ntsc > pal saves?

[tinyblob]

I've been playing through an NTSC copy of FFX, and i find that the saves wont run on my new PAL version!
Is there any way to convert the saves?

[Lunovus]

http://www.ps2-scene.org/forums/showthread.php?t=23615

HTH

Lunovus

[dlanor]

tinyblob:
If you can access the memory card folders directly with some utility, then it is not
very hard to fix this for FF10. Note however that NO patching method will work
for all games, and this method I describe works ONLY for FF10. But variations of the
method can probably be adapted to suit many games. The thread referred to by
Lunovus, however, doesn't provide any help (yet) on how to do it for ANY games.
It merely states that IDs are used, and that changing them is hard... :)

I myself used ExecFTPs to directly FTP the folders and files between PS2 and PC,
but other tools (EMS USB PS2 memory adaptor, xPort, nPort, etc), can also be
used although some of them will require special unpacking programs to dismantle
the packed save files used by those tools. Some such tools may not allow this kind
of editing though. Sorry, but there's nothing I can do about that.

Assuming the transfer of Folders and files works well, proceed as follows:

1: Ensure the identity of your US FF10 save folder, by checking that this folder
-- (or packed save, with some tools) is named something like BASLUS-20312FF0906xx
-- where the last two characters ('xx') are in fact two decimal digits giving the ingame
-- index of save slot position minus 1. So a save in the first save position uses digits
-- '00', whereas a save in position 70 uses digits '69'. Whatever these digits are, I
-- refer to them as the 'saveslot digits' for short, as they are used in other places too.

2: Check that the contents of this save folder (or packed save) consists of exactly
-- three objects, these being:
-- 2.1: The main save file (<26 KB) named something like BASLUS-20312FF0906xx
------ NB: This is indeed the SAME NAME as that of the folder containing the file
-- 2.2: US FF10 icon file (<68KB) named something like 010906xx.ico
-- 2.3: icon system file, named exactly icon.sys
-- For both the first two objects, 'xx' again refers to the saveslot digits, as above

3: Rename the main save file to something like BESCES-50490FF0906xx
-- where the last two digits are the saveslot digits yet again

4: Rename the save folder (or packed save file) to the same name used for the main
-- save file (but add correct extension if using packed save)

5: Optional further editing mentioned below, not really necessary...

6: Transfer the modified save folder to any PS2 memory card and use it to load the
-- saved game using PAL FF10.

Optional further edits to be made (if you like) at step 5 above:
----------------------------------------------------------------

You may want to replace the big icon file of US FF10 (<68KB) with something smaller,
such as the icon of PAL FF10 (<26KB), or some other icon you've made or found.
Doing so is fine, as long as you give it the correct name as described above, or
modified as described below, in case you prefer that.

However, if you load the save into PAL FF10 and then resave it again, then the icon
used will be the normal PAL FF10 icon anyway, so don't waste a lot of time on fancy
icons here, as there is no way (that I know of) to make FF10 continue to use them in
future saves.

Sometimes you want many FF10 saves from different playthroughs, or even received
from other gamers, on the same card, but can't because of conflicting use of the
save slots. This can then be fixed by editing the saveslot digits, but it is not enough
to do that just for the two files and the save folder. You must then also edit three
occurrencies of the icon file name string in the icon system file 'icon.sys'.

This can NOT be done with a text editor, as the file contains binary system data
that will crash your saved game if modified incorrectly. Use hex editors or abstain !!!
Don't change the icon file name in other ways, as it may have adverse effects.
FF10 obviously expects its own naming standards to be used.

I wish you the best of luck!

NB: I repeat that the method described in this post applies ONLY to Final Fantasy 10,
--- and that I have not yet tried any similar conversions for other games. So even
--- if any of you are desperate to do such, don't turn to me, as I can't help you.
--- FF10 is the only game I have in both US and PAL versions, so I can't try others.

Best regards: dlanor

PS: If you do edit the saveslot digits as described above, then the saved game
--- will still retain its old title, erroneously stating the old saveslot position.
--- Changing that requires more advanced editing of icon.sys, to modify the title digits
--- in the S-JIS 16-bit character set used by the PS2. That goes far beyond the scope
--- of this post however. For most cases you can correct it simply by resaving
--- as that will recreate the title in icon.sys.
DS.

PPS: It remains untested whether or not any complications may arise when you reach
--- parts of the game with major differencies between US and PAL versions, such as the
--- battles with 'Dark Aeons' etc. You just have to try it and see...
---
--- I see some very complex possibilities, such as passing places guarded by some Dark
--- Aeons in the US version (where they don't exist) and then using a save to cross
--- over to the PAL version. This way you could (for example) revisit Besaid village
--- before fighting Dark Valefor, which is not possible using only the PAL version...
---
--- However, if you cross back to US version after doing anything specific to the PAL
--- version, then those achievements are likely to be lost, since the US version of the
--- game will probably not preserve those data blocks. In any case, you are now warned...
--- Don't blame me if you experiment too much and lose your data. :(
DS.

[DaemoN-]

I tried a similar method with X-2, but did not work for me. Has anyone tried X-2 NTSC USA => PAL conversion before?

[dlanor]

DaemoN:
If you can supply some NTSC FFX-2 saves, I'll have a look at them.
I can't promise any positive results though...

Best regards: dlanor

[DaemoN]

ok, will do when i get the chance ... all i have on this pc atm is the renamed ntsc one.

[dlanor]

DaemoN:
I found some US FFX-2 saves on my own, and have discovered that there is significant
difference in the size of their main files as compared to saves made with PAL version.
PAL FFX-2 saves use a size of 90736 bytes for the main file, whereas corresponding
files of US saves only use 54312 bytes.

If conversion between these save formats is possible at all (remains unknown), it will
definitely require detailed knowledge of the differing data structures, as well as good
info on the overall structure of both save formats. Something no one is likely to have,
nor likely to find out in the near future...

Best regards: dlanor

[darcsyde]

Did you try using http://www.ps2savetools.com/download.php?op=getit&lid=28 it will let you change the region of the save.

[DaemoN]

DaemoN:
I found some US FFX-2 saves on my own, and have discovered that there is significant
difference in the size of their main files as compared to saves made with PAL version.
PAL FFX-2 saves use a size of 90736 bytes for the main file, whereas corresponding
files of US saves only use 54312 bytes.

If conversion between these save formats is possible at all (remains unknown), it will
definitely require detailed knowledge of the differing data structures, as well as good
info on the overall structure of both save formats. Something no one is likely to have,
nor likely to find out in the near future...

Best regards: dlanor

oh damn .. ok

thanks for taking the time to check it up for me, much appreciated.

as for that ps2save program, i think that prog only just renamed xport saves etc...