Qhimm.com Forums
Final Fantasy 7 => General Discussion => Topic started by: zzzplayer on 2025-09-27 10:46:17
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Maehiro, who was part of the original staff, had an interview on Square Enix Blog.
I've included relevant parts about the decisions behind emulation vs reconstructing-source-from-gameplay, the state of original source code, and version differences.
Interview: How we made FINAL FANTASY TACTICS even more of a masterpiece | Square Enix Blog
https://www.square-enix-games.com/en_US/news/final-fantasy-tactics-interview
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About source code and porting
Q: What were your main areas of focus when you started creating this enhanced version of the game?
A:
"Our main focus was to keep everything that was great about the original game intact, but also working to further improve the game to adapt the game to the current era - for example, revamping the controls and UI as well as adding full voice acting to enhance player immersion."
"So, rather than having the game run on an emulator, or produce a remaster or remake, the approach we took was to reinvent FINAL FANTASY TACTICS."
Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced when creating FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles?
A:
"There were a number of major challenges, but all of them stemmed from the fact that the master data and source code from the original game no longer existed."
This isn't to say that they were mishandled or poorly managed or anything like that - keeping that kind of data wasn’t a normal thing to do at the time."
In those days, we didn't have the sort of robust resource-management tools that exist today, and on top of that, the production workflow for the game was such that the Japanese version was produced first, and then we would create localized versions by overwriting the data with that of other languages, including English."
There was also no such thing as online patches or updates, so unless there was any major reason to do something different, once you'd made the game, that was it."
So, I think it's fair to say that developing this game without any master data or source code was the biggest challenge."
Q: How did you solve that problem?
A:
"Put simply: by sheer force (laughs).
We analyzed a number of existing versions of the game and reconstructed the programming of the original, but there were also times where we played the original game and worked it out by feel alone...
The entire process was the result of cumulative hard work - on the one hand working to implement new features, while behind the scenes our work was similar to porting an old arcade game to the NES.
The staff who worked on this game were real lifesavers. I can't thank them enough."
side note:
These quotes about the source code remind me of these previous Qhimm forum threads about how they probably have lost the source code of the original FF VII.
(for those of you who may be new to this community or who may need some refreshers)
Hello New Steam Owners of Final Fantasy 7! Please Read Me!
https://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=14407.0
"In 2012 Square released the game with their own driver and hacked in cloud saves, achievements and such and such. THE ORIGINAL 1998 GAME EXECUTIBLE IS STILL BEING USED. It's just "wrapped" by the new driver and leads us to believe that Square has lost the original PC source code to the game."
"3) Why didn't Square-Enix recompile the game/re-port the game?
Looking at what Square-Enix has done to make the game runnable on newer systems, it almost directly mirrors how we do it. It would appear that they either have lost the original source code, or it's in such a state of atrophy, that it worthless to port."
[FF7 PC] Full source code reversing project?
https://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=16507.0
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About the original vs The War of the Lions version
Q: The original game released on PlayStation 1 - how difficult was it to update the visuals to capture the same feel on much higher definition displays.
A:
"We increased the resolution while keeping the flashy effects to a minimum. We spent a long time tweaking the on-screen effects, and I think that the end product is something that preserves what made the original game so special, while also offering a fresh new take on FINAL FANTASY TACTICS."
Q: "Why did you decide to focus on updating the original FINAL FANTASY TACTICS rather than the War of the Lions version?"
A:
"I and other members of this development team were not directly involved in the War of the Lions, but I do believe that the content in that game did fully meet expectations for players at that time.
However, as we looked back on everything nearly 30 years later, during the creation of this game, we asked ourselves what our team - those who created the original FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - could do to bring this game to a new generation of players.
It was through considering this question that we came to the conclusion that the most appropriate path for us was to pay respect to the original game’s experience and recreate that in the best form possible."
Q: Did you consider adding elements from FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: THE WAR OF THE LIONS like Balthier, Luso and the Onion Knight and Dark Knight jobs?
A:
"We did of course consider the addition of new jobs, abilities, and characters - including the jobs featured in War of the Lions. However, the original version of FINAL FANTASY TACTICS is a very complete game both from a game design and story perspective. If we were to make major changes, it would only be a loss for not only fans of the original game, but also those new to the title.
With this in mind, our first step in reviving FINAL FANTASY TACTICS in the present was to adhere to the original and put a spotlight on the original game’s characters and jobs, as well as the original gameplay experience.
The development team were passionate when it came to bringing an experience as close to the original as we could, and as a result we have recreated and used the original VFX and SFX - something I hope fans of the original in particular will enjoy as they play."
Q: The classic version of FINAL FANTASY TACTICS is also included in The Ivalice Chronicles. It’s very cool, but why did you add this in?
A:
*Author's Note: There are two English translations for FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: the original 1997 PlayStation text and the updated version from The War of the Lions release in 2007. The classic version in The Ivalice Chronicles features the The War of the Lions translation.
"Among fans of the original game, there will be those who believe that the game doesn't need a lot of embellishment. To be honest, I’ve felt this way about a number of remastered titles in the past.
So, there was no doubt in our minds that alongside the enhanced version, which is more in-line with the current era and more accessible to newcomers, we should also include a classic version that is based on the original build of the game.
The classic version isn't just a direct reproduction of the original game, however. We added some quality-of-life features such as autosave and fixed a lot of bugs, allowing players to get the same feel as they did from the original game, but play comfortably on current platforms. Fans of the original game will still be satisfied with the gameplay experience."
side note:
Quote: "Among fans of the original game, there will be those who believe that the game doesn't need a lot of embellishment. To be honest, I’ve felt this way about a number of remastered titles in the past."
I feel the same about this aspect.
I respect the fans of a particular IP have different preferences, but for the sake of history preservation, a classic mode/edition (with improved resolution and quality-of-life features) shall always be included or released separately.
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Q: What are you most proud of when it comes to FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles?
A:
"I think the fact that even now, so many years after the release of the original game, FINAL FANTASY TACTICS is still loved by so many fans is something to be tremendously proud of.
And speaking personally, I'm proud that I was able to work on both the fantastic original game and this one as well."