I've finally updated Odine's end game exposition! I had received some feedback that the dialogue felt a little cramped and convoluted, and I agree. I have improved it. I've simplified the explanation of the final events of the game, as well as a few other points. And I reduced the number of words for Odine by about 2/3, making it much more digestible.
If anyone has not yet finished the mod, I highly recommend downloading the updated version.
Not at all! I haven't stopped using Ragnarok since it was released, and I thoroughly endorse it. Ragnarok does make changes to the field.fs files. But Ragnarok does far more than that. I would say that only around 15%-20% of Ragnarok's changes are the in the field.fs files. Unfortunately, those changes include things like extra boss battles, altered draw points, Triple Triad card locations, and new sidequests. But if you can live without those changes, at least for one playthrough, you can enjoy my mod with most of the benefits of Ragnarok, too. Just install Ragnarok entirely, and then overwrite with my 3 field files last.
Yes! My mod is compatible with almost every graphical mod. The only exceptions are anything that changes the 'field.fs' files, which are not too common.
A fantastic rewrite project that turns FF8 into a fan-made story that is ever so slightly detached from the original but still manages to deliver its own spin and unique narrative. Although this mod is not a script fix or retranslation -- the story-sequence-beats all follow the same logic from the original game -- what has changed are dialogues being more natural-sounding along with vastly altered character motivations mainly regarding Seifer, Rinoa, Ellone and Ultimecia. Special attention went to Seifer and his dramatic role in the story, Rinoa still acts like a spoiled princess but is less grating and Squall's inner monologue is a lot more verbose as well, as Percival took the time to develop their own take on Squall's character arc, describing in more minute detail how he came to take responsability and finally accept to become a leader. Great stuff.
Spoiler warning for original FF8 and the content of this mod, I will try to keep it vague still just in case: the major plotpoint changes have to be Rinoa starting off with different motivations as her role of being a witch is established early on along with her fears of being corrupted and consumed by evil influences, the whole Time Kompression hurdle is greatly revamped, Squall and Ellone's relationship is expanded with feelings of sibling endearment and longing, and last but not least, the GF's side effects are subverted. In Selphie's words: "I remember you and Zell, a little. Quistis said she lived there, too..." which sounds so simple yet works perfectly in favor of Percival's story, as the main cast of FF8 now all have vague recollections of having spent time together during their childhood instead of suffering memory loss from junctioning GFs.
Sadly a few issues rear their heads where the new script inevitably clashes with events of the original game, i.e. anyone but Squall and Rinoa is acting as third wheel during the final stretch of the game simply because that's how the OG game went and no amount of rewriting dialogues can change that.
I applaud Percival's effort and respect their reinterpretation of the story, which made me appreciate the game a lot more. Also, the new script pairs beautifully with the Orchestrated soundtrack mod. Chief kiss, highly recommended to get a fresh new take on FF8.
Back when I originally played this game back in the very late 90's, I was incredibly disappointed by this game. FF6 was one of my favorite games of all time. FF7, while still very good to me, was still a very good game to me despite some initial problems I had with it, but was able to get over those quickly and still enjoy the game.
Final Fantasy 8 was the game in which I first felt this series begin to take a major fall from grace. I didn't like it. There were some gameplay issues I had, the draw and junction systems being terrible, for one thing... but my major criticism of FF8 was it's story and characters. I HATED them. I had so many issues with every character whom I felt were written as annoying and stupid, the lot of them. The plot was also cheeseball, borderline nonsensical, and an idiot plot full of contrivances and silly bullshit galore. Not to mention an entirely unconvincing romance between an asshole and a childish idiot who shared no chemistry with each other whatsoever. Motivations are poorly explained, and I felt the dialogue and bizarre characterizations were straight out of what I would about 8 years later come to compare to the masterpiece known as Tommy Wisseu's epic, The Room. Quite frankly, the script, the characters, and the moron-plot were things that turned me away from this game, even back in the day making me turn to cheating with a GameShark for max HP and max MP just to get it over with, since I paid for this junk and wanted to get my money out of it, but wanted this story to just end.
To put it mildly, this has always been one of my LEAST favorite entries in the series. Just recently after nearly 2 decades since the last time I played this game, I was thinking of giving this game another shot, and was browsing mods when I came across this.
I read your description for your mod, and lo and behold you mention SEVERAL issues I always had with this plot. The characterization, the bizarre and unclear motivations, the unnatural character dialogue, the stupid amnesia, and the idiotic Time Compression bullshit. Things you sought to fix. Personally, i'm hoping the chemistry between the leads is made stronger, Rinoa isn't a giggling ditz screwup with an IQ of 88, the other characters actually HAVE a real personality this time around, Seifer is less of a drooling rabid dog whose brain diseased motivations make zero coherent sense, and there's a better sense of actual accomplishment with the storyline that unfolds more naturally this time around, but I'm already liking the changes I'm seeing. So I think this mod may just be what I've always wanted: Final Fantasy 8, But Good.
Or at least... better. Pretty sure this won't make Junctioning or Drawing Magic suck less pureed ass through a straw, but still, looking forward to the new script to make the process far more bearable, this time.
The short answer is that this is a reinterpretation.
I don't speak fluent Japanese, so I spent some time researching what I could regarding more accurate translations of the original script. What I found was that, despite a lot of rumors, the original English version that we have is generally a very faithful translation (with a few interesting exceptions). If you are under the false impression that FF8's story was 'lost in translation', then this mod might not be for you. This mod improves the localization and the story structure. It is not simply a translation. I took inspiration from the Japanese where I could, and I took my own liberties when I thought appropriate.
Read the description again. It is a full script overhaul, with a mind to the goals that have been outlined. Hopefully that's something you might enjoy!
I have 2 questions 1) As someone who was put off by the original's translation 20 years ago ("whatever" being used for no reason) do you recommend this for me? 2) Is there any way to play this on a PSX emulator (e.g. on a raspberry pi for instance) It would look great on a CRT.
Sure! I recommend this mod for anyone who isn't put off by the changes listed in the mod description.
There is currently no way to play this mod on any emulator that I'm aware of. The editing software that I used has the ability to open FF8 ISO files, but it cannot re-write any of the text or code. You would need the original 2013 Steam version of the game, or possibly the older PC release, if you can find it.
But I agree with you. I'm also a fan of CRT interlacing for old PS1 games. It really does make a difference in how the lighting and shading looks.
É triste que isso só esteja em inglês. Jogo em português com uma tradução. Se algum dia for possível alguém traduzir isso para o máximo de linguagens possível seria ótimo.
Sim, essa é a maior desvantagem desse mod. Criar uma tradução de qualidade para outro idioma seria um grande projeto por si só. Eu falo um pouco de espanhol, mas não falo português. E usar algo como o Google Tradutor está longe de ser o ideal.
If I could ask some spoiler questions: What does time compression and ultimecias plans get replaced with? or does Ultimecia get written out somehow, or is she no longer a time traveller? What has changed with Edeas story given everyone should remember her now?
That is a massive spoiler, and it's a short question with a much longer answer. I'll try to keep it brief. And please, DON'T READ THIS if you don't want spoilers.
Yes, Utlimecia is still the main villain of the game, and she is still influencing Edea's decisions. But she's no longer a 'time traveler'. But to explain Edea's story, I'd have to retell most of the game. I promise that it's all believable as it happens. But you'll have to experience it to understand.
161 comments
I've finally updated Odine's end game exposition! I had received some feedback that the dialogue felt a little cramped and convoluted, and I agree. I have improved it. I've simplified the explanation of the final events of the game, as well as a few other points. And I reduced the number of words for Odine by about 2/3, making it much more digestible.
If anyone has not yet finished the mod, I highly recommend downloading the updated version.
In particular I'm considering the Ragnarok gameplay mod. topic=18404.0 over at Qhimm.
Ragnarok does make changes to the field.fs files. But Ragnarok does far more than that. I would say that only around 15%-20% of Ragnarok's changes are the in the field.fs files.
Unfortunately, those changes include things like extra boss battles, altered draw points, Triple Triad card locations, and new sidequests. But if you can live without those changes, at least for one playthrough, you can enjoy my mod with most of the benefits of Ragnarok, too.
Just install Ragnarok entirely, and then overwrite with my 3 field files last.
Spoiler warning for original FF8 and the content of this mod, I will try to keep it vague still just in case: the major plotpoint changes have to be Rinoa starting off with different motivations as her role of being a witch is established early on along with her fears of being corrupted and consumed by evil influences, the whole Time Kompression hurdle is greatly revamped, Squall and Ellone's relationship is expanded with feelings of sibling endearment and longing, and last but not least, the GF's side effects are subverted. In Selphie's words: "I remember you and Zell, a little. Quistis said she lived there, too..." which sounds so simple yet works perfectly in favor of Percival's story, as the main cast of FF8 now all have vague recollections of having spent time together during their childhood instead of suffering memory loss from junctioning GFs.
Sadly a few issues rear their heads where the new script inevitably clashes with events of the original game, i.e. anyone but Squall and Rinoa is acting as third wheel during the final stretch of the game simply because that's how the OG game went and no amount of rewriting dialogues can change that.
I applaud Percival's effort and respect their reinterpretation of the story, which made me appreciate the game a lot more. Also, the new script pairs beautifully with the Orchestrated soundtrack mod. Chief kiss, highly recommended to get a fresh new take on FF8.
Back when I originally played this game back in the very late 90's, I was incredibly disappointed by this game. FF6 was one of my favorite games of all time. FF7, while still very good to me, was still a very good game to me despite some initial problems I had with it, but was able to get over those quickly and still enjoy the game.
Final Fantasy 8 was the game in which I first felt this series begin to take a major fall from grace. I didn't like it. There were some gameplay issues I had, the draw and junction systems being terrible, for one thing... but my major criticism of FF8 was it's story and characters. I HATED them. I had so many issues with every character whom I felt were written as annoying and stupid, the lot of them. The plot was also cheeseball, borderline nonsensical, and an idiot plot full of contrivances and silly bullshit galore. Not to mention an entirely unconvincing romance between an asshole and a childish idiot who shared no chemistry with each other whatsoever. Motivations are poorly explained, and I felt the dialogue and bizarre characterizations were straight out of what I would about 8 years later come to compare to the masterpiece known as Tommy Wisseu's epic, The Room. Quite frankly, the script, the characters, and the moron-plot were things that turned me away from this game, even back in the day making me turn to cheating with a GameShark for max HP and max MP just to get it over with, since I paid for this junk and wanted to get my money out of it, but wanted this story to just end.
To put it mildly, this has always been one of my LEAST favorite entries in the series. Just recently after nearly 2 decades since the last time I played this game, I was thinking of giving this game another shot, and was browsing mods when I came across this.
I read your description for your mod, and lo and behold you mention SEVERAL issues I always had with this plot. The characterization, the bizarre and unclear motivations, the unnatural character dialogue, the stupid amnesia, and the idiotic Time Compression bullshit. Things you sought to fix. Personally, i'm hoping the chemistry between the leads is made stronger, Rinoa isn't a giggling ditz screwup with an IQ of 88, the other characters actually HAVE a real personality this time around, Seifer is less of a drooling rabid dog whose brain diseased motivations make zero coherent sense, and there's a better sense of actual accomplishment with the storyline that unfolds more naturally this time around, but I'm already liking the changes I'm seeing. So I think this mod may just be what I've always wanted: Final Fantasy 8, But Good.
Or at least... better. Pretty sure this won't make Junctioning or Drawing Magic suck less pureed ass through a straw, but still, looking forward to the new script to make the process far more bearable, this time.
I don't speak fluent Japanese, so I spent some time researching what I could regarding more accurate translations of the original script. What I found was that, despite a lot of rumors, the original English version that we have is generally a very faithful translation (with a few interesting exceptions). If you are under the false impression that FF8's story was 'lost in translation', then this mod might not be for you. This mod improves the localization and the story structure. It is not simply a translation. I took inspiration from the Japanese where I could, and I took my own liberties when I thought appropriate.
Read the description again. It is a full script overhaul, with a mind to the goals that have been outlined. Hopefully that's something you might enjoy!
1) As someone who was put off by the original's translation 20 years ago ("whatever" being used for no reason) do you recommend this for me?
2) Is there any way to play this on a PSX emulator (e.g. on a raspberry pi for instance) It would look great on a CRT.
There is currently no way to play this mod on any emulator that I'm aware of. The editing software that I used has the ability to open FF8 ISO files, but it cannot re-write any of the text or code. You would need the original 2013 Steam version of the game, or possibly the older PC release, if you can find it.
But I agree with you. I'm also a fan of CRT interlacing for old PS1 games. It really does make a difference in how the lighting and shading looks.
What does time compression and ultimecias plans get replaced with? or does Ultimecia get written out somehow, or is she no longer a time traveller?
What has changed with Edeas story given everyone should remember her now?
Yes, Utlimecia is still the main villain of the game, and she is still influencing Edea's decisions. But she's no longer a 'time traveler'. But to explain Edea's story, I'd have to retell most of the game. I promise that it's all believable as it happens. But you'll have to experience it to understand.