The "XP Patch"

[Seiru]

System specs- Radeon 9500np, with an Athlon 2000+ xp, 512 mb ram, Windows XP

This is mainly about trying to get a stable FF7 going, with the PSF sound package found here.

The current ATI drivers don't support 8-bit palleted textures, so I have to use the Nvidia patch (which removes the requirement for 8-bit p.t.), or a patch based on the Nvidia one.

The main problem with my game is trying to get past the Motorcycle Chase scene in Midgar. Whenever I get to that part, the minigame goes insanely fast, then crashes about 5 seconds later.  This happens with the Nvidia patch, and also with the Chocobo Racing patch.

But, when I use the XP patch (found here), the motorcycle game runs normally, as if I'm playing it on the PSX. And it doesn't crash. The only problem is, FF7Music (the version included in that PSF download) doesn't seem to be able to patch the XP FF7.exe correctly. An FF7Music patched XP version of FF7.exe plays the PSFs correctly, yes, but then it crashes about 5 seconds later.  :isee:

So, I guess my question is...does anyone know how I can fix this problem? I guess I could just play the game with MIDIs...but... -_-

[Rubicant]

Don't even try using ff7music with the xp patch...

[Seiru]

Er...allright.

Do you have another solution?

[Aaron]

Hmm...

... try without the XP patch, and switching to software rendering mode when you get to a minigame that troubles you?

I find it particularly interesting that the motorcycle race does not run too fast with the XP patch.  When you were using the XP patch, are you sure Direct3D rendering was enabled?  According to this, the XP patch shouldn't fix much, but if you were using software rendering while using the XP patch that would explain everything.

If indeed the minigames run at the right speed in Direct3D rendering with this XP patch, maybe we should try to figure out why and produce our own mini-game speed fix patch......

[Rubicant]

My best bet that he would have been running it in software. I'm still convinced that the only way to slow down the minigames is through underclocking.

[Seiru]

Rubicant-Try the XP patch yourself, it fixes the minigame speed.

EDIT: Er...nevermind...it was on software rendering.  

But the XP patch does fix the crashing problem I was having.

[Aaron]

I'm still curious.  If you're not using the XP patch, and you are in software rendering mode, do the minigames still crash?

[Seiru]

Well, I was saying that in Direct3D they don't crash when I'm using XP. So it just goes really fast, without crashing.

But to answer your question, no, it doesn't crash.

[Seiru]

Anyway, I think I figured it out. That PSF version of FF7Music does something to software rendering mode when you patch FF7.exe. If you try it, I think you'll find it crashes within a few seconds of loading a game.

[Rubicant]

I forget. Aaron, isn't ff7music version 1.05 included in that package? That may have something to do with that. Or not. AFAIR the xp patch will not even work when the ff7music cetra patch is on ff7. Even with adaptive patching. But ff7 1.02 doesn't even work for me in winxp...haha. So I can't even test it oot. *kisses win98 cd, then proceeds to a gruesome makeout scene, which was also seen in FFX*. But I'd better find a way to make it work if I will be a worthy help source.

Keep blushing, Seiru. I know what I'm talking about.

[Aaron]

Yeah, FF7Music 1.05 is in that package.  If you think we should use 1.10 instead, then we could upgrade it.

The FF7Music patch is only supposed to work on the 1.02 english version of FF7.EXE.  That's what it was designed for and that's what it was tested with.  And mine runs fine under WinXP so I'm happy