Final Fantasy XII

grimloch

Just reading up on this and I'm after coming across a few things,

The battles are in real time like Vagrant story/Neverwinter nights, no more battle scenes and bling victory poses. There will be some command issuing i'm led to believe but it's not the random battles we all love, I think its like when you walk near a monster you ATB bar goes up and so forth.

A new type of magic appears to have been designed, green magic which contains status ailment jazz etc.

And rumour has it we're not going to recieve such a game till 2006 but i didn't look for confirmation on it and i wouldn't be surprised if its true.

OY

Links anyone? I am lazy and do not feel like looking myself.

grimloch

It was on some forum that I can't entirely remember, if I do I'll let you know.

Rhyme

Its also being made by the guy who created Final Fantasy Tactics, hence why its set in the Tactics world of Avalice... and apparently it is going be the first FF game with an openly homosexual character.

grimloch

Here's one off the aforementioned links, deals with the release date.

here

Citizen_Erased

So what you r saying is the locations wont even be the same to start with?

grimloch

Citizen_Erased wrote:

So what you r saying is the locations wont even be the same to start with?

Most likely my fault but, huh?

Citizen_Erased

Ryhme said it would be set in the same world as tactics.

grimloch

I recall them saying it was set in ivarice but giving a differnent view on the place and give a different version of the place. I've never played tactics so can't comment on what the world was like.

Citizen_Erased

Can I ask the simple question ? Has this at any point been officially refared to as a remake of 7? It seems to be a new game just with a similar character. I really dont think this is a remake anymore

Rhyme

...and also consider that some of the tactics-only species are in 12 too, the Bangaa (short stocky lizard guys with long noses) and the Viera (rabbit ladies)

EDIT: and the judges

grimloch

Citizen_Erased wrote:

Can I ask the simple question ? Has this at any point been officially refared to as a remake of 7? It seems to be a new game just with a similar character. I really dont think this is a remake anymore

No its not a remake of VII. I'm getting confused.

Citizen_Erased

I have been confused by stuff aswell. Right then , are we talking about the E3 videos with the cloud like character in them?

eDIT : KK , I THINK I AM UNCONFUSED NOW?

Rhyme

Unless its actually stated to be a remake, then its not... FF12 is Square-Enix trying to pimp off the concept of FF:T...

grimloch

Citizen_Erased wrote:

I have been confused by stuff aswell. Right then , are we talking about the E3 videos with the cloud like character in them?

eDIT : KK , I THINK I AM UNCONFUSED NOW?

What's going on here? We're talking about FFXII. What's this about Cloud?

Rhyme

Methinks he's referring to Vaan... he's more of a Tidus character to me but in this case Vaan doesnt talk as much and has a proper voice

Citizen_Erased

Nothing , Im a tard and I completely confused myself , dur , dur , dur , I'm going to play source , but with bots because I'm not feeling sociable right now.

And the cancelled top gear for womens football .. aargh

Crucifix

All this non-random battle talk is scaring me. Vagrant Story and FF tactics are all well and good, but I don't want FF12 to be Vagrant Tactics 2.

Rhyme

Crucifix wrote:

All this non-random battle talk is scaring me. Vagrant Story and FF tactics are all well and good, but I don't want FF12 to be Vagrant Tactics 2.

Sounds like Hobo wrestling to me... more like 'vague tactics' to me

grimloch

I'm not too keen on it myself at all.

Random battles annoyed me at times but i thought they were great, gave you all the time you wanted to choose and organise things and even gave you a victory pose when you won and a nice bit of music. Brilliant stuff altogether.

A few of the other things they're firing in should make up for it though, non random battles could always turn out fantastic though.

OY

I loved vagrant story! I am looking to buy it online when i next get paid.

But i do share your worry about the lack of random battles. Whatever you think about them, random battles are Final Fantasy. It is what the franchise has carried through from the beginning. I feel that if you take them away then the game should not be called Final Fantasy 12 but <insert new game title here>.

Final Fantasy = Random Battles + Chocobos + Mogs

grimloch

As reluctant as I am for the removal of the old random battles, it could well be pulled off successfully and might be okay.

I probalby won't be happy and will be back in 2006 saying they're crap but the game isn't really about the battles. The storyline is really what you're in it for.

Vokes

It seems to be a real-time/turn-based hybrid, mostly like Vagrant Story, in that you can pause the battle and issue commands against enemies, allies, etc... within your range of influence - definitely looking forward to it!

Active Dimension Battle (ADB)

grimloch

Thank you sofaking, i was looking for that link.

What i'm a little worried about if this character shielding business, seems like the front character is going to take all the beatings, which could be good and could also be quite bad.

It could be good from the point of view that your weaker characters get a bit of protection but could aslo mean your front and attacking character is going to spend half their time dead when fighting a hard enemy.

Vokes

But surely its not much different from previous games, where you'd have your sword wielding, melee characters in the front row, and your mages, range characters, etc.. in the back row.

grimloch

Melee characters can be pushed to the front in order to prevent the enemies from attacking the ranged characters shooting from behind.

This says that you back row characters aren't going to be hit at all and thus your front row attacker is going to get a constant bashing.

Rhyme

Its also the case (have to bring the Tactics stuff again) where your mages and other minority jobs are crap in every way except their speciality and the need to be protected. Swatting off enemies while Mont Blanc was charging up to blast the hell out of a boss in Tactics Advance was nail biting fror sure

grimloch

I'm under the impression thats its not just the mages that are in the back row this time round, the archers and so forth could probably take a little beating rather than maybe one guy taking it all.

As a matter of interest how many people did you have in your party at any given time?

Rhyme

I honestly dont remember, might have been up to 8 people moving about the screen at one time not including the enemies and the judge for that match.

A lot of the classes and jobs could defend themselves pretty well, but there were a few helpless little guys like the priest etc

grimloch

Well XII is only going to have 3 characters at any given time so this shielding thing could be very awkward indeed.

You may have for example 1 fighter, an archer and a white mage, and who gets all the beating? It will take some good work by square to pull this off well.

Rhyme

grimloch wrote:

You may have for example 1 fighter, an archer and a white mage, and who gets all the beating? It will take some good work by square to pull this off well.

They may go with the X-2 approach and let you change role mid battle... i just want the gambler, dragoon and the samurai

grimloch

That would be good, although the differnent races leads me to believe in racial strenghts and weaknesses.

I'd like a dragoon except he/she'd be likely to spen half his/her time up in the air thus leaving maybe tha back row open.

Changing roles would be very nice actually.

Crucifix

Rhyme wrote:

They may go with the X-2 approach and let you change role mid battle... i just want the gambler, dragoon and the samurai

I may have been misinformed, but I do believe the Dragoon knight was missing from X-2.

Niall - Dahlia wrote:

I'm all for the new enemy encounter system. I know random battles put alot of people off the series, people find it very frustrating and miss out on a great game, so I welcome it if it encourages people to play.

What I don't like the sound of is the real-time battles. I love turn-based! Much more tactical than any real-time system could ever be in my opinion. Have to say I'm a little worried FFXII won't "feel" like Final Fantasy. To me, long, tactical, turn-based battles are a major part of what makes a Final Fantasy game, won't be the same without it.

Yeah that's how I feel basically. It might be a great game (here's ****ing hoping), it just won't be a proper FF game.

grimloch

I may have been misinformed, but I do believe the Dragoon knight was missing from X-2.

I think rhyme was saying thet he/she'd like to have a changing role system like X-2 but would be good if they included a dragoon, I missed that fella from V I think.

Like I said before the battle system doesn't make a good game, the story does, it'll obvioulsy feel different but it might be good, we don't know.

I will of course remain pessimistic about the game because that way I won't be disappointed.

Rhyme

grimloch wrote:

I think rhyme was saying thet he/she'd like to have a changing role system like X-2 but would be good if they included a dragoon, I missed that fella from V I think.

Gareth! Whyyyyyyy!?

grimloch wrote:

Like I said before the battle system doesn't make a good game, the story does, it'll obvioulsy feel different but it might be good, we don't know.

True to a point, an amazingly emotional and moving game does get brownie points but smack an impenetrable battle system and you have an emotionally charged sh***fest.

grimloch wrote:

I will of course remain pessimistic about the game because that way I won't be disappointed.

As we all will

grimloch wrote:

rhyme was saying thet he/she'd

grimloch

True to a point, an amazingly emotional and moving game does get brownie points but smack an impenetrable battle system and you have an emotionally charged sh***fest.

That's true, a good battle system is nice but there's higher priorities. It will be interesting to see though, that can't be denied.

On another note of complaint the game looks a little colourful for my tastes, I always liked the dark atmosphere that was mirrored in the lighting in FFVII. All these colours remind me of X and the abomination that was X-2.

OY

grimloch wrote:

On another note of complaint the game looks a little colourful for my tastes, I always liked the dark atmosphere that was mirrored in the lighting in FFVII. All these colours remind me of X and the abomination that was X-2.

I agree with you! The screenshots do look like Final Fantasy X. And i think most FF fans prefer the darker tons of earlier games.

You used FF7 as your example but you have to take a look at what made 7 dark, the themes behind the game were the effects of industrialization, pollution and the safety of the planet. The 'greyness' of the game was because of this. Even the shimmering Gold Saucer was a smokescreen covering the wasteland below and its inhabitants.

In X you have much more spiritual themes. Huge emphasis put on the afterlife, but i do not think that 'pollution or industrialization' was an issue. Even the machines were generally 'clean' and never portrayed as pollutants to any huge entent. At the end of the day X was not an industrialized world.

I think that the only way to get that darker tones would be to set the story in an industrialized world. Which i do not think this one is. At least from the prologue there is no hint of it! Who knows though, there may be large cities involved.

PROLOGUE
A warrior takes sword in hand, holds a stone to chest
Disappearing memories carved onto the sword
Trained skills entrusted to the stone
The story is told by the sword and continued by the stone
Now, let that story be told...

That is the story of a world called Ivalice.

The strong military kingdom known as the Arcadia Empire
That rules the Valentia Continent,
And the Rosalia Empire that rules the Ordalia Continent
Have been continuously at war for long years.

In the midst of it, Arcadia Empire invaded the small kingdom of Dalmasca,
Positioned in the hallway between the two continents and thus is geopolitically important.

Under the invasion of the Arcadia Empire, the Dalmasca Kingdom accepted defeat.
But Ashe, the rightful heir to the trone of Dalmasca,
Joined the resistance army movements to fight against the empire.

The enemy's chase and attack of this girl with the liberation of her mother nation in heart is severe,
But, she can not be defeated.
At this moment, she meets the young man Vaan.
With this meeting, begins the change in Ashe's heart.

And thus...

The meeting of these two people will greatly change the story of this world.

- OY

grimloch

That prelogue sounds familiar for some reason, does sound quite intriguing. A bloody pity we won't see the thing for maybe a year.

grimloch

I believe people were looking for the FFXII trailer:

http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/finalfantasy12/media.html