Hopes for Remake & Rebirth (story/content)

[ForceStealer]

I mean you specifically have to choose between Samara and Morinth, iirc

 

[Gary Caelum]

I remember you had to choose which to help in the confrontation. But I always went with Samara so I had no idea Morinth joined your party if you went with her.
That trilogy was indeed awesome. Doesn't look like Bioware will ever reach those heights again sadly.

 

[Ite]

No, sadly not, and it really isn't fair to compare anything to the Mass Effect trilogy. It's an absolutely insane RPG. But I hope the point is illustrated that optional and secret characters are something that 'modern gamers' still want/appreciate. "I got Cloud in FF Tactics!" is a great way to engage the gaming community.

Player choice affecting the narrative has always been kind of an illusion in FF. "Of course it's happening inside your head, [gamer], but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"

 

[XxREUNIONxX]

Yuffie and Vincent have become such integral/iconic characters over time, it's a bit difficult for me to imagine them as optional in the remake. While they could still find a way to keep them optional and important to the plot, I'd rather have them written in as major characters and to have thier roles expanded.

It would be more interesting, I think, if they were to add some optional party members not present in the original. There is a large supporting cast that could be included. Reno and Rude would be good candidates in the last part of the game. That said, the developers already have a lot on thier hands creating gameplay mechanics for all the og characters. Only time will tell.

 

[Ite]

For those of us who feel Yuffie and Vincent are not-to-be-missed, any content that they add for those characters will be well appreciated.

The *last* thing I want, however, is for the developers to feel overly precious about their work, lamenting that some players will miss this or skip that. If there’s only one way the story can go, that means I’ll only play it once, and the OG is already the better game.

 

[ChipNoir]

Yuffie and Vincent have become such integral/iconic characters over time, it's a bit difficult for me to imagine them as optional in the remake. While they could still find a way to keep them optional and important to the plot, I'd rather have them written in as major characters and to have thier roles expanded.

It would be more interesting, I think, if they were to add some optional party members not present in the original. There is a large supporting cast that could be included. Reno and Rude would be good candidates in the last part of the game. That said, the developers already have a lot on thier hands creating gameplay mechanics for all the og characters. Only time will tell.

Wutai is where that'd likely happen. Otherwise there's no much opportunity.

 

[Gary Caelum]

That whole Wutai storyline being optional is perhaps even more extreme than Yuffie being optional.

That's a big juicy chunk of content right there.

 

[ForceStealer]

Yuffie and the Wutai segment is an ideal piece of optional content. It adds to the flavor of the world, and some context to the plot, but none of the plot changes without it. Also, you can still go to Wutai without Yuffie and get some of that context, you just won't have the materia theft quest. I agree with Ite that being afraid to make something optional because a player might not see it is pompous and silly.

The plot Vincent brings with him is different, imo. Yes, the story makes sense without him, but it is fundamentally changed by it's presence - Sephiroth was born of a human woman, the role Hojo actually plays in the history of the crisis. That's a much more glaring absence.

 

[Gary Caelum]

I agree with Ite that being afraid to make something optional because a player might not see it is pompous and silly.

From the developers point of view it's not pompous and silly at all. It's a serious worry that you're putting time and money into something that only a minority of people will see, when you could instead put it into something mandatory that everyone will see. Completely legitimate thing to worry about when it comes to budgeting different parts of the game.

Maybe a better way of framing it is in terms of how hidden the optional content is. Some optional things 70% of people will find. Other optional things only 5% of people will find.

I would bet that if Wutai remains optional, it will be much more heavily signposted than it was in the original game.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Perhaps FFXV isn't the indicator organism to look to for this, but if it is, that would suggest they aren't too concerned about the matter. Easily half of the game's content, perhaps more, is optional -- though much of that optional stuff is signposted (often literally).

 

[Gary Caelum]

I'd say XV got the balance almost perfect. Lots of optional stuff, but most of it is very easy to find.

My only complaint about XV is that I had no idea Crestholm Channels existed at all. It's very easy to miss the entrance, and the only other way you'd know about it is if you do all of Cindy's sidequests. So I had no idea it existed until I read a guide.

 

[ForceStealer]

If you're building a world for players to explore and live in, your focus should be on making sure there are things to find. Not mandating that every player see everything. Have confidence that what you are making will be compelling enough that players will want to search and find non-obvious things.

 

[Gary Caelum]

Yes but I did want to search in XV, and still didn't find Crestholm Channels. It is accessed through a tiny little doorway through a fence.

 

[Ryuman]

To make matters worse, finding the way to the bottom tripped a lot of people up. (myself included)

 

[looneymoon]

Things that are okay: having certain optional, certain characters are not playable at launch

Not okay: main characters added later as paid DLC

 

[Kain424]

I remember when I discovered the Ancient Forest. It must have been on my third playthrough. Completely surprised me. But I don't know. Maybe developers feel such surprises aren't worth the trouble anymore.

 

[Gary Caelum]

I definitely didn't find that on my first playthrough either.

 

[Ite]

Things that are okay: having certain optional, certain characters are not playable at launch

Not okay: main characters added later as paid DLC

Nobody really expects Cid or Cait Sith to become DLC, surely!!?

 

[Tashasaurous]

Nobody really expects Cid or Cait Sith to become DLC, surely!!?

No way. Both Cid and Cait Sith are part of the main cast and are not optional in the main story of the OG. Plus Yuffie and Vincent are optional but they and both Cid and Caith Sith can't be DLC, even in a million years!

If the Remake comes with DLC, I think it'd be cool if they did Episodes of Post-Game based on the On the Way to a Smile Novel (except for Denzel since that's already been turned into an Anime OVA episode)...Not that it will ever happen considering how the cancelled DLC of FFXV ended up becoming a Novel itself. But it's nice to dream.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I quite like novels.
I have a feeling I already said it in this thread, but if there's going to be new content I'd like Midgar to be more explorable. Pretty sure I'm not alone in this. I'd be happy to pay for it as DLC.

 

[Tashasaurous]

I love the FFVII novels. In fact, I already got both of them in English. The only thing I will disagree with is that the English version of On the Way to a Smile calls Veld "Verdot" since I prefer Veld, but that's really just a minor thing. The rest I enjoy. I just also wish both of them were made into CG games or like Advent Children as well.

 

[Gary Caelum]

I quite like novels.
I have a feeling I already said it in this thread, but if there's going to be new content I'd like Midgar to be more explorable. Pretty sure I'm not alone in this. I'd be happy to pay for it as DLC.

They have explicitly said it will be! https://www.digitalspy.com/videogam...-vii-remake-will-be-bigger-than-the-original/

Only problem I see with that is that you're supposed to be technically incapable of getting back into Midgar after you leave on the motorbike chase. They'd maybe have to alter that!

 

[hleV]

They have explicitly said it will be! https://www.digitalspy.com/videogam...-vii-remake-will-be-bigger-than-the-original/

Only problem I see with that is that you're supposed to be technically incapable of getting back into Midgar after you leave on the motorbike chase. They'd maybe have to alter that!

I don't see why not. Just sneak in somehow and that's it.

 

[Gary Caelum]

I don't see why not. Just sneak in somehow and that's it.

Yeah but the scene at the end of disc 2 has you sky dive into Midgar because there's no other way in. That would somewhat ruin the action!

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Presumably it will be explorable right at the beginning.
- Rescue Aerith?
- Explore the city first?
Or even after the first bombing raid.