Final Fantasy not-so-tactics. A straight up RPG

[6divide9]

Hey everyone,
I am pretty new around here, and have been lurking for the last few days. I downloaded the patcher and am having a lot of fun with that, but down to business

I enjoy playing around with the RPG makers quite a bit, and I also like Final Fantasy Tactics. My logical conclusion was to make an RPG that was similar to the FFT concept, but with a more traditional-style RPG system. At this point I am really not very far, having just transferred over most of the Items and Classes. I am currently working on abilities, and thats where things are becoming difficult. RPG VX is a fairly useful utility, but there are limitations. I will need to have a good ability set for each job that functions well with the standard RPG battle.

Anyway, I figured I would just throw that out there and see some reactions. From lurking around I have found that most of you are pretty creative thinkers, and you all may be able to throw in a great idea that gets my creative juices flowing. Anything from storyboard ideas to sprite ideas is welcome.

[VincentCraven]

This ought to be interesting.

Theoretically, making an appropriate skillset for each class in a classical RPG sense would be possible, obviously with some modifications, but I don't know what your limits are.

I'm not really a fan of playing straight-up RPGs, but I'd be more than happy to shell out ideas to make FFT work like other Final Fantasy games.

[6divide9]

I see where you are coming from with that one. The classic rpg kind of strips the strategy from it.

One of the main things I want to do is try and make it fit into the timeline of the other final fantasies. Maybe by slightly altering the story and usind some more timeline references I could make it fit. I`m not sure that there has been a real conclusion as to where FFT fits in with all of the others, and if there is please let me know.

On the story front, I obvioulsy wouldn`t be keeping the exact same story for my RPG that was used in FFT. I am hoping to stick to the general guidelines but try and clean it up a bit so its less focused on BETRAYAL BETRAYAL BETRAYAL and a little bit more on the characters.

P.S I`ve also started work on a Forgotten Realms patch for FFT . I just started with some classes last night, so that`s in its very early stages

[VincentCraven]

The problem with the storyline of FFT as far as other Final Fantasies go is...

There really shouldn't have been a connection between games in the first place, IIRC.  The problem is that square has a few loose ends on that one and did not plan out a connection until after FFT was made.

[DarthPaul]

How would you make it fit with other FFs if they don't connect anyway. Final Fantasy has a weird sequel system in that the sequels to the sequels share the same number.  What I'm trying to get at is simple unless your changing it to fit the format of Advanced and 12 why does the story need to be tweaked.

[6divide9]

Well its more that i want the story to be more coherent and more Fantasyesque. A little bit more defined you could say.

[DarthPaul]

So you would like it to fit the overall fantasy that brings the series so much after(which game did the games start getting insane?).  Would be nice but also a bit taxing on the materials at hand.

[Zuka]

which game did the games start getting insane?

FFXI... big mistake, changed the whole genre for the worst... even though I loved it when I had an account.

[DarthPaul]

No it was before that, I want to say FF6 or 7 started the insanity of the FF series. XI wasn't as big of a mistake as as X-2. XI should have been called FF Online though.

[nates1984]

I agree about FFXI, but I really think the series started going downhill at least at X-2, if not earlier.

I read a really good article about FFVII pointing out that it was really the downturn in the FF series.

http://www.fryingbear.com/articles/crapthology/FF7.htm

Although I have to admit, FFX was pretty damn good.

EDIT: Darthpaul, you're nuts, FFVI was really good. =P

[Vanya]

No it was before that, I want to say FF6 or 7 started the insanity of the FF series. XI wasn't as big of a mistake as as X-2. XI should have been called FF Online though.

My thoughts exactly; well except I lean more towards FF6.

I would like to make a hack of FF12 that changes the title and any reference to the title into FF11 instead. And the same for FF11 into FF online. Just so that I can live peacefully in my alternate reality. ^_^

I agree about FFXI, but I really think the series started going downhill at least at X-2, if not earlier.

I read a really good article about FFVII pointing out that it was really the downturn in the FF series.

http://www.fryingbear.com/articles/crapthology/FF7.htm

Although I have to admit, FFX was pretty damn good.

EDIT: Darthpaul, you're nuts, FFVI was really good. =P

I think what we're referring to is when the slim theme that all the games had changed into something completely different, not so much a drop in quality. At least that's what I'm talking about.

[Helbrax]

FFVII get's knocked around a lot and pointed to as the start of the "downward spiral" for the series.   I'm not a FF7 fanboy by any stretch of the imagination(IX and X are my two favorites, although I thoroughly enjoyed the gameplay in XII).
The reason FFVII is so vilified is simple: its was popular and it brought the series mainstream.  Once the series became popular, it lost it's "geek credz".  It brought new blood and new life to the series, and that pissed off the older fans(get off my lawn damn it!).  "12 year old boys who creamed their pants every time they talked about how awesome Cloud was" ruined the series.

FFVIII doesn't deserve all the hate it gets.  Yes, it does have one of the worst plot twists in video game history and the magic system was broken(high tier magic was useless.  It was better used for junction).  The reason it is so hated?  The fanboys expected it to be FF7-2, and the older fans of the series were put of by the drastic changes to the battle system.

FFIX.  See above reason for hates from fanboys.  Most of the older fans of the series that I know like this one.

FFX. Most people liked this one.  The ones that don't usually complain that the hero was a brat.  That's what makes the story more interesting.  He's not some one-dimensional uber badass(they saved that for Auron).  He's a whiny brat who grows up along the way.

I don't know why so many people hate FFX-2.  Ok, so Squenix was just trying to bleed the last game dry.  I acknowledge that.  The early cutscenes and dialogue are a cornball fest.  After that, though, the game really tends to pick up speed, and fleshes out the FFX universe.  My only complaint about it was the return to ATB(I liked CTB from X better) and the battles need more strategy so that the job changing system could be utilized properly.

FFXI.  Never played it.

FFXII.  Story = Yawn.  It only picks up about 3/4 of the way through the game.  You either love or hate the battle system.  It took a while to grow on me, but now I love it.

Anyway, just my 2 cents about the series starting from the "decline".

On topic:
I had this same idea, literally, a few months ago.  Get out of my head!

[nates1984]

FFXII is just a single-player version of FFXI, and if you've played FFXI you don't feel like grinding anymore, nor do you want to deal with long travel times.

I think the problem with FFVII isn't obvious until you've played X and gone back to it after it has aged a bit. FFVII put more emphasis on the story then was usual for FF games, and sure, at the time the "depth" of the storyline was greater then any FF game before it, but after comparing it to X's story it just fell short, and the battle mechanics weren't good enough to make up for it.

It was a transitional game more then anything else, from 2d to 3d, from a simplistic story to something more complex. It couldn't measure up to FFVI gameplay wise, and can't measure up to some newer ones stories. It deserves respect because it was pivotal, but at the same time it's fair to say it was transitional, and not nearly as good as some that came before and after. The same angst in Cloud can be seen in Tidus, but Tidus had Auron to balance him, Cloud didn't have shit.

Honestly, I just think the developers were excited to have the opportunity to have a broader story and just went a little overboard. Either that or us old timers just associate the transition seen in FFVII as a metaphor for the death of our childhood and innocence.

Movies, music, books, most artistic mediums have gone to shit over the last decade or two, it was really just a matter of time before it hit video games. If newer games were stellar, there wouldn't as many people on this website trying to alter Tactics. I don't know about the rest of you, but I think I'm just trying to recapture the glory days of Final Fantasy, and video games in general. =P

He's not some one-dimensional uber badass(they saved that for Auron)

I don't know, that scene towards the end of the game, right before you get into Zanarkand and right after the boss fight you had to do after getting out of that cave, showed some depth to Auron.

What did he say?

"Auron: You remind me of myself. Before, the closer I came to Zanarkand, the more I wondered...when we arrive, Braska will call the Final Aeon... He will fight Sin, then die. I thought my mind was made up long before. But when I stood here, my resolve wavered.

Wakka: Huh, never would've figured. Legendary guardians choke sometimes, too, ya?

Auron: (Snort) Legendary guardian? I was just a boy. A boy about your age, actually. I wanted to change the world, too. But I changed nothing. That is my story."

Epic.

On topic: Include Biggs and Wedge. I always liked those two, but I don't recall those two ever making an appearance in Tactics.

[DarthPaul]

I agree about FFXI, but I really think the series started going downhill at least at X-2, if not earlier.

I read a really good article about FFVII pointing out that it was really the downturn in the FF series.

http://www.fryingbear.com/articles/crapthology/FF7.htm

Although I have to admit, FFX was pretty damn good.

EDIT: Darthpaul, you're nuts, FFVI was really good. =P

I never said it was bad the only FFs I don't like is X-2, Chrystal Chronicles, and I think that was it.

[Vanya]

I do not recognize Crystal Chronicles as a Final Fantasy game.

[DarthPaul]

I do not recognize Crystal Chronicles as a Final Fantasy game.

Normally I don't either but for this I do ...and only this.

[Dormin Jake]

On topic: Include Biggs and Wedge. I always liked those two, but I don't recall those two ever making an appearance in Tactics.

Strange but true:

Biggs and Wedge are archers in the very first fight of the game, outside of Orbonne.  Their names were butchered to Viggs and Wezaleff, however.

[Zozma]

really? those two names were supposed to be "biggs" and "wedge" how weird.

In ff6 "biggs" was "Vicks" which i actually like better, But wedge sounds better than Wezaliff or whatever i guess. they really did butcher the names if thats true

[Dormin Jake]

Eh.  I just tried looking for confirmation, and now I realize I've just been assuming it as fact for the past...nine years.  Maybe I was looking too hard for a Biggs and Wedge reference.

*shrug*  Oh well, it works if you squint really, really, ridiculously hard, no?

[DarthPaul]

really? those two names were supposed to be "biggs" and "wedge" how weird.

In ff6 "biggs" was "Vicks" which i actually like better, But wedge sounds better than Wezaliff or whatever i guess. they really did butcher the names if thats true

Indeed in the PSP version they are Biggs and Wedge and the mistranslation in the first battle was odd.