posted
I remember back in the summer before I started middle school (summer 97) I had somehow come to acquire Final Fantasy III (also known as VI). Before that, all I had ever played was Super Mario/Donkey Kong Country games/Super Mario Kart/MegamanX. I didn't have any experience with RPGs or was any familiar with fantasy storytelling.
Anyway, that was the most intense gaming I've ever experienced. Everything in the game had the optimum impact on me, from the dreariness of the town of Narsh (where you start the game) to the single most epic moment of gaming at the midway point of the game (the onset of the World of Ruins.) The creatures, the towns, the music, the characters, the grand storytelling, the humor, the emotion -- all were splendid and brought together perfectly and I think it brought me to tears several times.
One thing I like about the game in retrospect is its art style and 2d graphics (which are very well done and don't look cheap.) It somehow engages the imagination more and allows the creators to get away with gaming mechanics and humor that don't seem to be compatible with 3D.
A year later I played FFVII and had nearly as a good a time. Squaresoft however lost me with FFVIII. By that point they had the infrastructure to churn out another FF title for the PS and (apparently) none of the eagerness and ambition to make another great title. All their subsequent titles followed this path.
I unfortunately missed out on "Chrono Trigger" in the late 90s. Maybe I'll get around to it one of those days on the DS...
Posts: 668 | Registered: Aug 2010
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posted
I've always found it confusing that people seem to hate 8 so much. To me 8 has always been the easiest one to re-play. The world is created well, with plenty of side areas and dungeons. I thought the characters were well done and advance significantly over the course of the game. The plot would (and probably has) make for a great book/movie with a few exceptions (mainly that i never bought the amnesia gimmick)
The game mechanics didnt really bother me, i rather enjoyed the junction system. Of course the menue is convoluted, confusing and really big. And spending hours drawing magic or playing cards for items to refine is annoying. Other than that i never really understood the ire it brought from people.
That being said i thought 9 was a much better game. It remains my favorite of the series and the last one that I considered "great".
Posts: 467 | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Hey, if anyone is still playing this, I'd like an update for when (.. if?) the game runs out of free months. The game's peak hours is down below 20,000 so I want to see what the census shows happening between the last day of free play and the first day of paid subscription play.
Posts: 15421 | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
I'll keep you updated. I logged in yesterday after about a month, and I will say I was fairly impressed by the changes they have made. The input lag and inventory lag has been resolved, and the UI has been improved drastically. They have also lowered the amount of SP and EXP needed to rank up.
I will probably play it for another week, but when Cataclysm lands I'll probably never boot it up again.
Posts: 1937 | Registered: Nov 2006
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quote:First of all, I would like to apologize for our inability to fully satisfy our users with the initial release of FINAL FANTASY XIV. I take full responsibility for the game's current situation, and have therefore made the decision to step down from my role as producer. A number of concerns that have been voiced by users, such as the design of the user interface, availability of tutorials and game content, and battle system functionality, represent key issues that must be addressed. While improvements are already well underway in many areas, we were unfortunately not able to incorporate player feedback as quickly as we would have liked. We are aware, however, that in many cases, addressing these issues will call for a reworking of game elements. As these changes are our first priority, they will be commanding our full attention and efforts. It is to that end that we have put a new organizational structure into place for the development team. Under this new system, FINAL FANTASY XIV will see changes and additions in line with the desires and expectations of players. Though no longer producer, I will be continuing to support the development team in other capacities, and personally hope that you will continue your adventures in the realm of Eorzea.
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