Five Members at a Time in FFIV

Basically this thread is for discussing five member parties and the weird row system in FFIV.

Personally I liked it. It's one of the things that made FFIV stand out from other FFs. The row system made it quite challenging (yet not challenging) at the same time. Having to force 2-3 members to be in the front/rear row meant that you couldn't maximize all of your characters' attack power or defense. In a way, it made FFIV easier since you could change your whole party's row adjustment just by using the Change command once.

As for having 5 characters at a time it helped make the story really good by having more characters (compared to other FFs) go through the same experiences and knowing the feelings and reactions of each of them during those experiences. Having five characters usable in battle was also really useful (especially having 3 fighters and still having room for a strong white and black magic caster).

I pretty much agree with everything you brought up. It's cool and sometimes painful at the same time. Overall, it's different and I approve.

I like what you said, but having them in a two triangles all the time wasn't my favorite part. Almost like it forced you to go with three physical attacker and two mages or three mages and two attacks.

I felt that other Final Fantasy games could have benefited greatly from the five person party concept.

I remember constantly getting annoyed in later games when the storyline would come up with an excuse for a party member to not travel with you, or for the party to split up constantly, just because the party was at its limit of four — or later, three — characters. I think I would have been more attached to a few characters in Final Fantasy VII, for example, if I had been allowed to choose five characters in combat or if the story chose which characters are acceptable to be in the party for me at more points.

I love the 5 row system. It would give a lot more variety in a party. I was a bit surprised that it wasn't used in later FFs. VII would've greatly benefitted this as it was a bit hard to switch in and out characters just to level all them.

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Originally Posted by Roogle

I felt that other Final Fantasy games could have benefited greatly from the five person party concept.

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Originally Posted by Crossblades

VII would've greatly benefitted this as it was a bit hard to switch in and out characters just to level all them.

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The thing is Final Fantasy IV's characters were concrete in development, unlike, say, using materia in VII or a job system in V. That is why I chose option four.

The row system in FFIV worked fine for FFIV, because you always had members in your party that fitted into the system. I don't know how that will work now that you can switch in any members in the GBA version. Might be hard with more than three melees, or more than three squishy mages.

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Originally Posted by Mirage

The row system in FFIV worked fine for FFIV, because you always had members in your party that fitted into the system. I don't know how that will work now that you can switch in any members in the GBA version. Might be hard with more than three melees, or more than three squishy mages.

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Yea, Cecil leading Palom, Porom, Rosa, and Rydia won't get you very far easily. I know I tried.

I guess if you have to have tied down job classes, that would be the way to do it. I don't like that kind of system myself, though.

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Originally Posted by Mirage

The row system in FFIV worked fine for FFIV, because you always had members in your party that fitted into the system. I don't know how that will work now that you can switch in any members in the GBA version. Might be hard with more than three melees, or more than three squishy mages.

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well there is a part where you have 4 fighters I believe.... going into tower of zot i think???

Like someone else said, it was different, and enjoyable, I prefer 4 people myself, although 3 works fine too.

I liked being able to use so many characters because it put less strain on each individual character as there were more there to be able to pick up the slack. The row system also meant you had to think carefully about where you had each character and how you put a team together in the GBA version. Thumbs up from me and I prefer using larger parties such as the more traditional four or even the five found in IV.

Option four, because five party members in FF7, 8 and 10 would've been too easy (so would four for that matter). I think FF4's difficulty was designed to accomodate that particular setup.

four is the right party size.

In that last boss fight, I needed EVERYONE. I can't imagine a party without one of them, or I'd have been totally killed (Hell, I was killed WITH all five before).

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Originally Posted by marysonnie

In that last boss fight, I needed EVERYONE. I can't imagine a party without one of them, or I'd have been totally killed (Hell, I was killed WITH all five before).

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Ironically I found that in the final boss fight it was like I was battling with 4-3 people, because Zeromus's Black Hole was SO powerful that it 1 hit KOed Rydia everytime (effectively eliminating her from the battle). And easily killing someone else if I didn't constantly attend him.

IMO 3 Party members, is, and will remain, the worst set up. I like a lot of things going on at once :o

The five-member party was an advancement for the series, and it's highly unfortunate that it didn't become a mainstay the way the ATB system did.

I loved the 5 person set-up, it made for interesting party set ups and made for much more interesting battles. I personally hated the 3 man party set up with a passion and though most of the later FFs could of really used more party members to make the battles more interesting and enjoyable.

Yeah. You think that they would've kept five party teams to show how complex and outstanding the FF ATBs are...

I don't know. Maybe I was warped by playing FFT/TA and I pretty much...think..."More is merrier."

Although I enjoyed being able to use five characters in battle, the row system was too awkward. I would've preferred to have been able to put more characters in the back row, for example.

It did offer a nice challenge though, and FFX is similar in a way - you can mostly bring out any party member in battle, just not more than three at a time.

I liked it. I know it have much use in FFV so the ditched it, but in FF VI the fact that your party had tobe restricted to 4 people was pulling enough weight that you had to split up for no real reason. It shoul've been used more.

As for the rowing system, yeah I think it made sense. You can't really defend four people with one guy so putting more people in the back would be silly. I don't see why they restriched the other way around.

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Originally Posted by Jaffer

I liked it. I know it have much use in FFV so the ditched it, but in FF VI the fact that your party had tobe restricted to 4 people was pulling enough weight that you had to split up for no real reason. It shoul've been used more.

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Do you think that Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy VIII would have been better games if they provided more reasons for you to split up, more party members in the party, or something like that? What do you think should've been used more?