Fixing Final Fantasy: A Conversation, part 2

Nightmare Mode's Adam Harshberger writes,

"That’s how to fix the series. When we started this, I thought my answer would be to get back to the roots. To simplify the formula down to the simplest thing: banding together to save the world. But after this, that’s not what it needs. It’s just like you said: they have to write what they know. They used to know youth, but now it’s something else. Something older and more cynical. And it doesn’t matter if it isn’t youth, it just has to come from the heart."

[Roper316]

open world, turn based battle system, a non transsexual protagonist with a crew of likable characters with unique personalities. Meaning give us characters we actually care what happens to them. Rpg is now fixed.

Please stop the westernization of the JRPG and all your troubles will go away imho, because you aren't gaining any new fans and the old time fans like myself are being pushed away.

[Styxoric]

I couldn't have said it better myself if i tried.

+1

[segamon]

simple and well said. though i wonder what kind of an idiot disagree with this.. but who cares.

[Capt-FuzzyPants]

Wait. Are you saying you don't want transexual protagonists?

[Swiftcricket]

This. It really is that simple. I was shaking my head the whole time reading the prison guard thing. Chocobos or not that would not feel like a Final Fantasy. I agree about the transsexual thing but at this point I want a good Final Fantasy again so bad I'd even take that as long as it had the things Roper mentioned and the character was at least somewhat interesting.

[LightofDarkness]

Wow, the prison guard idea is remarkably similar to an idea I had. My guy was just some no-name grunt soldier, just started doing the army thing so he could pay his way through school, but it never happened for him, and he just ends up being shuffled around from meagre post to meagre post.

The game start during a "terrorist" attack and through life/death circumstances, you join up with these guys reluctantly, and evolve to trust them and slowly start to believe in yourself (typical stuff). These characters (resistance types) are likeable, heroic archetypes that really make the player believe it's all going to work out. Then, 10 hours in, you fight the main villain for the first time and it all goes horribly wrong. He kills EVERYONE except the main character and his plan is executed (he controls the world). The protagonist is almost utterly destroyed until his old mentor whisks him away, finally seeing the bravery of the young resistance fighters (and the hidden bravery of what he had thought was a below average student) and the abject cruelty of his master, and rebuilds/trains the protagonist over the course of 3 or 4 years (game fast-forwards at this point). Then you come back, much more bad-ass, maybe a little over-hardened by the last few years and the events of that day, but driven. And it goes on from there as a Final Fantasy should.

But I though that would be an interesting way to take the series, I guess. It would still have your classic FF tropes int eh story with an interesting twist, making the player really like these characters and having them die unexpectedly and suddenly about 25% into the game. It would resonate with the protagonist's reluctance and self-doubt, but then show his true courage as he just gets back on the horse, even more driven than before.

Anyway, I'm sure plenty have had similar ideas, but I though I'd share mine.