Question regarding FFXI

Seeing as Square-Enix won't release the new expansion on PS2 out side of Japan I have a question. On another forum there was some discussion (more like a flame war) about the fate of the PS2 version, I was wondering if it were possible to run the JP expansion on an otherwise US release install, of course due to DNAS and region codes a debug system would be required (not an issue, I already have one) Yes I know it won't be out for a few months, but I would be interested in knowing as I prefer the PS2 Version. Relevent posts from another forum:

Jetackuu said: »

as for the rest of your post: you'd have to ask Leo about the discs, but iirc he said something about the way DNAS works, and if I am right the equipment for JP can't be used for the NA version, but I may be wrong, blame Sony+DRM.

PS2 does load faster, I've been saying that for ages, not just in this thread.

They do need to optimize their code more, from what I understand they were supposed to do that some with this expansion.

As for the PS2 code, the entire game is coded for the ps2, the other platforms are bad ports, take what you will of that.



Equipment for making Japanese discs can be easily changed to make USA or PAL discs. That's not a issue at all.

PS2 has 38GB of video bandwidth and 3.2GB of main RAM bandwidth... Given that it's kernel is quite "lean" and it also have a 32bit auxiliary CPU to offload I/O from the main CPU and the vector units (what PS2 has as 3D shader) that deal with 3D model tracing are part of the CPU, that should explain:

Why the code is so platform specific that PC and XBOX360 versions suffer in performance (CPU based rendering)

Why they originally put blame on the PS2 (they probably regret doing that now, as it's coming back to bite their butt)

But then here is why they put PS2 for NA in the back burner: There's no retail outlets for the discs.

Oh and like I said previously ALL versions of FFXI have Japanese, English, German and French text in the code, including XBOX360 and PS2 versions.

The PS2 FFXI install discs (from 2008 collection onwards) use a multi region installer and if you manage to boot it on a PAL PS2 and manage to make it boot, it will try to install FFXI using a bogus product code SLES-00000 but it proves that SE went into the trouble of coding at least the installer for the PAL version of FFXI for PS2.

But then looking at their style of coding it's very possible that the code for a PAL version of the client is dormant inside the game executable.

I don't know how many of you are aware of this, but all regional variations of FFXI for a given platform have the exact same files.

At the current version, Windows FFXI has only one file different with JP and NA clients. "patch2.cfg" which on the Japanese client is empty and on NA client has some files listed.

Edit: Alternately can a US account be used on an entirely JP version of the game. In the past I know it wasn't possible but the info from that thread coincides with the switch to a one-code registration.

 

FFXI Auction House .... Oh yeah .... lol

I'm "Leo" there, FYI...

So part of that quote is stuff I wrote there

 

I now have a partial answer, Yes, a US account can run on the JP software (which I got for $20). Unfortunately I have the 2002 JP version... Time to buy some expansion packs (soon to be 5 of them)

 

I recommend you search for the PS2 discs used. Since you don't need the Japanese content activation codes to use the discs.

 

I bit the bullet and ordered a Japanese copy of the game for PS2, I will buy the expansion when it comes out.

I already run the JP version of the game on PC because you can download the JP PlayOnline Installer from the website (before it was available I got my hands on the JP ISO of POL). So yes, you can use a US account on a JP client of the game.

I will be able to play the game with expansion on my JP PS2, but that's JP version, and while I'm comfortable playing that most of the time, my weak Japanese makes me want to play in the US version too. I really hope Square-Enix releases the expansion as DLC or something, I don't see why can't they do it via PlayOnline, the installation space increase from back in June (http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/polnews/news21512.shtml) makes me wish it was made for this purpose, but they haven't said anything yet.

What I want to know if there is some way, to copy the partition of the newest expansion, from my JP system HDD into my US console HDD.

I also like the PS2 version better because it was designed for that system originally, it does load faster, it's specially noticeable when swapping gear and on the menus and inventory, the 2D menu stuff is just WAY faster than on PC. The zoning is faster on PC though. Still, nothing beats being able to play the game on a big TV lying on your bed.

 

Anyone know how FFXI update system works? is your installation compared against a master install by Square-Enix?.

I have this hypothesis, that if that is the case, it would only need to detect you have the expansion registered in order to download whatever files you're missing from their master install. Let's say if I buy the expansion on PC (which I will), would it download all the missing files to my PS2? and I would have the expansion installed? maybe? I noticed most expansions are about 1000 files each, if I do a clean install of FFXI I tend to update about 20k, it wouldn't be far fetched to say I basically download the whole game again when updating. I guess I have to try and see when the expansion actually comes out. If it doesn't work, oh well, at least I know have the JP PS2 version of the game that I can always play, or just play it on PC /sigh

 

It works this way:

Client connects to the update server, authenticates with the SONY DNAS server and downloads a "current version" token file after you press the "PLAY" button on the game page (PlayOnline viewer is a HTML browser in disguise. Actually it's based on Access co. NETFRONT) and then POL checks the version on the FFXI partition file by comparing the token that it just got from the server with the one within FFXI files. If it mismatches (version don't matter, you only play if all the version tokens match) the client will prompt a update is required.

It will then download a patch list which contains the full list of hashes for all changed files since the original release of the game (patch.txt), compare it with a pair of list files stored on the FFXI partition and then decides how many files it's supposed to check for update. It then scan all the directories within the partition for files that are missing or changed on the existing lists from the HDD paired to the updates list file it just downloaded. So on a normal update it would check an average of 2000 files but on a post install file check it may check around 25000 files.

After it built the list of needed files, it will download each file and will name them this way:

dancer.pex.tmp
ffxi.pex.tmp
xxx.dat.tmp
etc.blah.tmp

After all files were downloaded it will perform the last step, where it runs through all the files it downloaded, deleting any older files that are to be replaced, inflating and renaming them by deleting the .tmp suffix.

edit: temp files are downloaded already at the directories they're supposed to stay at, no files are moved, just old files get deleted when there's replacements.

After all that is made it will show a message "Update is complete" and after you press ok the game will start as usual.

 

I noticed that behaviour on the PC version, so I kind of was on the right track. What I want to know is, if my account already has say, Seekers of Adoulin registered, because I bought it on PC, would the updater detect that I'm missing those files and download them?

I will buy the last expansion when it comes out on PC and JP PS2, but I'd be missing out on my US PS2, how would that work? if I don't have it installed (which I won't because it won't get released here in america) will the game refuse to start, when I zone into a new area will it collapse? or the updater will fill in with the missing files from expansion since I already have it registered to my account?

I've heard that one can just download the PC version 14 day trial which to my understanding is only the main game sans-expansions and when logging in with any active POL account the updater will fill in with the missing expansion files. But I don't know for certain.

 

It installs the mini expansions regardless of if you have registered them, the main expansions must be installed manually. There is no reason why they couldn't change that.
If you run the game without the expansion pack you'll be fine, I ran the PC version without the RotZ pack, and attempted to enter the Korroloka Tunnel, It doesn't let you enter nor do any expansion missions start. You would only have problems if you left your character in an Adoulin area and then logged in on the PS2 version without Adoulin. I never tested that scenario but you probably couldn't log in on that character until you first leave the Adoulin region on another version.

 

No, you have to purchase all of them. In the case of the 14 day trial, they offer this:

http://store.jp.square-enix.com/cat/download

Each expansion is listed at about 1000 yen.

And no, the PS2 will only consider a expansion installed after it got the said expansion registered and installed. Again, that work with file tokens which signal if the disc for the respective expansion (This is only valid for disc based expansions) have been installed.

 

The client will tell you that you cannot log in with that character if it's left at a area where it has no data to access. Also you will get a prompt right after the game connects to the lobby server (once you click yes on the second "agreement") about expansion data being registered but the data being missing.

 

Now we have to find a way to transfer the installation of Adoulin from a JP HDD to a US one.

 

Sorry, that won't work.

Dynamic Network Authentication System.

 

How does the pre-installed FFXI bundle work? I bought it new and didn't have to reinstall, did it come with a universal key or what? And isn't POL's DNAS the one's that checked and not FFXI's? or there's a DNAS key for every expansion?

 

There's several different DNAS keys one for each disc. The expansion discs have one key for itself, but since it install the file tokens the expansions are considered installed.

I never tested nor I can tell if you can cheat the DNAS check but I know that some kinds of tampering will cause the DNAS check to fail and you will end having to re-install.

The disc that install all expansions has a different ID than that of the single expansion discs.

 

Last question, if I get to boot the JP expasion disc of Adoulin on a US PS2 with HDD and a FFXI installed with all other expansions, would it be able to install? This disc will be genuine, so the disc check for DNAS should pass, right?

 

No, one of the tasks of DNAS is enforce region checking.

It's a DRM scheme so sadly it will stop your plan from working.

 

Would it be the same if installed on a debugging station?

 

On a debugging station you would have a different problem ... The POL Viewer client has a list with the IDs of the discs it can install.

Since there's no disc for the English expansion and USA POL doesn't have the ID of the Japanese disc in it as a valid disc, it would simply not offer to install.

When you try to install an unsupported disc it just says "Insert a PlayOnline supported disc" or something similar to that.

 

Sorry for the bump.

I thought it could not be done by what was said on this post.


But apparently it can according to richi902's blog post.

http://www.assemblergames.com/forum...asy-XI-(FFXI)-Seekers-of-Adoulin-on-NA-US-PS2

I will try it out later tonight.