101 Things Square Enix Could Learn from Other Media

[Elskidor]

Nobody ever knows how to count in these threads.

I'm still learning how to count. Math, it's a tricky subject!

[Sephiroth]

While true, none of these are of the level of Aeris' death. Actual playable lead characters in actual main games in the series. This simply doesn't happen anymore and my only guess is that SE are... scared? Maybe? I dunno.

Zack died in a new Final Fantasy.

He was known as dead before Crisis Core already, yes, since it was an already existing story, but it was a very short scene. In Crisis Core it is very dramatic and Final Fantasy VII fans even think of it as very sad because they know how it all ends.

I personally do not want my characters to die. Serah's scene in Final Fantasy XIII-2, who was also shown not to be exactly normally dead but just something like that as you could find out in Final Fantasy XIII-2 with a fragment where she asked where is and that it is so dark, would not have been satisfying for me. There must be a really good reason for me to let such characters die. And Aerith was brought back like Obi Wan Kenobi anyway. I am already sad when I think about characters like Squall and Rinoa' mothers being dead, I don't want important characters to die.

[VeloZer0]

IMO dying in the middle of a game is completely different from dying at the end or as part of the opening act.

[Sephiroth]

IMO dying in the middle of a game is completely different from dying at the end or as part of the opening act.

That's exactly what I think as well - but as said, if there is a reason good enough for me, it is also "okay" at the end. Generally I don't want good people to die anyway. Kuja's death after he became good was sadder than probably anything else.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PvI9g8kj3A

Except a Final Fantasy being over.

[Karifean]

Clannad: Have the player make choices during the game that affect sub-stories. Simple things like which person to ask for help or whom to pay a visit sometime or whose advice to listen to or whatever. Allow us to explore the backgrounds of minor characters if we decide to make choices that focus on that particular character. It would add a layer of depth and give the game replay value.
Maybe even make it so that you can choose to help them with their personal problems, and if you make the right choices, that character has a "happy ending" for their own story, while if you make the wrong choices, things remain unresolved. Just don't go overboard with rewards for these kinds of quests - they're supposed to be nice touches, not game-changers.

[Loony BoB]

IMO dying in the middle of a game is completely different from dying at the end or as part of the opening act.

Not to mention in a sequel. In other words, not a main game, as I specified. Why put all the 'big' moments outside of the 'big' games?