[FF7] Battle difficulty options mod

[hay]

I've been fiddling with the idea of making a battle difficulty and reward switch/scaler for FF7. Linear, geometric or custom scaling of attributes in a preset-like manner, achievable through stand-alone app or in-game difficulty setting scrollbar. I'm already chewing through this http://q-gears.sourceforge.net/gears.pdf and while I do that I'd like to ask if there's anything unorthodox which I can include? For example: frog/death status, regen strength, spirit stat bug, white wind shenanigans or a defense bypass?

[Kaldarasha]

I would like to see a kind of regen effect to the mp and starting every battle with zero mp. That means the longer the battle becomes, more stronger magic will be available, if they are unlocked. This would greatly buffs the summons.

[hay]

Battle length as a factor? That's pretty good idea for an extension. There was also a mechanic which included steps traveled(FF6 Traveler), number of escapes and number of YEAHs in Tifa's limit break, that come to my mind now.

[Sega Chief]

I would like to see a kind of regen effect to the mp and starting every battle with zero mp. That means the longer the battle becomes, more stronger magic will be available, if they are unlocked. This would greatly buffs the summons.

Best bet is to use character AI (wall market tool) to push 0 into their current MP from the pre-battle script and then have their post-action AI script increment their MP after every 'tick' (with a cap set equal to their MaxMP to prevent them from storing more than their MaxMP though this doesn't seem to cause issues if it goes over).

I use incrementing MP as an innate ability for one of the characters in the NT mod so I've got a script I can show you for that:

Code: [Select]

Incrementing MP (post-attack AI script)
12 2060
12 4140
80
02 2060
02 4140
80
60 01 (or whatever value you want MP to go up by each time)
30
90

Translates as:
Self.MP <- Self.MP + 1

So whenever anyone in the battle performs an action, this character's MP will go up by 1 (post-action tick). You'd probably want it to be a bit more, +5 maybe.

Setting 0 at start of battle would be similar:

Code: [Select]

Setting MP to 0 at start of battle (pre-battle AI script)
12 2060
12 4140
80
60 00
90

Translates as:
Self.MP <- 0

You'd need to think about how this would work with actual MP in the menu though because it'd suck if people expended MP in the field only for it to be blasted down to 0 whenever a battle starts.

I've been fiddling with the idea of making a battle difficulty and reward switch/scaler for FF7. Linear, geometric or custom scaling of attributes in a preset-like manner, achievable through stand-alone app or in-game difficulty setting scrollbar. I'm already chewing through this http://q-gears.sourceforge.net/gears.pdf and while I do that I'd like to ask if there's anything unorthodox which I can include? For example: frog/death status, regen strength, spirit stat bug, white wind shenanigans or a defense bypass?

Spirit + MDEF bug is fixed by Aali's Driver which is generally required to run FF7 PC and was used in the Steam release so you don't have to worry about that one.

[hay]

Great stuff.

Food for thought about that incrementing MP mechanic. Is it known how to achieve similar result at runtime? Trainer-like, a bit like Ochu maybe?