Quote Originally Posted by MJN SEIFER View Post
The Elemental system is literally being dammaged by said element, not what it does.

For example when attacked by a fire elemental, you are burned, when attacked by a lightning elemental you are struck. But if an enemy who absorbs those elements is hit. then they are healed.

However, I think the Ice and Water elements weren't thought through in this otherwise excelent game. For Water, you are surrounded by a bubble and slammed to the floor, and for Blizzard a block of ice appears above you and drops on your head. See the problem? It's not the elements themselves that course the damage - it's the impact. So enemies that absorb these elememnts should still get damage.

They should have done these differently. Use the other FFs as an example.
When you junction Fire to your elemental attack stat, that does not stop the fact that you are still slicing through your enemy with a blade (in Squall's case), which would mean the attack is still a physical slice, not an elemental burn, yet you don't complain about that set-up.

The elemental properties of an attack are obviously quite independent from the method of the attack. A being tied closely enough to the ice element can draw strength from the ice that strikes it, physical impact or not. Hi level fire-magics in FF games are frequently shown to be explosions, which would rip a creature apart via shockwave regardless of any elemental affinity the target has towards fire. Creatures are bound to their elements, they draw strength from them. When the element is actually effecting them (in any way), that bond is strengthened, and the creature can draw energy from that element to restore themselves. That's why the Brothers consantly heal when they are in contact with the ground. The contact with the element, the source of the creature's strength, is far more important to what happens to the creature than the physical aspect is.