Final Fantasy Hacktics

Is it possible to replace these with new music? These are the songs that are MOST heard when playing any game of FFT. I feel like if Mercenaries had it's own music it would help keep the experience even more unique and separate from the original.

There's quite a change already, but I do agree. It should feel like a whole new experience. Like buying a new game. Some things are familiar. But there are so many new elements to even surprise fans of the original. Like myself. I've been following along waiting for a chance to see more. I love the improvements so far, and look forward to more.

I would love to do so, I can replace the World Map music with something else, but not much beyond that, we don't know how to put new music into the game yet, unfortunately.

Yeah. Its a whole new patch/version. So with all the great changes from the original, a change in music great too.
What is great about Mercenaries is that keep things original, like logos, backgrounds, concepts and etc but with changes of elements like items, storylines, and much much more is making it unique. Its really looking great so far and can't wait to see more.

It's too bad we still don't know how to import music. I've used the search engines here a couple of times and this is the best I got: http://www.ffhacktics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3287 (http://www.ffhacktics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3287)

If anyone finds a way to import music, or convert any music format and then being able to import, or even a program to create music directly with FFT instruments, be sure to let me know. I'd like to make music for Mercenaries (I'm just starting to make my own themes, but I'm developing my musical skills, and having work to do would be really inspiring). Sorry guys, but I don't know anything about programming X_X

^ Nice to hear.
PSF format right?

Let's see..

So now the problem is converting to PSF format and import hte music?

I think maybe something can be done with PSFLab. It says that it can be used to create or modify PSF files if I'm not mistaken. I've downloaded it but I only see a bunch of screens with a lot of code and 08XX000T stuff. Tried to open FFT's PSF songs (which can be found here: http://www.caitsith2.com/psf/ (http://www.caitsith2.com/psf/) ) but it doesn't let me.. maybe because they're MINIPSF and not simple PSF...

I can listen to them though, using Winamp ( http://www.winamp.com/ (http://www.winamp.com/) ) and a plugin for winamp called "Highly Experimental" lol ( http://www.neillcorlett.com/he/ (http://www.neillcorlett.com/he/) ). Maybe another OST which is PSF can be opened? I'm gonna DL another one and try.

Also, I found this http://markgrass.the-horror.com/PSF1/DRIVER.PDF (http://markgrass.the-horror.com/PSF1/DRIVER.PDF) ... and PSFLab comes with some instructions too. I can't understand a thing though.. not only is it in programmers language, but also in English (not my native language unfortunately).

This is something a musician won't be able to figure out by himself. We need people with coding skills. Come to think about it, we can do pretty much anything to the game, and the music is something that's been unmodified till now, and it's something BIG.

I found Highly Experimental, too.
PSFLab seems worth a try..

The OST from Mega Man 8 is in simple PSF. You can DL it here: http://www.caitsith2.com/psf/ (http://www.caitsith2.com/psf/)

That can be opened with PSFLab and by hitting play in the upper, right corner you can listen to it just like with Winamp and HE. IDK what else to do though V_V

I took a gander, but somehow missed these tools, I'll see if I can find anything with it, great work fellows!

Try experimenting with PSFlab.
Have you tried that?

read the documentation, and try your luck.
Unfortunately I can't try it myself.

I'm trying to change stuff, and I've already read the "readme" archive... but TBH I don't know what the hell I'm doing D:
It's just a bunch of code, and it asks for all these directories, hex thingys and stuff. I don't know if I'll be able to figure this out on my own... there's many technical words and specifications. Found no tutorial on Youtube either >_>

... I'll guess I'll keep trying tomorrow.

EDIT: From http://www.neillcorlett.com/psf/ (http://www.neillcorlett.com/psf/)

Creating PSF files for most of the above systems requires extensive knowledge of assembly language and isn't for the casual user. This is, unfortunately, a necessary tradeoff of the format.

If we can solve this, I'm eager to learn and give it a try.

Yes, this has gone Completely over my head, considering that the FFT songs are .SMD, rather then .PSF in their natural form, though I know nothing about music coding so...

Also this ".SMD"  is relativly nonexistent online.

The only PSF you'd be able to convert into FFT would be FFT's.

The musics all are in .SMD file right?
So...why are we discussing about PSF again...? Sorry for the noob question.
Just wondering

Oh. It's because in the page I posted earlier it says PSX sound format would be PSF, and there's the FFT OST for download, which is all in MINIPSF.. but I didn't know that it originally was SMD.

The only info I could find on SMD is that there's something with Half-Life models involved X_X
When I saw PSFLab and stuff I just hoped we could use it. I'm guessing something like a hard to use sequencer.. like NerdTracker for 8-bit tracks.. but somehow loading FFTs instruments from a PSF or SMD...

Cmon guys! This is one of the final frontiers of FFT hacking..

Ok, so to be clear, when you open the ISO, FFT's music files are all in .SMD?

Arch, the extension doesn't matter the least, except MAYBE if you stay within the products of the company. Then it's possible they haven't modified their sound conversion procedure and keep the same waveset. Chances are, that no game's music is compatible with FFT's format. And if you get out of Square, forget it.

Oh and I'm talking about FFT only here. Some games have fully uncompressed songs and sounds.

oh ok, I think I get it now

so it's Square's own sound conversion procedure that FFT accepts, specifically?

whatever file it will find there instead will be read, but will crash/glitch the game.

We really have to decode --FFT's-- sound format

: (

I've never done sound hacking before so I have no idea on how to proceed.

yes you can change the worldmap music, ive done it successfully on my patch

changing it from world map to "little wing"

its found in worldcore.bin or was it wldcore? anyway you have to change all 6 occurances to the song u want

i know i posted the locations in hex for all 6 somewhere....

but i guess you mean adding in new music files? but there are so many unused tracks that you can make it seem like it has its own music by using them

Indeed, Zozma, but many of them are battle themes. It'd be nice to add in a few more emotional themes if at all possible.

Quoteyes you can change the worldmap music, ive done it successfully on my patch

Then, I think we(+Sepiroth24) should work on the worldmap music first. Thanks for the info Sir Zozma.

Quote from: "Zozma"but i guess you mean adding in new music files? but there are so many unused tracks that you can make it seem like it has its own music by using them

yup! that'd be good too

I wonder if there's any un-used that would fit the world map and the formation screen

in my opinion, the track called "little wing" which i am using for my new world map music on Remix is best suited for an alternative.

I just cant find it... where i posted the 6 locations for the value 1B (world map music value) which were for changing the world map music in wldcore.bin

anyway if you search for the value 1B in wldcore.bin you will find more than 6 results, HOWEVER, there is a pattern of other values that come before and after each of the 6 that look almost identical, those are the 6 you change (i think it was 6)

We already knew that there were some unused songs that could be switched. Wasn't one of those used in a Mercenaries preview a long time ago? I thought that, it was given that there would be this "new" music in Mercenaries too, but I was thinking about new music as in inserting new music.

I think that came out a little rude? I didn't mean to. Sorry, my English isn't perfect =/

Basically all the songs from the story books are technically unused in the (U) & (E) releases. I don't know if any others are completely unused though.

Quote from: "Vanya"Basically all the songs from the story books are technically unused in the (U) & (E) releases. I don't know if any others are completely unused though.

Let's make them useful.

I wonder if that might be perceived as clashing since they will be restored to their original use in the Complete hack.
I'd say it might be better to substitute those for custom or imported songs in the future. The book songs could be place holders for now until more research is done into the game's music format.

So now we're trying to add new songs? Fully utilised those unused songs?

One of the unused songs has been used in the video you just saw. There are quite a few more, actually, however as I mentioned the majority of them are battle themes or remixes of current songs.

If you're interested in hearing the "unused" songs, here's a playlist on Youtube of them:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p ... y=Mitsui+X (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4C7DB4D11B12AB43&search_query=Mitsui+X)

Note that some of them (Such as Deep Dungeon and Apoplexy Variation) are actually used in the game but never included on the soundtrack.

Hmm...interesting. Since majority of them are battle themes, any chances on using them in Mercenaries?
I mean since the original FFT didn't use them and Mercenaries need new songs, so perhaps we could try use some of these unused songs?
Well, of course we need to find out how first.

We ARE actually using them right now, and have been using them since some time ago right? Like I said before, I remember an old video arch posted where there was unused FFT music as well.

Oh...using? I thought they were unused? Haha. Sorry about that.
So, about adding new musics...the problem is convert? Or is it like Zodiac mentioned, where they specifically read only FFTs?

The easiest (and also lowest chance of happening) would be converting. If we could convert MIDIs or MP3 or whatever format into FFts music format and insert it, it'd be really easy to have any music. But this probably won't work.

Like Zodiac says, FFT must have some very specific sound instruments and we would only be able to insert or make music if we could use some program to read / manipulate those instruments data. IDK exactly, that's too technical for me =/
The thing is, no one seems to have any idea on how to approach that, as they haven't coded sound systems.

I see. Wow...This seems hard to hack...

That is the biggest hurdle to custom music. We don't know what we're doing. We would need the help of someone experienced in PSX music ripping. The tools already exist, it's just a matter of knowing what to do with them.

I know the basic theory behind ripping in the .*sf formats. You have to basically find the game's sound code & instruments (that is if it uses samples) and put them into a .psflib file. (However, I just noticed that several games, including some square ones, use a generic driver.) Anyway, my point is that there have to be ppl that are proficient in locating the MIPS code for sound engines in PSX games.
It really shouldn't be more difficult than porting music into Super Mario World, just a bit more complex.

Yeah. We need someone expert in this.