Author Topic: FF7 menu-problem (Read 15980 times)

Mecca · « **on:** 2002-11-29 12:12:13 »

Dunno if it's just me but when I try to open up the menu the game locks up.
I'm running win2k and I have a Voodoo 3 card.

KayDawg · « **Reply #1 on:** 2003-02-27 08:33:24 »

EXACT same problem here, I also have a Voodoo 3 and am running Windows 2k!

Have you figured out a solution by now? Or does anyone else know? :{

Threesixty · « **Reply #2 on:** 2003-02-27 14:54:00 »

Do you really want to hear my response? :love:

Get a Geforce....

Goku7 · « **Reply #3 on:** 2003-02-27 16:00:24 »

I have a driver set that works 100% with FF7.

What's going on, is that there's been some timing issue that developed after the 3Dfx 1.03 driver set, causing it to lock up. The set I have that works, was the 1.03 3Dfx driver set that came on the CD that I got with the card.

I have the set in its entire-ty contained in a zip file. Size is about 5.06MB.

Oh, and these are the Win9x compatible version.

-Edit-

Aw, nuts, I didn't notice that you said you're running win2k. I don't know if these drivers will work with Win2k, as they are designed for Win9x.

However, I can give you the driver creation date, and you may be able to find a similar set for Win2k based on that date, because the key is that the drivers from that particular era just plain work.

Ok, the timestamps on these, will range from 7/13/1999 to 9/1/1999. Best place to look for drivers like this is Voodoofiles.com/, as they have this incredibly massive 3Dfx driver index/archive/database.

KayDawg · « **Reply #4 on:** 2003-02-27 17:04:24 »

thanks

but win2k is VERY picky on drivers w/voodoo 3's..

I seriously think it's time for a new video card

Also if I install old ass drivers, then the rest of my stuff will give me problems. Do you know if there's a way to do some sort of "wrapper" thing that lets you use the drivers JUST for FF7?(ie: putting them in the same directory or something)

Goku7 · « **Reply #5 on:** 2003-02-27 21:37:03 »

Here's the thing. At this point, NO 3Dfx driver I've used has EVER passed the D3D8.1 interface test, so you can pretty much say all drivers, new and old, are DX7 at best. Including this one. I've had this one work with nearly ALL my DX7 (and some DX8 games, occasionally) games.

What may be a good idea is to dual-boot Win2k and Win98SE, using Win98SE for FF7 will both allow you to play the game with a minimum of fuss (Chocobo Races work right out of the box, etc...), and the driver you install for Win98SE will not affect the drivers used, or the DirectX version installed, for Win2k. All you'd need to do is reboot into Win98SE for FF7, then just use Win2k for everything else.

Although, I have recently found that the 3DHQ 1.09Beta7 driver set will pass the D3D9 interface test but still fail the D3D8.1 test; but I'm running into problems in which FF7's not accessing DirectShow correctly with hardware acceleration (I think the Truemotion Codec somehow got uninstalled...), resulting in the game just hanging in a black screen but the audio still plays back, which basically means that I haven't got around to seeing if the 3DHQ Beta7 drivers exhibit the in-battle hanging problem you've described.

Aaron · « **Reply #6 on:** 2003-02-27 21:40:51 »

Of course, it may be just an easier solution to buy a GeForce2 or GeForce4 MX to play FF7 with, since it'll work fine in Win2K.

Goku7 · « **Reply #7 on:** 2003-02-27 21:42:35 »

But, I thought that even with the 1.2 patch, Geforce+FF7=Glitches that interfere with gameplay?

Aaron · « **Reply #8 on:** 2003-02-27 21:49:29 »

Hmm? The only glitch I'm aware of is that one of the Odin summon sequences and the "Exit" spell are a little messed up. Neither of these really interferes with gameplay. 'course there's the Chocobo 2000 bug, (haha, "Chocobo 2000 Bug," I like that

) but we've got a fix for that...

If your GeForce is too new (3, 4TI) then you have disable 8-bit Palleted Textures (Rivatuner) or you'll have some whacky text in FF7, too.

[Edit] I suppose you may be able to find some ATI card that works with FF7 that doesn't have these glitches, but I think on most recent ATI cards you have to enable the TNT fix, and that it what causes these glitches in the first place, so they will still be there.

KayDawg · « **Reply #9 on:** 2003-02-27 21:53:45 »

what a CRAPPY game!
hah i've never heard of such a bad port :}

hehe thanks for all the help guys. I'll figure something out

Aaron · « **Reply #10 on:** 2003-02-27 21:55:06 »

It's a bad port... but it's a good game

KayDawg · « **Reply #11 on:** 2003-02-28 02:37:40 »

I know :}

Mofokubik · « **Reply #12 on:** 2003-02-28 03:15:20 »

JEES, all these problems with video cards and trying to get ati cards to use antialiasing, and people trying to make the grafx better, and the music more authentic...whats the point?
why dont you just get the psx version, and run it on an emulator for computer, then you will have the most authentic sound and music, plus you can make the grafx better than if they were on computer, cause you can raise the resolution to whatever you want, add antialiasing, and filter textures, and also filter 2d textures, so, whats the point of tring to make a port better....

and its a good game anyways, my favorite of the ff series

..like a fox

Aaron · « **Reply #13 on:** 2003-02-28 03:45:57 »

Most people didn't think of that when they were buying the PC version

Anyway, mine works great, I've got excellent music, great graphics, and something the PSX version doesn't have...
...HI-RES FONT and CHARACTER PORTRAITS

KayDawg · « **Reply #14 on:** 2003-02-28 05:47:06 »

perhaps so dude..what emu you reccomend? (those of u w/first hand experience)

Rubicant · « **Reply #15 on:** 2003-02-28 12:09:15 »

ePSXe is probably your best bet. I played Chrono Cross, FFT, FF8, FF9, and several other countless games on that emulator with pretty much no problems. With the correct use of the plug-ins that people work so hardon, you'll get nice and smooth gameplay for your favorite PS1 games.

In the light you will find the road.

Aaron · « **Reply #16 on:** 2003-02-28 12:22:31 »

I'd say ePSXe is by far the best PSX emulator around. I've played and completed FF9 and Chocobo Racing on it, and I'm in the process of playing Chrono Cross, and I've also tried FF7 and FF8 and they worked fine.

Just a matter of setting it up correctly.

KayDawg · « **Reply #17 on:** 2003-02-28 13:49:12 »

thanks guys :}
i'll check it out

aww..I'm a cool newbie

Mofokubik · « **Reply #18 on:** 2003-02-28 20:23:56 »

expse is really good, but you have to have the right plugins....
vgs i think prolly has the best compatablility, and there is a patch for it that will make it hi res, but no texture filters...i think

KayDawg · « **Reply #19 on:** 2003-02-28 22:05:11 »

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!

This emulator must have been made by the Gods...it's absolutely amazing!
I just tested it w/Soul Reaver..now I needa go out and get FF VII

Thanks for all your help guys. I love each and everyone of you :}

Lord Kane · « **Reply #20 on:** 2003-03-01 00:15:01 »

>now I needa go out and get FF VII

If/when you do, please take a trip to my site for a guide to setting it up, rather than getting in a tiswas about it. I really get annoyed when the same questions appear again and again and again....

Goku7 · « **Reply #21 on:** 2003-03-01 00:26:50 »

Quote from: Mofokubik

JEES, all these problems with video cards and trying to get ati cards to use antialiasing, and people trying to make the grafx better, and the music more authentic...whats the point?
why dont you just get the psx version, and run it on an emulator for computer, then you will have the most authentic sound and music, plus you can make the grafx better than if they were on computer, cause you can raise the resolution to whatever you want, add antialiasing, and filter textures, and also filter 2d textures, so, whats the point of tring to make a port better....

Even with the resolution running at the exaggerated setting of 1600x1200x32bit color, there's still one thing missing.....the lack Perspective Correction, which is the another one of the big benefits that the PC version has, even if it's limited to 640x480. As a result, even after adding in all the texture filtering in the world, you'll still get a moderate amount of "texture crawling" going on.

The whole reason for this, Mofokubik, is because the PSX's 3D hardware does not have a true Z-Buffer function, plus the system handles 3D in a way in which we really can't isolate which data should be sent to the Z-Buffer, so even with hardware that has one (which is practically every single 3D card around). Without a Z-Buffer, you can't get Perspective Correct, and more importantly, you can't use Anisotrophic Filtering on the display, either.

Lord Kane · « **Reply #22 on:** 2003-03-01 13:14:20 »

The PC version has higher quality textures (where they are used) and high res fonts.
The PSX is also lacking in sub-pixel accuracy, which means that when you bup up the res, the characters positions are still worked out in the original PSX res (320x200) making them look juttery. Hence the reason I run in 640x480 w/ FSAA.
Goku7 is right about the lack of perspective correction. Z-Buffers were expensive to implement when the PSX came out. As anistropic filtering needs z-data to work, it will have no erffect in PSX emulation.

Qhimm · « **Reply #23 on:** 2003-03-01 13:35:29 »

By "juttery", I assume you mean their movement. In which case, this is because the PSX works with fixed-point math, meaning any vertex must conform to an application-defined "grid", so to speak -- hence juttering. It is not directly related to the rendering capabilities of the PSX, rather its processing capabilities.

KayDawg · « **Reply #24 on:** 2003-03-01 20:08:59 »

thanks a bunch lord :}
i'll look into it and get back to you

Author Topic: FF7 menu-problem (Read 15980 times)

Mecca