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I think of the music for the most part. Though, visually, I see Job Classes, battle mechanics, and an evolving storyline that comes down to a grand finale. A game that makes you want to beat it over and over again. Those were some good days, and I still find myself playing through tactics, FFIII, FFIV, playing the newer versions that are on the DS. :)
My first real Final Fantasy experience came with ff6 (FF3 on the snes.) When I think of Final Fantasy I think of grandiose, psychotic and maybe a little effeminate villains, (Kefka, Sephiroth, Kuja) cataclysmic events, (kefka destroying the world, sephiroth summoning meteor, Terra/Gaia fun times.) A unique cast of characters each with their own reasons for helping each other. And hours upon hours of walking through world maps and dungeons to the same music!
I think of Red Mages.
Storyline. It's the most important aspect of the series imo.
I think of a series that likes to change it up, rather than relying on the older games in the series, unless they go the FFIX route and make their own world with a few nods to older titles.
I think storyline first and foremost. FF X was my first FF and I experienced much of the series backwards from there going to VIII to IX to VII then VI & I. I fell in love with the characters and their plights. I saw the FF series as a high tech and interactive novel. Without a strong story and cast it's easy to lose my interest like with FF XI, XIII and XIV.
XII was the only exception that disappointed me story and character wise but I still loved the game for the awesome adventure provided by the Mark Hunt system. Many fond memories fighting Marks there. Really excited to see if XIV's new NM system said to be able to level a whole class off nothing but Hunting NM's is anything like XII's Marks.
Mention Final Fantasy and I immediately scream, Tifa!! But Loche and Tera and Sabin and the rest were my first exposure to FF. After 7 I tried 8 and I couldn't get in to it. I bought a few more after that too but the Esper and Materia systems in NA III and VII were the ones I liked and I couldn't enjoy the later ones.
FF14 is an MMO or I would never have touched it for the same reason. Even now I don't consider what we have to be materia. The music makes it FF but I feel to feeble for it to have the hero of Final Fantasy feel.