Author Topic: Why is there no interest in modding FFIX? (Read 25355 times)

Hermoor · « **on:** 2009-08-08 21:35:27 »

Hello, this forum is 90% about Final Fantasy VII, 10% about FInal Fantasy VIII and 0% about in my opinion the best game of them all, Final Fantasy IX. I like Final Fantasy VI better, but what is the point in modding that. Just wondering why there are no programs for IX, and why no one is interested in making anything for it.

Jari · « **Reply #1 on:** 2009-08-08 21:40:47 »

No PC version.

Tekkie.X · « **Reply #2 on:** 2009-08-08 21:44:39 »

Quote from: El Ammo Bandito! on 2009-08-08 21:40:47

No PC version.

This, lack of a PC version means no testing ground before you ruin a perfectly good CD-R trying to mod the PS1 version.

Matron Orlha the Insane · « **Reply #3 on:** 2009-08-08 21:47:31 »

Not everyone has the same adoration towards FF9 as you. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate the game, and I think it would be interesting to see mods for FF9. But I guess the 'plane' hasn't really taken off, if ya know what I mean.

obesebear · « **Reply #4 on:** 2009-08-08 21:52:59 »

There's a worldmap viewer and a WIP model viewer. But the PSX is considerably more difficult to hack than a PC where all the files are laid out in front of you with little restriction.

Maybe you could port your favorite FF over to a PC version...

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #5 on:** 2009-08-08 21:59:05 »

As has been said already, FFIX suffers from not having a PC version. Besides being easier to mod, PC games less time consuming to mod as well, since we don't have to mess around with ISOs, emulators and modded consoles. Also, one must remember that these forums started off fixing problems with the PC version (I think); modding grew out of that as people learnt about the inner workings of the game. There has never been any need to fix problems with FFIX, so it didn't have that advantage.

obesebear · « **Reply #6 on:** 2009-08-08 22:13:44 »

Quote from: Snufkin on 2009-08-08 21:54:10

Quote
Maybe you could port your favorite FF over to a PC version...
How?

Well, a lot of time and knowledge and effort.

You'd probably be better off trying to help Akari with QGears. As far as I know it's a general FF engine

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #7 on:** 2009-08-08 22:16:35 »

Surely you weren't being serious with that PC port suggestion

It's a shame that there isn't a PC version of 9, but given their failures with PC ports of 7 and 8 it's not surprising that Square didn't bother.

Jari · « **Reply #8 on:** 2009-08-08 22:16:48 »

Quote from: Kudistos Megistos on 2009-08-08 21:59:05

Also, one must remember that these forums started off fixing problems with the PC version (I think); modding grew out of that as people learnt about the inner workings of the game

If you want to be very, very specific, the forum started as a support forum for these.

Some degree of modding - FFSF mainly - came soon after that. Tech support soon after that. Majority of the mods came quite some time after that - several years, I think.

Satoh · « **Reply #9 on:** 2009-08-08 22:21:20 »

It's not that there's no interest... moreso that no one is willing to beat themselves in the face with a brick all day until they understand FF9 formatting, unlike 7 and 8 which are much easier (note that 8 STILL has almost no model support)

Believe me, I think a lot of us would love to tear into FF9 with a modding scalpel... but since it is what it is... it's more painful than doing something that we already know how to do...

EDIT: However, I point you toward this topic...

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=8781.0

It is one of a few that show some people ARE in fact working on it... It isn't much for modding just yet, but viewing is the first step.

obesebear · « **Reply #10 on:** 2009-08-08 22:59:36 »

Quote from: Kudistos Megistos on 2009-08-08 22:16:35

Surely you weren't being serious with that PC port suggestion

I assumed you knew me better than that.

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #11 on:** 2009-08-08 23:03:23 »

Well, it would be quite a monumental task, especially for someone who apparently doesn't have much programming experience. I mean, Square couldn't do a good PC port for 7

Izban · « **Reply #12 on:** 2009-08-08 23:25:42 »

Square didnt do the port edios did and where not likely to see one anytime soon so if i where you id use an emulator and use your cd's to make some iso's on your pc and go from there

Kudistos Megistos · « **Reply #13 on:** 2009-08-08 23:30:14 »

I was under the impression that Eidos just published it and didn't handle the porting. This article implies it and I'm sure that I've read something else that says so more explicitly.

Vehek · « **Reply #14 on:** 2009-08-08 23:54:36 »

An old press article (Both are the same, just on different sites)
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Eidos+and+SquareSoft+Announce+the+Release+of+Final+Fantasy+VII+for...-a020830206
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1998_June_25/ai_50113699/

There's also the endgame credits too. No programmers from Eidos are listed, as far as I can tell.

Satoh · « **Reply #15 on:** 2009-08-09 01:15:54 »

Porting is harder than programming, since things that work perfectly on one system, may not work at all or may produce bad results on the other system...

For instance, on the subject of game porting, Hideo Kojima made the comment that it was so difficult to port Metal Gear Solid 2 from PS2 to Xbox, that he would never port another game as long as he was in charge.

The reasons were that filters used in almost every scene for general basic effects looked completely different when similar programming was executed on the Xbox hardware, thus taking months to rework a fundamental process of the game. Other things involving collision and event code were also factors.

The same is true of PSX > PC porting. The hardware a PSX uses does not compile the same type of scripts with the same processor or language or in a few cases even the same byte cluster size...

Not only that but FFIX specifically has a menu system that is difficult to emulate, causing massive slowdowns on several drivers... (including the PSX emulator for PSP)

However.. if someone WERE to write a ported FFIX engine I would kill to get my hands on it... since it would likely have the ability to modify, add, subtract, and queue practically any scene or module...

Jari · « **Reply #16 on:** 2009-08-09 01:34:16 »

Somehow this discussion seems rather moot, considering that there's no source code to port.

Walter253 · « **Reply #17 on:** 2016-01-05 11:09:03 »

Quote from: Jari on 2009-08-08 21:40:47

No PC version.

FFIX will have his PC version soon, so I was wondering, what now ?

Sorry necropost but I won't make a new thread only with that single question. Don't hesitate to delete this post if you think it's inappropriate.

nfitc1 · « **Reply #18 on:** 2016-01-05 12:12:08 »

Quote from: Walter253 on 2016-01-05 11:09:03

FFIX will have his PC version soon, so I was wondering, what now ?

Sorry necropost but I won't make a new thread only with that single question. Don't hesitate to delete this post if you think it's inappropriate.

Not entirely valid bringing this question back when there are a dozen or so FFIX mods out now...
Still, I'm not sure IX's release is going to be as direct a port as VII and VIII are. I'm afraid they're going to do some weird rewrite of the mechanics (like fix the broken attacks) to where it's not as 1:1 with the PSX as the VII releases have been.

DLPB_ · « **Reply #19 on:** 2016-01-05 12:32:03 »

FFIX is a much more rounded game than FF7. FF7 is implemented very poorly and has numerous issues that have to be corrected. It's no real mystery.

Ragna · « **Reply #20 on:** 2016-01-13 17:11:32 »

Only real attractive for a FF9 mod would be a new game or fan prequel/sequel based on its engine, but anyway that's simply too overwhelming of a task so don't count on that happening.

Quote from: DLPB on 2016-01-05 12:32:03

FFIX is a much more rounded game than FF7. FF7 is implemented very poorly and has numerous issues that have to be corrected. It's no real mystery.

Exactly!

Thirteen1355 · « **Reply #21 on:** 2016-02-10 17:20:15 »

I think some slick pre-rendered background improvement mod will be more than welcome.
Menu overhaul (hi-res menu text).

DLPB_ · « **Reply #22 on:** 2016-02-10 17:53:30 »

You'd think so, but in my experience, a "menu overhaul" just ends up fixing one problem and introducing another. It never fits in with the original style, because you are still relying on the older engine. It's the reason I finally had to abandon the MO with Reunion.

Bosola · « **Reply #23 on:** 2016-04-10 00:37:05 »

Because - FFIX is perfect!

As Dan says, though, it's a much more rounded and polished title. It examines all of its forebears and takes what works from each: the aesthetics of the older titles, a skill system like Tactics', ATB from the later games, a villain fleshed out from VII's, and an engine that built on what PSX developers had learned by the time of that consoles' maturity. It couldn't have come at any other time.

patternjake · « **Reply #24 on:** 2016-04-16 15:11:29 »

Good afternoon, Jake here (from Steam).

Just thought I'd say hi and quickly introduce myself to stay on topic.
Been following Qhimm and it's community on the FF7/FF8 mod scene for years, I've always been one of those silent downloader types and not saying anything for appreciating your work. I'd like to say it now, your work is outstanding. If I came to the scene early enough I would have helped out as much as possible.

Seeing how far you've progressed with FF7 and FF8 you don't really need my input, since I doubt there is much I can give so late in the game. However, just to through out there I am a highly experienced .NET / C++ programmer that I had been doing professionally for years, so If you think I could help out, just give me a shout.

Now back on topic, I bought Final Fantasy IX on steam and have been working on mods for it from day one. I knew it was unity based since the Android release and had been waiting like a ninja for it to come out. I've already started to pull it apart, decompiled the code and started making it readable and non-broken. I've extracted all the assets in the raw unity data and starting work on converting them all to thier original and readable formats.

For my quick mods I've been working on what's already 'pluggable' and that's the .NET /Mono parts.

Anyway want to let you all know that I'm on the case with FF9 as it's such and underrated FF that deserves extra modifications, especially since it's now on PC and can be pulled apart easily.

Look forward to working with you all. J.