Project II: Final Fantasy IV v3.05

[Bahamut ZERO]

If you're wanting to change revive potions to phoenix downs, why not just name it (feather symbol)Phoenix?

Granted, Revive/Life work perfectly fine for me, but in case you want to change it, there's my imput. 

[chillyfeez]

But if people can use Fire and Fira in the newer FFs without getting confused, it should be fine as is.

This is an excellent analogy for this situation. Yeah, I say keep it as "revive."

[Spooniest]

I feel that far too much time is being devoted to such a minor bit of minutae.

Phoenix Down = FenixDown = Revive

It's all good...the dialogue script is more important after all

[FlamePurge]

v2.11 has been up since March 17th, apparently. Go for it, if having the Cross changed to Revivify is that important to you.

[BlazeHeatnix]

My only wish is that you take a page from Sonic 3 Complete, and offer optional patches for everything this mod includes. I'd like the script you have without the mechanics changes.

[Rodimus Primal]

Most of his changes were really just to restore the features already present in Final Fantasy 4 on top of the script changes. Those features were still in the game just dummied.

[FlamePurge]

My only wish is that you take a page from Sonic 3 Complete, and offer optional patches for everything this mod includes. I'd like the script you have without the mechanics changes.

I apologize, but that doesn't seem like anything I'll do for this mod. For example, Cry didn't do anything originally while you had Porom. It lowered all enemies' evasion to the Sneak command. Porom and Edge are never on the same team... you see the problem? Lots of the other commands that I changed were useless from the get-go. I believe User Options' additions only serve to enhance players' FFIV experience, and the equipment changes are only for the good, most of them having been taken from FFIV Easy Type; many FFIV modders agree Easy Type did good for weapons and armor without making the game too easy.

[BlazeHeatnix]

I don't actually mind the mechanics changes, I just wish I could play FF4 the way I remember it, just with a new script.

At the very least, I highly, HIGHLY request changing the title screen back to the original. The new one is Americanized and just looks bad IMO, when the original is so much prettier. It's really the one and only thing keeping this from being the definitive version of FFIV.

[Spooniest]

Wait, so the original titlescreen from the Japanese version is all that would make it "definitive?"

I hear that word bandied about a lot when it comes to Final Fantasy hacks. What exactly are we trying to "define?"

Imagine if I took a print of "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh and painted stuff over it that I thought looked good. Is it art? Sure! But is it, or does it stand any chance of being, a "definitive" version of "Starry Night?" No, of course not. It's my painting that I made by painting over a print of "Starry Night."

If you like the script so much, why quibble over the gameplay changes? Seems like you're attempting to have your cake and eat it too, if you don't mind my saying so.

This is our art, man. Your suggestions (as I understand it) are welcome, but you're sounding like you just expect someone to do a crapton of work specifically for you, free for nothing.

I just don't think that's very cool, dood

[Rodimus Primal]

Completely agree with Spooniest here. Vivify93 did a fantastic job of cleaning up the game. The script, the title screen, User Options, use of the dummied items and commands, while keeping to the confines of Nintendo of America's standards of the time. It all makes for an enhanced version of the Final Fantasy II (US) that you remember, yet making it Final Fantasy IV like it should be.

I agree that some, like myself, are a bit purist when it comes to the names and censorship, which is why I used Project II as a base to make Namingway Edition. However at the end of the day, I think he made something well worth the efforts.

[BlazeHeatnix]

I feel like I'm being attacked here...In fact I'm pretty sure that's what's going on, and I don't think I deserve it.

I'm not "entitled" to anything. Of course I appreciate what we have. I don't think a version should be tailor-made just for me. But I do consider this the definitive version of FF4, and trying to debate what that word means is just silly. The bottom line is: what vivify93 has created is a better version of FF4 than anyone will ever make, including Square themselves. This is not comparable, in any shape or form, to a modification of a painting. It's more like a fanedit of a film. Which would you rather watch: an academy-award winning film, or a cut of the film that removes any and all unnecessary, badly-written scenes? I think most people would prefer the latter.

I think what vivify93 has done is not JUST a modification. It's a hack that creates the ultimate edition of a game. It's up there with Sonic 3 Complete, FF Restoration, Pokemon Crystal: Emu Edition and Metroid mOTHER as one of the greatest hacks ever made, for this reason. Something that perfects what's already there. And so if I suggest something be changed, it's not me saying "This sucks, change it". It's me saying "This hack is almost completely perfect, save for this one detail."

I just want to be able to play this and have a headcanon in my head that this is an officially released Square product. And having an FF4 title screen that's not FF4's title screen at all detracts from that, IMO. Again, I'm not making a huge deal of this. I'm not saying it ruins the hack, of course it doesn't. The actual game is excellent. I am not demanding what ANYONE do with their "art". It's a suggestion and a reason for the suggestion, nothing more. Calling me entitled for that is just not fair.

[chillyfeez]

BlazeHeatnix, are you American?
The reason I ask is, Project II's title screen is that of the original US release of "Final Fantasy II," except with the "II" rewritten as "IV."
For those of us who live in the States and grew up with the NoA SNES version of the game, this is a pretty logical title screen for vivify to have used.
I'm not trying to attack, BTW, just presenting a counterpoint.

[Spooniest]

Your ideas about feeling a need to play an "ultimate" version of the game are the total antithesis of my thoughts on gaming.

Perhaps I'm being a bit hasty in judging you this harshly. Viv and I are friends and I think Project II is one of the finest hacks I've ever seen cross the frontsite, so I got a bit defensive, there.

Sorry.

I think that if you want the script from Project II in a vanilla edition of FF4 with the original title screen, then you might speak to Viv about making your own version, using a copy of his script. It's not like his work is copyrightable, in this case. I'm sure Viv would be totally down with that, unless I'm too far mistaken. What do you say Viv?

Please, relax while you're here. I apologize if I got your dander up.

[Rodimus Primal]

I feel like I'm being attacked here...In fact I'm pretty sure that's what's going on, and I don't think I deserve it.

Sorry, that's not how I wanted to come across. However, I do get defensive over Viv's project. Not justifying my actions and I understand your point.

I just want to be able to play this and have a headcanon in my head that this is an officially released Square product. And having an FF4 title screen that's not FF4's title screen at all detracts from that, IMO. Again, I'm not making a huge deal of this. I'm not saying it ruins the hack, of course it doesn't. The actual game is excellent. I am not demanding what ANYONE do with their "art". It's a suggestion and a reason for the suggestion, nothing more. Calling me entitled for that is just not fair.

I think if you leave vanilla Project II alone, the title screen works for what it was originally. But I understand, folks like myself are purists. This is why my next update to Namingway Edition will come with a patch over featuring a close facsimile of the Japanese Final Fantasy IV title screen. To understand WHY, look at my topic. It will be an extra patch so that if you don't like my edits to Project II you can just add it to the Vanilla version to make it YOUR "definitive" version. Credits to chillyfeez's hard work on this. 

[FlamePurge]

Thanks for the sentiments, Rodimus Primal and Spooniest, but please be nice to BlazeHeatnix. BlazeHeatnix, thank you so much for your compliments; they mean a lot to me. You may wish to check out Final Fantasy IV: Namingway Edition by Rodimus Primal and friends, which will feature an optional patch to restore something like the original FFIV title screen, as Rodimus himself said above. You should be able to combine their title screen patch with Project II.

I actually do rather like the newly-drawn IV by Paladin in place of the II, because it keeps the title screen Americanized, thus keeping in standard with the era, without keeping an improper number. I did have thoughts about looking into reverting the title some way, but I've received nothing but kudos and praise for Paladin's title, so I want it to stay.

Thanks so much for enjoying Project II so much, I really do appreciate it. Thank you for your understanding about my stubbornness in changing the title screen and reverting game mechanics.

Edit - Would anyone like a remake of the original manual from 1991? I've sadly lost access to my crappy Compaq laptop from 2009, (R.I.P.!) but as soon as I can get a new computer all to myself, I can totally do try to do this. It may be available as a separate download, since it'll just be a bunch of PNG images. I don't know how to bind a PDF.

[chillyfeez]

Not to steal your thunder, vivify, but the manual is readily available on the Final Fantasy IV Reference Book.

[Digitsie]

Would anyone like a remake of the original manual from 1991? I've sadly lost access to my crappy Compaq laptop from 2009, (R.I.P.!) but as soon as I can get a new computer all to myself, I can totally do try to do this. It may be available as a separate download, since it'll just be a bunch of PNG images. I don't know how to bind a PDF.

You could use this site:

http://convert-my-image.com/ImagesToPdf

if you decide to make one.

[chillyfeez]

Oh, heh - you said "remake."
Sometimes I only read every third word or so.
Sorry.

[Cavery210]

A line change i'd like to see.

Have you seen Cid? - Cid left to take care of the airships. Have you seen him?

[FlamePurge]

That's a good line change, Cavery210, but there's not enough room.