[FF7 PC Re-Release] Framerates

[NxK]

Hey.
The re-release versions of FF7, i.e. the version that SquareEnix released for PC in 2012, the Steam version of 2013 and the International Release from the Japanese Square Enix Online Store in 2013, have a very peculiar issue with the framerates the different modules of the game are supposed to run at.

So, apparently, in contrast to the original 1998 PC version, the re-release is supposed to run at 34 FPS on fields. Additionally, like the 1998 release, at 15 FPS in battles and in FMVs, at 30 FPS on the world map and at 60 FPS in menus.

I myself have the Steam version run at those values it should apparently run at, it drops to 32/33 fps during the transition to another field though, (I honestly can't even say if 34 is the cap for fields but I have never heard of anyone having a higher field framerate) but a lot of people I have talked have the game run at 30-32 fps on fields and we have not been able to find the cause for these so different framerates.

This framerate issue has been raging ever since FF7 was re-released via SquareEnix in 2012 and has yet eluded explanation and/or resolution.
Therefore, I would be very glad if anybody could provide suggestions on what could be the cause for this erratic behavior and/or on how to solve it (i.e. have the game run consistently at its capped field framerate).

[Kaldarasha]

The correct framerate is at 30 fps for field.
http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=14922.msg215535#msg215535

The re-releases need a better framerate limiter, it is horribly broken sometimes (the battle swirl and opening the menu is too fast). However while Aali's driver is (much) more stable, it isn't perfect. There is a strange bug with the Chocobo minigame, which doubles the speed.
We also knew that the frame limiter, which the game uses, itself is broken and causes a lot of troubles. I hope that the 60FPS project will bring more light to the way the game works.

[NxK]

Hmm, that's quite interesting.
I read through the thread you linked.
So, what field framerate one can achieve depends on one's machine. That is very cumbersome. Yet, why do you say that 30 fps for fields is the "correct" framerate rather than 34? Is there a way, similar to the hex editing mentioned in the linked thread, to make sure to get 34 fps on fields regardless of one's machine?

I am asking these questions partly with concerns to speedrunning FF7. Due to the field framerate issues, speedrunning the PC version of FF7 is a touchy issue. Thus, being able to ensure everyone's game runs at the same framerate on fields regardless of their machines would be great. However, as some people have been able to run the game at 34 fps on fields in the past, capping the field framerate at 30 fps would make their times probably entirely unbeatable or null. That is why I would prefer, regardless of what be the "correct" framerate, a way to fix the field framerate at 34 fps.

[DLPB_]

30 is the correct frame rate, because that's what the designers designed it to be.  On the PSX . that's how many unique frames a second there are for field.

That link shows you a way that you can change it to be 30 on field. The frame limiter overall is also broken.

You can edit the executable too, for a more permanent solution.

[NxK]

Thanks for the answer.

How would you edit the exe for a permanent solution? What lines exactly would have to be changed (with a hex editor I suppose)?

[DLPB_]

3B6448 = 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

Should do it.

[NxK]

I assume I have to change "3E 40 00 00 00 00 00 88 C3 40" into "3E 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00" ?
I could not find the "3E 40 ..." hex values at 3B6448. Instead, when searching for "3E 40 00 00 00 00 00 88 C3 40", I found this sequence come up twice.
Changing both of them (I have not tried if changing one and leaving the other sequence unchanged works as well) the way you mentioned did allow me to cap the field framerate at 30 FPS.

Thanks for your help.

[DLPB_]

No, you change the eight bytes starting at that address to 00, as instructed.

[NxK]

Well, at 3B6448, I get the hex values "50 65 72 75 00 00 00 00".
Editing them does not seem to do anything to the field framerate.

On the other hand, editing the hex values in the exe (I just had to find the suitable addresses myself) the same way you outlined in the linked thread did change the field framerate permanently.

[DLPB_]

The address I gave you is for English 1.02 exe.

[NxK]

That might be the issue. I am using the English exe from the International PC version.

Anyway, I could solve this issue.
Thanks again.