This game is awful

[Wolf Kanno]

I agree with Wolf Kano's take on the characters but the storytelling is bloody awful and much of what WK noticed is mere conjecture because the dialogues and scenes contradict each other.

I don't believe the dialogue and scenes really contradict each other but I will agree with you that my description is based on my personal observations of the cast and story I'll try my best to give you some satisfying answers but I make no promises.

For example, let's take Basch, which was the only story that was ALMOST well told. We never find out what drives him until his last scene (SPOILER)when he and Noah fight "to the death" and he says he protected "someone important and protect her I have" and after that he abandons the very thing that drove him, making no effort to attain it ? WTF ?!?!

(SPOILER)First Basch did help restore Dalmasca, which is what he really wanted to do. So I would say he attained his original goal (your comment almost makes me believe you think he had a "thing" for Lady Ashe )Secondly, he did come to terms with his brother during the end of the game. He made a promise to him, I don't think Basch ever really hated his brother so it's not too far fetched to believe he would fulfill his dying wish. Thirdly, Dalmasca still remembers Basch as the "traitor" who plunged their homeland into Imperial rule. I don't think even Lady Ashe could have swayed them any differently. Basically, Basch didn't have any home to return to, Noah's dying wish was his best offer.

Another example ? Ashe. She seems such a good character but every time I try to like her she does something lame. Like when Vaan tells Ashe "Who says anything about being strong, you have your friends" at a crucial moment yet (SPOILER)the first thing Ashe does after her problems are resolved is ditch said friends. She just stays "Princess" and nothing changed after all they went through ? Lame! She just never rises to her potential.

(SPOILER)Lady Ashe is part of the royal family and unlike "other fantasy royalty" FFXII's is steeped with realism. She can't exactly be seen associating with "commoners" let alone four Sky Pirates and an infamous traitor to the throne. Besides, no one will ever know the truth about the role her and the others played in the conflict until the Marquis' book gets published for public use. Historically royalty wasn't all "my way or the high way" they themselves are trapped within their own social chains. She's a figurehead and a leader before she is a human being. It's just how she was raised and it's what's expected of her.

Vaan grows up ? Yet all he does is be a pirate like he said he would be on scene 1 chapter 1. How grown up is that ? Disappointing.

Vaan matures based upon his view of the world, he starts off hating the empire without ever stopping to understand their view. By the end, he comes around and understands that the empire isn't completely evil. There are good people from the empire like Larsa (SPOILER)and Balthier. I don't necessarily believe Vaan "grows up" but rather matures as the story moves along. He's a child in the beginning of the story and at the end he's still a child but slightly more wise about the world. It's unrealistic to believe that a character can have an "epiphany" and suddenly reach a level of maturity on par with an adult. It's gradual, and Vaan will probably continue to grow and mature as time goes by (most likely in Revnant Wings). I find this realism in his character growth to be one of the more appealing aspects of the story telling.

Penelo ? Don't even know what she is doing there TBH. She starts as the responsible more mature counterpoint to Vaan and ends as... just another kid.

Penelo is mostly their for symbolism as the "hope of the future". Her personal reasons are most likely to keep an eye on Vaan. That and I hardly believe she is so responsible that she was going to let Vaan have all the fun She's young as well you know.

Larsa is the only likable character that is deep and well written for, and even him sounds too goody goody to be true, (But that didn't stop me from liking Yuna so I'll shut up )

He's a little too goody goody for me as well sometimes. I honestly kept waiting for him to kill Vayne and reveal he's the mastermind behind everything

PS: Vayne was almost good but (SPOILER)his speeches and theatrics at the end are completely out of synch with his silence until him killing his father. Had he been that garrulous since the beginning, or silent the whole game I might have liked the character as a villain. The way it was ? Something just didn't jive for me making his character not believable.

(SPOILER)The game pretty much tells you that Vayne is not being his usual self, besides I don't exactly feel his "speech" at Rababnastre is the work of a "silent" antagonist But it explains why the Senate was all up in arms about him. Hell, listening to his past and how he killed his older brothers to become the next successor gave me the impression that he's a little more than the conniving schemer we are led to believe. I mean his assassination of his father could have been done more cleanly and he also would have found another, less "flamboyant" way of gaining the nethicite instead of taking over two countries. He's intelligent but also arrogant.

Deep down, I think it all comes down to how we choose to see the story. I strongly believe that FFXII is game that gives as much as you are willing to put into it. Also, thanks for the support people! I hope my posts have been at least somewhat insightful.