I hadn't realised

[Swifthom]

Well, FFVI and 3 were the 2 games I'd never got round to playing. I was itnroduced to the series with FFX, and besides these 2 classics i've pretty much done, at least three quarters of, all the others.

Not sure this is specifically this section or FFVII, but i'll stick it here. I've seen a lot of arguments over which is the better game, so many people arguing. Which is a classic? Which is more recognised? Which one is overated? Underated? Is Cloud emo?

But, until I started playing FFVI (currently in negotiations with the emperor about securing peace) I didn't realise exactly HOW MUCH of this was recycled for FFVII.
Swap Empire for Mako company, their in ridiculously similar cities. Cid's experiments on Espers = Hojos experiments on Ancients. Even the Espers and Ancients seem quite similar, and when all those Espers broke free from the other side of the seal I was put exactly in mind of the Weapons escaping in FFVII. Even Kefka and Sephiroth are basically similar, both psychotic in different ways and both end up as similar final bosses. And, I do know some of the plot, equating General Leo with Aeris.

So many things that FFVI does, then FFVII does in a similar, not the same but similar way. I know themes and setups are recycled throughout the series, but now I can appreciate how close they are.
Not sure whether 7 was better or not, it was definitely a class game despite looking like the backend of a pig (I played it last year. Took me a LONG time to get used to the graphics)....

[Light Mage]

I loved the Materia system of VII and I didn't like the way that equipping espers in VI increased your attributes at Level Up. It removed all incentive to try and level up at good rates throughout gameplay, because you'd miss out on so much benefit for not having the better espers...

That sucked, and was the reason I never bothered finishing it.

[Necronopticous]

Even Kefka and Sephiroth are basically similar.

Ouch. Come on, man. Sephiroth just ripped off Kefka's final form, that is the end of the similarities.

[Takara]

Well... Sephiroth and Kefka both have long hair too.

Kefka's still the best.

[sephirothishere]

of course this game is better...ffvii anf viii are spinoffs spawned from a couple of lesser explored themes in ffvi...so gthe dudes decided to make two average game outta it.

[Bunny]

Kefka rocks; Sephiroth sucks. They are very different, you see.

[Slothy]

I loved the Materia system of VII and I didn't like the way that equipping espers in VI increased your attributes at Level Up. It removed all incentive to try and level up at good rates throughout gameplay, because you'd miss out on so much benefit for not having the better espers...

That sucked, and was the reason I never bothered finishing it.

All that benefit that doesn't even matter since the game is so rediculously easy any way. If you really didn't finish FFVI because of that then you missed out on something truly great. I pity you for that.

[Darius]

I loved the Materia system of VII and I didn't like the way that equipping espers in VI increased your attributes at Level Up. It removed all incentive to try and level up at good rates throughout gameplay, because you'd miss out on so much benefit for not having the better espers...

That sucked, and was the reason I never bothered finishing it.

You dont have to use any espers at all and your characters will still be pushing 8000-9999 per hit. NOt finishing the game because of that reason isnt very believable.

And Swifthom, im glad you see the light. Im a huge FF fan myself. Ive played them all and I love them all. Ill choose any FF over any other RPG anyday. I do agree that after seeing Sephiroth in his one-winged angel form was kinda....eh considering Kefka was in the same form just a few years earlier. Maybe Square forgot about it, but maybe they just ran out of ideas and liked the whole one-wonged angel look for a final boss so much that they just went with it.

Both stories are good and both games rock! But it is funny how similar they are and considering FFVI came out a few years beforehand...well. Nuff said.

[Kefka_Almighty]

Kefka rocks; Sephiroth sucks. They are very different, you see.

You know, just to put my two cents in and then shutting the hell up about it; I thought Sephiroth was a cool villain, but not exactly a good villain, if that makes any sense, whereas I do view Kefka as a good villain.

Also, to the OP about the recycling thing - in all honesty, I think that's just the way the FF games in general are structured. In my mind, there's been very few exceptions to the structure you've really described. While I think that FF VI and VII most closely mirror it, I think you can see it in all of them, with the main exceptions of 1, 3, and 5.

[Neo-Omega Mk XXV]

I loved the Materia system of VII and I didn't like the way that equipping espers in VI increased your attributes at Level Up. It removed all incentive to try and level up at good rates throughout gameplay, because you'd miss out on so much benefit for not having the better espers...

That sucked, and was the reason I never bothered finishing it.

All that benefit that doesn't even matter since the game is so rediculously easy any way. If you really didn't finish FFVI because of that then you missed out on something truly great. I pity you for that.

I was about to say the same thing. I played through the game 3 times on the SNES, and I can't remember even bothering to use the esper level-up attribute bonuses. It didn't make much of a difference.

[Zora]

Kefka=/=Sephiroth.

Kefka is incredibly successful and crazy and insane. Sephiroth is a rational villian but very unsuccessful (with the exception to killing Aeris, but didn't get away with it).

Kefka is just kooler if you know what I mean.

FFVI is a classic. Best RPG to date. Albeit late game pretty easy.