Old Arguments

[BG-57]

SeedRankLou very aptly summerized the strong and weaks points but I'd add the SeeD rank system as a negative. It's the only thing about FFVIII I really disliked.

It seemed like an inspired idea at first: get money from a regular salary instead of getting it from monsters who don't have a reason to be carrying money. But it was badly done, especially because it's difficult to go off leveling your party without getting demoted. That why I level as much as possible before the SeeD exam, before rank comes into play.

I can deal with the other weaknesses and the strengths more than compensate for them. It's still my favorite 'numbered' FF.

[Takara]

It's my least favourite of the series due to most of the reasons SeedRankLou listed. Mind you, I don't believe it's a bad game, just my least favourite.

What irked me mostly was the underdevelopment of most of the characters. I would have preferred if they didn't focus so much on Squall and Rinoa. I wanted to know more about the others. The only character besides these two who's had some development whatsoever was Laguna.

I'm a sucker for love stories, hopeless romantic and all, but this one just made me go "blah". It could have been done more tastefully. I mean, come on, loner guy suddenly falls in love with the cute but spoiled gal? Sheesh, where have I seen that before? Oh, right, high school, and about 50% of all the teen movies (other 50% being the rich, popular guy falling for the introverted and unpopular girl).

Junctioning was tedious if, like me, you are lazy, but overall, it was a good system, and not very hard to use if you paid attention to what magics you were junctioning, and the weaknesses of the enemies you were fighting.

The salary thing, while more realistic, was a bit annoying at times. Most of the time, your SeeD rank would drop while you were leveling or doing sidequests. Urg.

Don't get me start on the many plotholes and Ultimecia. Oh, and Rinoa. Did I mention how much I hate Rinoa?

So, yeah, many things that annoyed me in the game, hence why it's my least favourite. It's still a good game, though. The setting was original, the junctioning system was quite refreshing, the graphics were gorgeous, the card game was very entertaining, and it had a solid basis for the story. Too bad it wasn't exploited to it's full potential.

[ThroneofDravaris]

[biased generalization]
The other 10% hate it because they suck.

[/biased generalization]

i.e. can't get their head around the abstract and out-of-this-world idea known as the junctioning system.

I know! I mean, is it so f@#$ing hard to understand?! You have magic, and you can use it to increase your stats. You also gain abilities through equipping GF's. There, why do people have trouble working that out? I mean, they give you tutorials for Christ’s sake!

[rubah]

Actually, the more you battle your rank should go up.

When you walk through places and don't battle, it'll go down. That's why when you're at rank A, you have to stop every time you get paid and fight ten battles so you don't lose your rank when you walk around.