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Hi,
I've always been puzzled by the massive success of the Final Fantasy series. I'm just as astonished on how many people like its disjointed interaction that it calls gameplay. I mean, the battles are done on a AI level with little interaction from the player, you just press the attack button and random calculations are made based on if your character is quicker, stronger, or has special abilities that the enemy finds septuple to. You just sit back and watch the computer fighting with it self, occasionally changing its path so that it can continue to fight but in a different manner. If you think about it, your not playing the game at all, but rather the game is playing you. The computer is using you as a tool so it can continue on performing random patterns and calculations, and probably is enjoying every moment of it, too.
So I say this. Make a stand for what is right, say NO to turn-based RPGs and say yes to real-time ones. It's the way RPGs are ment to be played, and if some developer can break this awful trend that is turn-based combat, then I think we'll be back in the good old days of such classics as Zelda, Illusions Of Time and Terranigma.
I've never liked a turn-based RPG up to this day, and I've played alot of them I can tell you. Would you ever replay an RPG after all that stopping and starting, stopping and starting? I would rather put my nads in a vice.
I've always been puzzled by the massive success of the Final Fantasy series. I'm just as astonished on how many people like its disjointed interaction that it calls gameplay. I mean, the battles are done on a AI level with little interaction from the player, you just press the attack button and random calculations are made based on if your character is quicker, stronger, or has special abilities that the enemy finds septuple to. You just sit back and watch the computer fighting with it self, occasionally changing its path so that it can continue to fight but in a different manner. If you think about it, your not playing the game at all, but rather the game is playing you. The computer is using you as a tool so it can continue on performing random patterns and calculations, and probably is enjoying every moment of it, too.
So I say this. Make a stand for what is right, say NO to turn-based RPGs and say yes to real-time ones. It's the way RPGs are ment to be played, and if some developer can break this awful trend that is turn-based combat, then I think we'll be back in the good old days of such classics as Zelda, Illusions Of Time and Terranigma.
I've never liked a turn-based RPG up to this day, and I've played alot of them I can tell you. Would you ever replay an RPG after all that stopping and starting, stopping and starting? I would rather put my nads in a vice.
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Darwock wrote:
> That's something I do miss, the ATB gauge. I hope they bring it back
> for the next installment, cos although the new system works well
> nothing beats the tension when you've got to get a turn in before the
> enemy attacks. It's not quite as dramatic when you know in advance
> what the order of turns will be.
I kinda see what you`re saying, but really there is no difference, its basically on a "silent count". Instead of displaying the waiting times its just saying when the characters are ready. It gets rid of the gaps, but the order will be exactly the same. If one character took 10 seconds to reach readiness and the enemy took 20, then you`d have two turns to their 1. In FFX its exactly the same, but you don`t have the waiting time, you just get on with the two turns.
As for knowing in advance... that can be a little bit of a giveaway, but you don`t have to use it. In my case, I had no idea what it actually meant first time through the game, it was only on my second time through that I found on what it was all about.
> I also miss the world map - the sense of exploration isn't the same
> when you're just clicking randomly on a map to uncover new locations.
This is very similar to the ATB system. They`ve cut out the bit in the middle and got straight to the point. They must have decided that there was enough wondering around on each of the levels to make it pointless to do the same on the world map. So as a result, instead of wandering around until you hit the place they want you to, you go straight there. In previous games there were only ever a couple of places you could explore that weren`t on the main quest anyway before you reached the end. You`d perhaps bump into a chocobo farm or something but really thats all included in the main levels of FFX.
> Plus you can't explore until the very end, so none of the extra skills
> you can find have much bearing on the actual quest, which is a shame.
Isn`t that the same as in FF7-9 though? You can only get everywhere once you have the airship of the generation, so having Knights of the Round for example was something that could only help you at the end.
> And like somebody said there isn't much variety in the monsters this
> time around.
This is true, there are several types of each species, coloured slightly differently, probably done to cut down the development time. Its like the cars in GT3 though. There are less than in GT2, but it makes up for it with the fact that each car is 1000 times better.
Another thing, just imagine what would happen if you had to catch 10 versions of even more monsters... it`d take forever! :D
> The real strengths of FFX are definitely the graphics (obviously) but
> even more than that it's the plot. It's the most well thought out,
> sensible and adult-themed story of all of them. I really liked the
> spooky weirdness of FF8 but it was let down by that bizarre plot twist
> in the middle (the one where everyone had lost their memory?). FFX
> also took the longest time to finish despite being completely linear
> until the end. I think I clocked about 65 hours before I had any
> chance to go and do sidequests and the like! Despite everything above
> I think it's a contender for the best of them all, probably equal with
> FF7.
>
> I reckon all FF games are meant to be rushed through the first time,
> because that way you really will have a tough time of it at the end.
> The first time I fought Sephiroth it was a huge achievement when I
> beat him. The next time around I had all the big summon materia and
> stuff, and I kicked his (bottom) no problems.
> That's something I do miss, the ATB gauge. I hope they bring it back
> for the next installment, cos although the new system works well
> nothing beats the tension when you've got to get a turn in before the
> enemy attacks. It's not quite as dramatic when you know in advance
> what the order of turns will be.
I kinda see what you`re saying, but really there is no difference, its basically on a "silent count". Instead of displaying the waiting times its just saying when the characters are ready. It gets rid of the gaps, but the order will be exactly the same. If one character took 10 seconds to reach readiness and the enemy took 20, then you`d have two turns to their 1. In FFX its exactly the same, but you don`t have the waiting time, you just get on with the two turns.
As for knowing in advance... that can be a little bit of a giveaway, but you don`t have to use it. In my case, I had no idea what it actually meant first time through the game, it was only on my second time through that I found on what it was all about.
> I also miss the world map - the sense of exploration isn't the same
> when you're just clicking randomly on a map to uncover new locations.
This is very similar to the ATB system. They`ve cut out the bit in the middle and got straight to the point. They must have decided that there was enough wondering around on each of the levels to make it pointless to do the same on the world map. So as a result, instead of wandering around until you hit the place they want you to, you go straight there. In previous games there were only ever a couple of places you could explore that weren`t on the main quest anyway before you reached the end. You`d perhaps bump into a chocobo farm or something but really thats all included in the main levels of FFX.
> Plus you can't explore until the very end, so none of the extra skills
> you can find have much bearing on the actual quest, which is a shame.
Isn`t that the same as in FF7-9 though? You can only get everywhere once you have the airship of the generation, so having Knights of the Round for example was something that could only help you at the end.
> And like somebody said there isn't much variety in the monsters this
> time around.
This is true, there are several types of each species, coloured slightly differently, probably done to cut down the development time. Its like the cars in GT3 though. There are less than in GT2, but it makes up for it with the fact that each car is 1000 times better.
Another thing, just imagine what would happen if you had to catch 10 versions of even more monsters... it`d take forever! :D
> The real strengths of FFX are definitely the graphics (obviously) but
> even more than that it's the plot. It's the most well thought out,
> sensible and adult-themed story of all of them. I really liked the
> spooky weirdness of FF8 but it was let down by that bizarre plot twist
> in the middle (the one where everyone had lost their memory?). FFX
> also took the longest time to finish despite being completely linear
> until the end. I think I clocked about 65 hours before I had any
> chance to go and do sidequests and the like! Despite everything above
> I think it's a contender for the best of them all, probably equal with
> FF7.
>
> I reckon all FF games are meant to be rushed through the first time,
> because that way you really will have a tough time of it at the end.
> The first time I fought Sephiroth it was a huge achievement when I
> beat him. The next time around I had all the big summon materia and
> stuff, and I kicked his (bottom) no problems.
That's something I do miss, the ATB gauge. I hope they bring it back for the next installment, cos although the new system works well nothing beats the tension when you've got to get a turn in before the enemy attacks. It's not quite as dramatic when you know in advance what the order of turns will be.
I also miss the world map - the sense of exploration isn't the same when you're just clicking randomly on a map to uncover new locations. Plus you can't explore until the very end, so none of the extra skills you can find have much bearing on the actual quest, which is a shame. And like somebody said there isn't much variety in the monsters this time around.
The real strengths of FFX are definitely the graphics (obviously) but even more than that it's the plot. It's the most well thought out, sensible and adult-themed story of all of them. I really liked the spooky weirdness of FF8 but it was let down by that bizarre plot twist in the middle (the one where everyone had lost their memory?). FFX also took the longest time to finish despite being completely linear until the end. I think I clocked about 65 hours before I had any chance to go and do sidequests and the like! Despite everything above I think it's a contender for the best of them all, probably equal with FF7.
I reckon all FF games are meant to be rushed through the first time, because that way you really will have a tough time of it at the end. The first time I fought Sephiroth it was a huge achievement when I beat him. The next time around I had all the big summon materia and stuff, and I kicked his (bottom) no problems.
I also miss the world map - the sense of exploration isn't the same when you're just clicking randomly on a map to uncover new locations. Plus you can't explore until the very end, so none of the extra skills you can find have much bearing on the actual quest, which is a shame. And like somebody said there isn't much variety in the monsters this time around.
The real strengths of FFX are definitely the graphics (obviously) but even more than that it's the plot. It's the most well thought out, sensible and adult-themed story of all of them. I really liked the spooky weirdness of FF8 but it was let down by that bizarre plot twist in the middle (the one where everyone had lost their memory?). FFX also took the longest time to finish despite being completely linear until the end. I think I clocked about 65 hours before I had any chance to go and do sidequests and the like! Despite everything above I think it's a contender for the best of them all, probably equal with FF7.
I reckon all FF games are meant to be rushed through the first time, because that way you really will have a tough time of it at the end. The first time I fought Sephiroth it was a huge achievement when I beat him. The next time around I had all the big summon materia and stuff, and I kicked his (bottom) no problems.
Thats the one! Emerald! Omega appeared in FF8 in the castle at the end. Cheers for clearing that up!
That was Emerald. He was the daddy.
By the way, Elhan, you can't rename any of the characters except Tidus in FFX, because all the dialogue is spoken this time round.
By the way, Elhan, you can't rename any of the characters except Tidus in FFX, because all the dialogue is spoken this time round.
Wasn`t Ruby the easier of the two worst weapons? I mean Omega was the real badness (that was his name ya? The underwater one).
>And fighting Ruby Weapon for 45 minutes is blummin' exiting when you're
>hanging on by a few HP, and if he gets a turn in before you can use a
>Megaelixer, you'll die.
Now that's what I'm talking about!!!! Or fighting Griever when he gets ready to unleash his big attack, and you know your whole party is going to die, only to have Angelo save you at the last moment with Invincible Moon!
>hanging on by a few HP, and if he gets a turn in before you can use a
>Megaelixer, you'll die.
Now that's what I'm talking about!!!! Or fighting Griever when he gets ready to unleash his big attack, and you know your whole party is going to die, only to have Angelo save you at the last moment with Invincible Moon!
My main problem with FF9 was that the PS2 had already been released. I didn`t really have any time to play on old PS1 games because PS2 games never left the disc tray.
FF10 though has so many big bad guys, its great! I still haven`t got as far as Penance as I`m still building up my luck levels in the monster arena. Won`t be long now though, and I`ll go in with... erm, the will to kick his butt :D
FF10 though has so many big bad guys, its great! I still haven`t got as far as Penance as I`m still building up my luck levels in the monster arena. Won`t be long now though, and I`ll go in with... erm, the will to kick his butt :D
I've stopped worrying about why there are certain types of gamer that don't understand Final Fantasy. So you shouldn't get stressed about the fact you can't appreciate it.
I've never played any game series as rewarding as FF. The only one that didn't leave me in awe at the end was FF9, and that's cos I think the story was a little weak in that one, and there weren't enough 'mega' monsters, like the Weapons in FF7 or the dark aeons.
I've never played any game series as rewarding as FF. The only one that didn't leave me in awe at the end was FF9, and that's cos I think the story was a little weak in that one, and there weren't enough 'mega' monsters, like the Weapons in FF7 or the dark aeons.
In the regular game, the bosses aren`t that hard. There is a Sin Spawn something about midway through the game that can be tough, and a couple of bosses near the end such as Yunalesca can be difficult, but mostly the bosses that you *must* fight aren`t too bad. Its the enemies you have to hunt by yourself that can give you trouble. The dark aeons, Penance, Nemesis, the monster arena creations and a few others all have surprising strength and should certainly give ya something to aim for.
ssxpro wrote:
> The swapping thing is very important. To really do well in the game
> its best not to rely on one, or even three characters. The key to
> success is to train up the party, not the person. Get them all up to
> strength, and you`ll be unstoppable.
Thanks for the advice mate. :) BTW how tough are the bosses and the AI? I wan't a real challenge!
> The swapping thing is very important. To really do well in the game
> its best not to rely on one, or even three characters. The key to
> success is to train up the party, not the person. Get them all up to
> strength, and you`ll be unstoppable.
Thanks for the advice mate. :) BTW how tough are the bosses and the AI? I wan't a real challenge!
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