Grandia (PlayStation)

Grandia is an RPG originally released for the Sega Saturn in 1997 and later ported to the PlayStation. It follows a group of young adventurers on their quest to unravel the secrets of an ancient civilization known as the Angelou.

Notes

Debug Mode#

On startup, the game looks for a file named DEBUG.BIN in the BIN directory of the CD. The file should be 6 bytes long and contain a two-byte hexadecimal number in C-syntax (with "0x" prefix). The game is put in debug mode if that number has bit 14 set, like this:

0x4000

Alternatively, debug mode can be activated with the GameShark code 80014886 3034.

Once in debug mode, several new functions become available, some of them requiring a controller plugged into port 2.

Pause and VRAM Viewer#

Press L2 on Controller 2 to pause the game, freezing all animations. While paused, pressing R2 will advance the game by one frame, and pressing L2 again will resume normal play.

Holding Circle (X in battle mode) on Controller 2 while the game is paused lets you scroll around the PlayStation framebuffer memory with the D-Pad.

Map Selecter#

On the title screen, press Square to activate a map/party selection screen which lets you start the game on any level. The D-Pad is used to change the map number, while Circle and Triangle modify the party group. Pressing the X button starts the game.

Valid map numbers begin from 2000 and correspond to the *.MDP files in the game's FIELD directory. Valid party groups are in the range 0 thru 16 (excluding 7, 11, and 13) and correspond to the PGR*.CPD files. If you select a map or party group which does not exist, the game will freeze.

Item and Spell Viewer#

In debug mode, the menu of the game has one additional option named List.

Selecting this option brings up a viewer which lets you examine the attributes of all items in the game (including weapons, armor, etc.), even dummied out and unused ones. With the X button, you can give items to party members. Valid IDs are 1 through 511, with 511 to 520 holding garbage data.

By pressing Down on the D-Pad, you can switch to a spell viewer. Pressing X brings up the same UI for "giving" them to party members as with the item viewer, but unlike that one, it doesn't seem to have any effect when used. IDs 1 through 99 contain party members' magic and skills, 100 through 117 contain in-battle item effects other than those covered by the standard spells, and everything past that is more garbage data.

Character Editor#

In debug mode, pressing Square in the status menu lets you edit the displayed stats one after another, including the amount of gold pieces carried by the party.

Battle Debug Display#

During battles, the Square and Triangle buttons on Controller 2 rearrange the icons on the IP bar in a seemingly random fashion. The Square button makes the party characters act before the enemies while the Triangle button puts it the other way around.

The Select button puts the current character in free-range mode where it can be freely moved around the battle area with the D-Pad.

Pressing the Start button on Controller 1 while in battle brings up an information display. Additionally, pressing Select on Controller 1 at any point deals 9999 damage to all enemies.

Unused Items#

All items work as advertised when used and have the item type you'd expect from the icon/description, unless otherwise noted.

ID	Icon	Short Name	Full Name	Description	Value	Notes
Many	(none)	PROHIBIT	Prohibited	Prohibited	0	A placeholder item with no data besides its names and description, repeated across various slots. To be specific, it can be found at the IDs 1 through 9, 48 through 62, 275, 448, and 470.
11		HERO ARMB	Hero's Armband	Deleted. Unused.	0	Set to be equippable by anyone, but has no surviving stats besides that. Has a unique icon that resembles the Hero's Armband acquired as part of the story (which isn't an actual inventory item).
24		JAIL KEY	Jail Key	Key to the military base jail cell	0	While a jail key like this is acquired as part of the story (at Garlyle Base), it isn't added to the inventory proper like this in the final game.
36		BISCUITS	Biscuits	Restores 25 HP to 1 friend Snack	25
40		PEARL	Pearl	Restores Level 1 MP by 2 Will break	2000	Breaks after several uses.
41		RAINB KEY	Rainbow Key	Key to get to Alent	0	The process of reaching Alent doesn't involve a key in the final game, not even as part of the cutscenes.
42		BOILD EGG	Boiled Egg	Restores 65 HP to 1 friend Yummy	200
44		JAWBREAKR	Jawbreaker	Restores 100 HP to 1 friend Sweet	250
45		PROT RING	Ring of Protection |+10 defense Prevents damage below 20	10000
46		FROSTHERB	Frost Herb	Freezes 1 enemy to -5 action level	600
63		JUD KNIFE	Knife of Judgment |+38 attack Effective on ghosts	10000
64		RST KNIFE	Rusty Knife |+15 attack Rusty and not very sharp	1000
78		TH CUTTER	Thief Cutter |+35 attack Aims for items	30000	Increases item drop rate from enemies, like the used Gil Sword.
81/93		PROHIBIT	Prohibited	Prohibited	0	Identical to the other Prohibiteds besides their icon.
122		RUSTSHOVL	Rusty Shovel |+2 attack Very old	20
134		MATTOCK	Bent Mattock |+5 attack Bent and useless	75
150		ICEBOOMER	Ice Boomerang |+46 attack Attribute: blizzard	5000
196		MAGC ROBE	Magic Robe |+23 defense +1 all magic resistance	6000
217		ZEROSHILD	Zero Shield |+0 defense	10	A counterpart to the used "Zero" weapon set.
232		ANTL HELM	Antler Helmet	+26 defense Horns of a bighorn +26 defense Horns of Gaia horn	6000
274		ZEROBOOTS	Zero Boots |+0 defense	200	Another "Zero" item. What the description doesn't tell you is that it's specifically coded to give +0 defense and +0 movement. What value!
306		WIND BELT	Wind Belt |+40 action Gives you storm speed	6000
311		POIS CHRM	Poison Charm	Gives resistance to poison	1000
316		PROHIBIT	Use Prohibited	Use Prohibited	30000	Another slight variant on the "Prohibited" placeholders.
319		LIFE GEM	Jewel of Life	Restores HP a bit during attacks	10000
320		TEMPT ANK	Ankh of Temptation |+1 magic power level	2000
345		BOX LUNCH	Box Lunch	Restores 30 HP to 1 friend	120
399		ROCK FIRE	Rocket Fireworks	100 HP fire attack on 1 enemy	300
413		POISN APL	Poisoned Apple	Poison a range of enemies	50
416		PARA SHRM	Paralyze Mushroom	Paralyze 1 enemy	900
418		BLK ONYX	Black Onyx	Block the moves of 1 enemy	500
420		RAG WEED	Ragged Weed	-2 to attack level of all enemies	3000
428		SHUFFLE	Shuffle Card	Shuffle positions of party members	2000	Works by casting a 0-power version of the spell Howlnado.
432		TEMPT KEY	Key of Temptation	Key to Tower of Temptation	0	Another key for an area that doesn't require the use of a key in the final game.
437		HORN	Horn of Inogon	Very valuable horn	10000
438	(none)	KEY	Key	Prohibited	0	The last of the Prohibited variants.
481		POW POISN	Poison of Power	-1 strength	3000	This and the following "Poison" items appear to be counterparts to the used "Seed" and "Fruit" sets of stat-booster items, except they permanently decrease a party member's stats instead.
482		DEF POISN	Poison of Defense	-1 vitality	3000
483		SPD POISN	Poison of Speed	-1 wit	3000
484		AGI POISN	Poison of Agility	-1 agility	3000
485		ALL POISN	All-Around Poison	-1 strength, vitality, wit, agility	3000
486		LIF POISN	Poison of Life	-5 MAX HP	3000
487		MAG POISN	Poison of Magic	-1 MAX MP for levels 1-3	3000
488		MOV POISN	Poison of Moves	-3 MAX SP	3000
489	|+1 DAGGER |+1 Dagger Skill |+1 dagger level	0	This and the following "+ Skill" items don't actually have a usage effect coded in.
490	|+5 DAGGER |+5 Dagger Skill |+5 dagger level	0
491	|+1 SWORD |+1 Sword Skill |+1 sword level	0
492	|+5 SWORD |+5 Sword Skill |+5 sword level	0
493	|+1 MACE |+1 Mace Skill |+1 mace level	0
494	|+5 MACE |+5 Mace Skill |+5 mace level	0
495	|+1 AX |+1 Ax Skill |+1 ax level	0
496	|+5 AX |+5 Ax Skill |+5 ax level	0
497	|+1 WHIP |+1 Whip Skill |+1 whip level	0
498	|+5 WHIP |+5 Whip Skill |+5 whip level	0
499	|+1 BOW |+1 Bow Skill |+1 bow level	0
500	|+5 BOW |+5 Bow Skill |+5 bow level	0
501	|+1 FIRE |+1 Fire Skill |+1 fire level	0
502	|+5 FIRE |+5 Fire Skill |+5 fire level	0
503	|+1 WIND |+1 Wind Skill |+1 wind level	0
504	|+5 WIND |+5 Wind Skill |+5 wind level	0
505	|+1 WATER |+1 Water Skill |+1 water level	0
506	|+5 WATER |+5 Water Skill |+5 water level	0
507	|+1 EARTH |+1 Earth Skill |+1 earth level	0
508	|+5 EARTH |+5 Earth Skill |+5 earth level	0
509		100 SWORD	100 Sword |+100 attack	750
510		100 MACE	100 Mace |+100 attack	25	Can be equipped by Liete, unlike other weapons with this icon.
511		100 FIRE MACE	100 Fire Mace |+100 attack Fire attribute	2900	Cannot be equipped by Liete, unlike other weapons with this icon.

Unused Skills#

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: Can these be equipped to party members via editing the values directly? If so, document their effects and animations.

ID	Icon	Short Name	Full Name	Description	MP/SP Cost	Casting Time	Power	Notes
20		LACOSTA	Lacosta	Wind lets entire party escape combat	0	0	0	Set to be a tier-1 spell learned at Wind level 12.
85	(none)	HOME RUN	Home Run Attack	Knocks 1 enemy off the screen	60	90	250	Likely intended for Milda, from its position in the skill list.
86	(none)	RAGE	Rage	Invincible cutting attack on 1 enemy	75	105	900	Also located among Milda's skills in the list.
89	(none)	MILDAHIT2	Milda Hit	15 consecutive hits on 1 enemy	100	120	400	Actually has a lower power value than the used version of Milda Hit, amusingly enough.
98	(none)	SANCTUARY	Sanctuary	Keeps monsters away from 1 friend	0	0	0
116	(none)	VANISH	Vanish	Returns variables of party to 0	0	90	7	Stored with the item-effect-exclusive skills, but no item in the game is set to cast it.

Unseen Skill Text#

Items that produce a skill effect on use don't display the name or description of said skill in-game, but the skills that can only be cast via item have accurate names and descriptions coded in anyway.

Unused Area#

Map 7C30, identified internally as "Twin Towers (Spiral Staircase)", goes unused in the game. It contains nothing but a moving elevator platform and some murals depicting the evolution of life, along with a warp to the next room at the top.

Regional Differences#

• The Japanese PlayStation version of the game had PocketStation support, which lets you play a mini-game called "Pooy Jump!".
• All references of alcohol drinks were changed to coffee for the US/EU versions.

References#