Meaningless Battles...

[Iscah]

Off topic. If that's what's Jojoya is doing, all I can say is that is odd.

The same poster, or another with a very similar face, was accusing quite a number of posters of being chatbots in a previous thread.

Simple logic test: How long has coherent AI text generation been a thing? How long has the poster been posting?

And how quickly can you discredit someone if all you need to do is say "you sound like a chatbot" and others believe you rather than forming their own opinion of the other person?

[Renalt]

I am a bot. Beep Boop.

[Jojoya]

I dunno I mean we can take on entire armies and win single handedly, we can squish monsters like bugs. Ye those same monsters can tear and entire regiment of the maelstrom finest elites to shreds. They can't even scratch us though. Even if we fight 10 times as many of them single handedly..

Honestly it ruins the story with how powerful the player is. Dire peril world is doomed there is no hope. But along we come and save the day without even raising a finger or breaking a sweat..

Even the unwinnable battles. Like zenos. Oh okay he's big strong and powerful. The rematch against this guy is gonna be tough. But then you suddenly squish him like a bug... what gives....

Ruins the story and atmosphere. Hard won fights are never hard won.

We haven't had that many truly solo victories against the major antagonists, though. We've almost always been accompanied by other players or NPCs. We've been "scratched" on many occasions. We may be powerful, but not so powerful that we're able to stand alone against anything.

A villain's last minute escape doesn't get to me as much as when the antagonist doesn't just kill us when they have the chance. Yes, we've got the plot armor but it would be nice to have more of our own escapes believable.

The same poster, or another with a very similar face, was accusing quite a number of posters of being chatbots in a previous thread.

Simple logic test: How long has coherent AI text generation been a thing? How long has the poster been posting?

And how quickly can you discredit someone if all you need to do is say "you sound like a chatbot" and others believe you rather than forming their own opinion of the other person?

I'm not worried. They're here for drama by their own admission. Tossing them the occasional bone helps cut into their daily post limit (at least on that particular account, who knows how many of their other accounts aren't banned at the moment).

I don't come here to be popular or liked. I'm here to discuss a game I enjoy regardless of the flaws, which are frequently present in most MMORPGs. If some of my opinions are unpopular, then they're unpopular. I'm at least willing to defend my reasoning and point out where I see potential weaknesses.

It's just a shame that a few of the forum regulars are here to stir up trouble instead of discussing the game and that the moderators allow it to happen.

[kaynide]

But that's why we fought him alone cause everyone else was busy or just lost to a voidsent version of their sibling. We left due to having an injured teammate and our extra protection starting to wane. As I said in my reply to Mollusk the devs want to give us all of this dialogue, but aren't able to have it happen at the speed they want to be showing it. Also what would you have made the trial be? Everyone expected to have a fight against Globez at some point. Sure they could have done it in a solo trial where we'd probably end up losing but then what would the trial be? Since they chose to have them tied to the MSQ.

In part, yes, but I think, specifically for Golbez, it was unsatisfying because we had him beat down, victory music and all. He was kneeling/shrunk in size and should have been easily dealt with. Fraction of a second from victory.

This would have been a good chance to have the fight utilize new or interesting mechanics where Golbez himself is not necessarily the target/victory condition. It could have just been at...10% become a "Survive until your allies can evacuate you!", where Golbez leaves the battlefield and we deal with his mechanics but he's out of reach (think like Xande meteors).

And, at the end of the fight, no victory music, no kneeling Golbez. He's still good to go, albeit roughed up. And we're chasing him, but we're too late to stop Zeromus' awakening. Rest of the scene could play out fine.

Alternatively, just let us kill him- but it not be Golbez at all but one of his Voidsent just looking like Golbez. A bait and switch while Real Golbez is finalizing his summoning/awaking ritual.

--

The hard to swallow part is just that: he was kneeling, he was whining "my power!", and he was for all intents and purposes beat. Until he wasn't. That's where it's unsatisfying.

[SannaR]

In part, yes, but I think, specifically for Golbez, it was unsatisfying because we had him beat down, victory music and all. He was kneeling/shrunk in size and should have been easily dealt with. Fraction of a second from victory.

This would have been a good chance to have the fight utilize new or interesting mechanics where Golbez himself is not necessarily the target/victory condition. It could have just been at...10% become a "Survive until your allies can evacuate you!", where Golbez leaves the battlefield and we deal with his mechanics but he's out of reach (think like Xande meteors).

And, at the end of the fight, no victory music, no kneeling Golbez. He's still good to go, albeit roughed up. And we're chasing him, but we're too late to stop Zeromus' awakening. Rest of the scene could play out fine.

Alternatively, just let us kill him- but it not be Golbez at all but one of his Voidsent just looking like Golbez. A bait and switch while Real Golbez is finalizing his summoning/awaking ritual.

--

The hard to swallow part is just that: he was kneeling, he was whining "my power!", and he was for all intents and purposes beat. Until he wasn't. That's where it's unsatisfying.

I guess the reason why I wasn't as bothered is how he escapes in IV. Where he literally is shown as just a hand before he steals a crystal and vanishes. Garuda does a similar thing. She says "Noo. No my power." gets the wind crystal popped out of her chest. Then doesn't dissipate soon after like most primals and is about to have a showdown with both Titan and Ifrit only to have Giaus come in with the Ultima Weapon. Up to that point in the story she should be turning into aether dust particles as that's what we saw both Titan and Ifrit do soon after defeat. Yet there she is only looking slightly tired and royally pissed that she had been beaten in a fight. Showing some moxie until the Ultima Weapon sets its sights on her and she tries to flee before getting eaten. And she didn't even have excuse of no active lifestream that Golbez did.

[kaynide]

I guess the reason why I wasn't as bothered is how he escapes in IV. Where he literally is shown as just a hand before he steals a crystal and vanishes. Garuda does a similar thing. She says "Noo. No my power." gets the wind crystal popped out of her chest. Then doesn't dissipate soon after like most primals and is about to have a showdown with both Titan and Ifrit only to have Giaus come in with the Ultima Weapon. Up to that point in the story she should be turning into aether dust particles as that's what we saw both Titan and Ifrit do soon after defeat. Yet there she is only looking slightly tired and royally pissed that she had been beaten in a fight. Showing some moxie until the Ultima Weapon sets its sights on her and she tries to flee before getting eaten. And she didn't even have excuse of no active lifestream that Golbez did.

That is true; and to be fair it is all an expected trope in Japanese media. Like people don't even bat an eye at them/it's shocking if the heroes actually kill an enemy after they are weak/surrendered.

[TheMightyMollusk]

So are you two gonna get a room, or did I bring this popcorn for nothing?

[Jojoya]

So are you two gonna get a room, or did I bring this popcorn for nothing?

Popcorn is never a waste.

[Renalt]

So are you two gonna get a room, or did I bring this popcorn for nothing?

Just lock the door or I'll come in with pizza.

[Hayden]

In part, yes, but I think, specifically for Golbez, it was unsatisfying because we had him beat down, victory music and all. He was kneeling/shrunk in size and should have been easily dealt with. Fraction of a second from victory.

This would have been a good chance to have the fight utilize new or interesting mechanics where Golbez himself is not necessarily the target/victory condition. It could have just been at...10% become a "Survive until your allies can evacuate you!", where Golbez leaves the battlefield and we deal with his mechanics but he's out of reach (think like Xande meteors).

And, at the end of the fight, no victory music, no kneeling Golbez. He's still good to go, albeit roughed up. And we're chasing him, but we're too late to stop Zeromus' awakening. Rest of the scene could play out fine.

Alternatively, just let us kill him- but it not be Golbez at all but one of his Voidsent just looking like Golbez. A bait and switch while Real Golbez is finalizing his summoning/awaking ritual.

--

The hard to swallow part is just that: he was kneeling, he was whining "my power!", and he was for all intents and purposes beat. Until he wasn't. That's where it's unsatisfying.

This, all of this.

You get it.

I'm not complaining that we didn't win, I'm complaining that they made our win feel meaningless. We won the battle and lost in the Cut Scene. It's lazy, uninspired and annoying. Even the OG game FFIV did a better job and that game is FULL of "win in the battle, lose the in teh cut scene"

Eh...whacha gonna do I guess.