Hey all. I'm more concerned with the trend towards intersexual primary characters than about the ages. Squall is manly enough in his "portrait" shots I suppose, but his game model is very effeminate. Zidane looks like a 70s David Bowie--who tried to look like a girl as part of the Glam Rock fashion trend. Tidus could be the Gelfling girl Kira from the movie The Dark Crystal if he had longer hair. I'm convinced Vaan is a girl.

I can see why there might be some practical game-design reasons for this...a more effeminate main character might connect better with female players...*maybe.* But part of me wonders if there's a guy in the character design department whose final fantasy is about little (ie girly) boys with swords...

Anyway, I do prefer some older and/or experienced characters in the party. I like getting the "we're in this together" feeling from a party that is a more diverse representation of game world that just a party of kids--it makes it feel like there's more at stake to me. There's no reason a capable 30-50 year-old can't have as much interest in stopping the villain, or for that matter someone even older who has wisdom, experience, and "connections."