Adding New Skills for all Classes.

[kidvideo]

Even a semi-true fan needs to have played 11... if only to truly appreciate the beauty of XIVARR.

[Zantetsuken]

Even a semi-true fan needs to have played 11... if only to truly appreciate the beauty of XIVARR.

Graphics and UI perhaps.

Game design is another thing altogether.

It seems most people here are pretty foolish. A true fan plays *all* of the Final Fantasies. Given that a fair amount of them are Japan only and cellphone games, I'd wager not a single person in this thread is a true fan.

Your move.

Only the main (numbered series)... and most would add the first 'Tactics' game to the mix.

Just because something is called "Final Fantasy" doesn't mean a Fan of the series has to play it. SE over the years has tried to capitalize on the FF brand by attaching the name to a lot of lesser products. (eg. FF'The Spirits Within', FF:Mystic Quest, FF:All the Bravest, FF:Adventure, FF:Potion Drinks, etc. etc.)

[kidvideo]

Game design is another thing altogether.

Do I trade to the ??? or do I use the item on it?

Damnit! NPC won't take it.

[Zantetsuken]

Do I trade to the ??? or do I use the item on it?

Damnit! NPC won't take it.

Yeah, the games certainly cater to different demographics:



FFXI(75cap)/FFXIV 1.23




ARR

[Niwashi]

Only the main (numbered series)... and most would add the first 'Tactics' game to the mix.

Just because something is called "Final Fantasy" doesn't mean a Fan of the series has to play it. SE over the years has tried to capitalize on the FF brand by attaching the name to a lot of lesser products. (eg. FF'The Spirits Within', FF:Mystic Quest, FF:All the Bravest, FF:Adventure, FF:Potion Drinks, etc. etc.)

I'm actually of the opinion that they sort of did the same thing by including FFXI and FFXIV as main numbered parts of the series. Switching to a different genre really warrants considering them an offshoot series. I think Final Fantasy XI should have been Final Fantasy Online, and Final Fantasy XIV should have been Final Fantasy Online II. That would still bring in the FF name for the name recognition, and be enough to justify including thematic elements like chocobos, but without diluting the main numbered FF series by splitting it between multiple game genres.

[Zantetsuken]

I'm actually of the opinion that they sort of did the same thing by including FFXI and FFXIV as main numbered parts of the series. Switching to a different genre really warrants considering them an offshoot series. I think Final Fantasy XI should have been Final Fantasy Online, and Final Fantasy XIV should have been Final Fantasy Online II. That would still bring in the FF name for the name recognition, and be enough to justify including thematic elements like chocobos, but without diluting the main numbered FF series by splitting it between multiple game genres.

I totally agree.

Furthermore, I think FFX & FFXIII should have been part of a FF spin-off 'Cinematic Action' series. Both those games are extremely linear, have no open-world to explore, and depend heavily on cutscenes to progress the story. They are a marked departure from the rest of the series.

[Tupsi]

I totally agree.

Furthermore, I think FFX & FFXIII should have been part of a FF spin-off 'Cinematic Action' series. Both those games are extremely linear, have no open-world to explore, and depend heavily on cutscenes to progress the story. They are a marked departure from the rest of the series.

To be fair, every FF game was extremely linear - extremely until 1 major plot point in the game then every FF game gave you the ability to "explore" in order to get optional bosses or items (like ultimate weapons), FFX+ just made it that much more obvious. For example you could never tackle a FF storyline from any other direction other than the one set forth - To get to the northern crater in VII you needed to go a very set path, then a bunch of stuff happened, then it opens then you go straight to sephy boy or tie up loose ends that happened during your linear path.

[Zantetsuken]

To be fair, every FF game was extremely linear - extremely until 1 major plot point in the game then every FF game gave you the ability to "explore" in order to get optional bosses or items (like ultimate weapons), FFX+ just made it that much more obvious. For example you could never tackle a FF storyline from any other direction other than the one set forth - To get to the northern crater in VII you needed to go a very set path, then a bunch of stuff happened, then it opens then you go straight to sephy boy or tie up loose ends that happened during your linear path.

FF1 had some solid exploration in it... I remember reaching the NE point on the southern contenent and finding an area where Trolls and Gigas spawned long before you should be able to fight them.

FF3, FF4, FF5 and FF6 all had good exploration, even in the early game.

Same with FF9 -- that area above the ladder Gizamaluke's Grotto stands out

and.. Bravely Default also has an open-ish world as well (though not an official FF title)

I think the best of the single player games was FF12.. lots of places to go in that game, once you got outside of Rabanastre

Of course, no FF game even comes close to the non-linear exploration that exists in FF11.




Also, note that FF7, FF8, FF10, and FF13 were all done by the roughly the same SE development team -- you can see how each of their games became successively more and more linear, all culminating in the thinly-disguised corridor-runner that FF13 was.