More fun with .DAT file swapping :: Final Fantasy XI

#1 Apr 17 2005 at 3:20 PM Rating: Good

Scholar

311 posts

I got bored today, so I decided to mess around with the .DAT files and have some fun. Here's what I've done so far:

Behemoth as my pet in the canyon:

http://img214.echo.cx/img214/5404/behemoth11qc.jpg
http://img214.echo.cx/img214/5149/a2jbehemoth26lk.jpg
http://img214.echo.cx/img214/4743/a2jbehemoth32dn.jpg
http://img236.echo.cx/img236/9325/a2jbehemoth41es.jpg
http://img236.echo.cx/img236/4087/a2jbehemoth51mu.jpg
http://img236.echo.cx/img236/3041/a2jbehemoth61xa.jpg

All crabs are Eald'narche:

http://img148.echo.cx/img148/9956/a2jpol20050417135342981em.jpg
http://img148.echo.cx/img148/7010/a2jpol20050417135449004pk.jpg
http://img148.echo.cx/img148/2175/a2jpol20050417135456577tk.jpg
http://img148.echo.cx/img148/8196/a2jpol20050417140053818im.jpg
http://img148.echo.cx/img148/2458/a2jpol20050417140410927vm.jpg

I also made a video of a Corse as my pet kicking some *** in the canyon, but I don't want to blow my bandwidth by posting it here. I just gave it to a few close friends.

I went through the model viewer and I can do all of (but not limited to) these:

http://cannotlinkto.com/dpauz (cannotlinkto'd because regular URL has a censored word in it)

Note that I made this list by browsing through the model viewer and print screening the models that looked interesting. Some other ones that I might try include Orcish Warmachines, Greater Birds, Doomeds, a few beastmen NMs with crazy skins, and last but not least, Shadow Lord. But we've all seen them, so I didn't think there was any point in including them in the gallery.

At this point, many of you might be wondering how to do this. If you're on PC, it's quite simple. Download the FFXI model viewer and in it, find two models you want to swap. Say you want to replace tigers with Kam'lanaut. First, find the location of the .DAT file for both tigers and Kam'lanaut. (Where to find the file location.) Black tiger's .DAT file is 1-5-3.dat. This means that it's found in folder PlayOnline\SquareEnix\FINAL FANTASY XI\ROM\5 and the file name is 5.DAT. Kam'lanaut's is 2-22-20.dat, so it's at ROM2\22\20.DAT. (NOTE: For some of the CoP mobs, the first number will be 100. This just means go to ROM3.) Once you've found out the file locations, rename the one you're replacing to something along the lines of 3Backup.DAT. Due to the nature of SE's file system, there will most likely be a file with the same name as the one you're trying to copy in. Don't try to copy Kam's file in and then rename it, and whatever you do, DO NOT REPLACE ANY FILES if prompted to do so. You'll have to re-install if you replace it, but it's really easy not to so long as you're not a moron. Or Elvaan. Or Galka... But I digress... The easiest way to get around this little annoyance is to copy your new model file to one directory above its final destination. Once it's there, just rename it to 3.DAT in this case (the tiger's file name) and move it in. Assuming you backed up the correct file, it should not prompt you to overwrite. If it does, you've either named the new file incorrectly or backed up the wrong file. If you did it right, just load up the game and go find a tiger. It will have the same properties as a regular tiger, but its attacks and movement and what not will look like that of Kam'lanaut's.

If you have any other ideas or have some screenshots or whatever, post 'em here. I'll be more than happy to do some requests from PS2 people over the next few days, assuming it will work. Note that I can't do Lion or Bahamut because they don't have attacks coded into their .DAT file, so the game would crash. :( It's too bad, 'cause Lion is a babe.

Edited, Mon Apr 18 14:34:03 2005 by JiggsCasey

More fun with .DAT file swappingFollow