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Grandia® II Anniversary Edition (PC) |OT| Still Not Vague Enough 15 Years Later

Grandia 3 & Xtreme would be nice since they're not accessible but I'd like a definitive Grandia 1 even better. Hard mode, Japanese voice option, and being based on the superior Saturn version would all be nice improvements to the PS1 classic. And if they included and translated the expansion pack-esque bonus disk that would be truly awesome (though much less likely).
I wonder if Game Arts still has the source code for the Saturn version. They could hand that over to SkyBox Labs for that + Digital Museum, and I hope the same can happen for all the GunGriffon installments (especially II which never got a release outside Japan). Blaze and the original Grandia would be so cool to play that easily.

Anyway, I'm gonna hop into this soon, how well do KB/M controls work? I don't have a recent pad to use.
 
I wonder if Game Arts still has the source code for the Saturn version.

The Saturn version of Grandia 1 is the original version of the game so I'm guessing they still have the source code, although if they didn't, it wouldn't be the first time a company lost the source code to a classic game. I'm guessing it's mostly just a matter of how difficult it would be to 1) emulate and 2) transfer over the translation from the PS1 version (or do a new translation).
 

Neoweee

Member
The game continues to truck along on Steam Spy, with current numbers at 12,816 ± 2,892.

Not bad.


A question about modding: Are the video files accessible, and can you just replace the spell videos with shorter videos to speed up the game? (basically, does the game "continue" whenever the end of the video file is hit?).
 

Falk

that puzzling face
http://shrines.rpgclassics.com/dreamcast/grandia2/access.shtml#1 Well, that's not very promising. The RPGclassics archives are generally quite thorough, so perhaps it was formerly bugged, but is now fixed, and so it's that one gem that we'll have to really dig for, since nobody knows where it might be, now.

I mean, there is a greater-than-zero chance that whoever was coming up with the cheevo list simply just Ctrl-F'd the item database for "Belt" and "Necklace", not realizing the issue with Hurricane Belt.

If it's actually in the game and obtainable now, though, I lift my hats off to GungHo and SkyBox for being extremely thorough and completely aware of trivia w.r.t. the old release and throwing a bone to the hardcore/OCD fans of old.

although if they didn't, it wouldn't be the first time a company lost the source code to a classic game.

EHEHEHEHEHEH
 

BONKERS

Member
Wrong, it's been a while but I played the original PC port back in the day (P4 1.6Ghz and FX 5200) and hex edited it for true widescreen, FMV and HUD will stay 4:3 but everything else is true 16:9.

I don't own the current Anniversary Edition, but can someone try this and see if it works? I use this guide to get true 16:9 in the original port.
http://www.wsgf.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15042

True Widescreen? I'm sure it had issues all it's own.

No need for half baked stuff here. Culling may be messed up, the fades during cutscenes may only cover the 4:3 portion making everything visible everything outside it visible, etc etc.

What might have worked in the old port may not work here.
 

Falk

that puzzling face
Man, doing the "Only Ryudo does damage to
Melfice
" achievement on hard is... hard.

Literally couldn't debuff his attack fast enough that he didn't un-debuff himself, so I ended up just giving him -5 MOV and watching him run in place hahahaha. Still took a good half an hour tickling him to death with one guy completely out of mana and SP.
 
The Saturn version of Grandia 1 is the original version of the game so I'm guessing they still have the source code, although if they didn't, it wouldn't be the first time a company lost the source code to a classic game. I'm guessing it's mostly just a matter of how difficult it would be to 1) emulate and 2) transfer over the translation from the PS1 version (or do a new translation).

I wonder if it could be reverse engineered from a production disk if all else failed. IIRC, Bluepoint did that for a few of their ps2 remasters.

Always wondered why Konami didn't do the same for Silent Hill, if they knew they had lost the original sources.
 

Fiend

Member
Maybe we cracked the code. Grandia 1 confirmed (and required for Grandia 2 cheevos)

...


.......

A MAN CAN HOPE OK?

Got the achievement. You dont need the hurricane belt. Seems they even updated it and took the hurricane belt out of the description.

Does anyone know whats up with the
uselesss 0 dmg weapons in raul hills special stage? Couldnt find anything
 

Falk

that puzzling face
If you're still stuck on the nut achievement not triggering, I just did it.

BcHowVt.jpg

Essentially there are a series of rewards that require 4 more nuts each time. I'm not too sure how the cheevo is programmed, buuuuuut just to be absolute safest possible, I got just enough nuts every time up to the 24 round and then collected exactly 24 and the achievement popped. If it's still not triggering, try that since the achievement might as well have read as "Complete the round of the minigame where you need 24 nuts" or "Collect exactly 24 nuts" or something else entirely or some wacky combination thereof.

(Or maybe it was just bugged prior and fixed, I don't know, I don't care to test it, I hate minigames and I hate unskippable cutscenes/dialogue, both of which are required for each attempt)
 

Saikyo

Member
Does anyone know whats up with the
uselesss 0 dmg weapons in raul hills special stage? Couldnt find anything

They have no use, its a throwback to the ones in Grandia 1 that you could use to lv up you weapon lv
 
Man, doing the "Only Ryudo does damage to
Melfice
" achievement on hard is... hard.

Literally couldn't debuff his attack fast enough that he didn't un-debuff himself, so I ended up just giving him -5 MOV and watching him run in place hahahaha. Still took a good half an hour tickling him to death with one guy completely out of mana and SP.

>tickling him

I died at that. Many internets are to be awarded to you!

Got the achievement. You dont need the hurricane belt. Seems they even updated it and took the hurricane belt out of the description.

Aww super sad about this. I was really hoping for what Falk said. Would have been epic. Maybe we can convince them to do just that, since they're so nice about listening to us :D
 

zakujanai

Member
I can't find a way to toggle sound effects and voice volume. In battle I can only hear the voices if all other sound is deafeningly loud. It's particularly bad for the victory dialogue. Is there a setting somewhere that I'm missing?
 

Falk

that puzzling face
I know this is a 15 year old game, and a relatively easy one at that, but someone desperately needs to go back and fix all the debuff descriptions. So many are flat out wrong - Stram, Freeze, etc. A lot of mixup between ATK and DEF (lol) and ACT and MOV.
 

anyasok

Neophyte
I never played any of the Grandias (or majority of JRPGs for that matter except the FF and Tales series) but I am genuinely loving this.

Yeah, graphics are dated of course, but the damn dialogue is awesome, the story is interesting and the battle system is marvelous!
 

kswiston

Member
About 14k on Steam so far. I think that is a pretty good start for the genre. These sorts of legacy titles/remasters really start to shine during the winter and summer sales.
 

Silraru

Member
I am enjoying the game. Although, has anyone noticed stuttering in the game? I would play and whenever a spell is cast or some times loading into battle or even just walking around cause the game to freeze for a second or so? I am playing full windowed mode so going to try fullscreen mode and see if that still happens.
 

Eila

Member
About 14k on Steam so far. I think that is a pretty good start for the genre. These sorts of legacy titles/remasters really start to shine during the winter and summer sales.

The cool thing about putting the games on steam is just that, that they keep selling for a long time in sales.
I thought it would do better, but I hope this is not discouraging for the Gung Ho staff. I did my part.
 

Fiend

Member
If you're still stuck on the nut achievement not triggering, I just did it.



Essentially there are a series of rewards that require 4 more nuts each time. I'm not too sure how the cheevo is programmed, buuuuuut just to be absolute safest possible, I got just enough nuts every time up to the 24 round and then collected exactly 24 and the achievement popped. If it's still not triggering, try that since the achievement might as well have read as "Complete the round of the minigame where you need 24 nuts" or "Collect exactly 24 nuts" or something else entirely or some wacky combination thereof.

(Or maybe it was just bugged prior and fixed, I don't know, I don't care to test it, I hate minigames and I hate unskippable cutscenes/dialogue, both of which are required for each attempt)

Well, your screen looks different. You've got the 24/24 whereas mine was 1/1, 2/1 etc. I even tried to get exactly 24 but that looked like 24/1 as well.

My patience ran out at some point because it was such a hassle to go through the dialogue and cutscenes every damn time, didn't help that the minigame was random as hell.

I know this is a 15 year old game, and a relatively easy one at that, but someone desperately needs to go back and fix all the debuff descriptions. So many are flat out wrong - Stram, Freeze, etc. A lot of mixup between ATK and DEF (lol) and ACT and MOV.

This should be easily fixable. Don't know why they didn't. Most of the time I didn't even bother with debuffs/buffs, because I was more or less one-shotting everything even on hard difficulty. Funny thing is that I found out you have to equip skills midway through the game.
 

Falk

that puzzling face
Well, your screen looks different. You've got the 24/24 whereas mine was 1/1, 2/1 etc. I even tried to get exactly 24 but that looked like 24/1 as well.

My patience ran out at some point because it was such a hassle to go through the dialogue and cutscenes every damn time, didn't help that the minigame was random as hell.

Were you reloading? After you regain control the next morning, you can go back for sequentially incremental rewards (which you should do anyway because they're awesome). The initial compulsory one has a goal of 1. Hence, don't reload.

In fact that might point it more to the achievement being "Clear the stage that requires 24 nuts".
 

Fiend

Member
Were you reloading? After you regain control the next morning, you can go back for sequentially incremental rewards (which you should do anyway because they're awesome). The initial compulsory one has a goal of 1. Hence, don't reload.

In fact that might point it more to the achievement being "Clear the stage that requires 24 nuts".

Oh. Yeah, I did reload. I didn't know that you could visit it again. Problem solved.
 

Momentary

Banned
14K copies for a game that is 15 years old and basically only has higher resolution as its selling point is pretty damn good.
 
During the Eye scenario the camera turned on Selene and you could see through the back of her head lol

Is this a new bug? Can't remember if that happened on the DC.

I know this is a 15 year old game, and a relatively easy one at that, but someone desperately needs to go back and fix all the debuff descriptions. So many are flat out wrong - Stram, Freeze, etc. A lot of mixup between ATK and DEF (lol) and ACT and MOV.

If you note what they should be down on the steam bug thread maybe they'll patch it.
 

Falk

that puzzling face
During the Eye scenario the camera turned on Selene and you could see through the back of her head lol

Is this a new bug? Can't remember if that happened on the DC.

There's a lot of clipping issues. Especially the ground.

Also unrelated (or maybe tangentially related technically) but when the lift carried the party up to
the Cathedral Forbidden Room
Mareg and Tio stopped moving upwards and therefore got clipped by the elevator.

Soda came out my nose.

If you note what they should be down on the steam bug thread maybe they'll patch it.

I have a list of stuff, will be posting impressions plus all bugs after I'm done with the game. WIll be going through every single buff/debuff spell to get a comprehensive list of problems.
 

BONKERS

Member
I am enjoying the game. Although, has anyone noticed stuttering in the game? I would play and whenever a spell is cast or some times loading into battle or even just walking around cause the game to freeze for a second or so? I am playing full windowed mode so going to try fullscreen mode and see if that still happens.

The game has a bit of a microstuttering problem unless you force 1/2 refresh rate Vsync.
Which increases Input lag a lot. Reducing to 1 pre-rendered frame for the CPU helps but it's still a little more than without 1/2 RRV.


Also: The clipping, is it full on clipping or more like Z-fighting?

I haven't bothered playing anymore because of the vast amount of bugs and issues
 

Falk

that puzzling face
Don't think it's a draw order issue per-se. Polygons near the camera tend to disappear. So not really z-fighting, nor 'clipping' unless you count polygons clipping camera.
 

Kirye

Member
anyone as some random crash moment where the game close itself without any warning?

It's happened to me a couple of times in events where i've alt-tabbed sometime during that gaming session. Not sure if that's relevant, but i've avoided alt-tabbing and haven't had crashes since.
 

Meneses

Member
It's happened to me a couple of times in events where i've alt-tabbed sometime during that gaming session. Not sure if that's relevant, but i've avoided alt-tabbing and haven't had crashes since.

Same here, the game crashed on me some time after I alt-tabbed to do something else.

The first time I played it, I spent around 3 hours with it without any crash (no alt-tab).
 

Falk

that puzzling face
Heh, I didn't have a trigger, only a button, so I literally couldn't do that minigame other than the mandatory one where Elena wins for you anyway.
 

Syril

Member
Playing it this time I've been realizing how useful the Evade command is, not just for avoiding attacks (since you get your next turn much faster than if you defended), but also for delaying your own turn to be closer to the enemy so you can cancel them instead of just trading blows like you would if you were too far ahead.
 

teh_pwn

"Saturated fat causes heart disease as much as Brawndo is what plants crave."
I can't find a way to toggle sound effects and voice volume. In battle I can only hear the voices if all other sound is deafeningly loud. It's particularly bad for the victory dialogue. Is there a setting somewhere that I'm missing?

I was hoping to find the same solution. I got this last night...I know it's been 15 years but god damn the sound is imbalanced. Sound effects are nearly 3x as loud as they should be. Music doesn't sound as crisp as it was, but then again that was 15 years ago.

INI tokens please to however has them.
 
Hopefully addresses the random crashes I've been getting. Seems to crash like clockwork after 5 minutes from fresh startup, then I can play for hours with no problem.
 

teh_pwn

"Saturated fat causes heart disease as much as Brawndo is what plants crave."
Ironically so far I'm disturbed about whether or not my memories of a 16 year old are more accurate of audio/video fidelity, or if I'm fuckin gramps now yo.

That battle theme used to be bitchin but now all I hear are poorly reproduced footstep sounds
 
So I'm confused. Is my 360 pad not supposed to work? It says partial controller support on the store page, which usually means it just doesn't work for menus. But, as far as I can tell, it just doesn't work, period.

However, the controller does register when I try to set it up before launching the game.

Any advice?
 

Peff

Member
So I'm confused. Is my 360 pad not supposed to work? It says partial controller support on the store page, which usually means it just doesn't work for menus. But, as far as I can tell, it just doesn't work, period.

However, the controller does register when I try to set it up before launching the game.

Any advice?

Reinstalling the drivers was the solution going around early on, though that was for the XBO pad, but maybe it'll work. It's definitely compatible and with proper icons and everything.
 
Forgot much I love this game. I've basically dropped everything else and I'm spending all my gaming time on a 15 year old game and loving it.
 

Silraru

Member
The game has a bit of a microstuttering problem unless you force 1/2 refresh rate Vsync.
Which increases Input lag a lot. Reducing to 1 pre-rendered frame for the CPU helps but it's still a little more than without 1/2 RRV.

Turning on vsync seemed to help. Havent played much for a while now but seems ok now. Thanks for the help.
 

Caspel

Business & Marketing Manager @ GungHo
Lots of fans stopped by the GungHo booth to check out the game and get their free Grandia II pins. I hope a few of you had the chance to say hello!
 
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