... know where to go from here, thank you.

Sorry if this is too detailed by the way, and if anything is confusing, I can clear it up.

[philsov]

WELCOME TO FFH, WHERE ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.

the trick is how much followthrough you want to deal with.

Sprite replacement and placement isn't that big of a deal, you just import iso with shishi and change stuff.

Adding in custom jobs is a bit trickier, only because there isn't much (any) "free" job place.  You need to sacrifice a job first.  Top candidates for this vary, but there's two main ways:

- Modify a story-only class (Arc Witch, Arc Duke, Bishop to name a few) with the desired abilities and skillset in fftpatcher.  Then you've got some followthrough to mess with... if you replace sprites, keep the old original sprites in another empty slot like (one of the male squires midway) and then force set those sprites to the original class in the ENTD section in ffpatcher for their scenes.  This way the events featuring those classes won't look wrong.  Like... Vincent being thrown off the Riovanes rooftop.  but if you don't mind that sort of graphical flub, then don't mess with the entd.

- Modify a rarely-used in battle class (Undead Knight, Oracle, summoner, wizard, etc) in fftpatcher, replace an "empty" slot in shishi, and then synch up that in fftpatcher under the jobs tab I think.

~

To make them playable, you again have options.  You can give yourself them from the very start by modifying ENTD 188 (least, in the psx version), which is unlabeled but features ramza, delita, 2 knights, and the starter crew.  Modify the starter crew to include your custom characters.  Or, you can simply include them in-battle (ENTD) as either enemies or guests and have them join up after event.  

~

Use tactext to polish off the classes by renaming them and their skillsets into something more fitting.

Also!  Changing abilities is very similar to jobs... something somewhere has to be cut first.  There is no way to simply add abilities.  Prime candidates for the slaughter are the monster "attack" commands (tackle, tentacle, bite, etcetcetc) since they're all identical.  Just make sure to set all monsters to "choco attack" and you should clear up some slots for custom abilities.

[Ivoire]

I don't mind following through at all. If you want something nice, you've got to sweat for it, right? I'm game.

Arc Which, Arc Duke, and Bishop sound good, also I wouldn't mind losing Rapha (Rafa PSX) and Marach (Malak PSX) simply because... eh, they're just boring to me, but that's my opinion. However, when you say to put them in an empty slot, what exactly do you mean? Like... Opening up Shishi, scrolling to Male Squire, and replacing Pallet: Sprite #6? With... the replaced sprite? (like Rapha, Marach, or Valmafra?)

I didn't think of being able to add them by being guests, but that'd be great! I'd hate to have an over-powered party at the start.

Also, I was reading the changes of FFT v1.3. Should I patch that first, then go about doing all this?

Edit: When looking at Male Squire, Sprite #6, there's a warning that says:  WARNING: This sprite shares an SPR with 62

Edit 2: Sorry, but I just realized my rudeness, haha. Thank you for the welcome. I owe FFT a lot, if not for this game, I'd have never gotten into SRPGs, and this remains to be one of my two favorites.

Edit 3: The PSP version doesn't appear to have an Attack.Out, which is confirmed on other threads... Would it just be better to mod the PSX version, and patching that to have the PSP's translation and v1.3?

[Mari]

I don't mind following through at all. If you want something nice, you've got to sweat for it, right? I'm game.

Arc Which, Arc Duke, and Bishop sound good, also I wouldn't mind losing Rapha (Rafa PSX) and Marach (Malak PSX) simply because... eh, they're just boring to me, but that's my opinion. However, when you say to put them in an empty slot, what exactly do you mean? Like... Opening up Shishi, scrolling to Male Squire, and replacing Pallet: Sprite #6? With... the replaced sprite? (like Rapha, Marach, or Valmafra?)

I didn't think of being able to add them by being guests, but that'd be great! I'd hate to have an over-powered party at the start.

Also, I was reading the changes of FFT v1.3. Should I patch that first, then go about doing all this?

Edit: When looking at Male Squire, Sprite #6, there's a warning that says:  WARNING: This sprite shares an SPR with 62

Edit 2: Sorry, but I just realized my rudeness, haha. Thank you for the welcome. I owe FFT a lot, if not for this game, I'd have never gotten into SRPGs, and this remains to be one of my two favorites.

Edit 3: The PSP version doesn't appear to have an Attack.Out, which is confirmed on other threads... Would it just be better to mod the PSX version, and patching that to have the PSP's translation and v1.3?

I can't answer all the questions, so you'll have to wait for Sir philsov.
But as for the Male Squire Sprite thingie.. Or any other sprite that uses the exact same sprite sheet in more than one place..
You replace the sprite to one of those, and then in the ENTD you set the sptires that were to use that copied sprite, to use the one that you didn't replace!
That way you won't see your custom sprite in that place where you replaced it!

As for modifying FFT or WotL, it's really up to you! I personally prefer PSX over the PSP simply for the few facts that I don't like the slowdown, the sounds and the translation! (Translation part wouldn't apply to you, obviously.)

[Ivoire]

I think I understand... though I may need to go through some trial-and-error. On the up and up, I managed to change the original Agrias to the remade one with the ponytail, so hurrah for me, one small step toward my goals.

[Mari]

Yes! There will most likely be lots and lots of trial and error going on until you learn well!
But honestly, I find most of the trial and error I am still doing actually fun!

[VampragonLord]

ignore mari, she is creepy.
also, do not dive into 1.3 unless you are REALLY certain you want to, it is much more difficult than normal fft and if you arent a skilled player you will most likely end up gnawing off your own foot. (its actually a common symptom and is one of the top 5 foot issues of the world)

[Ivoire]

I'm all for it. I've played a bit of the PSX 1.3 not so badly.

Out of utter failure with the PSP, I'm changing everything to PSX... still, same questions though.

[philsov]

Edit: When looking at Male Squire, Sprite #6, there's a warning that says:  WARNING: This sprite shares an SPR with 62

No clue.  Sprite -> Import SPR file is the basic command.  I've never encountered that warning.

Edit 3: The PSP version doesn't appear to have an Attack.Out, which is confirmed on other threads... Would it just be better to mod the PSX version, and patching that to have the PSP's translation and v1.3?

All attack.out does is modify event/battle conditions and initial party placement.  It's a decent chunk, but the larger question is what all do you want to hack in the first place?  Most personal-esque patches can be complete with fftpatcher, shishi, and tactext.

But in terms of pure modding its always better to start with a clean slate.  If you like everything 1.3 has and wish to tweak that, then, sure, start with 1.3.

[Ivoire]

I'm moving away from the PSP and back to the PSX. I've patched my PSX with the extender, PSP translation, and v1.3.

Here's what I'm currently doing, maybe you can tell me if it sounds wrong:

With Shishi
Replaced 21 - Mustadio (Guest) with VincentCraven.
Replaced 33 - Agrias (Guest) with Monica Ausbach [Cape] (FFT remix)
Replaced 16 - Gafgarion (Guest) with Aliste (PSP)
Replaced 72 - Female Thief with Melodia (FFT remix)

With FFTPatcher
I'm scrolling through events to point Mustadio (Guest) and Agrias (Guest) with their (Join) units. Then Gafgarion (Guest) with his (Enemy) unit.

Also with FFTPatcher
I'm changing 3F - Archer's (Undead's?) skillset from 9C to the normal Charge. The same with 3D - Knight and 46 - Oracle.

After I get done that... I need to figure out how to add my custom units as joinable guests... then figure out how to change their class names and unit names.

With the v1.3 patch, are the undead units moved around?

[formerdeathcorps]

In 1.3 the undead units were not moved around.  As you can see for yourself, the sprites are exactly the same; the look as undead only because of their job class (innate undead).