I had a question for the vets around here.  Particularly for those who not only have FFvTTR, but for those who started off with the originial Freedom Force and had extensive mods and downloads with the original game and switched to FFvTTR.

Where you able to keep your older meshes, skins and hero files, but go through a file-by-file conversion?  What are the biggest differences or obstacles in switching?  What are the positives and negatives?

This is actually the second time I thought about this in the last few months so I guess it's a sign from the gaming Gods... unless I have pause otherwise?  Can anyone help?

There is a mass mesh converter which can convert many meshes at once (from NPI) and using that you can do the most laborious part of the transfer between the two games. Skins copy fine (mostly) as do hero files (although the energy needs fixing). You do have to do hero files one by one however.

It actually is possible to just transfer over all of the hero files, but you have to duplicate your old mesh director as well.

Are there any drawbacks to switching to FFvTTR?  Are there positives that FF has over the sequel that would outweigh buying the new game?

Could it possibly be something compelling that will give me reason to purchase FF and not purchase FFvTTR?

Easy answer: FFX is only continuing on FF2. So all those extra attributes, FX and EZScript/mods that are being made only work for FF2. FFX for FF2 has hundreds of attributes and powers that simulate the abilities of comicbook characters that you will never see in FF1. Amazo can actually mimic powers of those he encounters. Parasite can steal the abilities of his enemies. Absorbing man can shift between matter states based on what he last had contact with.
There is really no contest.
There is a well written thread elsewhere that goes into extensive detail about the advantages of FF over FF2, and I agree wholeheartedly with that. There are many things that FF did better than FF2. But thats not enough. FF2 has the edge.
No one is producing anything new for FF anymore. Meshers, modders and FXers all produce for FF2 exclusively (with the exception of the ever pleasant Tommyboy, who's meshes are FF1 compatible, but easily converted to FF2).

EZScript, which lets any noob make their own mods (!) using a simple interface, only works for FF2. Trust me, anyone can become mod makers of the major mode in moments!

Patriot city, Dr Mike's awesome free roam campaign framework only works for FF2.

Renegade's newer meshes (including his senses shattering Hulk, wolverine and Captain America meshes) only work for FF2.

Many of the carefully balanced hero files that exist only work for FF2.

FFX for FF2 also allows you to program/create AI for your herofiles, meaning that Hulk actually throws objects at flying foes, flash outruns his opponents and cyclops snipes his target instead of engaging in poorly conceived fisticuffs.

I'll wrap this tirade up now with this thought; If you continue playing FF1 over FF2, you will have fun, but you are selling yourself short, you are not experiencing the extent of the game as it can be, and you are being deprived of the hard work of all the fans on this forum. Do yourself a favour, ebay a copy for 5 bucks. You'll never look back...I haven't.

I agree, there is a lot of great stuff for FF and some advantages to the game itself, but anyone who likes FF has to give FFvT3R a shot since there has been so much great stuff that's come out only for the sequel. And, it sort of works both ways: they are getting harder to find, but anyone who can buy a copy of the original should still do so, because the first campaign was awesome and some of the mods are must-play.

Quote from: Carravaggio on July 18, 2008, 12:08:48 AM
Easy answer: FFX is only continuing on FF2. So all those extra attributes, FX and EZScript/mods that are being made only work for FF2. FFX for FF2 has hundreds of attributes and powers that simulate the abilities of comicbook characters that you will never see in FF1. Amazo can actually mimic powers of those he encounters. Parasite can steal the abilities of his enemies. Absorbing man can shift between matter states based on what he last had contact with.
There is really no contest.
There is a well written thread elsewhere that goes into extensive detail about the advantages of FF over FF2, and I agree wholeheartedly with that. There are many things that FF did better than FF2. But thats not enough. FF2 has the edge.
No one is producing anything new for FF anymore. Meshers, modders and FXers all produce for FF2 exclusively (with the exception of the ever pleasant Tommyboy, who's meshes are FF1 compatible, but easily converted to FF2).

EZScript, which lets any noob make their own mods (!) using a simple interface, only works for FF2. Trust me, anyone can become mod makers of the major mode in moments!

Patriot city, Dr Mike's awesome free roam campaign framework only works for FF2.

Renegade's newer meshes (including his senses shattering Hulk, wolverine and Captain America meshes) only work for FF2.

Many of the carefully balanced hero files that exist only work for FF2.

FFX for FF2 also allows you to program/create AI for your herofiles, meaning that Hulk actually throws objects at flying foes, flash outruns his opponents and cyclops snipes his target instead of engaging in poorly conceived fisticuffs.

I'll wrap this tirade up now with this thought; If you continue playing FF1 over FF2, you will have fun, but you are selling yourself short, you are not experiencing the extent of the game as it can be, and you are being deprived of the hard work of all the fans on this forum. Do yourself a favour, ebay a copy for 5 bucks. You'll never look back...I haven't.

Damn.  Can't get no solid of an answer than that.  Honestly, I've bought FF2 already.  Ren's on quite an amazing streak and (due to some unruly nieces), I now have an excuse to go to FFvTTR.  I'm just worried that some meshes won't be able to translate to the new game.  I have no frame of reference.  Quite frankly, I was happy with FF1, but I recently had to restart from scratch.  Though I assume I won't be starting from scratch(I can just convert the mesh, right?), I know there's more I can leverage that I feel I might have been missing out of with FFvTTR.  So thanks guys.

I've oly come across a handful, maybe a half dozen, from my collection  that doesn't translate well, and most of thos have replacements from other meshes that can be used. Its not a huge concern. EZNif converter is worth its weight in gold.

Yeah, there should be no worry about meshes not working in FFV3R, I have a couple thousand meshes/hexes and only 3 of them won't work.  After I bnought the 2nd game the only reason I ever booted up FF1 was to play a old mod or two.  M25's custom AI for custom characters is what sealed it for me.

I haven't tried it, but the recent version of EZHero has a Mass Convert Hero Files choice in the Tools menu...

Scopes done from FF1 don't USUALLY convert, although I've had a few that did. No way around that except to try and convince the scoper to do another for FFv3R. Either that, or learn how to scope yourself. Tomato has a tutorial on suing Nifscope to fix the problem in some scopes (.http://frworld.wikispaces.com/Converting+Skoped+Meshes).

Most of The Beyonder's Male Basic Hair meshes don't convert. I was once directed to a work around, but haven't had time to study it, and figure out how to apply it. The skins created for those meshes can usually be switched to another mesh, it just takes a little work and a graphics editing program. This is what I'm doing to my own and Copper Age's Frankenstein 1966 skins: I'm putting them on Colossus-Retro. They look better, too.

Some extensivly hex-edited meshes don't convert, I don't know why. You can take Nifscope and the original mesh and edit it yourself (hiding stuff is fairly easy), if that is all it takes. I've gotten several meshes based on some of Ink's work that wouldn't convert, but I took Ink's original and changed the mesh so that it was a duplicate of the edited version. Dropped the copy and some keyframes in and Presto!

As has been said, some just plain don't convert.

I'll admit to prefering the look of FF1 better than FFvTTR (not as garish looking), but that's solely a matter of opinion. I also don't care for the energy system and internal lighting on characters as well.

The fact that you don't have to send all your characters to the library to get AI to work is a huge bonus to FFvTTR. It's great to see all of the characters using all of their powers, including active defenses, even if you are not controlling them. You can also use shapeshifting and personal armies without sending them to .dat. Plus better placement of teams in team mode, instead of having them spread out all over the board.

Gogglespizzano did a great service for the community by converting all of the FF1 maps (far more numerous than custom maps for FFvTTR). That has almost pushed me over to the new game.

The only real drawback right now is the lack of FX for the new game. However, with tweaking, it sounds like most of the old FX will work in the new game (the end nifs for some FX need to be changed). However, lack of time keeps me from getting all of these updated. I use a bunch in FF1 because they fit the characters. I need to make a list of the ones I use most and spend some time setting them up. There is no comprehensive EZFX for the second game, though Alex did get us off to a great start. :)