Messages

1

Announcements and site development / Re: Qhimm Wiki is down?

« on: 2018-01-07 14:13:35 »

For reference's sake there's a pretty recent snapshot on web archive. I'd like the wiki back, of course.

That works, which is good at least I can get something done.

Cyb

2

Announcements and site development / Re: Qhimm Wiki is down?

« on: 2017-12-30 20:53:30 »

Sigh and all the data I had grabbed back in the day is on the Wiki.
I was hoping to restart my projects in python (instead of C/C++).
Well hopefully the FF7 animation sequence format is somewhere in the archive posts.

Cyb

3

General Discussion / Re: FF XV delayed until November... Square is still a joke guys

« on: 2017-11-08 00:33:44 »

I personally get no satisfaction out of either, so for me even 5 dollars wouldn't be worth it.

I also intensely dislike "added content".  It's created a situation where laziness in design is fine - and it also creates inconsistencies. I want to play a completed game.  They had 10 freakin years.  I'm also not sure when it became acceptable to pay for bug fixes and "add ons" when you've already shelled out big money for the game (I am not sure FF15 does that, but many do).  Modern gamers are, in my opinion, total mugs.

A slight addendum however, the main game isn't bad it's a bit tritely thought up but some parts I like.
The combat is annoying, the questing is more fun than the combat (by far) also the "FILLER" characters are more interesting than the 3 secondary characters (really), gladios is a bit of fun but a bit too stereotypical.
The story being the prime character and Luna's relationship could have been done a little less childishly not everyone is as immature (at that age) as the script writter thought, it's all relative.
However it's not bad really, some people go crazy with the combat, it was more challenging if I DIDn't follow the instructions but nigh unto impossible (I did try it anyhow).
So at level 50 I started over to see the difference, much easier, I've yet to exit the mainland on the boat.
Not sure I like the "added personal questlines" seems an attempt to be like Zenny Max's ESO (Elder Scrolls Online) which I looked at but said "wait let me check the reviews" good idea apparently. It's quite hated by most people they buy it and wonder why. Well I digress but that's how the "personal questline" thing comes across "pay more money for what should be part of the story". ESO copy cat work? (ESO = Elder Scrolls Online)
Considering how the current head of development at Squenix hates the FF series  it's no surprise that it's kept devolving (why make something you hate good?) Was very outspoke when FF13-2 came out (quite frankly with 13 it's not a surprise he seemed to be trying to kill the franchise).
So yeah it's not great but it's not terrible parts of the story are down right good. Especially the parts that aren't the main questline (for some reason).

Cyb

4

General Discussion / Re: Kickstarting Final Fantasy X Modding

« on: 2017-11-07 23:48:01 »

Hey Good too see people beating on old games, I started with an FF10 save game and well a decade ago I got busy. Really busy. So now I have a bit of time and I want to finish some things.

Enough about that:

• Good fortune I wish you well on your endeavor, the main thing is you aren't just doing it for everyone else, you are doing it because you want to.
• The next thing to remember some of the "old" folks might be able to help you (doubtful but hey you never know).
• Most importantly have fun with what you are doing, if you aren't enjoying yourself and feel obligated or discouraged because someone else said "don't" bother remember item 1. LOL

So the VBF file, if you know it's format and structure you likely can slice and dice it affectively. IE you can modify the file with wild abandon if you have a good idea of the format. However before wacking it to bits some things to consider:

• Make a copy
• see the first suggestion.
• Work on the copy not the original, you can rename files at no FS penalty (IE rename the original to *.VBF.org or something) then rename the copy to *.VBF).
• You want to make a tool for editing the VBF (as opposed to rebuilding it) that's my suggesttion a High Level method to start with.

Knowing the VBF structure etc. a simplified program to do the editing is probably necessary.
So lets say you wish to change X in the structure of the file X is substructure Y and part of Z which is a subsection of A.
The first thing your tool should check is 1 is it larger than the original X and if so does it change the VBF structure.
Depending on the VBF structure (IE it has clusters of file pointers internal to it, that's how I would do it anyhow) you may be able to just change the internal pointer and append data to the end of the VBF.
Anyhow that's all for now. I worked on an ISO generating tool a few years (centuries) back for UDF and ISO9660 format. That was, annoying but that's not your problem (it WAS mine). So your tool needs to treat what you call a FILE and a VFS (Virtual File System) and monkey with as necessary to change it to function. Depending on how FF10 loads data from the GIANT file (hey I should have that on my PS3 ... hmmm no must finish other problems, I mean projects).

Good fortune and enjoy!

Cyb

5

Team Avalanche / Re: Gallery Proposal

« on: 2016-01-31 19:47:21 »

Don't say that.  I've been working on a project for over 6 years now.  I'd hate to think that's been a waste of time.

Nothing is a waste of time. It is only a waste of time if you learn nothing in it.
I still have all my "stuff" from back when I had made a plugin system to edit PS1 game saves (lots of fun that).
I found ways of reverse engineering CRC's from save game data. (Which someone else had a nice article on I found a year later).
So nothing is a waste. Just depends on how you look at it.

As for the SE remake. I am very dubious with how they are right now that they can even come close to making a remake let alone a decent one. I say this having looked at the "stuff" they've made the last decade as getting worse as they moved along. It's sad because Square and Enix were great companies and made great games in themselves.

The source for the original game won't help much either. Not sure I would use that (save use the original concept and over all control of how things were made and done).

Their are many ways to do things. Many worse than others. LOL

Cyb

6

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: Bugfixes and Queries

« on: 2015-12-26 15:36:09 »

The frame limiter is fixed - it will give a perfect 30 (or 60 in battle) recording or otherwise.  The scroll, like at Wallmarket is also now great.  And it should be v easy to export this to Steam and to all other problem areas.


 

This is how you fix it:

Code: [Select]

StartQpc:= currentqpc;
DeltaQPC := StartQPC - LastQPC;

While (Deltaqpc + CurrentQPC) - startqpc < clocktarget do
begin
// do nothing.  Effectively suspend play.
end;

LastQPC:= CurrentQPC;
The delta time was not being correctly factored in with the old process.  Clocktarget is the number of Qpc ticks a second * 30, for field.  It's saved at cff890.

I have to ask (LOL) why isn't it using the Vsync event at all?
Swaping rendered buffers is what it is for. I'm pretty sure the PS1 version does that (I could be wrong though).
That would make it asynchronous. What they are doing is consuming lots of time with looping (software timing is very poor in accuracy). And trying synchronise timing.
Most of the time you create threads that handle different sets of event processing on the PC however it may have been old enough for the PC microsoft hadn't implemented threads (win32 / win95-98 era?).
Anyhow I digress, congratulations. Remember Square I don't believe did the porting and according to halkun they didn't have the released PS1 code as their base for the port.
Many of the PC bugs didn't exist in the PS1 (likely because on the PS1 they would have used the vsync event by setting a bit in an ISR then having an event loop check it and swap the frame buffer viewed and do the next image of the frame). Swaping the buffer frame likely would take micro seconds durring the vsync interval.

Unfortunately I doubt you can do this with how the constructed the PC version of the game without some major adjustment to the original code.

Cyb

7

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: Chrono Cross

« on: 2015-12-26 15:12:27 »

<snip image>

It looks like the you have an area layout their.

are you trying to enhance CC or what?

I can't remember is that fort draconis? It's been 10 years (LOL) since I have played the game.
Someone else was looking for that (probably you) heh.

I had something to edit the save files eons ago however it's been at least a decade since then (LOL).

Cyb

8

Team Avalanche / Re: I guess that's it, guys

« on: 2015-08-10 22:07:41 »

The UT4 engine is available for free for a non-commercial use and also there are many games which will use this engine, so it is only a matter of time when tools are ready to modify the game.

As much as I would like to see this project finished, we don't have the personal resources nor the amount of time it would take to finish. With the announcement of the remake we have even a deadline and the worst thing a graphical reference which will lets look this project amateurish (I know that it isn't, but tell this the people who have never played the first release and are now trolling through the internet).

Their is Qgears which uses Ogre3d and a straight forward self engine. Actually people have tested stuff from TA in Qgears.
It's moving steadily along as far as I can see.
The big difference is Qgears does not limit you to just the original format. It imports it into Qgears.

Cyb

9

Team Avalanche / Re: I guess that's it, guys

« on: 2015-08-09 18:03:40 »

But maybe it will be easier to mod the New to the Old game back?

I think you are under estimating how much time it will take for doing that. Essentially you would have to:

• know the new content format
• know what needs converted
• can create packages the new engine will accepted

The remake is likely to be 3d and a completely different engine, specifically it will be a LICENSED engine. This means encryption or content protection. So knowing the format is inadequate because it's scrambled and the key is burried in the executable and that is standard crypto key which means you won't be able to extract it without extraordinary means.

Now the brutal reality is, this is the same as starting the project over in terms of effort.
Cyb

10

Team Avalanche / Re: I guess that's it, guys

« on: 2015-08-09 03:49:00 »

I'll try to keep it mostly in retro spect with TA work.
What you are making is for the OLD FF7 not the remake, if the remake is not the same game.
I see no reason too stop. Especially if they dropped content (how is that a remake then?)
If you want to stop that's a different reason.

Cyb

11

Q-Gears / Re: How about moving to UNREAL 4.X?

« on: 2015-03-27 02:20:36 »

Thanks, its now a problem of rotation

The FF7 models always had some crazy rotation scheme I think the wiki has some details on it not positive. The issue is with the bone order I believe you MUST follow it in order to get the model right. Animations consist of delta compressed data (spiro cracked that). Anyhow I believe one of the first animations is actually just the rotation to pose the character normally based on the bone lengths. The issue with the bone lengths has something to do with the direction of rotation. I believe both the models in battle and field are about the same in how they work.
Did Akari have some of the animations working with the cloud field model?

Cyb

12

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: Cloud's Model Height In Memory

« on: 2014-10-11 19:11:28 »

Would it not make more sense to add models of the proper scale? I don't recall any of the 1:35 solder model thing actually having an object associated with it in terms of models.
The other thing is that it would have been SOLDIER as in the organization not as in army member correct?
If I remember correctly each of the "clones" in the game were given numbers as members of soldier.
I believe Zack was a member Cloud didn't have a number (he's a free man?) and the others had different numbers (my guess why the #'s etc).
I can't remember of any hints other than that. How many clone #'s were their in the game? I know they gathered too Sephiroth.

Cyb

13

Team Avalanche / Re: [HD Remake] WIP Sector 5 slums

« on: 2014-09-19 02:16:58 »

I already had it on the computer and it made uploading it to youtube fairly simple.

Interesting how the guraud shading and wot not, still looks good after ... 17 years!
heh.

@Mayo Master nice stuff.

Tis been a while, doing too much work stuff sadly.

Cyb

14

Team Avalanche / Re: [HD Remake] WIP Sector 5 slums

« on: 2014-05-24 14:49:52 »

Bonsai part 2!

<IMAGE REMOVED TO not be redundant>

This time, instead of making the bonsai manually, I used Blender's plugin called "Sapling". The plugin generates parametric trees. I think the results are pretty awesome, it's very simple and quick to use, and one can achieve a large variety of results. I don't think I'll make trees manually branch by branch, ever again (it took me 4-5 days to make the previous bonsai, and barely more than an hour fiddling with the settings to make the second one).
Well... the scene is almost done, actually. Yay 

Bit late but LOL that is funny. Now you might be wondering why I would say that. When I was actively using POV (back 10 years ago) I did the exact same thing. I first made a pine tree by "hand" actually I used a random perturbation calculation along a spiral for each "branch" and scaled the branches (you may now wake up). However this was tedious (even too me) so I found a fractal tree maker that did the same thing in POV by a function call.
The nice thing about parametric tree creation is you can add a bit of randomness for each tree you create so they all look just a bit different.
The down side is the object data explodes. However you are rendering to 2d so the amount of data is all the same (LOL).
Congrats you aren't the only one who has done this (IE don't feel bad).

Update!

So... I've mostly worked on trying to make a compatibility of environments between mds5_w and mds5_1, and it's pretty much figured out. I initially tried to piece the walls of the bus together using what I originally made for mds5_w, but I wasn't happy of the result (among other things, the topology was really messy). So I decided to take the basic dimensions of the bus and remake it from scratch - which took a bit of time. I'm just done with the body of the bus (not textured), and I wanted to share that with you.
<IMAGE removed for redundancy sake>

Oi looks good.

begin brain ramble
With all these details it would be interesting to see it in a preview like one would in Oblivion/Fallout3/NewVegas/Skyrim. Granted that is only partially possible (I did say partially). As you can only insert data into those systems programatically that preexists in the data base for the game. You would also have issues with Vista information for the area (what does the surounding area of midgaard look like relative to sector 5 slums giant pizza in the sky?). Lots of technical difficulties with doing such things.
end brain ramble

I've never been able to "get into" using blender sadly because I learned to make models programmatically (IE snythesize everything instead of using and making chunks of image data to paste on things). It only has certain advantages (for example the models in FF7 look pretty good irregardless the resolution they are displayed at for a similar reason), in that it is far more scalable. It is quite a bit more work for simple results however (LOL). Hence likely it was not a popular method in the end to do things.

Back to the image at hand, you know I never really paid attention to what the bus looked like in game. I've played through it a few times too. Hmmm my guess is the details weren't enough for me to "care". I tend to focus on something that has any detail in games when viewing.

Cyb

15

General Discussion / Re: FFXIII: Cloud With Tits Comes Back When No-one Asked Her Too.

« on: 2014-02-06 22:02:19 »

Turn based combat has been what exactly? Press X, press X, press down, press x, press down, press x, wait, wait, wait, repeat. See how you can make any form of combat look bad? X13-3 combat is more akin to Tales of or even more accurate, Breath of Fire 5 combat than to traditional Final Fantasty. Does that mean it's bad? If you're a narrow minded person, of course it does.

This was your regularly scheduled sh*t-on-your-opinion post by Kuugen.

Change is fine the problem is change for the sake of change is not.
Most people don't like change or ocassional change is OK. I prefer to have order which is change that's organized and not chaotic.
FF10 was pretty fun (hint fun).
FF9 was OK (short but fun)
FF8 a bit strange but fun
FF7 darn fun
FF6 definately fun
FF5 definately fun
FF4 hmmm strange fun ?

FF12 damn fun but kind of strangely difficult (I don't read the cheat things so it can be really challenging if you screw something up) that weird beach full of chests for example (sigh).

FF13 the first was fun a bit too much like Xenosaga Episode 1 with all the darned cut scenes though.

Cyb - as I said it's an opinion just like you expressed

16

General Discussion / Re: FFXIII: Cloud With Tits Comes Back When No-one Asked Her Too.

« on: 2014-02-06 03:33:59 »

The First in the series I liked (FFXIII) however the second was pretty bad and I'm disspointed that it's gettng worse.

The originator for 13 seemed like a bit too much of a "I'm too good" attitude. HE apparently doesn't like the FF series. I guess this is his way to ruin it further. Square has been going down hill not because they don't have talented people, it's because of doing it for money. Sadly the best software I've seen was always made because of a passion to make the game/ program/ whatever. Not because you can make a buck.

Although the series "looks" good on the surface it suffered from a lot of silly design mistakes that are mostly from unpolished thinking.
FFXII is a much better game in fact they would have been wiser to expand on what FFXII was then to do what they did in 13 (which started OK and went stupid).

Let me see Star Ocean prequal was OK Dungeon Seige 3 ehh I think the problem Ive been having is that Bethesda softworks ES series is no FAR better quality games than anything square has put out in RPGs for the last 10 years. A real shame since Square USE to be decent.

(of course bethesday DOOM was weird admittedly)

Anyhow just my opinion.

PS as a character Lightening in the first of the series was actually one of the best next too Vinille. Unfortunately I suspect the game quality is so bad because the writters and people directing it are bad not the people making the actual game (ahem). Bethesda's games are still VERY open yet have a defined story line so what's up with Square? Can't they do the same? Heck you can make your char be most anything and yet still manage to be part of the story line that's what RPGs are about right? Having fun with the story not feeling beat up by some sadistic narcisistic directors 'ideas"

Cyb

17

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: FF8 Script OpCodes

« on: 2014-01-26 16:55:59 »

Yup! I'm an idiot...

Oh well, we can always look forward to me asking again in another three years or so...

Well halkun the best thing about this is, it keeps us ALL humble cause we all do it. Of course I forget the first thing that goes as you get older ...

I'm probably one of a few people who actually STILL have tag lines on USENET and EMAIL hehehe.  My current one says this:

Please be advised what was said may be absolutely wrong, and hereby this disclaimer follows.  I reserve the right to be wrong and admit I was wrong in front of the entire world. It won't be the first or the last in all likelyness.

For you I guess it should say  "I reserve the right to forget ..." it won't be the uh... what was I talking about?"

Regarding Opcodes COOL!

Thanks for anything one contributes. I keep forgetting to fire up PCSX (cause I run Linux and PCSX has some really old linux code in it sadly).

Cyb

18

Team Avalanche / Re: [HD Remake] Midgar sewers

« on: 2013-10-18 23:19:09 »

Small update on my part: after quite a lot of tinkering, my fluid simulation is done. Yay! The damn thing needed max resolution and 1500 frames to calculate!
So I'll start the renders in a bit, I'll update that as they're done. They're going to take ages, since I'll need a huge amount of samples for a 2560 x 2080 picture 

LOL I remember my ray tracing experimentation and waiting a week just to see the output. Resolution was much lower, and these days I have 4-cores so the render happens a LOT faster.  Still a few days sounds about right. OpenCL implementations make it easier to do a pipelined method of tracing and rendering, unfortunately I'm not sure blender has support for OpenCL in windows or linux.

Cyb

Cyb

19

Q-Gears / Re: Current state.

« on: 2013-10-16 00:06:37 »

oh by no means would I get rid of that formats, I adjust them as I see appropriate and migrate them to Ogre::Resource etc as needed
easy human readable formats are a good choice for q-gears native format, the easier for content creators the better
my ultimate goal for resource files would be to have them all load / fill the same Resource(s) just by different serializers so that the export utilities
would simply import a resource with a game native serializer and export with the q-gears native one

One thing I always wanted to add was voice synthesis for the conversations. Not because it would sound good but because it would

• be a challenge
• allow me to work on voice stressing based on the context (hints given by interpreting the script a bit perhaps?)
• Might end up actually being useful for other games

I am not thrilled with so many games voice acted in fact I've found it annoying of late. It seems to have watered down the dialog in games immensly and really ruined the fun of moding games a lot. Adding new voices is difficult in that not many people can voice act (it is indeed an art). Most people sound ... terrible (not that thier voice sounds bad but it's difficult to have continuity and requires a lot of patience and skill to focus on the words correctly).
So my thinking was "perhaps game script hinting and context sensitive processing would help". Information from the game itself can alter tone pitch etc.

I would love to add other things such as new control inputs that translate into the game functionality (IE not just make the normal inputs but have a proper result in the game). Granted the turn base combat in FF7 can't make much use of something like the kinex however mousing through the menus might be interesting for example.

Just my thoughts ... and seriously that is something "I" consider fun working on

Cyb

20

Team Avalanche / Re: Sharing / Donating Resources - models, textures, audio

« on: 2013-10-02 01:55:57 »

The screen shots from are taken in-game from Fallout 3.

I had heard at some point you guys were going to make your own version as I assume copy written material shinagins. That and making as much as possible by the community.

Granted it's been a while since you posted this.

The fallout 3 engine (GECK) I guess is a bit 'outdated' (mostly being unsupported) however you may find this of .. interest. It's not too disimiliar an idea from QGears (just based on Morrowind's data set).

Anywho my main interest was to work with whoever was interested in animating the train part. Although it was my baby and modellers envy probably has its part to play, I know the community will do it justice and that was one of my main reasons for releasing it. My main reason was to have some motivation to get into animation again and help give more to this project.

How did you plan on handling the animation? My self I would prefer parametric based animation (IE different elements operate relative to their motive input stimulus), In this case you have numerous elements (locomotive with active drive wheels cars with passive / rolling stock wheels). That of course is just getting the train too stop (LOL). Anyhow I remember people were working on it.
I think the problem these days is RL is grossly interfering with people doing anything.
Anyhow glad you've not given up hope on seeing "projects" through. Heck I still work on stuff I started (it seems eons) a while ago.

Cyb

21

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: (FF7) Randomness Version Difference: Bug or Feature?

« on: 2013-09-23 21:19:13 »

I've never seen the code in the PSX version regarding the mini-games. Indeed, I've seen very little based on ANY mechanics of the PSX game...

Well I am a bit more familiar with it since I spoke with individuals who were playing with the PS1 code on emulators with debuggers and decompilers. (ahem) They seem to think the code had some definate differences and that the PS1 release had significant engine polishing (IE functionally improved) in the PS1 version.

halkun related a story to this I believe it may be in the archives, that the PC version was developed from an inferior version because Square had not the policy to properly archive released code as it were and the version they sent to get ported (Ahem) was an inferior version of the Japanese initial release.
This is nothing new as such things do happen. Square fixed this on future projects by initiating a more stringent policy on code and data. The video I believe suffered a similiar fate I suspect as well. I do believe the ORIGNAL video was rendered in a higher quality and decimated for the PS1 this did mean the PC had better quality video BUT they did some things caused by  PC software limitations (heh).


Cyb

22

Team Avalanche / Re: [HD Remake] Midgar sewers

« on: 2013-09-23 21:07:40 »

About 4K displays, it is extremely unlikely they will be the norm.

I had a long diatribe typed up regarding this but let me clue you in 4K is a lie.
What I mean is it is just yet another thing you don't need. In fact you can't even use 4K 2560 is actually at the resolution limits of the physical eye. You might see a LITTLE bit more on a 4K monitor IF you are younger than 20 years old and you are 1 out of 10 people with REALLY GOOD eyesight.  If you are starting to understand what I am saying, you will also have to realizes that 4K also requires a detailed analyisis and video editing to make the video actually visually discernable at that resolution (meaning they have to play with spectral and lumanance output very carefully to force your eyes to actually see ANY DIFFERENCE).

That's the truth, others will tell you something else however it is only because they want to SELL SOMETHING. Much like the forced move in the US to HD had nothing to do with actually seeing anything better (really the broadcast bands were being adjusted to sell bandwidth of existing TV stations for CELL phone usage MONEY in other words was the motive). Same goes with 4K it's purely someone wanting to make more money off of ... you.

If you are truely curious hit wikipedia and look at the information regarding the human eye. In particular look at the eyes response to spectra and intensity. The eye is really an interesting device, it has spectra sensitivity shifts depending on relative brightness, this also affects what resolution you see things at (which also turns into yet another non linearity aspect in your eye). Gamma adjustments on monitors exist for numerous reasons (your eyes non linear response to lumanance and the spectra shift issue I just mentioned for example).

Cyb

23

Scripting and Reverse Engineering / Re: (FF7) Randomness Version Difference: Bug or Feature?

« on: 2013-09-22 15:02:59 »

In the PC version, the 'random' offsets to the Random Number Lookup Table (RNLUT) increment even while the game is paused.

A random byte is accessed in this way at sub_5C8BA1 (decompiler output):

Code: [Select]

{
  return b_RNLUT[byte_C06740[dword_C06738]++];
}
The c06740 and c06738 offsets increment in a simple way which attempts to point to a random number each time.

However, in the PSX version the offsets are frozen when the game is paused.

It turns out that both implementations can be abused (only useful in a TAS).

So, the mechanics were changed to have the randomness always running in-battle, even when paused, was this change intentional?

I don't know why they would make this change. I haven't seen any problem with the in-battle randomness in the PSX version.

Our local historian "halkun" probably would answer this as "the PS1 version is actually a more recent revision". I beleive the PC was derived from an older set of FF7 code (and data) because of "internal screw up" stuff going on at Square.

That being said thier are bugs in the PC version that don't exist in the PS1 version as a consequence (shock).

Anyhow that is more likely a reason for this too be the case. It does mean the source is different between PC and PS1 game systems and not just at the low level part (IE display system and IO).

Cyb

24

Team Avalanche / Re: [HD Remake] Midgar sewers

« on: 2013-09-22 14:58:19 »

4k, 8k? The file size will be immense 1080p is good enough imo

I think you might be a bit confused. The rendering image resolution is different than the background bitmap resolution. None of the backgrounds are 320x216 for example but instead might be 512x272. The background consists of tile sets and the background is generated by using these tiles to make up the background layers (on the Ps1 it was done in real time as  the screen panned) The actual screen was 1 block (16pixels) wider both vertically and horizontally to allow the tiles to be added on the edges I believe (I could be wrong however).

Anyhow the actual resolution they are talking about is the background resolution not the screen resolution. Of course that affects how 'good' it looks on the screen in the end.

Anyhow I could be wrong but I think that is what they are talking about.

Cyb

25

General Discussion / Re: Final Fantasy VII - The Web Series Shutting Down

« on: 2013-09-14 13:38:58 »

Wait wait wait wait....

These guys decided to do a kickstarter for an IP they didn't own, and then are shocked when SquareEnix shuts them down? This is almost laughable!

"This was going to be non-profit!"
Really? Because it looks like you are collecting money on IP you don't own. Where was all that money going to go? To magical faeries in the sky? Oh, you were going to buy things like cameras and equipment for yourself? Yea, not gonna be happening.

"SquareEnix didn't even talk to us!"
Did you hire a lawyer? Did you even have one on retainer? You are talking about intellectual property that costs hundreds of millions of dollars. I don't even think they would even consider licensing it to you for less that 7 digits. I'm pretty sure they look one look at you, realized you would never be able to afford any licensing agreements, and shut you down.

"We just wanted permission"
From who? The "Permission Guy"? The CEO? You think there's some dude sitting in an office who's all like "Na, you're cool dude! Let my just send this email up to management and we can CC the shareholders to let them know we just let "some guy on the internet" do whatever he wants with our stuff.

This is really no different than that dumb World of Pokemon kickstarter that someone tried to pull. I'm sure Nintendo would of been thrilled to see 30K made off of their IP with absolutely no oversight.

=== EDIT ===
Oh God, they were asking for $400,000! That's nuclear-powered dumb.

=== EDIT EDIT ===
They were halfway there and started selling merchandise? *facepalm*

If you want to know square's side of the story.. See the following video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZGra65Nob4

Well that is the problem with 'crowdfunding' people have 'dreams' sometimes those dreams have nothing to do with what they are talking about.  Now I ordered one of these that was crowd funded, however that was a legit company needing money to make thier idea available to engineers.

What I've seen is "people wanting money to get money" and maybe do development. Ahem. I prefer to invest my time into something first then consider money.

Kickstarter and the like may wish to have some standards I guess. I got worried when a guy in one group was talking about "self charging" batteries and crowd funding the developement costs.

Cyb