Topic: Final Fantasy III (US) Prototype

[badinsults]

I have in my possession a prototype of Final Fantasy III (US).  I intend to release this with an article on my website (SNES Central), and I would like to know any changes from the final version.  Of course it could entirely be possible that the game is identical to the final, but the dump is corrupt to a certain degree and overdumped.  I sent the rom to nach, so hopefully it can be fixed up before distribution.  I was wondering if there were any ways to extract the game text so I can compare with the final version?

[Deathlike2]

Nice to see a prototype pop up.

Try this, it came up on a google search:

http://www.zophar.net/utilities/sneslevel/final-fantasy-iii-us-editor-final-fantasy-iii-us-editor-hack-.html

The search I ran...

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=Final+Fantasy+3+SNES+text+dump&btnG=Google+Search

[bond697]

dragonsbrethren made a nice little package for dumping the ff3us text.  it should be somewhere on this site.  i wish i could remember which topic it was in.  provided the offsets are the same, it should work.  i'll look for it...

as an aside, though, i just wanted to say thanks for being so generous with this neat piece of gaming history that you're willing to allow everyone the chance to experience.



here you go:

http://slickproductions.org/forum/index.php?topic=1016.msg10490#msg10490

[badinsults]

The first difference I have noticed is that the startup splash screen is not in the prototype.  Hopefully the text extractor works!

[Poco Loco]

I was about 2 say about the text editor thingy that that was a topic I put up a while back lol

[badinsults]

I think the table files must be slightly off:

//POINTER #1466 @ $CF374 - STRING #1466 @ $D1387

#W16($CF374)
His name is SABIN. Oh, he looked so like his father!<Page>
When he ran away, he was a sweet lartle child.<Break>
eawonder what he’s like now?<End>

//POINTER #1488 @ $CF3A0 - STRING #1488 @ $D16C7

#W16($CF3A0)
hl, into our lowly presence?<Page>
KEFKA: A girl ofh o importance recently escaped from us. We heitd she found refue… herge<End>

Some strings did come out properly.  I probably won't have time to really look into it until tomorrow.

[JCE3000GT]

I have in my possession a prototype of Final Fantasy III (US).  I intend to release this with an article on my website (SNES Central), and I would like to know any changes from the final version.  Of course it could entirely be possible that the game is identical to the final, but the dump is corrupt to a certain degree and overdumped.  I sent the rom to nach, so hopefully it can be fixed up before distribution.  I was wondering if there were any ways to extract the game text so I can compare with the final version?

A prototype ROM or prototype CART?  If the latter --> 

[Novalia Spirit]

If you don't mind sending me a copy, I'll look into the differences between this ROM and the official releases. Every once in a while, I like to compare the code and data between the various versions of this game (and I usually make some interesting findings in the process), so I would be in known territory.

A prototype ROM or prototype CART?  If the latter -->  

While this doesn't really count as evidence, there's someone here who claims to be in possession of such a cart:

http://www.rickbruns.com/Games/GamesRareFF3.htm

[Dragonsbrethren]

I think the table files must be slightly off:

Yeah, it looks like they're using a different DTE table. To be expected, really, if the script does have any significant changes. It shouldn't be too hard to find the location of the ROM's DTE table and give the table file an update. It's great to see this one finally pop up; I had heard about the proto Novalia linked to a few years back.

Also, welcome to the forum. Your site is great, I've linked to your articles here before.

[badinsults]

If you don't mind sending me a copy, I'll look into the differences between this ROM and the official releases. Every once in a while, I like to compare the code and data between the various versions of this game (and I usually make some interesting findings in the process), so I would be in known territory.

A prototype ROM or prototype CART?  If the latter -->  

While this doesn't really count as evidence, there's someone here who claims to be in possession of such a cart:

http://www.rickbruns.com/Games/GamesRareFF3.htm

Yeah, that is the prototype the ROM I have is from.

As far as the ROM, I would prefer not distributing it until the overdumped garbage is removed.  I could have a go at trying to remove the final 8 Mb of data, but I am not expert at ROM fixing, so I gave it to Nach.

I'm far to tired tonight to dig into this tonight, but I will definitely spend the weekend looking at this game.

[Dragonsbrethren]

Provided everything's in the same place, my dumping package should've gotten you all of the item, magic, skill, enemy, etc. names and descriptions. None of those use DTE, so they all should dump correctly.

[badinsults]

Provided everything's in the same place, my dumping package should've gotten you all of the item, magic, skill, enemy, etc. names and descriptions. None of those use DTE, so they all should dump correctly.

Yeah, I got those, I will post them once I figure out hour to format it so that they are not all on the same line.

[badinsults]

The enemies list are identical to the final version.

However, I do have a problem dumping the text.  Cartographer crashes after the fifth text file dumps.  This happens at the same point in both the prototype and final version, so I imagine that it is a problem with the program.  At first I thought it was a WINE problem, but it also happened in Windows when I tried it.

[Dragonsbrethren]

Ah, I know what the problem is. Add a header to the ROM, or subtract $200 from all of the offsets in the commands file. I was wondering what you meant when you said everything was on the same line. I thought maybe you dumped those with something else. Cartographer should dump each fixed length string to its own line, with a dummy (LINE) character on the end.

(I used headered offsets because the most popular FF6 editors don't support unheadered ROMs. It's easier this way, as much as I'd prefer to use unheadered offsets.)

[badinsults]

Ah, I'll give that a shot then.

I played through to the point where you exit Narshe.  Provided you don't desinc when playing both games at the same times in zsnes, even the attack damage and fight locations are identical.