ROM Hack Question Is it possible to use PC mods in Dragon Quest XI S?

[Foupen]

Is there any way to use PC mods on the Switch version of Dragon Quest XI?

https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonquestxi/mods/3
I downloaded this mod and put the textures folder into "SD:/sxos/titles/01006C300E9F0000/romfs/" but it didn't work... Where do I have to put the folder?

 

[xYuunax]

the PC mods require Special K application for the mods to work.. i'm not 100% sure how ROMFS work, but i'm assuming what it does it is it looks for files on the ROMFS, and loads that instead of the original file (if present). You probably need to look at how the game is structured. Most games assets are packed into bigger file. (encrypted/compressed etc). If it's an individual file, you need to make sure you have the same folder structure in /romfs.

But i'm only speculating here, as I don't really have any mods on the switch.

 

[Foupen]

the PC mods require Special K application for the mods to work.. i'm not 100% sure how ROMFS work, but i'm assuming what it does it is it looks for files on the ROMFS, and loads that instead of the original file (if present). You probably need to look at how the game is structured. Most games assets are packed into bigger file. (encrypted/compressed etc). If it's an individual file, you need to make sure you have the same folder structure in /romfs.

But i'm only speculating here, as I don't really have any mods on the switch.

Actually, I tried to look at how the game is structured but I couldn't do it. I managed to unpack the .xci file but can't unpack the .nca file that contains romfs.bin since I don't have the titlekey for this game.
Has anyone been able to extract romfs.bin from this game?

 

[Rasa39]

I never got too into the game on pc, currently extracting the nca and I see "Jackgame/content/" structure with a "Movies" and Paks" folder.

There are two switch.pak files in 6gb chunks so my guess is mods wont work if they replace any files packed into these files. Unless you want to mod the files, then repack the whole 6gb chunk.

(I could be wrong though as I never modded this game, just extracted the nca to see the structure)
Maybe creating a .pak file with only the modded files in the correct structure will load only those files over the top of the base .pak archive, but easy way to find out is make one and run the game, if it crashes then it's only loading the mod file that is missing all the game assets.

 

[Nazosan]

LayeredFS overrides files within the romfs with whatever is present in the folder or adds on. SpecialK is sort of similar in that it can override, but it works at the other end -- replacing textures after loading. LayeredFS is orders of magnitude more powerful in that it can replace anything (whereas SoecialK is mostly just videocard stuff like textures) but you do have to repack (which means decrypting usually -- assuming they kept the Switch version encrypted as some games drop that due to already being encrypted since that would hurt performance.)

For all that they are somewhat similar in principle, the mechanisms are completely opposite and stuff for one won't work on the other. Also, SpecialK relies on hooking into Direct3D or etc to work, so is impossible in any other environment.

Honestly, I always felt like SpecialK was far too limited and that it was very disappointing that so many modders stop trying to figure out how to extract and repack game files (admittedly not easy) when it functions because it limits what can be done to very little outside if simple texture replacements. Perhaps with this latest console release some may try again, but sadly probably not.

 

[Pokeytax]

Actually, I tried to look at how the game is structured but I couldn't do it. I managed to unpack the .xci file but can't unpack the .nca file that contains romfs.bin since I don't have the titlekey for this game.
Has anyone been able to extract romfs.bin from this game?

Yeah, but as was said, but most of the game content is contained in two large (UE4) .pak files. The bulk of it is compressed using a variant of Oodle compression. You would probably have to mod & repack the files.

 

[Nazosan]

For what it's worth, if it is Unreal sometimes it is possible to add on extra files. Usually games will accept other files for patching/etc purposes. That makes it possible to override assets without repacking the entire file.

Of course, that still requires that they figure out how to unpack to get the resources to mod and repack to produce the new file even if that is possible.

Actually, now that I've finally started playing I'm kind of hoping someone really does do this because the words of the text are so different from what is actually being spoken I'd really love to see a mod that actually translates.

 

[IZUNYA]

Hello, sorry for the necro , but anyone have found a way to convert pc mod to Switch ?

Thanks for the help

 

[Nazosan]

SpecialK will never be possible on the Switch because the Switch does not use Microsoft DirectX.

It was always a horrendously limited tool for modding as all it can do is very simplistic texture replacements and post-processing shaders tacked on and I've always been depressed that so many modders just stop even making an effort to do real modding if they see it available for a game. If people ever do real modding for the game then it would theoretically be possible to port to the Switch but it probably has to be repacked for it and unfortunately the game has been out long enough on the Switch now that any prospective modders have likely forgotten it ever existed.

 

[IZUNYA]

Thanks for the answer

 

[masagrator]

Hello, sorry for the necro , but anyone have found a way to convert pc mod to Switch ?

Thanks for the help

First UE4 textures are swizzled on Switch. If you will put directly textures from PC, assuming they will be read, which probably won't happen because of serializing issues, You will see garbage.
You need to work on Switch files to make texture mods. You can try to convert PC textures to Switch with this (if they are DXT5 or RGBA8)
https://gbatemp.net/threads/noesis-mod-tiling-texture-for-ue4.535571/
But you need Switch files so you can get resolution of Switch texture and uexp file to swap data.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

PC is using external tool because paks are signed and making pak files would result in crash or just be Ignored.
Switch version doesn't use any type of encryption, so you can just put pak files.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

F.e. if this would be PC texture

You will see something like this on Switch if you don't convert them

 

[IZUNYA]

ok i see
seems like to be a hard stuff, i'll take a look to it, thanks for the info !