Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

[Hyrist]

Sence the CoP Releace, new and more exciting looking armor has become releaced through out the game, leaving the oldies but goldies looking, well... bland.

There also becomes the issue of repition in armor sets. By later levels, most mages wear a Errant Set, Optical Hat and Scorpion Harnesses are frequent sights in Jueno.

So it is not suprising when it comes to my attention that many of the PC users have come into the habit of wanting to 'tweak' their game in terms of graphics. The poor people who play PS2 who cant share our tweaking abilities are being left out. Though it did give me an idea.

What if we, the "Dreams in Vana'diel" Community, created a set of edited skin graphics to revamp some of the older-more common-armor and weapons, pack it up in a nice little file with a display, and propose it to SE? The worst they can do is refuse it.

Each of us can work together and submit peices to be voted upon to send to SE. Once we are satasfied with our results, one of us (Determined later) will send the proposal to SE with the package of all the work done for them, and we can let thier development team make their own decissions.


After a few recomendations I'll post a detailed list of what we would like to get re-done, but for now here's some of my ideas.

List of graphics to be redone.

Artifect Armor customised to Race.
Avatars (Amadaun mind if we include yours in the package?)
Optical Hat Redux (Maybe by race?)
Scorpion Harness Redux (same as above)
Brigidine Armor by race (Enough of the chess set bodies...)
Wise Set (IMO the worst looking JSE set ever...)
Haubergeon (Face it, every melee that can has a Hauby)

Are you guys intrested in doing this? And if so do you have any more sugestions? I would like this to be a rather large undertaking in our attempts to make this game more enjoyable for all, as well as ourselves. Hopefully there are people who are of like mind ^^

[ruffrydasean]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

Sounds cool... but will SE ever accept such things. ?

[Hyrist]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

We wont know untill we try.

Worst case senerio, the PC community will have a nice little graphics update available on the web.

[Amadaun]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

Well, I wouldn't mind being a part of a package like this, but I think it would be a really bad idea to send this to SE. Technically, according to the user agreement:

To the maximum extent permitted by law, you may not:
(a) Modify, reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Software

So, technically the .dat adjustments that we're doing is illegal, and so, if we sent the package to SE, it would be a little like saying: "We sell gil. Would you like to buy some?"

Now, I hate raining on everyone's parade like this, and I think that doing a giant mod like this is wonderful, but if we went and shoved it in SE's face, they'd have to do something about it, and I don't think it would be pleasant for us.

[Hyrist]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

No military logic in the gaming community eh?

Very well then, how about just for us? I know alot of people who swap out and change music files. Weither or not SE approves of it, the logic of this is, if the graphics of the game were a little more exciting, people would enjoy it more.

Celes: "You don't like the way the world is? Do somthing about it!"

SE dosent show any intention of putting the work into revamping these graphics to make them more intresting, so I say lets do it ourselves. A nice complentry graphics mod would really make things more diverse and enjoyable in FFXI, and we all seem to be of the same mind in our own little ways.

Maybe later on I'll send a "Theortical Question" to the POL help desk to see if making a submission would get anyone in trouble.

[Nicker]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

If it matters , I think the textures on the haubergeon are looking a little dated compared to most the other armor >< for such a great piece of armor I think it at least deserves a little touch up, so perhaps you should add that to the list <_<

[Monet]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

Here's my take on the situation, since I'm an established member in the AF modding community

The game is great. Alot of people put alot of effort into creating the original everything for the game. Unfortunately, as time goes by, with thousands of people playing a never ending game, flaws will be found and ideas revealed. Had noone ever wanted to make their current game different/better, we'd be playing FFXI with 8-bit pixelated wondrosities. I find nothing wrong with changing the graphics of the game, regardless of what the EULA says. It does NOTHING to change gameplay, takes nothing away from other players, and has no added advantage besides giving you the "look" that you want.

I will take an active effort in your quest. I will create more *ahem* modest items of equipment for submission based on requests. And, if and when it comes down to it, I will volunteer to be the submitter, should we find it ideal to take it further than posting for others to download.

[Hyrist]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

Glad to have you aboard Monet. Your skills will be most needed for some of the ideas I have in mind.

[Lakario]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

I'd just like to add that the clause of the software agreement applies to the compiled software itself and not so much the resources loaded by said software. I highly doubt that replacing dat files is, in any way, a breach of contract.

[Amadaun]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

Don't count me out just yet^^ I'd love to be part of a project like this.

(Sorry if it seemed like I was turning down the opportunity...I've just been extra careful about copyright stuff ever since Deviantart threatened to ban my account just for displaying models in my gallery. ; ; )

I've been working on a redo of the lizard armor set so that it actually looks like it came from a lizard, rather than some poor jester or something. Not an attractive set, persay, but a very functional, sturdy-looking one. I'll upload some screenshots of it once the gloves are done. I'm planning something similar for some of the other "hide" armors.

But yeah, asking about it would certainly put my mind at ease.

[Yossar]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

Sounds great. I'll help in whatever way I can. I'm a firm believer that Elvaan Females need more gear to accentuate their leggy super model physique.

[Ghostraven]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

you have to consider two things. SE even acce[ting this proposal means they are encouraging people to use 3rd party programs to edit and view FFXI files... something they will NEVER do, since they are banning people just for using windower.

another thing to remember is the reason they don't have so many different looking armor sets is because they want the game to be playable on 56k AND on ps2 hardware with as little lag possible. Most model types to display = more memory used on ps2 (what is it like 64mb of video ram in the ps2?)

But good luck with this. I already edited most of the "UGLY" sound effects in the game for myself, so I support you in trying to liven up the game.

[Hyrist]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

another thing to remember is the reason they don't have so many different looking armor sets is because they want the game to be playable on 56k AND on ps2 hardware with as little lag possible. Most model types to display = more memory used on ps2 (what is it like 64mb of video ram in the ps2?)

So you know, cause most dont.

For every peice of equipment, for every race and gender, there is both a model and skin for it. Its all contained in the .dat file and folder. Weither or not they all look the same or they are all unique and differnt for race and gender. It takes an insiginifigant amount of memory to have a more detailed skin file. As for loading times the customization in equipment does not increese this at all.

The only thing SE did actually save on, was development time and cost of paying artist to make more customized designs. Nothing more. It borderlines sheer lazyness on how some of the armor and weapon peices in this game lack uniqueness and detail to them. Especially Artifact sets between gender and races.

For instance, you try telling the differance between a femae and male tarus in the same AF, or any armor peice for that matter. A minor color change in the armor alone would have sufficed. And it would not have costed a bit of extra information, because the skin files are all differnt.

By no means am I trying to put you down Ghost, just wanted to let you know that file size here is a non-issue.

[Tygleris]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

Perhaps they all look the same between races because.... they were meant to be the same between races?

Don't get me wrong. I fully support your idea to get a collab of updated armor sets just for the sake of giving some new, interesting visuals to ffxi, but I've read that you have a problem with the AF looking the same for each race many times, and I just don't see what the problem is.

The AFs are supposed to be the same for each race, as nearly every other armor set is. There seems no logical reason to make it different, since it's not trying to give indeviduality to each race, but trying to give something unique to each job. AF is all about showing off the job, not trying to show pride for your race at the same time.

[Hyrist]

Re: Proposal: FFXI Graphic Update Colaberation

My approach is from a logical standpoint.

There is no one-size-fits-all equipment. Sorry but there is no way a Galka is going to put on the boots from a Taru. Also, we have to remember that these armor are "Artifacts" which means they come form a time when the 5 races were NOT co-operative. That means there was no grand trades between nations. Anyone who were to make a set of armor would have to look localy. Thus the variations in craft, and look. This consitderation is actually the basis for most of my AF renditions. You will notice a similar trend going on for each race that reflects both their race and nationality of their race's origen.

Give it time, you may still think my idea on this is much better than creating a Uniformed outlook on every armor in the game.