FFVI Review Post

[Wolf Kanno]

So, being able to equip 7 slots of equipment instead of just 5 is deep customisation? I'd like to know of another [strike]JRPG[/strike] game where equipment doesn't alter a character's stats and/or abilities.

"Learning magic" is not customisation. Each character will learn the same spells, and every character can learn every spell. Learning magic in a different order is not "customisation." Deliberately not learning some spells in order to differentiate your characters is neglect, not customisation.

I think the only legitimate point here is the sheer amount of characters you can form a party with, which is weak because its still barely customising anything, as well as there being several characters so much more overpowered than the rest that you'd have to be playing some sort of specific challenge in order to not use them.

That right there is actually the definition of customization, I am picking and choosing the skills I want for a party member and there are several characters in VI who really don't need magic so teaching them is a waste of the player's time. By the way you are arguing this, there is no customization in JRPGs because you are obligated to always use everything for every character, which I don't agree with. I can use your argument on every FF except FFI for crying out loud. So unless you're saying that customization only exists if you "roll the character" like a Western RPG or MMO, then I feel your argument is flawed.

Equipment is hardly new and I'm not implying VI somehow how did it magically different besides the Relics but it is an important part of VI as your equipment is often more important end game than what magic your taught your characters. The statistical bonuses for Magic and strength are also far more noticeable, most of the games best gear is not even the ones with the highest attack power. Doesn't mean its not equally as important in other games of course but there are also a lot of games where the you end up just equipping the next weapon or armor whose main stat is higher than what they have already equipped. VI at least mixed that up a bit, though it was nothing new.

Some scenes are altered depending on which characters you've reunited with. The final outcome, more or less, remains exactly the same. That isn't replay value. Additionally, reuniting with characters is optional - I doubt there's any game other game anyone would claim that optional content equals non-linearity.
(work time bbl)

Smurf man, Fallout 3's ending is largely the same no matter what you do and yet it's considered a non-linear game. I'm not even suggesting VI is in Elder Scroll territory, I am only stating the obvious which is that the player is handed control of how the sequence of events unfold and how certain choices by the player will actually modify the ending or your ability to even partake of some of the optional content. Choose to ignore getting Relm back, well looks like Strago is in that cult until Kefka is gone. Chose to jump ship ASAP at the Floating Continent, well Shadow is now dead and you lose the ability to see the final dream revealing his backstory, but you gain the ability to see Relm's dream. Simply recruit everyone and head straight to Kekfa, you lose out on learning about Strago's past, watching Cyan gain closure to his story, Terra learning that her parents were not the only ones to bridge the barrier over Esper/Human relations, Closure to Gau's story, and a few more things. Choosing to save Cid even nets you two very different outcomes so the fact the player's decisions can impact the story would by definition mean that not only is the story not completely on rails linear, but also means the player has reason to play the game to change their decisions and see different outcomes, meaning there is some replay value here.

Wolf - are you smurfing kidding me? Picking two vastly different kinds of scenes which serve fundamentally different purposes in the story and putting them together as if they're representative of either game's storytelling? Or taking pictures from Matsuno's SNES games and absolutely ignoring the fact that they are completely different games and instead saying that it must be because of Final Fantasy VI? Can you in any remote way even begin to elaborate on how these examples have any substance at all in explaining the impact of Final Fantasy VI?

That's a rhetorical question, because we both know you can't.

Why yes, I'll ignore your coy plea to prove you wrong.

The point of the images used in DQ shows the inherent difference in how sprites are used to create a connection with the player. The problem with DQ1-5 is that their sprites are utterly flat, they are the video game equivalent of a playmobil person with no real arms or ability to express themselves without the aid of some other devices. The main hero from DQV, if he was asleep looks like he is simply topped over on his back on top of the bed sprite. As opposed to DQVI where the MC's sprite is animated with arms and legs sprawled out on the floor, the player instantly can tell the mood of the scene from just looking at the image and that scene isn't even all that important. Whereas the bulk of DQV's sprites and scenes is just their plastic toy sprites with some text. It's not a bad style mind you as I like how it lures the player into using their own imagination to see the scene but in terms of immersion and understanding context, the use of expressive sprites is better. VI was the SNES game that really used sprites like this to tell a story, I mean only Chrono Trigger and Mana have sprites on par with the level of detail and repertoire of expressions.

One step back from the bigger picture of gaming in the era, and you can pretty much notice that these types of sprites are being used to immerse the player in stories by being more fluid actors for the player. In FFV, Bartz could shuffle back and forth to dance, laugh, and shut his eyes. Terra can be surprised, laughed, determined, sing, crumple over in defeat, dance, fly, and look forlorn. If you look closely, though you'll notice there is a difference before and after VI came out. DQ has kept the same kind of sprites for five games with much success I might add, but even they dabbled with trying to create a more immersive experience for the player with their follow up game which came out after VI came out. As I said, most games that use these more detailed sprites in the SNES era came post-VI, so I feel is some logic to my madness.

As for Matsuno, well that was mostly to screw with you.