How do you want Final Fantasy XV to be like?

[Elpizo]

Especially since said chibi game had one of the darker story-events in the series. And let's not forget that everybody's "favourite" game VII had LEGO characters. Realistically proportioned characters are overrated and a stupid reason to not like a game, a Final Fantasy one at that. SE should quit being silly if that's what's holding them back from making another IX-ish game.

[Elskidor]

I don't see them going medieval stylistically similar to FF9 because it was cute and chibi may put off some people who like realistically proportioned characters .

I'm all good with realistically portioned characters too. Heck, why not have both old school medieval and realistically portioned characters. I'm more for quality of the actual game and story rather than silly graphics.

[Mirage]

Graphics are everything but silly, though.

[VeloZer0]

Though I don't really care about how detailed and technically advanced the graphics are, art style is very important to me.

[Elskidor]

Graphics are everything but silly, though.

Eye candy only goes so far for me. Sure it's pretty, but I just started FFXIII and 10 hours in and the eye candy is it's best attribute so far and that doesn't cut it for me. Guess I've never really been ultra obsessed with that factor of a game considering IV and VI are my favorites.

[Mirage]

I never said eye-candy. The proportions of characters has little to do with eyecandy, but much to do with character design and artistic style, two things that I find very important in a game. Because graphics of a certain level allows artists greater artistic freedom, graphics are indeed important.

How happy don't you think the graphical developers of FF4 were when they found out they could increase the detail of their characters, monsters and environments by more than five times from the previous games? FF6 is an order of magnitude more detailed than FF3, and this allowed the creators much bigger artistic freedom.

[Wolf Kanno]

Graphics are only as impressive as the quality of the art team behind it. I generally feel the move to realistic models has made some people at FF very lazy or steer clear from doing things they did in the past.

The realistic models of VIII may have looked more realistic than previous entries but I've always found them far less expressive than VII's models or even the SNES sprites. I don't feel the realistic human models have really pulled their weight expressively until XII and XIII.

Also, I feel the one thing IX has that was lacking in VIII and X (as well as XII and XIII) was the "SD" models allowed them to return to more slapstick comedy with characters bouncing around the screen more and pulling more cartoonish elements. The realistic models have never done crap like that. No swooning off the screen, no being knocked into the screen by an angry character and sliding off, no funny dances, no nothing. There is a reason why fans notice that VIII, X, XII, and XIII are less funny than previous entries and I feel its because that old type of humor doesn't work so well with realistic models but that humor is most likely the "charm" people feel the series is missing.

[Elpizo]

You may be right. I remember a scene in Ipsen's Castle where Zidane tries to open a secret doorway, having the player kick, hit and 'do something drastic' to the door, before he eventually leans against it and it opens, having him fall backwards through it. It's such corny, cliched cartoon humor, but you can't help but have a chuckle at it. ANy of the 'realistic' Final Fantasy games didn't have such a scene.

Though I have to admit "I'm captain Basch Von Ronsenburch from Dalmasca!" made me laugh, too. In awkward embarasment. Oh Vaan, you naïve boy. : Can't remember a moment of humor in XIII, aside from some of Sazh stumbling, which I wouldn't really call 'humor'.

[Miriel]

• Slightly futuristic fantasy setting, or perhaps steampunk-like. Anything but "ye olde medieval fantasy".

I would love it if Final Fantasy did a full on (traditional) Steampunk theme. Which would mean a 19th century backdrop infused with futuristic and fantastical elements. FFVI and FFIX had elements of steampunk, but neither one of them really went too far into that genre. I think it would be awesome to see characters totally decked out in Victorian era clothing with all the beautiful intricacies that a steampunk theme would add.

I also want to see waaaay more fantastical stuff in the games. I dislike how they have an opportunity to create a world that could be outrageously beautiful and insane and nothing like you would ever see in this world, but lately the FF crew seems more interested in making things as realistic as possible. Yeah, that sunset over the ocean looks awfully pretty, but I live by the ocean. I see sunsets like that all the time. Why not have something totally crazy like a world where the ocean is constantly changing colors. I dunno. Just more fantastical elements would be nice.

And please, no convoluted trying-too-hard battle systems. In fact, on the whole they need to stop making things so... laborious. I'd like there to be a little more carefree and humorous tone to the games. Which I guess ties in with the whole fantastical thing. If I were a game designer, I'd totally want to have fun with the world I'm helping to create. Make flowers turn into dragons, be able to catch stars, have there literally be a treasure chest with gold in it at the end of a rainbow. Fun stuff that would make the world fun to explore and make it worth saving.

[Del Murder]

Huh. Yeah why don't they do crazy stuff like flowers blooming into dragons? They totally could! I guess the world has to be grounded in some sort of physical reality, but I always loved in games where there was at least one magical place where the rules don't apply. Like Zeal from Chrono Trigger. Huge freaking floating island nation. How awesome is that?

[Vermachtnis]

Huh. Yeah why don't they do crazy stuff like flowers blooming into dragons? They totally could! I guess the world has to be grounded in some sort of physical reality, but I always loved in games where there was at least one magical place where the rules don't apply. Like Zeal from Chrono Trigger. Huge freaking floating island nation. How awesome is that?

There was the Elder Wyrm in XII that kind of bloomed from flowers. Even came with a couple of trees.

[ShinGundam]

Eh , I thought FF13 has a lot of fantasiness.

[Del Murder]

Yeah that part was pretty cool. But everything should be like that! The concept of Cocoon itself was pretty neat but inside it was kinda lame and felt static. I guess it was probably because you could never really explore Cocoon, you were just sent from one area to the next to trot down the path laid out for you.

[Miriel]

Eh , I thought FF13 has a lot of fantasiness.

By "a lot" you mean that one moment at the end? Cause Cocoon was so god damn boring, I couldn't stand it. Literally, I had to stop playing the game I felt so claustrophobic and frustrated with such a big world that YOU COULDN'T EXPLORE.

The crazy ass monsters and bosses were kinda neat and pretty to look at though.

Edit: I should add that maybe the word I'm looking for is whimsical. FFXIII might have had some fantastical elements, but there definitely wasn't any whimsy involved.

[Mercen-X]

I really like games where actions have consequences beyond being able to acquire this item or missing that summon or viewing that extra hidden scene.
I really think that FF could do well by making OPTIONAL sidequests SEEM more relevant to the story too. Like when you decide to do it, you learn more about the world, or a character, or a system unique to the installment.
The avatar should change too. I can't help but ask myself why these characters go around in the same outfit everywhere. Don't they shower? Don't people question their style? Aren't they affected physically by anything that occurs in-game? I think characters should change their outfits now and then, change their hair, hell, maybe their hair gets messed up because of a battle. Scars, stress marks, grey hair, wrinkles... these things shouldn't be trivial accessories that belie a character's history, they should be trophies proclaiming your accomplishments over the course of your journey. Who's really going to hold onto "that bird's feathers" or "that rock from that time" or especially an actual trophy from a tournament when you've got a world to save?

I hope they continue in the direction they have been taken the franchise. I'm quite happy with it.

I laugh.

Jobs with noticeable strengths and weaknesses (eg. IV) Selectable fixed jobs to increase replayability (eg. I) & Subjobs (eg. XI)
I do like the idea of selecting a job from preference and carrying it throughout the course of the game and subjobs would help if somewhere along the way you realize you can't accomplish certain things with the main job you've chosen. I think characters (NPCs) should react to you differently based at least in part on your job.
The ability to use more characters in battle (eg. III/XII)
I love characters. Lots of characters. Usually, I get upset because a character I like isn't playable, or isn't around long enough to appreciate, or is just one of "them bad guys." Though, I don't want them all to stick around permanently. I like games that find a plot-relevant way to weasel a character out of your group so you can obtain and get to know a new one. I also want the character to be able to change even they are just temporary. Some balance wherein you're able to affect their stats without feeling you've wasted resources on a character that's going to disappear anyway.
Decently paced storyline (eg. V)
Better usage of summons (eg. VI)
I still like X/XII's playable Summon beast system.

Chocobo! (eg. VII)
Vehicles! and I want the Moomba back (eg. VIII) I want to drive a motorcycle across a continent and I don't want to see the main character walking across the world map to encounter a "village" that looks as if he could trample over it.
Nameable characters (eg. VII/VIII/IX) doesn't work if the game has voiceover.
Various decent minigames
Fleshed out characters
The ability to create your own items (eg. XIV)
Items that will be useful in combat not just because you MAY have had silence cast on you. I like games where damage/healing items are based on a percentage rather than an actual number. Like a potion healing 100 points to a character whose current max is 9999. I like a system where items are easy to come by but don't just sit there taking up space. Like a synthesis system.

Also as to leveling. (dot)hack had a system wherein monsters levels and experience/cash handout was based on location. There was a cap to the amount of experience you could gain from a monster as each time you leveled up, you would gain less experience from fighting monsters of the same area. I liked it, it made me have to get my arse up and find a new harder area to level up in (usually requiring the story to unfold first).

It doesn't matter what we want. 15 is a multiple of 3. It will be amazing because that's the rule.

3rd times a charm. I don't know man, it maybe "3rd time's a turd" the rate they're going.

60's American .

Dude, make it yourself.