What makes an RPG an "ensemble cast" Vs. one with a defined Main Character

[Galuf]

I posted this in general RPG, though my examples are all from FF. It might sound like a silly question, maybe it is idk, also I probably got the term wrong but I'll explain in a sec.

So people pretty much agree FFVI is a game with no real main character, it's a game that's all about the individual characters, which is something I really enjoy about the game. (You could argue Kefka is the main character, but for sake of this he is just the reason everyone's together in the fight)
However, when it comes to games such as FFV, FFXII and FFXIII, people always define those games having main characters (Bartz, Vaan, Lightning). I am curious why those games aren't regarded like FFVI and being seen as more of an ensemble rather than just 1 main character.
As someone trying to write a story, I am attempting to make it be seen like FFVI and not like XII and this question ocurred to me. If you ask me, I do view all those games similarly, but most of the FF community does not.

Also I made this question on the forums because Wolf Kanno is deeply philosophical and has words of wisdom and detail, and also Fynn, and also half the people on here. Which is like 6 but still.

[Dr. Acula]

I think it's the amount of screentime that's shared around, as well as whether you're forced to use certain characters. In FFVI, a couple of characters have more screentime than others, but no one character stands out as having the most. While there are some areas where you have to use certain characters, for the most part you can choose whomever.

I'd argue that FFV is also ensemble. Bartz gets equal screentime with the other characters, and he doesn't have much to do storyline-wise.

XII is also an interesting case, seeing as Vaan has little to no use in the storyline after Dalmasca, but we're still forced to run around as him in towns etc. So there's the effect of "forced use" that cements him as the main character, even though Balthier is the *true* leading man. With XIII, I think it's Lightning's Big Leader Energy that makes her the main character. She leads the way. There'd be no game without her.

If you're writing a story, it's important that all your characters get comparable screentime (or page time, as it were), and that there's not a particular character that has a disproportionate impact on the story. They don't have to be perfectly equal, but they should all have big parts to play. It's a tough one to pull off but I've definitely read some novels that do it well

[Christmas]

I think the trick is to have a strong distinctive common purpose/goal first. For FFVI, is to defeat the Empire in the 1st half of the game and later Kefka in the second half. Secondly, everyone revolved strongly around that with a decent (in terms of quantity and quality) back/side story in between. This is a somewhat decentralised approach.

Some of the FFs like FFVII did commit screentime for character backstories and such but they uses a centralized approach which things still lean towards Cloud because having a strong focus point is easier to win audiences compared to the FFVI approach.

Using the MCU as an example, would the heroes in the avengers be so distinctive without their solo movies (Black Widow and Hawkeye are no count. )?

PS: AM I ONE OF THE CHOSEN SIX?

[Wolf Kanno]

I think FFV has Bartz as the main character for a few reasons. The obvious is Word of God acknowledgement that Bartz is the main character despite kind of feeling the most irrelevant, but I would point out that he's the main POV character as well. He's the only character in the story who is with you for the hole journey from beginning to end. With that said, I feel the argument that FFV is a ensemble cast is valid as well since every character gets a moment to shine, and no character really stands out.

XII is an odd duck because Ashe is by all accounts the real main character since the story is essentially about her journey to save her kingdom, but Vaan is and the main POV character. We're witnessing her story from his perspective. But most of the plots big moments really revolve around her. FFX does a similar thing with Tidus and Yuna, but it becomes obvious that Tidus' own story eventually takes center stage and exlipses Yuna's towards the end.

IX has a similar issue where Garnet is the driving force in the plot with several character moments for Vivi, Steiner, and Freya, but Zidane often takes center stage the most with the most screentime and his own story eventually being more relevant the other characters.

I would agree that XIII is an ensemble cast, but the XIII Trilogy is the story of the Farron Sisters since they have a disproportionate amount of screentime, plot relevance, and eventually are just the main characters of the sequels. Of which all of this retroactively gives them more importance in the first game.

I agree with Dr. Acula that screentime is a big factor here, but I would also point out importance to the narrative as a defining characteristic when combined with the first one. Comic relief type characters get a lot of screentime, but their importance is not as great as the actual main characters. So I would keep that in mind. Other factors are whether the character gets more attention in marketing. Lightning is an example of a character who was never meant to be more relevant than her peers, but due to being the only finished character in the teaser concept trailer, she was painted as the main character of XIII despite not being any more important than the rest of the cast in the proper story. The Ghost in the Shell TV series is really more of an ensemble cast with the full team, but Makoto is the main character because she's the recognizable figure in all the marketing and in the credits. I feel this is why Terra has been retroactively made VI's de facto lead.

[Galuf]

I think the trick is to have a strong distinctive common purpose/goal first. For FFVI, is to defeat the Empire in the 1st half of the game and later Kefka in the second half. Secondly, everyone revolved strongly around that with a decent (in terms of quantity and quality) back/side story in between. This is a somewhat decentralised approach.

Some of the FFs like FFVII did commit screentime for character backstories and such but they uses a centralized approach which things still lean towards Cloud because having a strong focus point is easier to win audiences compared to the FFVI approach.

Using the MCU as an example, would the heroes in the avengers be so distinctive without their solo movies (Black Widow and Hawkeye are no count. )?

PS: AM I ONE OF THE CHOSEN SIX?

Yes because you solved the debate of "what is an RPG". Also it was mostly a joke because everyones so smart here xD

Thank you for all the responses though it is interesting to see other peoples views on it.

[Christmas]

Those 2 names you mentioned in the opening post hang out in Discord if I am not wrong and so do you. It is nice of you to ask me and Dr Acula who are forum exclusive. We are honoured.

[Galuf]

Fynn does. Wolf Kanno sometimes appears too, but like Dracula, you never know when or how. I have no idea if thats like Dracula I just said it.


I just realized that Dr. Acula is in this thread so that was something oops.