True Final Fantasy Experience

Aztec Triogal

Aztec Triogal

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Final Fantasy games are absolutely fantastic. The plots are always interesting, they're fast paced, and there are always great characters and enemies to meet and battle. However, sometimes I wish the experience was more "normal". Something fantasy-like that wasn't over the top or incredible. That is just slower-paced, simpler and surreal.

I picture the world as being a collection of small villages with only a few major hubs, much like Final Fantasy X. You're not some famous sports athlete from the past, you're just some normal villager. You go and live an average life trying to survive. When a malboro wanders too close to the village, you're not the sole hero. You have to gather the villagers and fight off the monster. Some of you won't return. Maybe the overall plot of the game has more to do with discovering corruption in government than taking down menaces and ancient powers.

It wouldn't be good for all Final Fantasy's but I would like to see one that had a much more simplistic and natural feel. It would be a very interesting take on the genre and the culture of Final Fantasy to see it represented at a ground level, instead of through the eyes of an upcoming warrior and his misfit band of heroes. It would be about an average person doing great thing, than a great person doing over-the-top impossible things.

What is your version of a true Final Fantasy experience? What would you like to see in a game?
 
Very interesting thread!
The whole thing made me think of Elder Scrolls IV, but obviously for it to work in the Final Fantasy world, it would have to be more plot based and not "do whatever you feel like doing!"

I think the idea of being just a normal person doing normal things would be really cool....but at the same time, the word "Fantasy" is very powerful! It's RIGHT there in the title of the games!
 
Well, FFXII was kinda like that. The main character wasn't special at all (I can't remember his name -.-) he just got caught up in all that was going on. He was really average and annoying.

I don't want to see a game where the main character isn't special. The whole point of having a character that's powerful or famous is to show their change. eg. FFX Tidus realizes that his past life wasn't as good as he though. FFIV, Cecil was a powerful dark knight but he realized he needed to turn away from the dark. Final Fantasy is based around character development and storyline so a person that's not special at all just doesn't work.
 
good thoughts, but i'm going to have to disagree with you on your image. i don't think final fantasy should be about average people. i mean it is supposed to be fantasy oriented. and i think the whole grandiose tale is what it's all about. at the same time, if you think about other games in the series (not the core series) like tactics. ramza was just a squire/knight. then he turned freelancer before the beginning of the game. even at the end, i don't think he was revealed to be anything special.

but i like having the whole hero is a hero thing. it gives reasoning for the crazy/amazing things that just happen to the heroes.
 
It would be a funny idea but having a special main character is important for an Fantasy game.It can explain many things.For example a normal character couldn't defeat Genesis Avatar but Zack who is a SOLDIER 1st class has more possibilities.
 
I think I kind of understd your idea. It's sometimes pretty hard to strike a balance between dramatic fantasy tales with simultaneously realistic and relevant lifestyles. I agree that once a while seeing characters chilling say, in Costa De Sol or Besaid would be nice, but it's definitely not fun in seeing them go through mundane tasks of their everyday lives for like 2 hours of gameplay.

As some posters said, fantasy plays a big part in FF games. And while the main character can be a simple character with seemingly little worth mentioning, I agree with the opinion that the main characters should still have something special. A great hidden mystery/history, or some inexplicable powers that separates the hero from the rest.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Reminds me of Harvest Moon, just a normal dude farming his farm and trying to find a wife...

I would like FF to switch up some of the archetypes it plays with. I know they try to make the main character as relatable as possible, but the supporting characters could be so much more complex.

If I see another orphan storyline I'm going to scream. It's so lazy! They don't have to come up with any sort of family history or think about the family context because, surprise surprise, the main character doesn't have one!

LAAME.
 
I agree, but I think Squenix does a good job of recognizing what its good at and sticking to it. It has really got the Fantasy RPG down pat, with enough consistency to make people love the series and enough innovation to keep people coming back. It also adds some "mundane" or "real life" tasks as minigames -- i.e. Destiny island tasks in KH and Twighlight Town Jobs in KHII; Cards in FFVIII and IX; Blitzball in X, etc to give you a taste of the culture of those worlds without miring you in it. For true simulation you want Maxis.

D4D
 
I think it would be a nice transition to slowly branch away from the norm. How about instead of the story centered around the "good" guy becoming the hero, it is the bad guy who slowly transitions back.

Let's say you take a head hunter or a mercenary who basically will kill for the slightest bit of cash. You give him abilities and what not that most "humans" would consider impossible, and your story kind of plays off as heartless at first, then transitions slowly into something else.

I'm so tired of seeing the "goody" "goody" final fantasies where everyone lives, everyone has amazing abilities at the end, and a celebration occurs. Why not make it a little real in the aspect where the main character feels the impact of his wrongs. He's not some naive little kid, who grows into a man within the story. I'd rather have it go the other way around. Man becoming innocent again, after doing a lifetime of wrong.. or something, makes for an interesting twist. Maybe it's stupid, but hey.. that's my two cents.
 
Shu said:
I think it would be a nice transition to slowly branch away from the norm. How about instead of the story centered around the "good" guy becoming the hero, it is the bad guy who slowly transitions back.

Let's say you take a head hunter or a mercenary who basically will kill for the slightest bit of cash. You give him abilities and what not that most "humans" would consider impossible, and your story kind of plays off as heartless at first, then transitions slowly into something else.

I'm so tired of seeing the "goody" "goody" final fantasies where everyone lives, everyone has amazing abilities at the end, and a celebration occurs. Why not make it a little real in the aspect where the main character feels the impact of his wrongs. He's not some naive little kid, who grows into a man within the story. I'd rather have it go the other way around. Man becoming innocent again, after doing a lifetime of wrong.. or something, makes for an interesting twist. Maybe it's stupid, but hey.. that's my two cents.
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Fine, but that is still very much the "Norm" as far as FF is considered -- Famous FF bad guys turned good guys include -- Leon (FFII); Cecil (FFIV); Kain (FFIV); Celes (FFVI); Cloud (FFVII -- Lets not forget that he was SOLDIER); Seifer (FFVIII -- this one is a bit of a stretch, but given the ending FMV I think we can have hope for his future). And these are just the ones who were CLEARLY bad during the game. Other sorts of "changes of heart" include: Squall (FFVIII -- mercenary to lover boy); Zidane (FFIX carefree to capable of serious thought); Tidus (FFX -- see Zidane), etc.

I will agree with you that FFs can get very fomulaic, and would like to see that change a bit. Specifically, a love story that is not completely predictable would be nice. But, beggars can't be choosers, and I think overall FF does a nice job

D4D
 
Yo I hear exactly what your saying and thats why I went out and got a huge buster sword gor my self so when shit does hit the fan at leasrt someone is prepared to save the world or at the very least my collection of FF figurines?
 
It sounds like you're describing something that would be good for an MMORPG rather than a single-player RPG. It is a very good idea, but as others have said, I don't think it would make sense for it to be a "Final Fantasy" game. After all, if Final Fantasy changes too much then there isn't any point in keeping the same name.
 
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