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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 1698454" data-attributes="member: 151">It should be pointed out that until Final Fantasy VI, there were little to no technological elements in Final Fantasy...they were primarily classic pseudo-medieval fantasy settings.  The introduction of them came in VI, which I think was supposed to take place in the same world as one of the previous installments, and act as sort of a 'updating' of the setting, letting players explore previous countries in the game, now changed from hundreds of years of development.  Final Fantasy VII, which was the first really huge game of the FF line (being one of the Playstation's killer apps, and having a successful PC incarnation), is the one most folks think of today as 'final fantasy', although many older players balk at that assertion, some considering it to be one of the weakest...or 'the game when eveyrthing started to go wrong'.  Both VII and VIII were really sci-fi games, with tradtional console RPG elements, and not really fantasy, at all.  One only needs to watch a few minutes of the Final Fantasy movie, Spirits Within, to see that being set in a fantasy world is not the core requirement for FF, any longer.  The game mechanics are the core, and the setting has become more and more diverse.  FF 9 was a return to a more traditional fantasy idea, but still holding some 'steam-punk' elements (such as ornate and unworkable flying ships, odd non-ergonomic subways, and so forth).  It also had the classic 'ancient society who left their technology behind' trope, which runs through many installments of the FF series.   FF X, X-2 (the only direct sequel ever made in the FF Line) are also in more of a sci-fi setting...but one that accepts that magic is a workable, powerful force.  Really, the only binding force in Final Fantasy is that magic is a usable force.  Over time, other trends have emerged, such as being able to summon powerful beings during combat, the 'Gaea/World life force' concept and angst.  Lots of Angst. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />  The assertion that FF only appeals to 14 year-olds (carrying the thinly-vieled insult against 14 year-olds) is, of course, also inaccurate.  The lion's share of sales went to 18-34 year olds, and RPGs tend to skew well across gender lines, having a much better record with female gamers than, say, sports or fighting games.   Take a look at how successful Kingdom Hearts was, for example.  And, as JoAT points out above, gamers don't want accurate medieval historical recreation: they want adventure.  They want an environment that sets up chances to kill monsters and take their loot.  Eberron does this extremely well, for my money.   As a setting, it does exactly what WotC wanted it to do:  <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Advertises the D&D brand   </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Provides a clean point of entry for new and old gamers (no lengthy back catalog, no huge established canon)   </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Generates demand for new published works (setting detail books, modules, player options, gazeeters, organization books, etc.)   </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Creates a framework for D&D licensed works (MMORPG, board game, video games, novels, movies, franchise opportunities)   </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Offers a setting that is generic enough to accomdate a wide variety of play styles and tastes   </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Gives WotC a setting that is purely developed under the third edition, fully under the current 3.5 rules, without legacy problems, rules quirks or retcons (and no fragmentation of the setting's fan-base, such as the Greyhawk Wars)   </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Licenses and agreements that are made with respect to the publishing realities of today, with right's cleanly established in all materials (no web ambiguities or CD-rom collection legal problems, rights to video games, novels, movies and other materials clearly established with authors from day one) </li> </ul>Why is WotC pushing Eberron?  Because it makes the most financial sense for WotC to do so.  And that's why they're still in business.</blockquote>

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