Technical question about original FF7 concerning field models

[HeavensCloud]

I noticed using the NPC RP models, the game runs exactly the same for me... this is probably due to a powerful PC, but I have to ask, would it have been possible for Square to have used more realistic 3D models like these back then?  Or was the Playstation incapable of handling it?

[Synergy Blades]

Well, Final Fantasy 8 was quite capable, so yes, probably - but they had had extra time to develop on the hardware after 7 was released.

[HeavensCloud]

Another question then... it seems all the NPC RP does is replace the field models with battle models, and using slightly better looking elongated versions for the characters that don't have a battle model.  If its that simple, why didn't Square do this for FF7?  Is there more to it that I'm missing?  Were they just being lazy?  Or did they actually WANT the characters to look deformed (or cute I guess)?

[Thanakil]

Two reasons, I guess :
1- The game is VERY FREAKIN OLD, back then not every PC could have supported those things. Square didn't want to take chances and simply went with what they knew PCs would support.
2- Square wasn't expecting huge sales from FF7 on PC, they simply ported it in its original state. They weren't gonna spend more money on the game than they expected to get back from selling it.

[HeavensCloud]

You misunderstood my question, it was about why they didn't use more realistic 3D models for the original game, not the PC version.  Obviously they weren't going to redo the game with better models for the PC, they just ported it with crappy midis.

Its more about why they didn't just make it prettier for the Playstation.

[supercool330]

Probably because not every character is used in battle, and thus doesn't have a battle model.  They probably did it to save time and effort in creating models.  Also, they may have been trying to go for some sort of style, but I kind of doubt that.

[Thanakil]

You misunderstood my question, it was about why they didn't use more realistic 3D models for the original game, not the PC version.  Obviously they weren't going to redo the game with better models for the PC, they just ported it with crappy midis.

Its more about why they didn't just make it prettier for the Playstation.

Well, in that case, I guess it's because they didn't want to make high-reso models of every NPC in the game to save time and effort, since FF7 was already scrapped once and started again for the PS. Probably didn't want to delay the game even longer.

[HeavensCloud]

Thats true, I forgot about the whole Nintendo/Sony thing.  If you look on Youtube you can find an old 3D preview of FFVI using the N64's graphics... or it may have been using the Nintendo/Sony machine they were planning to make.  I'm really not sure.

[*:.Griever.:*]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BMjkzEhIsj8&feature=related   This is the 3d tech demo, for the N64.

It is VERY low quality, but shows the engine I guess they were going to use.

[Akari]

This was early techno demo for Sygraph. Later it transformed into battle module in FFVII. At the time of this demo they just experiment with gameplay and graphics to find better solution.

The reason why models was superdeformed? I think there two reasons. First one is legacy. All previous games has superdeformed sprites, so no one can say for sure that japanese market will accept this much changes in franchise. The second one is platform/production restriction. Although it's possible to add texture to model and done model that looks like real we must remember that at times when production begins - 1994, very little was known about PSX capabilities, it was better not to take that much risk at once... And hi-poly battle model not use any lighting, when low poly field models use 3 lighting source. And KAWAI opcode allow you to do a lot of other lighting things with models.

[HeavensCloud]

This was early techno demo for Sygraph. Later it transformed into battle module in FFVII. At the time of this demo they just experiment with gameplay and graphics to find better solution.

The reason why models was superdeformed? I think there two reasons. First one is legacy. All previous games has superdeformed sprites, so no one can say for sure that japanese market will accept this much changes in franchise. The second one is platform/production restriction. Although it's possible to add texture to model and done model that looks like real we must remember that at times when production begins - 1994, very little was known about PSX capabilities, it was better not to take that much risk at once... And hi-poly battle model not use any lighting, when low poly field models use 3 lighting source. And KAWAI opcode allow you to do a lot of other lighting things with models.

Thanks Akari, some interesting information there.  I had no idea production on FFVII had already begun in '94, that explains a lot.  Also did not know anything about lighting sources for the models, I'm inexperienced when it comes to 3D modeling. 

Also a question for those who have been making models for the game or working on the Restoration Project, about how long on average does it take to make a model for one that does not have a battle model to base it off already?  And if the answer is "varies", what are some best and worst case scenarios?

I ask because if its something like a couple hours... then I think Square was either just lazy or chose to leave the models deformed for nostalgia.  But if its longer, then I guess I'd understand the decision.

[obesebear]

I can tell you that Square probably didn't expect to make all that much money off of the PC port. 
If I remember correctly, Command and Conquer-esque games were the really popular genre in the late 90's so it's doubtful too many PC gamers were going to jump all over an RPG.

[Borde]

As Akari explained, you can't expect much better graphics from a game that started it's deveolpment in 1994. I'm pretty sure Square could have done some better job with the graphics, but most likely by the time their libraries could support better models it was too late to redo every NPC.
The problem with FF7 isn't that the field models are SD (I like the SD look). The problem is that they are very low poly and nearly untextured. FF8 had certainly higher poly-count, but not much. They were textured though, and that helped a lot.
As for the NPC RP, the models are still mostly untextured, but have a lot more polygons. I'm quiet sure that the PSX wouldn't be able to render such models fluidly, no matter how hard they tried. If you ask for the time needed to redo an NPC... well, I can only talk for myself. It took me from one day of work to more than one week, depending on the model. Then again, I'm much slower than ice_cold513 and stormmedia.
Anyway, it's not fair to use the time any of us can spend reworking a field model to aproximate the time Square empolies would need to do the same. We aren't professionals and have no experience modeling (hell, I don't even know modeling actually). We don't get paid either.
If we talk about the PC port... well, let's face it. Square didn't even add the much needed higher resolution backgrounds. Not even a crappy bilinear filter. Neither did they add 32/24bits color depth, nor better movies (in fact, they are even worse). It's amazing they were kind enough to throw in a 640x480 mode and hardware acceleration. No, they certainly didn't put much effort in this port.