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i know this may seem pretty random , but why is each Final fantasy not connected to the other, i mean theres different worlds on each different places, different characters i mean what gives, do they live on different planets or something?!?

Well....

I don't think it woud have been too interesting if they had just stayed in that world from the original FF. "OK- FF4 is going to be about Princess Sara and her adventure to save the magical rabbit forest!"

So, they made different worlds and characters. But there are common threads running through all the games. Similar spells, character types, enemies, and many many references to past games. Cid is in every game, that's one. Of course he's different. FF9 was just full of past game references. Sometimes they'll hint that a character is a descendant of a past character. I remember that the description of Paladin Shield in FF6 says, "the shield of a great warrior" or something like that, and indeed, it was the first shield Paladin Cecil used in FF4.

Anyone else have anything?

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Kupo!

"Final Fantasy" became a market name to increase the number of sells...
So they decide to create an RPG having things/features in common that makes it so that it be called a Final Fantasy. I have no idea what these and some titles speak for themselves. Chrono Trigger would have been worse being called a Final Fantasy. Not to mention CT made a huge sucess.

Yeah they have things in common such as summons, Excalibur/masamune, Cid, but that's about it.

So it's up to Square if they make a game named "Final Fantasy" or not.

Another way to see it is to be able to sell the games that should be unpopular, making them able to sell well even if they suck.
6 year old: Hey a new FF! I want it it must be cool!
-2 days later-
6 year old: Yay I love this game, big swords and spiky hair ftw!
Older brother: Really I've seen better... what a waste of money.

This post has been edited by Zodiac on 11th April 2006 23:05

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Sayonara

Like Zodiac said, it's just a name used for marketting.

When Seiken Densetsu made it overseas, it was renamed to "Final Fantasy Adventure." Square commented on this move saying that they didn't think it would sell as well otherwise. That sums up things well enough; it's a brand name people associate with console RPGs.

Unfortunately, as time goes on, FF has been changing more and more - compare FF12's system with, say, FF6's and there's 100% different. I wouldn't be surprised if classical names such as "Cid" vanished entirely someday.

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"Judge not a man by his thoughts and words, but by
the quality and quantity of liquor in his possession
and the likelyhood of him sharing."

They've already tossed out the Prologue. It won't be long before some of our other favorite songs are tossed out. -CSM

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The NEW Final Fantasy Wiki!

Join us!

The Prelude is in FFXII.

Anyway, Final Fantasy games will always have the old standbies (Chocobo, Moogles, etc.) in every game. So even if they'll never retain the same quality of the games before X-2, they'll still be Final Fantasies.

Edit: Or changing gameplay, but I don't see why that's a surprise to people anymore. FFs are experimental. Maybe a little drastic in these recent installments, but it's all so the series doesn't get boring.

This post has been edited by Zeromus_X on 12th April 2006 03:08

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OSonic Rave
/ \Last Arcanum
[ ]Strike Raid
XRagnarok

Like it's been said, it's all about making the money.....

Plus, wouldn't you prefer the changing gameplay (with the common elements) or the same game 12 times....?

The fact that every FF game minus X-2 and the FFVII series is completely different from the every other FF game is what has kept this multi-million dollar series alive for so long and with the release of FFXII, I hope that we are a long way from the last FF, but anything can happen.

This post has been edited by FabulousFreebird on 16th May 2006 17:22

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"Thought I was dead, eh? Not until I fulfill my dream!"
Seifer Almasy


"The most important part of the story is the ending."
Secret Window


"Peace is but a shadow of death."
Kuja

hold on though.... is the kain from ff1 (the little kid)the same as the one in ff4?

Right now I'd be one of those people tearing into the endless releases of FF's had they all been in the same world or connected like that somehow. FF is just like the banner for 'A new Square RPG Adventure'. Which their really good at. So I keep buying them...

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Whether you take the doughnut hole as a blank space or as an entity unto itself is a purely metaphysical question and does not affect the taste of the doughnut one bit.

http://slightly-bitter.blog.co.uk

Quote (ZEROMUS @ 12th April 2006 10:45)

hold on though.... is the kain from ff1 (the little kid)the same as the one in ff4?

There was never a Kain in FF1 if I can recall. I think you're talking about FF2us. I agree with everyone here that Final Fantasy games are only for making money. If Chrono Trigger or Dragon Quest games were branded "Final Fantasy" then it would actually sell alot more than they do now. Still, I think it should've been their "Final", but they had to find a way to make better profit.

Quote (NeoEx-Death @ 13th April 2006 15:15)

Quote (ZEROMUS @ 12th April 2006 10:45)

hold on though.... is the kain from ff1 (the little kid)the same as the one in ff4?

There was never a Kain in FF1 if I can recall. I think you're talking about FF2us. I agree with everyone here that Final Fantasy games are only for making money. If Chrono Trigger or Dragon Quest games were branded "Final Fantasy" then it would actually sell alot more than they do now. Still, I think it should've been their "Final", but they had to find a way to make better profit.

No, he's probably talking about Ricard's friend's wife's son Kain from FF IIj. And no, I don't think it's the same person.

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this is a blog mostly about comics and videogames
END SPOILER

Largely I'm going to agree that yes, it is a marketing tool. People look to the Final Fantasy series to deliver in an RPG forum. When a new title comes out, it's as Zodiac said, "It MUST be good." In truth, there has been a few weaker elements in the series, but I usually find that they're weaker in comparison to the series, while to many other games in the genre, or in general, they're still pretty good games.

Secondly, and something that may have been lost sight of a bit as a focus to the series, is what exactly is in the name 'Final Fantasy'. I think, personally, that each one is different, excluding X-2, because for each world and set of characters and such, it is their Final Fantasy. When you're playing, it is the greatest story of adventure those characters and their world have ever known - it is the fantasy to end all fantasies. Yes, this is subject to debate, but I just feel that's what they've tried to portray since the original, and have set that standard. The first one, after all, was simply an experiment they didn't expect would sell, but look where it is now. Curious how that happens sometimes, eh? lol Look at Star Wars, for example.

Anyways, that's my piece.

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Games on the Go
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy: Four Warriors of Light
Baldur's Gate

Too much to play, so little time!

Greg

Actually, lots of the FF's are similar in many ways. FF1, FF2 and FF3 were practically identical with the row of characters taking turns in battle, with pictures of monsters on the other side. Very little has changed about them, maybe new features like pincer attack, back attack and other arrangements of a row, but they are all very much similar with battle systems. Square tried the idea of making a real sequel once, FF X-II, and I've heard bad reviews for it, and people prefer the first one better.

The storylines would obviously be different from the previous, but one reason why Square probably didn't decide on making one a sequel of the other is that it would start to suck. I think some of you watched movies and realized that the first did so well but the 2nd or 3rd completely sucks (look around on imdb and you will see a trend). Very few series were sucessful with continuations like Lord of the Rings, but Square probably knew that sequels of games won't do so well. Even in the Seiken Densetu and Chrono series, there is little to no overlap between each release, but there are elements in each that a player can relate to if they played the one made earlier.

Things like Cid, Chocobos, Moogles, and other common things works as a tool to relate all Final Fantasies so that people who are already familiar with the title would notice these things and talk about them. Its more like viral advertising.

About other Square titles:
One title that was successful, and had a totally different animation/system was Chrono Trigger for SNES. That game got popular really quick, but it uses a different type of anime and for once something that isn't final fantasy that people find entertaining. Another title that was awesome was the Seiken Densetu series, with its unique circular menus, and interactive platform turn based system.

NOTE: I have only played Final Fantasy 1 through 8, I haven't played 9, or 10 yet.

This post has been edited by byblos on 13th April 2006 21:17

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Who is Byblos?

While the sharing of the title is somewhat of a marketing gimmick, the games really are all connected. They share a certain atmosphere that results from sharing mythical creatures, battle mechanics (something that has changed through evolution rather than disconnection), magic and item hierarchy, etc.

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"I had to write four novels before they let me write comic books."
-Brad Meltzer

Wouldn't the same be said of any other RPG compared to the FF series? Chrono Trigger or Rudora no Hihou could've easily passed for an FF had they changed the name of a character to "Cid" and stuck chocobos in there. And very few (if any) of the reappearing mythical creatures, legendary weapons, and ultimate spells are names propriatary to the FF series (I can name a few dozen other games where the Phoenix is used, for instance, and easily twice that many with a masamune.)

On the other hand, the setting from one FF to the next changes vastly. Compare 8's semi-modern setting with cars, guns, computers, and a cast of entirely human characters with FF9's medieval world filled with airships, swords, quill-and-paper records, and very inhuman crew. The battle system? The only similarity is the fact there's a transition to a new screen and it's menu-driven. The actual mechanics vary in almost every way. Even the overall mood (tactical organized operation vs light-hearted quest to save a kingdom) is different.

Yet they're just 1 game apart from each other...

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"Judge not a man by his thoughts and words, but by
the quality and quantity of liquor in his possession
and the likelyhood of him sharing."

It's no surprise that the FFs are experimental.

Regarding Kain, the child in Dist wasn't originally named Kain. He was just put in there in Dawn of Souls as a reference.

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OSonic Rave
/ \Last Arcanum
[ ]Strike Raid
XRagnarok

i dont know. I agree with the fact that its all just to make money, but I think that FFXII seemeds a bit too trendy. I mean, the MMORPG thing is going around, and from what i've seen from the game, it seems too mmo-ish. Its ok to change the plot, but i'm kinda annoyed they totally changed the battle system


Another thing that bothers me is how much moogles have changed. If you look at them now, and them before, you can't tell they're of the same race...


at least one land (Ivalice) manages to be in more then one game.

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Can you pull down the dawn?
It's been so dark since you've been gone
and we've been begging for the morning to come.
We were so optimistic,
wasn't it so easy to be?
We were young and naive.
-The Hush Sound: Eileen

SE makes games. For money. It's what alot of companies usually strive for, money. Also not a big surprise.

Yeah, the Tactics team (or at least, the producer?) worked on this game, so yeah. I imagine if they had the technology back when the first FF was created, they'd make it like this. They were planning on making a real-time game when FFX was in development (although it was more like the older games than anything.), and FFXI is just an example of how this is how the games are going to be made for awhile. *shrugs* The classic development team is gone, and I don't think they'll be coming back anytime soon, if at all. Though if it makes people happy, Sakaguchi, Amano, and Uematsu are all a part of Mistwalker.

As for plot, I don't know how people can complain. It seems that it's going to have an old-school feel again, and it's in the land of Ivalice, so...oh yeah, and Star Wars references up the yahoo. (Seriously, seen the demo trailer? And so many screenshots.xD)

How are moogles different?

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OSonic Rave
/ \Last Arcanum
[ ]Strike Raid
XRagnarok

Kane is right having around well wait gimme a sec FF1 to 12 Plus Mystic quest and NES ff1 ff2 ff3 Tactis too plus 10-2 FF4GBA and FF1&2 GBA so lets see here that would be 20 games with the same story line.... Did i miss any?

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Kel'Thuzad: She is persistent. Reminds me of you, death knight.

Arthas:Shut up you damned ghost.

-Warcraft III Kel'thuzad comparing Arthas and Sylvanas Windrunner.

Think about it from Sakaguchi's angle. He got stuck with making the final game of Square Co. Ltd. Irony is, the final game brought the company back to black, and Sakaguchi, being one of the founders and the one that saved the company, gets to do it again and again with ever-increasing prestige. No sequel was planned for the game, it was just one game. The title was kept because it's the one name that ritually kept Square afloat. In effect, it has become the cash cow as of late, but this is not the mentality of Sakaguchi, hence his departure. Imagine if the game failed, he was more than complacent to pack up and go somewhere else.

There seems to be one other thing that links the titles, or at least the three I have (IV, V, IX). The Characters meet completly by chance, and it's by chance that they end up having to fight the main boss. Even in Final Fantsy V, it was just a case of the characters happening to be at the wind shrine at the begining, though this total 'random' chance is less aparant.

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A guy goes into a bar and gets into an argument about whether or not he should show his I.d. He leaves saying:

Quote

Real Life The Webcomic:
Right, fine. Cause in three months when I turn 21, I'll be mature enough to drink a SODA in here

Acorrding to the comic, this actually happened.

Quote (Mistamera @ 9th May 2006 04:06)

There seems to be one other thing that links the titles, or at least the three I have (IV, V, IX). The Characters meet completly by chance, and it's by chance that they end up having to fight the main boss.

I dunno...

CT? Earthbound? Breath of Fire? And just about any other RPG out there?

It's a standard form and a basic element of game design. What's the point in having everyone know each other and the party staying the same throughout the entire game? No surprises, no unexpected elements, and very little character developement left because hey, everyone already knows each other.

There was an "evil empire which is actually a front for the REAL evil" thing for a while though. FF1 and the Fiends, which were just a front for Garland's little revenge. FF4 and Baron/Golbez -> Zemus. FF6 and the Empire -> Kefka. FF7 and Shinra -> Sephiroth. FF9 and Brahne -> Kuja. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to all FFs and there are many gaps in this, so it's NOT a link either.

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"Judge not a man by his thoughts and words, but by
the quality and quantity of liquor in his possession
and the likelyhood of him sharing."

What I meant was, generally, they don't have any idea that their actions are going to lead them to saving the world (except in FFV, where they prtty much begin trying to save the world, but they end up going about it in a different way) and in other RPg's I know of, the characters pretty much know about saving the world before the introduction sequence ends.

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A guy goes into a bar and gets into an argument about whether or not he should show his I.d. He leaves saying:

Quote

Real Life The Webcomic:
Right, fine. Cause in three months when I turn 21, I'll be mature enough to drink a SODA in here

Acorrding to the comic, this actually happened.

Quote (Mistamera @ 10th May 2006 03:12)

the characters pretty much know about saving the world before the introduction sequence ends.

Rudora no Hihou? Chrono Trigger (unless you count the bit before the End of Time as the intro... quite a long intro though )? Tetris? Breath of Fire II? Live a Live? Front Mission I? Lunar?

Granted, there ARE plenty of RPGs where you pretty much know you're on a Mission To Save The World ™ within the first few minutes, but it's not exclusive to the FF series by a long shot. In fact...

FF1- "You are the Light Warriors! You are foretold in the legend! You will save the world!" It gets quite blatant here...

FF4 - Right after the first boss, Kain and Cecil decide they've had enough of Baron. Right after the second boss, Golbez's name comes up.

FF5 - "The crystals chose us!" Hrm.

FF6 - The Returners kinda spring it on you early enough...

FF7 - Gee, I dunno... isn't Barret's first spiel to Cloud about saving the Planet from Shinra? As for Sephiroth, as soon as you leave Midgar (arguably the intro of the game) Cloud reveals just about everything...

FFX - Your goal is to escort Yuna on her pilgrimage so she can defeat Sin. That's... quite a given...

It's just not solid enough a point... :/

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"Judge not a man by his thoughts and words, but by
the quality and quantity of liquor in his possession
and the likelyhood of him sharing."

When do you think the introduction sequence ends?

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A guy goes into a bar and gets into an argument about whether or not he should show his I.d. He leaves saying:

Quote

Real Life The Webcomic:
Right, fine. Cause in three months when I turn 21, I'll be mature enough to drink a SODA in here

Acorrding to the comic, this actually happened.

FF games have always been different... but in each game there are usually tiny (or large) easter eggs hinting at other FF games...

In fact too many times people have taken these little easter eggs as 'actual hints' as connecting the worlds, or even claiming them to be the same world...

I think the best example of this is Shinra fromm FFX-2 where the creator suddenly decided that Spira and FFVII's world were the same dang thing... of course there are COUNTLESS reasons that just doesn't work but goddamn does it make the fans happy. =P

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The Arcana are the means by which ALL is revealed.

Quote (Mu the Squirrel @ 16th May 2006 10:24)

I think the best example of this is Shinra fromm FFX-2 where the creator suddenly decided that Spira and FFVII's world were the same dang thing... of course there are COUNTLESS reasons that just doesn't work but goddamn does it make the fans happy. =P

lol, yes. I remember the interview went a little like...

"...so like... his descendants went in space and landed on the FF7 planet... or something like that!"

The "or something like that" bit had me laughing. Talk about improvised. It'd be great if the FFs were actually connected with each other, as opposed to be totally (for all intent and purpose) seperate games. But meh, the cold hard truth is, "Final Fantasy" is just a label...

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When do you think the introduction sequence ends?

I dunno. You tell me. It seems to be the basis of your argument.

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"Judge not a man by his thoughts and words, but by
the quality and quantity of liquor in his possession
and the likelyhood of him sharing."

I find it funny how they're trying to connect them all now, even though it's clearly obvious they weren't trying too when the series started... they really only started all this about the time of FFIX. =P
Ayone catch all the little hints pointing at FFIX in FF: Dawn of Souls? Teehee.

And FFXII has Gilgamesh. Everything has Gilgamesh these days. >>

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The Arcana are the means by which ALL is revealed.

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I dunno. You tell me. It seems to be the basis of your argument.

Unless I am mistaken, the intoduction sequence ends when you can control your character.

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Right after the first boss, Kain and Cecil decide they've had enough of Baron. Right after the second boss, Golbez's name comes up

Deciding that you've had enough with someone is not the same as deciding that you are going to defend the world against that person, it might lead to nothing more then deciding that you are going to be an annoyence to that person so they see that they are not as important as they seem or even shunning them. Also, as far as they knew, all Golbez wanted was to conquer the world, not help destroy it

Possible spoilers: highlight to view

albeit under the control of something

.

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A guy goes into a bar and gets into an argument about whether or not he should show his I.d. He leaves saying:

Quote

Real Life The Webcomic:
Right, fine. Cause in three months when I turn 21, I'll be mature enough to drink a SODA in here

Acorrding to the comic, this actually happened.