Is it possible to convert the characters from :ffvstr: to :ff: with their voices, animations, etc..?
Well, it depends on exactly what you mean. Each facet of a character (Herofile, voicepack, mesh, skin) is a different kettle of fish. You can convert a herofile with Alex's newest hero tool, and a voicepack can transfer over easy enough when you know how to install one, and a mesh and skin can both be converted with various utilities floating around out there. If you check the FF wiki you should find instructions on how to do all of that.
There has been some work trying to get the newer characters like Tombstone into FF1. However, it would probably simpler to just download the FF1 mod for 3R if you wanted to play FF1 missions with the new characters.
Whether it is meshes converter with :ffvstr: to :ff:? UnfortunateIy, I know only from :ff: to :ffvstr:. ;/
Someone asked a similar question about converting :ffvstr: meshes to :ff: here. :)
http://freedomreborn.net/forums/index.php?topic=50355.0
It is a pity that it happened like this. I needed this, because I can choose prestige limit in :ff: in MultiPlayer, and :ffvstr: is I cannot be changed. But anyway thank you for your reply. :)
being that I'm highly interested in this issue (see my post in the other thread). I found that meshes can be converted from :ffvstr: to :ff: using blender. However the conversion severely screws up and distorts the mesh, at least the few I tried to convert on my own. So it seems at least in theory that the conversion process can work if someone can just figure out how to do this w/out major distortions in the :ffvstr: mesh. Or if someone else has another way to do this or any other ideas on converting feel free to share.
In all honesty, the main problem is NOT converting the .nif mesh from :ffvstr: to :ff: (I have a converted Ren Wolverine using TJ's keys for FF1, which I'm not releasing ;P), it's actually the KF file that is the main issue. Unless things changed since I last looked, there is no way to port animations backward.
One thing to consider though... some meshers have reasons for only releasing to FF2, and it's not always just "I was being lazy" or "I have issues with FF1's exporters." Vertex's FF2 Human Torch, for instance, uses FF2-specific flame FX which take advantage of advancements to the engine.
tomato would you mind talking about how you successfully convert character nifs (the ones that are able to be converted) from :ffvstr: to :ff:? Feel free to pm me if you want. Kfs are less of an interest to me at least given the workarounds you talked about (i.e. using kfs from other similar msh). That way those of us who want to do this on our own (i.e. create unreleasable :ff: versions) could do it.
Honestly I just use the niftools importers to get it into max, then port them back out the same way... you just can't tweek anything or it'll break the skin instance.
thanks for the info tomato. I haven't played around w/ max but I'll give a swing tonight and see how successful I am.
*Update: I tried importing a few :ffvstr: nifs to gmax & exporting to :ff: nifs w/ no luck (i.e. w/out significant distortions in the mshs or w/out errs when I try to export). Which settings do you use to import/export to prevent this?