Final Fantasy VIII

2010-09-08 01:06:57 am

Moo! Flap! Hug!

Hi everyone,

Sorry, I meant to upload this program ages ago, but it slipped my mind. It's an automatic AP table generator. You tell it which GFs you will acquire, which abilities you want them to learn (in order), and which battles you will fight. It will spit out an AP table for you, telling you when each ability will be learned. Much nicer that doing all that number-crunching by hand.

As with the Triple Triad player, there's a README file with compilation / execution instructions. I also included sample input files that use my SS route.

Cheers
--Poxnor

Attachment:

APPlanner.tgz

Poxnor

2010-11-01 07:57:03 pm

Moo! Flap! Hug!

I have a question about the scene in the Balamb Garden sub-levels (right before the Garden takes flight). At one point, Squall and his two companions have to turn a crank wheel to open the floor to the next area. You have to button-mash to turn the wheel. If you don't mash fast enough, your first companion joins Squall; and, if you still don't mash fast enough, your second companion joins Squall.

When I play with a turbo controller, it's trivial to turn the crank wheel with just Squall. But, I can't button mash fast enough to make that happen without a turbo controller. That said, I acknowledge that I'm a very poor button masher. I just wanted to check with other people who know this game well: is it possible to turn the wheel, using only Squall, without a turbo controller? I haven't found a definitive answer when looking online.

Thanks!
--Poxnor

Essentia

2010-11-02 09:51:40 am

Everything's better with Magitek

I'm a decent button masher, but I don't think I've ever been able to turn it with just Squall. I wish I had a save near that point so I could test it.

MatrixTN

2010-11-02 11:47:56 am

You got a deletion wish?

I have the Prima guide but don't know where it is but I believe it said that its close to impossible with just Squall.

Phoenix3568

2010-11-02 11:48:05 am

Procrastination Nation!

Quote from Poxnor:

I have a question about the scene in the Balamb Garden sub-levels (right before the Garden takes flight). At one point, Squall and his two companions have to turn a crank wheel to open the floor to the next area. You have to button-mash to turn the wheel. If you don't mash fast enough, your first companion joins Squall; and, if you still don't mash fast enough, your second companion joins Squall.

When I play with a turbo controller, it's trivial to turn the crank wheel with just Squall. But, I can't button mash fast enough to make that happen without a turbo controller. That said, I acknowledge that I'm a very poor button masher. I just wanted to check with other people who know this game well: is it possible to turn the wheel, using only Squall, without a turbo controller? I haven't found a definitive answer when looking online.

Thanks!
--Poxnor

I have no idea, but from my experience from playing Prinny there are several ways you could do it. One could be using a tention reflex, which makes your hand shake and press the button rapidly. Another possibility is using both your thumbs to doublepress the button super fast. It probably depends on your controller as well as your timing.

[quote="Poxnor"]I have a question about the scene in the Balamb Garden sub-levels (right before the Garden takes flight).  At one point, Squall and his two companions have to turn a crank wheel to open the floor to the next area.  You have to button-mash to turn the wheel.  If you don't mash fast enough, your first companion joins Squall; and, if you still don't mash fast enough, your second companion joins Squall.

When I play with a turbo controller, it's trivial to turn the crank wheel with just Squall.  But, I can't button mash fast enough to make that happen without a turbo controller.  That said, I acknowledge that I'm a [u]very[/u] poor button masher.  I just wanted to check with other people who know this game well: is it possible to turn the wheel, using only Squall, without a turbo controller?  I haven't found a definitive answer when looking online.

Thanks!
--Poxnor[/quote]

I have no idea, but from my experience from playing Prinny there are several ways you could do it.  One could be using a tention reflex, which makes your hand shake and press the button rapidly.  Another possibility is using both your thumbs to doublepress the button super fast.  It probably depends on your controller as well as your timing.

Cosmos

2010-11-02 05:07:33 pm

Well, how i learned to button mash like a crazy man(and yeah i learned it from a friend, who mashes like this in ff8 with the summon boost), put the top of your pointing vinger(dont know an other word for this in english) against the top of your thumb, now put it on the button you want to mash, and slide left-right as fast as you can over the button(with yout nails). it works as an charm for me and doesnt hurt.

Poxnor

2010-11-03 01:02:37 pm

Moo! Flap! Hug!

Thank you very much to all of you for your feedback. Next time I get a save game at that point, I'll test out your methods, Phoenix and Cosmos. I'll see if I can at least get down to just needing help from one of Squall's companions, as opposed to my current "mashing" that needs both of his companions Wink

Since I can't use my "cheating controller" if I decide to try an SS for SDA, it's something that I have to work on.

Essentia

2010-11-03 03:02:13 pm

Everything's better with Magitek

There's also the pen method: Basically, you roll a pen back and forth across the button. I'm not sure how well it'd work here, but it works well on Banjo-Tooie for the Canary Mary race.

Jamma

2010-11-03 06:00:03 pm

Nuts! Gotta get to Narshe on the fly

Quote from Essentia:

There's also the pen method: Basically, you roll a pen back and forth across the button. I'm not sure how well it'd work here, but it works well on Banjo-Tooie for the Canary Mary race.

That's a good method; however it can also be potentially damaging to your controller, eg. if you slip and break the right analogue stick clean off... no, of course I haven't done that before...

:/

Omega

2010-11-16 03:34:42 pm

Quote from Poxnor:

Quote from nokia3311:

Will you upload your segments on youtube, when they are finished?

Heh, there's no way that I'm skilled enough to submit a run to SDA. I'll be doing an SS run for an upcoming TSG community marathon: http://community.thespeedgamers.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8323

Judging by your ability to plan this out, and the fact that FFVIII really shouldn't be very difficult to run in multiple segments (it'll just take a ton of patience), I'd say you ought to consider it. Smiley

Poxnor

2010-11-16 03:39:56 pm

Moo! Flap! Hug!

Thanks, Omega!

I actually have a DVD recorder on order. I have no interest in doing a segmented run, but I do want to try for a sub-10-hour single-segment run. I'll do my personal best; maybe it'll be good enough for SDA, maybe not, but I've decided that I at least want to try Smiley

I've slowly started making the necessary adjustments to play without my beloved turbo controller.

Poxnor

2010-11-18 07:39:02 am

Moo! Flap! Hug!

Quote from Carcinogen:

Certain things about my progress so far bother me... Like the fact I'm not playing on a PSP.

Hi Carcinogen,

I've tried to go back through this thread and determine why you preferred running FF8 on a PSP; but, with the thread at 61 pages, I fear that I just skimmed over your reasoning. If you don't mind my asking: is playing on the PSP faster than even on the PS2 with the fast disc option enabled? (I don't have a PSP to test myself). Is there a certain PSP model that's faster and/or better with which to record than others (I know they make different PSP models, but I've never had one before...)?

Thanks for all your help, Carcinogen. I really appreciate all the feedback that you've given me in this thread Smiley

Cheers
--Poxnor

Carcinogen

Edit history:

Carcinogen: 2010-11-18 08:57:59 am

2010-11-18 08:55:47 am

From tests I did with RE1 on PSP, I'm positive playing on a PSP will be faster. It's the PSP in general, since it has a 'fast disk speed' option. Something that decreases loading times by a metric fuckton.

I'm playing the PSN version on my PS3 anyway, though. I have a PSP-Go so I can bluetooth one of my PS3 controllers to it and play it like a console, but the battery runs out if I leave it connected to A/V out for too long.

Quote from Poxnor:

I just wanted to check with other people who know this game well: is it possible to turn the wheel, using only Squall, without a turbo controller?

It's completely possible.

Most turbo controllers operate at something like 8-12 hz, though it's probably a lot higher since then. Fastest humanly possible is 16hz.

Work those muscles, Poxxyboi!

Poxnor

2010-11-18 09:14:19 am

Moo! Flap! Hug!

Quote from Carcinogen:

I'm playing the PSN version on my PS3 anyway, though.

When I played using the original PSX discs on my PS3, it was slow to the point of pain. Is it just the CD reader, then, that's the bottleneck? Playing the PSN version on PS3 is just as fast as playing it on PSP?

Quote from Carcinogen:

I have a PSP-Go so I can bluetooth one of my PS3 controllers to it and play it like a console, but the battery runs out if I leave it connected to A/V out for too long.

You can't charge the PSP while playing it? That could make it a poor choice for an SS attempt...

Quote from Carcinogen:

Work those muscles, Poxxyboi!

Hmm, okay. I should have a save to that point fairly soon, and I can test out some of the ideas that were given to me. Otherwise, I suppose I can make my SS notes available to anyone who's interested in trying instead.

Trekhaak

2010-11-18 09:57:54 am

Everybody's favorite monster

I wonder if i have to pay my bounty sometime Wink

Poxnor

2010-11-18 12:22:45 pm

Moo! Flap! Hug!

Quote from Poxnor:

Playing the PSN version on PS3 is just as fast as playing it on PSP?

Apologies to all; I should have been clearer in my question here.

You said that the PSP has a fast-disc option for PSN games (even though they're not on CDs), and that's it's even faster than the fast-disc option you get when playing a PSX CD on a PS2.

What I really meant to ask with my previous question is: does that fast-disc option also exist for PSN games on PS3? In other words, is there any difference between playing a PSN game on PS3 and on PSP? Or does that fast-disc option not exist for PSN games on PS3?

(I couldn't find any such option for PSX CDs on PS3; and, my experience trying to play the original discs on my PS3 was painfully slow, relative to playing on the PS2.)

Carcinogen

2010-11-24 09:08:10 am

Fast-disc option isn't on PS3. PSP only.

I know you can charge a standard PSP while playing it, but such is not the case with the PSP-Go.

Sush

2011-01-14 10:07:27 pm

I've been concidering it for a while and I believe I'm almost ready to start recording my own run of FF8. Question is I've gotten the PC version working and it turns out all text and loading screens load conciderably faster than even the ntsc version of the game, leading to the first segment being a whole 60s faster than if it was done on the console. This feels somewhat cheap to me as I'd like my run seen as competative with (for example) Wasabis ntsc run.

Would completing a PC run of the game be classed as seperate from any future runs on the PS? If so I may still get my console setup completed before dedicating myself to final recordings.

Caracarn

Edit history:

Caracarn: 2011-01-14 11:52:57 pm

2011-01-14 11:50:57 pm

PC Version would definitely be considered a separate category from console, because of the much faster loading times. Same will be true for FF VII, if someone actually finishes a console run of that for SDA. Keep in mind though, if someone does a console run in a faster time than a PC run, the PC run will probably be obsoleted.

On another note, I am definitely looking forward to seeing a FF VIII run up on SDA sometime, no matter what hardware it's played on!

Aitamen

2011-01-15 09:34:16 am

Bwahahaha... there WILL be domination!

I've done a few searches and haven't been able to find an answer, so I'm going to ask here:

How is Chocobo World handled in SDA's timing? I don't know if it'd save time, but I know I'd like to ask (I have similar questions in other games, like use of splitscreen/splitsave in Gauntlet: Dark Legacy).

I know it was monumental in my second LLG run. Depending on how timing is handled, it could potentially save time, if the route for the run is similar to the one I'm thinking (and that the run isn't using The End for every battle).

rockdeworld

2011-01-16 11:11:07 pm

I read a few pages of this, and I'm looking forward to seeing Darkwasabe's run (after I download it of course).

My two cents: I actually think it's possible to talk about 100% completion for this game that isn't insane. My requirements for it would be:
1. All GF's
2. All/the best weapons for each character (since they don't show up in inventory, it makes sense to have "the best" rather than "all")
3. All overdrives (for characters like Quistis and Zell)
4. All cards, modding them is ok as long as you get them
5. Beat the entire card club
6. Beat Ultima and Omega

On second thought, maybe that is insane, at least time-wise. I guess what I'm saying is that it isn't "collect all items."

Carcinogen

2011-01-16 11:29:37 pm

All GFs, and best weapons is understandable, but your CC group rule is redundant according to your all cards rule (not to mention cards are quantified as items), and Zell already has every limit break available at his disposal from the first battle (no seriously, try it.). Proof of Omega is good, but Ultima takes too long to get to (too many unavoidable battles, even with ENC-None, you draw Eden from Tiamat anyway).

rockdeworld

2011-01-17 02:53:45 pm

@Carcinogen: That would make sense. Are you sure Zell has every limit from the start? I'm pretty sure you have to read "Combat King"s to get My Final Heaven, etc. Leaving Ultima off is a conundrum, since you get plot in Ultima's dungeon, and not just Eden.

For the record, that means I intentionally left out The Mystery of Lake Opal because there's no plot-important or unique items, and any similar quest (like the Shumi, or the best "date" for Rinoa and Squall at FH), getting the Ragnarok on disk 4, and anything to do with the Chocobo World on pocketstation. I am including Odin and Gilgamesh as GFs though.

Carcinogen

2011-01-17 04:01:35 pm

I used the words 'no seriously, try it', didn't I?

You can do My Final Heaven in the first battle you fight with Zell.

Plot isn't exactly a stipulation for a 100% run either.

rockdeworld

2011-01-17 06:29:08 pm

I guess it depends on what you mean by 100%. 100% plot, 100% items, or 100% plot items?