I think it could be done by swapping the 3D models in the Unity Assets Viewer (exporting the raw files and re-importing them with another path). However, there are tons of files involved in 3D models in the assets so I'm not sure that it's an efficient method.

Trying to replace the model ID (or name) in the source code is not so simple either...
(Mainly because the animations of the trance models are the animations of the default model and thus the default model should be loaded first)

So, it seems that the easiest and safest way to do that is to call the function "btl_vfx::SetTranceModel" at the right moment. Since it is still a bit complicate, here is a modded file:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ia1epc8iodezg63/PC_AlwaysTranceMod.zip?dl=1
There's a .hws as well but I don't guarantee it to work (you need to have the exact same version of the game as me which is normally the latest update, but there might be some tweaks).

If think you're confusing Albeoris's Memoria (Engine modification) and gjoerulv's Memoria (Save editor).
Unfortunatly, I can't do anything for you, as I have no insights on the save files :/
You can try to ask gjoerulv but Memoria is not his main priority, so you may be lucky but you may as well not.

Out of curiosity, does the game bugs when you go in the cards menu as well?

Yes, it's possible using Hades Workshop.
Go to the panel "Party -> Stats": there's the Exp/AP requirements there.
For the Gil you receive, it's in the "Enemies" panel. You need to change the gil reward for each battle (you can tick the option "Edit Similar Enemies" to make it a bit faster.

Nop, there won't be a ! bubble anymore as well (there were none in PSX).

If you want to do it like you describe (basically only removing the card bubble), you need to change the call of "PollFIcon(2)" into a "PollFIcon(1)" inside that same method.
I described here[forums.qhimm.com] the possible variations, using HW.

You can remove those by short-circuit the method "EIcon::PollCollisionIcon".

With Memoria: Open "EIcon.cs", write a "return false" at the start of the function "PollCollisionIcon" and compile the thing.
With Hades Workshop: Go to "CIL Code" then search for "EIcon" -> "PollCollisionIcon" and replace the 2nd line "stloc.0" by "ret".

PollCollisionIcon handles only the bubbles that were added for the Steam version, so you still have the bubbles for the treasures and stuff.

It is compatible, yes.
The compatibility issues are mostly (if not always) when the Assembly-CSharp.dll is involved.

If you replace the whole "resources.assets" file, some changes from Memoria will likely be reverted though (like the texts and names), but you can do them afterwards again. The best is to inject the "SoundEffectMetaData.txt" directly in the archive.

To be honest, Albeoris is the only one who worked to combine HW and Memoria up to now ^^"
I'll have to tweak things on my end but not right now.

Yes, for the Steam version, you select the FF9_Launcher.exe.
If it asks for scanning the file, that means you gave him a .bin and it thinks you're giving the PSX version.

I would love to see video tutorials. It's not my priority to do it myself though, as it would mean stoping the development of HW while doing it. It would definitely be useful though.

I didn't grap that every single tile had a depth adjustement :/
I tried to see the extend of it and that's indeed extremely detailed. Each tile is at a very precise depth while I thought there was just as many depth levels as layers...
That bites for getting rid of the tile system indeed.

@Lyrithus: Thanks :)
In order to modify things, you need to open a vanilla (non-modded) game with HW first. Once opened, you go to "File -> Open Mod" and you select the AlternateFantasy_v4.3.hws that is in the mod's .zip.
After a few seconds, the mod will be loaded into HW and you can modify what you want.

"Save Mod" to create a .hws file that you can go back to later.
"Save Steam Mod" to generate the modded files.

Hey Albeoris :)

I'm not against working together. Actually, I would find it great ! Modding the engine through C# is so good, so much better than the crappy CIL code I'm displaying.
However, our programs as they are can hardly work together since we both change the CSharp.dll in two very different manners. I really think you shouldn't move everything to an external library. Since you use the full source code now, will you drop Memoria.dll and do the changes directly in the CSharp.dll ? That would be great for HW ^^

I still don't know how to merge a C++ and a C# project, though :/
That's a shame because we are indeed sometimes working on the same things.

I won't drop the development of HW for coding Memoria. I guess you won't drop Memoria for HW either. I don't see how we could merge our projects, but if you have a solution, that would be wonderful.

In any case, we can exchange about how FF9 works. I saw that you attacked the enemies' datas ; I know them quite well so if you have a question, feel free to ask.
I'm also inviting you in HW's github and I would gladly accept to be in Memoria's. Though I won't be coding there regularly, as said, I can always punctually help.

As for me, I decided I would rewrite the BGSCENE_DEF.cs to make 1 mesh per layer (overlay). They bothered me a lot with their tile system that are 36x36 but only 32x32 and a half... I think that'll be for the best. Did your method avoid creating seams and defects? If so, then congrats a lot ^^