Further Musings on the SP/MP/AP Design Challenge
This should give the reader an intimate idea of how each and every idea for FGC, be it for story or for gameplay, were considered with the greatest care so to increase the probability that a manifested version of the idea would express the precisely proper Final Fantasy VII atmosphere.
The intention on my part was for each playable character to have two or three available Accessory slots. Materia would be equipped as an accessory. This stands in contrast to the original game and Crisis Core where materia has their own separate menus and will usually have more than two-three slots available, though in those cases never at the sacrifice of an Accessory slot, which would be the case in FGC.
What bothers me then in this visualization is that because of materia being peripheral in customization and battles, rather than central, the MP value of playable characters could easily become a number that takes up space but is rarely used. My annoyance at this visualization is purely aesthetical but I can't shake the feeling that the MP value, next to a character's HP, AP and Limit Bar, gain the appearance of a rotting appendix.
"Why don't you like that the MP value is ignored?"
"Because it's taking up needless space!"
This is not only an aesthetical concern though. With the MP value being rarely employed in battle (again, we are assuming that battles focus more on limit breaks and special abilities) it also means that the MP restorative item 'Ether', a defining Final Fantasy aspect, will rarely be used.
I estimate that most people who read this will think that I'm seeing a problem where there isn't one. My counter-argument is that one should try to make the most out of their character growth- and battle system designs. I want MP to be something more than in the previously visualized system, because the MP value signifies a feeling of "magic" and "fantasy". What then is my shocking suggestion?
Link the Limit Bar and the MP value.
What bothers me then in this visualization is that because of materia being peripheral in customization and battles, rather than central, the MP value of playable characters could easily become a number that takes up space but is rarely used. My annoyance at this visualization is purely aesthetical but I can't shake the feeling that the MP value, next to a character's HP, AP and Limit Bar, gain the appearance of a rotting appendix.
"Why don't you like that the MP value is ignored?"
"Because it's taking up needless space!"
This is not only an aesthetical concern though. With the MP value being rarely employed in battle (again, we are assuming that battles focus more on limit breaks and special abilities) it also means that the MP restorative item 'Ether', a defining Final Fantasy aspect, will rarely be used.
I estimate that most people who read this will think that I'm seeing a problem where there isn't one. My counter-argument is that one should try to make the most out of their character growth- and battle system designs. I want MP to be something more than in the previously visualized system, because the MP value signifies a feeling of "magic" and "fantasy". What then is my shocking suggestion?
Link the Limit Bar and the MP value.
Using graphics from the original game as a base for this one.
Before I go into analysing this hastily proposed system in the context of FFVII's lore and past mechanics, let me point out some of the consequences of this system (where it is also suggested that higher limit levels is something you build up towards, kind of like Cyan's SwdTech/Bushido moves).
Before I go into analysing this hastily proposed system in the context of FFVII's lore and past mechanics, let me point out some of the consequences of this system (where it is also suggested that higher limit levels is something you build up towards, kind of like Cyan's SwdTech/Bushido moves).
- Resting at an Inn will have to either restore no MP or only up to a limited maximum, say 25 or 50 MP and then resting at an Inn again won't restore any more MP.
- Ethers, Elixirs, Megalixirs, Tents and other MP restorative items can now be (ab)used for building up your limit gauge.
- Both the restorative methods above, as well as any MP draining abilities, will have to be adjusted so that inns are expensive, items are rare and/or expensive and MP draining abilities are weak and rare. Otherwise, the player will spend most of their time abusing the system and using limit breaks ad nauseum.
- The choice to increase the MP divide between Limit Levels (100 MP for Lv1 limit breaks, 150 more MP for Lv2, 250 more MP still for Lv3) is a way to make it more difficult for players to cheat their way up to high-level limit breaks via the use of Ethers.
- With magic spells and limit breaks drawing from the same gauge, the player will sometimes have to choose between using magic or striving for a limit break.
- In accordance with a part of FFVII's lore, where materia is something that is usually created from an unnatural process and keeps spirit energy out of the natural cycle of the lifestream, it fits that the player feels punished for choosing magic when they could have gone for a limit break instead.
- In order to be consistent, enemies in battle would also need to have MP equated to limit break energy. What I would do is give some enemies only the numerical MP value, while most bosses and some enemies will have limit break gauges. The presence of a limit gauge, which then builds depending on the mechanics for how your and your enemy's limit gauge is filled, will highly influence your battle strategy when you strive to prepare for or avoid the enemy's looming limit break.
- Ethers, Elixirs, Megalixirs, Tents and other MP restorative items can now be (ab)used for building up your limit gauge.
- Both the restorative methods above, as well as any MP draining abilities, will have to be adjusted so that inns are expensive, items are rare and/or expensive and MP draining abilities are weak and rare. Otherwise, the player will spend most of their time abusing the system and using limit breaks ad nauseum.
- The choice to increase the MP divide between Limit Levels (100 MP for Lv1 limit breaks, 150 more MP for Lv2, 250 more MP still for Lv3) is a way to make it more difficult for players to cheat their way up to high-level limit breaks via the use of Ethers.
- With magic spells and limit breaks drawing from the same gauge, the player will sometimes have to choose between using magic or striving for a limit break.
- In accordance with a part of FFVII's lore, where materia is something that is usually created from an unnatural process and keeps spirit energy out of the natural cycle of the lifestream, it fits that the player feels punished for choosing magic when they could have gone for a limit break instead.
- In order to be consistent, enemies in battle would also need to have MP equated to limit break energy. What I would do is give some enemies only the numerical MP value, while most bosses and some enemies will have limit break gauges. The presence of a limit gauge, which then builds depending on the mechanics for how your and your enemy's limit gauge is filled, will highly influence your battle strategy when you strive to prepare for or avoid the enemy's looming limit break.
In short: Yes, there is precedence.
The longer story:
In Scene 9 of the PlayOnline story mode, Shelke uses one (or two, the translation is a bit confusing) technique called "Technical Cancel". This move cancels the other character's limit break, or as Shelke puts it, makes all techniques useless. After performing a copy strike, Shelke admits that the move consumes a lot of magical power but that she is able to use it in the scene's location due to the high concentration of mako.
In a gameplay recording of the DC PlayOnline mode, Shelke's copy strike attack is coupled with the DC version of limit break animations (see 01:47, 02:10 and 02:31).
As far as I can tell then, mako is equated to magical power and limit breaks here. When you think about it this isn't a big stretch of the imagination. To become a SOLDIER and gain enhanced strength the individual is bathed in mako. Mako is the life blood of the planet, which is equated to spirit energy and life itself. Condensed mako is also what turns into materia: Magical orbs.
Albeit vaguely defined, the Crisis Core Complete Guide Keyword collection defines limit breaks as the following:
Thusly, any form of division between different forms of life energy (HP, MP, AP, Limit Bars etc) is arbitrary. The qualities of mako, spirit energy, life energy or what-have-you are broad enough to also be justifiably adapted into many different forms of battle- and stat mechanics.
The longer story:
In Scene 9 of the PlayOnline story mode, Shelke uses one (or two, the translation is a bit confusing) technique called "Technical Cancel". This move cancels the other character's limit break, or as Shelke puts it, makes all techniques useless. After performing a copy strike, Shelke admits that the move consumes a lot of magical power but that she is able to use it in the scene's location due to the high concentration of mako.
In a gameplay recording of the DC PlayOnline mode, Shelke's copy strike attack is coupled with the DC version of limit break animations (see 01:47, 02:10 and 02:31).
As far as I can tell then, mako is equated to magical power and limit breaks here. When you think about it this isn't a big stretch of the imagination. To become a SOLDIER and gain enhanced strength the individual is bathed in mako. Mako is the life blood of the planet, which is equated to spirit energy and life itself. Condensed mako is also what turns into materia: Magical orbs.
Albeit vaguely defined, the Crisis Core Complete Guide Keyword collection defines limit breaks as the following:
Thusly, any form of division between different forms of life energy (HP, MP, AP, Limit Bars etc) is arbitrary. The qualities of mako, spirit energy, life energy or what-have-you are broad enough to also be justifiably adapted into many different forms of battle- and stat mechanics.
The original Japanese version of Dirge of Cerberus directly linked the magic bar with limit breaks.
You can observe in the video below (uploaded by me to demonstrate a version difference) at 0:12 how half of Vincent's magic bar is expended in order to transform into Galian Beast. Notice how the bar is divided in two halves to show when Vincent can transform. Your MP/Limit bar is then slowly consumed as you stay in the Galian Beast form. If you had an unlimited amount of MP restorative items, you could stay in his beast form indefinitely. However, you could only carry a maximum of 2 Ethers at any given time, 1 Elixir, 5 Red Ethers, 5 Spirit Rations etc which you wanted to use both for limit breaks and magic anyway so abusing the system is almost never a problem that manifests.
This mechanic was scrapped for all later versions and replaced with the "Limit Breaker" item which made Vincent turn into Galian Beast for 43 seconds.
You can observe in the video below (uploaded by me to demonstrate a version difference) at 0:12 how half of Vincent's magic bar is expended in order to transform into Galian Beast. Notice how the bar is divided in two halves to show when Vincent can transform. Your MP/Limit bar is then slowly consumed as you stay in the Galian Beast form. If you had an unlimited amount of MP restorative items, you could stay in his beast form indefinitely. However, you could only carry a maximum of 2 Ethers at any given time, 1 Elixir, 5 Red Ethers, 5 Spirit Rations etc which you wanted to use both for limit breaks and magic anyway so abusing the system is almost never a problem that manifests.
This mechanic was scrapped for all later versions and replaced with the "Limit Breaker" item which made Vincent turn into Galian Beast for 43 seconds.
In conclusion...
1) your degrees of freedom when choosing systems for the stats, magic and special moves are greater than they might initially seem. I am equally justified to make it so that Limit Gauge = MP = AP, though currently I haven't experimented enough in my mind to see how it might work if the "special moves which expend AP" were to be equated with the Limit Gauge system.
2) both the character building system and the battles would become way more interesting if MP was directly linked to a limit bar. It confirms, in my mind, my intuition that the system becomes more beautiful, intricate and enjoyable when more parts are integrated, rather than isolated as was the original conception.
1) your degrees of freedom when choosing systems for the stats, magic and special moves are greater than they might initially seem. I am equally justified to make it so that Limit Gauge = MP = AP, though currently I haven't experimented enough in my mind to see how it might work if the "special moves which expend AP" were to be equated with the Limit Gauge system.
2) both the character building system and the battles would become way more interesting if MP was directly linked to a limit bar. It confirms, in my mind, my intuition that the system becomes more beautiful, intricate and enjoyable when more parts are integrated, rather than isolated as was the original conception.
This should give the reader an intimate idea of how each and every idea for FGC, be it for story or for gameplay, were considered with the greatest care so to increase the probability that a manifested version of the idea would express the precisely proper Final Fantasy VII atmosphere.
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Anyway, you can see this split in direction as 
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) and over-the-top spectacle of my absurd, possibly obscene idea into something more subdued, yet infinitely more poignant. 