Choosing which character to control

Why don't more FFs do this? I know you can in XII and I think you can in VI (I've only played it barely and that was awhile ago...VI fans, feel free to correct me on this).

I think it's great. Part of it is that I usually want to run as a female character, and Final Fantasy is notorious for having male leads. I can understand not having control over certain characters during certain parts of the story, but overall it adds to the enjoyment of a game to me to choose who I'm controlling. I feel much more immersed controlling a female character than I do a male character.

What are your thoughts on this? Yay, nay?

I would like to see more of this as well

I think it's possible in the first six FFs. And yeah, I definitely agree. I always switch it up when I'm playing IV.

I agree. I loved changing my lead character as I'm going through a game. It's because I can tailor the story based on who is the most relevant character for that time. In FFXII for example, if I'm doing Raithwall's tomb, I always have Ashe as the lead. During the battles against Cid, I have Balthier in their, as so on.

It's just pretty nifty.

Changing leads is awesome, and something I wish more of the FF games did.

FFVI's lead is whoever is @ the top of the lineup.

XII does this? I really do need to replay this game.

I would like more variety in this area, yes. When I first learned of the classic games ability to change leads depending on who was at the top of the lineup I loved that. I'd have Faris as my lead in FFV because she was my favorite.

You can choose which character takes the lead in any field that is not a city. So while you're forced to walk around as Vaan in Dalmasca and Archadia, you don't have to look at his juvenile mug at any other point. Even going into the sewers beneath a city allows you to control another character.

This is a cool feature, but it's really more of a novelty than anything else unless certain NPCs say different things depending on who you are controlling. In that case it's awesome.

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Originally Posted by Kalevala

This is a cool feature, but it's really more of a novelty than anything else unless certain NPCs say different things depending on who you are controlling. In that case it's awesome.

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I'd imagine a lot of NPCs hitting on Fran.

I am severely disappointed every time I start playing a game where this isn't possible.

I love running around as Fran in XII. I assure you it has absolutely nothing to do with her butt. Nothing at all. :shifty:

I think it's already quite common. There are a lot of games that I remember being able to choose the controlled character in, as recently as XIII and XIII-2. There are also moments in VII where you can, to some extent, control other characters than Cloud such as Cid or Tifa, but I believe that it's dictated by some kind of ordering that inevitably means at least two characters would not be able to be controlled. I don't recall VIII having this. I can't remember if IX did or not.

Pretty sure you can't change the displayed character in FF9. FF8 and FF7 doesn't count because you're not choosing anything, the game is deciding it for you.

Nah, BoB, you can't choose which character to control in IX

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Originally Posted by shion

Nah, BoB, you can't choose which character to control in IX

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Which is really a shame. I'd either be controlling Eiko or Freya.