Why not an "Original PSX backgrounds" mod?

[Oscar92player]

Everyone here just seems to be talking about the "new" and "fabulous" mod that improves the map backgrounds (the Moguri Mod).

But something I don't understand is why no one wants or creates a mod that uses the same backgrounds from the PSX version? Like Final Fantasy VII Ultima Edition and Final Fantasy VIII Steam Version? No reescaling, no Waifu2x or AI, just the original maps with a nearest filter.

I think they will look fantastic on a game that is supposed to use low resolution graphics, instead of "HD" ones, that are not even HD, they look horrible, even if they are the default ones of this port made in Unity3D, or the modded ones using all kind of tools.

Just asking. :/

[Jouchebag]

This sounds like someone who didn't install the mod right or had some other kind of failure to acquire the HD version.

[Oscar92player]

Originally posted by Jouchebag:

This sounds like someone who didn't install the mod right or had some other kind of failure to acquire the HD version.

How rude you are. As if you know what I do on my computer, in the first place.

By the other way, I've played with and without the mod, so I can compare both of the versions, modded and un-modded on PC. It is not too difficult to install, by the way, the latest version includes a very useful launcher and easy to manage.

Also, I've played FF9 on the original PSX, on PS2 using also the texture filtering and the fast disc read options, the PSP/PS3 from PS Store, and the tablet/mobile version (Android). Unoficially, I've played the game on emulator, too.

I'm very aware of what I'm talking, and giving my opinion about why the original graphic resources from the backgrounds looks better to me. I think reescalating the graphics using a simple bilinear filtering, Waifu2x, or AI is just breaking the good look of a game that does not need to be "fully" remastered on some things. The menus, and the models from the main characters are fine, they are well recreated for high resolutions, I can agree to that (even if those menus don't run as smooth as the original game, that worked at 60FPS outside maps and battle).

However, FF7 and 8 are using the original backgrounds at 480p, even if the game renderizes the 3D models at 720p/1080p, or highter resolutions, and they look fine. Those games even give you the options to set the "original graphics", the "original aspect ratio" and deactivate the "texture filtering", to try to emulate the original experience when you played them on PSX or the first PC versions.

So why not doing the same thing with this version of FF9? Allow you to chose different graphic options instead of just throwing this version of the game and say "Here you go, if you don't like it, just don't buy it".

It's just my opinion. I have the game on PC and I've played it without any doubts until now, that I see they could have done it better.

[Jouchebag]

Originally posted by Oscar92player:

Originally posted by Jouchebag:

This sounds like someone who didn't install the mod right or had some other kind of failure to acquire the HD version.

So why not doing the same thing with this version of FF9? Allow you to chose different graphic options instead of just throwing this version of the game and say "Here you go, if you don't like it, just don't buy it".

There are mods for that. Every single thing you said is also irrelevant since Moguri took off. It does literally everything better.

Both PSX and PC versions suck blown up to 720p+ resolutions. Moguri is better. We have the technology. We can rebuild it.

[Oscar92player]

Originally posted by Jouchebag:

Originally posted by Oscar92player:

So why not doing the same thing with this version of FF9? Allow you to chose different graphic options instead of just throwing this version of the game and say "Here you go, if you don't like it, just don't buy it".

There are mods for that. Every single thing you said is also irrelevant since Moguri took off. It does literally everything better.

Both PSX and PC versions suck blown up to 720p+ resolutions. Moguri is better. We have the technology. We can rebuild it.

You are talking about this game as if it were only yours to take the decision to rebuild it, to decide what it looks good or what it looks bad, but you are trying to say at the same time that the original graphics and versions sucks. What kind of comment is that? This game doesn't even have a previous PC version, those were FF7 and 8.

You are not even being reasonable, you just think you can do this better than the developers, without understanding why and how the original content works the way it works, or why some things are better the way they were, instead the way they COULD.

[Jouchebag]

So your request for a PSX backgrounds mod is more reasonable than simply enjoying FF9-PC as is or using a fantastic HD mod that's already packaged into a single, convenient mod?

Also:

This game doesn't even have a previous PC version, those were FF7 and 8.

Then what is this whole forum about if FF9 doesn't have a PC version? No one brought up a "previous version." We are talking about the this game, right here, that these forums are about.

I agree the filtering sucks, but the right answer is not to use other, also terrible resources. The right answer is to get better resources. Which until recently was very difficult to do.

There is absolutely nothing better about either version's vanilla backgrounds than what Moguri does. It's the perfect upgrade. Every stat is better.

[Rabouk]

Wow, there's absolutely no point arguing with people like OP, guys.

You want an original backgrounds mod ? Do it yourself.

[shonasof]

I agree with OP. I'd like to see an original resolution background mod without the messy filtering.

While I am impressed with what's been acieved with the AI HD mod, it's not what i'm looking for

[L is real 2401]

Originally posted by shonasof:

I agree with OP. I'd like to see an original resolution background mod without the messy filtering.

While I am impressed with what's been acieved with the AI HD mod, it's not what i'm looking for

agreed

[Turbo Nozomix]

I'd like to be able to play with the original backgrounds and character models. There is no improvement in the SE PC version graphics, it looks worse all over.

[ZeP]

All the scripts to do Moguri Mod are available here : https://github.com/ZePilOt/FFIX_Upscale_Scripts

With these, you can extract the background from the PSX version, and replace the AI upscale process with anything you want.

I won't do it as it's a waste of time : If you want the PSX version, any emulator can do it without manual work.

My opinion is that a upscaled version of the PSX version will look horrible in a modern monitor or TV (I've worked with the original PSX backgrounds for my mod, I know what they look like :). You at least need scanlines to hide the lack of resolution in the image.

[ZeP]

Here is a comparaison on PSX resized to the Moguri resolution, with bilinear filtering and nothing else (no dithering,..).

I took one of the better field (best resolution for displayed image in game) in the game, so the PSX looks as good as possible :

http://www.framecompare.com/image-compare/screenshotcomparison/2BBMNNNU

Remember that in the game, the backgrounds are zoomed in, so in game, it's like this :

http://www.framecompare.com/image-compare/screenshotcomparison/PLLGNNNX

The nearest result is not bad, but you can't say it's looking "fantastic" compared to the "ugly" upscaled one.
Just the dithering (lack on gradient in the sky) is awful.

[Fraggoso]

Ze PilOt said everything.
People forget that your TV masked the low res quite good bakc in the days but if you want, make one. :)