Messages

51

General Discussion / FF7 hidden cave, did anyone ever find out?

« on: 2004-01-13 23:04:31 »

Odd, I was reasonably sure the top left thing was another screenshot of this place but with Cloud standing in the far door, placed on top of the large screenshot in the magazine.

Ahh. Now I look more closely thats exactly how it is ^_^

52

General Discussion / "yet-to-be announced" project

« on: 2004-01-13 10:29:39 »

God damnit, Square friken sucks.
FFVII-2 is like taking one of those nostalgic memories from your childhood, recording it on video and putting Coca-Cola logos all over it. Or something...
FFX-2 was EVIL
FFVII-AC is HELLA EVIL
FFVII-2 is UBER SUPER GOLDEN POWER REMIX EVIL

Allthough I'll still play it... possibly even in Japanese. But it will piss me off to no end!
Square cant make up good new ideas, so now they are trashing their old releases by picking them up and stamping them into the ground.

53

General Discussion / FF7 hidden cave, did anyone ever find out?

« on: 2004-01-13 10:23:20 »

Heh. Anyone notice Bugehangen on the top left? That definately doesn't look like Cloud. You can just make out the circle of Bugenhagens err... "float" thingy...

54

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Can someone see if they can..

« on: 2004-01-03 23:34:15 »

Asking Eidos to work on FFVII?
Yeah right. That was tried a VERY long time ago and we got nothing for it. It's only due to the knowledge and luck of people from the old Eidos forum and here that we have fixes for a lot of the problems.

Eidos ain't gonna do jack unless you dump a billion dollers into their hands.

Sorry, but thats how it is.

55

Archive / scanlines [FF8]

« on: 2003-12-12 07:14:59 »

My last few monitors have added scan-lines to the picture when running atuff in 640/480. I hate em! Scan lines sux.

Tank you.

56

Archive / Final Fantasy VII Original FMV question...

« on: 2003-11-10 07:04:02 »

I think there was some sort of image enhancements going on with the pc version shot you made because there isn't nearly as much dithering as there normally would be with that codec. The PC picture you took looks better, no doubt about it. It definately looks better the way it would normally look with that codec, as you can see here:

As I said, the lack of dithering is probebly from Virtual Dub running in a 32bit colour enviroment. How are you taking shots like that? From the game itsself?

57

Archive / Final Fantasy VII Original FMV question...

« on: 2003-11-09 23:13:52 »

*sigh* Here are a couple of pictures, no I got VirtualDub opening FFVII PCs movies. I basically opening theses in VirtualDub (not Mod), set the size to 300% and hit printscreen. That's the reason for the diffrent resolutions and croping. Also, I had VirtualDub set to the default colour output of 16bit, since that is what FFVII runs at. I'm not sure what, if any post processing is running on this. I had hardware display aceleration disabled when making the shots, which I think means DirectDraw shoulden't have filtered at all, but I'm not at all sure. I think there is somefiltering going on, but hopefully the same filtering for both movies. The Psx shot was taken from the movie, ripped from the Psx disk in un-compressed .avi, so there shoulden't be any quality loss between the image on the Psx disk and my riped version.

http://sircanealotshome.homestead.com/files/FFVIIMovPC.png
http://sircanealotshome.homestead.com/files/FFVIIMovPSX.png

I've studied both pictures and I'll share with you my findings:
First of all lets look at the obveous(argh spelling even worse when this tired, sorry). The PC's shot is much darker, better contrast and colours.
Past that, if we look at both images, FFVIIPCs image is a lot sharper. It looks like some form of edge ehancement has been run over the movie. You can see this clearly if you look at the licence plate on the car. Also, Aeris flower basket is another thing to look at. This edge echancement of course, also has it's negative. Look at the pixels near the left hand of Aeiris. There's a bunch of flesh coloured pixels hanging in the air off her hand, which is a artifact of edge enhancement, I think. Also due to the edge enhancement, the jagged edges of on the lines of the grey wall in the top left are more visable. the PC versions picture also has much more blocking to it, which can be seen mostly in the smoke coming from the bottom of the car and the green sky at the top of the image (come to think of it, why is the sky green?). Imo, the Pc version actually looks better, due to the better colours and contrast (the Psx shot is very high on the greens), but it is let down by the edge enhancement artifacts and the blocking. I'm pretty sure the blocking does look worse normally, doesn't it, and you can't see the dithering in my shot, since it's taken from VirtualDub running on a 32bit colour windows desktop. But this at least looks at some of the visual diffrences between the two movies. Not that I can really count on those images for being post processing free.

58

Archive / Final Fantasy VII Original FMV question...

« on: 2003-11-08 01:00:05 »

(TM20 = Duck Truemotion 2.0)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there some sort of filtering that goes on with TM20-encoded avi's that are being played in ff7? ......

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those shots taken from diffrent frames of the movie? Not that it makes *that* much diffrent.
And about the colours, that's the lack of filtering
Filtering blurs stuff over (which is why when encoding anime you'd apply both sharpening and artifact reducing filters for example).
You can see that not only is there less noise in the WMP version, it's also being anti-alised better, something that FFVII PC doesn't of course do much (if at all). If you look closely at the roof of the house in the middle, you can see the idividual pixels... in the WMP pic these details are blured over slightly. The trees are also a good place to look. Most people don't mind a slightly blur though, as you've basically complately removed all the noise from the picture now though.

59

Archive / Final Fantasy VII Original FMV question...

« on: 2003-11-07 20:42:19 »

Hmm. Perhaps they ARE recompressed Psx videos. I wanted to check the movies working in virtual dub to conform this :/

Who was responsible for FFVII PC? Was it Square Soft (japan) or Square (USA). I'm guessing it was was Square and they didn't have access to the original masters/data/whatever they hell they are, so they HAD to recompress from the Psx version.

For FFVIII I'm pretty sure they rendered in 320/240 (for Psx/Pc) and 640/480 (pc) as they were making the game. God knows why Square Soft did this, but good on em for one of their few good deads

I'd say the best bet we'd have for decent movies in FFVII PC, is rip them from the Psx disk (for the better audio) and re-encode them to Duck TrueMotion (unless another codec would be better and will work with FFVII PC), but with heavy filters on (not that I know how much you can filter a Duck True Motion encode, I know little about advanced encoding heh). I'm in a fansub group, I could ask our encoder if he knows anything much. Filters from what I know of Mpeg4 could get rid of all of artifacts easily and probebly sharpen the movies up. Colours could be ajusted too. Ajusting the colour and sharpening can work VERY well for anime. Of course, as said, this would be a lot of work...
Of course the movies running in 16bit colour in game also hurts them... has there been any progress on the 32bit patch recently?

60

Archive / Final Fantasy VII Original FMV question...

« on: 2003-11-07 14:21:34 »

Does anyone know how the hell I can get VirtualDub to open FFVII PCs FMVs? It keeps giving me the error it cant open them, I have installed the damn codec. the movies play in normal media players fine.

The FMVs do look diffrent, but I cant really tell in which way till I get the PCs FMVs open in VirtualDub :/

The Psx FMVs SOUND better though. Audio is MUCH cleaner on the FMV from the Psx disks.

61

Archive / Re: Stupid compression...

« on: 2003-11-07 13:01:50 »

Hi!

When I refer to the 'original' FMV files, I mean from the PSX FF7. There's a huge leap in quality. What do you mean that the Duck codec is better? The codec compressed the already compressed FMV from the PSX FF7. Video is way smoother on the ripped movies, and none of the 'dithering' is visible. Sorry to sound like I am constantly arguing, but the quality is way better than the stupid compressed ones. And yes, of course I will be playing it own my own. I can enjoy the experience better with higher quality movies...  

xeriouxi.

How are you viewing the Psx FMVs? How are you comparing them to the PC FMVs? As I've said before, FFVII PC uses NO post processing, meaning the movies look very bad. They look fine when played though Windows Mediaplayer. I'm not saying the noise and artifacts in the video aren't worse than the Psx version, but there definately wont be a huge drop or gain in quality either way.
I'm also assuming the Duck True Motion Codec IS in fact better, Psx uses some form of mpeg1 compression (or as stated, some form of jpeg compression, which is mpeg1ish anyway as far as I know), Mpeg1 being about 10 years old now. Duck True Motion is still VERY old, but it's not quite as old as Mpeg1...
But it's all down to the encoding... and FFVII PCs lack of use of post processing.
Perhaps I'll rip one of the Psx FMVs later, but I'm doubting I can be bothered. I've been looking at compression semi seriously for a while now, so I shoulden't be to bad a judge.
Edit: If I bother doing this, I'll post pics.

And I'm also doubting Pc movies = Psx compression artifacts + pc compression artifacts. It makes no sense why they would create the Pc movies from the Psx movies. Why not go back to the masters of original FMVs (whatever format they are in) and create them from that. I Think the PC movies would look ever worse if they did come from the Psx fmvs.
If Square did do this, well it's just another reason to hate on Square!

And on Fps etc, I'm not really sure about it all, but the FMVs could have originally bean 15fps, interlaced to 24 fps or whatever. Where as the PCs are encoded into a progressive 24fps. Who knows, fps are complicated when it goes anywhere near TV or Console.

Rubicant... you might want to calm down a little.

STFU!!!1
Ahem.
Thankyou.

62

General Discussion / Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last mission pack

« on: 2003-10-27 18:36:43 »

Yes, it's English with English subtitles. Doubt they'll be a jap dub included. Which is fine, the jap dub sucks just as much as the English one, but lacks Wakka, yeah?

OMG 900 posts, WHAT?

63

General Discussion / Rikku in bikini

« on: 2003-10-27 18:35:06 »

You know, in reading though this just now I just KNEW I'd read it before. Oh well

64

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / In need of some PSFs from FF7

« on: 2003-10-19 22:31:45 »

Heh, comical = not in the game, ever.

He ripped them to the OST... so certain songs, those ones which are just versions of other songs didn't get ripped.

Infact, they might not even exist in the Psx version as insted of having those other versions they might just forward to the right part of the song... PC FFVII doesn't appear to be able to do anything with midis exist play them... it's not able to go to a certain point in them and play, which is why after a battle the music in the dungeon/town resets... in the Psx version it continutes playing from the place it left off at when the battle started. REALLY stupid in the part of Square Soft...

65

General Discussion / Re: FF7 - The Diary :)

« on: 2003-10-08 16:15:59 »

hey guys, some one posted something here a while back, and its given me some ideas.

Err... that was probebly me. I've been planing to do that for agggggeesss. I still plan to do it to, except in a much more organised way, with only me doing it
I've had a hankering to see if I can get the Pc version working in XP for ages anyway. So I might start sooner or later...

66

General Discussion / Hunting for "Story" people

« on: 2003-09-23 23:14:09 »

I'll do the best story ever. Its a fact.

If you want to argue against my fact:

*Morpheous Voice*: "What is fact?"

67

Archive / Final Fantasy VII Original FMV question...

« on: 2003-09-22 20:56:47 »

Umm... I remember people talking about that, but no one ever went though and did it I dont think...
I'm not sure how much of a diffrence it'd make anyway... you could filter the rencode yeah, but whether you'd get FFVII to play them is another story. Perhaps if you use rencoded USEING the Duck Motion Codec...
However I have little wish to do this as I play on TV-Out anyway heh.

68

General Discussion / Anyone wanna translate me some Jappanese?+FFVII OMGXZ

« on: 2003-09-22 18:48:46 »

Someone sent it to me over IRC... I have no idea whether you can get more like that sorry. And as a good freind of mine mentioned when discussing whether that was done with a Game Shark or not... :

[02:10] <SunGod> But it's like a Zanmato tactic I guess
[02:10] <SunGod> One hit kill
[02:10] <ShinJin> "so like, i spent three hours in this cave fighting a wack pot, it was dope!"
[02:10] <SunGod> lol
[02:10] <ShinJin> is that the line your looking for?

Allthough probebly only amusing to other londoners here hahaha.

69

General Discussion / Hunting for "Story" people

« on: 2003-09-22 18:43:56 »

Heh. Even a year on my offer is still open if you want any help with anything FFVII content related... writing to.... I guess. Its not even like it'd be to much writing. More quality than quantity by far...
I'm even planing one of these days STILL to start my "FFVII project GAMMA: Play though game and write down everything that dosent make sense, then post it on Qhimms" in an effort to expand my FFVII knolledge. I started the Usa Psx version a while ago, but it sucks. Worth graphics and the script is awfull compared to the revised Pc version. Oh well, comming soon a forum near you: All my current problems with FFVII PC the next time I try to install it...

Edit: Actually it almost IS one year on since I posted the post I made on page 1... how time flys.

70

General Discussion / My resignation

« on: 2003-09-22 18:40:33 »

Sorry to see you go Jari. Another old schooler off the board...

When things like these happanes it makes me remember the good old days of forum-going...
Like when I was at school one day someone posted some 20 topics in Eidos's FFVII forum and I replied to them all.. took all lunch since the net was so slow.
And when topics would stay on topic till the original topic was all said and done, then desentergrate into flame wars and weird discussions... and best of all the moderators would either sit back and have a cigar or join in....
Its sad, there was a hell of a lot less n00bs and idiots on the net then, so things could run like that. Try that now and all you get is a 60 page flame thread with maybe 1/2 people tops amusing the heads.. where as back in the day some of those topics were topped with gold....
Some of the ones here were to good... not really for flames, but for random discussions. I really liked the way Qhimm (allthough the REALLY early ones, ones discussing the original FFVII Soundfonts enhancements, if I remember rightly, Soundfonts are what bought me here from Eidos, arent here since I think Qhimm lost all those topics when he changed the board system once... or something) has kept loads of the old topics about, even at the risk of them being bumped by idiot n00b #4543293.. its so nostalgic going though the old topics from back then and seeing how many words I didnt know how to spell then and how many I still cant smell now.

Oh well safe wherever ya are Jari. Hope to see you back one of these days when the forum dies completely and theres just like 2 or 3 people posting... heh. Like the Not Eidos Forums... that was brilliant.

Public: However dont worry. SirCanealot will not disapear off these boards for quite some time! No point in dissapearing for me really heh. Theres still a little discussion to be had here every now and again

Oh well there ends random rant #4828...

71

General Discussion / Petition link for Final Fantasy IX PC release...

« on: 2003-09-22 18:21:43 »

Omg! I was actually planing to buy FFIX PAL when it came out here (finally), but due to the security crap I fucked that shit. If I wanted to play FFIX again I'd play the Kalisto NTSC Pre-Release version again on ePSXe... Complete with the numourus movie glitches and the crash on Disk 2, which I had to patch and reburn at 1x on a CDRWin demo...

And check sig 90 on that peition. Richard Williams = me. w00t. To think its running at over 6000 sigs right now...
Reminds me back of when I was actually hopening for a PC version. FFVIII Pc looks so damn nice. Try emulateing Psx FFVIII on a Pc, I doubt it'd look half as good as FFVIII PC does...
God damnit that topic is old. I was so damn cheery back then and stuff.... and I was still on 56gay at the hands of... BT INTERNET!!! *dramatic music*
But I still say I'm the same old gimp that singed up here over 3 years ago... one that still makes silly typos a lot...

And just to add my 2 cents on FFIX, I thought it was a good game, but lacked time and effort.. it was mad short and most of the characters started getting some development, then were just abadoned... not like FFVI where all the characters have a major and several minor sub stories

72

Archive / Re: You've got me all wrong...

« on: 2003-09-22 18:12:27 »

Hi!

Who said i was going to use a compression codec? I use uncompressed frames in FMV files. My hard drive can handle the size, and the quality of the uncompressed FMV files are way better than the PC.  

Actually, they arent. You're probebly playing those movies you've ripped in a form of Media Player from Windows. What this means if the movies'll get filtered 1000x better than FFVII PC will filter them. Actually, I dont think FFVII PC does ANY filtering on the movies. Just a straght friken stretch. If you play the original movies from FFVIIPC though a windows based media player they'll look pimp to. Trust me, I'm qualified. And unfortunately I've bought this up before and I'm aware of NO way to get FFVII PC to use post processing on thoses movies like a media player will. Oh well.......
Movies look fine on a TV-Out anyway....

73

Archive / FF8 worldmap lag??

« on: 2003-08-25 12:39:45 »

The world map runs pretty smooth on my system:

Atholn XP 1600mhz
512 ram
Elsa GeForce 3

Not 60fps, but pretty smooth. It used to run really bad on my old system though:
Atholn 650
320 ram
Elsa Geforce 3

Same grx card heh, so it probebly is a processor thing. One thing for sure, its just one of those things and its probebly just a case of bad coding.

74

General Discussion / Anyone wanna translate me some Jappanese?+FFVII OMGXZ

« on: 2003-08-24 22:46:54 »

Aaron's Email is now being pwned by my 10k/s ul

Edit: Sorry. Your message could not be delivered to:

mobile.att.net
MAIL FROM:<[email protected]> SIZE=15086899
Received: 552 message size exceeds fixed maximum message size

¬_¬

75

General Discussion / Anyone wanna translate me some Jappanese?+FFVII OMGXZ

« on: 2003-08-24 03:17:28 »

I'll try and get it off tomorow. I'm just waiting on a Bittorent to finish off right now and I've had freinds over the last couple of days...