FFT: Raison D'être

[Lydyn]

• Demo Video •

Introduction
So here it is - this patch is designed to be a mixture between a balance patch and a challenging patch. It aims to keep as much of the spirit of Vanilla FFT while making it more challenging for those who've played it twenty, fifty, or even a hundred times over. Certain things we've come to expect from Vanilla FFT will remain the same, such as movements, accessories, etc, etc. However things such as speed growths, and running into boss-like enemies in the story that have player-combos in mind like having Move +3 or Counter Magic will also be common. If everything works out, the player will still be able to create silly combos of destruction, but the enemy will have it in equal measure.

Table of Contents

• Already Made Changes


• Planned Changes


• Progress

Already Made Changes
∞ Story Battles ∞

spoiler: Story Battle Changes

• Scaled Story Battles to 2 levels per battle, meaning by the time you reach the Death City, the enemies are level 98-99.
• More use of the classes. You'll see Squires to Wizards in Ch. 1, Squires to Lancers in Ch. 2 & 3, and all classes in Ch. 4

∞ Random Battles ∞

spoiler: Random Battle Changes

• A lot more human enemies.
• At least one guest per random battle spot (out of possible 8-16 battle selections). Guests will start appearing in Ch. 2 or 3.
• Changed palettes specifically for random human enemies.
• Mini-bosses in Ch. 4

∞ Items ∞

spoiler: Item Changes

• Palettes to 90% of the items have changed, to give a new fresh look to them.
• Nerfed Shields - highest PA is 40% (Escutcheon II) and highest MA is 40% (Aegis)
• Made all weapons and items available to the enemy, though rares will only be seen from levels 95-99.
• Chaos Blade is now at 28 WP and Javelin II is at 22 WP.
• Thief Hat & Secret Clothes have +1 speed instead of +2.
• Flame and Ice Shield are at equal power.

∞ Abilities ∞

spoiler: Ability Changes

• Made higher tier spells non-calculable.
• Set all action skills to 100% learn and rearranged skill lists for the enemy.
• Reduced Raise & Raise 2 to 25% and 50% respectfully.
• Reduced Demi & Demi 2 to 20% and 40%, and raised their accuracy a little.
• Reduced Life Drain to 20%.
• Added: Dead to Odin.
• Raised accuracy on Lich.
• Added MP Costs to Sword Skills.
• Lucavi status spells (like Chicken Race) now have a chance to miss.
• All percentage spells are dark elemental.
• Bad Breath now has the chance to inflict any negative status effect.
• Ice Breath can now inflict slow and Fire Breath can now inflict Stop, Don't Move, or Don't Act (Dragons only).
• Added Tonberry skills.
• Removed MP Switch, Blade Grasp, and Two Swords.
• Fairy now heals MP (MA*2)

∞ Jobs ∞

spoiler: Job Changes

• Every human unit is put into three categories; light, medium, or heavy. This determines final speed (10 speed by level 99 is heavy while 12 speed by level 99 is light).

• Heavy: Knight, Samurai, Summoner


• Medium: Lancer, Time Mage, Wizard, Squire, Geomancer, Priest, Monk, Calculator, Mediator, Chemist, Bard, Ninja, Dancer


• Light: Thief, Archer, Oracle

• Gained JP-Up is removed and becomes innate for all.
• Job Level requirements redone.

• Level 2: 350 JP


• Level 3: 700 JP


• Level 4: 1,050 JP


• Level 5: 1,400 JP


• Level 6: 1,750 JP


• Level 7: 2,100 JP


• Level 8: 9,999 JP

• Dragons are made more deadly.
• This one, people will probably hate me for - Ramza's job has changed to a Sword Knight. (Note: If you can suggest a better job without it being a version of an Ubersquire, I'm all ears.)

• Ramza's New Action List


• Statis Sword: 12 MP, Ch. 1


• Split Punch: 14 MP, Ch. 1


• Crush Punch: 14 MP, Ch. 1


• Wish: Ch. 1


• Heaven's Grace: 12 MP, Heals HP (PA*3) MP (PA*3/2), Ch. 1


• Accumulate: Ch. 1 (Might remove)


• Knight's Guard: 12 MP, Adds Protect & Shell, Ch. 2 & 3


• Shellburst Stab: 12 MP, Ch. 2 & 3


• Crescent Blade: 16 MP, Damage + Inflict Stop, Don't Move, or Don't Act, Ch. 4


• Hellcry Punch: 14 MP, Ch. 4


• Ultima: Unchanged, Ch. 4, Learned

• Added Tonberries.
• Added two special classes (secret!).

∞ ASM ∞

spoiler: ASM Hacks

• Regain 10% MP per turn (testing)
• Good/Bad compact is +/- 6.25% and Best/Worst compact is +/- 12.5%
• Undead Revive with Max HP
• Random unit equipment is more selective (you'll see less of knights with linen robes in Ch. 2)
• Require Materia Blade -> Require Sword (not Knight Sword).
• Jump bonus applied to only spears.
• JP Scroll glitch fix v1.2
• Special characters can do propositions (testing)
• Mighty Sword has 60% chance to break equipment, does normal damage otherwise.
• %HP formulas use Min(999,MaxHP)
• Solider Office can rename any unit (Testing)
• Undead receive 25% max HP damage from Phoenix Down
• Removal of permanent Faith/Brave alteration
• Global C-Ev
• Auto Potion ignores Potions & X-Potions

∞ Sprites ∞

spoiler: Sprite Changes

• Changed 2nd palette (for random battles) to black (some red).

Planned Changes
∞ Story Battles ∞

spoiler: Planned Story Battle Changes

• None at the moment.

∞ Random Battles ∞

spoiler: Planned Random Battle Changes

• Large edit to Deep Dungeon.

∞ Items ∞

spoiler: Planned Item Changes

• None at the moment.

∞ Abilities ∞

spoiler: Planned Ability Changes

• A look over monster abilities.

∞ Jobs ∞

spoiler: Planned Job Changes

• Add two unique jobs (a secret!) specifically for Deep Dungeon use.
• Improve Morbol monsters.
• Improve Behemoth monsters.
• Continue to tweak enemy-only classes.

∞ ASM ∞

spoiler: Planned ASM Hacks

• Immortal Flag Boosts Skills (Link)

∞ Sprites ∞

spoiler: Planned Sprite Changes

• Replace Calculator Sprite with Custom Enchanter Sprite.

Progress
• Story: 78.8%
• Random Battles: 100%

spoiler: Done Areas

• Fovoham Plains


• Sweegy Woods


• Zeklaus Desert


• Lenalia Plateau


• Mandalia Plains


• Araguary Woods


• Zirekile Falls


• Barius Hill


• Zigolis Swamp


• Barius Valley


• Grog Hill


• Yuguo Woods


• Doguola Pass


• Finath River


• Bed Desert


• Germina Peak


• Poeskas Lake


• Dolbodar Swamp


• Bevernia Volcano

• Deep Dungeon Battles: 0%

spoiler: Done Areas

• N/A

• Items: 100%
• Abilities: 80%
• Jobs: 80%
• ASM: 90%

History Log
• Janurary 1st, 2013: Original post made with current progress.
• Janurary 1st, 2013: Edited Random Battles progress.
• Janurary 3rd, 2013: Edited Job & Ability progress.
• Janurary 4th, 2013: Custom Title Screen.
• Janurary 13th, 2013: Random battles completed! Updated ability changes and started re-combing story battles.

[Dome]

One simple question: what about this?
Is this the final name of your project, or something new?

[3lric]

Yes, which of these projects do you intend to work on?

[Lydyn]

I'm officially putting Crossed Sword on hold for now and working on something a bit more practical ... as in, something that can be done and produced in a reasonable amount of time. As it stands right now, I do plan on returning to Crossed Swords, but at a later date. I still have all the files, texts, etc. saved for that patch.

[3lric]

How far off is a later date? It is okay to archive it for now?

[Lydyn]

Sure, that's fine as long as I can receive it at a later time.

[3lric]

No problem, just PM me when you are ready to start working on it again and I'll move it back

[Lydyn]

Making steady progress through the random battles - just got done with Barius Hill and added my first Tonberry to one of the random battles! Just like the unique enemy-only class, you'll only see Tonberries in Ch. 4. Other than that, I made a custom title screen for Raison D'être (seen up top)!

[3lric]

I'm digging the title screen. Nice job with that.

Enemy only classes are a nice touch too, we did the same in Jot5.

I would like to know through, do you intend to alter the story at all or do any event editing?
I ask for your sake as well, as with looking through the site it's not hard to tell that vanilla mods
don't get much action. Mostly because it's hard to top the ones we do have like CCP or PW,
and people can only play the same story so many times.

[Lydyn]

I wish I could, but I don't have the time, the knowledge base, or simply the knowledge to do any of that stuff ... so I'm focusing on doing things that haven't been done in a completed patch yet - adding fights that mimic player decisions or even trump them. Being able to see enemies with blade grasp, two swords, and move +3 on one unit coupled with Battle Skill and Punch Art or whatever. Chances are, I might comb back through the story battles with combinations I've specifically looked up on power-leveling threads/guides for FFT.

Like I'm fine giving away a hint of what I've done ... Miluda's second battle is really when you get a taste of what's to come. I've given her Holy Sword as a primary (mastered), and given her Mime level 8, so she's essentially unlocked every skill from every job. She also has more advanced items than you're given in stores. Algus is a bit worse, though without the aid of Holy Sword (since I've tried to keep it within the scope of the original story).

[Lydyn]

Update: Okay folks, I've gotten over 50% done on random battles! Yay! Also, took some time to do some PR and made a video for everyone [on the original post]. Some notes though, because my computer sucks for recording - it does slow down a bit and the skill menus are a little glitched. Other than that, it works fine. =)

(Note: The game itself, while not being recorded, works perfectly.)

[Lydyn]

Update: So, I totally messed up on my calculations involving random battles and included the Deep Dungeon by mistake. Random battles are 100% done now! I also included a Tonberry populated map! The only map to contain King Tonberry outside of the Deep Dungeon. =)