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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MoogleEmpMog" data-source="post: 3544033" data-attributes="member: 22882">Squall vs. Seifer in the FF8 opening (a level 1 Fire is used in the fight, but it's mostly swords), the battle of the Gardens in FF8, Auron's reintroduction to the party in FF10, the battle of Nalbina in FF12, the Resistance attack on the palace in FF12... I'm specificially talking about CGI-only; there are a lot more in-game cut scenes that would back this up.In FF4, one of the most powerful mages in the world (Tellah) can't cast the equivalent of an 8th or 9th level spell without draining his own life force.  The likes of Raistlin, Elminster or Mordenkainen, a Dark Lord of Ravenloft or a Dark Sun Dragon King could toss a meteo-equivalent spell at least a couple of times a day.  Even at their highest levels, the PCs still require an airship to cross long distances (between a planet and a moon, for example), whereas mid- to high-level D&D PCs could easily teleport such a distance.  Resurrection is impossible.  Gods are non-interactive, if they exist at all.In FF6, magic hasn't been seen for centuries, and when it does appear in relatively limited amounts in the form of early magitech armor, it's the ultimate military trump card.  As far as we know, only the people of Thamasa (most of whom would be, at best, 1st or 2nd level Sorcerers), Terra (who has a powerful inherited template), Celes and Kefka (who have a acquired template) can cast spells innately, and their ability to do so is stunning to other people.  PCs never acquire the ability to teleport.  Resurrection is impossible.  Such gods as exist are much less powerful and active, requiring their combined power to work planet-scale magic.In FF7, magic does permeate the world, magic is used as a power source, and low-level magic is widely available.  All of this appears to be fairly recent, however; twenty years before the start of the game, the magic in the world would basically have been accessible only to the vanishingly small number of Cetra.  Also, high-level magic is extremely rare.  Sephiroth seems to have a full suite of high-level magic, but is literally the only character who does.  Resurrection is impossible.  Gods are non-interactive, if they exist at all; if you count Planet, it remains basically non-interactive, and like Meteor can only be controlled by a single artifact.  Perhaps approaching D&D level, but with wide magic rather than high magic; I can see Eberron as being at this magic level, albeit in a different way.In FF8, humans have no innate magical abilities whatsoever, and can only use magic at all by drawing on extremely dangerous outside entities (GFs).  The ability to use magic innately is restricted to only Rinoa, Edea, Adel and Ultimecia and is a source of terrifying, plot-vital power.  The two great empires of the world, Esthar and Galbadia, are purely technological.  Technology appears to run off normal means rather than magical means.  Teleportation and resurrection are impossible.  Gods are non-interactive, if they exist at all.In FF9, moderate magic is known and accessible, and at least one country has an Epic or near-Epic magical trump card protecting its capital.  However, fielding a magical military force, even a fairly weak one (not above 4th level Sorcerers, I'd guess) allows one country to assume complete imperial power over a continent.  Teleportation and resurrection are impossible.  Gods are non-interactive, if they exist at all.In FF10, moderate- to high-magic is known and accessible.  If there is one FF setting on par with D&D, it's FF10, since the summoners, who use extremely powerful magic to fight a colossal and obviously magical creature, are an integral part of the culture, and other magical training is apparently available.  Even so, teleportation and resurrection are impossible, and gods are non-interactive, if they exist at all.  Probably about as high magic as Dragonlance, Greyhawk or Ravenloft, less than Dark Sun or Forgotten Realms.In FF12, magic is used to power technology, but the technology itself is not explicitly magical.  Large scale combat appears to be largely magic-free, except when filtered through technology.  Teleportation is available via items, though not to any individual.  Resurrection is impossible, and gods are weak enough to be challenged by their creations or ordinary mortals who have duplicated their powers.  Personal power is much, much reduced from D&D levels - Vayne, probably the highest-level character, is a non-magical martial artist and strategist without the use of Nethicite - but the relatively large number of powerful artifacts drags it up to perhaps Greyhawk or Ravenloft levels.</blockquote>

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