XIII: The Flaw thread

[crazybayman]

I'll tell you one flaw this game has: it isn't gripping. I haven't played the game in a week, and I couldn't care less. This is despite the fact that I finally got out of the boredom that is Cocoon, and am finally down on Pulse which is much better. Therefore, you'd think I'd be eager to progress the game to see what's next in the vast world of pulse, but, well........meh. Its f#@kin' boring.

And I absolutely LOATHE the weapon / upgrading system. I will say this, I by far prefer XII's weapon system, since some people have turned this thread into a silly "I think XII is better than XIII, here's why, I am right you are not", and vice versa argument.

[Skyblade]

If I was comparing weapon systems, I'd have to compare this games to X's, which also featured an upgrading system, and which worked out way better. Both systems suffer from ridiculous overdesign (and are basically useless until end-game/post-game), but X's had a much better result.

You already have the Crystarium for stats, you shouldn't need the weapon system to be just stat upgrades as well.

[Cloudane]

I'll tell you one flaw this game has: it isn't gripping. I haven't played the game in a week, and I couldn't care less.

This is the problem I had with XII (it took me 6 months to complete it for this reason). Didn't seem as bad with XIII but I have to admit it didn't have me rushing back to the console immediately after work and keeping me playing until 3am to see the next development like X and VII did for example. Had its moments e.g. certain Snow/Hope and Vanille/Sazh moments but after those were resolved there was less to be concerned about.

If I was comparing weapon systems, I'd have to compare this games to X's, which also featured an upgrading system, and which worked out way better.

Yes, like it'd actually tell you what stats were going to be added, and the names of components made some level of sense. Much better than random monster body parts or circuitry that apply amounts of exp that you can't even find out until you press x.

I never want to go through getting the Celestials ever again though. Even with the patience of a saint you'd still want to smash the controller in a fit of rage at that chocobo racing game or the butterflies.

[Madame Adequate]

Oh god yes FFX failed beyond comprehension at minigames except for Blitzball. I hate hate hate HATE the lightning dodging, it just takes so damned long.

[Mo-Nercy]

Oh god yes FFX failed beyond comprehension at minigames except for Blitzball. I hate hate hate HATE the lightning dodging, it just takes so damned long.

A lot of people would say Blitzball was epic fail too. Not me though. I loved getting Wakka's celestial and pretty much hated everyone elses (though I've never had a problem with the Chocobo game).

[Madame Adequate]

I did the chocobo race in 0.0 the very first time. I have never replicated that feat - on subsequent playthroughs I have to spend a loooong time doing it

And Blitzball is awesome. Anyone who says otherwise is a True Failure^tm.

[VeloZer0]

I thought I was in the minority in enjoying blitzball. Unfortunately I did not enjoy the whole scouting players aspect of it. My winning seasons came to an end when the other teams started to draft players that could score on my goalie from half court.

[Loony BoB]

I hated the chocobo game because I could never get the ultimate weapon.

[Shin Gouken]

I hated the chocobo game because I could never get the ultimate weapon.

Same. I was lucky that my bro was more skilled at it. My bro also did all the tedious Blitzball crap to get Wakkas weapon. If i wanted to play sports or racing games then that's what i'd bloody do =/

[Cloudane]

I would say anyone can get 0.0 on that chocobo race, and believe me I know it feels absolutely impossible for the first, like, full day or so at it. It requires fairly obscene amounts of practice, luck and concentration.. the combination does eventually happen at the same time - but we're generally talking a few days of on/off attempts - in long enough sittings that you don't keep going backwards with your practice level but with enough breaks that you don't lose concentration. And the difficulty is making it through those few days (or more specifically, your console/controller making it through those few days).

[Imperfectionist]

I stopped playing the chocobo game in the interests of my sanity.

[crazybayman]

I didn't find the chocobo game bad at all. During each playthrough it would take me anywhere from on the first few tries to an hour or so to get 0.0.

The butterfly catcher on the other hand, invokes pure rage . I still haven't beaten that one. Well I have, but it was at the beginning of the game, before you can actually win Kimarhi's sigil. MAN!!!

The lightening dodger looked so stupid and hard that I didn't even try.

Getting the Jupiter Sigil and Wakka's Celestial Weapon was kind of tedious, and long, but certainly doable without spending days at it, if you play a blitzball game or two each chance you get.

But, you know, at least X had mini games, even if some of them did suck.

[Future Esthar]

Blitzball-Shows it´s a very bad idea to mix football and rpg.
What is the fun in trying to escape from a bunch of adversaries and then comming to a halt just to calculate some statistics?
When I play football on pc I like to run with my players non-stop doing fast decisions,not halting and thinkng on statistics.
On blitzball you keep running,stopping,running,stopping.This gets boring.
I prefer a million times the Triple triad(which is still boring.I prefer ff9 card game).

Concerning FF12 I think it is hated by rpg hard-core fans which play them since childhood and likes to keep doing battles.
People like me who grew with platformers and FPS would love it.
To me,the gambit is a minor issue when compared with the gameplay,graphics,3D imersion and storyline.
People complain but one STILL needs to THINK on the gambit order,so it is not lazy.It is pre-strategy.

[Cloudane]

Or to implement a sport in a game targeted towards the type of people who are generally not into sport. It could've made me interested, but I think that initial bull game against Luca gave me a permanent negative attitude about the game.

So to get Wakka's sigil (basically required for beating Penance which I decided to do once) I just used Jecht shot to score once and then used the hide behind the goalkeeper trick and watched TV. Well actually I watched somethingawful's "Let's play FFX" which was hilarious. I also exploited all the necessary reload tricks to get the required items to appear. So it wasn't so bad that way.

Seems the games we find easy or difficult vary but there's always at least one we can't stand!

Lightning jumping I actually found quite easy, there's a crater you can stand in where the lightning strikes very regularly in a once-twice pattern so that was over quickly.

Auron's was part of the "capture ten of every monster in the game" routine required for Penance, which was bloody awful and not something I'd care to put myself through again.

Yuna's was easy, beat Belgemine, cool, just the type of sidequest I like

Rikku's was easy enough too, mildly tedious but far from bad.

Tidus's = ARGH

And Small Ronso's I couldn't even be bothered with. Useless character in battle anyway and my brief attempts at the butterfly game let to a conclusion of "screw it, here I come Penance" (I whooped his shiny metal ass into next week of course)

[Future Esthar]

The butterfly game wasn´t as boring as blitzball though.
But it was nearly impossible.