Hello, thank you for the comments so far !
To what has been said. I have some experience with modding. I know of mods, have seen people mod games, know some programming, seen some Final Fantasy 7 mods, etc.. However, at the same time, have little Final Fantasy 7 modding experience myself. So that is my experience level with the following.
One, while I think it is difficult myself, I have seen such mods as Hardcore and Nightmare. While I haven't gone through and checked if that, which would need to be modded, was done, in some way, on there. I did notice that they seemed to change a lot. And so, maybe we could in fact use these mechanics.
Next, I have considered a couple/few ways that it might be done (although hopefully there are other ways, too) :
- One, is to manipulate materia and character stats. IDK about switching out graphical properties, but we may be able to give our party every other attribute that enemies have, usually. And so, if we assume that we will get to choose the moves to do. We start off by taking away their limits. (Or, having to ask players to ignore these). (I try to avoid bad stuff like this). And then, ideally, make, from the start, the entire party level 99. As well as all having the same stats and health.
They will then all have one materia slot (or be told that they are only allowed to place one at a time).
We then make a modded materia for each enemy. So, if you killed a... Tonberry (whichever enemy), the battle would end and we would get a ''Tonberry'' materia !
Upon equipping, it would alter the chosen person's stats, HP, resistances, etc. -- to that of a ''Tonberry'', as well as programmed-in moves, mirroring a Tonberry's exactly.
So you see, aside from appearance (which could maybe be done somehow, too) everything else would match what is desired.
- Another way might be, if possible, to somehow hide and make invincible the party. I have no idea the mechanics. I know that in some modded battles, if you hack in Aeris or Sephiroth and are on certain discs (or, something like that) they cease to appear (although I am not sure if the game crashes if you filled three slots like that). And then, had a battle for every single monster combo. And it knew, upon which things you selected in the menu, to know which battle to load.
Hopefully, ''your side'' could be exactly the same, just be programmed/changed to attack the ''enemy'' instead of the party.
Or, they could start off perma-manipulated, where you could then use them and their moves.
- Similar to the way above, you could somehow have Aeris limit, where everyone is invincible, but all of the time. Pair that up with perma-manipulate. IDK about making them then invincible. But if you won, well IDK how to make it win or game over. Perhaps, if the very last enemy dies, whoever it is, they do a move that will 100% kill off the manipulated monsters, thus leaving just the party, and thus winning the battle. However, well maybe the same again for allies. If the last of three, whichever dies last, then does a seqence that stops your/the party from being invincible, and then does a move that will 100% kill them. Thus game over (or just trust the player to ''reset'').
Basically though, instead of having to mod the party too much. I am hoping we can use the original monster AI -- just switch it around a little.
Or/& little tricks like this
