FFTA: Best Game Message Ever

[Madonna]

Begging your pardon. I was very bitter when one of my friends suddenly told me that FF Tactics Advance was out so I played it expecting that Lion War business that I only got to play for something like five excruciatingly teasing minutes for the reasons stated above. I might replay this someday if there are cheat codes to stop the judges saying things like "NO MAGIX!" when fighting Flans or "NO WEAPONS LOL" when fighting enemies that cast Reflect a lot or "NO DAMAGING MONSTERS" when I haven't learned a Death spell or a Harsh Language ability yet.

I think Iceglow has touched upon your battle system issues already, and I think it can be safely said Advance was marketed as something quite different than the original Tactics. But yes, it is important to know what rules are in effect, to wander around in order to change them as needed, and adapt to the rules that you are presented with in battle. Big hint: keep a big roster of guildies; that way, you will always have someone for some situation.

It certainly was an interesting story concept. I only wish that the game took itself more seriously to deal with issues like that rather than chalk it up to lightheartedness and the childish presentation of the game. It had the makings for a very dark story if it wasn't about children!

I think the story is very dark because the story is focused on children. None of the kids in this game are given particularly good starting situations. Marche and Doned's parents are divorced, they had to move to the countryside where they know no one, and Doned's illness is only getting worse. Ritz gets picked on viciously by three boy bullies because she is a girl and has naturally white hair, the latter of which she is ashamed. Mewt's mother recently passed away, causing Mewt's dad to fall into depression and alcoholism, and he too is bullied for being different. When Marche and company end up in Ivalice, the situation is still bad; Marche is in a foreign land alone, his brother is out there somewhere in similar circumstances, Ritz is in the same boat, and Mewt is being psychologically sheltered from everything and becoming infantile from being spoiled. None of it is good. Marche has to fight for a place in Ivalice, has to traverse the world to find his brother and friends, then he learns he has to his friends to help them, and all of that gets topped off with the knowledge he has to destroy a world to get his friends back to theirs. What of the adults in the game? I do not think all the clans have children for members, so they are fighting against grown-ups who are generally hostile or up to no good, and the adults that are clearly labeled as such do try to beat up, bully, or otherwise make Marche's existence unpleasant. These are authority figures exploiting and abusing minors; Marche Radiuju has life as hard, if not harder, than Ramza Beoulve. Well, aside from wanting to bone his sister or whatever.

Did you draw the comic in the opening post, Madonna?

No. I drew two others based on it, but the original is something that has been shared online that succinctly and humorously sums up the game.