[PSX/PC] FF9.2.2 - Balance fixes (+German version)

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Ok, I see I made a post in this topic when I made that change originally, before I had had feedback from GameFAQs. I forgot about that. I'm sure relieved to check and see that the mod and the changelog haven't been wrong on this point all this time!

Yes, just the translation, please :) Feel free to make whatever changes you want for your own personal version, or even for a separate release. Let's get the translation up, if you like, and if you feel like releasing a mod-mod we can work out the best way for it.
 
Last I knew, Hades Workshop, which prescribes my FF9 modding abilities, didn't edit the PC version. Or am I out of the loop?
 
I've started working on it again a couple of days ago. For now, you can do a few things on the Steam game with an unstable version of HW.
Once the stable version is out, it'll hopefully be simple to import this mod on the PC version, so it's better to wait until then.
 
Don't do spend money to do more work? You've won me over. How'd you get so persuasive, Tirlititi?
 
I've started working on it again a couple of days ago. For now, you can do a few things on the Steam game with an unstable version of HW.
Once the stable version is out, it'll hopefully be simple to import this mod on the PC version, so it's better to wait until then.
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That's damn fantastic. Thank you <3
 
As Tirlititi has damn fantastically come out with the PC version version of Hades Workshop, I am thinking back to BaconCatBug's question!

I don't have the PC version. I was thinking if anybody who does have the PC version is interested in this mod for it, then I will give them files and help to make a PC version the same as I did for Kivikaki to make a German version. It seems like the procedure will be similar, too, since, if I understand Tirlititi's post, the main bit of the conversion that might be some work is going through and reformatting some of the modded text. Naturally, whoever wants to do this gets the credit, gets everyone else the mod for PC, and saves me buying the PC version (quite unlikely to do in current budget).
 
Great. I responded, hopefully explaining what's to be done. Let us know how it goes :)


Also, mind what Tirlititi wrote about making your own back ups! I'm just going to paste in here because I can't remember if I pasted the Text part into my PM.


Saving Instructions
You have to backup your files yourself. The program asks for the "FF9_Launcher.exe" file when opening the game, and then for a folder where you want to save your modded files. In any case, never choose the folder in which the selected "FF9_Launcher.exe" lies, either create a new folder either save it in a folder containing another "FF9_Launcher.exe".

The files created this way are intended to replace the files in the sub-folders of your "FINAL FANTASY IX" folder.

Here are the 2 safest possible choices :
1) Start by creating a backup of your "FINAL FANTASY IX" folder. When you use HW, only open the backup files and choose the non-backup "FINAL FANTASY IX" folder when you save (it's important that you keep that default name). As that's the game launched by Steam, you'll have your game directly modded.
2) Start by creating a backup of your "FINAL FANTASY IX" folder and use that backup for HW, but create a new folder somewhere else for the saving. To apply the mod, you need to replace manually the files in the "FINAL FANTASY IX" folder by the modded ones.

In any case, a 3rd backup is not a bad idea, unless you don't mind downloading the game again in case of problems.

About texts
The support for texts (in the Steam version) is quiet minimal, as the formatting is displayed as it is in the game's files. In particular, you have to write the size of the text box yourself in the 【STRT】 tag when needed, as well as the hexadecimal code to add color, etc...
As said, you shouldn't import the texts from PSX-saved .hws (just unckeck the related boxes), as only the text will be imported and the opcodes will be lost. This is particulary important for text blocks as the game bugs if the texts there don't start by the 【STRT】 tag.

The text preview window doesn't display the opcodes' effect either for now.

Also, there's a special UI text block, called "Localization", which contains generic texts of all the languages available. I let you guess how to properly modify them, but know only that the texts here must be single-line (use the escape character  '\n' if you want to add a new line). Also, the format is so easy that the devs themselves messed up with it and there are a few help texts that don't work the intended way :p (I'm thinking of the "OrderTargetHelp" field, which doesn't work in languages other than english and japanese).
 
BaconCatBug has recreated the mod for Steam! It's up in the same gdrive. Well done, BaconCatBug.

If you'd be interested in BaconCatBug making a UK Steam release as well, post here about it.
 
I'm seeing some issues with the Steam version of the mod. Discrepancies between the mod and the doc.

Found so far:
* Price not updated for Dragon's Whisker
* Brave suit still boosts Fire
* MP Cost and Accuracy of Stona, Silence, Mini, Confuse, Might
* Comet

Also... in your doc you have listed an MP cost of 26 for Ifrit in the Changes sheet and 24 in the Spells sheet
 
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Well, here's a blast from the past. I'll look into it. Thanks for letting me know aught else to check.

I don't have the foggiest idea why the Steam version would change such very particular things. So, I assume the errors are mine and, therefore, readily corrected.
 
The original game has Ifrit's MP cost at 26, whereas I set him, Shiva and Ramuh all to be 24. The mod was right; the changelog was wrong, with the Now and Prev values reversed. Good attention to detail!

When I load the PSX mod in Hades Workshop, everything else is which you mention is as listed in the Changelog. I am happy to check my PSX version for any further errors, although I'm not sure that I can check the Steam version without purchasing that version of the game.

Are you or is anyone else keen to help fix these errors?
 
This is usually the kind of mod i make/look for, that's why i was able to spot it. You know... mods that don't change much, but make the game strictly better without losing anything and thus without upsetting anyone. I could try fixing them but i can't guarantee anything for timing and whatnot.

BTW if you're still interested in working on it, i'd try to balance all weapons' attack power over the course of the game. Like, Zidane stays behind Amarant until he makes a huge leap with the Ultima Weapon, ditto steiner with E2, Amarant himself has 4 weapons in a span of 10 attack power or so...

Very nice work anyway, and thanks for the perfect documentation.
 
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Very good, yes. Perhaps you can check if you can open the SteamyBacon file in HW? If not, I can look more into what you should do.

Reviewing my private messages, I think that we can probably fix it. When HW for Steam first came out, I had mistakenly told BaconCatBug that probably he just needed to make the text changes over and the data changes would take care of themselves. That's how it had been for making the German PSX version. Actually, it turned out he had to re-input every single change! So, that means that probably these things can be fixed.

I am well pleased that someone enjoys the mod and likes its design concept and documentation!

The weapons balance would be worthwhile. It makes me wonder. What is your view on what level stats to balance them around, since knight swords and spears, for instance, use different stats? Since I imagine the mod is already most useful to perfect game players, I'd probably balance them around lvl1 and/or around max stats. I would need to review the E2PG guide to see which weapons to hold fixed so that the mod remains compatible with E2PG.

It looks like whole new fields of possible modding have opened up in the past few years. That gives some chance that I might get interested again some time!
 
I already threw some numbers with pen an paper. Changes are mostly mid to endgame, and made to follow the original power ranking. Steiner has the best weapons, then Zidane blades/amarant, then Freija/Zidane daggers.

Notable:

* E2 to 94, UW to 90 (why the huge jump for these 2 alone)?
* Bistrofork 71, Gastrofork 88 (quina's weapons are always much stronger than everyone else's, why do they tank so hard in the lategame?)
* Orichalcon 63, Masamune 77 (masamune requires orichalcon but is weaker?)
* KL, DH 80 and 71 (same as you)
* Dragon's Claw 48, Tiger fang 55, Avenger 64, Kaiser Knucle 70 (DC and Scissor fang should be much closer since they're acquired around the same time, the others followed suit)

Idea: minor power boost to staves and rods (like current power / 10) and make them use the magical formula.

Balance is around "when is acquired" following the power ranking dictated by lower level weapons (no changes until oeilvert mogshop included). Didn't care about different formulas.

Spirit formula and speed formula are not boosts. Instead of using 100% str they average Str and the other stat, be it magic, spirit or speed. The true boost is only for the lv formula of the StQ

PS: i opened his file in HW, that's how i was able to report those issues
 
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Oh, ok, I thought you might have got to the end of the game and been like, "Hey! This Whisker's not trimmed to spec!" ^^

If you can open the file, then whenever you should get around to making the changes, I am happy to post the corrected version.

Very interesting! Agreed re: huge jump for the Ultima Weapon, Quina's drop off, Masamune shouldn't be weaker (never noticed! Does it hit harder for using Spr instead of Spd??), and it'd make sense to acquire at least sidegrades.

I have been balancing weapons based on ranking of who was hitting the hardest with their ultimates in the vanilla balancing, which is a post-formula balancing. I'd like to keep the ultimate weapons balanced on such a criterion. Your method does get around the stats problem for helping the weapons in the rest of the game.

I can say off the top of my head that changing Kaiser Knuckle has potential effects on the E2PG, so myself I would look into that sort of thing before I made a FF9.2.3 with it. If I look into which weapons I should like to keep the same, would you be interested in adjusting the numbers you already have around those fixed points?

I'm sure this prediction is vulnerable to oversights, but off the top of my head it would be fine to balance anything not used in the E2PG however we wanted to. People who want to follow that guide will still have the option to do so and have that experience. People who want to use your changes to have a different experience, that'd be their business, so (I don't know off the top of my head) why not? If you are keen to add balancing like this onto what I have done, the worst that can happen is if we don't wind up agreeing on 9.2.3, then you/we can post two different versions.

What's your view of armor-to-armor balance?
 
Saw this edit:

Spirit formula and speed formula are not boosts. Instead of using 100% str they average Str and the other stat, be it magic, spirit or speed. The true boost is only for the lv formula of the StQ
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Oh yes, don't I know it, ha ha. That's why if the goal is to do comparable damage (given Spd and Spr will tend to be lower than Str the way gear bonuses are), then weapons using those formulas need higher Atk than pure Str weapons.


Oh, and I definitely do not want to change the stat bonuses on gear for this mod.
 
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Don't worry too much about my numbers. I think i'll just make a mod for myself using (a lot of) stuff from yours.
So use anything I write as you see fit, i'm not going to argue with what you decide to do.

As for armors, i do agree with your 2 changes. Then Defense like attack, balanced around "when is acquired" with heavy armor > zidane/amarant only > light > robe. Opposite for magic defense, for a bit of flavor. I do think the game is already more or less built around this concept.

About other stat weapons... i haven't tested how big the gap is between str spirit spd and mag. So i really can't say anything about the "spr weapons need higher attack" thing. I decided on these numbers in just about 1 hour from zero so they're anything but final. Maybe i'll add more atk, maybe more spd/spr here and there (on the char. themselves?), maybe i'll remove the spirit formula from some weapons (like knight's swords). Dunno yet.

Probably i'll make daggers use the spd formula and staves/rods use the magic formula. It's currently unused and works just like the spd/str one. Again, just for flavor.
 
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