They could've at least hinted at Ultimecia's presence in some way throughout the course of the game. Seeing her in split-second frame-long flashes when talking with certain characters would have been something simple and mysterious, and then made it so much more interesting when you roll up on the fight against her and you're like "SHE'S BEEN SCREWING WITH ME THE WHOLE TIME!" Wouldn't have to be anything obvious like she appears right beside certain characters or anything, just things like she flashes by in the backgrounds of groups or in odd locations, but ONLY when certain characters are part of the scene.
Considering that her plan was to basically destroy time to rule reality, we really should've gotten to see some more stuff from her before she actually appears. That's a pretty gnarly plan from a nasty boss to just keep tucked away the whole game.
It's been a while since I played ff8, and I've played it several times, and it's my favorite in the series, so my perspective on this is likely skewed toward positive, but I thought most major plot details, including Ultimecia, were explained as part of the critical path. Like all the stuff with Ellone, time compression, consciousness projection, the succession of witches, and all that being more or less laid out for the player.
But I don't remember for sure, and it's all in my brain now anyway.
FF8 had an awful lot of "tell, don't show" that my dumbass adolescent self could not grasp at the time and found super boring. I replayed it now and the game moved from worst FF ever to fairly enjoyable if deeply flawed and obviously rushed. Given their target demographic at the time though I think its a miss to not beat the audience over the head with at least a flashy surface plot drawn by big, obvious graphics that is easier to follow. FF7 had its finer points like Sephiroth mind controlling with Jenova's cells, but it also had an entire sector plate drop and a big fucking meteor falling towards earth, and I think that has a lot to do with the impact it made at the time.
+1
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DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
edited May 2019
FF8 is still my fav. Warts and all.
It's got so many issues but I love that world so much. The design of the world and the characters. The GFs. Of my god I want so badly to have big crazy summons and a huge number of them again in modern graphics. That would be so amazing. Hidden optional summons is so cool. Have them give various passive effects makes them more interesting than just casting them. So many cool things.
I only played 8 once ever. I invested a lot of time into it, did practically everything there was to do. And I dearly wish they could find a way to re-release that one on modern consoles.
It wasn't a bad experience. In fact, I'd say I liked it a lot. But also when I got to the end and saw the big plot reveal about how like everything was all super connected in the most contrived coincidence ever, I gave it a pretty epic Liz Lemon eye roll.
As badly rushed in many respects as the original PC release of Final Fantasy VII was, VIII was somehow worse in terms of quality-of-life issues, UI, and more (and it really showed up in reviews, because frankly VII had its share of issues too). How is a mystery, though considered apparently what's happened to the VIII original code, I guess that's no surprise.
And seeing Squall grow from an introvert who was afraid to deal with people to finally accepting people in his life is still pretty awesome to me. Finally seeing him smile in the end was the best. That game is still my favorite. If they ever do a remake, I hope they smooth out the difficulty curve and the whole Junction system. It's too easy to break and you have to go out of your way to learn how to take advantage of how many customization options there really are. And giving Squall no chance to miss even with Blind was a dumb decision.
It's been a while since I played ff8, and I've played it several times, and it's my favorite in the series, so my perspective on this is likely skewed toward positive, but I thought most major plot details, including Ultimecia, were explained as part of the critical path. Like all the stuff with Ellone, time compression, consciousness projection, the succession of witches, and all that being more or less laid out for the player.
But I don't remember for sure, and it's all in my brain now anyway.
I think it was explained okay... The main problem I had with it was a lack of focus. Important things are introduced (like Ellone) only to be largely ignored for about half the game. There are interesting ideas just under the surface, but they're barely fleshed out.
That, and there are real life gunblades that were used in the...16th century? (Edit: 17th-18th century) They had both hunting (pistol swords for hunting boar and the like) and military uses.
In the upcoming XIV expansion there's a new tank job called Gunbreaker. It uses a gunblade as its weapon.
I know, but I have a bad case of tankxiety. I barely got my DRK to 70 and that's mostly because they've got the best job story in the game.
Oh, I hear you. I started off as a tank (PLD -> DRK), but I'm a really casual player, and I hate how uptight some people get when you're not doing raid rotations when clearing out 4-person content. SAM has been a lot easier since there's no real responsibility, and it does enough spike damage where I'm generally 2nd on the aggro list even if I'm not playing 100% efficiently all the time. But, yeah, DRK really has the best story.
joshgotroDeviled EggThe Land of REAL CHILIRegistered Userregular
I never used the Morph Materia in VII. I turned everything into cards in VIII. I spent so much time drawing magic. I spent so much time not doing anything story related in VIII.
Yeah, Sony's cross platform stance always seemed to be the biggest sticking point. If they're relaxing that then it seems like it's only a matter of time.
tbh I would not be surprised if they announced FF14 soon for Xbox.
Sony would throw a fit
I assume this is why XIV isn't on Xbox One--a contractual agreement with Sony. I suppose this could extend to Nintendo, but the technological limitations probably rule that out too.
Which is a perfectly reasonable thing for Sony to do. I assume Microsoft had an agreement of some kind with Square-Enix that kept FFXI on Xbox 360...and not get a proper PS3 launch (despite being on the PS2 and PC), but I honestly don't know. The difference between the XB1 and PS4 (unlike the Switch) really isn't big enough to be the cause, and Xbox has a current generation MMORPG (Black Desert) not to mention a huge amount of online infrastructure in Microsoft (some part of XIV probably runs on licensed Microsoft servers).
It's nice to see that XIV has come into its own after the catastrophe that was its first launch, and it'd be great to see it on Xbox, but it's not something I'm particularly envious (and unlike Spiderman or God of War, you really don't hear the same kind of envy/clamoring for it from the community).
XIV isn't on xbox for Microsoft reasons. That's been stated by the devs multiple times in the past. I think patch/update validation is one of the big reasons.
And seeing Squall grow from an introvert who was afraid to deal with people to finally accepting people in his life is still pretty awesome to me. Finally seeing him smile in the end was the best. That game is still my favorite. If they ever do a remake, I hope they smooth out the difficulty curve and the whole Junction system. It's too easy to break and you have to go out of your way to learn how to take advantage of how many customization options there really are. And giving Squall no chance to miss even with Blind was a dumb decision.
Squall is a good example of someone with depression and unresolved trauma. His way of compartmentalizing things, protecting himself by being distant, his outlook on characters, etc. was really well done when looked through that lens. I don’t think all of it has aged well, but overall I think it’s done well.
VIII is one of the only games I've ever willingly done a "low level run" of, or at least one of the first. Well mostly. I went through almost the entire game until you got Cactuar and its +stats per level bonuses. And then I just got everybody jacked to kingdom come, so that even a basic Cure would give them max stats.
Funnily enough, with the level scaling the game does, it was actually a whole lot easier than playing normally. Bosses I remembered being nightmares my first time through were cakewalks. The only real "trick" was figuring a way to get through the smattering of forced encounters without earning exp and levels.
"The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
I played it a couple of years back...and this is probably nostalgia and my insecurities/depression speaking but I think it holds up well. It's funny, one of my friends (who according to him has never suffered from depression) still can't relate to how Squall acts but man oh man, I still relate a lot to how he behaves during Disc 1-2. I think the way he bluntly answers (talk to a wall Quistis why do you need to talk to me) or how he questions why do people look him up are spot on. The inner dialogue is pretty great too and (even though they don't flesh out the cast a lot) I always love how they contrast against Squall's outlook on life like when they first experience Laguna's past.
That, and there are real life gunblades that were used in the...16th century? (Edit: 17th-18th century) They had both hunting (pistol swords for hunting boar and the like) and military uses.
I'm surprised more fantasy games haven't latched on to pistol swords as weapons.
The difference is those pistol swords are literally a pistol in the sword hilt. The Gunblade is a blasting cap that pushes the blade further into the enemy.
Which just seems like a good way to break your wrist but whatever.
Well, yeah, they gotta anime up the pistol swords into gunblades.
Also, why stop at gunblades? There are so many other gunXweapons out there. Gunswords, flintlock axes, pepperbox knuckledusters (brass knuckles with a short range shotgun that blasts off with the landed punch), things like King Henry VIII's walking staff (a walking staff that's also a mace that also has three hidden pistols in it).
I know that Fallout: New Vegas had fist weapons similar to the pepperbox knuckledusters but more games need these weird awesome weapons.
Well, yeah, they gotta anime up the pistol swords into gunblades.
Also, why stop at gunblades? There are so many other gunXweapons out there. Gunswords, flintlock axes, pepperbox knuckledusters (brass knuckles with a short range shotgun that blasts off with the landed punch), things like King Henry VIII's walking staff (a walking staff that's also a mace that also has three hidden pistols in it).
I know that Fallout: New Vegas had fist weapons similar to the pepperbox knuckledusters but more games need these weird awesome weapons.
Oh, those other gun-X weapons are all already in XIV. Gun-sword, gun-daggers, gun-hammer... Players just don't get to use them.
XIV isn't on xbox for Microsoft reasons. That's been stated by the devs multiple times in the past. I think patch/update validation is one of the big reasons.
I'd be very surprised if the playstation patch validation process was any less onerous
That, and there are real life gunblades that were used in the...16th century? (Edit: 17th-18th century) They had both hunting (pistol swords for hunting boar and the like) and military uses.
I'm surprised more fantasy games haven't latched on to pistol swords as weapons.
The difference is those pistol swords are literally a pistol in the sword hilt. The Gunblade is a blasting cap that pushes the blade further into the enemy.
Which just seems like a good way to break your wrist but whatever.
no it makes the blade vibrate... or it... makes an explosion... or... look just don't think about how gunblades work
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Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
It's been a while since I played ff8, and I've played it several times, and it's my favorite in the series, so my perspective on this is likely skewed toward positive, but I thought most major plot details, including Ultimecia, were explained as part of the critical path. Like all the stuff with Ellone, time compression, consciousness projection, the succession of witches, and all that being more or less laid out for the player.
But I don't remember for sure, and it's all in my brain now anyway.
The game definitely lays out exactly why there's a Sorceress every generation that is Bad News (I don't remember if they actually say the name Ultimecia, but people like Cid absolutely know for sure that Ultimecia exists because he explicitly explains that the Gardens were made to build an army for a future fight against Ultimecia). And it also lays out how it will be impossible to stop her from screwing with time until somebody goes to her time and faces her, which is why Ultimecia's castle has SeeD soldiers from Gardens you've never seen (those Gardens don't exist yet).
It is, however, mostly laid out in a fairly large exposition dump, which I'm pretty sure also covers that Guardian Forces grant their power essentially at the cost of brain damage (memory loss), the fact that much of the gang actually lived in the same orphanage as kids (but don't remember it), Edea ran orphanage (but nobody remembers her because of the brain damage), why the Gardens exist, and it all takes place in a specific location which is notable from the very beginning intro video and is important in the video after Ultimecia is killed as well.
The exposition dump doesn't really bother me, but the game keeps the player in the dark for a LONG time in terms of who they've actually been fighting. I actually like that, however, because it makes an FF story that subverts it's own trope of revealing your big bad guy for the game. The person you think is the enemy is actually a victim, and then you spend a while unraveling what the hell is going on while trying to protect your own people and essentially opposing the world's nations (who have an incomplete understanding of the situation). And then, after dozens of hours, you find out that your enemy is in another castle (in another part of time) and has not only been fucking with your lives, but also with the lives of most of the people on the planet for generation upon generation.
Could've been handled more elegantly overall, but it does give the player a nice big "so THAT'S why the world is so screwy" moment as they put together the Sorceress stuff with why they just can't seem to get ahead of things. They actually have been fighting the "real" enemy the whole time, they just didn't know that enemy has a reach that hasn't actually been limited to one person.
+5
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knitdanIn ur baseKillin ur guysRegistered Userregular
So I’m downloading FfXII: the zodiac age on my Switch
I’m fine learning how to do the job stuff on my own but should I watch out for anything like the infamous zodiac spear BS from the original version? I understand they got rid of the ridiculous requirements to get it in favor of other requirements that are still difficult but not ridiculous
“I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
XIV isn't on xbox for Microsoft reasons. That's been stated by the devs multiple times in the past. I think patch/update validation is one of the big reasons.
I'd be very surprised if the playstation patch validation process was any less onerous
They don't follow the patch validation process for XIV. Sony gave them an exception for XIV and Microsoft would not.
Ninja Snarl PMy helmet is my burden.Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered Userregular
edited May 2019
Also, imagine what random encounters are like for Ultimecia. Here you are in your time castle, possessing people and setting things up to take over the world. Random people fight you, you lay waste to them with super-magic. Every now and again, summon an assload of monsters for funsies. Then you hit this one stretch where like 80% of your random encounters these fucking plucky teens out of nowhere, who keep busting up your shit. You don't really know who they are, but they really are ruining your plans. Then you get past them, things seem pretty good for a while, then BAM, giant all-out invasion of Gardens from across time. Just smashing up all your shit in your fancy-ass time castle.
And who kicks in the door to your private chamber? THOSE FUCKING KIDS AGAIN HOW ARE THEY EVEN HERE?!
XIV isn't on xbox for Microsoft reasons. That's been stated by the devs multiple times in the past. I think patch/update validation is one of the big reasons.
I'd be very surprised if the playstation patch validation process was any less onerous
They don't follow the patch validation process for XIV. Sony gave them an exception for XIV and Microsoft would not.
There's also a bunch of interviews where he mentions cross platform play being a requirement as well. Until recently that's been a Sony imposed barrier.
So I’m downloading FfXII: the zodiac age on my Switch
I’m fine learning how to do the job stuff on my own but should I watch out for anything like the infamous zodiac spear BS from the original version? I understand they got rid of the ridiculous requirements to get it in favor of other requirements that are still difficult but not ridiculous
I would google "FFXII Zodiac Age missables," there are a lot of topics on the subject. There are very few but depending on how much you care, a couple things here and there, mostly little story things you could miss, like helping a bangaa deliver a package at the beginning of the game for no reward.
So I’m downloading FfXII: the zodiac age on my Switch
I’m fine learning how to do the job stuff on my own but should I watch out for anything like the infamous zodiac spear BS from the original version? I understand they got rid of the ridiculous requirements to get it in favor of other requirements that are still difficult but not ridiculous
The Zodiac spear is no longer found in a certain chest that vanishes if you open certain other chests. That's been explicitly removed. It's now unlocked through the bangaa bros hunt club quest in Phon Coast.
It's still technically missable! But you'd actually need to put in a lot of effort to make it so.
If you're interested in "crafting" other ultimate weapons, I suggest you look into what hunting board/rare monsters have the stealable loot you want, as a lot of them die permanently after being killed and stealing from them is the easiest way to get a lot of materials
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That would have been cool yeah.
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But I don't remember for sure, and it's all in my brain now anyway.
It's got so many issues but I love that world so much. The design of the world and the characters. The GFs. Of my god I want so badly to have big crazy summons and a huge number of them again in modern graphics. That would be so amazing. Hidden optional summons is so cool. Have them give various passive effects makes them more interesting than just casting them. So many cool things.
It wasn't a bad experience. In fact, I'd say I liked it a lot. But also when I got to the end and saw the big plot reveal about how like everything was all super connected in the most contrived coincidence ever, I gave it a pretty epic Liz Lemon eye roll.
I think it was explained okay... The main problem I had with it was a lack of focus. Important things are introduced (like Ellone) only to be largely ignored for about half the game. There are interesting ideas just under the surface, but they're barely fleshed out.
Gunblades are the coolest weapon.
This. It takes place during the Sorceress War, right? It seems like it's an era that should be fleshed out more.
In the upcoming XIV expansion there's a new tank job called Gunbreaker. It uses a gunblade as its weapon.
I know, but I have a bad case of tankxiety. I barely got my DRK to 70 and that's mostly because they've got the best job story in the game.
That, and there are real life gunblades that were used in the...16th century? (Edit: 17th-18th century) They had both hunting (pistol swords for hunting boar and the like) and military uses.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pistol_sword
I'm surprised more fantasy games haven't latched on to pistol swords as weapons.
Oh, I hear you. I started off as a tank (PLD -> DRK), but I'm a really casual player, and I hate how uptight some people get when you're not doing raid rotations when clearing out 4-person content. SAM has been a lot easier since there's no real responsibility, and it does enough spike damage where I'm generally 2nd on the aggro list even if I'm not playing 100% efficiently all the time. But, yeah, DRK really has the best story.
I don't think I've ever been both so happy and angry that XIV isn't available on the One.
Sony would throw a fit
3DS: 0473-8507-2652
Switch: SW-5185-4991-5118
PSN: AbEntropy
Right, but they don't mind crossplay with PC. It's anyone else they don't want (as long as they're on top).
3DS: 0473-8507-2652
Switch: SW-5185-4991-5118
PSN: AbEntropy
I assume this is why XIV isn't on Xbox One--a contractual agreement with Sony. I suppose this could extend to Nintendo, but the technological limitations probably rule that out too.
Which is a perfectly reasonable thing for Sony to do. I assume Microsoft had an agreement of some kind with Square-Enix that kept FFXI on Xbox 360...and not get a proper PS3 launch (despite being on the PS2 and PC), but I honestly don't know. The difference between the XB1 and PS4 (unlike the Switch) really isn't big enough to be the cause, and Xbox has a current generation MMORPG (Black Desert) not to mention a huge amount of online infrastructure in Microsoft (some part of XIV probably runs on licensed Microsoft servers).
It's nice to see that XIV has come into its own after the catastrophe that was its first launch, and it'd be great to see it on Xbox, but it's not something I'm particularly envious (and unlike Spiderman or God of War, you really don't hear the same kind of envy/clamoring for it from the community).
Squall is a good example of someone with depression and unresolved trauma. His way of compartmentalizing things, protecting himself by being distant, his outlook on characters, etc. was really well done when looked through that lens. I don’t think all of it has aged well, but overall I think it’s done well.
Funnily enough, with the level scaling the game does, it was actually a whole lot easier than playing normally. Bosses I remembered being nightmares my first time through were cakewalks. The only real "trick" was figuring a way to get through the smattering of forced encounters without earning exp and levels.
The difference is those pistol swords are literally a pistol in the sword hilt. The Gunblade is a blasting cap that pushes the blade further into the enemy.
Which just seems like a good way to break your wrist but whatever.
Also, why stop at gunblades? There are so many other gunXweapons out there. Gunswords, flintlock axes, pepperbox knuckledusters (brass knuckles with a short range shotgun that blasts off with the landed punch), things like King Henry VIII's walking staff (a walking staff that's also a mace that also has three hidden pistols in it).
I know that Fallout: New Vegas had fist weapons similar to the pepperbox knuckledusters but more games need these weird awesome weapons.
Oh, those other gun-X weapons are all already in XIV. Gun-sword, gun-daggers, gun-hammer... Players just don't get to use them.
3DS: 0473-8507-2652
Switch: SW-5185-4991-5118
PSN: AbEntropy
I'd be very surprised if the playstation patch validation process was any less onerous
no it makes the blade vibrate... or it... makes an explosion... or... look just don't think about how gunblades work
The game definitely lays out exactly why there's a Sorceress every generation that is Bad News (I don't remember if they actually say the name Ultimecia, but people like Cid absolutely know for sure that Ultimecia exists because he explicitly explains that the Gardens were made to build an army for a future fight against Ultimecia). And it also lays out how it will be impossible to stop her from screwing with time until somebody goes to her time and faces her, which is why Ultimecia's castle has SeeD soldiers from Gardens you've never seen (those Gardens don't exist yet).
It is, however, mostly laid out in a fairly large exposition dump, which I'm pretty sure also covers that Guardian Forces grant their power essentially at the cost of brain damage (memory loss), the fact that much of the gang actually lived in the same orphanage as kids (but don't remember it), Edea ran orphanage (but nobody remembers her because of the brain damage), why the Gardens exist, and it all takes place in a specific location which is notable from the very beginning intro video and is important in the video after Ultimecia is killed as well.
The exposition dump doesn't really bother me, but the game keeps the player in the dark for a LONG time in terms of who they've actually been fighting. I actually like that, however, because it makes an FF story that subverts it's own trope of revealing your big bad guy for the game. The person you think is the enemy is actually a victim, and then you spend a while unraveling what the hell is going on while trying to protect your own people and essentially opposing the world's nations (who have an incomplete understanding of the situation). And then, after dozens of hours, you find out that your enemy is in another castle (in another part of time) and has not only been fucking with your lives, but also with the lives of most of the people on the planet for generation upon generation.
Could've been handled more elegantly overall, but it does give the player a nice big "so THAT'S why the world is so screwy" moment as they put together the Sorceress stuff with why they just can't seem to get ahead of things. They actually have been fighting the "real" enemy the whole time, they just didn't know that enemy has a reach that hasn't actually been limited to one person.
I’m fine learning how to do the job stuff on my own but should I watch out for anything like the infamous zodiac spear BS from the original version? I understand they got rid of the ridiculous requirements to get it in favor of other requirements that are still difficult but not ridiculous
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
They don't follow the patch validation process for XIV. Sony gave them an exception for XIV and Microsoft would not.
And who kicks in the door to your private chamber? THOSE FUCKING KIDS AGAIN HOW ARE THEY EVEN HERE?!
There's also a bunch of interviews where he mentions cross platform play being a requirement as well. Until recently that's been a Sony imposed barrier.
I would google "FFXII Zodiac Age missables," there are a lot of topics on the subject. There are very few but depending on how much you care, a couple things here and there, mostly little story things you could miss, like helping a bangaa deliver a package at the beginning of the game for no reward.
The Zodiac spear is no longer found in a certain chest that vanishes if you open certain other chests. That's been explicitly removed. It's now unlocked through the bangaa bros hunt club quest in Phon Coast.
It's still technically missable! But you'd actually need to put in a lot of effort to make it so.
If you're interested in "crafting" other ultimate weapons, I suggest you look into what hunting board/rare monsters have the stealable loot you want, as a lot of them die permanently after being killed and stealing from them is the easiest way to get a lot of materials