What if the party wasn't so cowardly?

[VeloZer0]

Up on the Floating Continent. Shadow stays behind to play around with Kefka. Party flees and watches Kefka destroy the world.

What if they had chosen that moment to be the final showdown?

[Wolf Kanno]

Considering the statues were firing off beams the were cutting continents in half, I would suspect they would have died. Shadow himself didn't exactly come across as being in good shape when he finally did escape himself. It didn't help the party was pretty much knocked away from the main platform either, so trying to get back up would have been difficult and most likely fatal since the continent was falling apart. So yeah... Death would have been the answer.

[Jiro]

It would've been pretty anti climactic. I mean it's not exactly like you were expecting Kefka to be the big bad so you would've been let down a little.

[VeloZer0]

Kefka seemed to come out of it alright, so it is possible.

[Hollycat]

It would have been a very short game.

[Wolf Kanno]

Kefka seemed to come out of it alright, so it is possible.

Yes, but he's also in between the Warring Triad, meaning their magic would not affect him; so he was pretty much in the safest place on the whole planet at the time.

[VeloZer0]

There was plenty of room within the triangle for everyone, and as an added bonus his magic would also not work on them. It always came across that Kefka's main strength was magical, so in a physical only confrontation it would seem that the party would have the advantage. IMO this was their prime opportunity to get him.

[Wolf Kanno]

Shadow pinned Kefka between the statues to keep him incapacitated, so there really was no room to move in for an attack, secondly, the power of the statues had knocked them off the main platform, with no real way to even reach him. Had they even tried to climb their way back up, chances are they would have killed by all the raw energy floating about that was ripping the very ground they stood on apart; so it's not like they casually could have strolled back up and fight him. The continent was being torn apart and creating hordes of dangerous monsters. Shadow himself couldn't even attack because it was all his strength keeping Kefka pinned down, had he tried to move in for a kill Kekfa may have very well been able to regain the control of the Warring Triad and just fried him like the emperor. Also, Kefka had grown quite strong up to this point already, he was technically injured anyway from when Celes stabbed him, yet was able to keep moving about like nothing happened. I'm not sure how effective a physical assault would have been at this time. I honestly can't see how they could have mounted an attack against him and not be overwhelmingly crushed in the effort. It would have been a Pyrrhic victory at best, and would have flat out failed before it began at it's worst.

[Spooniest]

Isn't it kind of obvious in hindsight that the game isn't over? I mean the possible time spent playing to get to that point in the game just isn't very long compared to Final Fantasy IV, Phantasy Star IV, or any major RPG of the time. I don't think I ever went into the Floating Continent expecting the game to be over, possibly not even the first time.

[Wolf Kanno]

This is more of a hypothetical debate on the narrative, gameplay isn't completely relevant This is just debating whether the party should have taken a final stand then and there and get vaporized, or whether the retreat at the cost of the world ending was wise.

[blackmage_nuke]

Then we'd never get to hang out with our favourite furry friend!

[Greatermaximus]

In fiction a decisive action is never prompt.

[Roogle]

I think it would have been interesting to have had an extra confrontation with Kefka prior to the end of the World of Balance. It would have to end the same way, or else it would be a very short game as someone else mentioned. It could have been presented as a last ditch effort to stop Kefka before it's too late, and it ultimately fails because he had gained too much power at that point or something. Not necessarily an unwinnable boss battle, but a boss battle that has conclusive results after the gameplay portion.

[VeloZer0]

What if they had thrown an epic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night type twist in. If you just play through regularly you end up confronting Kefka on the floating continent, winning and getting a crappy ending. If you did do an optional side quest before confronting Kefka you get the masterpiece that is the WoR.

[Sephex]

What if they had thrown an epic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night type twist in. If you just play through regularly you end up confronting Kefka on the floating continent, winning and getting a crappy ending. If you did do an optional side quest before confronting Kefka you get the masterpiece that is the WoR.

That would actually be kind of cool. But what would the crappy ending be?