Final Fantasy IX

[Ite]

Magic.

I kid. Srs answr is now:

That always confused me, because the, um, event at the Shimmering Islands looks a hell of a lot like interdimensional travel to me. I always kind of assumed that Terra existed in a kind of pocket universe, tethered to Gaia by the Iifa tree and the Shimmering Islands (the tether in this instance being made up of human soul-traffic)

 

[Makoeyes987]

Well the thing is, is that when Terra tried to assimilate Gaia, the failure of that attempt caused Gaia to assimilate Terra. So Gaia kinda..half-assed swallowed it up. They're two planets in a sense, occupying the same space, magically.

It's...kinda like a pocket dimension but not, because spiritually/metaphically, the two planets are fused together and Terra is within it. But Terra is like..on the reverse side of Gaia's insides.

If...that makes any sense.

 

[Jason Tandro]

---

But yeah I'm playing FF9 again for the Retrospective and I'm kind of surprised how deeply buried the convo is for this game. I imagine we all talk about it a lot in general but seriously let's dig into this (also I wanted a place besides Facebook to share my livejournal of the playthrough... ahem)

I have only beaten this game twice, and the last time was over a decade ago. So this playthrough is gonna be really exciting for me. Also it is worth noting that I recently picked up the Art of Final Fantasy IX book so from time to time I might post some pictures of said book in this thread for reasons.

Anyway here's my first journal entry.

Journal 1: Go Puck Yourself
The entire opening sequence up to the crash landing in Evil Forest.

Edit: And yes, per tradition I have accordingly updated my sig and ava.

 

[Jason Tandro]

Here's my next journal!

Journal 2: Mist Connection
Evil Forest to Black Waltz 3 Fight

 

[Jason Tandro]

Ooh forgot to post here:

Journal 3: It's Because I'm a Black Mage, Isn't It?
Lindblum, Quina, Chocobo, Gizamaluke, Burmecia


Journal 4: Tree, No.
South Gate, Treno, Cleyra

 

[Shademp]

Spoiler: Lindbulm, eh?

 

[ForceStealer]

lol Trancerant

 

[Flintlock]

Trance is so dumb. I prefer systems where you can get limit breaks by running around to regenerate MP or by spamming the triangle button.

 

[Lex]

Trance IS dumb. I wouldn't have a problem with it if I were allowed to actually KEEP it.

 

[Flintlock]

I know buddy. I was just pointing out that it's far from the only dumb system in the Final Fantasy series. And Trance makes a lot more sense story-wise than most of them.

 

[trash panda]

Spoiler: Lindbulm, eh?

It will always be LindBLUM to me. Just like Sephiroth will always be Sephy-Roth.

Srsly, once you say it to yourself and you fuck it up that first time, it will always be Lindblum, always.

 

[Flintlock]

But it is Lindblum.

 

[JBedford]

Yeah, it's written "Lindbulm" in Japanese in-game graphics and other Japanese material. In the English version they use "Lindblum" in all English dialogue and in the graphic that comes up when you enter Lindblum, but no other graphics were changed -- mainly that map in all the places it appears.

It's most notable like two seconds in and dead centre of the opening cinematic:

 

[Jason Tandro]

I know buddy. I was just pointing out that it's far from the only dumb system in the Final Fantasy series. And Trance makes a lot more sense story-wise than most of them.

In the Lore it's based on a burst of emotional energy caused specifically by hostility and triggered by other intense emotions such as grief, anger or despair.

THAT TRICK SPARROW ON ITS LAST LIFE PECKED MY CHEEK FOR 10 DAMAGE OH MY GOD MY LIFE IS FUCKING OVER!!!!!

*CUES NEVER ALONE.


I don't care if a gameplay mechanic makes sense in the story lore, is it fun to play as? Yes, 8's insanely spammable Limit Breaks are a poor design choice too but at least being near death and them triggering as a Desperation Move carries a relatively decent Risk / Reward ratio. (Edit: Or you can use Aura because FF8 is more broken than your mum's heart everytime you forget to call her.)

Furthermore - FF7 and FF8 unlock Super Moves. FF9 only gives that ability to Zidane and everybody else just gets a Stat Boost and can sometimes use multiple attacks. It's less Super Saiyan and More Kaio-Ken.

(Edit: And I'm fine with that, but again that means being able to keep it should be even more important).

 

[ForceStealer]

Oh and comments on your first chapter > It always bugged me that the SFX don't do damage in the in-play fight. I get that they aren't real, but are you telling me they're actually slashing Baku with swords?

And ATEs are cute and all...but why not just cut away and show us the scenes anyway? I wouldn't really care except that sometimes you can only choose one, or what you choose affects others. Can't I just see all the story?

also Tetra Master more fun than Triple Triad. Just suffers cause they don't bother explaining it

 

[Jason Tandro]

^ as a game on its own merits Tetra Master is good one you understand how it's played and there can be some catastrophic chain reactions that can completely flip a game. It's an intense game but it's meaningless in the context of the game because it has zero impact on anything else.

I can get the argument that it is simpler as just a game to pass the time - a true mini-game on its own merits, and part of this does follow the sort of comfy charm of Final Fantasy IX. But for me I just can't get over the fact that you don't even get gil for winning games. Literally every other mini-game in FF history rewards you in some way. Even goddamned Mog House nets your 30 GP the first time you beat it.

And as a game I still think Triple Triad is better for a few key reasons:

1. It's simple to understand but adds rules which can make it more challenging.
2. The games tend to be faster than Tetra Master
3. Minor point but I find the cards more aesthetically pleasing.


... God damn I really need to write that Editorial / Gush about the minigames in the series.

 

[ForceStealer]

While I suppose that's true, The Triple Triad sidequest is abject torture, and so I like that Tetra Master DOESN'T do that. However, given that I will often rant that FFIX puts almost ALL of it's ultimate equipment in the same stupid sidequest, it would be nice if they had shunted some of that to Tetra Master.

And for my own minor point - I love the song Quad Mist a lot more than Shuffle or Boogie.

As for your next chapter, the cutscene with Black Waltz 3 is just the greatest. Always had a save file before it on my memory card, ah the days before youtube.
Agreed on 'Dagger', I've always just called her Garnet (I mean I let her rename herself, but in speaking.) A German friend of mine (not Tets) told me that in the German version she changes her name to Lily (Lili) because Zidane's dagger apparently has a lily engraved on it. That's certainly a better name that Dagger, but it is kind of an asspull. "Hey, I know, your dagger has a pair of tits on it! Call me 'Cans'!"

 

[Clement Rage]

Do you folks see any validity in the viewpoint 'if breaking the system makes the game too easy, and you don't want that, don't break it?'

 

[Jason Tandro]

Do you folks see any validity in the viewpoint 'if breaking the system makes the game too easy, and you don't want that, don't break it?'

On the developer side, sure - make a system that works.

On the player side, no I don't think that's a valid argument since apart from the mental nutters who are trying insane self imposed challenges (he says kicking aside the fact that he's doing a Nuzlocke run of Pokemon Red) most players are going to find the easiest way to complete the game.

It might seem like we are creating the problem, sure, but in many cases the system is broken without interference from the player - take FF8 in its entirety and I love that game. To play the game correctly you have to exploit the hell out of it.

It's not that the system makes the game too easy, it's that it makes the game make no sense.

 

[Flintlock]

I don't think VIII is an inherently easy game for first-time players. They're not going to know which abilities to learn, which cards to mod, which spells to junction, etc. They're probably not going to spend their entire lives manually drawing 100 of each spell. Heck, they might even miss some GFs altogether - at least, I did (Siren, Cerberus).

Are those players exploiting the hell out of the game? No. Are they playing the game "incorrectly"? No, of course not. So I disagree with that statement, though I don't disagree with you entirely; I think I'm half-way between you and Clement Rage on this. I agree that there's nothing usually nothing forcing you to use exploits, so if you do so, it's your own choice. But on the other hand, I get greater satisfaction from beating something genuinely difficult than I do from beating something which I've made more difficult deliberately. Part of the former is the shared experience, being able to discuss it with other players, watching newbies face the same trials, etc.

 

[Lex]

Thinking way back I found VIII difficult the first time I played it. My first major roadblock was the machine boss at the end of the military base, believe it or not I struggled to beat it on time/ it kept killing me. My second roadblock was Cerberus XD. For some reason I didn't know it was an optional boss and it kept killing me. Think I was stuck on it for several days (I was like 9 years old, let's not judge me too harshly ).

Third roadblock was the end of Disc 3 at the Lunatic Pandora. I think most of the bosses took me two or three attempts, but the actual problem was Adel (I think I kept letting Rinoa die and not realising how that mechanic was supposed to work). When I finally beat her the game would freeze on that FMV (turned out the disc was scratched, likely because I played it on a launch day OG Playstation that had been temperamental for about two years prior to me getting VIII). It would be weeks after that I managed to convince my dad to buy me another copy of the game and I remember the sheer horror/ fear that Ultimecia's Castle brought me. Took me a looooong time.

I did not understand the junction system at all my first time through VIII. The only strategy I actually remember employing was GF spam with boost and using the summon HP takeover as a shield against attacks I knew were coming because I'd died to them already. Again, like 9 years old

I've just remembered that feeling I used to get in those final dungeons (specifically VII - X) - like an excitement mixed with anxiety/ fear. Used to make me super nervous, then I'd always cry at the end credits. It was especially pronounced with VIII, probably because of how atmospheric the castle is.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

I remember VIII being tough for myself and a lot of people the first time. Adel definitely was.

 

[Jason Tandro]

I remember VIII being tough for myself and a lot of people the first time. Adel definitely was.

Adel was every new players roadblock regardless how much they did or did not get the Junction system. You couldn't rely on GF so you actually had to stick to Magic attacks and some Limits that didn't attack all. All while keeping Dumbass In Distress alive.

 

[Strangelove]

i actually couldn't beat ffviii's last boss and i've never managed a full playthrough since so i've never seen the ending

[/shame confessions]

 

[Jason Tandro]

I have never beaten Final Fantasy XII and only just beat Final Fantasy I and IV during this retrospective. And I never touched XI.

[/shame confessions]

Also never saw Legends of the Crystals but watched every episode of FF:U. And yes both are shameful.