Tweak ff7 storyline for Zack as main character. (Opening Movie Link ADDED!)

[Furzball]

I've seen some of the edits done on this site and been a fan of final fantasy seven for years. I've tried once or twice before on different little mods but mostly for fun and not going after big projects. I would like to take on trying to edit the game as much as possible to make Zack the main character of FF7.

My main deal is that I'll be editing the dialogue. Since I've played with different character replacements and made various dialogue patches. I would be willing to share those except I blew out that laptop to give to my cousin for xmas.

Anyways starting from scratch again so downloading editing programs, plus blender to make 3d edits. In later versions I may end up using blender and a few other programs to patch movies to make zack appear (probably using whatever skin resource I can get from crisis core zack).

So who would be willing to contribute previous mods for more editing, help with new fixes, make suggestions, do a certain portion of the dialogue, help create script, etc.?

Edit: either have him as main or replacing another character would be interesting.

Edit: Opening Movie Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqZDP9vf2Q4

[Furzball]

Alright, taken a break from working on text portion. Currently using any mad movie skills I have to edit the movies.

I want to check in to see if
How much of actual events can one block, change, etc. in the game?
Is there any way to add new NPC's in the game.

I'm also trying to figure out certain parts of the story just in case I can't edit the game events too much. Alot of examples is when cloud has his inner voice or fights his subconscious. Example is the scene in the honey bee in when he has his figure walking towards him. Also another story change is the scene where cloud remembers his own story in the lifestream. How am I supposed to explain that!? And Zack's death scene. Unless I somehow edit the text to make it appear he could survive being filled with bullets. Also talking to his parents in gongaga. Lots of little details like that.

How possible is it to add new party members? Not by replacing other ones. I was thinking I could add cloud as an extra just so he isnt completely out of the story. It'd be funny to add angreal just for kicks.

And yes this seems like alot I am saying I'm taking on but I might as well. Just came back from a year in Americorps (domestic peace corps basically) and no job yet so I have plenty of time to work on this.

[Furzball]

Announcement, Opening movie is up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqZDP9vf2Q4
Some messyness and horrible editing just cause all I have to work with is youtube footage and windows movie maker.

[Bluegrass79]

that video is awesome!  you did that whole deal?  Good job         redo all the videos!

[Furzball]

70+ views so far Nothing to be excited about just first youtube video for me.
I'll be redoing the videos that show Cloud to make it Zack instead. Ending movie is going to be a pain though. I may replace some things like the Sephiroth fire background and such.

[Timu Sumisu]

video is okay, i'd suggest swappin the original ff7 title with the tech demo.. if you dont mind the tech demo subtitle... i could ask my friend (much better editor than me) how viable it'd be to mask that and find a way around that part of the title, or to make a custom title and put it over the cc secret ending (i think its just a wide shot of midgar). also, next time cut the video when yer done... i know audio tracks will keep the video goin with black until its done, but you can cut that. As to the ending movie... maybe with a lot of convincing and free time i'd model and animate it fer ye.. but no promises... i'd probably be lazy and only ever change the scenes that you see cloud. at the same time... don't get excited. I'm tight on time

[Furzball]

video is okay, i'd suggest swappin the original ff7 title with the tech demo.. if you dont mind the tech demo subtitle... i could ask my friend (much better editor than me) how viable it'd be to mask that and find a way around that part of the title, or to make a custom title and put it over the cc secret ending (i think its just a wide shot of midgar). also, next time cut the video when yer done... i know audio tracks will keep the video goin with black until its done, but you can cut that. As to the ending movie... maybe with a lot of convincing and free time i'd model and animate it fer ye.. but no promises... i'd probably be lazy and only ever change the scenes that you see cloud. at the same time... don't get excited. I'm tight on time

Excited anyways but non the less I understand if you are unable to come through on it. Just do whatever you feel appropriate.

 Gah I gotta start learning more about digital 3d animation.

yeah, I was trying to fight windows movie maker for the longest time on that music cut. I think I'll use my anime studio next time to try and edit these videos. But yeah, I'll see about doing something with the title. I have all 4 versions of the opening and I took the first clip of aerith from advent children.

Yeah, this current movie is certainly no final product, I just wanted to give people an idea of how awesome the project idea is. Advertise and build excitement.

[Timu Sumisu]

I'd actually take out the praying view... thats really from the death scene. look for an empty (logoless) opening.. not sure if one of em is like that... if so make yer own logo with transperency and overlay the video with it

[Furzball]

yeah, I added that since going from the star scene to looking at aerith from the side felt too much of an angle change. I was trying to go for something similar to seeing her face first since that is how the original started.

Do you have any sample work you can share so I may give suggestions for cutting corners with the modeling work.

[d33eniz]

I would help you! Of course

Do you speak german? So check that out: www.ff7-the-remake.tk

This Remake contains all available Patches and Mods for FF7- I made a german Version- so it won't work with the english one^^

Oh, and are you editing the german version of your FF7 or the english one?


Remember, I could help you

[Timu Sumisu]

what exactly do you mean by sample work? All the modeling you really need to do is to make a zack battle model. if you want to keep it in line iwth the original graphics or beef it up that might change things a slight bit... but its mostly just a headswap of cloud...

[Furzball]

Ok, just meant the movie models. I went and peeked at your posts and found your cloud project but is character modelling all you do? I want to know since some scenes will be more or less difficult if we do them from scratch.

[Timu Sumisu]

i mostly do character modeling, but i could easily do some environments, and i animate as well.. my weakpoint is texturing. anyhow add me on msn n gimme an idea of what you want

[Furzball]

I have yahoo IM through Meebo.com
Check out meebo, it connects the various IM services.

Cool, glad you have the experience to do all that. So as of far you'll help me with the Ending video you said. Also the other videos I was thinking of are the two aerith's death videos. I already have a semi idea to blend Zack into the video of Cloud flying through the lifestream to fright sephiroth. Trying to remember if there were any other videos of cloud that weren't just his map model over a movie.

[NameSpoofer]

cool idea

to replace old ff7 movies you have to do quite a lot things. First you have to copy all movies from your 3 discs to your ff7 folder together with the movie.lgp. Then go to regedit and change the movie path of ff7 to the movie folder.

the first movie i believe is called opening.avi . The game counts frames so your new video will have to match the exact frame of the old one. I remember opening.avi runs 15 frames/second and its length is 1:59. You can always reduce the fps of your video using Super.

[BlitzNCS]

im not sure it counts frames for the first movie, since my custom movie is a few seconds different, and it plays it in its entirity...

[NameSpoofer]

well i dont know about other movies but in the opening movie the game must count frames, because the 2 shinra guards need to appear at the right time

[BlitzNCS]

 
woah, well then i dont know. perhaps you're right. although i didnt think those guards showed up until the movie ended o.O
i really have to replay FF7 ...

[Furzball]

Alright new update,
right now all my work is being poured into fixing the ff7 storyline, character relations, etc. Thing is that I want Yuffie, Aerith, Cissnei, and Tifa all to be in the story. So I may replace tifa's role with cissnei, and barrett with tifa.  Don't know what effect replacing barretts field model with Tifa's. As for cissnei I'm hoping to use all of yuffies characteristics for her battle model

[Timu Sumisu]

videos come to mind with hacks in which there are 3 sephiroths in the party... you could have it so with tifa in cissnei n the party its technically just 2 tifas? i guess.. not sure. dunno if thats any help to you, but good luck. At some point later in feb maybe i can model you a cissnei fer battle.

[Furzball]

Sounds good. Currently working on storyline some more. But yeah, if you could make the head for her battle and field model, I'm planning to use the yuffie body from turks mod.

My main problems are certain scenes with the girls, and that each character specifically has a storyline. Dyne might disappear from the game and be replaced by Barrett. Just to fix a scene. Going to have Tifa Replace Barrett's section of the story.

So as of right now I have character changes ranging from
Cloud turning into Zack
Mako Poisoned guy in slums replaced with Cloud.
Tifa Replaced with Cissnei
Barrett Replaced with Tifa

Aerith and Yuffie have been left alone.

So now love interests include
-Aerith
-Cissnei
-Yuffie
-Tifa (sorta ish)

Tifa will be playing more of a sad heroine part since she has lost Cloud. Don't know if I can bring him back in story or not.

Aerith still dies, poor Zack has to deal with that, but Cissnei will play the role of love after sorrow.

Scene of Cloud and Tifa's past at start of game changes to Adult Zack and Cissnei discussing Zack escaping Shinra Mansion.

Scene of Tifa and Cloud under Highwind will now be Cissnei and Zack.

Zack Starts with Soldier standard blade like at start of Crisis Core, considering that he gave Cloud Buster Sword thinking he was dying.

Trying to fix scenes with Cloud's memories to make since with Zack taking place of Cloud. This is a major toughie.

Lots to do with Playing around with the story. Don't expect this project starting to take shape for the next few months.

[Furzball]

and just got reminded of why we make backups T_T

[NikDK]

Sounds really interresting, but wouldn't it be better to just make your own game XD copy most of the script from SE's Final Fantasy VII and build from scratch there?

[Furzball]

umm... not to be harsh but no are you nuts O_O
A, against copyright unless kept hush hush.
B, want to use the original events basically of ff7.

[NikDK]

Okay, but i would hush hush, if ye did