Do you think FFVI's large playable cast helps or hinders the game?

[Wolf Kanno]

I know some people get overwhelmed with options and others have mentioned that the story could have been more concise had the game stuck to a smaller cast with larger focus, yet other people feel VI's large ensemble cast is what makes the game so great cause you have a better shot at liking at least someone and most of the cast is genuinely well liked by fans of the FF series. So where do you stand?

[qwertysaur]

Helps. Multi party dungeons need to make a comeback!

[NeoCracker]

Yes, I love the multiparty dungeons. <3

But it can work in a game like VI because of the nature of the story. Terra may be the catalyst, but it's not long before the fight really isn't about her anymore. Hell, once you escape from Figaro at the begining her role plot wise is to open the gates and talk to the Espers.

This is a story about people from all across the globe having a reason to fight the empire and uniting to do that. This is about the collective whole of those who fight The Empire and Kefka, so no character ever feels like they don't belong. In games like IV and IX, it is very clear who the main character is and that it is their story. There are people who join in with them yes, who have relevance to the plot or at least have real reason to follow (There is Amarant, who while I like him you could do without him and not see much difference. :p). In those kind of stories there is no way you gain benefit from shoving more and more characters into the party.

[SuperSoma]

It definitely helped. Some FF games with a smaller cast neglects some characters with regards to the story. In 6, for the most part, every character gets as much focus as each other.

And, for me, the large cast is what made the WoR and the final dungeon.

[Heath]

I liked it. While there are a lot of characters, each one has their own qualities that make them stand out. While I can't say I actually use all the characters or am a particular fan of multiparty dungeons, I can certainly appreciate them.

[Citizen Bleys]

Well, I'm a Suikoden fan, so take a wild stab at my stance.

[NeoCracker]

Well, I'm a Suikoden fan, so take a wild stab at my stance.

Not enough characters?

[the_best_noob]

It did for sure. What helped is that they all had backstory and personality. VII had a large cast with backstory, but only Cloud was given a personality and you spent 3/4 of the game as schizo Cloud so you never really felt like you got to know any of them. VI gave you a personal relationship, almost, with most of the characters. The game damn near made me cry twice, at the Celes suicide scene and at the end where Shadow says "Baram, I can finally stop running." The large multiparty dungeons were tough for me at first because i only really leveld my main party at that time and put all my strong characters into one party. Overall, the large cast is what allows it to be such a great game. Definitely needs to come back once Square Enix realizes that offline > online when it comes to ff games

[Greatermaximus]

This is pure opinion. ;) What conclusion are you trying to draw from this? To meta-topic it's different people with different opinions. Since I have mine you know you can't please everyone. :D

Slight elaboration-you could have no characters to any number of characters. I doubt any one of us have a long enough natural life to flesh it all out. ;)

Though to actually address the question any plan has its pluses and minuses. Having fewer characters means less time in their development and a chance to really know them. On the other hand with more people could mean more ideas.

There is no real answer besides preferring a number. Right now there's over 7 Billion people on Earth. Do I need to know them all?

[Depression Moon]

Yes, I love the multiparty dungeons. <3

But it can work in a game like VI because of the nature of the story. Terra may be the catalyst, but it's not long before the fight really isn't about her anymore. Hell, once you escape from Figaro at the begining her role plot wise is to open the gates and talk to the Espers.

This is a story about people from all across the globe having a reason to fight the empire and uniting to do that. This is about the collective whole of those who fight The Empire and Kefka, so no character ever feels like they don't belong.

What reasons did Gau, Umaro, and Gogo have in it

[NeoCracker]

Yes, I love the multiparty dungeons. <3

But it can work in a game like VI because of the nature of the story. Terra may be the catalyst, but it's not long before the fight really isn't about her anymore. Hell, once you escape from Figaro at the begining her role plot wise is to open the gates and talk to the Espers.

This is a story about people from all across the globe having a reason to fight the empire and uniting to do that. This is about the collective whole of those who fight The Empire and Kefka, so no character ever feels like they don't belong.

What reasons did Gau, Umaro, and Gogo have in it

Gogo is just a silly side character and really is just an FF V referance.

Umaro is there for the sake of helping out his boss, Mog (At least I always got the impression that was a relationship that had been going on prior to you meating Umaro.)

Gau I admittedly don't have much for on this matter. :p

[Greatermaximus]

Yes, I love the multiparty dungeons. <3

But it can work in a game like VI because of the nature of the story. Terra may be the catalyst, but it's not long before the fight really isn't about her anymore. Hell, once you escape from Figaro at the begining her role plot wise is to open the gates and talk to the Espers.

This is a story about people from all across the globe having a reason to fight the empire and uniting to do that. This is about the collective whole of those who fight The Empire and Kefka, so no character ever feels like they don't belong.

What reasons did Gau, Umaro, and Gogo have in it

I'll bite again but this tastes familiar.

Diversity. Gau is play the monster you've encountered character. If you go into the status screen you can give gogo any returner ability and/or magic/item. Umaro a pure brute for the sake of finalizing one.

But overall we've stuck with the game because it's pretty well-thought out for its time.

[Roogle]

I thought that the large playable cast of Final Fantasy VI helped the game. I think that, with the exception of Umaro, Gogo, and Mog, that the characters held their own and had good story arcs.

[maybee]

It helps.

Though I'll shave off Umaro and Gogo and replace them with somebody else.

Maybe Maria the Opera singer joins the party and she can mimic the crew as her powers, and Banon comes back in though he's injured and half insane from Kefka destroying the world so he's now a berserker type.

Just that Umaro and Gogo basically have no character whatsoever.

[Bubba]

I'd agree with pretty much everyone that it would definitely help. Though, it does depend entirely on the characters that you are presented with. The majority of the cast in FFVI were top notch with (as stated above) a few notable exceptions.

[Quindiana Jones]

I think the only weak links in characters in terms of the story are very strong characters in terms of interesting and unusual gameplay. Since this is a game, I'm happy for three of the nineteen-thousand playable characters to exist purely for fun. :D

The main strengths of these weak links, other than their gameplay benefits, are that one is a feral child, one is an enigma in fancy robes, and one is a fucking great yeti. Sure, it'd be interesting and make some sense for Bannon to return in the WoR as a beserker, but he's not a badass yeti.

[cheesesteak]

I definitely prefer larger playable casts in my JRPGs (or any RPGs really). Although, I stress larger, not necessarily large. 9~12 seems about right, as long as each character is unique in some way, gameplay or story-wise.

The main thing I don't like about smaller casts is that it limits character personality archetypes - honorable hero, ladies man, idealistic playful girl, tough hardened girl, crazy dude, sulker, the self-doubter, etc etc. In FF6's case, the variety of characters' personalities is what I like most. Granted, I could see the attraction to a smaller cast as it could streamline the story a bit better?

[Marionette Cherry]

Even though I never used most of the characters it was fun finding the optional ones. Does it help of hinder? Well it helped me put more hours into the game which is good because I love VI :) I'm playing it again now, so I'll mix up my party a bit when I get all the characters.

[TreasonWall]

It's definitely an asset of the game. You'd think with this many characters, there wouldn't be enough breathing room to do them all justice. This is however not the case. Contrast with FF5, which only has five playable characters, and in spite of that there isn't much to any of them. This game however, despite having fourteen of them, gives them all very rich backgrounds and character nuances. Well, except the three optional ones (Mog, Umaro and Gogo), which is probably why they're optional. Not to mention, we can thank this uncommonly large roster for Phoenix Cave, Kefka's Tower and the Dragon's Den.

Also, something that is rarely pointed that is the fact every single one of them plays so differently that your party composition directly affects the gameplay style of the battle system to a small extent. Even FF4 and FF9 didn't quite go there.

[Zechs]

Helps and hinders in my opinion. The more you have, the more you can choose from, sure. But also the more you want to delve into and learn about. Their personal stories outside the little that is shown. I mean I like playing with Shadow, but I'd like more to go on about him than the bit that is directed at him vaguely and only in bits. Or Umaro. Etc.

I like having more of a choice but I'd also like to know more about them so I understand they aren't just another character skin able to use the more frequent weapons and armor.

[TheDesertedOne]

For the most part, Final Fantasy VI's large (by RPG standards) cast of characters helps the game. As a first time FFVI player, I can tell the depth of the majority of the characters as a crucial aspect of the games plot and an element that compelled me to progress further and further into the game. Even the few exceptions (Mog, Umaro, and Gogo) do not hinder the depth of the overall plot as the other established characters have their personalities and actions indented into the plot firmly.

I am currently 30 hours in and this is shaping up to be the first Final Fantasy game that I will beat (XIII was the first that I played). All that is left is The Ancient Castle, Ebot's Rock, Doom Gaze, 4 Dragons, The Fanatic's Tower, and Kefka's Tower.

[Greatermaximus]

I know I've posted here but it's open to interpretation. To speculate someone could have asked the same thing here with half or twice the number of characters.

[Neiryu]

The large cast helps out a lot due to every character being different in battle as well with their own personalities outside. I fell for the Suikoden series due to the lengthily character list. The only argument I have ever seen for the con is that there is not a true main character, which I find silly because with such an awesome line up how can you just pick one?