FMV vs. Diversity

[Loony BoB]

Would you give up fancy flashy FMV sequences in favour of things such as things such as unlockable/optional characters and user action based plots (eg. differing dates in FFVII)?

Vote!

I would, for what it's worth. I wouldn't mind a "trade-off" either - less fancy sequences, but differing depending on which characters you have unlocked. So the same total FMV (in minutes) on the disc but each play-through will only allow you to see something like 25-50% of them depending on how you play the game. Basically repeating FMV sequences with and without the various characters etc.

EDIT: Assume the story is awesome regardless of what happens, this is more about gameplay vs. realistic graphics.

[Mo-Nercy]

I'm going to go with the FMV. If it's backed up with a great story, I feel that it would add more 'epic-ness' value to it - like the feeling you get watching Advent Children for the first time.

Then again, I wouldn't want them to overboard with it. At the end of the day, I'd still like to be able to feel like I'm playing a video game. I also like the "trade-off" concept too, BoB. It certainly would make it fun to play over again. Imagine if once you've unlocked one character, you couldn't unlock another and then on your n-th playthrough, you have an idea of which character is optimal for your playing style and you know to go for them.

Now I don't know what to vote!

edit: voted FMV. I feel like I should stick up for it. I don't think it'll get many votes. xD

[Rantz]

Yup! If it's either or, I would. Better graphics is fabulous and all, but having choices that affect the storyline, gameplay, or whatever more than marginally is one of the things I love the most in video games. It's probably the biggest reason why I generally prefer true RPGs to "interactive movie" type games. It's always so intriguing to see your choices have a real effect of some sort.

[Mirage]

realtime rendered cutscenes are good enough for me. I like to see the cutscenes reflecting my equipment/party members.

Maybe they can try doing like in FF7 and FF8 again, with realtime character models on top of CG animated movies!

[blackmage_nuke]

I like linearity and set cannon so I guess it's FMV's for me. Though flashy graphics arent really that important to me.

[Shin Gouken]

I think i only really enjoyed the FMV scenes in FFX. Nothing before it really impressed me and even XII and XIII didn't impress me. I guess i'm just not impressed by flashy graphics

[Slothy]

I wouldn't want more FMV, but I wouldn't want many JRPG's that try to be more like WRPG's either. There's a place for both types of RPG's out there, but the fact is that most western developers don't seem to take the linear story route. Sure you could compromise between the two, or a Japanese developer could try their hand at one or the other and I'm fine with that. But asking if I'd prefer one over the other is like asking if I'd rather eat an apple or an orange. Depends on what I'm in the mood for.

[Loony BoB]

Oh, I'm talking JRPG, that's for certain. I'm just saying that FMVs can restrict the variety of options you get in a game. It was mentioned in another thread (where I requested the return of unlockable characters) that you can't do it anymore due to FMV sequences being done with set characters.

[VeloZer0]

With graphical rendering as advanced as it is I don't see the need for FMVs at all anymore. In the PS1 days FMVs showed things that the game engine never could, now all they do is show things in higher resolution. A complete waste of resources, imo.

[Karifean]

Good graphics are good, but...



do NOT (repeat: NOT) give up gameplay for them!

[the AJman]

I suppose I would say that I would prefer more options and diversity. As mentioned before, in the ps1 and ps2 eras FMV were awesome and allowed us to see parts of the story with greater visuals. However, with today's technology FMV aren't that much ahead of normal game play graphics; it's almost redundent to add FMV now. At least that's my opinion anyway.

[Mirage]

With graphical rendering as advanced as it is I don't see the need for FMVs at all anymore. In the PS1 days FMVs showed things that the game engine never could, now all they do is show things in higher resolution. A complete waste of resources, imo.

Not really, the increased level of geometry, quality of special effects, shading and amount of objects in a scene can still (and will always) be much greater in prerendered video.

[Del Murder]

They really can't do both? If I had to choose, I'd choose more playable content. All I need is one or two pretty FMV sequences to be satisfied.

[Shin Gouken]

With graphical rendering as advanced as it is I don't see the need for FMVs at all anymore. In the PS1 days FMVs showed things that the game engine never could, now all they do is show things in higher resolution. A complete waste of resources, imo.

Not really, the increased level of geometry, quality of special effects, shading and amount of objects in a scene can still (and will always) be much greater in prerendered video.

And alot of the time you don't get half a second to apreciate the "shading" as an airship whizzes by.

I agree that FMV scenes are prettier to look at it. But it's not nessessary. If people can play FFVI with basic graphics and no FMV, or FFVII with FMV's that don't even compare with the standard gameplay graphics of FFXIII, then why is it so important to have mass amounts of FMV scenes now?

[NeoCracker]

Plently of games out there with story altering choices, some times straight linearity in plot and story is a good thing, and that's what I've come to expect in FF, so I'll take the FMV's in FF Games over story altering options.