What's your history with Final Fantasy?

[Raminax]

My first Final Fantasy experience started out with VIII... in Spanish. Picked it up at an used game story and didn't check the back of the box enough apparently, because I don't know how that detail flew over my head. Naturally, I didn't know a damned bit of Spanish, but I somehow stumbled through the game and finished it. I would then pick up IX and enjoy that, although it was quite different. I was used to sequels containing the same characters, not having separate universes. After IX, I began backtracking a bit. I remember Anthologies being released, so I got to enjoy IV and V. Afterwards Origins came with I and II. Then I'd eventually pick up VI and VII until I finally caught up and began working through all the sequels in the actual order you count. I actually skipped XI, though. I was young and wasn't enamored with the idea of begging my parents to pay a monthly fee, seeing as they were stingy enough with regular games.

Other than that, I've happily enjoyed spinoffs, direct sequels and remakes occasionally such as Tactics (Advance (2)), Crystal Chronicles, X-2, XIII-2 and so on. I suppose being a fan is a bit of an understatement. xD And yes, I do enjoy the various references to older Final Fantasy games. I might've hated II, but I smiled a bit when I heard its battle theme remixed during some main story quests.

[PandaPause]

FF7 was my 1st RPG and I was hooked on RPG's ever since. I started my 1st MMO because it was a FF. Ultimately FF has turned me into a SE fanboy lol.

[Naunet]

I've never played any Final Fantasy game before ARR and I've never really felt a want to. I'll admit a little bit of annoyance that the game relies so much on recycling creatures and such; I wish they'd do a bit more original world construction.

[Rivienne]

I guess I will bite, though I notice almost everyone who has cared to post thus far actually does have some form of history with FF. Not seeing much from the other side.

My sister played the offline Final Fantasy games, 6 through 10-2 (that I remember), and while I watched her play them all pretty much beginning to end, and even thought the stories were really amazing, I rarely tried playing them myself because the game play itself seemed so incredibly awkward and boring. (Sounds like a complaint I hear around here about this game all the time.. hmm!)

13 was the first game I willingly played instead of just watched someone else play... And I loved it. The story, the battle mechanics, everything(okay. I was less than enamored with one particular voice actor... ). I played 13-2 when it came out as well, and mostly loved it (though the controls weren't as fun for me and I hated the QTE) right up until the end. At which point I threw my controller across the room and didn't play a game for probably 8 months...I still alternate between hate for story writers and love for the game itself. Oh and yeah, after having watched my sister play the earlier games, and hearing all the complaints against 13. I still don't get the hate. It was a slightly different structure, but so was every other FF. Each game tried a different approach, but with similar themes and styles. Perhaps I don't see it because I was never personally invested in any single game until 13, and now I still don't because I have already seen so many others, that I don't see deviations from my favourite as a personal affront.

XIV I wanted to try when it came out (after years of my sister pestering me to try other MMO's, including XI) but I was consumed with a huge contract, and then when I had time those I knew who played it told me to wait until the 2.0 beta (which I did) because 1.0 was reaaally bad. So here I am. Loving the game so far. It reminds me of all the games I used to watch my sister play, but the gameplay isn't boring to me, or awkward. I still prefer the XIII ATB system for battles, but ARR is overall pretty solid. I guess in a way, 13 eased me into actually playing and enjoying FF games for myself, after having already experienced many of them second-hand.

I also plan on going back and playing X for myself when it comes out for the PS3. If ever I can pull myself away from XIV long enough that is.

[Noshpan]

Being poor throughout my life, I have had very little experience with Final Fantasy games in general. Most of it was spent watch others play, from the first Final Fantasy to 13-2. It wasn't until decades later that I was finally able to play the first Final Fantasy. My experience with Final Fantasy VII was helping my now-ex-boyfriend get the golden chocobo (and restarting the PS2 whenever he didn't get it) and briefly playing FF X.

When XIV was originally slated to come out, I decided to sign up for the beta and give it a shot. To say that "I was displeased" would be a severe understatement. When I got the email for the ARR beta, I almost deleted it based upon my memories of the previous beta for XIV. However, I'm glad that I didn't.

[Ayiana_Arch]

I haven't played a slew of the games like most of you have, but I have played a handful. I can say that my very first Final Fantasy was VII at the age of 18 months >.> To this day I haven't beat it without cheats (I'm a cheater in video games >.>). X came next which I actually beat without cheats. Then came XIII and XIII-2, which I absolutely love, like the rest I've played. I got to Chapter 11 on XIII before I decided to have my eboot.pbp modded as I was severely underleveled. I have the save from before I beat it so I can beat it without the mods, but I finished the game with them. XIII-2 I beat without any cheats and cried at the end (FUCK YOU SQUARE-ENIX, FUCK YOU). I played Crisis Core as well (cried again, fucking SE), along with both Dissidia games which I have played since release. Signed up for the beta of this one after some friends on IRC were talking about it and I've been in ever sense. I HAVE played VI, but barely. I mean like up to the first save point. Other Square-Enix/Squaresoft games I've played include Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and The World Ends With You. Then comes the beloved Kingdom Hearts series. Own, played, and beaten every single one, including all of the Final Mix games.

[Cegiana]

... The FF Team has never written a game with a better story or deeper characters than FF Tactics.

I gotta disagree. I paid attention to the entire storyline of FFT and it was very clever yet not deep, it used uncommon words in unnecessarily complicated sentences to portray the story as this deep and complicated storyline. But in reality all it was was just something that someone with a thesaurus sat through and tried their best to take a boring story and make it sound as epic as possible by trying to make it sound as deep as possible. I deeply regret playing FFT, especially since I made it a point to do everything in the game instead of just breezing through it. I also gave the GBA sequel FFTA a chance and played it from beginning to end...after that whenever anything is announced related to the FFT series, I say, no thanks...no thanks...

[Enistachia]

I've inked my body with the great and powerful Mog Moggle from FF6, you know the one... He is leaning on a dagger. XD

I fell in love with Final Fantasy with that game, but I would have to say that FF8 would have to be my favourite from the past. I wish I could say I played them in order but alas no I cannot. So far I still need to still try FF12, I never did get to try FF11 and that is what pushed me to obtain FF14. So far so good, I am taking the game at a slow pace becasue that is how I roll. To me it feels just like an FF game, all the elements, the music, and the attmosphere. When I was playing the open BETA of FF14:ARR, it felt like element of all the games were tucked into this one.

[Ebon_Drake]

We've been dating off and on since I was a young teenager.

[Chezen]

I played a lot of games when I was younger, but now Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts (which is kinda-sorta related) are the only console games I play. FFVII came out when I was in my low 20's, and I just loved it. FFVII and FFVIII remain my favorites to this day. In fact, I've been playing FFVII again.

I've played one version or another of most of the main titles.