[FF8PC - Steam] Succession Mod (v.1.0)

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@FatherMcKenzie Thank you for the encouragement!  I hope you enjoy the mod.

Yes, whenever the modding tools are available for the Remaster, I will definitely make a compatible version of both my mods. But at this point, I have no idea how long that will be.
 
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Yo Percival just itching to try this , are your vids on youtube an indication of your progress ? i know i'm gonna love it but i wanna do it all, not stop after a couple of discs,just curious is all waiting patiently :)
 
The videos are only a small sample of the progress I have made. I have already edited, to some extent, EVERY major scene in the game up until the very last scene of disc 2. Unless there is something major I have overlooked, I am considering disc 1 and 2 to be completely finished, at least to the level of a good second draft.

  So far, I have done very little editing of anything beyond disc 2. But I have fairly extensive notes, and a good grasp on the changes I want to implement.

  The only exception to this is the Laguna sequences, which I am currently working on. Once I have finished those, I will continue again with disc 3.

  I don’t currently know how long it will take, but if I want to ensure that the latter half is held to the same standard as the former, I won’t try to rush myself. I wouldn’t expect the mod to be completed earlier than 3 to 4 months from now.
 
By the way, Gunner. I appreciate the enthusiasm!

  Also, to be honest, I was kinda hoping to get some feedback from people who have finished the current version of the mod before I made too much progress toward completion. That would give me the only real opportunity to change any potentially major error someone else might notice before it was too late.

  But I understand that a devoted crew of play-testers is an unreasonable expectation for such a niche mod.
 
Dude 3-4 months ,that's a pretty damn respectable target . hmm i'm open to trying what you have done so far, of course i am.
My only concern is that i have edited alot with tools doomtrain, quezacotl i don't wanna lose that, i know i can back-up. Does your mod over-right the main f.s that doomtrain uses or change something else inside , that would leave my modifications intact so i can play your mod with my game changes
 
Does your mod over-right the main f.s that doomtrain uses or change something else inside , that would leave my modifications intact so i can play your mod with my game changes.
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Nope. It doesn't.

I specifically wanted this mod to only edit the field.fs file. That way it could be as independent as possible from any gameplay mods.
 
ok man anything in particular you want thoughts on?, or should i just run with it an see, eyes an ears open with my notepad? lol
 
Wow!  I really appreciate the enthusiasm!

I assume you would rather not go that far. But if anything stands out to you, typos, poor phrasing, or something that you simply don’t like, go ahead and screenshot it and post it here. If there is anything you particularly love, or anything you think of that might be an improvement, feel free to bring it up, the same way you would for a gameplay mod. But please remember to use the spoiler feature whenever pertinent.

I am mainly hoping that someone will notice if there is anything that I have overlooked, like a major plot hole, a contradiction in the narrative, or a scene that lacks the emotional appeal that it ought to have. (Though I am by no means expecting anyone to do this for me.)

I only ask that you keep in mind that I have worked on this for a long time, and I have thorough reasoning behind most of the decisions I have made. It may be better to avoid most story or character feedback until after you complete disc 2, to make sure that you have proper context.
 
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ok percival understood , i will dive in and let you know ,i agree with doing until disk 2 so i will do that  ;D
 
Hi everyone !!!

I just discovered this mod and i want to try it !!! congratulations.

I have two questions.
Is this mod finished yet ? The readme says it last until disk 2.

And, and more important, is this compatible with the RAGNAROK mod ???

It will be awesome if it is possible to complete the game with the two mods
Thanks.
 
This is absolutely amazing Percival! You're doing gods work lmao... I definitely want to see this story mod come to v1.0+ fruition! Along with the Ragnarok mod, Lunatic Pandora mod pack, and other possible mods added. The "FFVIII remaster" would be closer to perfection. Refining and adding onto the original story is a great idea imo. Worthy of a true remaster.
Once v1.0 comes out in the future (In 2020 i'd assume), you can always go back and fix/change things if needed.
I did watch a few play through videos of the mod, and i noticed some typos, wrong upper/lower cases used, certain words being spelled wrong, etc. but i'm sure you'll fix those eventually. :)
I can't imagine though of how much you've written for the game, must of taken a lot of effort and time! :P
Anyways, just wanted to let you know to keep up the great work and to never feel discouraged! I'm pretty sure there's more people interested in it than you think, because even i didn't want to create a qhimm account just to try and speak my mind about the subject at hand. But here i am, creating an account just to let you know how i personally feel about what you're trying to accomplish for FFVIII. I'll be silently keeping track as time goes on, so i'm hoping to see you at the finish line Percival! :D
 
I have two questions.
Is this mod finished yet ? The readme says it last until disk 2.
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Not yet. So far, the mod only includes changes up until the end of disc 2, excluding the Laguna sequences. I have only just begun editing the scenes with Laguna. After that, I will begin with disc 3.

And, and more important, is this compatible with the RAGNAROK mod ???
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That is a great question! And the answer is…sort of.

Ragnarok modifies many of the game files, including the field.fs, which contains all the game dialogue. This is also the file that contains the computer scripting for any of the ‘scripted’ encounters, the extra boss battles and such.

So currently, if you want to use both mods together, you will not be able to experience any of the extra encounters, or any changes to the draw points. But you still have all the other benefits of Ragnarok. That’s how my own game is currently set up.

I am very interested in creating a compatibility version of both Succession and Martial Law, to be used with Ragnarok, but it will require some work. And for now, I am still focusing on completing the second half of Succession.
 
I played through your mod until the end of Disc 2. Overall, I'm extremely impressed. This mod breathes new life into the game, and I honestly feel like it's 1999 and I'm playing the game for the first time. This is the script that should have came with the game. Thank you for your hard work, I hope more people experience it. Can't wait for the finished product. Here's my notes I took while playing:

Some of the things I liked:

-Eliminating amnesia: That was a bad plot device that I'm glad is gone
-Squall is less of a weirdo and less of a pushover. He's more confident and logical, less of a mindless overdramatic. His dialogue is vastly improved and is a more well-developed character now. His outbursts seem more justified, not just emo.
-Squall now has a raison d'être: Preventing another war that will create more orphans like himself. He’s not aimlessly drifting anymore like “a helpless puppet being manipulated in some major scheme”
-“...Whatever” is largely gone. It was a bad translation to begin with and skewed the original writers’ intention for Squall
-Irvine's hesitancy in the Deling plot is due to him recognizing Matron (he's not a chicken like in the original script)
-Seifer recognized Matron too and was driven by the instinct to protect her. Also, Seifer's intentions are political and righteous, not just wanting to be some lame "sorceress' knight."
-Edea's evilness is more poetic. Her dialogue is vastly improved!
-Rinoa's recognition of her sorceress powers all along. This gave her character a lot more depth and even filled some plot holes (like how she was able to cling to a sheer cliff for an hour as the Gardens were colliding)
-Seifer tries to turn Squall to the "dark side" and take over Balamb for the Sorceress
-I like the new direction with Cid. He's more driven and confident. His relationship/mentorship with Squall is more dynamic now.
-Injection of FF8 lore... Gardens made from Centra ruins. The more of this, the better!


Some things that I would suggest changing/improving:

-Zell could still could use a little less "Jeff Spicoli" vibe ("Yo!", "WOAH!!", "Sooo cool!", "Yeahh, baby!"). His character is so one-dimensional and if he could break out of this 90s skater mold, he might be a little more interesting character
-Fujin/Raijin were always annoying and you changed some of their dialogue for the better (filling in some of the gaps, the Sorceress telling them to look for Lunatic Pandora.) However, the way they talk is something I would consider modifying. "Ya Know" and the "ALL CAPS" thing never made any sense to me and seemed like a bad decision by the translators. (I’m not fluent in Japanese, but I know that Raijin’s “YA KNOW” is an imperfect translation of “Desu-yo,” which is not so easily translated since it implies a subtle assertion of fact. “Desu-yo” is more subtle than the obnoxious “ya know” in English. In English, it sounds completely weird and unnatural.) This could be an opportunity to change them for the better.
-I wish the Squall/Quisty romantic tension could have been developed a little more. We were getting somewhere with the post-dance exchange
-I know you didn't do anything with Laguna yet, but I hope you can improve some of his lame dialogue
-"Your breath stinks!" I was hoping you could change this lame insult Squall delivers to his torturers

Not much else!


TYPOs (in bold):

-"We anticipate a battle as soon as we disembark. Prepared yourselves." (Xu, Dollet briefing)
-"This IS the order. We can't just let reinforments go unchecked through the city" ("dog training" scene)
-"And that giant machine of their's just upset a whole nest of Anacondaurs." (Dollet soldier) no apostrophe needed
"I've been sent with a messenge for the leader of Squad B." (right after Selphie somersault)
-"Rinoa. Rinoa Heartily" (Rinoa introducing herself)
-"We we are taught many things like art, music, and dancing, along with real skills like strategy and combat." (after Rinoa intro)
-"Rinoa*! Something's wrong!" (before Gerogero battle) Rinoa's name is hardcoded and doesn't use a custom name.
-"Rinoa*, what else do you need us to do?" (Selphie, at Forest Fox's house) Rinoa's name is hardcoded
-"...isolate it's location" (convo b/w Galbadian soldiers in Timber) shouldn't be an apostrophe
-"We'll have to make a full report when we return to the Balamb" (after second Laguna dream) unnecessary "the"
-"When you decided to come with us, I told you that we couldn't garantee your safety." (right before meeting General Caraway)
-"I'm Rinoa* Caraway... Daughter of General Caraway" (confronting Edea) Rinoa is hardcoded
-"We will assend" (during Edea's Deling City speech)
-"Your a sorceress..." (Right after defeating Seifer)
-"Why-have-you-siding-with-HIM?!" (NORG)
-"At least we didn't loose Balamb" (Cheering up Selphie in the Quad after reuniting at FH)
-"You alway want to keep your skills sharp." (Quistis, at the FH concert prep)
-"If your trying to make a joke, it's not funny" (right after Rinoa tells Squall she's a sorceress)
-"And what what Raijin said is even more concerning." (Quistis, right after defeating Fujin/Raijin in Balamb)
-"///Selphie "Zell! It's good luck!" (during B-Ball court scene)
-"You still have the brazeness to fight?" (Before Edea battle)
 
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@FatherMcKenzie
Wow! Thank you so much!! This is incredibly valuable feedback. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it!

I think you and I are on the same wavelength, and I am very glad you like the changes I’ve made. The typos are very helpful, and I will fix them ASAP. And I am particularly glad that you apparently changed Rinoa's name. I never change their names, and all of those instances would have been very hard to find.

In regards to potential improvements:

-Zell could still could use a little less "Jeff Spicoli" vibe ("Yo!", "WOAH!!", "Sooo cool!", "Yeahh, baby!"). His character is so one-dimensional and if he could break out of this 90s skater mold, he might be a little more interesting character
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I see what you’re saying about Zell. With him, as with all the characters, I am always on the fence between trying to improve him, and trying to retain the core of who he originally was. As of yet, I don’t think I have a strong vision for who he is beyond what the vanilla script presented to us.

If you think that his dialogue could use improvement, I will definitely see what I can do!


-Fujin/Raijin were always annoying and you changed some of their dialogue for the better (filling in some of the gaps, the Sorceress telling them to look for Lunatic Pandora.) However, the way they talk is something I would consider modifying. "Ya Know" and the "ALL CAPS" thing never made any sense to me and seemed like a bad decision by the translators. (I’m not fluent in Japanese, but I know that Raijin’s “YA KNOW” is an imperfect translation of “Desu-yo,” which is not so easily translated since it implies a subtle assertion of fact. “Desu-yo” is more subtle than the obnoxious “ya know” in English. In English, it sounds completely weird and unnatural.) This could be an opportunity to change them for the better.
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I have also always taken issue with Fujin and Raijin. But I was very cautious about changing speech patterns. (Including NORG’s hyphenated diction) I was concerned that I might end up destroying something unique about a character for no good reason.

I have no problem eliminating the ‘ALL CAPS’ for Fujin, but I think any changes to her speech patterns would require a fundamental change in her character. And I want to stay clear of anything like that without a very good reason.

For Raijin, I’ve thought about changing his line to something like “Right?” or “Huh?”. I’m not a Japanese speaker, but I think the real problem isn’t what he says, it’s how poorly written his dialogue is in general. His catch phrase is meant to be a cheap substitute for strong characterization, and I guess it succeeds at that. I may just tone down how many times he uses the line, and make sure that when he does use it, that it feels natural.

Side note:
Did you happen to catch the dialogue from the three students in the cafeteria? I edited all of their dialogue, too. They now provide more in-depth contextual commentary at 4 different points in the game. Their conversation at the start of the game provides a bit of backstory for Raijin and Fujin.

I wasn’t sure if that dialogue would be too obscure, and if it would be missed by a lot of people. But I had hoped it might help justify some of their behavior throughout the game. Let me know what you think!


-I wish the Squall/Quisty romantic tension could have been developed a little more. We were getting somewhere with the post-dance exchange
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I agree. And all I can say is, I tried.

If I were actually writing a fanfiction, Quistis would be the love interest, or at least a contender, like Tifa/Aerith. I think that I speak for a lot of people when I say that her character had the greatest potential, and it was completely squandered. Her development was MIA for the entire game after disc 1. I have looked for every opportunity the game allows to provide her with depth. Unfortunately, there are almost no scenes where she speaks directly with Squall after the post-dance exchange. The game actively rejects the notion of any further romantic tension. All setup, no payoff…

Perhaps I could review her dialogue along with Zell’s, and see what I can do. I might be able squeeze in several flirtatious asides. They would most likely be one-way, though. It’s a far cry from what I would like, but it might be better than nothing.

Did you like her lines in the Flashback/Basketball Court scene? It’s about the best I could do to flesh her out later in the game.


-I know you didn't do anything with Laguna yet, but I hope you can improve some of his lame dialogue
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Laguna sequences are coming! I have just finished my first draft of those scenes, and I like what I have so far.

-"Your breath stinks!" I was hoping you could change this lame insult Squall delivers to his torturers
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You’re right. That line is juvenile. I decided to keep the lines about the SeeDs/flowers as they were. I think that’s pretty funny, and I always choose that option. But I should find a better insult for the other choice.

Also, any time you see a “///” before a character’s name, that is a note that I have made to isolate any dialogue that I thought was unused by the game. (There is a fair amount of this.) If you or anyone else sees that, it may be a typo on my part. Or it may be that you have created a rare combination of requirements that I am not aware of.

And, one question. Did you only play through the concert scene with the "Eyes on Me" song? Because you might be interested to know that I rewrote the scenes for both songs, and the Irish Jig scene has far more dialogue.
 
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It was a pleasure! I'll playthrough again as soon as you have another revision.

To your points:

I have also always taken issue with Fujin and Raijin. But I was very cautious about changing speech patterns. (Including NORG’s hyphenated diction) I was concerned that I might end up destroying something unique about a character for no good reason.

I have no problem eliminating the ‘ALL CAPS’ for Fujin, but I think any changes to her speech patterns would require a fundamental change in her character. And I want to stay clear of anything like that without a very good reason.

For Raijin, I’ve thought about changing his line to something like “Right?” or “Huh?”. I’m not a Japanese speaker, but I think the real problem isn’t what he says, it’s how poorly written his dialogue is in general. His catch phrase is meant to be a cheap substitute for strong characterization, and I guess it succeeds at that. I may just tone down how many times he uses the line, and make sure that when he does use it, that it feels natural.
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For Raijin, I'd agree that the issue is that his dialogue is poorly written, but you're on the right track to improving it. As for Fujin, I wouldn't recommend any wholesale change either except for the All Caps styling. In the Japanese version, Fujin is soft-spoken and speaks in one word all-Kanji sentences, so I'm not sure why this would translate into what seems like a character who screams every line of dialogue??

Either way, they're still minor characters and it's not worth overthinking I suppose.

Side note:
Did you happen to catch the dialogue from the three students in the cafeteria? I edited all of their dialogue, too. They now provide more in-depth contextual commentary at 4 different points in the game. Their conversation at the start of the game provides a bit of backstory for Raijin and Fujin.

I wasn’t sure if that dialogue would be too obscure, and if it would be missed by a lot of people. But I had hoped it might help justify some of their behavior throughout the game. Let me know what you think!
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Missed that part! I didn't take my time speaking with a lot of NPCs, but I will on the next playthrough. Your attention to detail is amazing!

If I were actually writing a fanfiction, Quistis would be the love interest, or at least a contender, like Tifa/Aerith. I think that I speak for a lot of people when I say that her character had the greatest potential, and it was completely squandered. Her development was MIA for the entire game after disc 1. I have looked for every opportunity the game allows to provide her with depth. Unfortunately, there are almost no scenes where she speaks directly with Squall after the post-dance exchange. The game actively rejects the notion of any further romantic tension. All setup, no payoff…

Perhaps I could review her dialogue along with Zell’s, and see what I can do. I might be able squeeze in several flirtatious asides. They would most likely be one-way, though. It’s a far cry from what I would like, but it might be better than nothing.

Did you like her lines in the Flashback/Basketball Court scene? It’s about the best I could do to flesh her out later in the game.
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I see what you're saying about Quistis. There isn't much opportunity to develop her as a character. I think the Zell/Quistis angle might be interesting, but only if Zell is modified a bit. As it stands, I'd say Zell is way to immature for Quistis and I wouldn't believe that she would go for an dimwit like him.

You handled the basketball scene very well. I'm glad you got rid of the "I thought it was love, but it was my feelings as a big sister" angle.
 
And, one question. Did you only play through the concert scene with the "Eyes on Me" song? Because you might be interested to know that I rewrote the scenes for both songs, and the Irish Jig scene has far more dialogue.
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I only did the "Eyes on Me" version. I didn't know the game offered different dialogue! I'll try the Jig next time.
 
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I think the Zell/Quistis angle might be interesting, but only if Zell is modified a bit. As it stands, I'd say Zell is way to immature for Quistis and I wouldn't believe that she would go for an dimwit like him.
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I apologize. I didn’t mean to imply that I would try to develop a relationship between Quistis and Zell. I only meant that I would review Quistis’ dialogue in the same way that I would review Zell’s, to see if improvements could be made.

It’s possible that I could add one or two flirtatious lines (aimed at Squall) that would remind us that Quistis is still interested in him. It wouldn’t lead to anything particularly meaningful, as Squall will never be able to discuss her feelings for him in a full scene, but it might serve to maintain some sort of romantic tension, as long as it isn’t overdone, and doesn't turn into her defining characteristic.

I only did the "Eyes on Me" version. I didn't know the game offered different dialogue! I'll try the Jig next time.
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There are technically 4 options for the Concert scene, and the way to access them is unnecessarily complicated. There are 2 different songs to choose from, as well as 2 different options if you mix them up. The outcomes are determined primarily by the instruments you choose, and to a lesser extent, who is playing them.

1 Complete “Eyes on Me”
2 Complete Irish Jig
3 Partial “Eyes on Me”
4 Partial Irish Jig

Options 1 & 3 are very similar to each other, and options 2 & 4 are 100% unique. As of yet, I have rewritten 1, 2, and 3, but not 4. I was kind of banking on people having had previous experience with the game, and intentionally choosing 1 or 2. It is more challenging to intentionally get either 3 or 4, and I hoped people would avoid it. I eventually want to rewrite 4, but it is way down on my list of priorities.

Also, I may be the exception, but in the vanilla game, option 4 is actually my favorite. Generally, option 1, 3 and 4 are all bad outcomes that result in Rinoa getting upset and running away. Option 2 is the “good” outcome that results in Rinoa sticking around. In my rewrites, I’ve maintained this tonal difference. But option 4 will require a bit of a unique approach, and I haven’t decided how to handle it, yet.

I may put together a compilation video to highlight the different options in the original, as I don’t yet see it anywhere online.

And, if you want more info on the ridiculous concert mechanics, I’m sure there is a comprehensive guide somewhere. Or you could just ask me, I guess.
 
Nice changes in the third video. Those "I am..."
But confusing as hell. Edea model is actually ultimecia in that stage, so knowing Seifer should not happen. It's the first time she sees him. I don't think ultimecia has access to edea's memories, or at least it's not obvious in the original game.
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Since we know history is written forward to Ultimecia's time and she is aware of the events of the game before they happen, and given that she is aware who Squall is (Battle of the Gardens, "So you're the SeeD destined to defeat me"), don't you think she would also know who Seifer is? From Ultimecia's point of view, Seifer is the one destined to follow her, mobilize Galbadia Garden and raise Lunatic Pandora in her war against the past.
 
@HeavensFury

Hey!  I'm glad you asked. The holiday season set me back more than I would have liked, with the types of things you would imagine. But I have still made significant progress, and I am getting ready to post a brief progress update, as well as a few more video clips!
 
Since we know history is written forward to Ultimecia's time and she is aware of the events of the game before they happen, and given that she is aware who Squall is (Battle of the Gardens, "So you're the SeeD destined to defeat me"), don't you think she would also know who Seifer is? From Ultimecia's point of view, Seifer is the one destined to follow her, mobilize Galbadia Garden and raise Lunatic Pandora in her war against the past.
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I am inclined to agree with you, even though the vanilla game doesn't explicitly give us that information. But I bypassed the whole issue with the way I approached Edea's possession, and the character of Ultimecia.
 
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