spekkio
Arcane
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2009
- Messages
- 8,335
BROs, I've decided to replay FFT, but with some mods this time. Went with the simplest choice: Prime Convenience mod (by Austin).
"Prime" segment adds following changes:
"Convenience" segment adds the following:
Cutting JP costs by half turned out to be great idea: there's definitely less grindan' required to get to the good stuff, and this change doesn't make the game easier, since enemies can acquire the "good" stuff easier too. Fights are more dynamic now, in some cases they only take like 3-4 turns, with a lot of participants KOed.
But... I wouldn't be myself, if I wasn't butthurt about something.
As you may've read above, in "Prime" segment Austin decided to bring back "japanese" skill costs and job requirements. This second thing actually increases grinding, since those are slightly higher than in the "american" version.
Compare the vanilla "american" job matrix in FFTPatcher:
With the one from "Prime - Convenience" (red = vanilla, blue = modified):
Except the decrease in case of Mime (Squire lv. 2 & Chemist lv. 2), almost all job requirements have been increased, so you now have to spend more time in each job, even the one you don't plan on using (by learning ITZ "action abilities").
Why? Because that's how teh Japanese had rolled.
It goes in the exact opposite direction than the idea of the "Convenience" segment, esp. JP costs being cut in half there.
So, I've decided to fire up FFTPatcher and make some slight changes to the game.
1) Decreased job requirements for following jobs (pink names = WOTL Translation used in Prime - Complete):
I mean check this shit out (my modifications applied):
So IMHO:
To make things easier, I've made a .gif, which should explain differences between "Prime - Convenience" and my mod:
3) I've also wanted to modify descriptions for job requirements to reflect the changes above, but sadlyFFTactext.exe can't handle this shit for some reason (can't modify .bin) fixed in V2:
Error means "text already too long" or some shit.
So, ignore these descriptions ingame:
Rules described above apply:
4) I've also slightly modified the background in main menu, to show the user that he / she / xe actually uses the mod (white M in the lower/right corner). A QoL change, so you don't have to check CRC of bins to know which version you're actually running.
So... If you're interested in using this mod, what should you do?
1) Get the .bin of the (U) version; this is the game as Matsuno-sama intended.
2) Fire up the PPF Patcher (PPF-O-Matic will do). Apply the "Prime - Convenience.ppf" from the FFT Prime.zip linked at the top, get the "intermediate" file; this is the game as Bro Austin intended.
3) Get my modificationfrom this link use V5 below, apply the "FFT Prime Convenience + Job Tweak.ppf", get the final file; This is the game as declined by me.
And that's all!
"Prime" segment adds following changes:
Built upon FFT: Complete v.50, which fixes a few bugs and includes 99% of the script and text from the PSP port, The War of the Lions. Some more bugs and unaltered text were fixed by me, so setting aside the other alterations that the patch makes, one could think of this as an unofficial v.51 release of FFT: Complete.
- Abilities, Character Statistics, Job Levels, and Job Requirements are all identical to the original Japanese release of the game, with one notable exception that is listed below. Ability and Character Statistic differences can be found listed out in the readme.
- Although Elmdore has the Safeguard ability in the original Japanese release, he is left without it so that the unique Masamune and Genji Equipment can still be obtained.
- Includes ASM hacks made by the Final Fantasy Hacktics community that fix some longstanding bugs and provide quality of life improvements:
- All formulas apply elemental (v2) - Fixes the Oil status bug by making it double fire damage properly and sword skills with an element attached will now actually apply these elements, taking precedence over the element on a weapon like the Ice Brand. Holy Sword skills are all either Holy or Lightning/Holy elemental and Fell Sword skills are Dark elemental.
- Equipment duplication glitch fixes - Fixes the equipment duplication glitches that can be triggered from using Best Fit in the shops.
- JP scroll glitch actual fix (Disable paging on confirm menu) - Disables paging when a confirm menu is up so there is no way to do the JP scroll glitch.
- Random unit equipment more selective - Random unit equipment will now be more selective of secondary item types. (You shouldn't see knights in Chapters 2 to 4 using linen robes)
- Unit slots backfilled when unit is removed from party - When a unit is removed from the party, other units backfill the slot so that it doesn't leave a gap in the party.
- Cross Skip v3 - Holding X (Cross button), will fly you through dialog text as if you were mashing the button.
- Iaido graphic fix - Fixes a visual bug during some Iaido animations where characters would use a Rod instead of a Katana.
"Convenience" segment adds the following:
In addition to everything in the previous section, this version of the patch has a few more changes to make the game less tedious and more fun to play:
- JP costs of all abilities halved, some absurdly overpriced abilities like Fly(5000 JP) are reduced further. The game becomes more challenging overall as a consequence of this change, since enemy combatants are able to afford more abilities as well.
- Increased the JP cost of the Chemist's Reequip ability from 0 to 25 to keep it from being equipped on nearly every enemy in the game in place of other abilities that may actually provide some help to them.
- Mime's Lv.8 Squire/Chemist prerequisites removed. The job requires only Lv.5 Orator/Geomancer/Summoner/Dragoon.
- Cloud's initial Level when recruited is close to the average Level of your party instead of Level 1.
- When using the Treasure Hunter ability, only the rare item will be obtained. There won't be any need to worry about a unit's Bravery level when searching for items and leaving it up to chance whether you get the useful item or not.
Cutting JP costs by half turned out to be great idea: there's definitely less grindan' required to get to the good stuff, and this change doesn't make the game easier, since enemies can acquire the "good" stuff easier too. Fights are more dynamic now, in some cases they only take like 3-4 turns, with a lot of participants KOed.
But... I wouldn't be myself, if I wasn't butthurt about something.
As you may've read above, in "Prime" segment Austin decided to bring back "japanese" skill costs and job requirements. This second thing actually increases grinding, since those are slightly higher than in the "american" version.
Compare the vanilla "american" job matrix in FFTPatcher:
With the one from "Prime - Convenience" (red = vanilla, blue = modified):
Except the decrease in case of Mime (Squire lv. 2 & Chemist lv. 2), almost all job requirements have been increased, so you now have to spend more time in each job, even the one you don't plan on using (by learning ITZ "action abilities").
Why? Because that's how teh Japanese had rolled.
It goes in the exact opposite direction than the idea of the "Convenience" segment, esp. JP costs being cut in half there.
So, I've decided to fire up FFTPatcher and make some slight changes to the game.
1) Decreased job requirements for following jobs (pink names = WOTL Translation used in Prime - Complete):
- Geomancer: Monk lv. 4 -> 3
- Lancer / Dragoon: Thief lv. 4 -> 3
- Samurai: Knight lv. 4 -> 3 (knight training is total waste of time if you don't plan on using his / hers action abilities), Thief lv. 4 -> 3 (Lancer / Dragoon requirement), Monk lv. 5 -> 4 (less grindan required)
- Ninja: Archer lv. 4 -> 3 (same thing as with knight, plus archers totally suck ass in FFT), Monk lv. 4 -> 3 (Geomancer requirement), Thief lv. 5 -> 4 (less grindan)
- Dancer: Monk lv. 4 -> 3 (Geomancer requirement), Thief lv. 4 -> 3 (Lancer / Dragoon requirement), Geomancer lv. 5 -> 4, Lancer / Dragoon lv. 5 -> 4 (less grinding)
- Bard: Summoner lv. 5 -> 4; Mediator / Orator lv. 5 -> 4 (less grinding, esp. since both these jobs are "final branches" of the chemist build)
- Mime: Monk lv. 4 -> 3 (Geomancer requirement), Thief lv. 4 -> 3 (Lancer / Dragoon requirement), Summoner lv. 5 -> 4; Mediator / Orator lv. 5 -> 4 (less grinding, esp. since both these jobs are "final branches" of the chemist build), Geomancer lv. 5 -> 4, Lancer / Dragoon lv. 5 -> 4 (less grinding, esp. since both these jobs are "final branches" of the squire build).
- Knight: Squire lv. 2 -> 3
- Archer: Squire lv. 2 -> 3
- Priest / White Mage: Chemist lv. 2 -> 3
- Wizard / Black Mage: Chemist lv. 2 -> 3
I mean check this shit out (my modifications applied):
So IMHO:
- in case of brawlers, having access to white / black mage early (chemist lv. 2) is pointless (you won't be switching to these jobs unless you want to get Mime later,
- in case of casters, having access to knight / archer early (squire lv. 2) is also pointless, for the same reason.
To make things easier, I've made a .gif, which should explain differences between "Prime - Convenience" and my mod:
3) I've also wanted to modify descriptions for job requirements to reflect the changes above, but sadly
Error means "text already too long" or some shit.
So, ignore these descriptions ingame:
Rules described above apply:
4) I've also slightly modified the background in main menu, to show the user that he / she / xe actually uses the mod (white M in the lower/right corner). A QoL change, so you don't have to check CRC of bins to know which version you're actually running.
So... If you're interested in using this mod, what should you do?
1) Get the .bin of the (U) version; this is the game as Matsuno-sama intended.
2) Fire up the PPF Patcher (PPF-O-Matic will do). Apply the "Prime - Convenience.ppf" from the FFT Prime.zip linked at the top, get the "intermediate" file; this is the game as Bro Austin intended.
3) Get my modification
And that's all!
Last edited: