Flactem Walkthroughs

Final Fantasy VIII

Automating FF8

Some FF8 tasks are fun once, interesting twice, and a tiny ergonomic crime after the fiftieth menu loop. This page collects the ways I have offloaded the most repetitive bits to software or hardware, with the important caveat that automation is always more fragile than doing it by hand.

Raspberry Pi HID Emulator Helpers

The modern version of this idea lives in a public GitHub repo: raspberrypi-hid-emulator-helpers.

This is a Raspberry Pi USB HID keyboard project. The Pi pretends to be a keyboard, the emulator sees ordinary keypresses, and Python scripts perform repetitive controller inputs. The original point was not “ha ha, cheating”; it was “my wrists and hands would like to remain on speaking terms with me.” RSI/CTS is a lousy boss fight.

The FF8 pieces currently include:

The same repo also contains FF9 helpers, so this is more of a general Final Fantasy menu-grind automation project than an FF8-only trick.

Historical Note: The Pocket Station Chocobo World File Updater

This was originally a small Windows PC helper I posted on February 21, 2001. It was written for the 2000 Windows PC release of FF8 and the Guardian ForceItem-summoned GF effect using Gysahl Greens after obtaining a chocobo. It does not junction like a normal GF. World save min-game tie-in. That is an extremely specific historical sentence, and it should make the security software on modern computers begin to have moist palms.

The old download is not being carried forward as a normal public download. It was a ZIP containing a batch file and a replacement Chocorpg data file, which means it modifies local save data. That may still be useful to someone preserving or playing the original PC version, but I don’t want a 25-year-old save-file patch sitting here like it is a normal contemporary recommendation. Drop me a note if you’re an archeologist and you’d like me to send you a copy.

What It Did

The tool replaced the local Chocorpg file while Chicobo was away in Guardian ForceItem-summoned GF effect using Gysahl Greens after obtaining a chocobo. It does not junction like a normal GF. World. When you brought Chicobo home, he would return with goodies. Then you could send Chicobo away again, run the updater again, and repeat the process.

In other words: save-file shenanigans. Useful, but not exactly a blessed path.

Original Instructions

NOTE: Make sure you have Chicobo. If you don’t have Chicobo, refer to “Getting Chicobo” below.

  1. Load your favorite group of characters, and enter the save menu.
  2. Select the “Chocobo World” slot.
  3. Select “World” to send Chicobo to Guardian ForceItem-summoned GF effect using Gysahl Greens after obtaining a chocobo. It does not junction like a normal GF. World.
  4. Use Cntl-Esc to get to Windows. With XP, you may have to use cntl-alt-del to break out of the game. This will bring up the task manager and let you switch to a different process.
  5. In the FF8 save directory for whichever slot you are in, back up the file called Chocorpg someplace safe.
  6. Unzip the two files update.bat and ch2, and place them in the FF8 save folder.
  7. Double click update.bat.
  8. Alt-Tab back to FF8. You may have to use the task manager in XP.
  9. Select “Home” to bring Chicobo back to this world. Chicobo should bring some goodies with him.
  10. Send Chicobo back to Guardian ForceItem-summoned GF effect using Gysahl Greens after obtaining a chocobo. It does not junction like a normal GF. World, then Alt-Tab to Updater and press any key. This will “recharge” your Chicobo.
  11. Switch back and forth as desired.

How I Used It

I got tired of switching back and forth between the two games, so I rigged up a quicker way of doing this. On my internal network, I shared my save folder, and had another machine attach to it, setting it to mount as drive H: or whatever was available. Then I dropped to DOS, typed H: to get to that directory, and ran update.bat.

Now whenever I pressed the space bar on the other machine, my choco file got recharged. I put the keyboard from the other machine on the floor and pressed the space bar with my feet. Then I could bring Guardian ForceItem-summoned GF effect using Gysahl Greens after obtaining a chocobo. It does not junction like a normal GF. back, collect toys, send him back to Guardian ForceItem-summoned GF effect using Gysahl Greens after obtaining a chocobo. It does not junction like a normal GF. World, press the space bar with my foot, and bring him back again.

It was WAY faster, but required a network, two computers, and a little Windows knowledge. And clean feet.

Getting Chicobo

To get Chicobo, catch a large chocobo at one of the six Chocobo forests. Your first catch, or payment to Guardian ForceItem-summoned GF effect using Gysahl Greens after obtaining a chocobo. It does not junction like a normal GF. Boy, will give you a Chicobo. The easiest Side QuestOptional forest puzzles where you use Sonar and Ziner to call chicobos, summon the mother chocobo, dig up treasures, and eventually earn the Chicobo Card. to catch a Guardian ForceItem-summoned GF effect using Gysahl Greens after obtaining a chocobo. It does not junction like a normal GF. in is the one by Shumi Village on the northern-most island of the square map. It’s the small round forest patch.

If you do manage to get a hold of that file, please be aware that the author assumes no responsibility for your machine crashing as a result of using this, uh, patch. :)

Also, if you want to play Guardian ForceItem-summoned GF effect using Gysahl Greens after obtaining a chocobo. It does not junction like a normal GF. World normally, restore your original Chocorpg file first and remove the updater files from the save folder.