Party Size

[Hayate]

So, I did notice that in FFVII, FFVIII, FFX, and FFXII you had a 3 party limit. In FFIX you had a 4 party limit.

What would you like the size of your group to be? Would you have liked a bigger party in any of the previous games?

Discuss

 

[Bambi]

I don't really mind either, although Im used to having 3. I don't think I'd like to have any more than 4 it would just get annoying I expect

I don't think iv ever wanted a bigger pary unless Im struggling on a boss(Im looking at YOU emerald weapon)

 

[Rydia]

My favorite was IV where you could have five party members. But you also didn't get to choose your party, so you might get stuck using Edward.

I wish Final Fantasy would have stuck with four party members. Four character parties allowed you to make a much more balanced team than three party members do.

 

[Hayate]

4 would be nice for future games.

Like how some people didn't like Squall, well you could have Squall and 3 other characters that you wanted to use that you normally couldn't.

 

[Rockman X]

Having five members in IV was win. Personally I thought it was always kind of dumb that you would have alot of people tagging along with you, but couldn't use them all. So you come to a hard boss and the rest of them just sit back watching or something?

*shrug*

X had it the best. Three members, but you could switch people in and out at leisure and it was a cheap way to get exp. XII ruined it, you had to go to the damn menu to change characters AND you couldn't even change them if someone was being targeted by an enemy.

 

[jam]

I think there should be more things like the three scenarios in ff6 (after you first meet ultros) so you have a number of different objectives you send one group off to do each. You can then have as many as you like in the group but obviously strengthening one group will weaken another.

 

[Grand Lethal]

*shrug*

X had it the best. Three members, but you could switch people in and out at leisure and it was a cheap way to get exp. XII ruined it, you had to go to the damn menu to change characters AND you couldn't even change them if someone was being targeted by an enemy.

There's one thing that XII has over X: if your three party members die, you can just switch out to your reserve three. You won't lose.


I prefer 4 party members. As said previously, it lets you create a more balanced party.

 

[Fusionist]

I liked having a four-member party. Two fighters and two mages, or at least that was the idea I used.

I like FFX for it's ability to switch during battle, so characters didn't lag behind in experience.

FFIV was interesting with it's 5-member party, and that by the end of the game, there were only those characters that you used.

 

[Mitsuki]

Four character parties allowed you to make a much more balanced team than three party members do.

Agreed. Personally, I don't really mind at all because even with three-character parties, I always seem to level up ALL my characters at the same time anyway. It was a slower process, yes...but I didn't mind since I do enjoy the battles anyway, as well as leveling up their skills, limit, materias, etc. I have a tendency to maximize their limits and such, so leveling up three-character parties isn't so bad because by the time they all reach level 99, my training would still be in progress anyway.

So, either way, it's all good. Four/five-character parties is more convenient, of course.

 

[Daenerys]

I prefer 4 character parties, 2 warriors and 2 mages, that was the way to go.

FFX had the best system overall, letting you swap members in and out, it would have been perfect if they had it how it how it was in FFXII - when your main 3 die, other party members can replace them.

 

[Hayate]

If FFX had the system to where if your character died you could switch it our for a reserve one, that'd be the best party system i've yet to see.

But, still, X is the best i've had to encounter. XII comes in second because of how you have to go threw the menu and then couldn't switch if targeted. =/.

As said above, it made no sense to have your party with you but they never could join in battle when needed. Why the hell are they there then? lol.

 

[Prince Oberyn Martel]

Being brought up during the PS-era of Final Fantasy I am used to having just a three-man party. What I didn't like, especially after playing VI, is how you had to keep Cloud, Squall and Zidane making you choosing only 2 (or 3 in the case of IX) other characters to come along with you. I prefer to have a little bit more choice in who I use. I've also come to like four-man party's better since playing all the older games because it allows for a more balanced team.
IV's five-man party looks ok but if that was to be done in a new FF these days it would look a bit much. I'm not particularly liking the whole 'reserve' thing that X and XII have, It seems to take away the sense of tactic when it comes to party making. IMO FFVI has it spot on tbh.

 

[Bambi]

X had it the best. Three members, but you could switch people in and out at leisure and it was a cheap way to get exp.

Agreed, it's annoying knowing you have 3 other living members when you get the bloody game over screen.

 

[loch]

I find it depends on the job system - if you can set up the characters any way you like (VII, VIII, XII) three is plenty. If you have a fixed job system (VI, IX) four is a must to get the right balance of fighters and mages.

Also: X's switching system was gold.

I’m going to conveniently overlook X-2

 

[Howl]

Actually, it wouldn't have been necessary for there to have been an extra party member in FFIX, if there hadn't been a specified class for each character.
In most other FF games, you can build your characters (statistically) however you so please. The only reason FFIX had an additional party member in battle was to even out the "restrictions" that came with specified classes.

I personally liked having 4 party members in games like FFIX, and FFVI...
But it works better with chibi graphics. In games like FFVIII or FFX, it would have really crowded the screen. XD

 

[vincent_91]

i would prefer to have as many as you like, like in FFXII you can choose between 1,2 or 3. i think i would be much better if you could choose how many characters you can use so you can then use all your characters on the field at one time for big battles. so then in XII you could have all 6 characters on the field and the gambit system means that it would not be very complicated.