The Very Big Final Fantasy XIII Thread

[EVILNess]

I'm still before chapter 11 where the game opens up, but I am still digging it. The linearity isn't as bad as people have been saying, and definitely no worse than X up to Zanarkand.

My favorite numbered Final Fantasy would probably have to be V, because of the Job system followed by 8 for gameplay reasons and having some of my most favorite boss battles ever.

[Kim]

I'll say what I've said elsewhere...

The first fight in the game, the enemy attacked right before Lightning did, and Lightning decided that she'd just run against the geometry of his arm for a second or two instead of, you know, attacking. Great start, game!

Other than that, it's okay. Combat is still boring as fuck because usually all I do is press auto-battle, since when I was playing with Lightning, I didn't notice Blitz for a while, and now I'm playing as Not-Seifer, so the same is happening here.

There also seems to be the gaping plot hole of why are Sahz and Lightning even together. It just throws them together in the beginning, and I have no idea how they're together and why they're grouped up. It seems they just met, and aren't too fond of each other. SO WHY ARE THEY TEAMED UP? Blergh.

Sahz is pretty awesome, even if he suffers from "Haha the animal can talk but he's the only one who can understand it" durpa durr syndrome.

Also, I miss my normal levels. Combat feels kinda pointless right now, since half the time I don't get anything, and the other half of the time I get potions and maybe a Phoenix Down. No thanks, game. I don't think I've used an item yet, I don't need any more. I guess I get components, which maybe I'm supposed to sell for money? I dunno, maybe I'm supposed to save them up for something, so that's what I'm doing now. Only thing I can buy at the store right now is more items anyway, because fuck this game be eeeeeaaaasy.

Also, @Blues, you complained a lot about having to sell stuff for money in XII, but I don't think I've noticed you do the same for this game. Any particular reason why, or does the game start handing out money like candy after the tutorial?

[Regulus Tera]

Money is pretty scarce in this game.

Kinda unrelated but if I had to describe this game I would say this is the Kingdom Hearts II of the Final Fantasy series.

[EVILNess]

Originally Posted by NonCon

Other than that, it's okay. Combat is still boring as fuck because usually all I do is press auto-battle, since when I was playing with Lightning, I didn't notice Blitz for a while, and now I'm playing as Not-Seifer, so the same is happening here.

About the time you get your first usable Eidolin the combat switches from "Auto Battle-> AUTO BATTLE HARDER-> Maybe a potion-> Victory!" to having to watch your enemies and switching paradigms when you need to. It gets deeper.

Originally Posted by NonCon

There also seems to be the gaping plot hole of why are Sahz and Lightning even together. It just throws them together in the beginning, and I have no idea how they're together and why they're grouped up. It seems they just met, and aren't too fond of each other. SO WHY ARE THEY TEAMED UP? Blergh.

There are a lot of holes that slowly get filled in as the game goes on. Jeez man do they have to go HEY THIS IS WHY I AM HERE while looking at the camera? Honestly, they are all strangers and as they come to trust each other and spend time together they open themselves up.

Originally Posted by NonCon

Sahz is pretty awesome, even if he suffers from "Haha the animal can talk but he's the only one who can understand it" durpa durr syndrome.

You leave the goddamn chocobo chick alone.

Originally Posted by NonCon

Also, I miss my normal levels. Combat feels kinda pointless right now, since half the time I don't get anything, and the other half of the time I get potions and maybe a Phoenix Down. No thanks, game. I don't think I've used an item yet, I don't need any more. I guess I get components, which maybe I'm supposed to sell for money? I dunno, maybe I'm supposed to save them up for something, so that's what I'm doing now. Only thing I can buy at the store right now is more items anyway, because fuck this game be eeeeeaaaasy.

You can't really tell but you are actually getting points to spend in your Crystarium (Sphere Grid), which opens up in chapter 4 I think.

Originally Posted by NonCon

Also, @Blues, you complained a lot about having to sell stuff for money in XII, but I don't think I've noticed you do the same for this game. Any particular reason why, or does the game start handing out money like candy after the tutorial?

DEAR GOD DON'T SELL YOUR COMPONENTS. You need them to level up your weapons.

[Kim]

Originally Posted by EVILNess

There are a lot of holes that slowly get filled in as the game goes on. Jeez man do they have to go HEY THIS IS WHY I AM HERE while looking at the camera? Honestly, they are all strangers and as they come to trust each other and spend time together they open themselves up.

I'm just saying I would like some context for what the hell is going on, rather than have it be Mystery Theater: Who Killed The Butler.

[krogothwolf]

Originally Posted by EVILNess

DEAR GOD DON'T SELL YOUR COMPONENTS. You need them to level up your weapons.

You sell components that sell for a lot but give little XP, like the chips from PSICOM dudes, to buy components that give decent xp in bunches to level up the modifier.

[bluestarultor]

Originally Posted by Smarty McBarrelpants

It's good to know that the adequate approach to troubling times is cathartic violence.
And oh no, I'm not doing what the villain thinks I should do! I must be doing things wrong!

Cloud in that situation: "Oh, no! A crazed megalomaniac who plans on destroying the world killed my girlfriend and is just standing there making triumphant speeches! I must make my own melodramatic speech and let him get away for no good reason!"

aggressive person in that situation: "Oh, no! A crazed megalomaniac who plans on destroying the world killed my girlfriend and is just standing there making triumphant speeches! God, this is my chance to take the bastard out, for my girlfriend and for the sake of the world!"

passive person in that situation: "Oh, no! A crazed megalomaniac who plans on destroying the world killed my girlfriend and is just standing there making triumphant speeches! God, no! Please, don't die! Talk to me! No! *sob* What do I do?"

This pretty bluntly sums up the reason the scene fell of deaf ears with me. Maybe taking Sephy out wouldn't have been everyone's reaction, but when you're that emotional, reason goes out the window, one way or another. To put it this way, what would YOU do if a guy shot your girlfriend in the face in front of you and stood there gloating? Probably not just talk to him. In my case, I'd totally have freaked out and tried to get in some last moments with her, and when the guy started rubbing my face in it, if she were clearly gone, yeah, I'd fucking FLY at that guy and wipe the smug grin off his face. Hell would be a reprieve if I had any say in it.

Originally Posted by krogothwolf

I didn't really find his speech that out of place, considering Sephiroth was giving his speech as well, it seemed to fit then going all rageahol on Sephiroth because Aerith died. Also, Sephiroth called bullshit on his feelings, not his speech. It really wasn't immediate acceptence, it was more along the lines of things he'll be missing of her.

I find it amusing that they both really thought it was an appropriate time to make speeches. Sephiroth has an excuse, because he saw it as a large step toward his ultimate victory and isn't quite sane in the first place. Cloud, on the other hand, at least had the excuse of having a giant glass ball thrown in his face previously, or having been under the influence of mind control, neither of which happened in this case. There was nothing stopping him from shanking the guy.

And, uh, yeah, Cloud DID accept the fact that Aeris was dead pretty much instantly. Seriously, only tries to wake her for three seconds, less than a minute until he basically throws her body to the floor to face Sephy. There was no tearful farewell between the two if she'd lingered on a bit, which she technically should have, given she was stabbed through the abdomen. There wasn't even the paralysis of despair. If he had been, he would have tried to interact with HER a bit more, rather than instantly turning his attention to Sephy and blaming him for killing her. Hell, looking at that, I was just as ready to call bull on his emotions as Sephy was. Describing his physical reactions to the murderer was not appropriate. It was almost like him counting to ten to give Sephy a running start. The scene could have played out one of two ways: either a tearful farewell where Cloud would have been utterly crippled by his sadness and Sephiroth wouldn't have been his main focus, where the battle would have begun with him still holding her, or a scene of hurt and anger where he would have actually tried to do something about it right away, realizing that she was gone. The final product was neither. Cloud was acting like Aeris was supposed to be his main focus, but she wasn't. He was angry at Sephiroth, but not enough so that he'd do something rash and vengeful. All he did was make a speech about how Sephiroth had killed her and linger somewhere in between without really committing to a strong emotional reaction in a believable way. It LOOKS like he's going to be crippled by his sadness, but then he suddenly drops her like she was nothing and just stands there while her murderer gets away.

[Kim]

Actually, and I'm saying this as someone who wasn't the biggest fan of FFVII, Cloud does attack Sephiroth, but since the Sephiroth was just a Jenova thing, "killing" him didn't really kill him. All I'm saying. Cloud hardly lets Sephiroth get away there.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Originally Posted by bluestarultor

This pretty bluntly sums up the reason the scene fell of deaf ears with me. Maybe taking Sephy out wouldn't have been everyone's reaction, but when you're that emotional, reason goes out the window, one way or another. To put it this way, what would YOU do if a guy shot your girlfriend in the face in front of you and stood there gloating? Probably not just talk to him. In my case, I'd totally have freaked out and tried to get in some last moments with her, and when the guy started rubbing my face in it, if she were clearly gone, yeah, I'd fucking FLY at that guy and wipe the smug grin off his face. Hell would be a reprieve if I had any say in it.

I have suspicions that you are a cartoon character.

[krogothwolf]

Whats so weird about someone who fights and kills accepting death easily? they knew that any one of them could die on their hairbrain scheme of killing Sephiroth, him accepting it is just simple. FF VI has a pretty bad speech just before they fight Kefka. It's video games and comics, Everyone makes speeches. I found 6's annoying self help speech from all the characters way more annoying then clouds. I like 6 better, but it was still a very annoying speech. And she didn't linger, she was flat out dead, they didn't even make it seem like she lingered. it was stab and then DEAD!