View Full Version : Fynn's Final Fantasy Fmarathon
I'm in the barrier tower. Damn, those dragons in the chest were really hard but I got a blood sword for them! And it's almost twice as powerful as my previous sword!
Ugh, Catoblepas was a bitch and a half to beat
I'm just outside the forest of Moore. Kinda dreading entering because of you-know-what :(
Galuf
10-20-2016, 09:42 PM
I'm just outside the forest of Moore. Kinda dreading entering because of you-know-what :(
I know what
Stopped to grind a bit to get all the things from the shops at Moore. And then the friggin crystals in the tree killed me. Think I'm gonna need to apply shell for the first time in this game.
And I was really close to beating them, too! Only the wind and earth one were left.
Bubba
10-21-2016, 09:19 AM
I'll comment more when you get to the next three games as I'm trying to avoid spoilers. Keep up the good grind!
Karifean
10-21-2016, 12:15 PM
Ah yes... the crystal that suddenly get insanely strong when they get to low HP. They were my first Game Over too as I recall.
Galuf
10-21-2016, 12:40 PM
Hardest boss imo. Most runs I just spammed gil toss. But not this last time I didnt
Can't really go with that, though. I currently have Bartz as a Knight with Spellblade, Lenna as a White Mage with Summon, Galuf as a Ranger with Time Magic, and Faris as a Ninja without an extra battle skill. Maybe I should give her one? In any case, I think I 'll just use the Shell this time around and it should go down. Once I get the earth one I'll just keep spamming Titan. Also, need to make sure Slow is put on all of them this time around.
Karifean
10-21-2016, 01:15 PM
You could try just focusing single targets all the time. I know it's tempting to use AoE against four enemies but if they do just get stronger when they're weak it's better to take them one at a time.
You may be right
But I get this urge, man. To just wail on 'em. No matter how inefficient :p
Aaaaaand there he goes.
Damn it :G
Boy, for the most lighthearted FF, this game sure knows how to punch you in the gut :whimper:
Welp, got to world three. I forgot how cute Bartz's interactions with Krile are - they sneak out together and tease each other, like an adorable little pair od siblings!
Anyway, Faris is also back on my team now and I am on my way to unseal the twelve sealed weapons! Parked right outside the Pyramid of Moore! Too bad my healer is gone! Hehe ^^;
Karifean
10-21-2016, 10:03 PM
Maybe it's just me but I always felt like the Masamune was hilariously strong compared to the other legendary weapons. High crit rate, First Strike and the ability to cast Haste for free whenever you feel like it. It's a damage + speed powerhouse.
Galuf
10-21-2016, 10:30 PM
How many fucking times do I have to die
How many smurfing times do I have to die
At least you got the most memorable, emotional, and awesome death in the series :D I legitimately tested up, and I knew it was coming!
Can't really remember that about the Masamune, but that's still awesome, even if it makes the others seem lame in comparison :p By the way, I think it's awesome that at this point in the game everything is optional, kinda like in WoR. I'll try to get everything and max all the jobs, though! I plan for my party to be Bartz and Faris as Freelancers with physical skills, while Lenna and Krile will be Mimes with magic. Original, I know.
Galuf
10-22-2016, 12:37 PM
It is so good death that it made me name myself after him
So I just mastered the piano. Is that in any way meaningful?
Karifean
10-22-2016, 10:23 PM
I think you can get a Bard song for that.
Wolf Kanno
10-23-2016, 05:55 AM
Yes, you get a special Bard song by talking to a musician after mastering the piano. I can't remember what it was called but I'm pretty sure it's the one that increases your party's level every round.
I thought so. Anyone know where the guy is?
Wolf Kanno
10-23-2016, 06:07 AM
Crescent
Thank
Sadly, I think I missed some songs. Still, no biggie considering I'm probably gonna use Sing much this time around, but my inner completionist is throwing a fit
Welp, almost done with the game. I'm at the last screen with a save point grinding jobs because Neo Exdeath murdered me once already, so I'd like to prepare better.
For the first time ever I noticed the Minotaur brothers, which was pretty neat. Also, this game is pretty shocking when it comes to the number of bosses vulnerable to instant death and petrification. In general, I think this game has the fastest boss battles so far, since not only are a surprising number of them vulnerable to instant death, but they also don't have too much HP - but they can also kill you faster. Reminds me of SMTIV in that regard.
Well, just beat it. FFV is still awesome after all this time. It's a really amazing game and I really don't get why people (used to) think it's weak. Aside from being much more tongue-in-cheek, it's not really much goofier than FFIV.
Also, the music is, up to this point in the series, the best, no contest. All these amazing themes! Much better that IV's or, heck, I - III's as well.
Off to start VI now! I'll try to play a bit differently this time. I'll try to do it fast and not teach everyone every spell.
Karifean
10-26-2016, 08:45 PM
Agreed. I ended up enjoying FFV so much more than I expected to. Such a great soundtrack, such a fun story, such a good gameplay system. Definitely my favorite of the SNES era.
And like I said earlier, for such a lighthearted game it has some really, genuinely devastating moments
Karifean
10-26-2016, 09:01 PM
Stumbling upon Lix was still one of the most unexplicably emotional moments of any 16-bit games for me. It's that soundtrack, man.
Also GILGAMESH NOOOOO
And Galuf I guess.
OK, FFVI started! I can already see this port is much better optimized for PC than FFV's! Everything scrolls so smoothly, and the UI, while still incredibly big, is at least much more sharp and clean.
Always loved this game's opening. It's just oozing atmosphere, what with the magitek armors walking in the snow
There's a reason this is one of my all-time favs :excited:
Ugh, the button configuration is slightly different from FFV. Don't you just hate when that happens
Bubba
10-27-2016, 06:45 PM
I love the intro too! Sets a great mood for the game.
Welp, Kefka's here! Oh boy, this'll be fun!
By the way, the portraits in this version are just gorgeous!
Right, just got through the mountains and got Sabin, the bear.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/2c/a1/7c/2ca17c276786bde7472b7c383feb518b.jpg
It's a real shame they didn;t use the bearded artwork for him in-game
Also, The Split is coming up. Which route do I go first?
maybee
10-28-2016, 04:08 AM
I usually go Locke, Sabin, Terra/ Edgar- though sometimes Sabin's adventure first can be good, since he has the longest story. :jess:
I was actually thinking of going that order!
Bubba
10-28-2016, 03:15 PM
I can't remember what I did on the split! I do remember it though. I guess that's what happens when you've only played the game once.
Okay, went with Locke's route first, escaping South Figaro with Celes now. This place has a lot of annoying hidden passages :eep:
You know what was annoying? Tunnel armor. I had to use Runic all the time and Locke could not steal anything, so I just had to keep attaching.
Also, for the first time ever when trying to Steal clothes from a Cadet, I got the Couldn't Steal message. And I got it three times in a row.
Bubba
10-29-2016, 09:22 AM
Also, for the first time ever when trying to Steal clothes from a Cadet, I got the Couldn't Steal message. And I got it three times in a row.
Maybe the cadet was poor and didn't have anything to steal. Maybe they give everything they have to support their spouse and five kids in their run-down, two-bedroomed apartment.
Did you ever think about that? No. You only think about yourself.
Also, for the first time ever when trying to Steal clothes from a Cadet, I got the Couldn't Steal message. And I got it three times in a row.
Maybe the cadet was poor and didn't have anything to steal. Maybe they give everything they have to support their spouse and five kids in their run-down, two-bedroomed apartment.
Did you ever think about that? No. You only think about yourself.
I literally just wanted to see him naked, Bubba. God, way to blow this WAY out of proportion!
Alright, gonna try to blitz through Sabin's chapter now!
(hehe, get it? Blitz through? You know, because he can... No? OK)
Entering Zozo.
Jesus, take the wheel
Made it to the Magitek research lab and oh boy, do I like the Chainsaw!
Yubel-Lover
10-30-2016, 04:37 PM
Entering Zozo.
Jesus, take the wheel
For some reason, I remember that part being so frustrating!
Made it to the Magitek research lab and oh boy, do I like the Chainsaw!
The Chainsaw was so good! :D Edward was really OP in that part
Okay, so yesterday I made it all the way to the Gate, so I'm going pretty fast. Terra got her Ultimate Weapon so all is right in the world :D
Except now the airship's crashed and we need to walk to Vector...
When it comes to building characters, I've been focusing on stats instead of spells, aside from Terra and Celes, who get to learn as many spells as they can. Will probably do the same for Relm. So I have a question - does it pay off in any way to leave escorts on characters not in your active party? Will they still get the stat boosts on level up?
Also, I've been using Gau more that ever this time around. I never really liked him but decided to give him a shot, especially since I'm doing a kind of limited-magic run. Any tips on how to get him good and which rages are worth it? So far Zaghrem and Belmodar seem cool
Got to the World of Ruin. Was worried Ultimate Weapon would be difficult with limited magic, but no. I beat him easily.
Wolf Kanno
11-01-2016, 07:43 AM
Ultima Weapon is only a beast if you haven't been leveling or if you go into the fight half ass.
Bubba
11-01-2016, 03:00 PM
I wish I could give you some tips on what to do but I've only played it through once! I do remember Zozo though. Yeeeeah. Not pleasant.
Yubel-Lover
11-02-2016, 06:08 PM
The Chainsaw was so good! :D Edward was really OP in that part
Damn I've just realized I've confused Edgar with Edward lol. ^^;
Sorry this has slowed down, guys. Some stuff has happened, and combined with me taking part in NaNoWriMo for the first time and replaying FFTA on the side, I didn't really have time to play FFVI this week, but I'll try to make some progress this weekend!
So I saved Cid for the first time ever. All this time I thought everyone on the internet was trolling me but no, you can actually do it!
That said, the scene is much more powerful if he dies, so I kind of regret it now :p
Yubel-Lover
11-07-2016, 11:45 AM
So I saved Cid for the first time ever. All this time I thought everyone on the internet was trolling me but no, you can actually do it!
That said, the scene is much more powerful if he dies, so I kind of regret it now :p
That scene with Celes... :crying::crying::crying:
That and the Opera scene are two of the most powerful moments in this game.
Yeah, I agree. So I'm kinda pissed that I missed it :mad2: Why the hell even let people save Cid?
So anyway, playing very very slowly right now (sorry :p) but I managed to recruit Sabin! I'd never noticed the person who warned you about the petrifying monsters at the house, so that was mighty helpful! I managed to get the kid and all the treasures, so that's cool!
Went to Mobliz and met Terra. I always liked this part and how fulfilled she seemed with those kids. There was always something incredibly touching how in this ruined world this woman managed to find the purpose and love she so longed for before.
AND THERE'S A FRIGGIN' CHOCOBO STABLE SOUTH OF MOBLIZ! HOW IN THE SEVEN HELLS DID I NOT KNOW THIS FOR SO MANY YEARS!!!
Yubel-Lover
11-07-2016, 12:53 PM
Yeah, I agree. So I'm kinda pissed that I missed it :mad2: Why the hell even let people save Cid?
So anyway, playing very very slowly right now (sorry :p) but I managed to recruit Sabin! I'd never noticed the person who warned you about the petrifying monsters at the house, so that was mighty helpful! I managed to get the kid and all the treasures, so that's cool!
Went to Mobliz and met Terra. I always liked this part and how fulfilled she seemed with those kids. There was always something incredibly touching how in this ruined world this woman managed to find the purpose and love she so longed for before.
AND THERE'S A FRIGGIN' CHOCOBO STABLE SOUTH OF MOBLIZ! HOW IN THE SEVEN HELLS DID I NOT KNOW THIS FOR SO MANY YEARS!!!
Just out of curiosity, how much time did it take to catch the right fish to save Cid? Cause I remember it not being that easy... I agree about Terra. I really like the way they chose to develop her need for love, instead of just making her a love interest for someone else. Plus the Celes-Locke relationship is already predominant, so another one would have been redundant imo.
Can't remember exactly how long, but yeah, it took a while. It definitely helps that in the steam version the fish are much larger and clearly visible, so it's easier to see the fast ones.
Yubel-Lover
11-07-2016, 08:59 PM
Can't remember exactly how long, but yeah, it took a while. It definitely helps that in the steam version the fish are much larger and clearly visible, so it's easier to see the fast ones.
Didn't know that, that's pretty useful actually.
Okay, made some progress yesterday.
That tentacle fight was one huge trainwreck. I literally survived by sheer dumb luck since Sabin was the only one left alive and for some reason the tentacles hurt themselves whenever they took him hostage and had no one else to hit. Still, got it on my second try. So I got Edgar back, saw the Figaro flashback, and went on to grab Setzer and made quick work of Darill's tomb. With the airship I went to grab Terra, so nowI have five people. I'm thinking of grabbing Mog and Umaro first, but Narsge turns out to be a pretty big deal when it comes to difficulty.
So who do you guys think I should pick up next?
Also, is it just me, or does the Decisive Battle take more than a subtle cue from the Overture to the Phantom of the Opera?
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Yubel-Lover
11-14-2016, 08:14 PM
Okay, made some progress yesterday.
That tentacle fight was one huge trainwreck. I literally survived by sheer dumb luck since Sabin was the only one left alive and for some reason the tentacles hurt themselves whenever they took him hostage and had no one else to hit. Still, got it on my second try. So I got Edgar back, saw the Figaro flashback, and went on to grab Setzer and made quick work of Darill's tomb. With the airship I went to grab Terra, so nowI have five people. I'm thinking of grabbing Mog and Umaro first, but Narsge turns out to be a pretty big deal when it comes to difficulty.
So who do you guys think I should pick up next?
I'd pick up Locke (if you haven't done that already) or Cyan. The scenes involving these two characters are also very good: the moment when Rachel tells Locke to let her go and to love Celes with all his heart, and when Cyan was trying to comfort that widow (was it a widow right?) were particularly sweet.
I was actually thinking of saving Locke for last, considering you need to beat a three-party (or was it two-partu) dungeon to get to him. Just got Mog and am going to get Umaro, but I will get Cyan right after that, though!
Okay, just got Umaro!
Man, this game is suddenly tough when I don't grind spells on everyone!
Also, how do I get Shadow?
Karifean
11-15-2016, 12:32 AM
You do the Cave in the Veldt quest and then afterwards bet the dagger you get late in that dungeon in the coliseum. Provided you saved him on the Flying Continent, of course.
Of course I did
I'm not a monster
Yubel-Lover
11-15-2016, 11:04 AM
I was actually thinking of saving Locke for last, considering you need to beat a three-party (or was it two-partu) dungeon to get to him. Just got Mog and am going to get Umaro, but I will get Cyan right after that, though!
Oh right, forgot about the dangeon to get Phoenix. Do you plan on getting Gogo?
Bubba
11-15-2016, 11:56 AM
I never found Umaro on my playthrough! I do remember saving Shadow though.
I will get Gogo! Probably won't use him much, as I think I'll make more use of Relm this time around, but I still want him.
My goal before entering Kefka's Tower is gathering all party members and Espers. Not really sure if I'll be doing Crusader, though, considering I need to beat all 8 dragons to do that, and Deathgaze is a pretty frustrating hurdle to get through just to get Bahamut, but I'll try.
Got Cyan! Woohoo!
"Bushido in the Bedroom", eh? :jokey:
Also, is Gau just hanging out in the Veldt? Because I swear to God I've had like ten battles already and he's nowhere to be seen
Yubel-Lover
11-15-2016, 08:56 PM
I will get Gogo! Probably won't use him much, as I think I'll make more use of Relm this time around, but I still want him.
My goal before entering Kefka's Tower is gathering all party members and Espers. Not really sure if I'll be doing Crusader, though, considering I need to beat all 8 dragons to do that, and Deathgaze is a pretty frustrating hurdle to get through just to get Bahamut, but I'll try.
Actually I've never found mysel using Relm that much, my main party was mostly Celes, Terra and Locke/Cyan/Gogo depending on the situations. Though admittedly I did use Edgar and Sabin a lot as well. Deathgaze was so annoying... I remember flying around with the airship for a loooooooong time before killing it for good.
Got Cyan! Woohoo!
"Bushido in the Bedroom", eh? :jokey:
lmao :D
Wolf Kanno
11-16-2016, 05:59 AM
Also, is Gau just hanging out in the Veldt? Because I swear to God I've had like ten battles already and he's nowhere to be seen
You need to have an open space for him.
Galuf
11-16-2016, 03:37 PM
Its a 2 party dungeon
Still gonna leave him for last
That dude needs a super time-out for all the stealingtreasure hunting
- got Shadow
- got Relm
- got Strago
- got the auction espers
- got Lakshmi
- beat Hidon
We're almost done with this game.
Money's really scarce when you don't grind.
Got Locke, Ragnarok, Phoenix, and the Cursed Shield, which is currently equipped on Terra, with the hope that I can make it nice later.
Also, accidentally killed the Red and Ice Dragons, lol
So, as I finish up some last business in this game, you guys can come up with how I should play FFVII ;) I'm thinking of attempting a job setup for each character. Any ideas?
And done! Final party was Terra, Shadow, Strago, and Umaro. Really relied heavily on Terra's Dualcasting with Quick :p Call me cheap, but the battle was pretty hard otherwise. Definitely more challenging than how I usually do it.
On to VII!
Karifean
11-21-2016, 12:30 AM
Nice job!
As for VII, I'd say get all Enemy Skills as soon as you can (including Beta =P), but restrict yourself to never using any of them. Give them Green Materia some love ^^
Just started it. Blew up a reactor.
All I have to say that, had this game been released post-9/11, it would have been a hella different game.
Yubel-Lover
11-21-2016, 11:20 AM
And done! Final party was Terra, Shadow, Strago, and Umaro. Really relied heavily on Terra's Dualcasting with Quick :p Call me cheap, but the battle was pretty hard otherwise. Definitely more challenging than how I usually do it.
On to VII!
Nice job man! ;)
You guys know what the hardest part was? The final dungeon. When you don't grind, not all of your party members are properly leveled with decent skills. And while two parties were very well prepared, one (consisting of Celes, Relm, Setzer and Cyan) was incredibly squishy for some reason (I blame Setzer), and the game expects all of them to be good because each of them has to battle a member of the Warring Triad on their own.
Really, Kefka was a piece of cake in comparison. Not to mention I didn't battle the Ultima Buster because it just so happened that it was in the way of that one weak party :eep:
Yubel-Lover
11-21-2016, 06:05 PM
Kefka's Tower was such an mazing dungeon. Even the music was so fitting.... And... Wait a sec. How dare you putting Celes in a weak party!? May the Light of Judgement banish your savefile :D
Last time I played, she was one of my best party members. But this time she got kinda neglected. I don;t even really know why, it just happened :gator:
Yubel-Lover
11-21-2016, 06:17 PM
Yeah I think I know the feeling. Sometimes it just happens that, after playing a certain game many times, I want to try playing it with different characters. And this is true especially for games like the old FFs, where you can recruit so many characters and then end up using only a few.
Back to FFVII, I never realized you could go to the Train Graveyard early!
Got Aerith (yes, I named her Aerith, sue me) and am on my way to the Walmart. I mean, the Wall Market. This should be fun.
Welp, got all the way to the Shinra building. I was thinking of barging in for once, but it just feels so stupid. I just had to take the stairs again. What sane person would just charge in, guns blazing, when there's a clearly safer, less-disruptive option?
So far, I can say that FFVII has definitely one of the strongest beginnings in the series. Though linear and story-heavy, the Midgar section of the game is incredibly gripping and memorable. Considering how Midgar is what I mostly remember fondly when I think back on this game, I'm kind of worried this is as good as it gets.
But I guess this is as good a place as any to devote to talking about this stuff - but what was it really that made FFVII so successful? Just today I saw the extended version of the FFXV legacy videos, which are basically interviews with random fans about their experience with the series. It included actual game directors of other games, like Bioshock, and they were all talking about how revolutionary VII was when it comes to proving what games could be.
And fair enough, the game is very cinematic, and as I said, it grips you from the very beginning, but honestly, it kind of has everything people seem to hate about JRPGs now? And it wasn't really the first to do a lot of these things. VI started the whole "involved storytelling" business, the battles are pretty much identical to VI only even easier, and the story has a very solid start, but becomes what many people describe it, "convoluted anime nonsense". I mean, you start as a group of eco-terrorists against an evil corporation, oh but there's actually this evil hero dude who is even worse. Oh, and he thinks he's an alien baby and wants to... sail through space... by blasting the planet with a... meteor?
Don't get me wrong. I like the story of FFVII, I love the tone and the atmosphere, especially in Midgar, but these twists (that IMO kept things fresh and interesting, as you can't really say you expected what would happen by the end judging just by the Midgar section) and people's reaction to them doesn't really make sense. So FFVII gets a pass for being non-sensical on paper, but things like any Kingdom Hearts after I, Xenoblade, or any other modern JRPG get categorized as unplayable, overwrought nonsense?
I get why XIII got treated like this, since it really deserved it due to putting half of the relevant story in datalogs, but most of these criticisms nowadays seem to be based purely on prejudice, while Final Fantasy VII gets a pass because of all the nostalgia. And as much as I like FFVII, I think this is incredibly unfair.
Of course, there are many gamers out there who are JRPG fans and accept the genre for everything it stand for, but Final Fantasy VII isn't just accepted by JRPG fans, but by gamers as a whole, as an important piece of gaming history that revolutionized not only the genre, but the entire medium.
So I just wonder, do the people who loved FFVII back then and think JRPGs are trash nowadays actually remember the plot of FFVII? And I don't just mean the Midgar slum dystopia. I mean the planet-surfing, the Sephiroth clones, the cackling Shinra employees, the crossdressing, the remote-controlled cat-robot riding an overweight moogle-bot, the &@#% room, President Shinra acting out some weird fetish with his employees. All the times that require you to suspend your disbelief so hard your eyes roll so far back your skull that you can see your brain. Because those are all the things people hate about JRPGs today, and FFVII had them all.
Shauna
11-23-2016, 11:25 AM
I imagine that those people considered all the dumb and stupid tropes dumb and stupid at the time, but it was probably more endearing at the time due to the novel nature of it all. After all, FFVII was the first FF to hit the home consoles of many, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was their first JRPG too. So after trying out more JRPGs they found the dumb and stupid tropes becoming less endearing because, well, they were always dumb and stupid, and without the shine of something being new and unusual...
Yubel-Lover
11-23-2016, 04:19 PM
CUT
There are so many things to say about FFVII. For once, I've only played it recently (like, 2 years ago at most) and just before starting FFXIII, so the nostalgia factor didn't really matter in my case. I agree that the beginning is probably the best part of the story: from blowing up the first reactor to Cloud vs Rufus it was really compelling and interesting. The culmination for me was the Jenova escape, right after you saw "her" decapitated. And that music was horrorific af. After that it changes perspective as becomes clear that the real problem is Jenova.
I mean, you start as a group of eco-terrorists against an evil corporation, oh but there's actually this evil hero dude who is even worse. Oh, and he thinks he's an alien baby and wants to... sail through space... by blasting the planet with a... meteor?
Here I kindly disagree. To me the real main antagonist was Jenova, while Sephiroth was just a pawn. But the point is that even if the game shifts after the initial Midgar section the let's-save-the-planet theme still remains constant, even if it's done in a different way.
FFVII storyline to me was overall very solid and enjoyable, despite the troupes it had. Although I really agree about prejudice today towards other JRPGs, it's really annoying how some people keep complaining about recent games while praising FFVII like it's the be all end all. This mentality is what makes people hating on certain games, while they are in fact pretty good.
I get why XIII got treated like this, since it really deserved it due to putting half of the relevant story in datalogs, but most of these criticisms nowadays seem to be based purely on prejudice, while Final Fantasy VII gets a pass because of all the nostalgia. And as much as I like FFVII, I think this is incredibly unfair.
Allow me to disagree again. I've recently finished FFXIII's main storyline (currently grinding in the Mah'Habara to complete the Crystarium) and I didn't find the datalogs to be that important. I mean, sure they help understanding a few things (mostly about the lore), but once you read those about who the Fal'Cie are and so on (and it takes literally two minutes), you should be ok.
Bubba
11-24-2016, 09:52 AM
FFVII is pure nostalgia for me. You're probably right in that I let a lot of the issues with the story slide as it was one of my favourite gaming experiences of all time. I haven't played FFXIII so I can't comment on that. It'll be interesting to see how SE present the story in the remake considering everyone knows it so well.
Did you steal a Striking Staff from Eligor in the train graveyard for Aerith?
Nah. I didn't even know about that, and I'm not really trying to get everything this time. This is a pure marathon run, so I'm doing my best to get to the end ASAP.
And don't get me wrong - I'm not saying all those things are "issues". They are staples of the genre that fans such as myself have accepted and learned to love. It's just weird that people have this weird attitude to them now when they praised VII to high heaven for the same things, basically.
Just got out of Midgar. Gonna keep Red and Aerith in my party for now because they still haven't unlocked their second limit breaks. Also, Red's gonna be my Blue Mage, so Imma try to get some enemy skills on that materia now.
Bubba
11-24-2016, 11:13 AM
Awesome. Matra Magic from the Custom Sweepers outside Midgar is always a good one. You can also steal the Cannonball gun for Barret from them... if you can be arsed.
Then yey! It's the Kalm flashback! Everyone's favourite part!
Psychotic
11-24-2016, 12:00 PM
So I just wonder, do the people who loved FFVII back then and think JRPGs are trash nowadays actually remember the plot of FFVII? And I don't just mean the Midgar slum dystopia. I mean the planet-surfing, the Sephiroth clones, the cackling Shinra employees, the crossdressing, the remote-controlled cat-robot riding an overweight moogle-bot, the &@#% room, President Shinra acting out some weird fetish with his employees. All the times that require you to suspend your disbelief so hard your eyes roll so far back your skull that you can see your brain. Because those are all the things people hate about JRPGs today, and FFVII had them all.I liked some of the wacky goofiness in FFVII tbh. I do have a limited tolerance for that sort of humour but FFVII nailed it pretty hard. So did other FFs of a similar era. When I think of later attempts at FF games to do it (CHOCO BOCO LINNNNNNNAAAAAAAA!) I cringe and I wonder if it works best with the more cartoonish style graphics and a lack of voice acting.
Good God, am I glad that I dropped the XIII trilogy when I did
Psychotic
11-24-2016, 12:21 PM
fwiw I think each iteration was an improvement on the last.
Idk, from what I've played of XIII-2, it seemed as if what little artistic direction XIII had was completely thrown out the window for a completely chaotic smorgasbord of stuff that just doesn't go well together and seems to have really nothing to do with the stuff established in the previous game :gator:
But enough about that! Got Matra Magic and did the Nibelheim flashback. Off to the Mythril Mines.
Bubba
11-25-2016, 07:24 AM
Ha, Mythril Mines and Fort Condor is where I spend hours getting Level 3 Limit breaks for everyone! I assume you're not gonna bother if you're speeding it?
Are you gonna get Yuffie?
Yeah, I do intend to get Yuffie and Vincent. Characters are something that I pretty much need.
And yeah, after trying to and later giving up on maxing all jobs with everyone in FFV, I've decided I really need to spend my energy wisely if I want to go through with this whole thing in a reasonable amount of time. Especially since I've basically done all the extra stuff in all FF games at least once in the past. Who knows, if I push myself, I might just finish it before Christmas (which is when I might potentially get FFXV but that's still a big if). So yeah, I need to hurry and get this done. Don't even know if I'll bother with the final weapons and limits.
(not to mention FFVII is stupidly easy so far)
Bubba
11-25-2016, 09:24 AM
Yeah, you can easily skip all the time-consuming stuff like Choco-breeding. I don't think I've ever done a speed run of FFVII. I don't like missing things!
Karifean
11-25-2016, 12:34 PM
Again, if you want some sort of challenge at least, there's trying to get Beta without grinding *right now*. Requires a decent-ish amount of strategizing at least. But I think a Sadness + Fire-halving Barret should be able to survive it by this point so it's certainly not impossible ^^
But I don't have the means of halving fire right now >.>
Karifean
11-25-2016, 12:45 PM
.......oh. Well then.
Shauna
11-25-2016, 12:54 PM
ah well, extra challenge is lame press x to win instead
Formalhaut
11-25-2016, 09:03 PM
Yeah, FFVII is pretty easy, even if you avoid grinding or getting optional extras that make the game go faster (like Matra Magic, Beta; though that in itself is a challenge).
Having said that, I've never done a low level run, or a no-materia run, or any other sort of handicap, so I can imagine it can be difficult if you make it, but a standard play is pretty easy.
What's your favourite Midgar scene? I love that entire sequence of the game, it's like a game within a game.
I like the whole package as well, but Intgink the Shinra Building takes the cake, as it's the climax of that chapter. First there's the climb, then some cool puzzles, then some actually creepy stuff, and then three boss battles in a row, one of which takes place after a whole bike chase. This is where the game really comes together which is quite fitting because this is where the actual game begins. After what felt like a game of its own.
Wall Market is a really close second, though!
Btw, Sense is like the most useless materia so far and yet I already have two. UGH
Bubba
11-26-2016, 10:14 AM
But I don't have the means of halving fire right now >.>
Did you not pick up the Elemental materia from the mayor in the Shinra HQ? That should do the job.
Yeah, I don't think I ever used sense. It didn't really serve a purpose in this game.
I... did not
*Curb Your Enthusiasm theme plays*
Currently looking for Yuffiebin the Junon Area forests and she's not spawning UGHHHH
Formalhaut
11-26-2016, 09:15 PM
The annoying thing with Yuffie is the Junon forests grant her the lowest spawning chance. Just don't mess up her interview when you do catch her.
Sorry for the lack of updates. Searching for Yuffie is one of the reasons why my interest in this game has kind of dwindled. I'll try to get back to it asap.
Karifean
11-29-2016, 01:59 PM
Stop searching for Yuffie then :P
There's one forest over at Rocket Town that has a 255/256 chance to have you encounter Yuffie.
Ugh, but I've already spent so much time looking for her here. I don;t want that to go to waste :eep:
Karifean
11-29-2016, 02:09 PM
And that is what we call the "sunk cost fallacy". ;)
Bubba
11-29-2016, 08:00 PM
She always pops up super regular when I've played. For some reason, I run around in that really small section of forest below the huge one and she nearly always shows.
Formalhaut
11-29-2016, 08:33 PM
Yeah, it takes at most half an hour, but I've never been that unlucky. I'm a bit of a completionist, so I always get Yuffie when I first can.
I swear this is happening to me because you guys said she spawns really rarely here :stare:
Formalhaut
11-29-2016, 08:49 PM
I swear this is happening to me because you guys said she spawns really rarely here :stare:
Sorry to jinx you. Maybe if I say the spawn rate is actually very high, you'll find her in no time. Or just go read a book or listen to the radio while finding her.
smurf it, I've lost my patience. I never liked that stupid Naruto reject anyway
Also, now that I think about it, FFVII has the same number of story-important women as XV. Huh. And that's if you count Scarlet who barely qualifies.
Kids, if you ever need to perform CPR, please don't do it like Cloud does
People will die
I'm about to enter Gongaga, by the way!
Things are going so much faster now that I've decided to ditch Yuffie! Now I can pretend like she never existed!
Bubba
12-01-2016, 03:31 PM
Aqualung is great against Reno and Rude if you learnt it from the Harpy near Corel prison.
Nope!
There was a harpy there? Huh.
Wolf Kanno
12-01-2016, 05:46 PM
Nope!
There was a harpy there? Huh.
You need the buggy to encounter them, just ride it around the desert until you encounter one. The more important thing to pick up was the Laser Enemy Skill from the Deathclaws in Corel Prison, cause it's impossible to get back there and you won't encounter an enemy to learn it until the final dungeon.
Well, too late for that since we're going into Gongaga right now!
Ain't no stoppin' this train we're on, boys!
Formalhaut
12-01-2016, 06:10 PM
I always found Gongaga to be a rather strange location - after the Golden Saucer, but before the great Cosmo Canyon segment. It sorta seemed sandwiched between these great story sections, and I always forget about it.
Idk, I actually like Gongaga more. It's at least relevant to the story, since this is the first thing that suggests that there's more to Zack than being Aerith's ex. CC is pretty boring, really.
Karifean
12-01-2016, 06:55 PM
I love the atmosphere of Cosmo Canyon so I'll have to disagree on that. Plus the part where they just sit around the fire is what kind of sets off the whole introspective 'why am I even a part of this team' question that comes to a head in one of my all-time favorite FF scenes, the scene at the end of Disc 2 where Cloud asks everyone to go to their loved ones and homes and think about why they're still here, fighting.
I just hate Cosmo Canyon because for a long time I had a bootleg copy of the game that would crash once you got to the planetarium
I enjoyed the Seto part, though
Just got the Fairy Tale staff for Aerith and I loooove that it has so many material slots. This works because she's my Mage/summoner, so she needs dem slots!
Also, I'm actually... not enjoying material as much as I remember. It takes extremely long to level everything up, and I'm really missing the stat variety that the espers provided. I also miss the complexity and convenience of the Junction system (such as being able to just transfer one person's settings to another - that's an awesome thing that would work here because you're always only using three members at once anyway, and I like to transfer material to my active party so it levels up quicker).
In all, playing this game has really made me eager to play VIII :p
Karifean
12-01-2016, 09:05 PM
(such as being able to just transfer one person's settings to another - that's an awesome thing that would work here because you're always only using three members at once anyway, and I like to transfer material to my active party so it levels up quicker).
You mean something like the Exchange submenu in the Materia menu? Where you can exchange single materia, single lines (weapons/armor) of materia and entire character setups? Yeah that exists =P
Wolf Kanno
12-02-2016, 03:06 AM
(such as being able to just transfer one person's settings to another - that's an awesome thing that would work here because you're always only using three members at once anyway, and I like to transfer material to my active party so it levels up quicker).
You mean something like the Exchange submenu in the Materia menu? Where you can exchange single materia, single lines (weapons/armor) of materia and entire character setups? Yeah that exists =P
It still takes clicking through the menu twice to do so whereas I remember Junction being a simple one click.
I'm with Fynn, Cosmo Canyon is a bit boring since Red XIII is more of a novelty character and his story was a bit predictable even back in 97. I enjoy Bugenhagen's scene explaining the Lifestream better but overall I find the whole place to be tedious. It doesn't help that Disc 1 doesn't really pick up again until you reach Nibelheim and the mindsmurf of seeing the town rebuilt, from there the whole disc goes by pretty quickly.
Yeah, with Exchange you still have to transfer the materia one by one. With Junction you could just copy one character's entire setup to another. Super convenient.
Anyway, got through Cosmo Canyon and about to enter Nibelheim. I actually had to beat the Cave of the Gi twice because the game crashed for me once. I escaped from one battle and got right into another, only the battle theme from the old one was still playing alongside the new one, so it all sounded pretty bad, and then after the results screen came up it all just crashed completely.
Time for another controversial opinion!
I actually think the first Nibelheim visit is more interesting than the flashback.
It's also pretty funny with all these cloaked figures saying stuff like "m...must go... to Reunion" when the first thing that comes to mind is like a high school reunion :p
GOT to disc two. Yeah, the thing happened.
Other than that, I'm starting to get the feeling FFVII is way too long for it's own good. I mean, there's two more discs of story, but I literally can't remember anything that happens from this point (aside from Cloud's mind breaking and the WEAPON stuff), but that kinda makes me feel all this is padding? I mean, I forgot how horribly in-fun the snowboarding mini game was, and that took forever! Now I'm at the Great Glacier which is just a mess to get through.
I just... kinda wish this game would just get to the point? Not to mention that the mood whiplash of Cait Sith coming back cheerfully while Cloud literally beats Aerith senseless, or when right after her death it's all like "woohoo snowboarding!" :/ I like me some good whiplash, but this just feels like it's in very poor taste
Fate Fatale
12-03-2016, 10:57 PM
I'm actually really excited for the remake because of that! I feel like they will be able to consolidate some of the storyline and re-pace the game to match the updated battle system. Plus since they're doing full V/o for Cloud, we'll actually get some of that perspective rather than the silent protagonist.
Best of luck on the rest of a marathon, btw! :) Love living vicariously through your journey!
The glacier is probably my least favourite part of VII except maybe Temple of the Ancients... cause I never figured out how to navigate the damn place. No matter where I landed I always ended up going in the wrong direction somehow and it would take forever.
Formalhaut
12-04-2016, 08:15 PM
GOT to disc two. Yeah, the thing happened.
Other than that, I'm starting to get the feeling FFVII is way too long for it's own good. I mean, there's two more discs of story, but I literally can't remember anything that happens from this point (aside from Cloud's mind breaking and the WEAPON stuff), but that kinda makes me feel all this is padding? I mean, I forgot how horribly in-fun the snowboarding mini game was, and that took forever! Now I'm at the Great Glacier which is just a mess to get through.
I just... kinda wish this game would just get to the point? Not to mention that the mood whiplash of Cait Sith coming back cheerfully while Cloud literally beats Aerith senseless, or when right after her death it's all like "woohoo snowboarding!" :/ I like me some good whiplash, but this just feels like it's in very poor taste
You aren't wrong; FFVII's main flaw is that the story really loses coherence after Disc One. The snowboarding section is terrible. The Great Glacier is a slog. Honestly, they could have chosen a better location for Disc Two. The mood whiplash jarring as well; the game has pacing issues, and they definitely need correcting.
Yep. The Huge Material quest is just another trainwreck, honestly. It really doesn't make sense why they'd go outbofvtheirvwat to spite Shinra - Cid even mentions this on the ticket, how we should maybe trust science?
Really, the only redeeming thing about the whole disc is the whole reconstruction of Cloud thing
Bubba
12-04-2016, 11:00 PM
Honestly, end of disc one is about halfway.
When you get to disc 3 it's literally a bit of Midgar and the final dungeon.
I know. It's just that back when I first played it, I never noticed how weak and unnecessary the majority of disc 2 was. I really don't think there was a need to pad it out so much. Funny how I never noticed that before. But then again, I was a kid when I last beat it
Okay, I know I may have come off as a bit negative in recent posts. But make no mistake - I still love FFVII and it's still one of my favorite games. It's just that I last played it a long time ago, and so that, combined with the reverence it gets treated with, makes the issues I didn't see back then, all the more glaring.
So I haven't done this since FFIV, I think, but here's a list of pros and cons I've noticed so far, as well as a list of just general things I hadn't noticed before. I am now almost at the end, so I don't think it would change much if I waited.
+ The atmosphere is great, especially at the beginning sections.
+ In general, disc 1 is very solid and has this cohesive narrative that, while it has its ups and downs (Cosmo Canyon was boring and the focus does seem a bit lost right after you leave Midgar), makes you wanna keep going until the very end of the disc.
+ I actually really enjoy limit breaks.
+ Though in general I vastly prefer Espers and Junction to Materia, I still think the idea of having to choose a weapon not only based on stats, but also all the benefits or shortcomings it has when it comes to materia, is pretty cool.
+ I like most of the characters, Barret and Tifa especially, which is why I'm basically only sticking to them throughout.
+ Probably the prettiest world map in the series, despite the overall dreadful presentation. It's also filled with secrets and fun stuff off the beaten path, which is great.
+ The soundtrack is one of the absolute best in the series.
- Yuffie is the single worst character in the history of the franchise. I really don't get why people love her. Her design is stupid, she's a pain to get, the Wutai theft chapter is one of the most tedious parts of the game, and every word she speaks is garbage. She is out of place, she is not fun to be around, and in general she is complete and utter trash. I hate her guts and I want to see her burn in hell.
- In general, disc 2 is just... wrong. I heard some people complain about it, but I never remembered it being as bad as it is. Oh, but it is. Save for a few meaningful scenes like reconstructing Cloud and the part right after the northern crater (and possibly the Midgar revisit, but I still haven't gotten there, so I can't really say), it just feels like insane padding. I honestly feel like this game was made too long for its own good. The Great Glacier and the whole crater area was way too long and lacking in cutscenes for its own good, not to mention the only thing separating it from Aerith's death was a snowboard ride, which is just... ugh. It seems like for the hours following her death people forget to even mention her.
- Probably the worst part of Disc 2, though, is the huge materia arc. It really makes no sense for the team to go after Shinra. I get that they're trying to preserve the planet, yadda yadda, but when you guys have no clue how to save the world, maybe you should just let Shinra blow up the Meteor with the huge materia because that sounds like a solid plan and if the world is gone there is nothing left on it to protect anyway?! I mean, even smurfing Cid says it when they're on the rocket, but no, later on he's like "eh, I guess I went to space already, so I don't really care about any of that anymore." And then they're devastated when the rocket didn't destroy the meteor. DON'T YOU THINK MAYBE THE OUTCOME COULD BE A BIT DIFFERENT IF YOU HADN'T DECIDED TO JEOPARDIZE THE WHOLE THING?
- The translation is downright incomprehensible at certain points. Gast's secret laboratory was really bad, and then there was that scene on the Highwind where Red XIII says they should go visit Bugenhagen - the whole dialogue was so incomprehensible I literally had no clue how they all got to that conclusion. One thing I'm really looking forward in the remake is that they'll finally make the words sound good. Also, I am pretty convinced Gelnika was supposed to be called Guernica. Yeah, like Picasso's painting. Because that's actually a word that has some intertextual meaning, and Gelnika looks like some translator sat down, saw the katakana and just transcribed it into a vaguely Russian-looking word. Because Russians have submarines, amirite?
- I see a lot of people complaining about the Empire in FFXV, but damn, man, have you seen the Shinra people? Palmer, Scarlet and Heidegger are just so useless it's just funny. And that slapping match on the cannon was just terrible.
And some weird things I noticed:
*I've come to the conclusion that Aerith's death in the narrative serves a completely different purpose than I (and creators of the Compilation, apparently) have assumed previously. The loss of Aerith as a character isn't what really influences the narrative and the motivation of the main cast - it's what it entails for Cloud. Or rather, not what the death itself entails, but Cloud's actions prior to it. Nobody really mourns her death - the first time anyone mentions her after she dies is when the party meet up with Bugenhagen to take him to the Forgotten City, and that's way past the half-way point of disc 2. And even then, it's just a throwaway line.
Honestly, once the initial shock of "they killed a potential love interest!" wears off, there's not really much left. Her death - and the fact that it was Cloud that almost killed her - is meant as more of a segway that leads us into the part of the story that focues on Cloud's fractured psyche. Right after the death, and just before the "change discs" screen shows up, Cloud's last line is something along the lines of "This is who I am. If I ever lose control of myself again, please, stop me."
The way it's framed, this is not a story about loss. Aerith's death isn't supposed to be impactful for the very fact that you've lost a precious party member (it was framed that way in V and worked very effectively) - it's actually a tool that clues you in on the fact that Cloud isn't exactly who he is. And that's scary.
So though we've built up our own discourse about Aerith and her death over the years, her death is actually framed more like a plot device in the game. It's not important that a character dies. It's important what this death means for everyone else and the fate of the world. Even the grief isn't there. Which is kind of sad.
Do you guys know which game I think has so far had the most narrative consistency and the best pacing, as I'm playing this marathon? IV. I'm surprised myself, since while I always liked it a lot, it was never one of my favorites. But it really has a story that keeps you invested from start to finish and my most recent experience with the DS version had me perfectly leveled for every area, meaning my pace was never slowed by extra grinding. This is something I don't think has been done before in the series or since. FFs I through III didn't have really compelling narratives, while V, VI and VII all kind of lose focus after the mid-point (which bothers me more in VII, and less in V and VI due to why it happens in all those games). Because of that, IV feels much shorter than the games that came after it (even though it's not THAT much shorter), but in a good way - a game that has a very clear beginning, middle and end and a steady pace throughout.
Is IV my favorite FF from the ones I've played? Absolutely not. But I never noticed how perfect an example it is of a story that has just enough things to keep you interested from start to finish while not bogging your progress down with way too much stuff to do or nearless padding. So while it may not be my favorite, I'd say it's definitely the most satisfying one so far.
Yeah, that said, I only played through VIII and IX once, so we'll see what impression they make on me in that regard.
Bubba
12-05-2016, 01:06 PM
It's funny seeing people's opinions on Wutai. It seems pretty much split between people really enjoying it and really hating it. I thought it was a very enjoyable and I loved the sole pagoda challenge for Yuffie. I suppose if you hate her though it would be a nightmare :lol:
Indeed
That's why I'm not touching that quest with a ten-foot pole
Karifean
12-05-2016, 08:14 PM
I believe Sakaguchi once stated that the point with Aerith's (and also Zack's) death was that the world doesn't stop turning just because someone died. Yeah it sucks, yeah it's sad, but the world at large doesn't care; life goes on and in the characters' case they still have an explicit goal to reach. They all find ways to grieve in their own way, without making it a huge let's-all-wallow-in-self-pity session or anything like that.
It's why no matter how cool Zack's death was in Crisis Core, it'll always feel to me like it kinda missed the point of them originally making it a completely anticlimactic ambush by I believe it was 3 Shinra soldiers. Instead of, you know, a gigantic fucking army.
DON'T YOU THINK MAYBE THE OUTCOME COULD BE A BIT DIFFERENT IF YOU HADN'T DECIDED TO JEOPARDIZE THE WHOLE THING?
*shrug* It's your own choice to decide whether they remove the materia from the rocket or not, and yet you're blaming it on the characters? Don't abuse your status as a world-crossing witch, man =P Though I will say I never had the feeling they were devastated, they were basically expecting it to fail but seeing it directly still bums them out, understandably enough.
Also, now you know why Yuffie was an optional character ^^
No, I get the death thing, and I understand why it's important that it's understated. That;s not the point I'm making. I'm not saying this is a blunder on the part of the writers, it's just that the death itself isn't really important to the narrative in the way a large chunk of the fandom (including me, up until this point) misunderstood it. Aerith's death isn't a turning point because of her death - it's not her death that makes the characters change their motivations and reach an epiphany. It's something that propels some story events forward, and only then do the characters really grow and change. It's more like a stepping stone - and a much lesser one than Cloud completely giving in and giving Sephiroth the black Materia, which I think is where the real Wham Episode happens - to the actual resolution of the story and character arcs.
But then that epiphany goes out the windows and here we go with the senseless huge materia padding :gator:
Also, Cloud & co., you assholes! Criticizing Shinra for using materia to save the world when you're doing the exact same thing!
Yeah the huge materia stuff really is a big plot hole. I mean at least Shinra are actually using it. You steal it from them and... what? It just sits in Bugenhagen's observatory. You can't even get anything out of them until you've done a crazy amount of work. You can't get Master Summon until you have all the summons but if you have Knights of the Round then you sure as hell don't need Master Summon to beat Sephiroth.
maybee
12-06-2016, 07:12 AM
Yeah, have always hated the Big Materia plot, even when I was about 11 years old I was like " uhm, wtf game " ??? And then the game shows clips of sad, heartbroken and disappointed people, because there's no materia in the rocket anymore and it fails to even scratch the meteor. Depressed and hopeless people, because of Cloud and the group. Not Shrina. It's almost like Barret and Cloud didn't want to give Shrina any credit for anything ? So they risked everybody dying so Avalanche could be the heroes instead ? Wtf ?
Too bad you hate Yuffie though, Fynn, always thought that was a interesting character, as she's a teen that just doesn't know how to deal with her town basically turning into a tourist attraction after a big war, and somehow believes that materia will solve all her problems and is addicted to materia, almost like it's a drug to her. She wants materia, so bad, that she's willing to trick and lie to friends ( like real life drug and gambling addicts, though FF VII does it in a over-the-top Loony Tunes cartoon tone ) Always found her coping methods interesting. If you take her to Aerith's death, she just clings to Cloud and shakes her head in despair- Yuffie is just a confused and lost teenager, that doesn't understand how to cope with the heavy parts of life yet imo.
Idk, it's just characters like Yuffie that make me think:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/YIjjm9hgQMY/maxresdefault.jpg
Forsaken Lover
12-06-2016, 09:00 AM
Aerith's death is pretty important because she kinda saves the world by dying.
But she never intended to die. That's a big thing, too. She had no interest in being a martyr, she had so much planned for her future.
Is Cloud's breakdown more impressive in the short-term? Definitely. But Aerith's death has quite the impact as well. Perhaps the impact is just felt in more subtle ways than "well the world is fucked now."
When you get right down to it, Aerith is easily the most important character in the party besides Cloud. Even after dying, she never stops being relevant to what's happening.
I agree. I'm just surprised on how much her death's impact on the characters (and the narrative too, really) is downplayed, to the point of not really being there for the most part. Her character, on the other hand, is important throughout, even after her death.
This translation, Jesus
Cait Sith is suddenly talking like he's from the Deep South for some reason
Bubba
12-06-2016, 06:25 PM
My feelings towards Cait Sith are the same as your feelings towards Yuffie.
See, I actually find him amusing
But the inexplicable accent change is just... I mean, it's still better than parts of dialogue not making sense
Honestly, out of all the re releases, VII is the one that would have used a solid re translation the modt
Wolf Kanno
12-06-2016, 07:03 PM
If its the part where he's revealed to be Reeve, then there is a reason for the accent change because in the Japanese script Reeve speaks with one type of dialect while Cait Sith speaks in another, but when he gets razzeled by the events with the Sister Ray and Rufus' death, he accidentally switches the accents (hence the comment Heidegger and Scarlet make) which reveals to Cloud and company of Cait Sith's identity.
Granted, it's still a shoddy translation since Cait Sith's speech was barely given any accent through most of the game, but that's still most likely why that scene is a bit weird.
BUt... Reece doesn't speak that way at all!
Seriously, who translated this! I mean, I know Alexander O. Smith was involved, but could this really be the work of the genius responsible for the exquisite English scripts for Vagrant Story and FFXII?
BUt... Reece doesn't speak that way at all!
Seriously, who translated this! I mean, I know Alexander O. Smith was involved, but could this really be the work of the genius responsible for the exquisite English scripts for Vagrant Story and FFXII?
Alexander O. Smith's first Square game was Final Fantasy VIII. In fact the highly criticised translation of VII is the main reason Square reformed their localisation process and invested more into a dedicated team. Smith was involved with VIII through to XII.
Wolf Kanno
12-06-2016, 07:44 PM
It was actually translated internally from what I hear, but as Fox mentions, Square didn't have an actual localization department at that point.
Well that's pretty fucked up!
Anyway, went for the final battle with as little preparation as I could. Cloud is level 50, Barret and Tifa are level 49, and I haven't maxed their limits. Still, managed to get to the final stage, only to hit a very big doze of bad luck and got killed. I'll try again later today. Think I'm gonna win this time. I just found out way too late that Safer Sephiroth is susceptible to slow. The other two pre-final bosses were really easy.
Got 'im!
http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/IMG_6232.jpg
Just started VIII and WOW is that opening cinematic still beautiful or what?
You don't waste any time!
Yeah, it's still pretty awesome. I love the whole setup in Balamb Garden
THis is a marathon, sweetie. I have no time to waste
THis is a marathon, sweetie. I have no time to waste
*Fmarathon
Formalhaut
12-07-2016, 08:56 PM
Those are some yellow numbers on that screen, Fynn.
Anyway, FFVIII. One of those games I've wanted to play, but I'm not sure how I'd feel playing it. I'm not a fan of the junction system from what I hear. Doesn't it basically relegate magic to boosting your stats, as opposed to... you know, using it?
Honest question Fynn: how does the earlier Final Fantasies treat magic compared to some of the later instalments? In some of the Final Fantasies I've played, magic was either inferior to physical attacks or more awkward to use. Like FFXII: great combat system, but I never particularly used magic all that often as it has a charge time AND a special 'command queue' thing. FFX was very good in balancing magic and physical attacks, up until endgame, where it loses out to physicals.
The numbers are yellow because I got in the finishing blow right after a Super Nova, which always reduces your HP to 1/16 of your current amount :p
Magic is everything in VI. That's why if you take the time to teach everyone every spell, you are completely and utterly invincible. IV was cool in that magic had a charge time but was really powerful, so there was a nice balance. V did away with the charge time but added the Time Magic school for the first time, so that was interesting.
Junction is awesome, honestly. And of course you can use magic normally as well, even if it's not really optimal to do so. But summons are pretty broken so they make up for that.
Also, guys - some tips on not missing GFs and getting the best weapons asap, please!
Formalhaut
12-07-2016, 09:24 PM
Also, guys - some tips on not missing GFs and getting the best weapons asap, please!Apparently you can abuse Triple Triad to card mod some ingredients to get the best weapon for Squall, but you'd have to consult a guide for that. As for the GFs? I don't know. Use a guide?
And Squall totally reminds me of my brother as he is right now. He's about the same age, similar hair, and the limited responses like "I guess" are pretty much how he talks. I also pretty much always pick the nicer dialogue choices, so the similarity is a bit bigger than it would have been otherwise
You're going to need screws and steel pipes for pretty much everything you're going to want. So when you encounter Wendigos, fight a bunch of them and get as many steel pipes as possible. You also need 6 steel pipes to get Doomtrain so get 10 or so. Geezards give you screws.
Card mod and Mug will assist you in your goals.
GFs are mostly hard to miss but you will need to remember to DRAW them from the following battles:
- Siren. Draw from Elvoret at the communications tower during the Dollet mission.
- Carbuncle. Draw from the Iguions in Deling City during the parade.
- Leviathan. DRAW-FROM-THAT-NO-GOOD-NORG
- Pandemona. Draw from Fujin in Balamb.
- Alexander. Draw from Edea during Garden battle.
- Eden. Draw from Ultima Weapon in the deep sea research center.
Wolf Kanno
12-07-2016, 09:28 PM
Just make sure you always draw from bosses to not miss some of the GFs, even then, it's possible to get them in the final dungeon if you do miss them, but most of the GFs are easy to obtain with the possible exception of Doomtrain since he requires picking up certain items and taking it to a certain place.
Squall's weapons are the only ones that really matter since the upgrades for the others are minor compared to how important Junction is. Whereas Squall's Limit Breaks are directly tied to his weapon. All you need for weapons are the ingredients for the upgrade, you don't even need the Weapon's Monthly issue to unlock them.
Honestly, while there are several smaller quests you can easily miss out on, the game is really good about not missing any gameplay opportunities, so I wouldn't really stress it. What you should be focusing on is doing the Library Girl sidequest for Zell, or rescuing the kid from the train in Timber, or getting more backstory from the Mayor of FH. Those are the things that are easy to miss.
Oh, and remember to look around for all the Weapons Monthly magazines. You can only build better weapons if you've found the magazine it's in. Absolutely make sure you don't miss the First Edition.
Bubba
12-07-2016, 09:35 PM
Looking forward to FVIII as well! I'll be jumping ship again when you reach FFIX though
I assume you won't be doing much Triple Triad? Just gonna motor on through?
Wolf Kanno
12-07-2016, 09:40 PM
Oh, and remember to look around for all the Weapons Monthly magazines. You can only build better weapons if you've found the magazine it's in. Absolutely make sure you don't miss the First Edition.
You don't actually need the magazine, just the ingredients, though the magazine does tell you what the ingredients are, so they are super useful if you're not bothering with a guide.
Also, Ray Bomb is one of the hardest Blue Magic spells to get for Quistis, because it's a rare item that only drops from a certain enemy when they are a certain level. So if you happen to be poorly leveled, you'll need the Lv. Up/Down abilities and some scan spells to finally get it.
lol just lost all my cards. All of them.
Does that answer your question, Bub?
Oh, and remember to look around for all the Weapons Monthly magazines. You can only build better weapons if you've found the magazine it's in. Absolutely make sure you don't miss the First Edition.
You don't actually need the magazine, just the ingredients, though the magazine does tell you what the ingredients are, so they are super useful if you're not bothering with a guide.
Also, Ray Bomb is one of the hardest Blue Magic spells to get for Quistis, because it's a rare item that only drops from a certain enemy when they are a certain level. So if you happen to be poorly leveled, you'll need the Lv. Up/Down abilities and some scan spells to finally get it.
Eeehhhh, sou desu ka?
I must have been remembering wrong. I thought they never appeared in the shops until you found the magazine... It has been a couple of years since I played FFVIII though.
Note to self: rectify this.
Karifean
12-07-2016, 10:55 PM
The weapon shows up if you have the necessary resources even if you don't have the magazine; how else do you think people get the Lion Heart on Disc 1? =P
For your own sanity and for the sake of some game balance, always have a character focus on attacking. It'll limit your drawing rate significantly.
But drawing is so much fun!
My problem with Triple Triad was that I always loved it, but also sucked at it.
Well, now I got the Ifrit card. And I bullied the hell out of the guy that took all my cards. And now my deck is filled with cards that have lots of sixes and sevens and I actually KEEP WINNING HELL YEAAAAAAAHH!H!!!!!!!
Also, the Junction system is so good. It's scratching all of my gameplay itches that I have been missing since beating FFV.
I am having so much fun you guys
Karifean
12-08-2016, 10:26 AM
Yup, that sounds about right. I was pretty surprised myself when I replayed the game on PC and it was just so much fun.
Too bad levelling characters is kind of the opposite of what you should be doing due to level scaling. Because I wanna keep levelling up my GFs!
Speaking of GFs - I know I can junction more than one to a character, but is there a limit as to how many? Or could one character theoretically have all the GFs junctioned to them? Also, are the abilities available to the GF dependent on level, abilities learned, or do you never get more at all?
Alright, time to adjust my hipster glasses
I'm really not a fan of VIII's soundtrack
I enjoy the regular battle theme and the boss theme, but other than that, I feel that Uematsu kind of experimented a lot here with some much more ambient stuff and it didn't really work out. Also, the Balamb Garden theme does nothing to me, and I know that's a fan favorite. The melody is really simple - even primitive - and there's just too much bells and weird synth for it to make me think of anything other than, uh, hospitals? For some reason?
Also, don't get me started on Man With the Machine Gun. Waaaay too much 80s synth, and not in a cool way like in SMTIV. Though here, I really think this is because it's a really poor arrangement rather than poor composition, because the symphonic version is very nice.
Here's hoping Wolf Kanno doesn't hate me for this ^^;
Wolf Kanno
12-08-2016, 07:59 PM
I will totally troll you for not liking Man with the Machine Gun, as well as your inability to appreciate FFIII's score. Other than that, I agree that VIII's OST is a bit underwhelming and easily my least favorite of the PSX generation.
Leveling GFs shouldn't be too much of an issue since they will get the bulk of XP if they land the finishing blow. Use abilities like Card Mod as well to get around the XP issue.
You can actually equip every GF to one character if you want, only your Magic Stock has a set limit and even that is rather generous.
Pumpkin
12-08-2016, 09:18 PM
:omgomg: My thrid fav game ever :omgomg:
I unfortunately can't give you too many tips because I'm not the expoity-mcgee type when it comes to this game and I hate Triple Triad and the card mods and all dat.
I personally decide before hand who gets what GF's, and then I divide the magic in to three sets and swap those over depending on my party. But I keep my GFs to one particular character each. Like Shiva is always on Rinoa (when she joins my party) so even if she isn't in my party, Siva will still be junctioned to her. This isn't practical, it's just one of my deals. Dat GF loyalty.
Oh yeah, you do have your GF compatibility bars that change based on who uses them and the other GFs they use. So keep an eye on that if you care
Forsaken Lover
12-08-2016, 10:51 PM
FFVIII is a Bad Game but I'm replaying it to, only I'm using a mod that changes the gameplay to actually make the battle system fun. FFVIII's gameplay has a bajillion problems but first and foremost among them is how terribly easy it is.The FF series is not known for difficulty but FFVIII is a special case of being made for babies. Mentally challenged babies at that. Junctions are so unbelievably broken that it's impossible to NOT break the game as long as you are seriously collecting magic. Then there are the stat+ abilities. HP, MAG, STR +80% What were they thinking?
As for collecting weapons, once I went on a Triple Triad card collection frenzy. Before I even went to Timber, I had Squall's second strongest weapon. Card Mod is obscenely broken. Abyss Worm cards + T-Magic RF = 20 Tornado's per Card. Mod 1 Abyss Worm into Windmill and then T Mag RF into I think 20 Tornadoes per Windmill. Tornado is pretty much the best junction spell at this point. You can work on getting Flares and Meteors but that's way harder. If you are the right level, you can draw Flare from Tri-Faces at the Balamb Garden MD Level near the start of Disk 2. They're rare encounters though.
Dollet has the Random Rule. I forget how exactly but make sure you abolish this rule. It involves running back and forth from Dollet to Timber and playing with the guard near the city entrance.
You need a guide to do the Card Queen sidequest. It's stupid.
When you get to Disk 2 and get back to the Garden, make sure to defeat teh CC Club quest. That involves finding the various members of the club and defeating them at Triple Triad. They all have really good cards but the real reward for this is they have infinitely respawning rare cards on Disk 4. You have no idea how useful this is. Well, I mean, you don't need this because vanilla FFVIII could be beaten by a toddler but it's still nice to have I guess.
Did you defeat the GIANT MECHANICAL SPIDER? I neve rhave until this current playthrough.
You should have Tents? I believe the game starts you off with 5 of them? L Mag RF turns them into 10 Curagas I think, or maybe 20. Junction Curaga to HP and enjoy nothing being able to kill you, ever.
The music in this game does suck pretty hard, though. FFVIII easily has the blandest world in FF history (because it's basically just 90s Earth) and Uematsu seemed to take inspiration from this blandness. All the town themes are as hallow and lifeless as the towns they belong to.
Wolf Kanno
12-08-2016, 11:20 PM
You know, for someone who hates FFVIII so much, you seem to play it with surprising frequency. ;)
Forsaken Lover
12-08-2016, 11:27 PM
You know, for someone who hates FFVIII so much, you seem to play it with surprising frequency. ;)
I wanted to play Persona 3 as you know but I forgot my PSN password and Sony won't send m ea goddam reset password email no matter how many times I request one.
So I need something to do. I noticed the mod I played of VIII had been updated and altered for the PC version and I wanted to give the new version a try.
The reason I hate VIII is because it had so much potential. It is not a game devoid of quality. It just needed some tweaking. Lots of tweaking but still, there is a great game buried in there.
Like, the reason I love this mod is because the battle system is actually interesting. All the refining and mods and turning items into magic and magic into items and stuff? Very neat concept. Problem - FFVIII is so piss easy you don't need to do any of that. There is depth to VIII's battle systm but it is depth most people won't see because you don't have to.
I liked that I had to learn about how to manage Crisis Levels and other little details because those little details are cool.
As for the story, you know I love Seifer. He's a legit great character. I never get tired of seeing him.
Formalhaut
12-08-2016, 11:35 PM
I almost feel as if I've put off playing this game because Triple Triad is a rather involved, major sidequest that affects various things. Like, I remember playing Triple Triad on EoFF once and got absolutely hammered. I don't think I'd ever get the hang of it.
At least FFX-2's Sphere Break could be beaten with a computer programme to assist me. How the hell am I even going to attempt Triple Triad? And doesn't FFIX have something like it?
Damn, have I been avoiding these games because of a card game?
Wolf Kanno
12-08-2016, 11:50 PM
I am honestly flabbergasted by how many people I meet who can't play Triple Triad. It's not that difficult to figure out, even with the advanced rules.
Karifean
12-08-2016, 11:56 PM
Triple Triad is still far and away my favorite minigame in *any* game I've ever played.
Also you know what's broken? Chocobo World is. On the PC version, it literally removes all limits on your power as soon as you get access to it. Thanks to a glitch you can eternally deliver items from it without losing them on the Chocobo World side, allowing you to get infinite stat ups, potions, well just about anything really. And you can let that game run by itself automatically if you know how.
I am honestly flabbergasted by how many people I meet who can't play Triple Triad. It's not that difficult to figure out, even with the advanced rules.
I love Triple Triad but hate the advanced rules. Sometimes simple is better, and especially when Random comes into it I flip the desk.
And doesn't FFIX have something like it?
Yes what happened was they took Triple Triad and said "Now we have made the perfect mini card game how do we make it a bit worse?" So now what you have is a slightly harder to understand Triple Triad with dice rolls determining success. Imagine if when playing chess instead of just 'taking' a piece you rolled a dice to see if your take was successful. That's Tetra Master in a nutshell.
Honestly, Triple Triad is completely, 100% optional. I beat the game fairly easily the first time without even winning one card battle
Pumpkin
12-09-2016, 05:40 AM
I beat it everytime without winning a card battle
Already got five GFs! Woohoo! I think I'm only missing Brothers and Carbuncle from Disc one, and the rest are on later disks, I think?
I'm starting out by teaching Diabolos Darkside because I just want some more variety in my party's abilities. Also, since I've started really doing amazing in Triple Triad, I taught Quetzalcoatl (I called him "Quetzalli" after another summon from earlier because I could not stand to look at that terrible spelling) Card and am now teaching it to refine cards, because that supposedly gives you a lot of neat things!
So I'm off to Timber now. Thanks for the tips, Pumpkin. Though I probably won't be paying attention to compatibility much - at first, at least. I'm gonna stick to three builds that I'll just exchange between the party members I get, and when I can finally stick to one party, that's when I'll build up their compatibility. I'll probably go with Squall, Rinoa, and Zell. Squall and Rinoa are a must because adorbs and Rinoa's limit breaks actually encourage you to use magic, but the third character is still kinda up in the air. I kinda want it to be Zell because he's more focused on physical stuff and whatnot, so that'd be a cool way to balance that, I think.
Pumpkin
12-09-2016, 02:56 PM
Yeah you should only be missing those two from disc 1 I think
maybee
12-10-2016, 01:33 AM
Final Fantasy eighhhhhhhht yeeeesss :love:
I'm at Timber, btw! Had my first Laguna flashback. Also, Timber uses the Same rule which I still don't really get :O Still, it's not bad. I just hope the Diff trade rule doesn't spread :/ How do I get All to spread?
Forsaken Lover
12-10-2016, 08:06 AM
I'm at Timber, btw! Had my first Laguna flashback. Also, Timber uses the Same rule which I still don't really get :O Still, it's not bad. I just hope the Diff trade rule doesn't spread :/ How do I get All to spread?
As best as I can recall, you gotta find the Queen of Cards because her Trade Rule changes all the time if you just keep opening up the TT menu but then exit. So challenge her to a card game but then exit out before starting the game if she's using any rule other than All. Once All does come up, actually play that game and win. Go start a card game with some other NPC and see if they're using All. If they aren't, head back to the Queen and repeat the previous steps until All always comes up.
This MIGHT work for other NPCs too...I'm not sure. Maybe you can try to challenge them repeatedly until All comes up but I never did that. Whatever rule you play repeatedly with will be the one that everyone uses though so just don't play the game if Diff or whatever comes up instead of All.
In any event, unless you sent the Queen to Dollet or Deling City, you won't be seeing her again this disk.
I... didn't
*Curb Your Enthusiasm theme plays*
I guess I'll wait for the later discs for that :p
Got to Galbadia Garden. Shiva just learned refining ice magic. I got 87 Blizzagas.
Night Fury
12-11-2016, 12:33 PM
I'm that person who just gets stuck in a TT hole for hours. I love it!
Also boo you all for dissing on the soundtrack!
Karifean
12-11-2016, 12:55 PM
I'm at Timber, btw! Had my first Laguna flashback. Also, Timber uses the Same rule which I still don't really get :O Still, it's not bad. I just hope the Diff trade rule doesn't spread :/ How do I get All to spread?
As best as I can recall, you gotta find the Queen of Cards because her Trade Rule changes all the time if you just keep opening up the TT menu but then exit. So challenge her to a card game but then exit out before starting the game if she's using any rule other than All. Once All does come up, actually play that game and win. Go start a card game with some other NPC and see if they're using All. If they aren't, head back to the Queen and repeat the previous steps until All always comes up.
This MIGHT work for other NPCs too...I'm not sure. Maybe you can try to challenge them repeatedly until All comes up but I never did that. Whatever rule you play repeatedly with will be the one that everyone uses though so just don't play the game if Diff or whatever comes up instead of All.
In any event, unless you sent the Queen to Dollet or Deling City, you won't be seeing her again this disk.
I suppose I'll expand on this. The actual mechanics involved are a little too complicated to explain here, but there are two primary ways to spread the card trading rule you want.
1. Single Spreading: You move the Queen of Cards to your desired area. Whenever you play the QoC, the trading rule in the area is randomized. You can use that to easily get whatever trading rule you want in the area she's in. Note: Just to make things more confusing, the trading rule in the area is NOT the same as she uses in her games with you. You need to play other players to see what rule is prevalent in your area.
2. Global Spreading: You play the QoC in any area until she uses the trading rule you want her to. Then you play against other people in the area over and over again (simply challenging + aborting on the TT screen is enough, you do not need to actually play). As you do this, the trading rule in this region will spread to other regions.
Both ways are kind of hard to control since the way the QoC moves is frustrating and the random spreading to other regions is, well, random.
One thing I do feel the need to point out regarding the All trading rule though is that as you play it will eventually 'degrade' into the next lower card trading rule which is either 'Direct' or 'One'. So you might end up with Direct accidently in some regions as you do this. With Diff this doesn't happen as Diff always only degrades into 'One'. Although similarly to how All and Diff degrade, you can also always degrade 'Direct' into 'Diff' or 'One' by playing more games. Although that Direct trading rule might spread to other regions in the meantime...
I recommend just doing some Global Spreading but with Diff instead of All. I prefer to avoid having to deal with Direct as much as possible, and Diff, more often than not, still gives you 4 or 5 of the enemy's cards if you win. =P
Got to disc 2. Had a small heart attack because it looked like the data on my vita memory card got corrupt, but everything went back to normal after a reboot.
I honestly forgot how strong the cast of this game is. Sure, there's the shared backstory cop-out, and the way people keep passing the idiot ball to each other is just mind-boggling, but I actually get the feeling that these are people who are interacting with each other and they all have a specific chemistry with each other - which is much more than I can say about VII's cast which felt very bland in comparison.
Maybe part of that is thanks to the translation, though. It's sooooo much better this time
Ugh
The memory card is acting up. Checking if transferring stuff to another card will help matters.
Bubba
12-12-2016, 10:42 AM
Who has been hating on the soundtrack for FFVIII?? It's one of the strongest ones!
I think it's one of the weakest. Granted, it has a few good tracks - like the main Battle Theme, Force Your Way, Maybe I'm a Lion, or The Extreme - but I'm just pretty underwhelmed by things like Man with the Machine Gun (good composition, weak arrangement, symphonic version is MILES better), Balamb Garden (boring), Blue Fields (bleh) and a whole bunch of weird synth stuff that just sounds incredibly uninspired. Uematsu was experimenting with more electronic sounds and ambient here, and it doesn't always work, sadly. The best tracks here are those that are fairly in-line with his usual 80s rock-inspired stuff (see again Force Your Way, Maybe I'm a Lion, etc.). Overall, though, there's way too little really enjoyable stuff among the plethora of weak tracks, and even those aren't really Uematsu's highest highs. I think VIII has one of his weakest FF soundtracks (along with III, which was just eh even though it wasn't that experimental, or IV, but at least IV had several tracks that are actually super iconic in my eyes). This is especially glaring because it comes after V, VI, and VII which are all easily Uematsu's greatest soundtracks made for the series.
Bubba
12-12-2016, 10:55 AM
I think it's one of the strongest.
Fixed.
:monster:
Denial. The first stage of grief.
Pumpkin
12-12-2016, 02:42 PM
I love Blue Fields
Pumpkin
12-12-2016, 02:48 PM
Stop being a grouch!
I just... there's a lot going on in my life now, okay? :whimper:
I REALLY THOUGHT SQUALL WAS DEAD, YOU KNOW!! :G
Pumpkin
12-12-2016, 02:58 PM
Shh, it's okay, we're here for you :grumppat:
Here, listen to some Blue Fields to help calm you down and cheer you up
RNdGoENQNQ4
Escaping the D-Prison and...
Did Zell just give Squall a blowjob out of gratitude?
Forsaken Lover
12-13-2016, 03:14 AM
Escaping the D-Prison and...
Did Zell just give Squall a blowjob out of gratitude?
Yes.
And Squall never gave consent so I think Zell should be kicked out of SeeD for sexual misconduct and/or assault.
He didn't really object much, though. Just gave him a playful little bonk on the head. I think he liked it.
SO apparently the rocket base is way more fun if you DON'T slam on the keys randomly. At least I think that's what it was. I didn't remember sneaking around with the lights off.
Also, now I'm getting the B-Garden movin'! Which means I'll be getting Leviathan soon! :D
Ya know... I swear there's about a billion different ways to get through the rocket base. I've played that game half a dozen times and I seem to get a slightly different experience at that part every time.
If that's true, then that's really awesome! :D
ALSO! GUYS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! I think I'm actually gonna be able to see the Queen of Cards again. Which means... I CAN GET THE ALL RULE TO SPREAD!!! :ongoing:
Wolf Kanno
12-13-2016, 06:50 PM
The Missile Base section is definitely one of the more underrated parts of FFVIII in terms of being pretty fun and having lots of things to do.
The funky guitars were also cool
See, I do think VIII's soundtrack is good. Just one of the weakest in the series. But that's still a very high bar.
Wolf Kanno
12-13-2016, 06:59 PM
Of Nobuo's work, I would honestly say X and XI are his weakest works personally. Course he didn't do all of the pieces for either OST and in the case of FFX, I prefer his stuff over the other composers but they're still the weakest for me. VIII's OST is like Chrono Cross and FFXIII's OST for me. Great when you listen to them by themselves but they often suck as soundtracks because it's difficult to remember when any of them play beyond major themes that get overplayed or irritating tracks. It just doesn't work as a soundtrack to me but musically I find the album is not so bad.
For me it's mostly a matter of really poor arrangements. And a lot of tracks that are just pointless filler.
Oh, and look at Blue Fields for example - the Symphonic version and piano version are really nice because they don't have that weird Jamaican drum thing playing the main melody. The Oath and Fisherman's Horizon - same thing. And every arrangement of Eyes on Me that isn't Eyes On Me is incredibly boring.
maybee
12-14-2016, 07:44 AM
Guys, we need to start up a charity, for Fynn, he needs better ears. :ohdear:
50 cents a day, so Fynn can enjoy the FF VIII soundtrack :cry:
My ears are fine, maybee. I am actually a trained musician! I know how painful it might be to accept that you're wrong ;)
Srsly,though, it's still good. It's just that most other FF soundtracks are miles better
Beat four tonberries!
16 more to go
Got stuck behind the car in Balamb lol
So im at the orphanage scene and... it's really not as bad as I remembered?
maybee
12-17-2016, 07:58 AM
I've always loved the orphanage bit, because it makes it like everybody is within a non-blood related family. It's like saying that family doesn't equal to blood relation.
Just make it so not EVERYBODY expect Rinoa grew up in the orphanage and it would of been a fine and cute plot-twist. Remove Quistis and Seifer imo.
Also, there's something curious about this game that I really haven't seen people comment on, which is weird.
But has anyone noticed how naked the espers are in this game?
I mean, Shiva is wearing nothing but body paint - which is still better than what Ifrit and Siren got, since apparently the only thing protecting their modesty are their pubes! :stare:
My issue with the orphanage is not that everyone grew up together, but rather that they forgot about it due to the GF. There's no good reason for the en mass amnesia apart from to hide the fact that Matron is Edea, but that could have been handled in a different way. Also I hate massive coincidences, so the fact that you join up with SeeDs from Trabia (Selphie) and Galbadia (Irvine) during your adventure and by an astonishing twist of fate they were both in your little orphanage group as well just stretches my suspension of disbelief beyond breaking point.
Honestly its a real shame they didn't just have everyone remember each other from the orphanage from the start, it could have made for some really interesting group dynamics
Meh. I'm not too bothered, since there is an actual in-game explanation. Plus, the scene itself is really nice.
Got the Ragnarok, so I'm basically done with disc 3. Time to farm some Malboros and get all those Espers and best weapons!
Here's some thoughts, since I made a lot of progress since my last update.
- I'm surprised with how cohesive and well put-together the story is. Honestly, VIII was one of those games I was least looking forward to, and it ended up being one of the coolest parts of this marathon, in part because of how well the plot is done.
- Though it has its quirks, I still think that overall it feels much more polished than VII which had really high highs, but incredibly low lows. I guess the fact that this is one of those entries where large parts of the fanbase consider it a "black sheep" makes me more lenient towards it.
- Disc 3 has a similar problem to VII's Disc 2, but not quite to the same extent. Like I said, the orphanage scene may have been heavy-handed, but it was subtly set up and I think it works fairly well. The stuff, here, however? Suddenly we're going to space? And then there's this big block? And apparently monsters come from the moon and they're about to fall but this hasn't been brought up by anyone until now even though it totally should have been because HOLY CRAP A MASSIVE CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN AND PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT IT!?
- No track embodies how I feel about the soundtrack better than the Esthar theme. It's a very nicely composed track, but the arrangement is just bafflingly terrible. Owl hoots and whistles? Seriously, Nobuo? That's how you want to introduce this marvelous high-tech society?
- That Ragnarok scene was unnecessarily padded. I like that there was a gimmick to beating the monsters, but it got incredibly irritating that only after beating half of them twice already that only then the game decided it should tell me how this thing works.
- I wish Edea could stay in the party for longer
- OK, seriously. What is up with Adel looking like a 12-foot-tall male bodybuilder? I'm mostly asking you here, Wolf Kanno, since you've probably read an Ultimania or something (it's kinda your thing). I don't even mean a story reason or anything, I just mean design-wise. What was Nomura's reasoning for this? I'm genuinely curious, since this was always one of those really interesting things about FFVIII that never get a proper explanation.
Bubba
12-19-2016, 06:05 PM
I guess this means I'm due to disappear again soon as I haven't played FFIX!
What the hell are you waiting for?
Also, easily the worst airship theme in the series
Wolf Kanno
12-19-2016, 07:35 PM
Your guess is as good as mine with Adel, the Ultimania is just a glorified strategy guide for the most part with some information and in VIII's case, barring an extra story about the myth of Hyne which never amounts to anything in the game proper, most of the meaty new info the guide provides is for the various vehicles you see in the game. There is a lso little tidbit stuff like Sorceress' having normal lifespan and Angelo's gender, but nothing the game doesn't tell you proper. Even the 20th/25th guides don't really reveal anything you couldn't figure out by playing the game proper.
The problem with the Orphanage twist for me is that A) It's so subtly hidden in the game that it is incredibly easy to miss most of the foreshadowing for it, so it always feels like it comes out of nowhere. None of this is helped by the fact that a good chunk of the events/info is hidden in optional stuff you can do in the early section of the game and probably ignored to get the plot rolling. B) The revelation never comes into play again. It's just used for the silly shock value and to set up the idea of a personal connection with Edea, yet the concept itself is really cool but poorly utilized, it would have been more interesting to deal with the ramifications of using amnesia inducing spirits than drop into the equally poorly explained time travel nonsense that is Ellone and Ultimecia. It's kind of the hallmark of Nojima's writing where he comes up with these bizarre plot hole inducing ideas for the sole sake of getting a shallow shock out of the player, but he never stops to really think about the ramifications of the idea. It's why I always compare him to M. Night Shamalyan (sp?).
Also, the Ragnarok may not have my least favorite airship theme, but it is easily my least favorite airship, it's so damn slow and clunky to use which is a real shame when you compare it to how fast and smooth the Blackjack/Falcon and Highwind were in the previous games.
Agreed on the airship. And the writing, honestly. Of course the orphanage sequence isn't handled well (though this twist can be handled well, as evidenced by Persona 2) but I still think it's not really that bad, now that I play these in order. We've had to stomach bullshit all this time you guys. In V and VI and VII too. I just think that we were all a bit older by the time VIII came out which is why it bothered us more. The whole "not thinking about all the ramifications" really brings back that whole huge material fiasco again...
Wolf Kanno
12-19-2016, 09:12 PM
The series has never had excellent writing but for VIII, I kind of feel the issue was that they had three different story scenarios to work with and instead of just choosing one and making the most of it, they just haphazardly threw it all in and made a muddled mess. It has too many ideas and no one to prune it down and leave only the best. IX has a similar problem but I felt it did a better job making it not feel quite as disjointed.
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