What makes the series what it is?

As we all know, Final Fantasy is if not the top, among the top selling RPG serieses in the world. But how does it become a top selling series? What is so good about Final Fantasy. What makes Final Fantasy Final Fantasy?

Share your thoughts, experiences, stories, and anything else you want to say.

For me I would have to say the characters and the stories are what keeps me into the game, and what makes Final Fantasy a true top selling game.

I remember playing Final Fantasy IX as my first FF game, and I was immediately hooked by the characters and the story of the game. Final Fantasy X was another game that had an amazing and emoitonal story, and that is what makes the series so great. 

Many things: To emotion,the emotion that drives the characters and villians to their actions.To the protagonists and antagonists that draw us, to the complex leveling up system,to the originality in a series that stays original because each one in the long running series is a completley new game, to the turn based battle system that is the best in RPGs,To the Cids,Airships,Chocobos, and the moogles. The series grows and grows and theres no stopping it.Because this is what the series is: our memories and a game we all cherish.

One thing which Square have done right over the year is the Lore and Story of the games. The Story of all the games go deep and its not some go from this place to this place and win the game. While it got a amazing story it also brings debth in how the characthers are presented. Now think of e.g Balthier and Master Chief. Which one of them got the most personality. This is one of the things that make`s the final fantasy games unique.

In earlier times Square was the company that made the RPG-Genre exist. And that they did together with Enix at the time. Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest where the two big flag carriers in the RPG-Genre. The battlesystem that those companies made became the standard for almost all modern age RPG`s.¨

The combination of a good battle system with a good, long story with debth and characthers with debth and backstory. That is a Final Fantasy game

I would have to say that the good Final Fantasies have a lot of depth in character and story. 

I would also point out that being able to see a character's face has nothing to do with whether they're developed or not. 

In FF VI Shadow was a very interesting character and his face was covered most of the time.

Vivi has virtually no facial features and he was a great character. 

I would have to say that the good Final Fantasies have a lot of depth in character and story. 

I would also point out that being able to see a character's face has nothing to do with whether they're developed or not. 

In FF VI Shadow was a very interesting character and his face was covered most of the time.

Vivi has virtually no facial features and he was a great character. 

ktulu007

He's my favourite character in FF IX. 

He's my favourite character in FF IX. 

ktulu007

I didn't care for Steiner. 

I did like Garnet though, and Freya.  

Story...#1, emotional, action filled and a little comedy some times

MUSIC! .....no argue there, UEMATSU COME BACK! :(

Battle mechanics, interactive and fun, I've always been fan of the ATB system but I think its time to use KH's mechanic or Crisis Core's....adapt it to new Final Fantasies or remaking the games with that system or even better...BRING BACK THE TRUE ATB SYSTEM

Story...#1, emotional, action filled and a little comedy some times

MUSIC! .....no argue there, UEMATSU COME BACK! :(

 

Battle mechanics, interactive and fun, I've always been fan of the ATB system but I think its time to use KH's mechanic or Crisis Core's....adapt it to new Final Fantasies or remaking the games with that system or even better...BRING BACK THE TRUE ATB SYSTEM

TUROK44

The music was quite good in FFXIII.... unless Uematsu orchestrated the the music again for that game. 

The series has had some spectacular music over the years. 

VII has my favourite music.  

The series has had some spectacular music over the years. 

VII has my favourite music.  

ktulu007

He's kind of a typical butt monkey character. There's not really anything that make him unique or interesting.  

Don't forget the Cid. 

There's always one somewhere.  

I wonder when Squaresoft first decided to always have a Cid? 

Was it intentional from the beginning or did they make several FF games before they noticed that they always had a Cid character and just decided to make it a tradition?  

Romance tends to be one element I dislike in the series. It's very rarely well developed. In FF VIII they have to completely alter Squall's personality in a nonsensical fashion just to make it work. 

I liked the chemistry between Garnet and Zidane in IX. I liked the relationship between Fang and Vanille in XIII.

I think those are actually the only FF romances I liked.  

They grope each other. In a very obvious way. 

Their relationship is definitely romantic.  

You now notice that Vanille is groping Fang's breast. Although I can't remember if that happens before or after Fang looks up her skirt.  

OMG! She actually does grope fang :o

That's a major shocker. Square-Enix are naughty devils :twisted: 

You now notice that Vanille is groping Fang's breast. Although I can't remember if that happens before or after Fang looks up her skirt.  

ktulu007

Well I remember fang checking Vanilles Li cie mark but was Vanille groping Fang's breast? Looks more like wrong hand placement to me.

Yeah I'm gonna have to agree with D3 here.

I think Vanille and Fang were more family like than romantic, after all in the end the entire group was more family like. I think that picture just is an example of bad hand placement as D3 said or just because Vanille is short. This could also refer to Vanille looking up to Fang as a mother... maybe?

Could be a lot, but to me it just never seemed as though their relationship was "romantic" exactly. 

[QUOTE="ktulu007"]

You now notice that Vanille is groping Fang's breast. Although I can't remember if that happens before or after Fang looks up her skirt.  

D3dr0_0

Well I remember fang checking Vanilles Li cie mark but was Vanille groping Fang's breast? Looks more like wrong hand placement to me.

That's not wrong hand placement. It's very deliberate. If they were going to just do a regular hug Vanille's arms would be around Fang's waist where, at worse, she would be touching Fang's bum. The only reason to use that particular pose is to illustrate something. Add every other cut scene with the two of them and it gets really yuririffic very quickly. 

[QUOTE="D3dr0_0"][QUOTE="ktulu007"]

You now notice that Vanille is groping Fang's breast. Although I can't remember if that happens before or after Fang looks up her skirt.  

ktulu007

Well I remember fang checking Vanilles Li cie mark but was Vanille groping Fang's breast? Looks more like wrong hand placement to me.

That's not wrong hand placement. It's very deliberate. If they were going to just do a regular hug Vanille's arms would be around Fang's waist where, at worse, she would be touching Fang's bum. The only reason to use that particular pose is to illustrate something. Add every other cut scene with the two of them and it gets really yuririffic very quickly. 

I just don't see it maybe when i have enough free time to get the game again and recheck what happens which will probably not happen. 

Only in the English version. They have spectacular voice actresses in the original. 

Way to meaningfully contribute. 

I don't really care what the composition of a fictional couple is (man-man, man-woman, woman-woman, etc...) I like couples that are well written and have a healthy relationship. 

Fang and Vanille certainly qualify. So adorable.  

I think nostalgia factors into certain elements of the series, but I don't think it's a more important factor, except possibly for the fans.  

I think nostalgia factors into certain elements of the series, but I don't think it's a more important factor, except possibly for the fans.  

ktulu007

Nostalgia as in game play elements? Or good storylines?

There are some gameplay/character and story elements that are influenced by nostalgia, but they're usually pretty minor. 

One example would be the way there's always someone named Cid.  Another would be the reoccurring enemies. 

Vivi's costume design, some of the class designs in Tactics. 

Vivi's costume design, some of the class designs in Tactics. 

ktulu007

Vivi does have a great costume, but my point was that it's based on the original Black Mage of FF I. 

Vivi does have a great costume, but my point was that it's based on the original Black Mage of FF I. 

ktulu007