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Diggv2.04 by LockeZ (ff3lockez@yahoo.com)
So, you don't particularly like the music in Final Fantasy 11? You'd rather have Uematsu, or perhaps the Beatles? Maybe you'd like to add music to the areas that have none? Until now you've just had to mute the game and play other music externally. But the problem with that strategy is that when you get in a battle, your CD doesn't change to battle music. In FF11, though, you can easily change what music the game actually uses. No hacking programs needed. All you need are some wav format songs.
You can change the songs in both the PlayOnline viewer and in FF11 itself, as well as in Tetra Master. Note that this is perfectly harmless to do. It doesn't conflict with Square's rules, and any version updates will still work fine. If POL tries to update your files when you sign on, you did it wrong. It you let it update at that point, it should reinstall whatever files you accidentally deleted.
This guide is obviously for the PC version of FF11. I haven't tried any of this on the PS2 version. I don't know of any way to directly access files on the PS2 hard drive, though, so I don't see how it would work.
CONVERTING FILES TO BGW FORMAT
------------------------------
There are two ways to convert files to bgw format. Either way, you need wav files to start with.
That's wav, not mp3. Mp3 files will not work. If you want to use mp3s, you have to convert them to wavs first using some program or another. A program at www.mp3fe.com/download/mp32wav.zip has been recommended to me.
The first method, which is direct, simple, and the method I discovered, is to simply change the file extension on a .wav file to .bgw. Please note that in order to change the extensions of files, you must have your Windows Folder Options set to show extensions for known file types. If done correctly, changing the extension should give you a warning that the file may not work.
The problem with the first method is that songs will not repeat. When they get to the end, they just stop, and there is no music until the game plays a new song. This doesn't make a big difference in PlayOnline, but in the games it can be quite a nuisance. The second method, below, remedies this.
The second method is to use a program called FFXI Music Converter, or Ximc. I didn't make this program, but rather it was sent to me. It's quite useful. Download it at http://www.lowfyr.com/downloads/ffxi/Ximc004.zip and use Winzip or a similar program to unzip it. Most of the program is in Japanese, but the "WAV -> BGW" and "BGW -> WAV" buttons are clearly labelled. Uncheck the box in the program if you don't want it to rename each file.
This program will sometimes fail to create a file. This is usually because your .wav file's quality is too low. The game uses a bitrate of 187 kbps (48 kHz, 16 bit stereo). If your sound conversion program is totally pimped out, your file quality might actually be too high. A .wav file's quality can be changed by opening it in the "Sound Recorder" program that comes with Windows, and choosing Save As.
This second method is REQUIRED to convert sound effects, such as wind files (for the section later about adding music to normal silent areas) or bard songs. To make it convert to and from .spw instead of .bgw, maximize the program. You will see a new option: BGM or SE. Click on SE and it will let you manipulate sound effect files instead of music files.
If you're interested, here are what the other options in that program do:
Checkbox by the first button: If this is checked, files converted to .bgw format (or .spw format) will be called music100.bgw (or se000100.bgw). The number in the filename can be changed with the upper-right entry box. If this is unchecked, the file will retain its original filename (with the new file extension, of course).
Top-right entry box (defaults to 100): If the box is checked, this controls the number that is given to newly created .bgw files. You will want to change this number each time you convert a file, or else uncheck the box. If the box is checked and you don't change this number, each file will have the same filename, and they will overwrite each-other!
The other entry boxes (default to 1, 127, and 0): I have no idea. Frankly these don't seem to affect anything. Maybe it has to do with file quality. I can't read Japanese.
IN PLAYONLINE VIEWER
--------------------
The files that the viewer uses are listed in the subfolder
SquareEnixPlayOnlineViewerviewerdatasystembgm and are in .bgw format.
Convert a file to .bgw format, and then rename it to whatever.101.bgw and
put it in the folder. Actually, 101 is an arbitrary number; any three-digit
number will work.
After you put your new files in right folder, open PlayOnline. Click on
Navigator, then Options, then Viewer, then BGM. All the songs that PlayOnline
comes with will still be listed if you didn't delete them, and all your new
songs will be listed as well. Whatever songs you want it to play, select and
choose OK. Whatever songs you don't want it to play, select and choose Clear.
It now plays your songs instead of the normal ones!
The file Dolphin_(by_Noriko_Matsueda).113.bgw is used while you are connecting
to your PlayOnline account. If you want to change what music is played during
that part, you will need to overwrite that file with a new one.
IN FINAL FANTASY XI
-------------------
The files that FF11 uses are located in the subfolders SquareEnixFINAL FANTASY XIsoundwinmusicdata (for original version music),SquareEnixFINAL FANTASY XIsound2winmusicdata (for Rise of Zilart music), and most likely SquareEnixFINAL FANTASY XIsound3winmusicdata (for Chains of Promathea). Convert your .wav files to .bgw. You can't just name the songs whatever you want, though. The filenames have to be exactly the same as the files already in the folder. The new song will replace the old one and be used at whatever times the original would have been used at.
For example, if you had a .wav song you wanted to use for the title screen, you could convert it, rename it to music108.bgw, and put it in the folder, replacing the file with that name that's already in the folder. Since music108.bgw is used for the title screen, your song will now be used for the title screen.
With a lot of help, I've located every music track in the game up through the Rise of Zilart expansion. A huge shout-out to Lord Skylark for basically giving me the entire list for the original game and Zilart expansion. The song files are listed below. However, I don't have the Chains of Promathea expansion because I no longer play the game, so the song list for it is incomplete. If anyone could please send me information for them, I'd appreciate it. Details on how to listen to the existing files are at the end of the guide.
FF11 SONG LIST
--------------
music101.bgw: Battle: In overworld, solo
music102.bgw: Battle: In dungeon, in party
music103.bgw: Battle: In overworld, in party
music104.bgw: Ghelsba
music105.bgw: Mhaura
music106.bgw: Ship
music107.bgw: San D'Oria
music108.bgw: Title Screen: Original/Rise of Zilart
music109.bgw: Ronfaure
music110.bgw: Jeuno
music111.bgw: Game Over
music112.bgw: Selbina
music113.bgw: Sarutabaruta
music114.bgw: Batallia Downs
music115.bgw: Battle: In dungeon, solo
music116.bgw: Gustaberg
music117.bgw: Ru'Lude Gardens
music118.bgw: Rolanberry Fields
music119.bgw: Battle: Final Boss
music120.bgw: Nation Selection Screen
music121.bgw: Approching Final Boss
music122.bgw: Delkfutt's (Used in cut scenes)
music123.bgw: Hopelessness (Used in cut scenes)
music124.bgw: Recollection (Used in cut scenes)
music125.bgw: Battle: Boss
music126.bgw: Mog House
music127.bgw: Anxiety (Used in cut scenes)
music128.bgw: Airship
music130.bgw: Tarutaru Female Creation
music131.bgw: Elvaan Female Creation
music132.bgw: Elvaan Male Creation
music133.bgw: Hume Male Creation
music134.bgw: Yuhtunga Jungle
music135.bgw: Kazham
music151.bgw: Windurst
music152.bgw: Bastok
music153.bgw: Crystal Prelude
music154.bgw: Metalworks
music155.bgw: Castle Zvahl
music156.bgw: Chateau d'Oraguille
music157.bgw: Fury (Used in cut scenes)
music158.bgw: Sauromugue Champaign
music159.bgw: Sorrow (Used in cut scenes)
music160.bgw: Repression (Used in cut scenes)
music161.bgw: Despair (Used in cut scenes)
music162.bgw: Heavens Tower
music163.bgw: Sometime Somewhere (Used in cut scenes)
music164.bgw: Xarcabard
music165.bgw: Galka Creation
music166.bgw: Mithra Creation
music167.bgw: Tarutaru Male Creation
music168.bgw: Hume Female Creation
music169.bgw: Regeneracy (Used in cut scenes)
music170.bgw: Buccaneers (Used in cut scenes)
music171.bgw: Altepa Desert
music181.bgw: Chocobo (Short version)
music190.bgw: The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah
music191.bgw: Battle: Rise of Zilart, In overworld
music192.bgw: Battle: Rise of Zilart, In dungeon
music193.bgw: Battle: Rise of Zilart, Boss
music194.bgw: Raogrimm's Theme (Used in cut scenes)
music195.bgw: Belief (Used in cut scenes)
music196.bgw: Fighters of the Crystal (Used in cut scenes)
music197.bgw: Tu'Lia Restoration (Used in cut scenes)
music198.bgw: Eald'narche (Final Dungeon)
music199.bgw: Grav'iton
music200.bgw: Kam'lanaut's Theme (Used in cut scenes)
music201.bgw: Ending
music202.bgw: Quest 1 (Used in cut scenes)
music203.bgw: Quest 2 (Used in cut scenes)
music204.bgw: Quest 3 (Used in cut scenes)
music205.bgw: Quest Completion (Used in cut scenes)
music206.bgw: Yve'noile's Theme (Used in cut scenes)
music207.bgw: Ve'Lugannon Palace
music208.bgw: Rabao
music209.bgw: Norg
music210.bgw: Tu'Lia
music211.bgw: Ro'Maeve
music212.bgw: Chocobo
music213.bgw: Hall of the Gods
music214.bgw: Wedding
music218.bgw: Battle: Chains of Promathea, Solo
music219.bgw: Battle: Chains of Promathea, Group
music220.bgw: Battle: Chains of Promathea, Boss Theme
music221.bgw: Movapolos
music222.bgw: Promyvion/Emptiness
music223.bgw: Conflict: March of the Hero (Usage unknown)
music224.bgw: Dusk and Dawn (Used in cut scenes)
music225.bgw: Pso'Xja
music226.bgw: Ballista
music227.bgw: Summerfest
music228.bgw: The Garden of Ru'Hmet
music229.bgw: Carpenter's Landing Raft
music230.bgw: Tavnazian Archipelago
music231.bgw: (?)
music232.bgw: The Ruler of the Skies (Used in cut scenes)
music233.bgw: The Celestial Capital – Al'Taieu
music234.bgw: Happily Ever After (Usage unknown)
music235.bgw: First Ode: Nocturne of the Gods (Usage unknown)
music236.bgw: Fourth Ode: Clouded Dawn (Usage unknown)
music237.bgw: Third Ode: Memoria de la Stona (Usage unknown)
music238.bgw: A New Morning (Usage unknown)
music239.bgw: Christmas
music240.bgw: Second Ode: Distant Promises (Usage unknown)
music241.bgw: Fifth Ode: A Time for Prayer (Usage unknown)
music242.bgw: Title Screen: Chains of Promathea
music243.bgw: Grav'iton (Duplicate)
music244.bgw: (?)
music245.bgw: Tavnazian Safehold
If you know any of the songs that I have listed as usage unknown or have left
blank, please send me information! I don't own that expansion, but I would
love to update the guide.
IN TETRA MASTER
---------------
The files that Tetra Master uses are located in the subfolder PlayOnlineSquareEnixTetraMasterdataWINsoundmusic. Convert your .wav files to .bgw. You can't just name the songs whatever you want, though. The filenames have to be exactly the same as the files already in the folder. The new song will replace the old one and be used at whatever times the original would have been used at.
For example, if you had a .wav song you wanted to use for the main menu, you could convert it, rename it to music215.bgw, and put it in the folder, replacing the file with that name that's already in the folder. Since music215.bgw is used for the main menu, your song will now be used for the main menu.
Props to Fire_element25 for this list.
TETRA MASTER SONG LIST
---------------------
music200.bgw: Room Select
music201.bgw: (unknown)
music202.bgw: Card Select
music203.bgw: In-Battle
music204.bgw: Loss 1
music205.bgw: Auction House
music206.bgw: Card Shop
music207.bgw: (unknown)
music208.bgw: Player Status
music209.bgw: Options
music210.bgw: Rankings
music212.bgw: Win
music213.bgw: Loss 2
music215.bgw: Main Menu
music216.bgw: (unknown)
ADDING MUSIC TO DUNGEONS
------------------------
You can also add music to areas that have none. How, you ask? All the areas without music have a wind sound effect in the background. All you have to do is replace the wind with a song. You can't modify sound effects just by changing the extension in this case; you have to use the program, the second method listed above in the file conversion section. Huge props to ME, I AM AWESOME for thinking up this method and getting it to work.
The folder for most wind files is SquareEnixFINAL FANTASY XIsoundwinsese001 but there are also a couple more wind files in SquareEnixFINAL FANTASY XIsound2winsese001. I'm fairly sure they're for the Rise of Zilart areas. I would imagine you replace sound2 with sound3 to find the folder for Chains of Promathea wind files, but I don't have that expansion. Convert your wav file to .spw. Rename it so that it's the name of the file you want to replace (se001001.spw or whatever). Move your new spw file to the correct folder and replace the default file. You now have music in that area.
Here are all the known issues with this method.
1) The background music you add won't cut out when the battle music starts.
You can remedy this by either:
a) Using silent .wav files for the in-dungeon battle songs.
b) Using short "battle begin" type sounds for the in-dungeon battle music
and making them not repeat by manually changing the filename from .wav to
.bmg instead of using the conversion program.
c) Setting the sound effects to half volume so you can hardly hear the
background music over the battle music but can hear it fine otherwise.
Do this anyway cause some areas that don't have music are considered "overworld" areas.
2) Sometimes with longer songs you'll get the song playing twice at once, it'll be at two different parts of the song. It's only midly annoying since it usually cuts out after a minute or so and most songs are repetitive anyway. Fix this by not using songs that are not much longer than the original wind files, perhaps.
3) Some areas use the same wind as each-other. Some areas use more than one wind file depending on the time or weather. In these cases, it is highly recommended you use the same song for all of the different instances, unless the one that's different actually is wind.
Here is the list of areas that I know which wind sound effect is for. Please help me by changing other wind files in the wind folder and writing down where you hear them, and emailing me. I no longer play FF11, so I need help completing and maintaining the list.
FF11 BACKGROUND SOUND EFFECT LIST
---------------------------------
Many of the areas that actually have real background music also have wind in the background. You probably don't want two songs playing at once in these areas, so I've marked them with a
Sound effect 001003 is used in a bunch of places that don't have music, but also in Windurst. Use your own judgement. I leave it as normal wind, but you might want to change it to music and then nullify Windurst's real music file. Number 001065 has a similar issue, but as the caves in Valkurm are few and far between, I just let the songs overlap.
This section gets no credits, because you are all worthless choads who don't send me anything. I made this list myself. It's not gonna get updated any more unless you send me more names, because I don't play FF11 any more.
se001001.spw:
se001002.spw: La Theine Plateau
se001003.spw:
La Theine Plateau
Pashhow Marshlands
Konschtat Highlands
se001004.spw: Konschtat Highlands
La Theine Plateau
se001005.spw:
se001007.spw:
se001013.spw: Valkurm Dunes
se001014.spw: Valkurm Dunes
se001015.spw: Valkurm Dunes
se001016.spw: Valkurm Dunes
se001025.spw: Dangruf Wadi
se001033.spw:
se001042.spw: La Theine Plateau
se001053.spw:
se001054.spw: Buburimbu Peninsula
Tahrongi Canyon
se001062.spw:
se001062.spw:
se001064.spw:
se001065.spw: Palborough Mines
Outer Horotuto Ruins
Giddeus Caves
Ghelsba Outpost Caves
Valkurm Dunes Caves (played overlapping Valkurm Dunes wind)
Probably almost any other caves in existance
se001066.spw: Zeruhn Mines
se001067.spw:
se001069.spw:
se001070.spw:
se001072.spw:
se001073.spw:
se001074.spw:
se001075.spw:
se001077.spw:
se001078.spw: Buburimbu Peninsula
Tahrongi Canyon
se001079.spw:
se001080.spw:
se001081.spw:
se001082.spw:
se001089.spw:
se001092.spw:
se001093.spw:
se001094.spw:
se001095.spw:
se001104.spw:
Want to help expand this list? The best thing you can do is change undocumented wind files to songs you'll recognize if you hear, and see what songs play as the wind when you go to areas. Email me your results if you find anything I don't have listed.
For a while, people were also willing to send me gil to help me get to harder areas so I could test the files. But I've stopped playing. I deleted my account in November 2004. So unless other people find more wind files, this list probably won't be updated any time soon.
CHANGING BARD SONGS AND OTHER SOUNDS
------------------------------------
You can change bard songs too. Change them the same way you would change the wind sounds. Open the program, maximize it, change to Sound Effect mode, change a .wav file to .spw, and replace the bard song file. The bard songs are in the folder SquareEnixFINAL FANTASY XIsoundwinsese021. Here's the list of what each one is:
se021001.spw: Wind Instrument
se021002.spw: String Instrument
se021003.spw: Tarutaru Female Singing
se021004.spw: Tarutaru Male Singing
se021005.spw: Elvaan/Hume Male Singing
se021006.spw: Mithra Singing
se021007.spw: Galka Singing
se021008.spw: Elvaan/Hume Female Singing
You can theoretically change any sound effect in the game. But there's 6243 of them, so I'm not going to go through and figure them all out for you. The level up tune is SquareEnixFINAL FANTASY XIsoundwinsese000SE000007.wav if you want to change that one; put a one second delay at the beginning so it'll line up right.
CONVERTING THE ORIGINAL FILES TO A PLAYABLE FORMAT
--------------------------------------------------
This is actually pretty easy. You just download the program at http://www.lowfyr.com/downloads/ffxi/Ximc004.zip and run it. Right below the WAV -> BGW button is a BGW -> WAV button. Click it and find the file you want to convert. The .wav file will appear in the folder that the original .bgw file is in. You can't convert directly to .mp3. I don't even know why you'd want to. You can make a .wav file have the same sound quality and file size as a .mp3 file by loading it in Windows Sound Recorder, which comes with Windows, and saving it as a lower quality. If you really need .mp3 for some reason, you're on your own.
This might infringe the copyright and probably makes Square mad because they sell fewer soundtracks, so do it at your own risk. I can't be held responsible for you stealing the music. Personally, I went to all the trouble of figuring all this stuff out because I DON'T like the music, but so many people email me about this that I thought I'd add it to the guide. I mean, you did buy the game, and it came with this music, but lawyers are shifty sometimes.
If you can't use that program for some reason or you can't get it to work, there's another way to listen to the songs. Move them from FF11 or Tetra Master into the folder used for PlayOnline music, which is located in SquareEnixPlayOnlineViewerviewerdatasystembgm and rename them from whatever.bgw to whatever.101.bgw. Use whatever file name you want as long as it ends in .101.bgw. Now you can play the song in PlayOnline, or even set it as a random background music for the PlayOnline viewer. Open PlayOnline, and click on Navigator, then Options, then Viewer, then BGM, and all the songs will be listed. Choose the one you want to play, or click OK to set it to play randomly in POL.
There's also a plugin for Winamp called in_ffxi.dll that will allow Winamp to play .bgw files directly. Search for it on a file-sharing program like Kazaa or something; I don't have a direct link for you. Put it in the Winamp plugin folder.
Copyright 2004 Ben McAlpin. Reproduce freely.