Advantage of completely linear maps

I didn't realize this until a few chapters in, but because FFXIII's maps are so straight forward I hardly have any use for the minimap at all. After I turned it off the game was so much more attractive to play.

In most third person camera based RPGs I just run around eyes glued to the mini-map. All the snazzy graphics are wasted, I might as well have been playing FFXII on an NES. With the mini-map completely removed from the screen there is zero UI up there, all I see are the beautiful landscapes they spent months/years creating.

It has gotten to the point I am starting to get irritated whenever the area layout gets a little complicated and I have to put the map back up.

Thoughts?

(For those of you who don't know, hit Select to hide the mini-map. I had to discover this by accident)

I still always have the mini-map up because you see every nook and cranny that may not be obvious to the naked eye where the occasional treasure chest thingy may be hiding.

You do have a point, but considering I put gameplay way way way above graphics, it's not really relevant to me. I'd like more open spaces to explore.

I was actually thinking to myself today how this game could be a mini-map and I wouldn't notice the difference. I haven't paid much attention to my surroundings at all. I cant turn the mini-map off though in case I miss a floating orb thingy.

That was my point, in this game there aren't really any nooks and crannies that aren't blindingly visible.

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You do have a point, but considering I put gameplay way way way above graphics

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Me too, thats is why this has been the first game for it to ever even be considerable.

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I was actually thinking to myself today how this game could be a mini-map and I wouldn't notice the difference

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Maybe jazz up the mini-map graphics a bit, add some simple sprite based characters for flavor... :D

I more or less do the same thing. I actually even enjoy when the camera fixes itself into one position. Feels like the PS1 games.

The linear maps aren't so bad at all. I do wish there could be a bit more to do in each area, though. Maybe a couple of optional paths that lead to a tough encounter + decent loot. For example, (SPOILER)I enjoyed going back to the industrial area of the Vile Peaks with Sazh and Vanille once everything got powered on. Would be cool to get a bit more of that. I'm only on chapter 6, though, so there's still plenty of time.

Yeah I keep it on so I can be sure to explore every single corner, but I'm a graphics whore so you do have a point.

I keep it on as well, purely to find treasure paths. But as mentioned before, if the minimap didn't exist (like it didn't for older FF's) then I think that far fewer people would notice any real difference to past FF's. I also think there is a solid reason for the 'linearity' of them, rather than "just 'cause the designers were lazy."

I have to admit, I don't mind the linearity of the maps at all. When you aren't actively looking to see how linear it is, there is plenty to distract you - cutscenes, random occurances, looking behind you because they always put a chest behind where you start off in a new area, et cetera.

It plays well enough with the story that I never once sat down and was thinking "GEE THIS GAME IS SO HORRIBLY LINEAR," and I've played through every Final Fantasy.

^ Yup. It seems it's just a solidly-designed game in general. Since the level design is so similar to X's, I'm trying to figure out at the moment what it is about that game that didn't work for me.

Probably the terrible characters.

I actually have a really hard time with how linear it is.
I'm in chapter 9 and I still feel like the game has yet to really start.
I don't know why I feel that, there's already been some character progression but I don't actually care about any of them.
I skip all of Sazh-Vanille & Snow-Serah cutscenes tbh.

If it weren't for the datalog I woulnd't know what's happening. & if it wasn't for the xbox's ability to play music I probably wouldn't play at all, maybe my taste has changed in the last 10 years but I used to enjoy FF music?

This game reminds me of Lost Odyssey but I'm sure you even had more freedom in that game then in this, which confuses me. The story isn't even that well put together for it to be driven solly on that factor. There's actually more side exploration in HALO for christs sake lol

If you skip cutscenes then it's only natural that you're not going to get into those characters, and all the characters tie in together, so there you go.

EDIT: Especially when the game is basically entirely about the story and the battle system. If you take away either (or even worse, both) of those things, then you may as well stop playing.

I only started skipping them after I realized how much I don't care for them. Mr. Hero reallly gets on my nerves even if he's toned it down from the beginning. Hope & Vanille are just Mack & Cooke repackaged, same annoying personalities. Sazh is just a depressed old man with a (to me only it seems) boring story. Lightning is the only one I can stand

I understand everyone's going through their own situations and it's all tied together... I do understand the story and follow it well but I really can't relate to any of the characters and as such I don't feel a single thing for any of them. Maybe since I get the feeling there's no "real" main character?

Honestly I'm not trying to hate on it, I absolutely love FF and have been on this board since FF9 came out so I'm not just here to troll. I just went into this game expecting something... bigger? I don't want to say better, it's not a bad game it's just not sucking me into it's realm like other FF's, or other RPG's for that matter.

I think my biggest gripe IS that it's so linear, especially combat and the crystarium lol. There's no real path choosing, you upgrade as the game wants you to, and you put points into the role the game wants you to, when it wants you to.

Hmm should I go for Magic +4 here or a Strength +4 here? Or wait another fight and get both? Yay so much diversity! & there's no real point to grinding early, since it opens up the crystarium further only at specic points throughout the story. They should just give light some ammo and regenerating health and it'd be a FPS

Once you get to PalumPolum you may want to use your mini-map to help find treasures. There are a few not-so-obvious ones there in the city.

I like it's linear-ness.

I am sucked into it. I ♥ Snow more and more. He's the best comedic relief in the game, even if that wasn't his actual purpose.