Hacking Final Fantasy Type-0 RomHacking

[darkmanwe4ever]

Everyone who wants to help are welcome to spread the word about the project once we finish. We'll likely be too tired to campaign!

that I can do!

 

[blackfire219]

Yeah, but they won't help us keep the video quality :/

Btw, status report on the new romhack:

-Yes, I'm still implementing ASM compression in the game. The bottom line is to be able to use original untouched video files in the merged ISO, compressing some of the game's files using the LZO algorithm.

-Said algorithm is one of the (if not THE) fastest decompression algorithms ever. And uses almost no memory, so game performance won't change (even if it changed, it would still be faster than playing the game from UMD). It is a loosless data compression algo.

-Due to the PSP's RAM page size, I compress only files that I can decompress with 0 bytes of memory usage, using overlapped decompression (decompressing to the same buffer where the compressed data is stored).

-The initial study shows that, while the LZO compression ratio is not the best (having a good decompression speed has that downside), it is enough to hold all untouched game files in less than 2GB.

-It will take tame to finish implementing the hack, specially because I have to rewrite part of the ISO merging hack (in order to read a file, the game needs its ISO sector, and size, now it will also need the compressed size). But since the translation itself is gonna take even more time, this wont stall the project at all.

-Fun fact: LZO-compressing the game's files, AND remuxing it's videos at the same times, makes the whole game take 1.7 GB. So yeah, Type-0 could have been released in one single UMD. The only difference would be when playing the game in a TV (and even in fullscreen the video quality loss is minimal, no one would have complained lol).

~Sky

wow, so I can save some memory space on my psp..

By the way Sky, when the new romhack merging is already finished, will you upload it and change the first merging files on your link? Or you will release it when the translation is also finished?

 

[SkyBladeCloud]

My plan is to update the merging files too. Mainly because they need to be tested lol.

I will have to repeat part of the hack for the translation anyway, because it requires a deep research of what data can be compressed and what data can't. This can change after translating the game's files.

On the bright side I already parameterized the part of the hack that needs to be repeated and I can do it with just some double-clicks.

~Sky

 

[blackfire219]

My plan is to update the merging files too. Mainly because they need to be tested lol.

...

I will wait for it Sky..


By the way, I noticed a bit lag in the merged umds when killing mobs and also the video quality loss in the introduction of Class 0..

 

[SkyBladeCloud]

Interesting, can you tell me a bit more about it? What video is that introduction?
Also, note that the original game has some lag during battles too (specially in PSP1000), in fact, the merging files should be faster, in general. Have you tested the same battle in the original game?

...

 

[blackfire219]

Interesting, can you tell me a bit more about it? What video is that introduction?
Also, note that the original game has some lag during battles too (specially in PSP1000), in fact, the merging files should be faster, in general. Have you tested the same battle in the original game?

...

after showing the logo of fabula nova crystallis, in the second video,not the first one..if you look at it carefully, you will notice the minimal blur compared to the original umd..

But for the lag problem, the mission when you pass to the rock bridge to the castle of Khalia..the character walks slow.. I dont know if it is normal, since I didn't play the game in the original umd..

Edit: in the Khalia's chapter

 

[blackfire219]

Sky, I wonder if you can add a cloak costume of joker and tiz in the game for the Class 0, so it will become 4 costumes instead of 3, just like you did in dissidia 012..what do you think?

 

[Kyle_Zan]

SkyBladeCloud - I am familiar with video encoding (a bit). I encode a lot for the psp before. So if you wouldn't mind, you can give me any video you want (of course you won't hand me those FFType-0 AVI) so that we can test the quality. If you could explain to me a bit more what you really want to achieve then we can get started. I really want to help with the translation. Sorry if you have explained what to do before but I've no time browsing the other pages for details as I am currently in my workplace so again pardon me for asking. Anyway bottomline is, I really wanted to test the vid. Especially when we are talking about quality. I know how to use a couple of scripts/plugins (Avisynth) to ensure the quality of the video. (mostly to prevent all sorts of banding, noises and the like). If you're interested with my help, I would love to receive an e-mail from you. I don't know how to reach you but here's my e-mail address: [email protected]. God bless to the team!

 

[SkyBladeCloud]

Well, the problem is actually when putting videos back to the PSP format, we have no choice but use Sony's tools; which, even at max quality settings, will result in a slight quality loose :/

I'll try to upload an example PMF, the point would be decoding it, and recoding it to get the exact same original data (which is impossible by us as of now).

~Sky

 

[SkyBladeCloud]

Weekly report by Adam S (not a good one, but still... :/)

10/20/13 week ending report on Sunday (United States time)

This week's translators:

1.HHTurtle with 245 (with line breaks) approx 169 (actual Japanese lines)
2.Adam with 578 (with line breaks) approx 399 (actual Japanese lines)

Main Sceneario text
Approx lines of Japanese left: 246039 of 34549
Completed this week: 1.5%
Total Completed: 30.5%

At this week's rate, translation could be done in: 11.5 months

Also, the new Merging Files are ready in my blog. This time with full quality videos!

~Sky

 

[Melhisedek]

This is a wonderful thing. Could you please keep on posting these on weekly or monthly basis? Than we know how much progress has been made.

Keep up the good work!

 

[MrShyCity]

I think the reason the game is lagging because the Memory Stick/PSP could not handle frame rates
You guys should try these:
Convert the *.iso to *.cso sometimes fix the lag
Overclock the Game CPU to 333/166 it might fix the lag (I would not recommend use a lot of battery)
download USB ISO Loader ( download/tutorial here)
I've been using USB ISO Loader since last year and it fix the lag problem when player video's on Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce 2

 

[SkyBladeCloud]

So I have some more news:

-We are researching a way to re-encode videos with absolutely no quality loss. We have had partial success creating new edited PMF's that are pixel perfect (but about 3x the original size, not a big problem now). Hoewer, once reinserted, these new PMF's don't really work as expected (even though they have been created using official tools).

-The RAM limitation strikes again: I've just compiled an English version using the latest merging files and, since the Crimson Codex was edited (getting bigger again), the game won't boot (again). This can be fixed either making the CC smaller, or changing the game's encoding, so text take less memory (this is what I'm trying ATM).

~Sky

 

[blackfire219]

I thought you can compress it down to 1.7 GB..but it's ok, I will test it later after I download the files..I hope you can lower the game file sizes in the future..

 

[Ziggi_Strife]

ok the week update is confusing me... Last time it was 6 months now its 11 ?? at this week pace... hmm now that im reading it i think i get it. so that means you did more last week ? i dunno

Congrats Sky on the new program and THANK YOU team for translating.
I know im useless but i wanna support you like this and add some morale =)
keep on the good job

 

[Madridi]

ok the week update is confusing me... Last time it was 6 months now its 11 ?? at this week pace... hmm now that im reading it i think i get it. so that means you did more last week ? i dunno

Congrats Sky on the new program and THANK YOU team for translating.
I know im useless but i wanna support you like this and add some morale =)
keep on the good job

It means if they do the same effort as last week, every week, the translation will be done in 6 months.
If they do the same effort as this week every week, the translation will be done in 11.5 months.

Regardless, my appreciation goes to the team. Good luck

 

[SkyBladeCloud]

Right, the translation pace changes every week, depending on how busy translators are.
In other news, we are considering the possibility of consider partial patch releases; if next reports show that the project is gonna take that long (about one additional year!?).

~Sky

 

[blackfire219]

Right, the translation pace changes every week, depending on how busy translators are.
In other news, we are considering the possibility of consider partial patch releases; if next reports show that the project is gonna take that long (about one additional year!?).

~Sky

Ok, so when it will be released anyway? Because i'm stocked at the last mission, so I temporarily stopped playing it..

 

[Madridi]

Right, the translation pace changes every week, depending on how busy translators are.
In other news, we are considering the possibility of consider partial patch releases; if next reports show that the project is gonna take that long (about one additional year!?).

~Sky

I'm sure many people would disagree with me, but I personally advice against that.

I think you'll get a lot of "headache" from some users saying there is a problem with something, when it was not yet done to begin with. It also would mean the number of patches would increase. for those coming in a few years, they might not know the difference between each patch and the final patch might not get distributed enough or something, especially if the versions before the last one were "good enough"

I don't know, I personally don't see a benefit in doing this. People simply have to wait for a full and complete patch. If for some reason the project is stopped, the team can release what already was done, so that people would have "something", or who knows, some team might pick it up after you guys.

Obviously, it's up to you guys. That's just my opinion

 

[blackfire219]

it's ok to release a partial patch, because TMO did release partial patches for the mhp3rd, but for now they're finishing their translation project..and maybe they will help to translate this game too if they already finished mhp3rd, because they also like final fantasy game series..

 

[SkyBladeCloud]

I personally wouldn't like to release a partial patch. But on the other hand, I don't want fans to wait another year to enjoy the game (or at least part of it). Still, as I said, the partial patch is a consideration we will only take into account if the project can't finish by next year.

~Sky

 

[Kalker3]

What exactly would be in the partial patch?
I'm only going to start playing when there's a patch with the main scenario translated.
Until then, I won't play it, even if there's a "menu, descriptions and other stuff" patch.
And releasing partial patches while still translating the story is a bad move IMO, because
people who play 'till they drop dead (like me) would finish whatever's translated way too fast.
Releasing a single, complete patch would be better IMO.