Final Fantasy VIII - Problem with Font

[DLPB_]

It seems that FF8 PC does not use the same font that the PSX game did.  The result is the mess we currently have where letters are too thin (to name one problem).  It isn't just the font though, as Aali has shown me, the actual scaling is off too.  Aali believes the actual resolution should be 768*480 but I am doubtful of this since that stretches the screen far too much compared to PSX. The PSX also chops off the extended part of the screen, so perhaps even the PSX game abandoned widescreen support.  This only affects the menu anyway. I will demonstrate now the differences in font and scale:

Firstly the fonts

FF8 PSX:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/36889302/FF8/fontpsx.png

FF8 PC:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/36889302/FF8/fontpc.png

Also notice that FF8 PC is pure white and shouldn't be.


Then we come onto the actual scaling:

PSX (640*480)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/36889302/FF8/ff8PSX640.png

PC (640*480)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/36889302/FF8/ff8PC640.png

PC (768*480)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/36889302/FF8/ff8PC768.png

Clearly 768 is stretching too much.  Notice that both PSX and PC original use the same window space, but FF8 PSX has chopped off the stretched image).  In otherwords, 640*480 (or psx 448) is the correct size window but PSX scales the menu and then chops it off.  It does not scale to 768 though, notice the shape of griever.

The main issue with the font in FF8 PC seems to be that the PSX font was not used. The PC one looks... crap.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/36889302/FF8/MenuComp.png

[DLPB_]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/36889302/FF8/oldfont.png

As you can see with the original font in PC (enlarged 400%), the spacing is perfect.

We basically need a new font making for FF8 that is better spaced.  sl1982's isn't perfect either.

[sl1982]

Well of course mine isnt perfect, it was an exercise in compromises. Especially since I am not going to dive into hex editing like you did with your ff7 menu overhaul.

[DLPB_]

That was certainly not meant as a dig at you (I did think about how to phrase it better at the time but nothing came to mind).  I think with time I can make a better menu and battle font but there's no way I am going into it in any detail near ff7.... way too much on my plate atm and I don't love ff8 (or any game aside from ff7) enough.