Quote Originally Posted by Loony BoB View Post
Quote Originally Posted by chionos View Post
That doesn't mean you shouldn't like the character(s). It doesn't mean I don't like the character(s). It just means it's not quality development. Sorry.

I'm not a FFVII hater. I've always loved the game and most things about it. But it doesn't have stellar character development. Perhaps it has relatively good development for a Final Fantasy, but that is (sadly) not saying much. However much I love the series, however much I may like the characters, they're not deep, they rarely make sense, and they are, more often than not, simply plot devices.
I think the key thing is whether you like your character development subtle or heavy. You'd need to give me an example of what you feel is good character development I suppose. I mean, you list Sephiroth as having great character development yet I see him as having some of the worst character development. His development goes like this: Discovered what Hojo was doing and what this may have meant for himself, researched, changed from awesome fella to insane psychopath. For me, that's not what I call a dramatic development rather than a subtle development. While I like how Sephiroth changed and whatnot, I don't feel his development is better than that of Cloud, who goes through a few changes over the course of his life, some strong, some subtle.

Also, interesting that you give Aeris a 4 for character development but so many others less. Considering her short amount of time in the game, I can't think of much development that Aeris got at all. She was exactly the same in her attitude towards pretty much everything from start to finish (as I believe was intended).

Oh, opinion, what you do to us.
Aeris' development lies in the fact that she learns to accept her role, to let go, to stop being afraid. Her rating, I guess, is based on what's done with her character while she is on screen, relative to how much/little other characters develop with the time they are allotted.

Sephiroth's development makes sense. He is his own person. The pre-psychosis Sephiroth shows signs already of becoming post-psychosis Sephiroth. Clearly his story has its own flaws, but as far as FFVII goes, it's the most defined, and fits the character best.

THE MAJORITY OF CLOUD'S STORY ISN'T EVEN HIS OWN STORY. It's a great idea, a great PLOT DEVICE, to have his personality taken over by Zack's memories, but that doesn't make Cloud a well-developed character. He has no character. Even if he breaks through the barriers and retrieves his own memories and all that, it doesn't revert him back to a state where he is his own self. He may remember correctly now, but his personally is still infused with Zackness, and everything he does after that point can still be seen as merely what Zack would have done.

Subtle or heavy doesn't matter, as long as it fits, and as long as it's done well.

Good heavy character development: Ayla from Jean Auel's Earth's Children series.

Good heavy character development in a video game: GLaDOS, Kratos, Isaac Clarke, Andrew Ryan

Good heavy character development in a Final Fantasy: Celes, Shadow Lord, Cyan, Garnet/Dagger

Good subtle character development: Most any character in a Russian novel. Anna Karenina, Kostya Levin, Raskolnikov (though there are heavy aspects to his story), etc.

Good subtle character development in a video game: Garrett from Thief, Tim, Rucks (Bastion), Garrus (Mass Effect)

Good subtle character development in a Final Fantasy: Fran, Steiner, Wakka