Quote Originally Posted by Jessweeee♪ View Post
I like them. They add interesting backstory. I can't be bothered to actually spend all of that time acquiring them, but hey that's what GameFAQs is for, right?
I don't mind the extra backstory, but I don't like how it is doled out.

XII had the best system, with the extra bits of info about the world that were added in as you killed monsters. The only real important information was unlocked by bosses and Espers as you fought them, which actually made sense and had smooth progression that tied in with the main game.

But, as Wolf said, the others undermine the main plot. And they aren't distributed smoothly either. You get backstory, but there is no cohesion or progression to it. It isn't really a story.