Source of All Magic

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

Several Final Fantasy games have had different ways in which magic was learned. For many, it's a job thing, the job your character is determines how you learn it, and for others it is a seemingly inborn trait that some have and some do not. VI had espers, VII had materia, VIII had drawing, etc. etc..

So the question is, story-wise which do you find the most appealing? Do you like a world where magic only can be drawn from foes? Or perhaps a world where magic comes from magical beings who infuse humans with their power? And let us not forget a world where little shiny stones give people magic. Which do you prefer?

[Necronopticous]

The espers worked nicely and allowed for every character to sweep the board and get every spell, so I'm going with espers from Final Fantasy VI <3

[rubah]

I liked junctioning magicX.x;;; wished you could draw it faster though:P

[KoShiatar]

The Esper system made everything a little too easy. I turned even Mash/Sabin and Cyan into spellcasters in the end! I like a world in wich those who have talents can learn magic (from items, espers or whatever) and have the true mystical wizard aura around them.

[cal113]

yeah i thought espers worked really well - though i really liked ffvii's as well

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

I was refering more to storyline, what you think works better.

[DarkLadyNyara]

I prefer the class system. It requires a bit more stategy, and it makes more sense.

[Alexander]

Espers by far, but Materia is awesome as well.

[TheAbominatrix]

I really like the Espers, as it's such a neat little story... the essences of fallen magical creatures. Add that, plus Terra's having magic because she's half-Esper and Celes being augmented with it... all very interesting, very intense I think.

I also like systems like IV... where people learn spells through natural talent and study, but it isnt particularily rare or original in fantasy games/stories.

[Slade]

Drawing and Espers. Job system was cool too.

[Del Murder]

I like the item system used in FFIX the best, and the job system. FFIV's is also nice because it gives you a reason to level up, but I prefer the inclusion of AP. Gives you something else to work for.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Espers from FF VI

BTW is it me or is it kinda corney in FF I where you just buy the spell, I know its based on class, yet there is no depth to where the magic comes from. Its like people go with their spar change and learn how to blow up the planet.

[Dreddz]

the job system in FFIII , FF V

[squareSOFT]

I LOVED the sphere grid. The job system and espers worked pretty good as well.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

BTW is it me or is it kinda corney in FF I where you just buy the spell, I know its based on class, yet there is no depth to where the magic comes from. Its like people go with their spar change and learn how to blow up the planet.

Actually, that's the D&D style, where wizards are required to scribe scrolls into their spellbooks in order to be able to cast them, and in order to scribe them, they usually have to either find the appropriate scroll or pay someone for a copy of the spell, which is difficult to make and thus can be expensive.

[tailz]

i like the sphere grid system the most although the espers are close second

[Excelsior]

the source of magic is teh demon Xanth!!! :exdee:

ok seriously i thought the whole materia/ancients thing was pretty neat.

[KoShiatar]

Story-wise. I'd say the Espers were the ones I liked most. Game-wise they made learning and using magic really too easy, though.

[Hikaro Takayama]

Either the FF XI job/secondary job system (so that you could be, say, a PLD/RDM or BLM/WHM, etc) or the Sphere grid from FFX

[Chris]

Story-wise, I think FFVII has the most effective one, I mean, the whole point of the story in FFVII is about the materia.

[Cruise Control]

Sphere Grid! Or the AP from FFX-2

[Heartless]

I have to agree with the folks about the Espers.I prefered this too.

[crashNUMBERS]

I really liked the way you just learn things outta no-where. It kinda shows a way that your character is growing. Like in FF10 with the sphere grid. The more you grow their stats the better they are...

[FoxHoundx25]

to be honest the best magic system ever was materia, because you cuold fully customize everyone.....but i think if you have a good job system like in V that is very good as well

[TheAbominatrix]

The question isnt about customization, it's about how well the system fits into the storyline, not about how awesome you can make your characters.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

The question isnt about customization, it's about how well the system fits into the storyline, not about how awesome you can make your characters.

Yep.

And as a personal preference, being a D&D nut as I am, I always enjoyed characters having to devote their lives to the study of magic. A Black Mage or a White Mage is a person who's committed themselves solely to their art, and that is what they specialize in. A Red Mage might be better in a fight and might use both magics, but he isn't nearly as good as those who've spent their whole lives in singular devotion to the magic.

Furthermore, I liked both when characters learn spells as a result of their natural leveling up process, and the requirement that people by spellbooks so that they are able to learn the spell they must cast. But again, that's probably from my enjoyment of the D&D world.

[TheAbominatrix]

I really like that too, even though I didnt play much D&D, I think it's mainly from old fantasy stories and such. I really liked, in FFIV, how people spoke of Rosa, and how dedicated she was to her art. I would have also liked getting scrolls of spells or spellbooks, because I think that's just so very neat.

[Azure Chrysanthemum]

It just fits in with the idea that pursuit of magic takes dedication and hard work, which is a concept I really like. People complain that mages aren't good in a fight, but I really don't think they should be. Their focus is the magic, not fighting.

I would like to see a game that goes back to the buying spell concept, and that makes certain spells unobtainable outside of searching for rare components for the aspiring caster to research the spell. I think the idea of having to actually create the Ultima or Holy or Flare spell is an intriguing concept.