Gamasutra interview of N. Yoshida

[Seif]

There is not much to look into that would help. MMORPG's and RPG's are vastly different entities.

They do need to reverse the negative trend that has been going on though.The games nor the company is not as bad as everyone makes them out to be, but the brand has been built on a shoddy ground and it is biting them back today.

Did you just call FF games III-XI "shoddy ground" or is it the Jdorama XIII and XIV that you're referring to?

XI was mainly built around the systems invented in FF III and it has lasted the test of time for over 10 years FYI.

In similiar fashion I think completely new MMOs could be based on X's Sphere grid character progression, XII's party based gameplay or IX's weapon and equipement heavy game design.

[Firon]

Did you just call FF games III-XI "shoddy ground" or is it the Jdorama XIII and XIV that you're referring to?

XI was mainly built around the systems invented in FF III and it has lasted the test of time for over 10 years FYI.

In similiar fashion I think completely new MMOs could be based on X's Sphere grid character progression, XII's party based gameplay or IX's weapon and equipement heavy game design.

The jumbled mess we @ the start of this games life was like the sphere grid lol

[Betelgeuzah]

Did you just call FF games III-XI "shoddy ground" or is it the Jdorama XIII and XIV that you're referring to?

All the games past NES are overrated. Just like nowadays Elder Scrolls is vastly overrated. I'll be surprised if it doesn't turn around for Bethesda as it has for SE. It's just easier to make up excuses for SE due to the merge.

FF games weren't focused on providing a balanced game experience which is absolutely crucial for an MMORPG. Only in XII and XIII did they start caring about balance instead of letting people break the game in the most random ways like before. In a way it is exactly like the Elder Scrolls is today. So bad game design that it is hard not to make your character OP and one shot everything. Thats a good way to completely ruin your MMO where it suddenly matters whether you can abuse the game mechanics or not.

[Seif]

All the games past NES are overrated. Just like nowadays Elder Scrolls is vastly overrated. I'll be surprised if it doesn't turn around for Bethesda as it has for SE. It's just easier to make up excuses for SE due to the merge.

FF games weren't focused on providing a balanced game experience which is absolutely crucial for an MMORPG. Only in XII and XIII did they start caring about balance instead of letting people break the game in the most random ways like before. In a way it is exactly like the Elder Scrolls is today. So bad game design that it is hard not to make your character OP and one shot everything. Thats a good way to completely ruin your MMO where it suddenly matters whether you can abuse the game mechanics or not.

I could repeat the thing about FF III and XI but the fact that you brought XIII as an example of good game design sort of makes discussing about this pointless.

To me XIII is hardly even a game and I wouldn't even call it's gameplay bad because I personally felt like there wasn't any gameplay to experience in it.

XII was also mostly about walking around and watching the characters grind by themselves....

[Betelgeuzah]

To me XIII is hardly even a game and I wouldn't even call it's gameplay bad because I personally felt like there wasn't any gameplay to experience in it.

Actually this is what makes discussing about it pointless. Haters gonna hate, nothing but subjectiveness about it.

Even at it's worst XIII's gameplay was at least on par with any mainline title before it (press X to win, change from offense to defense once in a while). Except in XIII you couldn't break the game (as easily) nor did any playstyle become worthless as the game progressed, nor did the game become easier. The small flaws (no blood damage, leader dies=game over) are fixed in the successor as well.

XII was also mostly about walking around and watching the characters grind by themselves....

You still had to press X for cool shit to happen. How is this different from any FF before it? It's not. This time it was only more balanced and not as easily breakable. Something that MMO's require to function.

Where's the dislike button when we need it.

You just singlehandedly justified the lack of a dislike button. All it does is make people abuse their opinions that are nothing but subjective bias.

[AdvancedWind]

You just singlehandedly justified the lack of a dislike button. All it does is make people abuse their opinions that are nothing but subjective bias.

Someone not agreeing with someone else and showing it would be an "abuse"? How? Heck, how is that even different from someone "abusing the like option"? All opnions are nothing but subjective bias, including yours.

Not that I'd really care about a dislike button, anyways.

[Betelgeuzah]

Someone not agreeing with someone else and showing it would be an "abuse"? How?

All you do is press the dislike button. You don't justify your stance in any way. You don't even come out and straight up tell me you disagree. How can you have a proper argument in an environment like this? It no longer matters what is said, but whether it is in the line with the majority's opinion. It doesn't have to be true, or right, and worst of all, justified. You can simply dislike the "bad" opinions and like the "good opinions", anonymously.

Why this sort of behaviour should be embraced is beyond me. It is as lazy as it gets and breeds ignorance.

All opnions are nothing but subjective bias, including yours.

Yes, opinions tend to be like that. That's why people debate, so that it would be actually possible to figure out what is true and what is not true. It also involves presenting reasonable points and even facts if they exist to back up said opinion.

Not everything is a matter of opinion. You can look at things objectively or at least present a reasonable argument, but that won't happen when you can just press the anonymous "YOU R RONG" button and be done with it.

The arguments should speak for themselves, not some artificial number count.

i'm one of the biggest FF fans you will ever find.

The biggest FF fans are usually the least likely to look at the entries in the franchise objectively. XIII was a better game than any before it could ever hope to be. Sadly that is hardly a relevant point to make for this franchise.

[grandm]

Actually this is what makes discussing about it pointless. Haters gonna hate, nothing but subjectiveness about it.

Even at it's worst XIII's gameplay was at least on par with any mainline title before it (press X to win, change from offense to defense once in a while). Except in XIII you couldn't break the game (as easily) nor did any playstyle become worthless as the game progressed, nor did the game become easier. The small flaws (no blood damage, leader dies=game over) are fixed in the successor as well.



You still had to press X for cool shit to happen. How is this different from any FF before it? It's not. This time it was only more balanced and not as easily breakable. Something that MMO's require to function.



You just singlehandedly justified the lack of a dislike button. All it does is make people abuse their opinions that are nothing but subjective bias.

i'm one of the biggest FF fans you will ever find. (and i'm male, so you can call me a fanboy). but i have to agree with Seif on FF13, that was not a game, that was a dvd with minor user interaction, i disagree about FF12 its true with the gambit system you could set the game up to play its self almost, but you didn't have to set it up like that, and like most FF games (other than 13) there was alot to do other than the main story.

i plan on getting 13-2 it looks alot better than 13, only time will tell

[AdvancedWind]

All the games past NES are overrated.

Where's the dislike button when we need it.