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Fraggoso Jan 16, 2017 @ 3:34am
HD (kind of) Background Mod - Released
Hey folks.
I'm working with another modder (he's the coder) to get the lowres and really ugly filtered steam backgrounds into a "better" shape.

I don't want to get the hopes up too high as right now exporting the background and inserting them are possible (yay ^^) still we're struggling with seams that weren't present in the export as well as the import.
The Engine seems to do some fency stuff which he couldn't get around as of now. But still, we're at the beginning of this.

Please bear in mind that I'm not messing with the highres versions of some assets as they're copyrighted material from JAKE L ROWELL and I don't want to mess with it.

WIP Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn1WGOKpt00&feature=youtu.be


------------------------------------

Edit:

Mod is completed.

Steam Guide:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=927391278

Download:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9iOUmoUbwc4eHJSb3EwOWZNMEE (V 1.1)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/om9bvw1pm0m2pab/Assembly-CSharp.dll?dl=0 (csharp.dll)

For users of Alternate Fantasy:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/377840/discussions/0/353915953249510749/?ctp=22#c1290691308588965792
Use this csharp file instead: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3ebzpbe0h5xybul/Assembly-CSharp.dll?dl=1

Installguide:

- Under your FFIX install directoy under "StreamingAssets" backup the bin files p0data11 till p0data19.
- Under either x64\FF9_Data\Managed or x86\FF9_Data\Managed backup the Assembly-CSharp.dll file (x64 for 64 bit OS and x86 for 32 bit OS)
- Download the 7z and unpack it directly into you Final Fantasy IX install directory where "StreamingAssets" and "x64" sit.

Play! :D

If you don't want to use it anymore just copy over the old bin files as well as as the old Assembly-CSharp.dll.

Edit:
For everyone that can't wait my new release, Ze_Pilot made an HD mod himself.
Give him a visit/download. :)
https://steamcommunity.com/app/377840/discussions/0/1741105805743188237/
Last edited by Fraggoso; Jan 24, 2019 @ 6:50am
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Showing 1-15 of 815 comments
Sh1nRa358 Jan 16, 2017 @ 5:53am 
Is this the waifu2x thingy?
#1
Antitype Jan 16, 2017 @ 6:15am 
The filtering is far too aggressive IMO, so much detail is lost that I'd say I even prefer the originals. That being said, it's nice someone is working on a background mod.
#2
Fraggoso Jan 16, 2017 @ 6:29am 
Originally posted by Sh1nRa358:
Is this the waifu2x thingy?

Yes it is and adding some more filter in there which can't be seen in that wip screen.

Originally posted by Antitype:
The filtering is far too aggressive IMO, so much detail is lost that I'd say I even prefer the originals. That being said, it's nice someone is working on a background mod.

Normally I would agree but not in this case.
The upresed Backgrounds are not only blurry but they suffer from some ugly noice artefacts as well as some macro artifacts and colorbending which weren't present in the original PSX render.
I'm baffled upon what the porting team did here because it's not only lazy but ugly as hell.

That's why I took the bullet and used the original PSX render as the basis for this mod. This also eliminates the tile seams which looked like a square of 32x32 pixel in some of the backgrounds like this: http://i.imgur.com/Cn0xMg3.png

There must be a tradeoff and I would gladly trade in some blurry details which really don't look that good in that lowres + all the things I described over a "clearer" picture.

But at least we can do something about the Background as a whole now.
Hopefully we can get the things resolved and then it's a real straight forward process of exporting, doing some magic with the backgrounds and get them repacked back.
#3
Nyx Jan 16, 2017 @ 2:08pm 
Thank you so much for doing this. We've been waiting for a modder to work on inserting new backgrounds since release day. Having seen the collection of Waifu upscaled backgrounds, I'd say some look amazing and some are just a bit better. I personally prefer playing PSX games like this one in small windowed modes, so the upscaled backgrounds will look amazing no doubt. To achieve absolute perfection though, we would have to hire some kind of artist who would manually make the backgrounds HD, whilst staying loyal to the original art direction. I would gladly help fund a project like this, but I don't if anyone's got the patience or skills to do it.

Thanks again though, good luck and keep us updated !
#4
Nyx Jan 16, 2017 @ 2:12pm 
Oh and by the way. A few years ago, before FF9 was released on Steam, I sent an email to Jake Rowell asking him if he still had the entire collection of the original backgrounds. He of course replied that he didn't, and that it wasn't a single person who drew all of them. I'm just saying this to let you know that he does answer to our emails, and he's very kind (and loves FF9) so I don't think you'll have any copyright problems if you want to use his backgrounds. Just let him know.
#5
-|Nur|- Jan 16, 2017 @ 2:16pm 
Originally posted by Nyx:
Oh and by the way. A few years ago, before FF9 was released on Steam, I sent an email to Jake Rowell asking him if he still had the entire collection of the original backgrounds. He of course replied that he didn't, and that it wasn't a single person who drew all of them. I'm just saying this to let you know that he does answer to our emails, and he's very kind (and loves FF9) so I don't think you'll have any copyright problems if you want to use his backgrounds. Just let him know.

The problem with using those would be that there'd be a huge contrast in the quality of those backgrounds throughout the game.
#6
Sh1nRa358 Jan 16, 2017 @ 2:49pm 
Firstly, it looks perfect. Everybody making their opinions fail to notice that they are judging based on a highly zoomed in pic. They didn't even try to unzoom it or to put it across there whole screen. If a person did this, they'd see it looks 10x as clear and looks perfect.

You can't even see the line artifiacs when it is put to the normal screen size. Not only that, the easiest way to get rid of those artifacs is a lil bit of post processing effects. A very small amount of gaussian with a tiny bit of blue erradicates them instantly (not on the sprites directly but from the game or reshade)..
#7
Fraggoso Jan 16, 2017 @ 2:55pm 
The artifacts is nothing in the picture. The seams are perfect in my version. The engine is doing something fancy there. ;)

At least everyone can start importing it as I'll release my workflow process for doing it.
Fyi: that's not zoomed in. That's the weapon shop in Alexandria. It really looks that way in the game. ;)
#8
Fraggoso Jan 16, 2017 @ 2:56pm 
Originally posted by Shirayuki474:
I apprecite your work and understand it is just barely work in progress but so far If I had to choose between this and original I would choose original, textures from this screenshot are just ugly and lost some details it is like original VI and mobile poo VI if you know what i mean.

Good luck though.

What do you mean with original?
The psx looks good the steam version not. It looks ugly as hell.
#9
Fraggoso Jan 16, 2017 @ 3:58pm 
Originally posted by Sharon Da'Silva:
If the mod conflcits with Hades Workshop, you lost me.
otherwise, its lookin good! I won't mind.

It's made with Hades Workshop but you only need it for the importing part. ;)
@Shira Yeah it's sadly, I would also prefer the really crisp sharp images. But nothing we can do about it, sadly. :(
#10
Sh1nRa358 Jan 16, 2017 @ 4:23pm 
Originally posted by Fraggoso:
Fyi: that's not zoomed in.
It's zoomed in on the website is what i meant.
Last edited by Sh1nRa358; Jan 16, 2017 @ 4:24pm
#11
Fraggoso Jan 16, 2017 @ 4:27pm 
I´ts my native res. ^^
1440p for live.
#12
[deleted] (Banned) Jan 16, 2017 @ 4:51pm 
Okay then! this'll work out!
Keep on with it! This is what it needs and deserves!
Just getting that much closer to make this a better port!
#13
Daeoc Jan 17, 2017 @ 3:35am 
Thank you, keep up the good work. This and better menus are all that I've been waiting for. Right click the image and open image in new tab to see it not zoomed in.
Last edited by Daeoc; Jan 17, 2017 @ 3:40am
#14
Fraggoso Jan 17, 2017 @ 3:56am 
Thank you very much. :)
You could also Hold STRG and rezoome with your mouse wheel. Still, bear in mind, that this is the native resolution and the background will be zoomed in in the game or at least some particular scenes, as it can be seen.

What also worsens the quality is the actual DX5 compression.
#15
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Date Posted: Jan 16, 2017 @ 3:34am
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