Final Fantasy IV Namingway Edition (updated to Version 1.98d)

[Rodimus Primal]

Thanks for the feedback Duke2go. chillyfeez took the FFIV Easy Type to produce what you see above, and I think the coding is different from NES to SNES.

[Duke2go]

Since you were courteous enough to respond in my thread, I thought I would return the courtesy. Thank you for the response in both threads. Your suggestions gave me some great insight, and thought, about how I want to proceed from here. I really am enjoying your Namingway edition of Final Fantasy II/IV. That is my favorite game in the series hands down and I love seeing how people have improved upon something that I love so dearly. I look forward to updates on your progress as well.

[chillyfeez]

So, Rodimus, I've got a bit of a roadblock here...

Here's the problem.

The FFIVJ Title screen we know and love:


Really only has the bluish tint to it because of the layering effect that I don't know how to reproduce.

What you're seeing in that image is actually this:

(a transparent version of the same image I posted above)

Layered on top of this:


I unfortunately don't even know where to begin learning how that layering actually works, and it doesn't seem that anyone over on the slick board has any insight either.
So unless the situation changes, concessions will have to be made on this one for now.
As an experiment, I tried using the bottom layer's palette instead of the top layer's palette in the prototype (also took out the subtitle):


I don't know if you think that's any better... I kind of like that, but I like it because it is visually distinct from Easy Type, and not necessarily because it is any closer to the original.

Thoughts?

[JCE3000GT]

^ I really like that version right there!

[Duke2go]

^ I really like that version right there!

Seconded!!!

[Rodimus Primal]

I like it. Reproduces the original title screen while being original at the same time. I say let's go for it.

[chillyfeez]

OK.
Now to make it flash.

[Rodimus Primal]

OK.
Now to make it flash.

[Bobolicious81]

dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun

FLASH!

AH-AAAAAAH!

Sorry, my inner Queen fan took over.
I did like the "Americanized" FFIV logo purely out of nostalgia, but that new one looks fantastic and classy and reinforces the aim of this hack.

Also, I was dinking around with the current version tonight and noticed that when using any command whose own name shows up at the top of the screen when used (Throw, Pray, etc) the name is messed up. When I opened the ROM in FF4kster it looked like the command names had been shifted slightly. I was using a previous save file of mine and didn't start from scratch so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it (I don't think so but I did have a similar issue using an existing save with MaternalBound) but everything else looked fine.

[Rodimus Primal]

Also, I was dinking around with the current version tonight and noticed that when using any command whose own name shows up at the top of the screen when used (Throw, Pray, etc) the name is messed up. When I opened the ROM in FF4kster it looked like the command names had been shifted slightly. I was using a previous save file of mine and didn't start from scratch so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it (I don't think so but I did have a similar issue using an existing save with MaternalBound) but everything else looked fine.

The commands were shifted for longer Class names in the menu. So that part wouldn't be compatible with FF4kster. It's possible that if you used a headered ROM that could be causing the issue. Or there could be a pointer problem. I'll have to look over my version tonight.

dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun

FLASH!

AH-AAAAAAH!

Sorry, my inner Queen fan took over.

SAVIOR OF THE UNIVERSE! 

I did like the "Americanized" FFIV logo purely out of nostalgia, but that new one looks fantastic and classy and reinforces the aim of this hack.

I'm tempted to make the two title screen's optional. While I'm waiting on chillyfeez's coding on that, I hope that the work he did was to an unaltered FFII ROM so that the changes I'm currently making are still compatible.

Edit- Yep it is a pointer issue with the battle commands. I'm going to have to get that fixed for next release. The pointers that were changed are for the battle menu, but not for the commands up top.

[chillyfeez]

I'm pretty sure that I worked out a fix for those command name pointers. It was after everything else, though, because I initially had forgotten that. It'd be back on the Project II thread somewhere...

The work I'm doing on the title screen is on an otherwise unaltered ROM, so it should be something that could be presented as an optional patch.

[Rodimus Primal]

Very cool. I'll have to look back on the Project II thread. I thought I had added the fixes you did for it....

Edit - Okay so I double checked each change described in that thread. There was ONE off, however there is still something buggy with the pointers. So going by the fix for the pointers I'm going to describe what I did so that I can make sure I got it right:

Item Target Window: 00DB50

Changed "0E" to "0F"

Magic Target Window: 00DB81

Changed "15" to "16"

Caster's Stats Window (oddly enough, the game uses five values, depending on which slot the caster is in, so increase all of them by 1):
00DB69
00DB6D
00DB71
00DB75
00DB79

All of these were "13" which I changed to "14"

[chillyfeez]

Those would only have been the fixes to make the windows bigger to allow for the longer class name. The change for the command name pointers would likely have been in a later post. Lemme see if I can find it again...

Ah, here we go...

Regarding the adjusted command names showing up wrong when used in battle, simple one-byte fix for that.
In addition to the previous steps mentioned, Jump to 14D52 in your hex editor (again, ROM with header), and change that byte from C6 to D4.

[Rodimus Primal]

That was it! Sweet! I'm also going to restore all the battle scripts for monsters making them the same as FFIV and release an update soon (especially with a bug like that present), and another after you finish with the title screen, unless you finish first. The changes to Project II from 2.08 to 2.11 I decided to either add his changes or make my own edits.

Once again, big thanks chillyfeez! You're a lifesaver. 

Bobolicious81, thanks for pointing out the bug! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

Namingway Edition has really taken a life of its own! 

[chillyfeez]

Sure thing.
I should have quite a bit of time this weekend to work on the title screen. If all goes well, it may be ready for press by Sunday...

[Rodimus Primal]

Alright. Version 1.3 is up and approved. Fixed that bug among other things.

[Bobolicious81]

Yay! Commands are fixed!
But... Scarmiglione... He's gone loopy. I was messing with my old saves again and noticed at the end of the first battle with him he says "This is my true form!" which makes it sound like he's referring to the form you just beat, making a liar out of him when he sneaks up for round 2. Then the 2nd battle starts with him saying "Die! ...the deep ravine!" which is just flat out crazy 

But anyway, thanks so much for your efforts. I grabbed the J2e version when it was first released and, while it was nice to have the original unaltered gameplay, all the cussing and pop culture references really put me off. Why do these people know who William Shatner is?
So thanks for putting right what once went wrong, and I hope your next leap will be the leap home.

[Rodimus Primal]

I messed up updated his quotes during battle. It's almost fixed, but the issue I run into is his name being so long! If I just write his quotes they fit just fine, but adding his name to the battle messages leaves me almost NO room! Going by what he should say, his first quote should be "Tear them apart!" When he dies he should say "Oh...my body!" Question is, should I leave them be without it displaying his name or should I come up with something shorter? I'm opting for "Scarmiglione:Kill them!" and "Scarmiglione:M...my body!" for now.

For his Zombie form, I updated it so it says "Scarmiglione:This is my true form. Now Die!" split in two pages. This fits just fine after I fixed it and you cannot battle anyway until you've read the whole message. So this is now fixed.

So thanks for putting right what once went wrong, and I hope your next leap will be the leap home.

Ziggy says the title screen's important too!

[chillyfeez]

Hey, Rodimus, just an update on progress...

I haven't spent as much time working on the title screen as originally planned this weekend. Real life stuff got in the way. Honestly... The weather's been beautiful, and when that happens in Upstate New York in April, you can't not live it up.

But I have made progress. I know how it's all going to work, it's just a matter of writing the routines.
It's gonna be great - you'll have the crystal fade in first, then the "FINAL FANTASY IV" lettering, then (c)1991 SQUARE, just like in the original (plus the flashing after that).
I promise it'll be worth the wait.

[Bahamut ZERO]

Oh mah gawd. It's gonna be great to see that.