• Welcome to Final Fantasy Hacktics. Please login or sign up.
 

War of the Lions Tweak v2.52

Started by Tzepish, November 29, 2022, 02:53:23 am

Tzepish

November 29, 2022, 02:53:23 am Last Edit: January 01, 2023, 05:19:43 am by Tzepish
Hey everyone, I learned PSP ASM and spent the last two years using it to improve my PSP mod, War of the Lions Tweak! Version 2.50 brings several popular PS1 ASMs as well as several of my own to the PSP (full source included in the archive). V2.52 adds a few balance and bugfix updates, as well as additional optional patches! Boilerplate text follows:

***

War of the Lions Tweak is a balance and quality-of-life improvement mod for Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions, designed to make the game more fun and less annoying to play. This mod is not intended to create a wholly *new* experience - instead, its goal is an idealized version of the same game that we all know and love. Play this mod if you intend to replay FFT or experience it for the first time.


New as of v2.50+:

  • This is the first release to really embrace game balance as a goal in itself, rather than just as part of QoL.
  • Balance pass across the game. The early game is easier; the end game is harder.
  • Boosted underpowered options to make more builds viable.
  • Various changes to make physical/magic "hybrid" character builds more viable.
  • Standardized "Growths" so you can't be hosed by leveling in the "wrong" jobs.
  • Gender equality: female and male characters now have the same base stats and equipment access.
  • Tweaks to characters who are just better or worse copies of other characters (Balthier vs Mustadio, Luso vs Ramza, Orlandeau vs Agrias and Meliadoul). Now no character is obsolete - each has something that makes them unique.
  • Reis can use her dragon powers on humans for half effectiveness.
  • Various equipment-related ASMs for better damage formulas. For example, Axes are good now.
  • Updated the multiplayer item distribution throughout the campaign for a more satisfying progression.
  • Sidequests are easier to activate / harder to miss.
  • Broken/Stolen equipment can be bought back at the Poachers' Den.
  • Tons of additional tweaks!

Please see the readme for the changelist  with commentary and reasoning for each change. I will also post my commented boot.bin disassembly file to the War of the Lions hacking forum in case anyone wants to jump in and help with PSP ASM!

EDIT: And here's that thread: https://ffhacktics.com/smf/index.php?topic=12994.0
  • Modding version: WotL
  • Discord username: Tzepish

Shrikesnest

I am absolutely trying this out after Christmas! A rebalancing pass is always fun, and some of these quality of life changes look great. The American PSX version will always be my favorite for nostalgia reasons, but I have fond memories of the PSP version, too. It'll be fun to revisit.
  • Modding version: PSX
Put a drop of vanilla behind each ear and you'll smell like a cookie all day!

HaggisMcDuff

Amazing, thanks so much for all your hard work!
  • Modding version: Other/Unknown

MangoPolice

Thank you very much! I really wanted to play FFT again and this is exactly what i needed!

I wish there was a way to skip those slow text scenes
  • Modding version: Other/Unknown

MiniEquine

This mod is absolutely brilliant, I'm having a blast. Just a quick note, you can totally get softlocked with old habits. I removed Agrias' gear after she left with the princess since that's what you do in unmodded versions. When she returns during the rescue mission after Warjilis, she had no gear, and gets 1-or-2-shotted from the archer and knights! It's also the only place I can go, so I can't over level to get out of it.
  • Modding version: PSX
  • Discord username: MiniEquine

ampulegado

Is there a way to make the summoner's eidolon be an additional unit you can control with unique abilities? The summoner doesn't really feel like a summoner, it's just a spell caster with flashier spells.
  • Modding version: Other/Unknown

Tzepish

Hey everyone, I've updated the above to v2.51 to add a few bugfixes, balance tweaks, and optional patches!

Quote from: MiniEquine on December 22, 2022, 08:41:27 am...you can totally get softlocked with old habits. I removed Agrias' gear after she left with the princess since that's what you do in unmodded versions. When she returns during the rescue mission after Warjilis, she had no gear, and gets 1-or-2-shotted from the archer and knights!

This situation has been addressed in v2.51 - Agrias will now stay on the formation screen so you can fix her equipment before this battle!

Quote from: ampulegado on December 23, 2022, 12:11:39 amIs there a way to make the summoner's eidolon be an additional unit you can control with unique abilities? The summoner doesn't really feel like a summoner, it's just a spell caster with flashier spells.

As much as I absolutely love this idea, it's vastly out of scope for this mod (and maybe for FFT's engine entirely!)
  • Modding version: WotL
  • Discord username: Tzepish

Visaith

Amazing mod. Cloud path is still missable right? Or does this mod do something to guide you to it.
  • Modding version: WotL

ic1025

If I could make one suggestion to the static Brave/Faith optional patch. It'd be nice to increase the potency of the Orator Brave/Faith adjustment skills so you could more easily increase/decrease a unit's power with weapon and skills that calculate based on Brave or Faith.

  • Modding version: PSX & WotL

Tzepish

Quote from: Visaith on December 25, 2022, 07:28:00 amAmazing mod. Cloud path is still missable right? Or does this mod do something to guide you to it.

Some sidequests are still missable, but Cloud's isn't, because of these changes:
* Sidequest scenes no longer require Mustadio (if he "dies", he just suffers a cereer-ending injury instead, and is still happy to help from the sidelines).
* You cannot turn down Aerith's flower.
* (Some) sidequest paths now appear as red dots on the world map to help guide you to them.

Quote from: ic1025 on December 25, 2022, 02:46:08 pmOne suggestion to the static Brave/Faith optional patch. It'd be nice to increase the potency of the Orator Brave/Faith adjustment skills so you could more easily increase/decrease a unit's power with weapon and skills that calculate based on Brave or Faith.

Oh that's a good idea. I decided not to buff those skills because it'd mess with the way permanent Brave/Faith gains are made, but if they are static then there's no reason they can't be made more potent.

BTW, they ARE buffed (in all patches) in that they have higher hit rates, but yeah, maybe I'll make this change in a future revision.
  • Modding version: WotL
  • Discord username: Tzepish

Tzepish

Quote from: ic1025 on December 25, 2022, 02:46:08 pmIf I could make one suggestion to the static Brave/Faith optional patch. It'd be nice to increase the potency of the Orator Brave/Faith adjustment skills so you could more easily increase/decrease a unit's power with weapon and skills that calculate based on Brave or Faith.

Turns out someone found a bug, so I'll be doing a v2.52 release in about a week. It will include this suggestion!
  • Modding version: WotL
  • Discord username: Tzepish

tap

What translation is used here (did a ctrl+f didnt see, sorry if this is answered already)
  • Modding version: Other/Unknown

azuranth

I think I found a bug with this mod--when cycling through each unit in the party roster, sometimes the brave and faith parameters don't update and the incorrect information is displayed. For example, other units might display Ramza's BF of 70/70. This also happens when cycling through the equipment menu--one weapon's stat changes in the menu will carry over when viewing other weapons.
  • Modding version: WotL

Tzepish

Quote from: tap on December 27, 2022, 05:00:49 pmWhat translation is used here (did a ctrl+f didnt see, sorry if this is answered already)

It's the PSP version, with the PSP version script.

Quote from: azuranth on December 28, 2022, 05:49:23 pmI think I found a bug with this mod--when cycling through each unit in the party roster, sometimes the brave and faith parameters don't update and the incorrect information is displayed. For example, other units might display Ramza's BF of 70/70. This also happens when cycling through the equipment menu--one weapon's stat changes in the menu will carry over when viewing other weapons.

This is actually a known issue for FFT in PPSSPP. Version 1.14.2 will fix it, but until that version is released, there are instructions for manually fixing it here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/finalfantasytactics/comments/zvhulr/comment/j1ucw19/
  • Modding version: WotL
  • Discord username: Tzepish

ic1025

Quote from: Tzepish on December 27, 2022, 03:42:26 amTurns out someone found a bug, so I'll be doing a v2.52 release in about a week. It will include this suggestion!

Nice, I always liked the Mediator class in original FFT, I once modded it to make it not suck so much and changed it's name to Envoy. Mostly it was just slightly increased accuracies, and it could equip spears.
  • Modding version: PSX & WotL

Askkalon

Thanks for the nice mod, I`ve been really enjoying.

I was trying to make a change in the mod, for being able to remove the job requirements, so I could start a fresh game with any job in my units, but I couldn`t make it work using the optional patches (like the mana system and the no unit desertion). Is there a way that you could make an optional patch for this purpose? Thanks
  • Modding version: WotL

ic1025

December 30, 2022, 02:41:01 am #16 Last Edit: December 30, 2022, 07:53:07 pm by ic1025
Quote from: Askkalon on December 29, 2022, 11:34:48 pmThanks for the nice mod, I`ve been really enjoying.

I was trying to make a change in the mod, for being able to remove the job requirements, so I could start a fresh game with any job in my units, but I couldn`t make it work using the optional patches (like the mana system and the no unit desertion). Is there a way that you could make an optional patch for this purpose? Thanks

I think doing that would mess up the way enemies learn skills. Since they are selected randomly based on JP from job levels. Their primary jobs would be unaffected (sometimes) but their secondary skill set would likely be limited
  • Modding version: PSX & WotL

Tzepish

Quote from: Askkalon on December 29, 2022, 11:34:48 pmI was trying to make a change in the mod, for being able to remove the job requirements, so I could start a fresh game with any job in my units, but I couldn`t make it work using the optional patches (like the mana system and the no unit desertion). Is there a way that you could make an optional patch for this purpose? Thanks

ic1025 is exactly right - enemies use the job prerequisites to determine what job levels they should have. Removing all reqs will mess up enemies, and since I have ASM hacks that interact with that code, I think things will get super funky super fast.

Best you can do is reduce (but not eliminate) the JP requirements per job level in FFTPatcher. Don't touch levels 1 and 2 - if those values get too low it'll break some of my ASM. The rest can be lowered.

There are instructions for how to rebuild the ISO in the modding readme in the Source folder. Short version is: you can't just apply an fftpatch directly onto the wotl tweak ISO, as this isn't compatible with Valhalla. You need to patch a vanilla ISO and then recompile with Valhalla.
  • Modding version: WotL
  • Discord username: Tzepish

ic1025

PPSSPP v1.14.2 is released which fixes those display bugs.
  • Modding version: PSX & WotL

ic1025

I'm still early in the game but I wanted to know, were there any changes to everyones favorite Automaton Worker 8? Didn't see any in the changes note
  • Modding version: PSX & WotL