Kill the PS2 limitations end of the Dark Ages Era

[Jar]

im not to sure but i think the ps2 limitations are built into parts of the engine like the 30 FPS cap and the limit of each zones content i dont think that they can just drop ps2 support because the core engine wouldn't get any better

also the HDD on the ps2 is full because they are having problems updating the ps2 at all now have to use this new fangled update system

[Laraul]

Converting an application from DirectX 8 to DirectX 9 is not some incredibly difficult programming task. If you know anything about D3D you know this is not true.

How is DX9 better than DX8? Specifics? More importantly, compare DirectX to OpenGL. You think anything would change if they moved to a later version of DirectX? No. You don't want DirectX 9 support. You want the game engine to be overhauled.

Even if they don't do a full graphics update there are things they could do to modernize the existing client and make it work better on modern PC's without affecting PS2 support. I'll just copy past from the other thread because apparently not many people actually looked at it.

How does this youtube video look? Shadows... MSAA... etc etc. I must be doing something right cuz ppl keep asking me how I make the game look as good as it does (PS2 emulation?).

[bungiefan]

im not to sure but i think the ps2 limitations are built into parts of the engine like the 30 FPS cap and the limit of each zones content i dont think that they can just drop ps2 support because the core engine wouldn't get any better

also the HDD on the ps2 is full because they are having problems updating the ps2 at all now have to use this new fangled update system

The HDD is not full. FFXI uses only about 10 GB of the ~38 GB available. The PS2 HDD requires that each program be installed to its own partition, and the largest known partition created by any game is FFXI's 8 GB partition. That partition is getting full, but isn't there yet, it's at about 5 GB at last count. The lack of space error was due to old patch files being retained, and that the install process used to copy files instead of moving them to the new location after download, so you needed twice the free space as the patch you were trying to download and install.

The space issue could be fixed, if the upper size limit of a partition in the PS2 HDD file system is 8 GB, by spreading the expansions across several 8 GB partitions. Programs can access data on other partitions, as shown by being able to save game files to the HDD save partition in some games (like Japanese Xenosaga Episode 1), and PlayOnline Viewer messages being saved to the POL user folder while running FFXI, as well as FFXI screenshots being saved to a POL file folder in the PlayOnline Viewer partition. Making the game use multiple partitions would allow it to use more of the hard drive space. The one limiting factor there could be that new partitions may have to be created from an install disc, which old model PS2s likely can no longer read, and the cost of making and shipping out the discs would be high.

[SHJcules]

lol, I think it will take a little more than dropping the ps2 to make this game look like XIV

but seriously, with a good card and a simple regedit, XI can still look pretty good for its age.

[hordecore]

http://translate.googleusercontent.c...M7NwDqOjQjbzZA

[Jar]

The HDD is not full. FFXI uses only about 10 GB of the ~38 GB available. The PS2 HDD requires that each program be installed to its own partition, and the largest known partition created by any game is FFXI's 8 GB partition. That partition is getting full, but isn't there yet, it's at about 5 GB at last count. The lack of space error was due to old patch files being retained, and that the install process used to copy files instead of moving them to the new location after download, so you needed twice the free space as the patch you were trying to download and install.

The space issue could be fixed, if the upper size limit of a partition in the PS2 HDD file system is 8 GB, by spreading the expansions across several 8 GB partitions. Programs can access data on other partitions, as shown by being able to save game files to the HDD save partition in some games (like Japanese Xenosaga Episode 1), and PlayOnline Viewer messages being saved to the POL user folder while running FFXI, as well as FFXI screenshots being saved to a POL file folder in the PlayOnline Viewer partition. Making the game use multiple partitions would allow it to use more of the hard drive space. The one limiting factor there could be that new partitions may have to be created from an install disc, which old model PS2s likely can no longer read, and the cost of making and shipping out the discs would be high.

lol the ps2 file system really only hits 8gb max the game is 10 GB on pc atm

also they could make the partition stuff downloadable like an update

[Akujima]

FFXI will die before they drop Ps2 support.

Also that "fun in abyssea=darkages" tag is epic.

[CrAZYVIC]

Just giving a idea and my personal opinion.

(I hate post in troll topics -__-)

Well remake all the game with graphics like Blade & soul will cost a lot of money and that will need a lot of time and for make this a go is necesary stop give service to ps2 users sadly =(.

But there 2 things can be changed, for pc and for xbox360, easy and this dont need a "massive money and time"

Is remake the characters movements, animations, gear textures and character textures. Only the playable characters, mithra, elvan, humes, tarus and fatygalkas. We can have characters like TERA or blade & soul, yes this is posible without a lot of work. (Just the characters, no mobs, no npcs, no areas.)


The second thing can be changed, is the in game effects, like rain, sunny, wind storms, thunder storm, ice storm, fire storm. Even put on the characters, effects like wet skin by the rain.

This can be done in a few months and dont need a lot of man power. They can sell us $6 dolars for fatygalkas $8 ^^ jk, new remaked character and wheater effects.

But remake every area, with every mob and every npc. Can take years and ridicolous amount of money.

Lets say First remaked areas in ffxi. sandy, bastok, windy, gustaberg, ronfaure, saratabaruta, derfland, Norvallen, aragoneu. $ 12 dolars

Second remake areas 3 months after of first ones Rise of zilart areas and Cop areas. $12 dolars

Third remake 3 months after Abbysea and Wings of godess areas. $12 dolars

Four remake 3 months after TAU areas $12 dolars

The remaked areas will have, new mobs/old mobs, a lot of NMS and HNMS like abbysea, gear for high lv jobs, full texture scenario updates, sky, effects, npcs, grounds of valors mobs for low, med and high lvs.

We need give FFXI DEV team the money for they can do this remake.

A example of costs for FFXI DEVS.

For remake 1 area lets say south gustaberg. Mininium will need 8 days of work with 20 programers (Having ready the new engine and the project ready).

If they pay 4000 dolars per month to programers is $ 20 000 dolars just for 1 week counting only the programers and not counting the over time programers necesary for this >_>. i work as programer not as 3D games maker but i know what im talking about in costs and realism projects.

Price for FFXI DEV Team per 3 months of work = $ 400 000 - $ 600,000 dolars, counting 3D graphics designs, and more workers needed, no only programers. (Dont forget they need get the new engine get the Licence can cost a few millions or they can use ff14 engine "No thanks" in my opinion blade & soul destroy in graphics ff14)

They can reduce the cost, giving jobs to university programers, they will work for 1/4 by money of a hardcore programer.

If FFXI have at least 500k of players active we can found a project $ 6 millions per mini remake expansion.

This can be a good deal for DEVS team in ffxi, they will win nice money giving us the remaked areas.

[Atomic_Skull]

How is DX9 better than DX8? Specifics? More importantly, compare DirectX to OpenGL. You think anything would change if they moved to a later version of DirectX? No. You don't want DirectX 9 support. You want the game engine to be overhauled.

Minor tweaks =/= complete overhaul

DirectX 8 is emulated in Vista and Windows 7. A lot of the problems with running it on modern Windows would disappear because it would be running directly on the DirectX 9 HAL instead of indirectly via a D3D8 -> D3D9 wrapper.

Also, DirectX 9 is capable of doing FSAA with offscreen rendering unlike DirectX 8 (this is why FSAA doesn't work with FFXI) It would still require some code changes to make it possible, but it *would* be possible.

[Leonlionheart]

FFXI will die before they drop Ps2 support.

Also that "fun in abyssea=darkages" tag is epic.

You don't get off it do you?