Final Fantasy 7 > Releases
[FF7PC-98/Steam] New Threat Mod (v2.0.99994)
Sega Chief:
[New Threat Mod v2.0.99994]
A gameplay overhaul mod for Final Fantasy VII:
*) Enemy & Player-Character Rebalance (Intended difficulty: Midcore)
*) Dialogue Revamp (maintains original game's style)
*) Additional Sidequests & QoL Scripts (e.g. Flashback skips)
A fuller list of the mod's features can be found in the Documentation download, or under the Features List tab.
Stand-alone Installer
Download
*This is for use with the base game if no other modding frameworks are installed or being used. It's a hard-patch of the game's files, so remember to make a back-up of the Final Fantasy VII/Data folder before installing. To uninstall, the backup data folder can be reinstated or, if on Steam, a file validation can be performed to restore the altered files. Avoid using this with 7th Heaven or Reunion.
7th Heaven Mod Loader: Sega's IRO Catalog
iros://Url/http$pastebin.com/raw.php?i=vXc4PpBS
*This is a Catalog Link to be used with the 7h Mod Loader. Copy-paste the above link into 7th Heaven's Settings > General Settings > Catalog Subscriptions and click Save. Refresh your Browse Mods list and/or restart 7h to see the new IROs. For more information about the 7th Heaven Modding Framework, check here: http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=15520.0
Catalog IRO List:
*) New Threat Mod 2.0
*) New Threat Mod 2.0 Combat Only
*) New Threat Mod 2.0 Vanilla Combat
*) New Threat Mod 1.5
*) New Threat Mod 1.5 Vanilla Combat
*) True Necrosis
*) Lv1 Challenge
*) NPC Mouth Replacer/Remover
*) Battle Model/Costume Swaps (OG Style)
If the Catalog Subscription link doesn't work, then the New Threat 2.0 IRO can be downloaded and imported manually here
Reunion Version
Download
*Specifically for use with the Reunion (R06) Framework. Place the unzipped folder into: FINAL FANTASY VII\The_Reunion\CUSTOM. In the Options.cfg file of The_Reunion folder, set the New_Translation option to 'n' and under [CUSTOM] set this line: Mod_ID = New_Threat_Reunion_209997
New Threat 2.0 Documentation
Download
Contains the following in Notepad format:
*) FF7 NT 2.0 Balancing
*) FF7 NT 2.0 Features Overview
*) FF7 NT 2.0 Item & Materia Placements
*) FF7 NT 2.0 Models List (modder's resource)
*) FF7 NT 2.0 Patch Notes
*) FF7 NT SP Upgrades
New Threat 2.0 Enemy Drop/Steal/Morph Google Spreadsheet
Credit: Berub
Link
New Threat 2.0 Save Files
Link
*Originally created during development of the 2.0 build, contains save files from various points of the game; included for people wanting to revisit certain sections, testing, etc.
[Prototypes & Variants]
New Threat v2.0 - Combat Only
7th Heaven IRO
Reunion R06
*This is a build of NT 2.0 that only has the alterations made to combat, with no field scripting.
New Threat v2.0 - Vanilla Combat
7th Heaven IRO
*This is a build of NT 2.0 that only has the field scripting changes, with no changes to combat.
New Threat v1.5
Stand-alone Installer
7th Heaven IRO
*This is the previous build of the mod; it contains content that was cut from 2.0 and a different approach to balancing. It's still being maintained alongside the latest build.
New Threat 1.5 - Vanilla Combat
Stand-alone Installer
7th Heaven IRO
*Version of NT using vanilla enemies + characters but using NT's field-event scripts such as flashback skips, dialogue alterations, etc. Most new encounters were also disabled and unique items held by these encounters were returned to their original locations.
New Threat 1.5 Spanish Version
Credit: Markul
Thread Link
*The Spanish version of NT was put together and translated by Markul; be sure to give him props.
New Threat 1.5 French Version
Credit: Satsuki
Thread Link
*This is a mod pack that the ff7.fr community put together for their translation project, Neo-Midgar, that has NT as one of the options. Satsuki_Yatoshi appears to have put the pack together.
[Feature List]
Spoiler: show
~~Features Overview~~
Below is an overview of each feature offered by the mod, broken down into section.
More detail of the changes can be found on the respective feature's page.
Event Scripting & Dialogue
-) Text:
+ Dialogue in the game, and all other text, revised.
+ Plot points made clearer & general grammar improved.
+ Original style and quirks maintained.
The goal of this change was to provide a better script while also retaining
what makes the game's dialogue unique. Characters generally speak in the same
way that they originally did, and new scenes were written carefully to make
them fit with the rest of the game.
These changes should not be viewed as a retranslation of the original script
in the Japanese version, though it was referred to at times for some of the
more obfuscated scenes.
-) Events:
+ Deactivated/bugged scenes restored to working order.
+ Party members can be found and interacted with in towns/cities.
+ Additional sidequests added.
A number of scenes exist in the game files that were either stripped out or
left unactivated due to oversights. The majority of these have been restored
and in some cases adapted into a more complete scene.
While visiting towns, the player can find various party members around the
area with their own dialogue (which may change depending on the player's
progress through the story).
New content was added that provides optional encounters or gates off certain
items/abilities. Character may have to deal with a special encounter or event
to obtain their final Limit Break, for instance.
Battle Balancing
-) Curve of Progression:
+ Intended to be moderate with a stable curve to the end.
+ Grinding not intended to be required but EXP is freely available if needed.
+ Not intended as a Hard-Type mod, though some difficult optional encounters exist.
FF7 NT's aim is to avoid the label of being a 'hard-type' hack, the name of which
carries a stigma of punishing fights, HP bloated enemies, and unfair mechanics.
The goal with this mod is to strike a balance between being accessible while also
having enough weight in its combat to make it satisfying to play.
That's not to say there aren't some excellent hard-type mods out there; Gjoerulv's
Hardcore mod is the best you'll find for testing your knowledge of FF7 mechanics to
its limits. But NT is trying to occupy a spot that's around the midcore area;
something that can be played casually while enjoying the enhanced features present.
Players will be looking for, and expecting, different things from their FF7 playthrough and
it's impossible to cater for both extremes. Instead, NT looks to cover as wide an area as
possible in the middle. For players wanting a more serious challenge, a toggle for Hard Mode
was added and some additional difficulty may be found with optional encounters.
-) Characters:
+ Each party member has more defined base stats.
+ Unique innate ability for each character to use in battle.
+ Player chooses which stats to raise to help make character builds.
A criticism made of FF7 characters is that, in-battle, they can feel interchangeable
due to the lack of a character-specific skillset (Limits not withstanding).
NT first tackles this by altering the base stats of each character to make their role
in battle feel more defined.
Going further, an innate ability was added to each character that either works passively or
is activated by the player. These abilities cover effects such as surviving a KO once per battle
while retaining all buffs/any queued actions, raising stats over time or in response to certain
actions, refreshing MP, and others.
In addition to gaining stats per level, players also upgrade character stats using a new system.
After unlocking the Source Point upgrade system the player chooses upgrades for the character
to develop their stats. Players may want to build on the established strengths of a character,
address some weaknesses they have. Characters have equipment and a mix of physical/magic
Limit Breaks that can fit with specific builds the player comes up with, such as developing Aeris'
strength to raise the effectiveness of her Healing staves or building Barret into a spellcaster to
maximise his Mindblow (deals damage in NT), Satellite Beam, and Catastrophe Limit Breaks.
-) Equipment:
+ Full revamp of every weapon, armour, accessory, and item.
+ New effects and stat gains on equipment.
+ New items added.
Equipment serves as the other half of preparing a player party, with most pieces
having either a stat bonus or other effect like elemental/status resistance to consider.
These can be used to either bolster a character's stronger stats, round out weaknesses,
or exploit a weakness in local random enemies or a specific boss.
Items also have more consistent effects and provide more utility. Potions raise HP by 300
making them more relevant through early areas of the game and attack-items are more rounded out.
Some new items have also been added with their own effects to discover.
-) Materia & Spells:
+ All spells revamped.
+ Materia AP, Spell-Lists, and Bonus/Penalties revised.
+ New Materia and Spells added.
Every spell was tweaked and some effects modified to bridge some gaps and create more balance
and variety in the player's magical arsenal. Enemy Skills were mostly revamped to remove redundancies
and make some more interesting effects available that would be out of place in the conventional spell-set.
Summons ignore magic-defence, making them useful as a panic button or for busting highly defensive enemies
and some additional spells were added like Osmose and water/holy element equivalents to the Contain spells for late-game.
Materia has some alterations to AP levels and some new ones were produced to handle new spells like
the Osmose Materia. Some Materia like Summons have been locked to 1-star and cannot be divided; to
account for this, the way in which Master Magic, Command, and Summon are obtained has been changed;
they will no longer consume all the requisite Materia when being made, but can also only be obtained
once.
Some new Materia was added to allow for spells ordinarily sandwiched on Materia to be used easier
with Support Materia like Magic Counter; spells like MBarrier, Regen, Dispel, Slow, and others were
given their own separate Materia that the player can find out in the world. Some new Materia was
added to separate out commands like Slash-All and Flash, while some combine spells from different
Materia such as the Core Materia which is a mix of elemental and healing spells.
Finally, Materia has had the stat bonuses and penalties they give altered. HP penalties are less
prevalent with basic Magic materia and more situational Materia like status magic now carries some
better benefits to make them less of a dead weight when their spell isn't required. Summon Materia
carries very diverse stat bonuses/penalties to help with creating builds or addressing weaknesses
on the fly.
-) Enemies:
+ Comprehensive overhaul of enemy stats, attacks, formations, and AI.
+ Remixed version of every boss.
+ Brand new enemy/boss encounters.
Every enemy in the game has been updated with stats that better fit the intended curve of progression,
adjusted attacks (and some new ones), some alterations to the formations they appear in, and more
importantly a full re-write of the majority of their AI. Unique behaviour has been maintained and
rewrites were made to fix bugs or to make the mechanic(s) more prominent.
A retry option was also added to a number of boss encounters that occur during lengthier story
segments (which comes with an opportunity to adjust party set-up).
In addition to the pre-existing monster roster, brand new enemies were also added with their own
unique models. These new enemy models were made using pre-existing game assets for visual consistency
with the other enemies found in the game.
[Installation]
Spoiler: show
~~Installation Guide~~
There are two core versions of FF7 PC; the 1998 version, and the 2012/Steam version.
While both have a similar folder architecture there are some key differences that need
to be kept in mind before patching your game:
1) Do not use a cracked copy of the game
Games with patches to beat copy protection tend to have alterations made to the
executable that are lost when a mod is applied that makes its own changes to that
.exe file. This will then cause the game to no longer boot as the cracks needed
to make the game run will be lost.
2) 1998 version compatibility
Getting the original version of the game to run on a modern PC has some steps involved
as it was originally designed for the Windows 1998 OS and has pretty severe compatibility
problems when running on newer operating systems. You will need a copy of Aali's Graphics
Driver to get the game running in a state similar to the Steam version. Bear this in mind
if planning to acquire the 1998 PC version.
3) Patching to Spanish/German/French
The folder architecture and some file names are different in the spanish/french/german
versions of the game. Compatibility options have been added to the installer but the
files will mostly be converted into English. However, the mod has been translated to
French and Spanish and is maintained by Mexico (French version) on ff7.fr and Markul
(Spanish version).
Next to consider are the modding platforms available for FF7.
1) Stand-alone Installer
For users wanting to play the NT mod on its own with no other modifications this is the
fastest and most stable option. The installer will patch the game files and you'll be
ready to play within a few minutes.
Download the Stand-alone installer, right-click it to bring up Properties, and ensure that
the installer has admin permissions + is unblocked (if this option appears).
Next, make a backup copy of your game's Final Fantasy VII folder; this is to quickly revert to the
default game files without having to perform a reinstall/file verification to reacquire
the base files.
Run the installer as Admin, and progress through until asked for the directory in which
FF7 is installed. The target address is the folder called Final Fantasy VII (or FF7).
Confirm and check the installer report; if it was successful, then you're ready to go.
Also note that the installer is fairly robust; it will overwrite any version of FF7
so if it has been modded already these changes will likely be lost; on the plus side,
this also means you don't have to have a 100% clean default copy prior to installation
and avoids issues with 'unknown version' problems.
2) 7th Heaven Mod Loader
Often abbreviated to '7H', this is a mod loader that reduces mods down to their constituent
files in order to combine mods and produce compatibility via a launcher without having
to manually combine mods together. It has its limitations, some mod types can't be
combined through this process, and both the program itself and its installation process
are prone to error.
A full set of instructions for preparing 7H can be found here: http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=15520.0
Once you have installed 7H and have tested that it is working as intended, you are ready
for the next step.
7H uses 'IROs' which are basically mods packaged up for use with 7th Heaven, and are named
after the original author of the tool. With 7H running, you can either import FF7 NT's IRO
and activate it that way, or you can activate it through the catalogs available through 7H.
They are the same file, just acquired in different ways.
When activating NT's IRO, make sure to have an appropriate mod load order (a
recommended list can be viewed on the 7H Tutorial).
3) Reunion (R06)
An alternate modding platform that boasts enhanced visuals, audio, and other benefits though
lacks some 7h features such as on-the-fly file hotswapping. This is currently my preferred way
of playing the game. Unzip the downloaded folder, place in the Custom folder of the R06 install
and then update the options.cfg with the added folder. Remember to disable the new_translation
option however as it is incompatible with NT.
4) Sister-Ray Modding Framework (IN DEVELOPMENT)
This is still in development and a section will be added when it officially releases.
Cross-Platform Modding
Thanks to the efforts of certain individuals, the NT mod has been successfully installed to several
platforms including Android and the Nintendo Switch. No known port has been made to the PS4 version
but as the file architecture is identical to the PC version it may well be possible. I will try and provide support
for cross-platform, but it will be limited as I'm unfamiliar with the process and do not own a Switch to test.
Android: (Unsure where to find out more, a user reported getting this to work)
Switch: https://gbatemp.net/threads/final-fantasy-vii-a-new-threat-switch-version.534578/
PS4: Not yet confirmed
Testing the Installation
The final step is testing that the mod has installed correctly across every file; the core files
for NT are:
*) scene.bin
*) kernel.bin
*) flevel.lgp
*) battle.lgp
*) char.lgp
*) ff7.exe or ff7_en.exe (if using the installer, otherwise these changes are applied via hext)
Scene.bin: This file is where the enemy data is kept.
Kernel.bin: This file is where the equipment, spells, and character stats are stored.
It is also responsible for setting the game's initial state and acts as a look-up table for the scene.bin.
If the kernel is not patched when starting a New Game, an error message will be shown.
If a non-NT save game (or one where the kernel was not patched when it was started) is loaded into
Reactor 1 then an error message will show.
Flevel.lgp: This file archive handles the game's dialogue and events.
When starting a new game, a new set if dialog boxes and options should appear
for selecting Game Type instead of jumping straight into the opening FMV.
.EXE: This file is what makes the game run and contains various pieces of information such as Limit Break data.
To test this has been patched, try using a Potion in the field menu; if it restores 300HP here then the .EXE is patched
(note, this test is to be performed outside of battle; the behaviour of Potions in-battle is handled by the kernel.bin).
Troubleshooting
1) I've installed the mod and now my game won't run at all
A) This can be due to either patching a non-English version of the game, patching a pirated
copy that relies on .EXE hacks to beat the copy protection, or a bad install of the game that
has been broken by a Windows update (common issue, particularly with the 7H Modified version).
2) I installed the mod but failed one of the installation tests
A) This issue typically occurs with the 7H version and with the kernel.bin file specifically
or the .EXE file will fail to patch due to security protection in the Installer version.
For best results, it's more reliable to have FF7 installed outside of protected systems folders
(for instance, outside of Program Folders) and to ensure that any installers used are being run
as admin & are unblocked via properties on your PC.
If the issue occurs on 7H, then you may need to repeat the installation process for 7H again.
In severe cases, a manual patch is available which is placing the mod's files directly into
the FF7 folder. This is available on request if troubleshooting fails.
3) The Installer (stand-alone) says it can't find files to patch/they are already patched
A) The target directory for the installer changed for the 1.5 and 1.5+ versions of the mod
from the FF7/Data folder to just the FF7 folder itself in order to apply changes to the
game's executable file. Older videos and materials of installation will report the target
directory as FF7/Data so watch out for that.
Another possibility is permission issues. The Installer should be set to run as admin and
be unblocked via its Properties. For better results, having FF7 installed in a non-systems
folder can also help (typically it installs to Program Folders by default which can make
it more difficult to alter by third party programs).
[Changelog]
Spoiler: show
A full list of previous patch changes can be found with the Documentation
2.09999
*) Revisions made to how Bizarro battle prep and conditions are handled
1) Saving is now done after preparing your party/parties
2) Type A has a 1-Party battle on Normal, and a 2-Party battle on Hard
3) Type B has a 2-Party battle on Normal, and a 3-Party battle on Hard
4) The player can opt to change Bizarro to a 1, 2, or 3 Party battle during the prep stage
5) The 2nd and 3rd party no longer have to destroy secondary targets to expose their side of the Core to damage
*) Fixed a menu bug at New Game where selecting 'Return' would instead advance to the next step of the mode-selection process
*) Added Cait #2 to Gongaga scene (after Temple of the Ancients)
*) Added a handler to prevent a Chocobo (and potentially Highwind) from becoming unrecoverable when leaving the Great Glacier with a party leader other than Cloud
*) Updated Chokhmabo's AI text to refer to its name correctly
*) Tweaked an attack for Ghirofelgo and Gigas to deal 15/32 of MaxHP as damage instead of 16/32
*) Aeris no longer chilling in costa del sol after Temple of the Ancients
Sega Chief:
Hi folks, I tried to release a gameplay mod on the releases thread a few days ago but it's been locked to wait for moderator approval (damn you, due process). So figured I'd try and drum up some early interest in the meantime. Got a full(ish) list of what the mod does and it's features in this manual here: http://www.mediafire.com/download/dzbq6cqq2c27ard/FF7+NT+Manual.doc
Features that might be of interest are;
-) 100+ new bosses and enemies, with every story boss given a new set of moves and AI
-) About 40 or so 'unique' models made for enemies using in-game monster parts; we got a robot dragon in there somewhere
-) Quick but rewarding random encounters coupled with longer tougher boss fights
-) An Extra Battle added to the Battle Square that's a bit like the Monster Arena in FFX
-) Some new thingies like extra save points, merchants, and the option to skip the lengthier cutscenes and flashback sequences to make the game go by a bit smoother
-) Extra end-game boss fights to unlock Lv4 Limits and Ultimate Weapons as well as the option to change party leaders from the Operations Room once the party has reached the bottom of North Cave (or North Cavity as the cool kids are saying nowadays)
-) Fixed the age-old 'perfect game' dilemma of whether to use the third battery or not
It's been played by a couple of people who said they were enjoying it. So that's something. If anyone's interested in giving this mod a go then the download links for it are in the video description for this tutorial on the mod's installation: http://youtu.be/VsJnt1eRw7g
Any feedback on how to improve balance or bug reports for technical issues is always welcome.
Covarr:
We don't have a formal mod approval process. However, our forum software requires threads with more than a certain number of links in the OP to be approved. Unfortunately, these threads don't show up if you click "Show unread posts since last visit" like I usually do, so I don't always notice 'em.
If a mod release thread (or anything else that isn't spam) ever ends up in approval limbo, feel free to send me a PM and I'll take care of it. This goes for everyone.
Zara8:
Hey
will this mod make ff7 10 times more harder now to beat
Sega Chief:
--- Quote from: Covarr on 2014-01-21 14:11:09 ---We don't have a formal mod approval process. However, our forum software requires threads with more than a certain number of links in the OP to be approved. Unfortunately, these threads don't show up if you click "Show unread posts since last visit" like I usually do, so I don't always notice 'em.
If a mod release thread (or anything else that isn't spam) ever ends up in approval limbo, feel free to send me a PM and I'll take care of it. This goes for everyone.
--- End quote ---
So that's what happened to it; cheers for the info, Covarr!
--- Quote from: bobby678 on 2014-01-21 14:47:24 ---Hey
will this mod make ff7 10 times more harder now to beat
--- End quote ---
Sadly, it'll only make the game nine times harder to beat. But for next release, we're hoping to push that up to 9.2x. The idea wasn't to make a Hardcore-difficulty mod though, I was aiming for a more reasonable level of difficulty (but that mod name was taken; all the good descriptive names have been taken).
I've noticed you've had difficulty installing other mods on here, though. I recommend making a fresh installation of the game, and then to watch and follow the video tutorial I made (put the video on 1080HD and watch in full screen to make the text sharp enough to read). Remember that in the video the 1998 version is patched first. I patch the Steam version right after that so if you own the Steam version follow that part of the tutorial only. And make sure to download the correct patch; there's one for the original 1998 FF7 release and one for the FF7 Steam release.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version