Big reservations about ff12

[silva1234]

Hi all,

I'm a long time ff fan, played most my favourite being 7 followed closely by 10 which i thought had the best story line out of all of them. My concerns are that ff12 seems to be going very far away from the ff traditions. I am all up for change but so much hmmm i'm not to sure.

1) No Random battles, this is a good thing as they were a pain.

2) Completely different summons, none of the usual ones like shiva etc. I also heard that they wont be that strong so that has me wondering.

3) Real time battle. Now this is 1 thing that gets me. I mean turn based is what ff is all about, well one of the things anyway and after seeing video fgootage of a battle scene it just didnt look like ff. it looke more like ff 11 which was ok but in comparison to the rest sucked.

4) No major mini game, WTF?? it's great to take time out like in 10 with BB or 7 with chocobo racing, 9 with t master etc. This will be a big mistake i'm sure.

Well I know ff12 will be awesome because square are so amazing at making games but i seriously doubt that it will be as good as some others although i'll probably be wrong and i hope i am. 1 thing i would like to know is how do you travel, i seriously hope its not like 10 where u click on a destination and just arrive there. this was 1 thing about 10 that sucked and exploration is so important in ff games, i just hope we can explore like earlier ff's.

[Flying Mullet]

I'm a long time ff fan, played most my favourite being 7 followed closely by 10 which i thought had the best story line out of all of them. My concerns are that ff12 seems to be going very far away from the ff traditions. I am all up for change but so much hmmm i'm not to sure.

I would ask that you play FFI - FFVI before complaining about traditions and the way the series is going, especially if your favorite is FFVII, which was the first game to take a radical departure from the traditional FF themes.

Besides, if you don't like the game, don't play it.

[Jowy]

Less than 50% of the games in the series as a whole had a stupid time killing minigame. The battles are still turn based, to some extent. Each character does what they are programmed to do once their ATB bar fills, just like any other game. You just don't have to wade through as many menus.

And Matsuno made the game, so it's awesome by default.

[Dreddz]

It may seem like it steers clear of the rest of the series, but if you consider FFX in touch with FF roots, then im sure you'll think the same with FFXII, as it is very similier in many aspects.

This is coming from someone who has played the game.

[silva1234]

I have played all ff's mate imo 7 was the best. And i am not putting the hame down! how could I seeing as I have not yet played it. But let's face it, it will be much different than what we have come to expect. Also mullet as the earlier games were not released worldwide for a long time FF7 is when the series went truelly worldwide. Also how can you call blitzball stupid, i guess it's a matter of opinion but i personally thought it was great a long with chocobo racing.

[Dynast-Kid]

I think the real question is:What is a Final Fantasy tradition?

[*Lady luck*]

i just hope it has an interesting story with some twists in it. also, i hope there are a lot of neat places to explore. i can deal with pretty much any type of battle system. if it is similar to X then im sure i will like it becuase i loved X.

[Paul]

i haven't played FF12 but personally i thought it was time FF took on a new direction. FF10's story was horrible and chock full of awful cliches. although i did enjoy the gameplay, i'm glad that FF12 is a departure from that style.

[TidusMaster]

Hi all,

I'm a long time ff fan, played most my favourite being 7 followed closely by 10 which i thought had the best story line out of all of them. My concerns are that ff12 seems to be going very far away from the ff traditions. I am all up for change but so much hmmm i'm not to sure.

1) No Random battles, this is a good thing as they were a pain.

2) Completely different summons, none of the usual ones like shiva etc. I also heard that they wont be that strong so that has me wondering.

3) Real time battle. Now this is 1 thing that gets me. I mean turn based is what ff is all about, well one of the things anyway and after seeing video fgootage of a battle scene it just didnt look like ff. it looke more like ff 11 which was ok but in comparison to the rest sucked.

4) No major mini game, WTF?? it's great to take time out like in 10 with BB or 7 with chocobo racing, 9 with t master etc. This will be a big mistake i'm sure.

Well I know ff12 will be awesome because square are so amazing at making games but i seriously doubt that it will be as good as some others although i'll probably be wrong and i hope i am. 1 thing i would like to know is how do you travel, i seriously hope its not like 10 where u click on a destination and just arrive there. this was 1 thing about 10 that sucked and exploration is so important in ff games, i just hope we can explore like earlier ff's.

ya,in a way the battle system is different,but its still a turn based battle system thing...I cant wait till it comes out!

[Dynast-Kid]

WARNING: SPOILERS...Kinda

Hi all,

I'm a long time ff fan, played most my favourite being 7 followed closely by 10 which i thought had the best story line out of all of them. My concerns are that ff12 seems to be going very far away from the ff traditions. I am all up for change but so much hmmm i'm not to sure.

1) No Random battles, this is a good thing as they were a pain.

Actually there are random battles. Enemies will jump out at you from tall grass, water sources, ceilings etc.

2) Completely different summons, none of the usual ones like shiva etc. I also heard that they wont be that strong so that has me wondering.

The Espers aren't that different from their counterparts. For example:

-Titan and Hashmalim are both muscular and strong.

-Shiva and Mateus both have a distinct sex appeal.

-Ifrit and Belias are both animalistic.

-Alexander and Ultima both have mechanical, technological body parts.

The list goes on...

3) Real time battle. Now this is 1 thing that gets me. I mean turn based is what ff is all about, well one of the things anyway and after seeing video footage of a battle scene it just didnt look like ff. it looke more like ff 11 which was ok but in comparison to the rest sucked.

Yes, the battle system is a variant of FFXI's battle system. And it seems just as good (if not better) than FFXI's.

4) No major mini game, WTF?? it's great to take time out like in 10 with BB or 7 with chocobo racing, 9 with t master etc. This will be a big mistake i'm sure.

Mob Hunt.

Well I know ff12 will be awesome because square are so amazing at making games but i seriously doubt that it will be as good as some others although i'll probably be wrong and i hope i am. 1 thing i would like to know is how do you travel, i seriously hope its not like 10 where u click on a destination and just arrive there. this was 1 thing about 10 that sucked and exploration is so important in ff games, i just hope we can explore like earlier ff's.

-FFXII will be awesome. They've been working on it since I was seven years old, so I think that'll be pretty damn near perfect.

-Despite how everyone loves FFVII, I think FFXII looks much more fun and engaging.

-To get to one destination, you have to walk on foot mostly. Although there are crystals that can teleport you to different areas, and you can ride airships, boats etc.

[Dell]

May have spoilers, I guess.

I'm a long time ff fan, played most my favourite being 7 followed closely by 10 which i thought had the best story line out of all of them. My concerns are that ff12 seems to be going very far away from the ff traditions. I am all up for change but so much hmmm i'm not to sure.

FFXII have better story than FFX.

1) No Random battles, this is a good thing as they were a pain.

Play it for some time, you'll find it better than the original turn-based. Besides, most people prefer fast battle by now.

2) Completely different summons, none of the usual ones like shiva etc. I also heard that they wont be that strong so that has me wondering.

You have to fight summons and that add some points for Sidequest. Not strong in battle but strong when you fight them.
All of them are tribute to FFT, FFTA, FFI, FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFV and FFVI. I'd say they are all better and superior than of previous ones.

Belias --> Ifrit
Mateus --> Shiva
Shumihaza --> Siren
Hashmalim --> Titan
Famfrit --> Leviathan
Adrammelech --> Ramuh/Ixion
Zalera --> Anima
CuChulainn --> Malboro/Doomstrain
ExDeath --> Maduin
Chaos --> Any Wind Summon (Too many of them)
Zeromus --> Atomos
Ultima --> Alexander
Zodiac --> Bahamut

3) Real time battle. Now this is 1 thing that gets me. I mean turn based is what ff is all about, well one of the things anyway and after seeing video fgootage of a battle scene it just didnt look like ff. it looke more like ff 11 which was ok but in comparison to the rest sucked.

SEE RANDOM BATTLE ANSWER

4) No major mini game, WTF?? it's great to take time out like in 10 with BB or 7 with chocobo racing, 9 with t master etc. This will be a big mistake i'm sure.

Mobs Hunt (32 Bar Mobs and 13 Clan Mobs). WAYWAYWAY BETTER THAN MONSTER ARENA. 5 optional places. FFIX Running using X and O. Secret Items. Espers Sidequest. A lot more. Secret KEY ITEMS that eventually lead to another sidequest. Secret Event. Exploration of non-optional places (In some places, you just have to go to certain area, come back later to access it).

Well I know ff12 will be awesome because square are so amazing at making games but i seriously doubt that it will be as good as some others although i'll probably be wrong and i hope i am. 1 thing i would like to know is how do you travel, i seriously hope its not like 10 where u click on a destination and just arrive there. this was 1 thing about 10 that sucked and exploration is so important in ff games, i just hope we can explore like earlier ff's.

The World Map is still like FFX but this time, your exploration is longer. FFXII is already awesome, btw.
I have played the game and is already at the end of the game, I found it better than previous FF.

[Aria28]

Hi all,

I'm a long time ff fan, played most my favourite being 7 followed closely by 10 which i thought had the best story line out of all of them. My concerns are that ff12 seems to be going very far away from the ff traditions. I am all up for change but so much hmmm i'm not to sure.

1) No Random battles, this is a good thing as they were a pain.

I agree with al-bhed_kid there - there aren't random encounters anymore in the way they used to be, but you still have the element of surprise of a possible ambush in many areas (or enemies that hear or see you in battle from afar and who join in the fight)

2) Completely different summons, none of the usual ones like shiva etc. I also heard that they wont be that strong so that has me wondering.

Actually, the origins of the summons can be found in the FF Tactics series, so it's not all brand new either, but yeah, they are different from the traiditional ones of the main series.

Here I must say that I disagree with Dell: I think that they are, indeed, pretty useless, either because they are really weak (Belias, Matheus, etc), or because they come so late in the game (or, for the likes of Ultima and Zodiac, which are powerful, because you'll only be able to defeat them, and thus acquire them, when you're very strong already). Knowing that it may consume up to all of your MP to summon one, it's just not worth it in most cases (you'll be far better off using those MP for Mist Knacks chaining)

The whole interest of the espers (that's only an opinion though) is in acquiring them, because they are a real challenge (funny how they are so much more powerful when you face them than when you use them), not just because they are extremely tough, but for all the secret ones, there's an additional challenge due to the nature of the area where you fight it (regular loss of HP, magic sealed, items sealed, time limit, etc). Even if you are never to use them, you should try to beat them, it makes for very interesting battles

3) Real time battle. Now this is 1 thing that gets me. I mean turn based is what ff is all about, well one of the things anyway and after seeing video fgootage of a battle scene it just didnt look like ff. it looke more like ff 11 which was ok but in comparison to the rest sucked.

Honestly it works here. Plus you can put it in wait mode, which gives it a distinct "turn-based" feel, in the sense that no one else can act while you choose your action from the menu. It does take a little time to get used to, but it's pretty brilliant

4) No major mini game, WTF?? it's great to take time out like in 10 with BB or 7 with chocobo racing, 9 with t master etc. This will be a big mistake i'm sure.

I thought after playing the first time that there was a disappointing number of sidequests.

I was wrong. There's the Mob Hunts, as said by al-bhed_kid and Dell, which is very long, but almost every single Mob (32 in all, as Dell pointed out), are tied to other sidequests or to items that you'll need to acquire some of the best equipment of the game. There are even some equipments that are only available through the Mob Hunts. Then there are also, just to name a few, the Rare Monsters, the secret Espers, the fishing game, the quest involving Dantro and his wife, the search for the Cockatrix, etc, etc

Also, again already mentioned by Dell, plenty of areas that you'll never have to visit if you only follow the main story, but where some of those Mob Hunts or other subevents take place. There are even a few extra scenes with a couple of them....

But I think, the greatest thing about those sidequests is that you can take part to some from very early on in the game, like the Mob Hunts, while other require that you progress further into the story before you can unlock them, like the fishing game or the rare monsters quest. That means you don't have to do them all at the very end, and, by defeating Mob Hunts early, for instance, you can get some high-ranged equipement at the time when you most need it, i.e. those equipements are better than those available in shops at a given point.

Well I know ff12 will be awesome because square are so amazing at making games but i seriously doubt that it will be as good as some others although i'll probably be wrong and i hope i am. 1 thing i would like to know is how do you travel, i seriously hope its not like 10 where u click on a destination and just arrive there. this was 1 thing about 10 that sucked and exploration is so important in ff games, i just hope we can explore like earlier ff's.

Again, like I mentioned above, you "must" explore on foot - there are just too many areas you'll pass by without noticing if you don't. You can travel from one point to the other in airship or through teleport gates (crystals), but you can reach almost any destination on foot from almost any point, with a few exceptions (like the Sky City of Bhujerba or the Henne Magicite Mines - for which you need a chocobo btw)

I never assume a game will be good because it's Square - they are human and they can fail to present a game that matches my expectations. But here, not only does FF XII matches them, it is actually far superior to anything I had imagined

[Yeargdribble]

Hi all,

I'm a long time ff fan, played most my favourite being 7 followed closely by 10 which i thought had the best story line out of all of them. My concerns are that ff12 seems to be going very far away from the ff traditions. I am all up for change but so much hmmm i'm not to sure.

You've played 2 out of nearly 20 games and you are worried about tradition?

1) No Random battles, this is a good thing as they were a pain.

Paraphrase: "I can handle doing away with traditions as long as they were traditions I didn't like."

2) Completely different summons, none of the usual ones like shiva etc. I also heard that they wont be that strong so that has me wondering.

Yeah, it's too bad we won't be able to one-shot everything with our GFs like in FF VIII.

3) Real time battle. Now this is 1 thing that gets me. I mean turn based is what ff is all about, well one of the things anyway and after seeing video fgootage of a battle scene it just didnt look like ff. it looke more like ff 11 which was ok but in comparison to the rest sucked.

My biggest pet peeve is when people say FFXI was a crap game when they probably played it for a month or less. It's an MMORPG. You can't expect the same things you get from a single player game. It's actually a fantastic game that is far more traditional than the last few in the series with the exception of FFIX (This coming from someone that has played and finished every game in the series except for CC)

Also, you mentioned you played VII and then X. Did you even play XI? And even if you did... can you really say it was crap compared to the rest when you've played about 1/10th of the series?

4) No major mini game, WTF?? it's great to take time out like in 10 with BB or 7 with chocobo racing, 9 with t master etc. This will be a big mistake i'm sure.

Once again, not a traditional thing. Though I wouldn't mind some minigames, I don't think the game will be a flop due to the absence of one.

Well I know ff12 will be awesome because square are so amazing at making games but i seriously doubt that it will be as good as some others although i'll probably be wrong and i hope i am. 1 thing i would like to know is how do you travel, i seriously hope its not like 10 where u click on a destination and just arrive there. this was 1 thing about 10 that sucked and exploration is so important in ff games, i just hope we can explore like earlier ff's.

While I think it's naive to think it'll be great just because Square made it (look at Spirits Within), I do think it will be a great game and I've never found myself looking forward to a title in the series more. It seems to be going more with the FFT/T:A tradition's and mixing them with the other side the non-tactical FF's tradition's. I've made a point of not spoiling much of anything, but things look great to me.


If you want traditions:

Moogles - check
Chocobos - check
Cid - check
Airships - check check
Summons - check

While random encounters may be the traditional means of inciting battles, there is no singular traditional battle system. They are alway tweaking this. You could almost argue that the change is traditional.

No overworld map (that you can actually walk on and fly around with an airship) is a break from tradition that started with FFX.

[Aria28]

While random encounters may be the traditional means of inciting battles, there is no singular traditional battle system. They are alway tweaking this. You could almost argue that the change is traditional.

I think you've just nailed it