[ff4tweak]

So I have been working o this hack for a while now and I though about sharing a bit of it just to see if there's more interest other than my own excitement for it.

What is the goal?

Well, long story short this is my favorite final fantasy. After playing the DS version of this you can tell a lot of differences between them, the extra commands are much more relevant and fun to use in the DS version, the bosses are much more challenging and the game is balanced much better. So When I see the SNES version of this game I think how fun it could have been to have had some of the implementations and changes from the DS version. I knew nothing about ASM so I couldn't really do much on my own, thankfully there are tools out there to help me out. And well, after some time I started learning ASM on my own, and here I am trying to come up with this frankenstein of project.

What have I been able to accomplish by now?

*   The delay of most commands have changed to resemble the DS version
*   Character's stats have changed to the DS stats as much as possible
*   Dark's effect has changed, it attacks one target at the cost of 1/8 of the user's HP
*   Jump's airtime has been increased just like in DS version
*   Recal's spell list has changed
*   Sing's effect has been reworked to target all enemies, the command now works with any weapon as long as a weapon is equipped
*   Pray's effect heals ~20% HP and some MP, and the success chance has slightly improved
*   Aim now works with any weapon as long as a weapon is equipped
*   Salve's effect heals for more HP
*   Focus' effect has changed, now it stores 1 charge and it can be released with either Fight or Kick, similar to the DS version
*   Kick's damage has increased
*   Brace's armor spell scales with user's level.
*   Bluff's effect changed to increase Wisdom by 12 instead of the original 16 (sorry, it's still good though)
*   Cry's effect improves the chance to deal critical hits, trying to resemble the damage bonus from the DS version of cry
*   Twin's delay has been increased, and the spell power of their spells as well, just like the DS version
*   Cid's Peep (and the Peep spell) works on bosses
*   Bless's effect has changed to heal HP according to the user's Will and it doesn't freeze the using when the effect is active
*   Parry now increases the defense(x2) and the magic defense(x4) until next turn to resemble the DS version
*   Some algorithms were changed (attack multiplier, spell power, poison damage, armor/protect's defense bonus, shell's magic defense bonus ...)
*   Equipment's stats, bonuses, elements, properties, etc... Have changed to resemble the weapons from the DS version
*   Initial spells and spells learned by level have changed to match the ones from the DS version
*   Magic's spell power, accuracy, delay, MP cost changed
*   Some spells were added and/or reworked according to the DS version
*   Enemy stats, AI, experience, gil, counters, etc... Have changed to resemble the enemies from the DS version

What is pending?

Whosh, there's still a lot pending, need to edit half of the enemies, study their AI and their counters, and edit half of the characters stats, I still want to rework Sing even more to show an actual list of songs to choose from, I really need to sit down and analyze how much is left.

What am I using to accomplish this hack?

Tools:
First and foremost: FF4kster https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/914/
My own creation, and one that I'm proud of, the Final Fantasy IV Tweak (ff4tweak): https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/1654/

Hacks:
SNES Final Fantasy IV: Add 15 New Spell Slots: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/5043/
Final Fantasy IV User Options: https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/2232/

And some ASM work, I am not an expert on the topic of romhacking, in fact this is my first experience dealing with ASM but I have learned a lot thanks to the support of many users around.

I would have liked to share much more screenshots but since most of the changes are implemented gameplay-wise and not graphically appreciable there's not really much to show without experimenting the actual feeling of playing it for yourself :/

Poison your enemies to death, don't be afraid to intoxicate your bosses like in the DS version!


Notice a different growth in stats to match the DS version


Mombom's explosion in action, Parry it or die like the reckless Rydia


Let Valvalis use her randomly unfair counters


Play peep the weakness with Golbez

[FlamePurge]

This sounds excellent!! I'll be looking forward to it

[kyuwert]

Cool project! Are you using any existing hacks like Project II or anything as a basis for this? If not, have you made or plan to make any changes to the script? Just throwing this out there, but a couple of years ago I had spent some time on a personal project editing down the DS script to fit within the original game's space constraints, and I would gladly lend a hand if you had any interest in polishing this hack off with a "DSified" script too. It requires an intense amount of paring down, but the end result was actually very concise and consistent. I remember I also changed the intro sequence to let you fight the battle manually as in DS, so I almost had this same idea   Either way, I'll definitely keep an eye on this. 

[Brutapode89]

All dialogues from the DS version? And is it for the US ROM (Final Fantasy II)?

[ff4tweak]

Cool project! Are you using any existing hacks like Project II or anything as a basis for this? If not, have you made or plan to make any changes to the script? Just throwing this out there, but a couple of years ago I had spent some time on a personal project editing down the DS script to fit within the original game's space constraints, and I would gladly lend a hand if you had any interest in polishing this hack off with a "DSified" script too. It requires an intense amount of paring down, but the end result was actually very concise and consistent. I remember I also changed the intro sequence to let you fight the battle manually as in DS, so I almost had this same idea   Either way, I'll definitely keep an eye on this. 

Hey ty!

I have seen Project II around, I am NOT using it currently though. What's most important for me is the combat, and since there are a couple hacks I want to patch my hack with I need to be mindful of how much more I can incorporate without messing it up, but I definitely don't want to discard this option!

[nanashi89]

Will you add the Superboss that could only be found on New Game +, if you had a certain key item?

[FlamePurge]

oh I would love it if you ported the DS script to the SNES version. slattery's FFIV is my all time favorite take on it

[ff4tweak]

oh I would love it if you ported the DS script to the SNES version. slattery's FFIV is my all time favorite take on it

It's definitely the best one so far.

I might have to add it to my to-do list, but I can't really promise something like that as of now at least.