FFXIII

[ZshadeZ]

With the E3 showing of FFXV and the Lightning Returns costumes/info I've decided to give FF13 and 13-2 a play through. I love JRPGs, but exploring towns and awesome battling has always been a big draw, so with hearing constantly about the linearity and battle issues I never picked it up.

So far I'm just scratching into 13, in the first temple thing. I can live with linear play, because to me open world and compelling story are always at odds. A totally open world has no sense of urgency and by the time you hit the next plot point it's all fairly vague (for me)... while totally linear kills the fun of exploring but gives a tighter narrative. So far the annoyance with combat is the biggest issue I have. Aside from the standard trope of charging a line of guys firing assault rifles with a sword (or... *punching* a giant steel mech...) autobattle pisses me off. Is autobattle a thing in 13-2 as well? I don't mind it existing as an option, because I understand some people want the story without the RPG combat I consider to be fun, but an option should be something you can turn on or off, not the default setting and eternal first listed item at every combat turn.


I know I can set the cursor to default to abilities, and I've done that, it's just slightly annoying that there's no way to turn the option off entirely. Why am I clicking attack over and over when I could just select auto? Why not just tape down my X button and let the computer handle everything?

To the many who've played through this, if it bothered you did it get less annoying in time?

Also: Snow. Seriously?  "See all those guys in metal armor with rocket launchers and machine guns firing this way? I'm going to run at them with my chest fully exposed. And punch them. Because I'm a hero. A stupid, stupid dipshit of a hero." Please tell me we find out he's doing this because he has some type of brain tumor, so I can feel bad for the guy instead of hoping for his painful, embarrassing death.

*edit*

So combat is turning out better than expected ignoring the autobattle option. I like that the spells don't give a listed damage, so for nonelemental spells you actually have to test them vs a standard attack to see what's more effective. I just wish it was a bit easier to see which damage number correlated to which attack, when I test something like Ruin vs Attack it's not very easy to see which did what with 2 other people attacking and every character running in different directions. Likewise I haven't noticed Libra actually give me any information in battle like scan spells did. I might just be missing it, I hope I don't have to check the enemy datalog for each enemy to see and (the difficult part for me) remember what they're weak against.

[Dice]

Eugh.... there was something about Snow that got my panties all excited when they first revealed him...then you see him in action:
:D

:/

D:

Dx

}x

Snow was the reason I kept hoping Serah would have an affair with Noel in the second game.  I don't find her much likeable either though... Quite frankly, I was hoping Sazh, the only other level-headed non-anime character in the game to Noel, would have been a permanent member.

I liked FF13's combat enough.  Sadly, that's ALL there is to do in the game that isn't an obnoxious weapon upgrade system (fixed, sort of, in the 2nd game that gives you a few more classic FF minigame staples).

Also, battles run generally too quickly to select anything other than an effective paradigm...so, yeah, auto-battle was the way of the first two titles.

[Klutz64]

It's kind of like choosing "Wait" or "Active" in FFXII. At first, choosing the latter is a nice way to ramp up the difficulty, but some of the late game battles just make it a non-feasible option.

[ZshadeZ]

Snow was the reason I kept hoping Serah would have an affair with Noel in the second game.  I don't find her much likeable either though... Quite frankly, I was hoping Sazh, the only other level-headed non-anime character in the game to Noel, would have been a permanent member.

So I guess Serah doesn't stay a crystal. That's good. Ass. :D

[Dice]

Snow was the reason I kept hoping Serah would have an affair with Noel in the second game.  I don't find her much likeable either though... Quite frankly, I was hoping Sazh, the only other level-headed non-anime character in the game to Noel, would have been a permanent member.

So I guess Serah doesn't stay a crystal. That's good. Ass. :D

NOPE.

Already felt like ass in the Tales Topic; but this time I am justified because Serah is ALL OVER FF13-2 promo material and art and press release as the star of the game.

HAH >:D

[ZshadeZ]

I actually had no idea, but I don't really care. Major spoilers can suck, but generally it doesn't impact anything for me... "X dies!" doesn't tell me how or when or much of the scene. Besides, posting about a game that's a few years old it's bound to happen.


On Snow... still an idiot, but at least punching things makes more sense when you have magic infused fists. Not as much sense as wearing armor and using an assault rifle like everyone else, but more sense than hitting people with a fishing pole like other characters. ^^

[unsmashable_pumpkin]

Eugh.... there was something about Snow that got my panties all excited when they first revealed him...then you see him in action:
:D

:/

D:

Dx

}x

Snow was the reason I kept hoping Serah would have an affair with Noel in the second game.  I don't find her much likeable either though...

I know the feel. Thought Snow was going to be some kind of Balthier meets Seifer type lovable douchebag. Imagine my disappointment. The

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shirtless scene was still kinda nice though, as far as shameless fan-service goes.

Heh. I wanted Noel/Serah to happen too. Seems especially appropriate as when they finally run into (FFXIII-2 mid-game minor spoiler)

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Snow and Serah’s all like “We’re getting married.” He just shuts her down completely. “That’s on hold.” Ice cold, man.Both Noel and Serah both pretty much have the personality of dry toast, so can’t say I imagine their romance would have been particularly interesting if it came to pass.

[Yggdrasil]

You guys are taking stuff from the narrative way too literally.

On Snow... still an idiot, but at least punching things makes more sense when you have magic infused fists. Not as much sense as wearing armor and using an assault rifle like everyone else, but more sense than hitting people with a fishing pole like other characters. ^^

Dude. Wakka.

Snow was going to be some kind of Balthier meets Seifer type lovable douchebag.

Seifer? ...yeah no.

I don't have anything against him but I've never found him particularly remarkable outside of his role in VIII.

[ZshadeZ]

Dude. Wakka.

I know. My biggest, beefiest looking party member... throws a ball at people. And it can do more damage than slicing someone's abdomen with a sword. >.<

I love fantasy rpgism, but when you're going for a level of realism in design and plot at least stick with it. Sword strike doing more harm than a bullet? It can, assuming you dodge the rain of bullets to get the strike in. Ultima outdamaging a gun? Makes sense. Nunchucks? Sure. A staff? Why not. Attack with a volleyball? NO.

[Taelus]

Seifer? ...yeah no.

I don't have anything against him but I've never found him particularly remarkable outside of his role in VIII.

...Did he have a role in anything else?

[Yggdrasil]

^He kinda did in Kingdom Hearts... II?

[Taelus]

"And that was undeniable proof that we totally owned you lamers."

[Yggdrasil]

^Don't forget "Chicken-wuss".

[Aeolus]

Snow was the reason I kept hoping Serah would have an affair with Noel in the second game.  I don't find her much likeable either though... Quite frankly, I was hoping Sazh, the only other level-headed non-anime character in the game to Noel, would have been a permanent member.

So I guess Serah doesn't stay a crystal. That's good. Ass. :D

NOPE.

Already felt like ass in the Tales Topic; but this time I am justified because Serah is ALL OVER FF13-2 promo material and art and press release as the star of the game.

HAH >:D

Not like it matters anyway as this is a Squeenix game we're talking about here and they still hasn't figured out how to write.

Plus FFXIII-2 wound up retconning the ending anyways to make way for a plot that'd barely pass muster on Fanfiction.net. And that'll probably get retconned by XIII-3 as well.

[Jotacon]

I am one of very few absurd fools (16 by my count) who think Snow is one of the best characters in the game. Nobody is better than Sazh, obviously, but still. Firstly, he looks cool. Secondly, his punches are the most absurd thing on the planet. Thirdly, his eidolon is two chicks that form into a motorcycle. Fourth, he's a hero. Primarily, he's a hero.

Honestly, those are all things that I think are true, but mostly I liked his function in combat as your first sentinel. His defence (and for me at least offence) is the best in the game and sentinel is probably the most interesting class in the game. Choosing when to shift to it and which other classes should be paired with it is the most fun I had in this game. It also requires the most baby-sitting to get the benefits from, which makes it a lot more engaging. I like his character arc, but going from guy who calls himself a "hero" and does stupid things because he is insecure and lost into a person who is confident is the strength of himself and his friends and uses "hero" speeches for real, is very shallow. That being said he also does cool things in the plot which is good enough for me.

As for combat, you always get more out of it by controlling it yourself and as you get more options and the battles get harder switching paradigms is integral and actually fun. It doesn't take until the end of the game, but it definitely does take way too long.