Why after 20 years of FF why NOW is linearity an issue?

How are they stepping back? Ever since FFVIII all they've really been doing is experiment.MadVybz

Yup.. people are getting use to the WRPG and the free roaming quests and non-linear storylines.

[QUOTE="ActicEdge"]

[QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

FFXIII does have some optional places to go on Pulse, but the pacing and story of the game really prevent the game from allowing you to go to different areas earlier on.

If you're looking at FFXIII for side quests and things like that I would say look elsewhere unless you really like monster hunt systems.

hakanakumono

I'm just waiting at this point. All this speculation is driving me crazy.

ArcticEdge, I have played and completed Final Fantasy XIII. In terms of side quests, there's pretty much the monster quests and chocobo digging game on Pulse. There are no side quests on Cocoon. Several of the monster quests in FFXIII are considered to be "optional bosses." There are also optional areas in FFXIII, such as the Mountain side, and there seems to be more to explore in the mines.

[QUOTE="bobbetybob"]Evolution of the genre really, same reason why even though there was no game like it (except maybe Dead Space) between RE4 and 5, everyone hated on 5's controls, whilst those same haters loved 4's.Salt_The_Fries

[QUOTE="Parasomniac"]Most FF games haven't been even close to as linear as FF13. They gave you a decent sized world map to explore. There's 9 games in the series that are like that.hakanakumono

The world map just gives you the illusion that it's non linear. In reality, there's still a line that you follow from start to finish in pretty much every FF game. Side content doesn't stop the main quest from being linear either. For example, in FFVII the path is still from the chocobo ranch to Junon, even if you can go to mount condor on the way.

Because games have evolved.

Snagal123

doesn't always mean it's for the better

Because everyone got used to the free roaming, multiple choice RPGs we get nowadays in my opinion.

Vesica_Prime

What he said.

I just want the overworld....that's all.

I just want the overworld....that's all.

LegatoSkyheart

[QUOTE="MadVybz"]How are they stepping back? Ever since FFVIII all they've really been doing is experiment.Vandalvideo

I simply can't compare two FF games like that because VIII was completely different from VII (sharing some elements, obviously), IX was trying to mix the old with the new, X was an entirely new concept then followed up by an MMO. At this point the Final Fantasy series hasn't had a 'standard' since it broke the mold after FFVI.

Because there is a big difference between linear and straight line super linear maps we see in FFXIII.

Because it is 20 years later and we are stepping back even by Final fantasy standards?Vandalvideo

I just want the overworld....that's all.

LegatoSkyheart

If you played this game you would understand why there is no overworld.

Because there is a big difference between linear and straight line super linear maps we see in FFXIII.

Dahaka-UK

1. They aren't straight lines.

2. They aren't any more linear than the majority of the series.

jasonharris48:

FFXIII might feel like a "step up" from FFX to you.

jasonharris48:

FFXIII might feel like a "step up" from FFX to you.

hakanakumono

[QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

jasonharris48:

FFXIII might feel like a "step up" from FFX to you.

jasonharris48

Hope, Sazh, and Lightning are the best characters. Vanille and Fang tend to suffer from too much fanservice, and sometimes they can be "cartoonish." However Vanille and Fang are integral characters.

Snowe is just terrible imo. No character depth, over the top, in your face, and always going on about "protecting" ... you name it.

[QUOTE="jasonharris48"]

[QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

jasonharris48:

FFXIII might feel like a "step up" from FFX to you.

hakanakumono

Hope, Sazh, and Lightning are the best characters. Vanille and Fang tend to suffer from too much fanservice, and sometimes they can be "cartoonish." However Vanille and Fang are integral characters.

Snowe is just terrible imo. No character depth, over the top, in your face, and always going on about "protecting" ... you name it.

[QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

[QUOTE="jasonharris48"] The battle system looks like a step up from the vids I've seen. How about the story and cast though? I like their designs except Snow and Hope. How are they personality wise?

dreman999

Hope, Sazh, and Lightning are the best characters. Vanille and Fang tend to suffer from too much fanservice, and sometimes they can be "cartoonish." However Vanille and Fang are integral characters.

Snowe is just terrible imo. No character depth, over the top, in your face, and always going on about "protecting" ... you name it.

Later in the game I struggled with the details and I was only able to piece together a vague sense of what had happened based on cutscenes and my Japnaese knowledge.

It seemed like a "good JRPG story." I think how "good" it is will really rely upon those details that I didn't quite fully understand. If I were to compare it to another game of quality in the series, I would compare it to FFIX.

Overall, I felt that the strongest part of FFXIII was the gameplay.

[QUOTE="jasonharris48"]

[QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

jasonharris48:

FFXIII might feel like a "step up" from FFX to you.

hakanakumono

Hope, Sazh, and Lightning are the best characters. Vanille and Fang tend to suffer from too much fanservice, and sometimes they can be "cartoonish." However Vanille and Fang are integral characters.

Snowe is just terrible imo. No character depth, over the top, in your face, and always going on about "protecting" ... you name it.

[QUOTE="dreman999"][QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

Hope, Sazh, and Lightning are the best characters. Vanille and Fang tend to suffer from too much fanservice, and sometimes they can be "cartoonish." However Vanille and Fang are integral characters.

Snowe is just terrible imo. No character depth, over the top, in your face, and always going on about "protecting" ... you name it.

hakanakumono

Later in the game I struggled with the details and I was only able to piece together a vague sense of what had happened based on cutscenes and my Japnaese knowledge.

It seemed like a "good JRPG story." I think how "good" it is will really rely upon those details that I didn't quite fully understand. If I were to compare it to another game of quality in the series, I would compare it to FFIX.

Overall, I felt that the strongest part of FFXIII was the gameplay.

Why are linear games bad? Some of the best games are extremely linear.

FFXIII is no less linear than VII, VIII, or IX. It just offers less to do on the side.

In terms of dungeon design, FFXIII has some of the most substantial areas in the series.

hakanakumono

You know, you're not really making the wait until March any easier :P

[QUOTE="dreman999"][QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

Hope, Sazh, and Lightning are the best characters. Vanille and Fang tend to suffer from too much fanservice, and sometimes they can be "cartoonish." However Vanille and Fang are integral characters.

Snowe is just terrible imo. No character depth, over the top, in your face, and always going on about "protecting" ... you name it.

hakanakumono

Later in the game I struggled with the details and I was only able to piece together a vague sense of what had happened based on cutscenes and my Japnaese knowledge.

It seemed like a "good JRPG story." I think how "good" it is will really rely upon those details that I didn't quite fully understand. If I were to compare it to another game of quality in the series, I would compare it to FFIX.

Overall, I felt that the strongest part of FFXIII was the gameplay.

[QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

[QUOTE="jasonharris48"] The battle system looks like a step up from the vids I've seen. How about the story and cast though? I like their designs except Snow and Hope. How are they personality wise?

jasonharris48

Hope, Sazh, and Lightning are the best characters. Vanille and Fang tend to suffer from too much fanservice, and sometimes they can be "cartoonish." However Vanille and Fang are integral characters.

Snowe is just terrible imo. No character depth, over the top, in your face, and always going on about "protecting" ... you name it.

Hope is a pretty good character imo, but you might not like him because, being a kid, he's not always logical.

I'd say he really ties things together in the beginning.

[QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

[QUOTE="dreman999"]What do you think of the story?dreman999

Later in the game I struggled with the details and I was only able to piece together a vague sense of what had happened based on cutscenes and my Japnaese knowledge.

It seemed like a "good JRPG story." I think how "good" it is will really rely upon those details that I didn't quite fully understand. If I were to compare it to another game of quality in the series, I would compare it to FFIX.

Overall, I felt that the strongest part of FFXIII was the gameplay.

See, I never felt much from IX. I thought it was okay, but not much more.

So if you really like IX, you might strongly disagree after playing IX. In fact, I think a lot of IX fans might hate this game. But I think the stories of are roughly the same "quality."

[QUOTE="dreman999"][QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

Later in the game I struggled with the details and I was only able to piece together a vague sense of what had happened based on cutscenes and my Japnaese knowledge.

It seemed like a "good JRPG story." I think how "good" it is will really rely upon those details that I didn't quite fully understand. If I were to compare it to another game of quality in the series, I would compare it to FFIX.

Overall, I felt that the strongest part of FFXIII was the gameplay.

hakanakumono

See, I never felt much from IX. I thought it was okay, but not much more.

So if you really like IX, you might strongly disagree after playing IX. In fact, I think a lot of IX fans might hate this game. But I think the stories of are roughly the same "quality."

[QUOTE="hakanakumono"]

[QUOTE="dreman999"] .....But FF9 , though tradition, was very deep with it's concepts of life and death to the point that it was heart breaking. Is their anything like that in ff13 that moved you outside it's ending?SilverChimera

See, I never felt much from IX. I thought it was okay, but not much more.

So if you really like IX, you might strongly disagree after playing IX. In fact, I think a lot of IX fans might hate this game. But I think the stories of are roughly the same "quality."

The central theme seems to be "challenging fate."

Because games have evolved.

Snagal123

I guess because it's as linear as it gets? A straight line. Even most JRPG's have random dungeons with multiple paths that leads to chests and what not. Is there a world map you can travel across with tons of different areas? Not bashing, but wondering.killab2oo5

Side-note: I completed the game yesterday with around 60hrs on the gameclock.

[QUOTE="Snagal123"]

Because games have evolved.

Articuno76

I guess because it's as linear as it gets? A straight line. Even most JRPG's have random dungeons with multiple paths that leads to chests and what not. Is there a world map you can travel across with tons of different areas? Not bashing, but wondering.killab2oo5

Side-note: I completed the game yesterday with around 60hrs on the gameclock.

How did you about the story overall?

[QUOTE="Articuno76"]

Moreover they've evolved in the console space considerably over just the last few years. Even when the areas are more complex than a line in FFXIII it still feels like an interconnected network of long straight lines. Sadly most of the people who haven't actually played the game here don't realise to what extent this is an issue. When you are playing the main game it doesn't matter, but later on when you want to do side-quests even the teleport pods don't alleviate the fact that you will be running in one direction down tunnels for a VERY long time. The tunnel design of the game simply makes the already massive game-world much bigger than it need to be. [QUOTE="killab2oo5"]I guess because it's as linear as it gets? A straight line. Even most JRPG's have random dungeons with multiple paths that leads to chests and what not. Is there a world map you can travel across with tons of different areas? Not bashing, but wondering.Snagal123

Side-note: I completed the game yesterday with around 60hrs on the gameclock.

How did you about the story overall?

Because it's easy to complain about something before you have actually played the game.

jimkabrhel

This post is full of so much win.

Have a cookie.