Quote: Original post by programmermattc
lightbringer - I heard right at the very end the game takes a total turn and gets extremely hard compared to the rest of the game.

Something to look forward to. I already have enough trouble with these one million HP mobs roaming about that take 2/3rd of HP of all my 3,5-4K HP characters with one attack, though :D

I'm going to hold off on passing final judgement on the game as I'm only 6 hours in and it's so far getting better as I go, but here's what I feel so far:

The Good:
-Depth to combat, interesting to switch between roles/paradigms.
-Combat can be challenging at times, but even if you die you can retry the fight rather than starting from the previous save point.
-Weapon upgrades is pretty interesting so far.
-CG sequences are pretty nice.

The Bad:
-Camera control is brutal in my opinion. So frustrating just to rotate the camera.
-The characters' gasping/moaning instead of using actual words really bugs me. It makes me physically angry for some reason. Sure it's a Japanese game, but having English voice actors talk like that is just weird and bothersome.
-I'm not feeling the characters. They're trying to make them seem mysterious, but they're just annoying.
-I like exploring and interacting with the world. This game is a linear dungeon crawl so far.


I'm historically a huge Final Fantasy fan and if they can keep the story and combat fresh the whole way through I won't be dissappointed, but I really don't like the linearity of it so far.

I'm now a bit part where the 'game starts', around 30 hours.

I see people mention depth in the combat, and I must be missing something. Combat has not advanced past:

Quote: Easy Fight [Default]
Caster|Caster|Melee.

Medium Fight
Caster|Melee|Healer

Hard Fight
Buffer|Healer|Buffer until fully buffed
Debuffer|Healer|Debuffer until monster fully debuffed
Caster|Melee|Healer

Start fight with Libra if it's not yet scanned and push auto-attack until it's dead. Sometimes I gotta throw out a potion or phoenix down. Really long 'hard' fights require a repeat of the 3 steps.

To only thing I found that's "interesting" when it comes to combat is finding the weirdest group compositions to win.

In Combat:
- Still can't control position/movement of any characters
- Still can't tell other characters what to do other than "you do damage things"
- Can't make characters attack separate enemies.
- Auto-Skill is still the preferred action of the 'controlled' character due to the speed of battle

Most fights - and I'm serious - is simply pushing the X button 2-10 times. Nothing else, not even direction keys. Unless it looks hard I'm not even using Libra anymore since the players will 'learn' how to fight it on their own.

I keep wondering what the role of the player 'is'...

Quote: Original post by necreia
I'm now a bit part where the 'game starts', around 30 hours.

I see people mention depth in the combat, and I must be missing something. Combat has not advanced past:

Quote: Easy Fight [Default]
Caster|Caster|Melee.

Medium Fight
Caster|Melee|Healer

Hard Fight
Buffer|Healer|Buffer until fully buffed
Debuffer|Healer|Debuffer until monster fully debuffed
Caster|Melee|Healer

Start fight with Libra if it's not yet scanned and push auto-attack until it's dead. Sometimes I gotta throw out a potion or phoenix down. Really long 'hard' fights require a repeat of the 3 steps.

To only thing I found that's "interesting" when it comes to combat is finding the weirdest group compositions to win.

In Combat:
- Still can't control position/movement of any characters
- Still can't tell other characters what to do other than "you do damage things"
- Can't make characters attack separate enemies.
- Auto-Skill is still the preferred action of the 'controlled' character due to the speed of battle

Most fights - and I'm serious - is simply pushing the X button 2-10 times. Nothing else, not even direction keys. Unless it looks hard I'm not even using Libra anymore since the players will 'learn' how to fight it on their own.

I keep wondering what the role of the player 'is'...

I think the point of the combat system is that you shouldn't need to use a potion if you use it properly and you should be able to take down the beasty pretty fast considering switching at the right times will fill your ATB gauge. The point of it is that each role plays off the other roles (for the most part). Melee sets up for caster, caster sets up for (de)buff/healer (if needed), which sets up another round of melee/caster which then leads to either full caster or melee/caster for full damage. It really focuses around the paradigm shifts when the creature staggers.

You're right, a lot of it is experimenting, but there shouldn't be that much of a shock when you can't move a character during battle. The only FF game from the main series that you ever really could was 11 and 12 to my knowledge.

Though I agree with your points on not being able to control the other characters...

Quote:
but there shouldn't be that much of a shock when you can't move a character during battle. The only FF game from the main series that you ever really could was 11 and 12 to my knowledge.

I don't think that matters -- this game has only the most superficial similarities to others in the series. It's more about how the game presents its mechanics on its own: for example, the Commando's "Blitz" skill is is PBAoE, except you can't control where it fires, exactly, making it seem like it would be really useful to move your character around.

I do find that the challenge and enjoyment in the combat -- which is the only thing I find enjoyable, the rest of the game having basically nonexistent art direction, an illogical world, inconsistent and annoying characters (for the most part), and a flaccid, contrived plot -- is in trying to execute the shifts such that I kill things fast.

But by the same token I also find that I can just mash "auto-whatever" until it dies, 99% of the time. Maybe I'm supposed to actually be listening to the other characters and their (poor implemented) idle chatter, telling me to avoid combat. Maybe then I wouldn't be overleveled and would *need* to pay more attention in combat.

Nonetheless, while I'm having fun and don't regret the purchase, I don't think this is a very well-executed game at all.

Quote: Original post by jpetrie
for example, the Commando's "Blitz" skill is is PBAoE, except you can't control where it fires, exactly, making it seem like it would be really useful to move your character around.

You can always select the target though. The hits are in a small area around the target. Although not being able to move around is rather annoying, especially when you want to cast one of those AoE healing spells.

Quote: Original post by jpetrie
But by the same token I also find that I can just mash "auto-whatever" until it dies, 99% of the time.

This works but is boring and long. I actually wish that it would work on bosses - some of them cast a death timer when you take too long, making you lose a lot of time and forcing you to go back and grind.

Quote: Original post by jpetrie
Maybe I'm supposed to actually be listening to the other characters and their (poor implemented) idle chatter, telling me to avoid combat. Maybe then I wouldn't be overleveled and would *need* to pay more attention in combat.

For me this was one of the things that went right - your companions keep moving ahead to scout, making comments on the scenery, and even commenting on when you run ahead of them or avoid too many fights or some such.

Quote: Original post by lightbringer

Quote: Original post by jpetrie
for example, the Commando's "Blitz" skill is is PBAoE, except you can't control where it fires, exactly, making it seem like it would be really useful to move your character around.

You can always select the target though. The hits are in a small area around the target. Although not being able to move around is rather annoying, especially when you want to cast one of those AoE healing spells.

I think part of this is in the fact that sometimes Blitz and other spells are just cast at the wrong time. A lot of times I would find myself casting Blitz (via Auto-Fight) and just before the character jumped to do it, one of the creatures jumped and attacked a party member, so my Blitz ended up only effecting 1 of the creatures instead of both of them. I think this is partially a problem with changing the FF system from a 'character lineup' to a fully 3d thing where characters are hopping about.

It's like they updated the movement of the characters but didn't change the commands to reflect the updates...

Quote:
I think part of this is in the fact that sometimes Blitz and other spells are just cast at the wrong time. A lot of times I would find myself casting Blitz (via Auto-Fight) and just before the character jumped to do it, one of the creatures jumped and attacked a party member, so my Blitz ended up only effecting 1 of the creatures instead of both of them. I think this is partially a problem with changing the FF system from a 'character lineup' to a fully 3d thing where characters are hopping about.

Yeah, this. Occurs more often if the AoE command is stocked later in the queue. Not a big deal, but for me it's this cavalcade of minor inconsistencies that really drag the whole experience down (like, in terms of art direction, that damned pocket knife).

Quote:
This works but is boring and long. I actually wish that it would work on bosses

So far I haven't noticed this taking me any longer for the run-of-the-mill grunts than efficient paradigm switching (particularly because of the stupid switch animations). I'm suspecting this improves later when I have more control over my party, because right now I occasionally end up in situations where it would make things go much faster to have somebody casting debuffs, but neither of the two morons in my party can do it (et cetera).

Quote:
For me this was one of the things that went right - your companions keep moving ahead to scout, making comments on the scenery, and even commenting on when you run ahead of them or avoid too many fights or some such.

I appreciate the idea, but they're always speaking when I'm nowhere near them, resulting in really muffled sound. It could have been handled much better.

Quote: Original post by jpetrie
Yeah, this. Occurs more often if the AoE command is stocked later in the queue. Not a big deal, but for me it's this cavalcade of minor inconsistencies that really drag the whole experience down (like, in terms of art direction, that damned pocket knife).

This has annoyed me also but not that much. When it's early in the queue it's possible to press triangle at least. Art-wise I thought it's nice that they're trying something a bit unusual, but the number of recycled (reskinned) enemies is staggering.

Quote:
So far I haven't noticed this taking me any longer for the run-of-the-mill grunts than efficient paradigm switching (particularly because of the stupid switch animations).

For common enemies you can easily get away with Com/Com/Com or Rav/Rav/Rav or even Com/Rav/Med. Later on there is a bit more variety, for instance enemies that are immune to everything unless staggered, or enemies that explode on a timer for massive damage, or enemies that can take everyone's health to 1/3rd in one attack, or enemies that can take the leader from full health to zero unless he's a sentinel. I find myself switching to Sen/Med/Med pretty often :-)

Quote:
I'm suspecting this improves later when I have more control over my party, because right now I occasionally end up in situations where it would make things go much faster to have somebody casting debuffs, but neither of the two morons in my party can do it (et cetera).

You will eventually have complete control over party composition, except for a few scripted fights.

Quote:
I appreciate the idea, but they're always speaking when I'm nowhere near them, resulting in really muffled sound. It could have been handled much better.

You can also turn on the subtitles for field chatter. Of course, the fact that you have to turn them on already says something about the game design...

one thing that angers me is the battle interface

the battle ask you to pull strategies, and defeating enemies in a very short amount of time is fun too

however the interface gets in the way all the time

-theres a initial menu thats worthless since you don't use techniques and items 90% of the time
-theres no reason whatsoever you need to select a skill 5 times, afaik theres only very rare situations where you need to use diferent skills at once
-the lists of spells is terrible theres no reason why it was't organized better
-paradigm shifts make characters take a pose for no real reason while enemies beat you >_<

and their solution to all that: make the computer play it for you :/