Messages

2281

General Discussion / Re: Gamefaqs + eternal stupidity

« on: June 22, 2008, 09:18:40 PM »

The most common complaint about FF... "Why do my guys fucking miss?"... missing targeting checks ftw!

2282

General Discussion / Re: Gamefaqs + eternal stupidity

« on: June 22, 2008, 07:30:08 PM »

Ultimately, the way to improve Runic is make it a status where it is automatically used as a reaction to Runicable magic (think Retort w/o being buggy) and perhaps not be a used/reacted when allies use Runicable spells... (unless Charmed).

2283

General Discussion / Re: Hooray failing hardware!

« on: June 22, 2008, 07:27:24 PM »

I can't view PDF's... Why can't these people just use text and png like the rest of us?

Use FoxitPDF.

2284

General Discussion / Re: Gamefaqs + eternal stupidity

« on: June 21, 2008, 09:00:31 AM »

"Kinda". It's not as if the vast information posted is ever really checked.

2285

Final Fantasy IV Research & Development / Re: Nuke/Flare Animation Glitch

« on: June 20, 2008, 10:26:42 AM »

I guess that solves the lame monster MegaNuke/Mega Flare that was created instead.

Although, that's overpowered! 

2286

General Discussion / Re: Lakers in six *nt*

« on: June 17, 2008, 11:39:30 PM »

I'm kinda sorry that KG had to come here to win it, but he's still going to be a Hall of Famer in your jersey (Timberwolves) Leno. I've seen it happen many times...

2287

General Discussion / Re: Lakers in six *nt*

« on: June 17, 2008, 11:18:54 PM »

Defense wins championships. Lakers play NONE. Yay for Title #17!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2288

Final Fantasy IV Research & Development / Re: Modes of Transportation

« on: June 17, 2008, 07:01:18 PM »

I kinda doubt it

It might work, if I add an entry in the person/object placement data for the overworld map number. Theoretically the map could then load that person/object for use, and you'd just have to add a dynamic event for them. Worth a try anyway.

I don't recall any dynamic events on the overworld in any of the SNES FF series of games.. the closest thing is a scripted sequence like the ship ride or the aforementioned bombing.

but you probably could do something like the Damcyan bombing scene in specified areas...

The bombing scene (and the opening airship scenes, the Leviathan scene, the Giant of Bab-il scene, etc.) are pretty easy to repeat. It's just a trigger square at a certain spot that loads a visual. The only bad thing is that you can't change the visual (at least I don't know where or how it's stored) so you have to have it be the same every time.

I guess the closest thing you could do is just flip an event variable back and forth (or some variation) to get some sort of effect... or if you're really good, use the RNG...

2289

Final Fantasy IV Research & Development / Re: Modes of Transportation

« on: June 17, 2008, 06:38:43 PM »

I recall having a game genie code that would turn the party into the ship on the world map, it's a shame they didn't make it fully functional but if I was coding the game I probably wouldn't have either. The idea of having shipping routes between towns is a really cool one, you could have ferries like FF6, makes me wish I was doing a more extensive hack, nothing like that would fit in mine.

I'm curious, does the overworld support having NPC's? It would be really cool to have a few ships sailing around, maybe even an airship flying overhead like FF2.

I kinda doubt it, but you probably could do something like the Damcyan bombing scene in specified areas...

2290

General Discussion / Re: Bought a new computer

« on: June 16, 2008, 07:47:01 PM »

6200 is low end..  (or is it even onboard?) Either way, you're not gonna need lots of power for that.

2291

Final Fantasy IV Research & Development / Re: Experience Requirements for my Hack

« on: June 16, 2008, 07:42:39 PM »

I'd slant the magic users to gain levels slightly faster than melee characters.  But too much faster. 

Also, the first 5~8 levels when you first get a character should be quick.  While the last 20 or so should be difficult. 

I actually like the current design of things.. but if it were to be done over, make the spell levels useful early and difficult late (it should be moreso like FF4 than FF2US).

I think different experience levels are important mainly to adjust a character's stats over time.. although characters like FuSoYa and Tellah need them so they can take in more damage gracefully (and technically, the wiser should benefit anyways since they aren't getting radically better soon).

If the character set was more like the FF1 system, then I'd have no issue, but it's an afterthought I guess.

I wonder if you can actually start some of your characters at level 1 (like Edge), and properly adjust the pointers/table to handle it (not sure if there's space or if that's actually viable)...

2292

Final Fantasy IV Research & Development / Re: Everytime I think I've found all the secret treasure in this game...

« on: June 16, 2008, 07:35:56 PM »

It's an emulator problem that was introduced in the newer versions of ZSNES when they removed a hack that made them display correctly.

Timing issue, not hack.

I'm with JCE on this. It was hump a wall time back in the day.

There's also the one that JCE mentioned in Mist..

There's also the Blacksmith's place, directly east of the stairwell. However, for some fucking lame reason it was removed in FF4A (like the Ether at Rosa's House).

Don't forget the two Carrots in the large Chocobo forest and the hidden items in Silveria.  And the hidden chest in Baron's waterway passage.

It's 3 total IIRC, the Carrots north of Troia.

I also think JCE meant to say blacksmiths... because the Adamant Grotto is the tail trading place.

2293

Final Fantasy IV Research & Development / Re: Everytime I think I've found all the secret treasure in this game...

« on: June 16, 2008, 01:35:48 PM »

I'm with JCE on this. It was hump a wall time back in the day.

There's also the one that JCE mentioned in Mist..

There's also the Blacksmith's place, directly east of the stairwell. However, for some fucking lame reason it was removed in FF4A (like the Ether at Rosa's House).

2294

Game Modification Station / Re: (Another) FF1 Hack

« on: June 15, 2008, 06:14:15 PM »

Here's my current projections, based on my gameplay...

[spoiler]
Strongest Physical Character minus the Monk (factoring both attack and defense and HP, to an extent), on a scale of 1 to 10:
? - Viking (Axes having the most attack power have the most impact, but I don't know what is the hit rate on these to be completely confident)
8 - Knight (the weapon options seem more limited here, compared to the Viking, mostly because the Axe is not involved)
7 - Paladin (Axes giving it an edge over the Knight..., although the Holy Sword will probably give a nice damage bonus)
7 - Dark Knight (the evil sword has fewer options, but seems to be compensated with a higher attack power/hit rate since the Dark elemental has an impact under one scenario, all other scenarios look pathetic though)
6 - Thief (although, I really wonder what the actual compensation is for this character, the Sword is a solid option here)
6 - Red Mage (it shouldn't be here, but it is, since the Swords for the character is solid)
4 - Ninja (it is unfortunately underpowered, since Katanas and Knives focus primarily on hit rate, not Attack Power.. the Katanas need an attack boost to overtake the Red Mage).
3 - White Mage (hammers have a greater impact than knives, so thar she goes!)
? - Black Mage/Time Mage/Sage (they are lumped in the same group, since knives provide zilch for impact, and staffs have a better chance of standing out, believe that or not)
[/spoiler]

[spoiler]
Overall Package (considering all factors, including magic growth and magic availability, when applicable) from a scale of 1 to 10:
9 - Dark Knight - Haste is all you need to overpower this character with his weapon options
8 - Knight - has the best overall weapon+armor options
? - Viking - I'm not sure how Axes compare overall
7 - Paladin - medicore magic, even with the slightly better weapon options
7 - Red Mage - good balance of strength and magic, but doesn't excel at either
6 - Thief - I'm unsure of what other benefits are given for having no magic here
5 - White Mage - you need one because it's the cool thing to do, it is a competant fighter given the options
5 - Ninja - yes, even the White Mage surpasses you on a consistant basis physically, and your magic set is "good enough" to keep you around, but currently disappointing
4 - Sage - I wish Tellah was this good, though attack power would be hindered, it doesn't matter as much since you are given full range of the most powerful of magic (I like my characters to be semi-compentant fighters)
3 - Black Mage - bad weapon options coupled with no strength boosting makes this guy kinda gutless for some stretches
2 - Time Mage - like the Black Mage, but having worse magic options
[/spoiler]

Also, you have some naming inconsistancy in the character selection screen... you see "Wiz" instead of Mage for all the spellcasters.

Minor suggestions:
[spoiler]
Don't call it "Venom Axe" if it doesn't have Bio in it.  Consider a Rune Axe that kills mages? Try a different common FF series axe name...
Don't call it "Defender" if it doesn't provide a defensive benefit... names are semi-important because it implies certain characteristics of the weapon more often than not...
[/spoiler]

2295

Game Modification Station / Re: (Another) FF1 Hack

« on: June 15, 2008, 05:26:55 PM »

[spoiler]

Proposed solution: I can change the monster distribution such that the frequency of undead encounters is more consistent throughout the game.

Although I must admit that I'm surprised its out-of-battle effect wasn't enough for it to compete. It couldn't even compete with Inv4?

I'm usually pro-Inv on this for many different reasons. So Lif2 happened to be at the bottom of my list, but it's close to Lif2 somewhat because of Inv4's semi-ineffectiveness, Lok4, and the Fog spell set having more impact, since nothing lowers that defense (Inv and Lok are evade manipulation spells). It's also not necessarily the undead distro.. there's not enough high HP versions to justify the use (like, what "big HP" monsters are undead? I think that's limited to like what the few undead bosses?)

Ok I see what you mean now. It was never my intention for the Red Mage to be stronger than the Ninja. In terms of physical ability I was thinking the Red Mage could be better defensively and the Ninja could be better at attacking. However that's clearly not working.

Proposed solution: Get the Attack Up routine working and make Temper/Saber type Time spells if possible, and also increase the fighting ability of the time-using characters (particularly TM and Ninja).

It's a little more than that. Like (I'm) rethinking this.. the impact of high hit rate does not negate the high defense you've put on some monsters. I've not seen the final Ninja that battled Chaos seem so inept. Masamune casting self-Haste is useless. It should be Temper or Saber. It can be arguable that the staffs are far stronger than the knives, and that doesn't even sound right on the surface. It could simply be that the attack power for high hit rate weapons need increasing.. given the impact of Fog has more of an impact vs Inv/Lok. Still, Temper or Saber would at least make them self-powered to a reasonable point (if you think about it, Temper/Saber is the counter to Fog).

The proposed solution to point 1 ought to fix most of what's wrong here. I still think the ability to use cure and heal spells as well as life, and the extra HP already give the Paladin quite an edge vs the Dark Knight.

I'm still not convinced of that. The need for any healing (up to level 4) was not great late game (unless it's for cheap healing) and when you have a pair of Heal staffs, the healing adds up quicker than the healing spells. The extra HP is interesting, but I survived with a DK as the leader, so I'm not seeing that as a true improvement. Haste is what makes the original Ninja awesome (subsequently your DK). Nothing makes the current Paladin great. If the Paladin's spell point growth is on par with the DK, it's spells become rather emergencyish (as in, if worse comes to worse, as it has no practical impact normally) and eventually becomes "meh" late game.

Unless I made a mistake somewhere there should be one in the Holy Shrine, one in the Dark Cave, one in the Time Tower and one in the Ice Cave.

I'm trying to recall which area didn't have it. The only location I'm sure I have a Ribbon was the Dark Cave.  I'll double check though.
Ok.. there's only a row of chests in the Holy Shrine that I can recall... although IIRC, some of the chests were empty... (bah to treasure chest pointer sharing).
I'm pretty sure I got every chest in the Time Tower...
The Ice Cave.... it may have been in one of the trio of chests, or not there at all, I cannot recall.

The order of which I did the trials... Ice Cave (for the Floater)..
Holy Shrine (was hoping for a Rat Tail  )
Time Tower
Dark Cave

If you want, I can try to provide the save file and see if you can determine which Ribbon chest that's not opened.
[/spoiler]