Some Games Have Too Many Sequels

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AuthorTopic: Some Games Have Too Many Sequels
Shake Before Using
Member # 75
Profile #25
See, I'm odd. I <3 FF8. But I got out of playing Final Fantasy around then, because my lack of consoles caught up with me. :(
Posts: 3234 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00
Lifecrafter
Member # 7538
Profile Homepage #26
-I never got into Zelda so much, but I played The Ocarina of Time for about 2 hours, so that one's my favorite.
-There were so many Mario games with identical titles, but I think my favorite was Mario Land 3. Unless I mixed them up.
-I love the FF series. My favorite is tactics, and until I found the GameFAQs forum, I considered myself an expert (*scoff*).
-Never played any DQ games.
-Never played any Mega Man games.
-Never even heard of the Gold Box series. Perhaps I grew up in a box?

As for the remaining FF games, as seems to be the current topic, I liked FFVII and got excited at the prospect of improved graphics.

I don't think FFVIII was anywhere near as bad as everyone makes it sound (though I've yet to finish it). I mean sure, the characters (Squall) suck, and I HATE the junctioning system entirely, but apart from those things it wasn't too bad.

Skipped FFIX altogether.

I was gonna start playing FFX, but then FFX-2 came out and I was completely turned off to the idea.

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Do not provoke the turtles.
They do not like being provoked.

-Lenar

My website: Nemesis' Refuge
Posts: 743 | Registered: Friday, September 29 2006 07:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #27
The Gold Box series is a little narrower in time range than the others, 1988-1992 I believe. So if you are under 20 they were likely dated by the time you were old enough to play them.

And there was no Super Mario Land 3. Actually, I think Wario Land may have had that subtitle sometimes, but I don't think that's what you mean.

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Slarty vs. DeskDesk vs. SlartyTimeline of ErmarianG4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #28
I played Curse of the Azure Bonds on the Apple IIgs, foos. Don't front! :P

Word to the Ocarina of Time.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
La Canaliste
Member # 5563
Profile #29
quote:
Originally written by Andraste:



Well, I did play Ocarina of Time for about 10 minuets

*visualises the playing of games while dancing*
*smiles*

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I am a mater of time and how .

Deep down, you know you should have voted for Alcritas!
Posts: 387 | Registered: Tuesday, March 1 2005 08:00
Law Bringer
Member # 335
Profile Homepage #30
There's nominally a minuet in the game, too. It's not much of a minuet, actually, but it's there.

—Alorael, who considers the junctioning system in FFVIII enough of an impediment to enjoyment by itself. It is especially loathsome to compulsive optimizers. His choices were to spend hours drawing or to stop playing. Guess which one he chose?
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Dollop of Whipped Cream
Member # 391
Profile Homepage #31
quote:
Originally written by Alo:

—Alorael, who considers the junctioning system in FFVIII enough of an impediment to enjoyment by itself. It is especially loathsome to compulsive optimizers. His choices were to spend hours drawing or to stop playing. Guess which one he chose?
Agreed. That really was the worst part.

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"Tyranicus is about the only one that still posts in the Nethergate Forum." —Randomizer
Spiderweb Chat Room
Shadow Vale - My site, home of the Spiderweb Chat Database, BoA Scenario Database, & the A1 Quest List, among other things.
Posts: 562 | Registered: Friday, December 14 2001 08:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #32
Ditto, I was about to quote the same line of Alorael's and affirm it. Also, if both (1) the game mechanics, and (2) the story and characters suck, what else is left to not suck? The graphics, I suppose? Meh.

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Slarty vs. DeskDesk vs. SlartyTimeline of ErmarianG4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Dollop of Whipped Cream
Member # 391
Profile Homepage #33
The graphics were actually quite good for their time. The FMV sequences were especially nice. All in all though, I'd rather play 9, which had the same graphics quality and far superior mechanics, plot, and characters.

[ Tuesday, October 31, 2006 20:36: Message edited by: Tyranicus. ]

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"Tyranicus is about the only one that still posts in the Nethergate Forum." —Randomizer
Spiderweb Chat Room
Shadow Vale - My site, home of the Spiderweb Chat Database, BoA Scenario Database, & the A1 Quest List, among other things.
Posts: 562 | Registered: Friday, December 14 2001 08:00
Shake Before Using
Member # 75
Profile #34
I just chose to spend hours drawing, really. I wish that wasn't necessary, though.
Posts: 3234 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00
...b10010b...
Member # 869
Profile Homepage #35
quote:
Originally written by saunders:

quote:
Originally written by Andraste:



Well, I did play Ocarina of Time for about 10 minuets

*visualises the playing of games while dancing*
*smiles*

On a related note, the first time I saw an ad for Ocarina of Time I wasn't paying full attention and heard the title as "Macarena of Time".

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The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure!
Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #36
The junction system, combined with too much reliance on summons in general, disproportionate experience awards (my Squall was level 99 when everyone else was 45 or so at the end), and then all of that not really mattering at the end of the game when essentially what you had to do to win was get Squall's final limit break and the item that allowed him to use it more often really ruined the experience for me. From what I can remember about the plot, it was pretty cool. If Square had implemented a system more in keeping with FF6 or 7, it would have been a better game.

I wonder why they're so reluctant to stick with something that works? I know that how magix works is often incorporated into the storyline, but doing this has led to some pretty lousy experiences. I think Square's best successes far and away have come either from implementing job systems or keeping the characters distinct in their skills and abilities, as opposed to just being shells with slightly different stats that you can attatch the same powers to when you swap them in or out. I enjoyed FF7 for example, but I didn't like that any character could use any materia - it made the characters less special/tactical. Differences in limit breaks just didn't seem sufficient. Of all the games, I think that FF6 and X came close to getting customization and individuality right.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #37
FF6 was a great game, but it too had characters that were mostly interchangeable, thanks to the power of magic and the universality of Espers. If you haven't already, I highly recommend playing a "Natural Magic" game of FF6, where you never equip Espers. It makes the characters more differentiated, and the game is still definitely on the easy side.

The thing that made FF6 into a legend, much like FF7, was the story and the characters. FF6 did a *great* job of telling a story, and didn't really include any RPG cliche characters (the ones that have been jam packed into more recent FFs). Combat was interesting because there were so many options, but it was never well-balanced in the mid and late game.

Honestly, I'm not sure game balance has really existed in any FF game since FF4 in, um, 1991.

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Slarty vs. DeskDesk vs. SlartyTimeline of ErmarianG4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #38
Eh, no one *really* wanted Edge in their party at the end. :P

FFX managed to stay fairly balanced until the very end, when (for me) Yuna outstripped everyone else on account of the incredibly high magic stat from her grid path combined with a couple strategic black magic grabs and x-magic. I was a little sad that Lulu became so irrelevant, but she just wasn't as strong. :(
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #39
Edge was more useful in the original, non-easytyped version. The final boss's basic, hit-everyone attack was a lot stronger, and Edge could (with some effort) steal an item from him that would reduce the damage it did.

But he's still quite versatile; I found him more useful than Kain. His magic was a useful supplement to Rydia's in some situations, and with the claws and other weapons he could achieve almost any brand for a physical attack with good power. He is by far the most useful character against Odin, especially when Bersk'd.

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Slarty vs. DeskDesk vs. SlartyTimeline of ErmarianG4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #40
Yang was far and away more of a damage-dealer, though he did take hits pretty hard.
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
Profile #41
After some research, and a turning of the compost heap that is my brain, I see that FF6 is the only one I played. I quite enjoyed it, although I no longer have any console systems. Are there opportunities for playing it in, say, a PC environment?

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quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

Well, I'm at least pretty sure that Salmon is losing.


Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #42
http://www.snes9x.com/

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Slarty vs. DeskDesk vs. SlartyTimeline of ErmarianG4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
Law Bringer
Member # 335
Profile Homepage #43
Console emulation works quite well. Google Zsnes or Snes9x. It's borderline legal, so I don't think it should be discussed further here, but PMs can answer what Google can't.

—Alorael, who thinks that the the benefits of very different characters don't come without a cost. Many games seem to end up with a few overpowered characters, some mediocre ones, and plenty of worthless baggage.
Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #44
One of the reasons I still adore FF4 is that -- relatively uniquely -- it doesn't give you any choice in party composition or character selection, and shuffles party composition constantly as the story moves along. There's nothing wrong with the standard end-the-game-with-the-party-of-your-choice formula, but taking away that flexibility makes it much easier to balance the game properly. Even crappy characters can be useful or, at the least, non-annoying since they aren't taking up a spot somebody better could occupy.

The ideal RPG that I will obviously never end up making would combine that with a lack of XP and level ups. Skill progression is great, but putting it in the player's hands makes things less fun, ultimately, for (as you put it) "compulsive optimizers." I guess that puts me in a rather totalitarian, TM-esque game design camp...

[ Wednesday, November 01, 2006 09:16: Message edited by: Frosted Cryodrayks ]

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Slarty vs. DeskDesk vs. SlartyTimeline of ErmarianG4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
Profile #45
quote:
Originally written by Slartucker:

Here, have some crack.

quote:
Originally written by Alorael:

You can get your own crack, just not here.

Thanks! Time for a little Spiderwhuh? gaming.

IMAGE(http://stuff.ermarian.net/salmon/FF6.gif)

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quote:
Originally written by Kelandon:

Well, I'm at least pretty sure that Salmon is losing.


Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00
Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
Profile Homepage #46
On that note, where can I find Gold Box games everybody keeps talking about in these threads? I tried downloading Pool of Radiance from some abandonware site, but it didn't work even in DosBox.

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Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword,
For it too has the power to kill.
However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword,
Can also have the power to heal.
Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00
Raven v. Writing Desk
Member # 261
Profile Homepage #47
Unlike the other Gold Box games, there is a Mac version of Pool of Radiance that was actually ported to the mac gui and not just a single window direct port. It requires Classic obviously, but has always run fine for me. I actually own a copy of it. It's black-and-white, which has a charm of its own, though it's a bit different feel.

Pool of Radiance was released for NES and IIgs as well, in case that's helpful.

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Slarty vs. DeskDesk vs. SlartyTimeline of ErmarianG4 Strategy Central
Posts: 3560 | Registered: Wednesday, November 7 2001 08:00
By Committee
Member # 4233
Profile #48
Has anyone played the full version of FFXII yet? I've only played the demo. :(
Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00
Dollop of Whipped Cream
Member # 391
Profile Homepage #49
quote:
Originally written by Drew:

Has anyone played the full version of FFXII yet? I've only played the demo. :(
I have only played the demo myself, and it turned me off from the game completely. It's not even truly turn-based! :mad:

[ Thursday, November 02, 2006 15:23: Message edited by: Tyranicus. ]

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"Tyranicus is about the only one that still posts in the Nethergate Forum." —Randomizer
Spiderweb Chat Room
Shadow Vale - My site, home of the Spiderweb Chat Database, BoA Scenario Database, & the A1 Quest List, among other things.
Posts: 562 | Registered: Friday, December 14 2001 08:00

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