Yeah, about the cinematics, you can feel a big difference between the beginning of 2.0 MSQ and what we have now (2.55 and 3.0). It might not be on the same graphical level as 1.x cutscenes, but from a story perspective and also the angles, amount of voice acting, etc. has all improved a lot. You can really feel that ARR had a short development time and HW on the other hand went through a 'normal' development circle, not having to be created the non-standard way ARR was with the old version of the game still running and stuff like that

Quote Originally Posted by KisaiTenshi View Post
Every FF game since at least 6 has moved towards "Active Time Combat" and some other SE titles like Parasite Eve already had the "dodge AOE stuff" parts.
Yeah, that's basically what I said, with FFXV being the most prominent example in the main title series now because it's a complete ARPG. I'm not criticizing this urge to go faster and faster, it's just not my cup of tea so I would have been fine with the slower combat we had in the end of 1.x

Also, about this whole "1.x was pretty but didn't run smooth on any machine" deal...mine wasn't even that great and it ran just fine xD
I never understood what people's deal was :O
When I actually had to buy a new PC was when ARR came out and even on lowest settings I only got like 3-7 FPS. Never had that happen in 1.x... :3

Oh and don't missunderstand me about Gridania's forest:
While I didn't mind the maze, that's not what I miss. I miss the design direction of the forest in general. Dark, humid colors, a new little stream or pond or cave after every turn, little frogs coming out to croak when it rained, and standing tall over everything, the neverending darkgreen treetops of those giant trees that made it hard to tell if it was night or day on the mossy ground.
ARR's 'forest' is hardly a forest at all with like 6 cut-off tree trunks on the whole map and a few bushes in between under the bright sunny sky >_>