Your FFXV Expectation

[ShinGundam]

Didn't Square say that they just put him in there to appeal to the teens? That's one good reason to hate him.
As far as XV. I have no expectations as I have not even played FFs I-III and V yet, let alone XIII and XIV.

I always thought Ashe was the real main character but the story told from Vaan's point of view. Vaan did exist as character of XII regardless the whole appeal to the teens. Actually, Teens have always been their target demographic.

[Wolf Kanno]

I'm echoing VeloZer0, Bolivar and to some degree Flying Arrow, in that I don't have much of an expectation for the game. Part of me, thinks it would be interesting to see SE try a real "throwback" title like IX, but I guess XII kind of fulfills that role as well.

I guess in terms of story, I just wish SE would make the most of their cool concepts. When I think of each FF title as just the basics of its mythology, they are all pretty damn cool, it's just their executions are usually really off. While there are several FFs that fall off the mark in some ways, I don't think any of them are as bad off as XIII which really had a wonderful premise to explore topics about death and social issues but seriously ran away from it as soon as the plot really began to hint at it. So I would actually like to see them stick to some of their concepts and fully explore them more.

For characters, this is pretty hard to say. If the plot works, usually the cast falls inline, but I guess my hope would be to just knock-off some of their stereotypical characters. I seriously need another FF that doesn't have a hyper-active jaibait fanservice chick in the party, or an angsty brooding protagonist. Overall, I don't really care much about this because I'm pretty sure this is the one area I will probably never get what I want from.

Summons? Don't care, I've never been as partial to summoners as most fans are. In fact, I would love to finally see an FF with a pure summoner character in it and not have it be a plot point. They've never done it. In terms of execution, I would like to either return them to glorified magic with a skip button attached, or I would actually expand what they've been doing since FFX. I just need them to find a balance with their current system. I find them impractical in all the post PSX FFs because they are either useless (XII), overpowered (FFX) or only useful for stupid reasons (XIII). I just think Summons should replace the summoner but perform different roles in battle rather than just be a powerful DD.

Overall, I just kind of want to see them actually build an FF where all aspects got equal treatment. I mean I feel its pretty obvious that XII's team developed the game part far more than the plot, XIII did the opposite. It would just be nice to play one that feels like every part of it got the same amount of attention. Also, my pet peeve of the FF franchise, the fact many of them feel like they are designed for the post-game. I don't enjoy getting game breaking abilities that are purely designed to combat all the post-game monsters and optional content about 3/4ths of the way into the main story mode.

Yet honestly, I don't have much expectation for XV. It may change depending on who is in charge, but I feel Toriyama and Kitase are a safe bet, and if that is the case then I don't care. I have never liked a game Toriyama has been in charge of. If it were Ito helming the project or maybe collaborating with Tokita. I may actually be a little more interested. Hell, even Tabata seems to have redeemed himself with Type-0 after the abysmal Crisis Core, so he might be a safe bet and it would be interesting to see him work on a larger project than handhelds.

Of course, I'm still waiting for the press conference where Wada announces Versus XIII is going to be renamed FFXV personally...

[ShinGundam]

I just hope it is a powerhouse title not a game for smartphone or GREE/Mobage/social thing.

Overall, I just kind of want to see them actually build an FF where all aspects got equal treatment. I mean I feel its pretty obvious that XII's team developed the game part far more than the plot, XIII did the opposite. It would just be nice to play one that feels like every part of it got the same amount of attention. Also, my pet peeve of the FF franchise, the fact many of them feel like they are designed for the post-game. I don't enjoy getting game breaking abilities that are purely designed to combat all the post-game monsters and optional content about 3/4ths of the way into the main story mode.

It might be sad to say but i think they don't know how to make a full 3D FF game that or the old structure of FF series shows it age now.

[Flying Arrow]

It might be sad to say but i think they don't know how to make a full 3D FF game that or the old structure of FF series shows it age now.

I'm more inclined to think the former. I wrote in another thread once that they shifted the series into 3D from the pre-rendered PSX games, but never actually designed the game world to accommodate the change in player perspective. This is more something I hold against X and XIII, really. I thought XII did quite a good job capturing the sense of adventure from the series' older games.

Maybe the FF structure is showing its age, but I just think it's the current execution of that structure. I don't think adventuring forward into mysterious locations, stopping at towns, picking up bits of story, etc, will ever really get old. Not for me, at least.

[Rostum]

Despite it being an MMORPG, FFXI has the most interesting lore and storylines. Not only in concept but in execution, it really holds up as the best in the series for me but the fact that it's an MMORPG brings it down (despite playing it for over 8 years).

For the most part it's based on politics; the greed and corruption within, and how each nation is to face the impending doom whilst holding a knife to each other's throats as beastmen tribes try to reclaim what was theirs. Many likable characters within, and such deep lore for Vana'diel. It pretty much has everything anyone would expect from the series, just that the majority of fans would not have played it due to being an MMORPG.

You can read about it here, but it does not include Treasures of Aht Urgan, Wings of the Goddess (both which are probably the most interesting alongside Chains of Promethia), the three mini-expansions and Abyssea:

The History of Vana'diel

I can try to find summaries or storyline walkthroughs of the later expansions if anyone is interested.

I think FFXII was pretty awesome and could hold it's own against FFXI, but the major downfall isn't Vaan - it's the incredibly bad pacing of the game.

[Wolf Kanno]

I just hope it is a powerhouse title not a game for smartphone or GREE/Mobage/social thing.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if XV was announced for a handheld device. Especially looking at how Japan's gaming scene is going, handhelds are far more profitable over there than console titles. I think this may be one of the bigger issues SE may be facing with the direction of the series. Because they'll lose sales worldwide if they made it for handheld cause the handheld market isn't as dominating in the Western market, yet on the other hand the cost-effectiveness and better distribution efforts as well as the strong home userbase would make a handheld sequel much more alluring. The way that Pokemon, GBA, DS and PSP have changed the gaming world's way of thinking about handhelds has made it a more lucrative business model. It's why Valkyrie Chronicles and Monster Hunter are usually handheld only and why Pokemon has never seen a real console entry.

It might be sad to say but i think they don't know how to make a full 3D FF game that or the old structure of FF series shows it age now.

I don't really think this is about the structure being too old, I honestly think SE has just convinced themselves that fans don't want a Pre-PS2 style FF game anymore, but I honestly don't feel that's true. I for one would not be offended or annoyed if FFXV was announced to be using the old ATB style combat engine, have FMV style summon attacks, and go back to the old dungeon->world map->town->world map->dungeon shenanigans of old. I honestly feel there are still ways to make the old formula feel fresh and exciting without marrying it to MMO style gameplay or trying to cut off what some people consider "excess fat". I feel if SE announced an FF title that looked like a spiritual successor to FFIX in terms of looks and feel, most fans wouldn't give a huge uproar and may actually say its a good direction for the franchise. SE has just kind of lost sight of what made the older games so good, and its honestly just the fact they were well-rounded experiences.

[DMKA]

The only expectation I have currently is that they'll try something different, and I'll enjoy it, and everyone else aside of me and three other people on this board will hate it but play it anyway and bitch and moan about it endlessly.

[Flying Arrow]

SE has just kind of lost sight of what made the older games so good, and its honestly just the fact they were well-rounded experiences.

This is the truest thing I've read all day.

[Bolivar]

For you, but I'd say this is the truest thing I've read all day:

The only expectation I have currently is that they'll try something different, and I'll enjoy it, and everyone else aside of me and three other people on this board will hate it but play it anyway and bitch and moan about it endlessly.

The Vaan thing is part of it. On the whole, I was more referring to SE making one of the best JRPGs of the decade and probably the best game in the whole series and half of the fanbase hating it. The thing with Vaan is really weird because on the one hand it's obviously an attempt by SE to meddle with the story Matsuno had planned, but on the other hand fans who hate him are generally just completely overreacting. Vaan is pretty inoffensive all things considered. This is a fanbase who generally holds up FFX as the best game in the series and, regardless of what you think of it, that thing is almost focus tested to be obnoxious.

I definitely agree with that, I sometimes think FFXII was way ahead of its time, hence why a lot of people (including myself initially) were turned off by it (it takes a man to admit that he was shallow!). It may have been so ahead of its time, that that's the reason why there hasn't been a turn-based RPG to date that has come close. Yeah, I said it.

But one thing I feel XII and XIII have in common is their homogeneity of gameplay. In the PSOne era, these games had you constantly doing different things to break up the monotony of battles and cutscenes. You raced chocobos to get out of prison, avoided guards in order to derail different cars of a moving train, or McGuired your way across rooftops in order to sneak into a play. It makes it seem like FFX's sphere puzzles in the temples was because they spent so much time making graphics and voice acting that they didn't have time to make cool mini-game set pieces to diversify the gameplay. Everyone talks about how GTA and Call of Duty took off once they borrowed elements from RPGs, but to me, RPGs really shined when they borrowed elements from the entire universe of gaming.

All I'm saying is I want an FF with great music, deep customization, thrilling combat, and a moving story, but I want interesting scenarios on the field screen to really get me hooked. That's the magic that's been missing for me, at least.

[Yar]

This series has already peaked. Don't get your hopes up.

[Levian]

An interesting battle system would make for a good start

[Rostum]

Aren't most of the talent behind the previous titles of the series gone anyway? I'd prefer something like FFIX, I think they did such a wonderful job with that game.

[Del Murder]

I expect the art style to be some kind of throwback similar to FFIX. I expect a battle system that is very action oriented and fast-paced. Maybe they will go full-on action RPG with this one. I expect the experience to be some new form of the Sphere Grid because they seem to have a big hardon for those types anymore. I expect the story to involve some sort of religion or government that is corrupt and only OUR HEROES can stop it. The characters will be all humanoid except for one who has fur and has bear-ears and will be part of some oppressed tribe. One will look Mexican.

[Wolf Kanno]

So FFXV is going to be FFX-3?

[Del Murder]

Yes, it will be [insert some FF you don't like with a dash and number here].