Author Topic: Tech issues (Read 20307 times)

ficedula · « **Reply #25 on:** 2001-03-25 21:00:00 »

If it helps, the midi files are referenced entirely by number. The field file contains a single byte specifying which midi to play by default when the location is loaded. If you look in the EXE, there's a list of all the .MID's in the game, which are (surprise surprise) in the order used to number them. (This is how I got the midi change feature in Cosmo). I suspect it's the same with the movies. Sound effects, of course, have no filename so they have to be referenced by number.

The SaiNt · « **Reply #26 on:** 2001-03-26 09:04:00 »

I could try it if you really want to.
But if the PC version is a direct port of the playstation, it should work exactly the same. Why? When you play the PSX version and use the swap disc trick during videos, you will actually see other videos and you will resume the game from that disc!

The Skillster · « **Reply #27 on:** 2001-03-26 14:22:00 »

naa i dont think the movies work that way on the PC version, why? cos if u use the reg hack, and place all the movies to your harddrive then it works without a hitch, or if u use the crack which produces a set of fake movie files with the same filename, in the movies dir. this prooves that thet r referenced by filename thru either a reference file (like a list ina specified order) or thru a list in the EXE

ficedula · « **Reply #28 on:** 2001-03-26 21:42:00 »

Well, obviously they have to be referenced by filename *somewhere*. What I'm saying is, it's probably by a list in the EXE, since that's what happens with midi's. The level file says essentially "Play midi #75" and the EXE has a list to look up which filename that corresponds to. Movies probably work the same.

Sephiroth 3D · « **Reply #29 on:** 2001-03-27 08:59:00 »

How did they do the movie lookups in FF8? Cause the movie loading time for FF8 is far greater and synced than FF7 is. Would it be possible to change it like that, so if we load a movie, we don't have the pause?

Sephiroth 3D

"One who seeks knowledge from another person, doesn't learn half as much as the one who seeks knowledge for himself." - Vincent Valentine, The Sephiroth Chronicals, Book 1: Resurrection

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The SaiNt · « **Reply #30 on:** 2001-03-27 13:02:00 »

I believe the delay is caused by your CD Drive spinning up. In FF8, the CD probably spins up before the video is needed thus making the video appear to have no delay. Mind my comment though, I haven't played FF8 in a long time.

As for the movie files being referenced by a list in the EXE file, could flevel.siz be for that purpose too?

BTW, fice in the text dialogue section, is there a function located right after a choice?
For example, the text box

Give flower to
Tifa
Marlene

Is the function call to give the flower to tifa or marlene located right after the text choices, or is it located in a whole new block of the flevel.lgp?

If it is, do you think it's linked by order again?

ficedula · « **Reply #31 on:** 2001-03-27 21:13:00 »

I'm pretty sure it's located in a whole different block in the level file. So yes, it'd be referenced by number again. Somewhere else in the file, there'd be the equivalent of:

Display text item 11 as choice
If option 1 chosen, goto action 3
If option 2 chosen, goto action 5

...or something like that.

The SaiNt · « **Reply #32 on:** 2001-03-29 08:51:00 »

There are two unique files besides the .TUT and field files in flevel.lgp
They are :-
maplist
flevel.siz

I really wonder why they're there...........

Anyway, I think that each field file can only have one automated(scripted) scene since there are several field files that have the exact backgrounds in the flevel.lgp file.
Any opinions?

ficedula · « **Reply #33 on:** 2001-03-29 21:13:00 »

Maplist is possibly the index for location files, so that they can be referenced by number too.

Srethron Askvelhtnod · « **Reply #34 on:** 2001-03-31 07:42:00 »

The Skillster: IIRC, the crack has to edit the registry based on what disc you're on. If you're on disc 1, it has to name it disc 1, if you're on disc 2, it has to name it disc 2, etc.

The Skillster · « **Reply #35 on:** 2001-03-31 11:35:00 »

srethron: im afraid its a rare case that o have to correct u on this one

yes it hacks the REGISTRY but it doesnt hack the cd number, it does edit THE CD DRIVE LETTER AND THE DIRECTORY FOR THE MOVIES. it places fake AVI files in to the "final fantasy VII/Movies" folder and points the registry to those if the game eva needs to use a movie...
i know i hacked the reg myself numerous times
i also once used a "virtual drive" from memory to bypass the CD reading routine. I USED to keep the movies on my hard drive, i actually converted ff7 movies from the PSX one time, but i forgot what the outcome was...

The SaiNt · « **Reply #36 on:** 2001-03-31 19:31:00 »

About playing FF7 without the CD's,
in the registry at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARESquare Soft, Inc.Final Fantasy VII
If you change the value for the key "datadrive" to
and the value of the key MoviePath to where your movies reside,
FF7 will run without the CD's and no patch is required. But before you load FF7, you will need to change your hard drive label to FF7DISC1 or DISC(whatsoever) depending on the disc you need to load. When you're required to insert a new disc, all you need to do is ALT-TAB out of the game and change your drive label.

Okay, back to the topic.
Remember when I said earlier that the if you try to replace cloud with sephiroth in the field files you might get a distorted version of sephiroth that can do impossible angles of movement? Well, at first i thought the problem occured only because of some problems with the HRC, P , A file systems.
After thinking for a while, I think those few files don't contribute to the problem at all! Why?

.
S
.
P
.
O
.
I
.
L
.
E
.
R
.
Just before the scene where Aeris gets killed, you will notice that Vincent seems to have the same problem as Sephiroth who replaced cloud. He's legs appear in stupid angles and he stands in stupid poses too. But the odd thing is, that it only happens at this section of forgotten city. It doesn't happen anywhere else such as forgotten capital or any other field area. This has led me to believe that the errors we get are caused by the field files themselves. I don't think this problem occurs in the PSX version, so this clearly shows a port problem and since it does not happen any where else I'm sure it's a problem with the field file.
Anyone want to confirm this for me?

The Skillster · « **Reply #37 on:** 2001-03-31 19:47:00 »

i still dont understand that, xplain abit simpiler and ill get onto it

ficedula · « **Reply #38 on:** 2001-03-31 21:43:00 »

I think it is indeed a problem with the .P/.A files, but the field files are related.

Why? We know that the field files specify models to load (and they can change them too, e.g. when Cloud crossdresses in Wall Market). So if a Square programmer screwed up in that one field file and mis-specified Vincent's filenames, that'd account for the problems you mention. It *is* all to do with matching .P and .A files, just that one field file had the instructions mixed up.

That's my guess, anyway.

The SaiNt · « **Reply #39 on:** 2001-04-02 06:09:00 »

Do you guys want to move this thread to the tech forum?
After all, it seems to not exactly remake related. It would be good if the public wants to read this.
We can always start a new one in here anyway

ficedula · « **Reply #40 on:** 2001-04-02 22:15:00 »

Well, it started off remake-related

I've don't particularly mind.

The SaiNt · « **Reply #41 on:** 2001-04-04 13:10:00 »

There!
Now everyone can see this topic!

Joey · « **Reply #42 on:** 2001-04-04 13:46:00 »

My questions for your FF7 remake:

1)Since Aeris died in the game, I bet that you would revieve her or let her stay on the rest of the game. How are you gonig to do that?

2)What file system are you going to use? There are tons of file systems. Also, the file system for FF7 is specially made for that game.

The SaiNt · « **Reply #43 on:** 2001-04-04 19:29:00 »

Suddenly, I'm starting to regret opening the topic to public........

ficedula · « **Reply #44 on:** 2001-04-04 22:15:00 »

Joey,

before you ask questions like this please review the earlier threads about the remake. I'm sure none of us will mind answering questions that haven't been explained before but for things that have been answered very clearly MORE than once, people are gonna get narked off. k?

Sir Canealot · « **Reply #45 on:** 2001-04-05 00:54:00 »

Hey whats going on in the FFVII remake forum?
Some body give us non programing types some news or something.

The SaiNt · « **Reply #46 on:** 2001-04-05 09:51:00 »

Let me just put it this way..........
1.Everything tech related is and will be discussed in the tech related forum

2. Only pure tech related stuff or the storyline will be discussed in the remake forum.

3. The storyline will not be revealed to the public. That's the main point of the remake forum in the first place? The real reason is that "too many cooks spoil the soup". Honestly, where's the joy if we tell you the story in advance?

4. Periodicaly, I'll try to move some of the topics from the remake forum out into the other forums but I can't guarantee anything.

5. Like fice said, we are more than happy to give you guys tech info and such as long as it hasn't been explained numerous times before. Try to read the old threads first.

Sir Canealot · « **Reply #47 on:** 2001-04-05 18:12:00 »

Story line not being discussed. Me and my freind could probley give you a good hand with that. Two of them are ewriteing there own books and I can write pretty well(but am to lazy to write my book though)
Shall I give you one of thems email? He probley the best write out of the lot of us.
Infact his family has a history of publishing books so you should consider him.

The SaiNt · « **Reply #48 on:** 2001-04-06 08:43:00 »

Strethon, just when are you going to release that document of yours? I wouldn't mind if it came out in beta or alpha versions. A document with everything in it together will save me a lot of time that checking the boards everytime i forget something

Srethron Askvelhtnod · « **Reply #49 on:** 2001-04-06 22:00:00 »

The SaiNt: Actually, I'm shooting (no promises yet) for the first release being sometime next week. Sort of a self-imposed deadline. Probably only the text version, though.