What games would you always defend?
Mar 28, 2015 18:05:32 GMT -5
Post by akirikasu on Mar 28, 2015 18:05:32 GMT -5
I really should have been back here sooner....
It's a bit hard to elaborate on anything simply because it's been so long since I've played it, but I will go ahead and do my best.
If you don't like the story, that's up to you; I found it pretty well explained, personally, and though it went in quite a few directions, the message it sent and the themes it presented are strong, beautiful, and timeless.
For everything else, you have to understand that the story is put first and foremost in this game; practically every design decision was made to reflect this. As someone pointed out earlier, this is the second telling of the story, so every aspect was designed with the story as the seed. But you also have to understand that it's not entirely the same story. This is not the same old RPG story where a protagonist takes his friends on an adventure to save the world. No, rather, this is the story about the world trying to restore harmony, and you're just one of those people who live on it.
That's why there are so many characters. Because if the world was in peril, you'd get far more than just six people trying to help you. Even then, all of the characters do have their own unique personality and backstory - even the more farfetched ones. Every single piece of optional content the game has to offer fills in more details and enriches the characters - the Mastermune sidequest to rescue Kid is one of the most touching and dramatic stories to have ever graced a video game. Even characters like Mojo manage to bring in more character to the world, even though he doesn't really have much of a story by himself. All in all, none of the characters are fluff - they are living, breathing inhabitants of that world, so they are important in their own ways.
Beyond that, it's a bit unrealistic to expect every character to have large dramatic story arcs anyways; most people's lives are simply not that interesting. Beyond that, I don't really see any of the characters being 'anime stereotypes' - sure, there are some stereotypical characters, but none of them are even particularly Japanese. Of course, Starky is the exception to everything, but even he is there on purpose.
As for the thing about the battle scene transitions and less double and triple techs, that's a comparison; it doesn't mean that the game isn't as good. In response to the transitions, though, if the battles took place on the regular maps, you wouldn't be able to see anything. If they were to do things on the same screen, they would have had to develop the maps around that view, which means that they would pretty much have to be overhead, boring, and a tired RPG trope. Additionally, you would not have the benefit of a close-up view of those beautiful monster designs. You may think that separate battle scenes were a step back, but in reality, you got a lot more out of them.
Sorry for derailing the conversation. Now back to your regularly scheduled content....
It's a bit hard to elaborate on anything simply because it's been so long since I've played it, but I will go ahead and do my best.
If you don't like the story, that's up to you; I found it pretty well explained, personally, and though it went in quite a few directions, the message it sent and the themes it presented are strong, beautiful, and timeless.
For everything else, you have to understand that the story is put first and foremost in this game; practically every design decision was made to reflect this. As someone pointed out earlier, this is the second telling of the story, so every aspect was designed with the story as the seed. But you also have to understand that it's not entirely the same story. This is not the same old RPG story where a protagonist takes his friends on an adventure to save the world. No, rather, this is the story about the world trying to restore harmony, and you're just one of those people who live on it.
That's why there are so many characters. Because if the world was in peril, you'd get far more than just six people trying to help you. Even then, all of the characters do have their own unique personality and backstory - even the more farfetched ones. Every single piece of optional content the game has to offer fills in more details and enriches the characters - the Mastermune sidequest to rescue Kid is one of the most touching and dramatic stories to have ever graced a video game. Even characters like Mojo manage to bring in more character to the world, even though he doesn't really have much of a story by himself. All in all, none of the characters are fluff - they are living, breathing inhabitants of that world, so they are important in their own ways.
Beyond that, it's a bit unrealistic to expect every character to have large dramatic story arcs anyways; most people's lives are simply not that interesting. Beyond that, I don't really see any of the characters being 'anime stereotypes' - sure, there are some stereotypical characters, but none of them are even particularly Japanese. Of course, Starky is the exception to everything, but even he is there on purpose.
As for the thing about the battle scene transitions and less double and triple techs, that's a comparison; it doesn't mean that the game isn't as good. In response to the transitions, though, if the battles took place on the regular maps, you wouldn't be able to see anything. If they were to do things on the same screen, they would have had to develop the maps around that view, which means that they would pretty much have to be overhead, boring, and a tired RPG trope. Additionally, you would not have the benefit of a close-up view of those beautiful monster designs. You may think that separate battle scenes were a step back, but in reality, you got a lot more out of them.
Sorry for derailing the conversation. Now back to your regularly scheduled content....