Final Fantasy...

[narudude1996]

I don't see what the big draw is on the series or on turn-based RPGs in general... I mean... all you do is hit buttons like attack or use magic or heal... without actually controlling the characters... you're really just giving them helpful suggestions. Could someone please explain why turn-based RPGs are so damn popular?

[Cootie]

They normally have an actual world in which characters interact, and the fact that leveling up and seeing your characters grow is pretty fun and addictive.

[scetch00]

It just is.

I prefer the Tactics series aside from the main series sometimes.

[xXDathDalerXx]

At 3/2/09 09:36 PM, narudude1996 wrote:

:Could someone please explain why turn-based RPGs are so damn popular?

story element...the fighting is just a side diversion

[Jercurpac]

There's a certain level of strategy to it. You can't just set every character to attack and win a battle and in a good turn-based RPG you shouldn't be able to fall into the same pattern of attacks for every enemy that walks across your path.

[Jagos]

At 3/2/09 09:36 PM, narudude1996 wrote:

:Could someone please explain why turn-based RPGs are so damn popular?

You've never liked Chess?

Kinda something along those lines.

[KartoTolmex]

An RPG takes more input from a player than an FPS, and they seem to be doing alright.

The better RPGs are very engaging, the battles require a lot of thought and strategy, plus pre-fights there is a lot planning in terms of purchasing/equipping certain things.

This is extension provides the effort/reward situation which most gamers play games for. When there's a goal to strive for you put more effort in to get to it, and RPGs I find have the greatest system in that sense.

Plus it is a game type where you can immerse yourself in the world, which is the whole point of games - escapism.

[DroopyA]

The same could be said about any game....

RPGs excell in places other games fail. Where as Gears of War has a shit story and requires you to do little more then rack up Head-Shots, Final Fantasy requires zero skill and emmersses you in a wonderful in-depth story full of character development and plot twists.

Also, humans ore obsessive about collecting things... like gear, orbs, powerups, character levels... RPGs fill this strange desire. Gotta Catch 'em All type of mentaillity.

Basically: Diffrent things for diffrent people.

On a personal note, I love playing the occassional RPG because of it's lack of skill... every once in a while it's nice to know that in this game... you don't have to do anything but sit back and enjoy the ride.

[FurryFox]

At 3/2/09 09:36 PM, narudude1996 wrote: Could someone please explain why turn-based RPGs are so damn popular?

Because it makes you think real hard.

The first Final Fantasy I ever played was VIII. I loved it, I still do love it, for it's story and style firstly. I had never played a game before that featured at least half-realistic characters facing problems largely of their own. For a long time, I always used to say, "I don't like romance stories, unless it's that of Final Fantasy VIII."

As for the style, just about every game I had ever played featured a strict line of events that must be followed. Nothing wrong with that, some of the greatest video games do that, and Final Fantasy does obvious have one clear-cut storyline. However, for one of the first times (if not the first), I could go and talk to completely irrelevant characters, do some pointless crap. One of the characters, for example, likes hot dogs, but the cafeteria never has any left when he gets there. It's not important at all, apart as a set up to some light humour, but it was strange, for me anyway.

Of course, I later got VII, IX and X too, all of which are great too (though I think IX is weaker; I hear it's more like the originals? It also had a notoriously bad strategy guide, a must for Final Fantasy!). They all had their own reasons that had me playing. I don't know how you guys feel, but... Blitzball! Seriously, that crazy sport in X... I was addicted. I actually spent time creating an amazing team, just to beat everyone else 7-0 or something every time. And that was a side-quest/minigame. All Final Fantasies had numerous amounts of them.

Sure, the battle system got frustrating at times, at least for me. It was still pretty unique though, and compared with the amount of time I spent doing random shit, I wasn't fighting monsters or bosses all that much.

Oh, and Nobuo Uematsu is a great composer :)

[Jackho]

dont ask stupid questions

just because...

[dajudge]

Gotta agree with Scarab on some stuff, although I don't thing IX is anything like the originals (Although, I haven't played IX in years...) Since it had awesome characters like Vivi, Steiner, Kuja... FF1 had 4 mute warriors... No backstory at all except they were travellers destined to save the world... FF3 had some development, yeah, but the characters weren't likable... FF4 is probably closer to 9 in terms of good characters.

Story... The earlier games seem to revolve heavily around Crystals... But they at least had a different story for each one. 9 Didn't revolve around Crystals as I recall, but Magic and Eidolons.

I Wish I had 9 again...

At 3/3/09 01:19 PM, dajudge wrote: I Wish I had 9 again...

I'll probably be cracking out later now that I've been reading this thread. I needed large amounts of time to get through Final Fantasy, and I don't have the time I once had. The same goes for video games as a whole really, but I really do miss playing Final Fantasy in particular for the reasons above.

I've never actually played anyone of the pre-VII ones, so I can't speak on that. All I remember reading is a statement from Squaresoft detailing IX to be more like the older ones in style. Since I started out with VIII, and then VII, I sense a real difference in IX.

That doesn't make it bad at all though. I was addicted in particular to the auction house and the card tournament palace. Both of them were in the same city too, so that was cool.

[MasterBalls]

I don't see the fun in a series that's really difficult for no particular reason.

[narudude1996]

there's one turn based RPG that was fun for me. for some strange reason, I've hated all turn-based RPG's except for one. Final Fantasy 7. It bored me... but I kept playing... I loved the story. I felt like it was an interactive book. and I couldn't put it down... other than that... I've never found a TBRPG's story to be that interesting.

[ExodusHogoromo]

Speaking of Final Fantasy, who here plays FFXI (the MMO)? I'll be honest and admit that I've played that game since it's NA release. =)

Always tough to find other people in random non-FFXI forums that play that game since it's all about WoW (not a bad game, just not my cup of tea.)

[jordannz]

At 3/3/09 04:17 PM, ExodusHogoromo wrote: Speaking of Final Fantasy, who here plays FFXI (the MMO)? I'll be honest and admit that I've played that game since it's NA release. =)

Always tough to find other people in random non-FFXI forums that play that game since it's all about WoW (not a bad game, just not my cup of tea.)

heeeeeey is FF11 fun? cuz like i know like no one who plays it and i want to know if its good or not. is it fun???

[Punkboyben]

People enjoy the strategy that comes with turn based battles, judging from your name i'd guess that you're a Naruto fan. It's like how Shikamaru likes to play board gamnes like Shogi and Go, get it? Also people enjoy the storyline in most RPGs, the Final Fantasy series always has addictive storylines with loveable characters and fantastic plot twists.

Then you have stat whores, well that's obvious really...

[KeithHybrid]

I, myself, prefer more action-oriented RPGs, like Zelda, Rogue Galaxy, and Phantasy Star Online. They combine the strategic element of turn-based RPGs with the need to stay on your feet and work your reflexes in action games.

But turn-based RPGs are great, too, in particular the original Phantasy Star tetroligy.

Final Fantasy can eat it. :)

[knuxrouge]

At 3/3/09 10:38 AM, DroopyA wrote: The same could be said about any game....

Not really.
Racing games are straight forward, most shooting games just require good placing, aim and ammo count, there is a difference between strategy and going with the flow, which is what a lot of other games have going for them, you don't stop and think up a plan when the chips are down in Gears of War, you take cover and shoot.
Vomiting with strategic intuition, I must say.

RPGs excell in places other games fail. Where as Gears of War has a shit story and requires you to do little more then rack up Head-Shots, Final Fantasy requires zero skill and emmersses you in a wonderful in-depth story full of character development and plot twists.

Final Fantasy does require skill, just not the skill that one would need to head shoot a person who is roadie running with an active charge.
Thinking and executing a viable strategy to win when your foe is clearly superior to you is a degree of skill whether or not you accept it.

Also, humans ore obsessive about collecting things.

Like achievements? Or consecutive kills without dying?

Basically: Diffrent things for diffrent people.

Like every other genre of gaming?

On a personal note, I love playing the occassional RPG because of it's lack of skill... every once in a while it's nice to know that in this game... you don't have to do anything but sit back and enjoy the ride.

Not all rpgs are turn based, and not all rpgs are easy, in fact more of the recent ones are really hard.
In fact, the old ones were hard too.

You play and beat Lufia and come back and tell me that rpgs require no skill.