Character Development

Saints&Storms

Saints&Storms

Don't make the mountain your enemy
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Did anyone else feel like this game lacked some Character Development? I mean usually that doesn't happen in a Final Fantasy game, but this game just left a lot of dialogue out; and we ended up barely knowing the characters, save for Penelo and Vaan.:gonk:

I was left feeling a little clueless to these characters though, maybe its just me but it irked me, because I really liked this game.
 
I noticed this too and it made me feel as if I had been cheated out of my money for a false FF game. It actually made me not want to buy any games after it but FFXIII proved too good too not buy >.<.

But as you said the only characters that really had any light shed on their histories etc. where Vaan and Penelo. I can understand the light being shed on Vaan but penelo to be the only other character to have light shed on them is kinda crap in my opinion. :/

.FTR.
 
When I played it I think I thought the same as well. However this may be because my playthrough was disrupted. (I decided not to play it for several months as I had my final year uni exams to study for!) But I plan to play it through again soon and maybe I will be more satisfied.

But it took me a while into the game to realise that the storyline had actually started. I kept thinking it was the prologue for what was about to happen before realising that the story was it. And there wasn't much further you could take some of the characters.
 
Of course it lacked character developement.
Probably because Matsuno had left.
After the tour deforce that is FF tactics I was expecting more of the same and was sorely disappointed.
It's defenders say that doesn't matter.
They love the game anyway..and that is their right.

shrugs.

My least favorite numbered FF game.
 
It's not so much that they've left some dialogue out, more like they were rather complacent in trying to give the characters enough individual exploration through sidestories - and a chance for the player to see them more as being individuals. Even then when they try and squeeze some sidestories in, there's still very little indication of much character development with virtually all of them. By the end of the game, it's certainly the case as I have found that with characters such as Ashe, you can hardly see much in her that was not there at the beginning of the game. I personally rather enjoyed the fresh kind of storyline in this game, although it's really not difficult to see by the end that the characters mainly remain stagnant despite everything they have gone through. It makes up for it with a rather decent cast, bar Vaan, who kind of mocks the position of leading protagonist.
 
Yeah it did.

I blame it on the fact that none of the Character's had a set job, so it was hardly for them to have any sort of actual background. I would have loved this game alot more if it had featured jobs and had a background story.
 
I felt this way too (I feel betrayed by the way, Baby Doll. I thought we were rabids together T.T), but, on a second playthrough I payed attention a lot more.

Like noticing Vaan and Penelo fighting in the background and stuff like that. But yet, no matter what else I said in a second play through, the most developed characters in the games were Vaan, Penelo, Larsa :-)33), Gabranth and Al-Cid. And maybe even Yoda, er, I mean Dalan.

But I think the others had a pretty decent development. xD
 
I suppose it boils down to personal taste, but I had no problem with the character development in FF12. It was a refreshing change of pace in both gameplay and story telling. It wasn't as 'in your face' as earlier titles, and took a more serious stance.

Though I'm biased due to loving Ivalice as a setting thanks to FF Tactics and Vagrant Story.
 
A large part of the problem with this game is that you are introduced to this diverse cast of characters that have great potential for growth...and then they are mostly ignored for the remainder of the game.

You get a couple of little morsels about each character's story, like how Balthier
was Cid's son and a former Judge
and how Basch
was Gabranth's twin brother
but beyond that...nothing. What was Penelo's deal, anyway? :gasp:

If a game is going to have a broad cast of characters, they should deign to thoroughly develop them, or the game's overall story will fall flat (which this one did).
 
Ayumi Hamasaki said:
Yeah it did.

I blame it on the fact that none of the Character's had a set job, so it was hardly for them to have any sort of actual background. I would have loved this game alot more if it had featured jobs and had a background story.
Click to expand...

That doesn't really make any sense.
FFVII & FFVIII didn't have set job classes either, so did they lack character development as well?

Anyway, it's a common criticism of FFXII, but one that I feel is unjustified. It's a victim of its own understated writing really, because the character commentaries weren't spoonfed to the audience. Ashe, Basch, Fran and Balthier were all given exposition through the story. Vaan & Penelo had less overall significance in the grand scheme of things, but they were more of the 'everyman' foil, from which the audience can view events from a level perspective.
 
masamune20xx said:
That doesn't really make any sense.
FFVII & FFVIII didn't have set job classes either, so did they lack character development as well?

Anyway, it's a common criticism of FFXII, but one that I feel is unjustified. It's a victim of its own understated writing really, because the character commentaries weren't spoonfed to the audience. Ashe, Basch, Fran and Balthier were all given exposition through the story. Vaan & Penelo had less overall significance in the grand scheme of things, but they were more of the 'everyman' foil, from which the audience can view events from a level perspective.
Click to expand...

Even in FFVII and FFVIII they had set jobs that you could give them really you know. Especially VII, Cloud was a warrior, Barret a gunman, Aerith a white mage, etc etc.

In FFVIII they were all supposed to be trained to be able to multitask, and the story line dealt with them being able to junction commands by saying that it was the GFs.

In FFXII you have the license board that really doesn't factor into the story at all, and just makes them all a bit too cookie cutter.
 
Ayumi Hamasaki said:
In FFXII you have the license board that really doesn't factor into the story at all, and just makes them all a bit too cookie cutter.
Click to expand...

That's a gameplay issue. It has no relevance to the plot or character development.

We did learn about the characters in FFXII, we found out about their pasts and what made them tick. The lack of defined job roles had no effect on that.
 
masamune20xx said:
That's a gameplay issue. It has no relevance to the plot or character development.

We did learn about the characters in FFXII, we found out about their pasts and what made them tick. The lack of defined job roles had no effect on that.
Click to expand...

It does if you look at it from a story point of view. Look at most games that feature a system like that, and you'll find that their plots and character development are more lacking when looked at next to games that have a more linear way of character growth game play wise.

In the end it's a matter of opinion. I don't think we learn all that much about characters other than Ashe and Basch. And maybe Balthier. The others are rather flat. Especially Vaan. He's extremely flat to me..
 
Ayumi Hamasaki said:
It does if you look at it from a story point of view. Look at most games that feature a system like that, and you'll find that their plots and character development are more lacking when looked at next to games that have a more linear way of character growth game play wise.
Click to expand...

Let's have some examples then?
 
masamune20xx said:
Let's have some examples then?
Click to expand...


Look at the Elder Scrolls. It has a system that is not unlike the system of FFXII. It might be a bit more free, but still the example stands. Because of the amount of freedom given with making your character, you have to give up certain character development that could have occurred.

Look at Persona, you get to choose so much that your main character is like a blank page. I think that's almost what Vaan is. A blank page. A character tha that lack development for you to substitute your self with.

Also, you need a longer post than that. It's technically spam. :oops:
 
Ayumi Hamasaki said:
Look at the Elder Scrolls. It has a system that is not unlike the system of FFXII. It might be a bit more free, but still the example stands. Because of the amount of freedom given with making your character, you have to give up certain character development that could have occurred.
Click to expand...

Elder Scrolls is a ROLE playing game, in the true sense of the word. You can define your character, his personality, his actions etc. In FFXII, although you can choose the individual roles & abilities, the character profiles are already in place.

How about Tactics Ogre? Final Fantasy V?

Vaan's story is really about coming of age and escaping the oppression of the Empire. He's a far more mature individual come the end of the story than he is at the beginning. And I already explained that he plays the 'everyman' so that the audience can relate to him as an outsider, instead of one of the involved parties like Ashe or Basch.
 
I didn't mind the lack of character development. I think their aim was to skip the backdrop detail and focus on the chivalrous storyline. The story and game play is very lengthy, and when you add the degree of customization and freedom, character development is kind of obsolete.
 
I felt that 12's storyline was rushes, and then there was no time to really learn about the characters.

Like with Fran? We had on episode with her and it wasn't that long, with the wood and all that. I wanted to know more about her past and with Mjrn and everybody.But they just left it.

And Balthier, they slip casually that he once was a judge. WOAH! Then they go on with the game.

I felt the same with Ashe as I did from the beginning. I only knew Ashe as the fallen princess, nothing more.

There should have been more cut scenes that didn't involve the storyline. Well that sounds weird... I mean that didn't involve the outside world, but instead about themselves.
 
i totally agree with you!
well i love this game very much but i'd love to see more on fran & balthier...
hey SE! you did too much on ff vii!! do something with xii!!
 
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