Is there a more iconic quartet in RPG history?

All of Final Fantasy 9 should have just been those characters. FF9 until disc 1 was the comfiest kino I have ever played. When the group was split up, it turned to shit.

Final Fantasy is a franchise that always suffered from too many irrelevant characters.

>>11886954 (OP)
FF9 until Lindblum in disc 1*

>>11886954 (OP)
I agree but more options is never bad, just don't use them if you don't like it.
I like to switch things up on replays.

>>11886954 (OP)
Middle of disc 2 now and I'm still loving almost every second of it. I see why people waifu the rat. Quina is a bit eh. The wild thing is just how much you cant see the care and effort woven into the game. You just dont get that sort of thing anymore and it's painfully noticeable. The backgrounds are incredible, the ost is great, the writing is wonderful. Its just all great. Really cant wait to play the rest of the series after this one.

>>11887004
The rest of the series isn't good as this one. Closest would be FF10 I guess, both in quality and in vibe.

>>11887004
You started with 9? That was a weird choice.

>>11886954 (OP)
Vivi is the only good character in the game

>>11887006
Dang, don't say that. Its making me a bit melancholy playing it just because you really dont see this sort of thing anymore.

>>11886954 (OP)
>05
I would prefer zidane be replaced with Freya personally.

>>11887012
I've been going through my backlog of games I always wanted to play and this one was one of the tops. Considering I learned to get into JRPG's recently I figured this was the perfect time. Phantasy Star series next.

>>11887012
IX is what I started with and I'm still playing FFs 25 years later. The references to older FF titles aren't that big of a factor in the game or one's ability to enjoy it.

>>11887021
It's a good game, but it was also the love letter send off for the previous games in the series. It would be like starting with Dragon Quest 11, good game but filled with references from the entire series.
Hope you enjoy Phantasy Star, honestly I can't stand the series, especially the later games.

>>11887036
Lol, I sure picked the right one to start with then. Oh well, I planned on playing through the rest after this so I guess I'll get everything retrospectively

>>11887029
>The references to older FF titles aren't that big of a factor in the game or one's ability to enjoy it.
I never said they were, but to be honest you're already biased for what it's worth. Of course you can enjoy the game but they are for sure a factor, I'm not sure why everyone is always so quick to dismiss it.
For those of us that played the earlier ones beforehand it definitely added to our enjoyment.

>>11887045
It's not make or break and it'll at least give you something to look forward to if you ever replay it.
Personally I would recommend starting with either 1 or 4 depending on your preference. I actually think FF4 and Mario RPG are some of the best retro gateway rpgs.

>>11887052
I plan on playing them in order using >>11879115 for consoles, psp ver for IV. Then someday I'll revisit the pc version of 9 as I'm playing the PS1 version now just because I like the low poly jagged models. I'm taking a small break after 9 to play Last Remnant as that was always a big one on my backlog that I never played and a one off, then FF series, then Phantasy Star as I tried that series while I was still relying on guides and it kinda killed my enjoyment.

>>11887046
I've played it again after playing all through 12. The references are a very minor part of the game that people ramble on about for some reason. A little nod here or there is cool but not a big part of the game at all and not knowing them doesn't detract from enjoyment at all.

>>11887061
Like I said we can go in circles, but I believe you're biased. I've heard many people tell this exact same story.
Personally I view the general games scope and feel as part of the effort to cap off all of the series. It goes beyond just small references.
By the same token you say people ramble, it's common for others to ramble how there's just a few meaningless references that don't add anything to the game, I disagree.

>>11887059
If Phantasy Star with guides killed your enjoyment, I wish you luck in the later games.

>>11886954 (OP)
FF7 was more iconic. FF9 is for furries and trannys

>>11887004
If you think 9 is fun godamn 6 and 7 will be insane. Its all downhill after 7.

>>11887070
I've never heard someone say what I'm saying. I've heard people wax poetic for years about how it's a "send-off to classic Final Fantasy" and it's bullshit.
>Wow, this one armor in this one room references a name from FFVI!
>Garnet's real name is Sarah, and the big baddie orchestrating everything is named Garland!! So cool!
The references aren't a big deal at all. You do not need to have played another FF before, you miss nothing other than the occasional reference. I have no bias other than that I like the game, again, I've played it after playing all the others and see the references, but it's very overblown, the references are few and far between.

>>11887084
>I've never heard someone say what I'm saying
Stick around longer you will. You're not special and your points are tired.

>>11887086
>You're not special and your points are tired.
Same to you, bucko. I'm just saying what I think. The references add zero enjoyment to the game and are very minor details.
>>11887075
It's no more furry or tranny than Crash Bandicoot, or Tomba, or any Disney shit. Furries weren't really a thing until the late-'00s, trannies too.

>>11887090
>Same to you, bucko. I'm just saying what I think.
>The references add zero enjoyment to the game
I can see what you're doing, it was obvious from the beginning. I've already explained my thoughts on it, you can continue to dismiss all of them and stay in your bubble.
It's charming you believe you've shared some new wisdom though.

>>11887074
I realized that, at least personally, guides absolutely destroy the whole point I play jrpgs. I dont mind using them when I get absolutely stuck, but really, they just turn rpgs into VN's with bloated filler in-between. I try to avoid them at all cost in RPGs.
>>11887078
I really hope so. Like I said, the big thing thats winning me over is just how much passion is put into every aspect of the game. Its fun to explore the world, interact with every npc, and fight every new monster that appears. About my only gripe is the part is disc 2 where you have to save the Burmecian's and it's all up to random chance if you pick the right direction for them.

>>11887112
>where you have to save the Burmecian's and it's all up to random chance if you pick the right direction for them.
There's one specific route where you can save them all, not random but feels like it. It's pretty arbitrary as there's no way to figure it out from in-game clues.

>>11887112
>guides absolutely destroy the whole point I play jrpgs
I agree and not just with jrpgs. Enjoy Phantasy Star 2.

Is it ever explained why Zidane is a monkey man?

>>11887127
Yes.

>>11887120
Thankfully its a pretty minor gripe. For a game I've put this much time into and that being the only genuine issue so far, thats not bad at all. Its also one of those games where I was 12 hours in, finished disc 1, and felt like I had only just started.

So was there an actual way to figure out the correct path to save them or was it trial and error?
>>11887124
It's funny, there was a chapter in some old .hack mangas that tackled a very similar issue. Looks like that mangaka was trying to impart some gamer wisdom about how to get the most out of your games.

>>11887138
Go on

>>11887127
Did you play the game?

>>11887151
I liked the .hack games but the only manga I ever remember reading was a Blackrose one. You have some interesting taste considering you're newer to jrpgs.

>>11887156
Spoilers obv. He's from the planet Terra. Garnet is trying to suck the life essence from Gaia to prolong Terra's life. The inhabitants of Terra are called Genomes and have monkey tails and blonde hair. Zidane is a genome sent by Garland to infiltrate Gaia to set up the life energy sucking process.

>>11887168
>Garnet is trying to suck
Garland, my bad. :P

>>11887127
Never finished it, unbearably dull

>>11887164
Turn based jrpgs always filtered me. I really couldn't understand why you would play all that stuff in between point a to point b because it all just felt like filler (again, due to using guides regularly). I didn't get the whole fun of the journey and not the destination. Beyond that, this year I've made it as priority to play all the games I still hadn't yet that I had always meant to. The .hack series was one of the tops. Always been into /vr/ but I beat almost every other genre on my backlog outside of RPGs.
what's really funny is how much effort I put into directing exactly why I wasn't having fun with JRPGs when I enjoyed so many aspects about them (art direction and ost).

>>11887176
Directing=Dissecting*

>>11887176
Well at least you have a lot to look forward to know. I remember one of the reasons I always wanted to improve my reading when was so I could actually play jrpgs when I was young.

I'm sure you already have a list but here's some of my long time favourites(besides final fantasy):
Wild Arms
SaGa
Dragon Quest
Shadow Hearts
Breath of Fire
Tales

I can't really recommend SaGa to someone in good faith though... but it's a personal favourite.

>>11887184
Awesome, I appreciate it and really appreciate the recommendations. Got some of then already loaded on my vita (Wild Arms 1&2, Breath of Fire, some of the Tales), I'll grab the rest tomorrow.

I'll throw SaGa 1 and 2 on there as well. Also, looks like Masashi Hamauzu did the ost for SaGa Frontier 2 so that'll be something to eventually look forward to.

>>11887202
Masashi Hamauzu is really great, the SaGa series in general some of my favourite composers and osts. Michiko Naruke who composed most of Wild Arms is probably my favourite of all time though, behind only maybe Sakuraba.
The early Breath of Fire games, and especially SaGa might be a bit harder to get into at the start. SaGa for a lot of people is a really obtuse series, it might be better to at least start with SaGa Frontier or the Romancing SaGa remake.

>>11887006
6, 7, 8 and 10 all rape 9. 9 is only good on the first disc. you have awful taste.

>>11887220
>Michiko Naruke who composed most of Wild Arms is probably my favourite of all time though, behind only maybe Sakuraba.

Well shoot, that makes me excited. Like I said, I've played a pitiful amount of JRPGs but always appreciated the other aspects of them which is how I became familiar with Naruke. To hear there are even better composers then him have me really excited. Might have to move Wild Arms up on the backlog.

>>11887243
I don't want to spoil any of the late or really good ones but here's some early stuff
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7jOKDQOeZc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyyC_X4OlG0

SaGa Frontier has and amazing ost as well, Kenji Ito is another favourite definitely goated.
Romancing SaGa ps2 is one of the best jrpg soundtracks, really underrated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE5_QxeUSVE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7gOXoekipc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1utLavgMt1I

>>11887265
Good Lord, that's all so good. The first two tracks do something cool with what would be standard western music in a way I've never heard, but that last track you posted... man, is it good. Just uses so many instruments in such a cool way. When the guitar kicks in I swear it sounds like something I've heard in a toku ost. Just great.

You're making me wish I could play all these games alongside one another.

>>11886954 (OP)
>Thief
>Fighter
>Mage
>Priest
You're telling me that leaning into traditional fantasy archetypes instead of mocking, subverting, or ignoring them made you enjoy the characters more?
How?
How can this be?

>>11887281
They really went all out on the remastered soundtrack. Here's the original for comparsion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBF96mSUGmw

>>11887296
That's what made FF9 special, it was a huge return to form at the time. Probably the last one really(sadly).

>>11887224
This is completely false and the best thing is the FF9 creators agree with me and say it is the best one. You are a pleb who still hasn't grown out of his edgy sephiroth phase and has no taste. 9 tells by far the best story and has the best presentation. Then comes 10. Then comes dogshit. Then come 6, 7, 8 etc.

>>11887465
Wrong.

>>11887045
4-9 are all good games. 10 was where the series lost me.

I hate whenever they split up the party and introduce new characters. I get it, you can have multiple events occurring simultaneously in different places... but it's not fun to play through it if you like to get attached to your party members in JRPGs.

>>11887312
Its incredible. You said the ps2 remake was the best way to experience that game, correct? I'm working on downloading everything now.

>>11888165
Personally, I dont mind it outside of not having a white mage simply because I'm looking forward to them being reunited.

>>11886954 (OP)
I liked the cutscene where Steiner is snoring loudly while Vivi lays awake staring at the roof of his tent while Zidane plaps Dagger.

>>11887312
>That's what made FF9 special, it was a huge return to form at the time.
It really wasn't.

>>11888172
The remake is really the only complete way to experience it anyway. The snes version was translated to make it playable and functional but it was still a bit rough.
SaGa Frontier also have a faithful modern remaster which also adds back in cut content.

>>11888165
I actually like that stuff, I think it's boring to stick to the same party no matter what. The only times I like that is when they're using a job system like FF5(best gameplay).

>>11888214
Good post, thanks so much.

>>11888231
Perfect, I appreciate it. Splitting the Downloads between the vita and steam deck (for 6th gen+). Looks like I'll be busy for quite a while but its nice to have that sort of childhood wonder rekindled playing these games and getting lost in their worlds. I appreciate all the help. I'll probably cut out here as to avoid spoilers and maybe check back in a couple months once I've beaten everything.

Thank God for the backlog.

>>11887296
is there a hacked version of FF1 where the magic stat works?

also Yuffi is pointless.

>>11886954 (OP)
I tried FF9. I made it too the fat guy with a fork. I had to stop there.

Also the main cat dude is a little bitch and I want to watch horribly painful things to happen to him.

>>11889161
There are a few FF1 romhacks, check RHDN. Look for bugfix compilations. Also try various platforms.

>>11887090
>The references add zero enjoyment to the game and are very minor details
I wouldn't say they add zero enjoyment, but they are definitely not necessary to enjoy the game.
>>11887104
>you can continue to dismiss all of them and stay in your bubble.
>It's charming you believe you've shared some new wisdom though.
Ironing

I really liked FFIX

>>11889201
>heck RHDN
what is that? ima tard

>>11886954 (OP)
Garnet spends a chunk of the game with x3 MP cost and another chunk completely mute and "unable to concentrate", she jobs to a literal six year old orphan.

Third-worst female in FF history.

>>11889782
Romhacking.net

>>11888264
Gotta hop back in to say the Black Mage Village was absolutely kino. The design, ost, color scheme, story that happens there. Favorite part of the game so far.

Also, probably gonna move Last Remnant to the back burner for now and instead play Wild Arms 1 and 2. That ost and the art for that one really got me itching to play it..

>>11890986
>you can talk quina and vivi into getting married

This is the first time a game has made me laugh this hard in a looooong time

>>11887075
>The paragonic transvestite warrior is calling stuff he don't like as tranny shit again

>>11887176
Nice to see a fellow .hack enjoyer, seems like there aren't many of us out there. I think a lot of people just look at the covers and premise and pass over the series expecting it to be generic MMO isekai power fantasy garbage. It's really disappointing because the series has a lot to say about the different motivations people have for playing games and how those motivations can often shape the character they choose to present to others, and even though the internet has changed a lot since the series started I think many of the themes are still relevant today

honestly i just found steiner kind of annoying if sometimes a little funny. i never used him after i had a choice. my final party always just ends up as freya, vivi, and eiko.