PS2 DAT files now available

[bungiefan]

I got my hands on a program (on the PS2 itself) that can read the HDD file system and copy the files to/from USB data storage. The PS2 modding/homebrew community finally has someone that cracked it. As such I have ripped all the directory structure, except a few files that wouldn't copy but aren't DAT files anyway, they're file system and application files. I am now providing it in the hopes that someone out there will have the ability and interest to decipher the data formats and make mods available like PC users have had for years.

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/5463...or_DAT_modders

http://www.demonoid.com/files/details/2185042/1673814/

These are the files as of the March 22nd 2010 version update. The application to transfer them between a PC and PS2 is also included, though you need means to run PS2 homebrew to use it.

If anyone can give the info or files to Japanese modding communities, all the better, as they have more PS2 users, and I bet there's at least one OCD enough to put a dent in it.

[Pikarya]

Have someone remove shadow and weather effects from the PS2 and you might have yourself a decent mod. Otherwise that console can die in a fire when it comes to XI.

[Yugl]

Will it work on PS3?

[bungiefan]

Not sure if uLaunchELF can run and read the PS3's hard drive, and I have no system to test on. PSX-Scene would be the forum to get information about that.

PS2 is still the main system I play on. Gaming on PC leads to too much headache for me, and there's always some complication to make it frustrating, like some problem causing the computer to crash, or some driver incompatibility. PS2 is the most stable platform for the game, and some people still have to play on it. The shadow and weather effects look much better on PS2 than I've ever seen on PC.

[Sholin]

The shadow and weather effects look much better on PS2 than I've ever seen on PC.

You're doing something wrong then, PC looks better in every aspect.

[Darknightleo]

I agree, the game actually looks the most stable on PS2
on most 360 and PC versions you have weird dot effects during some spells and JAs, even on high end PCs, and a lot of users on 360 and PC have weird boxes in the sky in almost every area but ToAH zones. I never ever encountered any of these on PS2.

[Yabby]

I've never seen any problems on PC, or had bad crashes that wasn't windower related. What i do know is bring a mule into Ein and watching the PS2 give up and just do sound effects for 25 mins with the screen and chatlog froze isn't my idea of stable.

[Pharaun]

Not to mention the PS2 sea problem...

[Ohemgee]

Spellcast for PS2

[Kaslo]

I agree, the game actually looks the most stable on PS2
on most 360 and PC versions you have weird dot effects during some spells and JAs, even on high end PCs, and a lot of users on 360 and PC have weird boxes in the sky in almost every area but ToAH zones. I never ever encountered any of these on PS2.

Not to mention PS2s are quicker to load, ie. NMs popping for claiming. I have noticed attentive PS2 users can easily outclaim PC bots.

[Yugl]

Spellcast for PS2

If you can get this on PS3 as well that would be epic win. Same version, but different console.

[rog]

Not to mention PS2s are quicker to load, ie. NMs popping for claiming. I have noticed attentive PS2 users can easily outclaim PC bots.

Uh, yeah... Too bad the claim delay makes the load speed completely irrelevant.

[Aphelidia]

If you can get this on PS3 as well that would be epic win. Same version, but different console.

This would possibly make me play again. I still dont understand why SE themselves havnt made this possible yet.

[bungiefan]

It's been seeded to completion now, but I'm leaving my two boxes running as long as possible to keep them available. At least six people have finished the download, and I posted this to several communities, including FFXI DATs and Neko-Sentai. I only saw one leecher from Japan.

[Calintzpso]

Great find, I've already started taking a crack at it...oh and...

Just wanted to let you know, your saved pol data is listed in the files. I was able to extract Macros clear as day. Seems SE made them nearly the same as PC, to make platform backup to the server universal on restore(backup on pc, restore em on 360/ps2).

One of the accounts used on the ps2 has their macro books arranged like so,

MiscJobs
Scholar
Summoner
BlueMage
Book05
Book06
Book07
Book08
Book09
Book10
Book11
Book12
Book13
Book14
Book15
Book16
Book17
Book18
Book19
Maat

And if its anything like how I remember the pc folders setup being when I transferred between PCs... Pol ID, Password(1 way encryption I recall?), SE Member ID is all stored in the folder. Only things not saved are the SE password and token as obviously they have to be entered each time. But this depends on if you signed up for one, or detached your account from it(Not exactly sure about how this goes about, still have my token).

If someone with more time then me uses the files here to clone your ps2 to theirs, hope you have a good SE-ID Password at least should they start fooling around.

My advice, you never know how far those rice buggers will go for a meal. Update your info/Pws just incase.

But in the end, great work for the ps2 community. I'm already plugging away, just need some AV cables from gamestop to bring out the ps2 and run some tests.

[bungiefan]

I've got a token, I expected the POL folder to have the passwords though, not the FFXI folder, which is what I copied. But yeah, I already examined the macros in FFXI Macro Editor for Windows, and they partly worked to read and edit them. Some of my books were blank.

Actually, I had to reinstall FFXI from scratch after trying some stuff with these files. Not POL Viewer though. The reinstall only broke my map markers and macros until I recalled them from the server. Login information isn't going to be stored there. PlayOnline Viewer has its own partition, and FFXI has a seperate one, as does Tetra Master. I didn't mess with the POL partition files at all, figured I didn't need to provide them.

The wallpaper files are portable from PC to PS2 though, as I put the JP Fantasy Earth ones from my PC POL install on the PS2 version and got them working. I'll have to reupload my archive of the wallpapers for anyone that wants them. They're listed as PNG files, but there's something nonstandard about them that I can't open them on a computer. Picture name and menu icon seem to be embedded in the files.

https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm

As far as passwords go, I use that site to build mine. It's random every time, and I have a printout of the time I used it, filed away in my safe.

Maybe I'll get ambitious with my JP PS2 later and start running one expansion at a time from base install (since I have plain non-Zilart FFXI, as well as every JP expansion disc) and find out which directories get installed with which expansions. Then we could do minimal installs to add expansions individuals are missing to save a hunt for a 2008 Collection disc.

BTW, FFXIClopedia banned me for trying to find people there to help with this. Do they not approve of DAT modding? They said the reason was warez/cracks/spam. This isn't usable as a plain install, you have to already have the game on your hard drive.

[Yugl]

I probably cannot pick this up until summer, but I must ask: "How does my FFXI experience change when using this?". So far, it looks like dat modding only. Are either of the two websites you posted a good place to ask about whether it works for PS3?

[Stromgarde]

Easiest thing to think of that is 'easy' to do via DAT modification is installing of annotated map packs and non-stupid icon/font sets. A little under 25% done downloading atm, I'll take a look at how similar the files are later.

[nitsuj]

Spellcast for PS2

has nothing to do with DATs sadly, it's about hooking into the FFXiMain.DLL, which isn't likely on the PS2.

[SephYuyX]

Is 4.0 going to released before XIV comes out lol?