Final Fantasy VII

[AndrewTS 0]

As easy as Chrono Trigger is, it is still more difficult (first time through/no New Game +) and strategic than FFVII.

[Anya 0]

Am I? Knights of the Round can basically killthe last boss of the game in one hit, but let's just push it aside. TheBahamut series of summons all throw down decent non-elemental damage,and other summon materia like Alexander and Odin aren't exactlysneeze-worthy.

 

 

Bahamut takes off like a couple of thousand, can be done once per battle unless you level it up, costs a ton of MP and makes you lose like 10% of your HP. I don't see the big deal. It's semi-powerful...so what? You're the first I've ever seen complain that of all things in FF VII, the summons are what's over powered. That's usually a VIII complaint.

 

For the record, Safer Sephiroth usually survives a single KOTR.

 

 

 

There's the Fanatic's Tower in FFVI, where you can only use magic and you have to rely on some Reflect trickery to even hit some of the later bosses. Just surviving in the final stages of FFIV requires some ingenuity, especially when random battles essentially become mini-boss battles in the later levels. In both games, your success in battles is much more dependent upon your equipment and level-building of the characters, rather than keeping track of which under-developed materia has which faceless materia.

 

 

I found the weapons in VII to be like 10 times harder than any side quest in VI, but it doesn't matter which is easier, the point is that both are easy.

 

 

Or you can load everybody up with materia and bomb everybody out of the water. Character-specific issues like Equipment become unimportant once you've built up the proper materia. There is no strategy in determining who gets the ultra-boosted Cure materia - the fact that it's in the battle (and it can go to anybody) doesn't add any "complexity." It makes your job a whole lot easier because you don't have to think about where you put it.

 

 

How is Equipment unimportant? It's just like the other games. It gives you defense or attack bonuses, except it also has the materia slots or extra/less Materia growth. Nobody is going to use the Buster Sword or some weaksauce Bronze Bangle halfway into the game.

 

You COULD give the cure to anybody, but it's not in your best interest. Why would you give your support magic to the same party member that primarily attacks? Cure will lower their HP by like 5% and give them extra magic power, which they don't need.

 

I always think about who should get what Materia. For example, I wouldn't want the person with E. Skill to have my support magic because Big Guard uses up a LOT of your MP. Instead I give E. Skill to someone who primarily attacks and doesn't need a lot of MP to do other stuff. Another example is that I would not give Comet to the same person as Cure. The person with Cure is going to be healing and supporting the others in battle, they're not going to have time or MP to waste on doing Comet.

 

 

 

 

 

FF4 leaves you with the disadvantage of not everyone being able to cure and not everyone being able to attack. Each character has strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes you won't even have a white mage or black mage in your party. Or they'll run out of MP or die and then you'll be screwed. One character will have to use a life potion if you have any and another will have to use a cure potion if you have any and maybe another. Then you have to think about if you should even use a turn to use life since they might kill her as soon as she comes back when you could be curing somebody else or attacking. For FF6/FF7, all you do is use life2 with anybody. If a monster is weak against fire, well use Fire for everybody! You don't have to worry about silly things like fire and ice weapons.

 

 

In theory everyone in FF VII can cure, but I don't think that's the case in actual practice for the vast majority of players. I know when I play through I don't have 3 mastered cure or fire materia. I just have one person with good cure stuff and it's the same deal with FF IV, if they die they party is in trouble.

 

I know what you mean though. FF IV being simpler actually makes it harder since you have less to work with. I agree that's true, but it's not always good thing if you ask me. I like how in the blank slate type games you can do what you want. If you want to make your own classes you can, if you want to be gods then you can do that too. I like the class system too though. Especially in X. I really liked how you could switch in and out characters to take advantage of their special abilities, like switching in to have Wakka take out a flying baddie.

[Slayer 0]

Also, I've never been able to figure out what the fuck kind of name "Safer Sephiroth" is, besides stupid maybe

 

Was something mistranslated, or did someone just make up a random word there

 

Savior Sephiroth sounds cooler and makes much more sense, given his objectives

[Anya 0]

I think it's a mistranslation of Seraph Sephiroth.

[Anya 0]

Of course, there was the 3DO which had tons of similar "games." Although honestly, who would buy one except someone with tons of cash to blow and/or REALLY wanted to play the console's versions of Super SF2 Turbo or Samurai Shodown. Say--do you/did you have a 3DO, Sakura?

 

 

No, but I always wanted to play Way of the Warrior.

Edited December 12, 2003 by Sakura

[The Metal Maniac 0]

I didn't find Seraph that hard, even when I re-played the battle without using KotR just to see how hard it was.

 

Of course, my characters were all about level 94, Barrett did 9,999 with every single attack, guaranteed, Cloud did close to that, and Cid had slightly less.

 

And they all had 4-Cut Materia.

 

I wasted so much of my life levelling up in that game...

[Damaramu 0]

I was lvl 30....didn't have KOTR and didn't have all the Ultimate Weapons or Limit Breaks......I beat the crap out of Sephiroth...both forms.

Compared to FFVI where I went in without Ultima and everyone at lvl 30 and still had trouble.

FFVII was easier. Plain and simple.

[LaParkaYourCar 0]

I think it's a mistranslation of Seraph Sephiroth.

Yeah I believe you're right about that....stupid mistranslations...didn't someone figure out that it sounded wrong??

[chaosrage 0]

In theory everyone in FF VII can cure, but I don't think that's the case in actual practice for the vast majority of players. I know when I play through I don't have 3 mastered cure or fire materia. I just have one person with good cure stuff and it's the same deal with FF IV, if they die they party is in trouble.

Why wouldn't you? You can just buy all the cure and fire materia you want in shops.

 

I know what you mean though. FF IV being simpler actually makes it harder since you have less to work with. I agree that's true, but it's not always good thing if you ask me. I like how in the blank slate type games you can do what you want. If you want to make your own classes you can, if you want to be gods then you can do that too. I like the class system too though. Especially in X. I really liked how you could switch in and out characters to take advantage of their special abilities, like switching in to have Wakka take out a flying baddie.

 

Yep, FFX is easily the best FF gameplay wise. No comparison there.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

I was lvl 30....didn't have KOTR and didn't have all the Ultimate Weapons or Limit Breaks......I beat the crap out of Sephiroth...both forms.

Compared to FFVI where I went in without Ultima and everyone at lvl 30 and still had trouble.

FFVII was easier. Plain and simple.

I'm astonished that you got to the end of either game at level 30. I sense hyperbole.

 

On Ultima: what're you fools talkin' about? I uncursed the Paladin Shield in maybe a day or two. Ain't no thang...except, you know, 16 hours of my life or so, but whatever. Oh, to be 13 again.

[Jingus 0]

He could've done it at level 30, in theory, if he was really clever with his chained materias. Or really, really lucky. Or both. Personally, I found the regular random encounters at the bottom of that damn cave to be harder than Sephiroth himself, but anyway.

 

I've gotta back Sakura on her last post, too, chaosrage. Sure, you can buy more Fire or Cure or whatever materia. But how many people are actually going to spend all the time it takes to level it up? By the end of my FFVII games, I usually had only one Master materia of all the simple stuff like attacking and healing, and a lot of the time didn't have a master at all of the ones like the stronger summoned monsters.

[Damaramu 0]

Really? I was between 30 and 40. I've known plenty of people that have done it. It's not that difficult. It wasn't hard at all actually. That's about where I've beaten every FF.

[Jingus 0]

That's very unusual, Mighty Dormroom. (There's an old chestnut we haven't hauled out of mothballs in a while.) I usually have to have my characters at least 40, preferably 50, in IV-VIII or else I get slaughtered pretty much every time I go into the last dungeon. Level 30 just doesn't give you enough time to level up to the really cool stuff.

[Damaramu 0]

That's very unusual, Mighty Dormroom. (There's an old chestnut we haven't hauled out of mothballs in a while.) I usually have to have my characters at least 40, preferably 50, in IV-VIII or else I get slaughtered pretty much every time I go into the last dungeon. Level 30 just doesn't give you enough time to level up to the really cool stuff.

Maybe I'm freakishly good at RPG's. But I don't think that's it. I've been in the mid to high 30's range everytime. With my lowest being around 29.

[Jingus 0]

What do you do with the super-difficult random monsters in the last dungeons? Do you just run away, do you have some secret strategy? Whenever I get my ass stomped at the end, it's usually not even by the last boss; I'm always dusted by some random Behemoth or something just a few frustrating steps away from the end.

[Damaramu 0]

What do you do with the super-difficult random monsters in the last dungeons? Do you just run away, do you have some secret strategy? Whenever I get my ass stomped at the end, it's usually not even by the last boss; I'm always dusted by some random Behemoth or something just a few frustrating steps away from the end.

I usually try to take it. If it begins to stomp my ass to where I can't comeback then I run like a little bitch. Running has saved my ass many a time.

[Slayer 0]

I think it's a mistranslation of Seraph Sephiroth.

Yeah I believe you're right about that....stupid mistranslations...didn't someone figure out that it sounded wrong??

Random Square Employee #1:"Hey Carl, I think you mistranslated this name here...."

 

Random Square Employee #2:"Who the fuck cares, all those Japanophiles will eat it up anyway"

[The Amazing Rando 0]

I remember playing FFVII for hours on end when it first came out... I thought it was brilliant.

 

I still enjoy the game...because I don't get caught up in all the crap with how magic works or how powerful the weapons are or etc etc... I just thought it was fun to mess around with....

 

When I finally beat it I marked out like a little bitch...and there were certain scenes I just loved...

 

oh...and I'm a hardcore mark for Red XIII and Cosmo Canyon...

[Jobber of the Week 0]

FF7's final boss fights were slightly harder as a whole than FF6's, but still not really that difficult.

 

FF9's was a much better challenge.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

I usually try to take it. If it begins to stomp my ass to where I can't comeback then I run like a little bitch. Running has saved my ass many a time.

That might be it. Until FFX I'd never actually run away from a fight.

 

I also tend to explore every inch of dungeons and towns, and thus probably get a lot more random encounters.

[Damaramu 0]

I usually try to take it. If it begins to stomp my ass to where I can't comeback then I run like a little bitch. Running has saved my ass many a time.

That might be it. Until FFX I'd never actually run away from a fight.

 

I also tend to explore every inch of dungeons and towns, and thus probably get a lot more random encounters.

I like to explore but sometimes I'm low on MP and items and just want to get the hell out of dodge.

[Anya 0]

You can beat most of the FF games at VERY low levels. Like in the single digits. People do low level games, no materia games, no esper games, initial equipment games, and other insane stuff.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I'll chime in:

 

Final Fantasy III is the best of both worlds. Class system with each character having specific abilities, and the option of customizing magic. That way you have flexibility, but everyone's not a blank slate.

 

My only complaint is that Kefka is ridiculously easy. I think my only loss to him wasn't even a loss to him, but just the Light Of Judgment kicking my ass. I made a crappy depth chart that ended up with like a very weak Umaro, Relm, and Gau getting subbed in for my awesome Sabin, Terra, and Mog. Oops.

 

Remember the limit breaks (or desperations) in FF6? I remember Kefka knocking me down to just Terra at 1 HP and I chose Fight and she busted out Riot Blade and I was like "whoa what the hell!" and then I won.

[EricMM 0]

First: the Desperation moves in FF6 are overrated since they're not controlable or dependable or actively usable.

 

Second, there are almost NO class systems in FF6. Almost everyone can fight and everyone can cast magic etc.

 

Sure, only Shadow can throw and only Sabin can Blitz. That just makes Sabin better.

[chaosrage 0]

I'll chime in:

 

Final Fantasy III is the best of both worlds. Class system with each character having specific abilities, and the option of customizing magic. That way you have flexibility, but everyone's not a blank slate.

That's FFX. Magicite is just as bad as materia. Or worse if that's possible.

 

And everyone is a blank state. It's just as easy to learn Ultima with Gau as it is Terra, and about as effective.

[chaosrage 0]

I've gotta back Sakura on her last post, too, chaosrage.  Sure, you can buy more Fire or Cure or whatever materia.  But how many people are actually going to spend all the time it takes to level it up? 

 

Well I haven't played the game in 6 years, but as far as I remember, you didn't have to level up to use Fire and Cure.

[Jingus 0]

You have to level up all the materia, chaos. When you first get Fire and Cure, it only lets you cast the very weakest versions of those spells. You have to level them up to get the more powerful ones.

 

Also, how the heck is magicite worse than materia? Magicite only affects magic spells, and even then the character using it makes a difference: a Fire 3 from Terra is a helluva lot stronger than one from Edgar.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I'll chime in:

 

Final Fantasy III is the best of both worlds. Class system with each character having specific abilities, and the option of customizing magic. That way you have flexibility, but everyone's not a blank slate.

That's FFX. Magicite is just as bad as materia. Or worse if that's possible.

 

And everyone is a blank state. It's just as easy to learn Ultima with Gau as it is Terra, and about as effective.

No, some characters have better magic than others due to their stats. Sure, you learn them at the same rate, but an Ultima from Terra, Celes, Mog, and even Sabin is going to be better than one from Gau or Shadow.

[EricMM 0]

That depends on which Magicite a person carries. That effects how they level.

 

AND, eventually one will level them all so strongly that they all do 9,999 with ultima anyways.

[LaParkaMarka 0]

Eric's right. Just level someone up with the right magicite and they can have really high magic or really high <insert stat here>. Using everyone's favorite river loop, I built up Edgar into this insane magic user, and Celes became a tank. Not exactly what their roles are supposed to be.