General RPG DiscussionDiscussion of all RPGs and non-system-specific topics. DM/GM/player issues, settings, etc. Rules discussion belongs in one the forums below.
Yeah. I'm old school. :-) I started video gaming when the Atari 2600 was brand spankin' new.
Adventure! FTW.
Sadly, I wasn't able to get a NES and only experienced the original Zelda at a friends house. I bought my SNES in the Navy and found the newly released FF4. Didn't play FFI untill it was repackaged and rereleased on the PS.
The root of intolerance against RPG players by some Christians is ignorance. The root of intolerance against Christians by some RPG players is ignorance. It's part of being human, but it's still good practice to not fall into the same behaviour one condemns.
_________________ Looking for a Cthulhu game in Houston.
But really, I've got a soft spot for many parts of the various FF games.
#1 had that "twist" at the beginning and the end that established a bit of the mind-bending philosophy that would become staple.
#2 had a pretty epic plot, really, and a lot of drama and death. I think it was mostly marred by a pretty annoying (and abuse-prone) advancement system.
#3 was awesome for the way the party discovered new worlds, dramatically expanding on the game every few hours until it spiralled into something HUGE.
#4 I'm partial to because of the strong themes and the sense of loss and redemption that happens with many of the characters.
#5 has that "new worlds new vistas" feel that 3 did pretty well, and the job system again, but I was a fan of a few of the characters (Faris's whole arc is very interesting)
#6 has that wonderfully expansive cast and the series' first really awesome villain.
#7 has another awesome villain and a certain famous death scene.
#8 does a surprisingly nice job with the "memory loss" and "time travel" mind screws.
#9 has another great cast of characters and a really evocative setting.
#10 is gloriously plotted.
#11 again, has a surprisingly strong back story....it just takes forever to get to it in typical MMO mode.
#12 makes me feel part of a living, breathing world more strongly than the ones before it. And even though Vaan wasn't supposed to be the main character, it lends to that feel very nicely: you're not a great character, you are observing great characters in action.
The root of intolerance against RPG players by some Christians is ignorance. The root of intolerance against Christians by some RPG players is ignorance. It's part of being human, but it's still good practice to not fall into the same behaviour one condemns.
_________________ Looking for a Cthulhu game in Houston.
Could not stand FFTactics. Games that punish you for your experience kill my interest really really fast. Especially when it is the random encounters that are what are auto-scaled to you. I can see the merits of scaling boss battles, since last i checked, those are the ones that SHOULD matter. On the other hand, if the schlubs are piggy backing my XP total, I'm turning the game off. It would not be so bad if the enemies increased in numbers as my characters got better, but if that goblin gained 10 levels just because I gained 10 levels, that is a dealbreaker IMHO.
I also hear you get super characters in the last chapter that make any effort put into leveling allies pretty much pointless.
FF6 is a great game that has an alright story. The characters have a ~modest~ amount of depth, but hardly a 'best story ever' candidate.
(though I'm also terribly fond of the 1st console RPG I played, which would be Skies of Arcadia)
I was going to go with a couple of Japanese CRPG like FF, but yeah, this one really jumps out at me. This is the only CRPG that I've played three times from beginning to conclusion and just really enjoyed the story, the graphics, and dialog.
I have to say I'm a little surprised no one has mentioned Betrayal at Krondor yet - not too much, though, since it's a hugely under-rated game that never got the recognition it deserves. (largely in part due to less then stellar graphics)
That was a really fun game, but more like an interactive novel than anything else. The plot was very linear, the side quests minor... but the dialogue and story were amazing (classic Feist) and character progression very well paced.
I still have my copy, but good luck finding a computer to run it...
For the longest time, #8 and #6 warred to be my favorite, then #10 came along and kicked their asses. The amount of emotional resonance put into scenes, especially the one at the end when Yuna attempts to hug Tidus and fails... I got misty-eyed.
__________________ If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him... and take his stuff.
We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are.
For the longest time, #8 and #6 warred to be my favorite, then #10 came along and kicked their asses. The amount of emotional resonance put into scenes, especially the one at the end [spoilerishness zapped]. I got misty-eyed.
Me too. I was actually playing it with my girlfriend at the time in the room, and she was bawling and wailing on me, telling me to fix it. She never played FFVII, but honestly that hug and that infamous stab....best...moments...in...FF...ever...
Yeah. I'm old school. :-) I started video gaming when the Atari 2600 was brand spankin' new.
You know you're old when you've actually played E.T. and understand truly how awful it is. Yet, between that and Pong, I still went over to my friend's house every day to play.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Darkwolf71
Alright, y'all are just being mean now.
I'm gonna have to take my theory and go home.
III is the only game of the 'main' series I haven't played. I was very upset when they released it on the Nintendo DS instead of the PSP.
Firstly, though I've only played a little of FF3 (3j... I find it easier to just use the Japanese numbering, since it's only off for two games), my brother absolutely loved the DS port for it. He said it does the game a lot of justice over the original.
Second, your theory does have some merit (though as I posted before, I don't fall in that category either). Many people maintain a special set of rose-colored glasses for games they played when they first started gaming. Really, I think it's the same for a lot of things, not just video games. Also, I doubt we're a representative sample of gamers... you'd probably be better off checking out polls at GameFAQs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by frankthedm
Could not stand FFTactics. Games that punish you for your experience kill my interest really really fast. Especially when it is the random encounters that are what are auto-scaled to you. I can see the merits of scaling boss battles, since last i checked, those are the ones that SHOULD matter. On the other hand, if the schlubs are piggy backing my XP total, I'm turning the game off. It would not be so bad if the enemies increased in numbers as my characters got better, but if that goblin gained 10 levels just because I gained 10 levels, that is a dealbreaker IMHO.
I also hear you get super characters in the last chapter that make any effort put into leveling allies pretty much pointless.
The gameplay was an issue for FFT... but the story definitely made up for it.
The biggest problem (IMO) with FFT, and in fact most tile-based strategy games on the consoles, is that they reward experience for actions in combat. I suspect that early on, they realized how easily the system can be gamed, and instead of changing the system, took the easy route and made enemies scale in level. There are other issues expected of a initial foray into a new genre (bland combat design, balance issues in NPCs, uneven utility of classes), but they're all secondary to the main one.
I would suggest The Longest Journey. Excellent story and the characters actually developed based on the questions and answers you select. Great game. The follow up Dreamfall was so-so, but worth it if you like the TLJ and want to see the story continue.
I also strongly recommend Blade Runner by Westwood Studios. Talk about a world that reacts to your actions. I played through that over and over just to see the various options play out. If you are really lucky you can find the semi-happy ending. This is from Westwood's golden era.
Both of the games above are quite dated at this point. I think the youngest would of been from the late 90's. If you are willing to go further back into game history...
Day of the Tentacle
Full Throttle (I still own this one just to watch the bar/nose ring scene)
Wasteland (Come on Fallout fans! Where is the love? Ok, so the story wasn't really that great.... But the combat description cannot be beat!)
It's not much gameplay wise, and it really has almost no story, but Yume Nikki is, bar none, the most atmospheric game I have ever played in my life.
__________________ Psionics are too sci-fi, not like the traditional method of spell casting that has existed only in D&D, involves research, laboratory work, and formulas, and was cribbed directly from a series of science fiction novels. I mean, come on, calling forth the power to alter the world from your own center of will? That's not magical in the slightest! Not at all like my wizard's spell "Telepathy!"
Better make it a third person then. FFI was my first FF game, but FFVI is my favorite followed by FFVII and FFIV.
And a fourth. I still have my FFI cartridge, though it's been collecting dust since the rise of emulators.
__________________ Kosmon tonde, ton auton apantōn, oute tis theōn oute anthrōpōn epoiēsen, all’ ēn aei kai estin kai estai pur aeizōon, haptomenon metra kai aposbennumenon metra. . . . Panta gar to pur epelthon krinei kai katalēpsetai.
The root of intolerance against RPG players by some Christians is ignorance. The root of intolerance against Christians by some RPG players is ignorance. It's part of being human, but it's still good practice to not fall into the same behaviour one condemns.
_________________ Looking for a Cthulhu game in Houston.
FFI was my first FF game, but FFVI is my favorite followed by FFVII and FFIV.
Linear Mode
And yet another word from our sponsors
