#I also did the same with FFXII

[hypaalicious]

I honestly don't even need to dress up AS the characters to be happy. I just want their clothes 🤣🤣🤣 Ignis especially. I just want to feel that fancy 🤣🤣🤣🤣 but yeah I've seen all the crap people give cosplayers these days and it really irks me. Like. If you don't like it, move on? It's not like you HAVE to look at them? And 90% of the jerks couldn't even do it better anyway.

Omg yes please. And Ignis has to wrestle with the logic that Noct might still be alive somewhere despite all the facts. And Gladio has to work through his emotions better this time damn it! He needs and deserves the same amount of growth as everyone else!

Exactly! Like. The female mcs can be fun without being annoying. Soft without being weak willed. And cool without being emotionless. Like come on. If your males can be, so can your females! There's literally no reason it has to be treated differently.

I agree. That's why I said I don't think I'd count Noct as "broody". I've just seen a lot of people outside the Fandom call him emo and broody and stuff and I'm like. Nah. He had legit reasons for his pain. And he didn't wallow in it ALL the time. Just the second half. BECAUSE AFTER ALTISSIA HE DIDN'T CATCH A DAMN BREAK TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK FROM EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED.

It sounds horrible but I love blind!Ignis and Nocts growth to much to not play to the end each time. Not like I'm happy that Iggy is blind but the way it affects the story and the way he takes it in strides really impresses me from a narrative POV. It hurts. But it's beautiful in a way, if that makes sense. I'm on my 3rd new game+ in like.. A little over a month I think? And I'm gonna go to the very end again 🤣 even if the alt ending is the only true end to me lolol

I kinda want many fictional characters’ clothes, but I fear it’s gone be like… how something looks good on a mannequin and then I buy it and it looks like garbage on me 😭 Because I mean let’s face it, they have the power of anime on their side 😂 Some of these outfits stay plastered to the right spots on their body at all times, some defy physics in ways we don’t realize until it turns out you need body tape to keep some shit looking good… stuff like that.

I think that’s why I like FFX-2; it was an entirely woman-led FF and it was just a group of chicks kicking ass with full personalities. And while Yuna was focused on reuniting with Tidus, that wasn’t her whole thing. Idk why Squenix can no longer do that 😂

Noct in the OG concept was broody and emo, and tbh I am so glad they didn’t go with that. Yeah, it would have been in line with what folks apparently wanted, but I’m over the stoic protagonist trope. Seeing the boys hang out and just be a bunch of dudes on a road trip was a great choice, imo! And no offense to Lunafreya, I’m so glad that the romance was an afterthought in the game, cause tbh square doesn’t really do romances well enough to shoehorn it in almost every damn game.

You are stronger than me cause I can’t take the pain and the disharmony the group had after Altissia 🥲 I know it gets better but I was in PAIN going through all that! I could only play through the whole game once, and the DLC once. I still haven’t played Ardyn’s DLC and I highly doubt I’ll go back to do it at this point either, it’s been years 😂 But the good thing about being on tumblr when it dropped is that I pretty much got the gist of it all through gifs and screenshots and discourse so I don’t feel I missed out in the end.

[kankuroplease]

Who are the characters you hate in anime? and the villains you like?( for me I like Garo in one punch man 🤩)

Very few characters earn actual hate from me because I don’t take anything that serious. But anyways, this is a long post. So under the cut it goes

I can give you my strongly disliked character list;

Sae - Peach Girl. Beginning of my trust issues

MeiMei - JJK. Whole weirdo and a waste of a badass

Shou Tucker - FMA. Worst anime dad, hands down

Danzo - Naruto. Stole my boys eye, stole bug dilfs adoptive son, and a general coward that tried to act like he wasn’t

Yasui - 7 Seeds. makes my blood boil and I don’t care about his redemption

Hisoka - HxH. makes my ass itch

Zoldyck family (minus Killua and Alluka) - HxH. icky ass itches

Mr. Yashiro - Erased. Added stress to my life and subtracted a year or two because of it.

Robin - Heavenly Delusion. For OBVIOUS TW reasons

Griffith - Berserk. I need him dead yesterday

Light - Death Note. I just don’t like him

Mineta - BNHA. Why?

Koza - Samurai Champloo. I can forgive a weak character, I can not forgive a manipulative backstabbing character that is also weak

Shindo - Sk8. Unhand that boy, sir.

Favorite Villains (I don’t count them all as bad guys, but they are antagonist);

Dabi - BNHA. Yeah he did it all, and? Look at his home life.

Enji Todoroki - BNHA. Not a villain but a whole ass villain at the same time.

Madara - Naruto. He had a point

Itachi - Naruto. I know what he did, but…

Kisame - Naruto. Nart hubby #2

Obito - Naruto. I’d wait for him to get out of jail Ngl. Nart hubby

Overhaul - BNHA. Terrible. Horrendous. Belongs in jail even, but I have a visual type

Aizen - Bleach. Smash

Ulquiorra - Bleach. My boy deserved better 😭

Unohana - Bleach. I support her wrongs

Grimmjow - Bleach. He’s not so bad

Sukuna - JJK. He’s hot

Toji - JJK. I was informed he goes here but I don’t believe it 🤧

Gyutaro - Demon Slayer. Such a good big brother

Akaze - Demon Slayer. Loved his wife and won’t consume women? A wins a win

Rem - Death Note. I don’t think my baby belongs here, she’s just an amoral Pookie

Millions Knives - Trigun. It’s a love hate thing

Gilgamesh - Fate series. A beautiful disaster. 

Izaya - Durarara!! Asshole (affectionately)

Scar - FMA. The splits. I would do them for him

Broly - DBZ. Again, splits. I volunteer as tribute!

Fujimoto - Ponyo. He’s a loving father and he did nothing wrong 😤

Sesshomaru - Inuyasha. Not counting the sequel the OG mangaka would not agree with either.

Sephiroth - FFXII. not an anime but THE hottest villain and a total shame to not mention

[tarnishedxknight]

FFXII Week ~ Day 3 Prompt: Favorite Ship

{out of dalmasca} Disclaimer: This post may include canon-divergent interpretations of canon characters, info about OCs featured on this blog, and AUs that may not align with the canon plot/characters of FFXII and/or may contain triggering material.

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Oh, you can't ask me for my favorite ship in this game when there are sooo many good ones to choose from! So you're getting my top three instead, heh. Let's dive into these great ships! =)

1st Place OTP: Basch & Ashelia

Listen. I understand there's a significant age gap. I do. BUT. First of all, I will die on this hill and you can pry this ship from my cold dead fingers, haha. Second, this ship works so well in some ways, sadly enough, because it never happened. Third, it also works because of the kind of person Basch is. We all know he is a decent, moral, caring, honorable, protective, and completely non-creepy guy. Because we know he would never have any bad intentions with Ashe, the ship works despite the age gap.

I am such a sucker for the whole "knight & princess" shipping trope, so let's just get that out of the way. But I've also developed these two a lot, beyond what is shown in the game. Basch was around for Ashelia's whole life, and she grew up with him being a source of guidance, protecting, mentoring, and structure when her mother was dead, eventually all her brothers were too, her father was largely absent, and she didn't really have any friends. There was Rasler, but she saw him very infrequently. So Basch was a constant and a source of stability in her life, which is why his "betrayal" hurt her so badly. But I love the slow burn of this ship-that-never-was, with Ashe relying on Basch and growing to have feelings for him and Basch realizing after years that he felt more for her than just friendship.

In my interpretation of him, Basch first realized that he loved Ashelia beyond just a knight protecting his king's daughter when he saw her marry Rasler. He was surprised by an overwhelming feeling of loss and sadness that permeated the otherwise hopeful and joyous tone of the wedding. He was happy for her, to be sure, but a part of him felt he was losing something or someone he couldn't live without. That's when it occurred to him that he was in love with her, and he realized what he was feeling was the beginnings of a broken heart.

Now, in the FFXII main game (and in Revenant Wings, if you consider that canon, I do not), Basch never confesses his feelings to her, for a multitude of reasons. I'll list them (from his own point of view, so the truth of these may be biased in that way) to save space so I don't ramble on forever:

He's too old for her

He's not of Dalmascan blood

He's not of Dynast King lineage

He's half-Archadian, and Ashelia hates the Empire

He was a lesser noble in Landis and only a knight in Dalmasca, hardly fit for a princess

The timing to tell her was never appropriate

He could clearly see she loved Rasler, and developed a crush on Balthier

She needs to marry royalty, or at least someone more elevated than he

She needs to seriously choose carefully who is going to father her heirs

She's never shown any interest in him beyond a professional relationship and friendship

So for all these reasons, Basch never confessed his love to Ashelia. In canon, for most of us, he never ever did. If you take the storyboards for Fortress into account, Basch finally confesses that he loves her, ten years after the end of the FFXII main game, and Ashelia promptly says she doesn't feel the same. While it was good to get some loosely-canon-ish confirmation on Basch's end, there's a lot about Fortress that was problematic, and Ashelia's characterization (as well as Zargabaath's and Larsa's) was horrible in it, so... I take that with a grain of salt. But anyway, the upshot is that, for Basch, this ship never got past achingly pining away for a woman he believes he can never have... and maybe he's right.

For Ashelia, she didn't realize she had feelings for Basch beyond just valuing him as a former knight and a mentor to her... until it was already too late and he was in Archadia. Impersonating his brother, Basch was supposed to be dead. He also couldn't very well return to her when he had Larsa to protect. She found herself missing Basch, as Penelo wrote in her letter at the end of the game, and feeling a little jealous of Larsa for having Basch with him.

Just like Basch, Ashelia has a list of reasons why she can't be with him, though hers are from a bit different of a point of view. Whereas Basch's points are all about him falling short of what she deserves or needs, or about her not wanting to be with him, Ashelia's have to do more with the logistics and optics of how to be with Basch, given his duties in Archadia. Here are her reasons why she doesn't think she could ever be with him:

Usually royalty are arranged, and any choice of hers would have to be approved by her counsel

Her counsel will never approve a man convicted of killing her father to be her king consort

Basch is supposed to be dead

He's hated by a large portion of the Dalmascan public, so the optics of it would look very bad to her people

Even if Basch were to be accepted by Dalmascans again, he's half-Archadian, something they and her counsel will surely think is inappropriate for the production of future heirs

If Basch remained "Gabranth" and visited Ashelia, the optics of that would look even worse

And really, the logistics of him spending enough time in Dalmasca to be a husband to her, a father to any children that would have, and a partner to her both politically and emotionally... just doesn't work with him having to remain with Larsa in Archadia

And so, sadly enough, this is the greatest ship that will just never be, heh. But hey, there's always fics and rps, right? I've made it happen on my own blog in a few different ways, and there is always the idea of Basch maybe being free to return to Ashe at some point in the future, after the events of the main game... right? Just nod. XD

I love this ship, though. The dynamic they had with each other, the way he supported and wanted the best for her, the way they both care about Dalmasca, Ashe's home and Basch's adopted home... I think they could be such a power couple if life and they themselves could have just given them a chance.

Plus, they both deserve happiness, don't they? Basch has suffered so much and been so alone. I want to see him happy and loved, with cute babies. My version of Basch on this blog wants to be a father so badly, but doesn't think he's the sort of person who should be having kids or who would make a good father. Prove him wrong, Ashe! And on Ashe's side of things, her last marriage was decided for her for political reasons. I would love to see her fall in love organically, as she did with Basch with my versions of the characters, and choose her own king consort.

2nd Place OTP: Gabranth & Drace

I love these two so much, your honor. I also write these two character on this blog, and I've developed them far beyond the game. I won't go into a lot of it, because my Dark!Ivalice AU contains a lot of potentially triggering themes, but these two have a longstanding history of supporting each other and being close friends and lovers.

Drace was the one who first took notice of Noah, who helped him get into the military from living in Old Archades with his mother when he first arrived from Landis, and who pointed him out to Emperor Gramis. She later sponsored him for the rank of Judge Magister, a rank he would go on to achieve and break her record of "youngest person to attain the rank" by a few months. He has defended her against misogyny in their rank and elsewhere, supported her ideas politically, and valued her advice. She has helped comfort him through numerous traumas, loves and respects him, but also realizes that he's not to be held too tightly. They've kept grave secrets for each other, vouches for each other, and protected each other from various threats both domestic and foreign. Over the years, they have developed and unspoken understanding with each other, a deep love, and a emotional support system that has become critical to both of them.

This post said it perfectly, and it describes Gabranth's and Drace's dynamic so well. They could not be open with their relationship because of how it might come back to bite one or both of them in their cutthroat rank and political system. They had to be very careful, discreet, and restrained, which honestly for me only made their relationship more achingly sweet and poignant.

But... it also makes Gabranth being ordered to execute her even more painful, I realize, but... I am a glutton for angst, heh. But you better believe that not only Basch's betrayal, but losing Drace by his own hand, had Gabranth emotionally flailing at the Pharos and again on the Bahamut. Losing Basch broke a piece of him, and losing Drace broke an equally big piece. That combined with the nethicite poisoning screwing with his mind... and you have the emotionally volatile Gabranth we saw at the Pharos.

Another side note, combining some things from the manga and my own headcanons, Drace sought Basch out at the Battle of Nalbina Fortress in defense of Noah. Yes, there was an attempt to occupy the Dalmascan Knights to keep them away from the fortress, but Drace could have targeted anyone... and she chose Basch. Why? She's heard for years from Noah about the pain Basch's abandonment caused him and their mother. Being dedicated to both Noah and her own family, she could not let such injustice stand. Her emotional attacks against Basch were here undoing in that duel, however, and Basch was able to significantly injure her arm, causing her to need to retreat. She was just defending her man! =)

But anyway, I adore these two for their silent understanding and loving acceptance of each other just the way they are. They don't try to change each other, but rather work with what's already there to build something really special between them. I wish we had gotten to see more of them, particularly Drace. =(

3rd Place: Fran & Balthier

I don't write either of these characters myself, although I have dabbled a wee bit with Fran as a guest muse. But I just... *sigh* These two are completely adorable, totally bonkers, and an absolute hoot.

My favorite moment of theirs was when Balthier was trying not to show just how concerned he was for Fran having been cracked on the head by falling debris on the Bahamut. He goes to pick her up, princess-style, and carry her out, and he'd just told Ashelia over the radio that he's, of course, "...the leading man." To which Fran replies, "I'd say you're in more of a... supporting role." Balthier simply deadpans with, "Fran, please." I love it so much. I love the way they tease each other, and the way they effortlessly play off of one another.

I also love how neither Fran nor Balthier ever places labels on their relationship beyond... "partner." Is that... a business partner? A partner in crime? A romantic partner? A sexual one? Any? All? We don't know, because they never tell us, because it's none of our damn business. And that's great, honestly. They're so secure in their relationship dynamic that they just let it be what it will and they don't need to explain it to anyone else.

Plus they're exciting, funny, daring, interesting, and they break a lot of traditional story tropes. Gotta love a ship that can do all that. =)

[furryprovocateur]

For the video gaymer ask meme: 1-8

platform of choice when gaming

not to be annoying but sony is the console manufacturer i prefer. in a perfect world sony would not be the best of the big three and would instead easily be the worst. but we live in a society that does not value men who. how does the full quote go idk it

2. top 5 games of all time

in ascending order: shin megami tensei: persona 3, sonic adventure 2: battle, fire emblem, phantasy star online: episode I and II plus, shin megami tensei: nocturne. the top 2 have been fairly set in stone for several years now, and the remaining 3 have fluctuated among the top 10 or so but this feels most correct. sad that the 6th place snub is FFXII 💔

3. favorite boss

NONE OF THEM!!!! #antiwork anyways i'm not sure what i would use as a criteria for this. i think i'm gonna go with the master from fallout because it really is just the most well done encounter in any RPG imo. if there's a "favorite final boss" question i'll kms because this would be my answer for that one.

4. favorite OST

here since i already answered this i'll just isolate some of my favorite tracks off the top of my head: "Dark Samus Boss Fight" - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, "Miller Ball Breakers" - Jet Set Radio, "Kopfsprung" - Ever17, "You Blow My Mind" - Street Fighter III: Third Strike, "This is True Love Makin'" - Capcom vs. SNK 2, "Distant Travels" - Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, "Climbing to the Top" - Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, "Hoist the Sword with Pride in the Heart" - Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City, "Their Own Brand of Justice" - Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City (yes it gets two entries. fatlus, remember), "Demon of Darkness" - Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor, "Septentrione" - Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2, "Changing Seasons" - Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, "Lovely Gate 3" - Sonic Adventure 2, and, if you've actually read this entire list, we must end with the classic "NO MORE NO MORE HEROES" - No More Heroes.

5. most memorable game moment

any time i see this prompt on asks like this my mind immediately and distinctly goes to one of the plot twists of zero time dilemma, specifically one regarding D team. i won't say what it is, but all i will say is that it had me going "SHUT THE FUCK UP. . . NO FUCKING WAY" for like 5 mins straight. the ending of drv3 is also up there on the same level of memorable.

6. first game you ever played

probably the original super mario bros. on NES at a family member's house. it's much harder to delineate what was the first game i meaningfully played on my own. i'm tempted to say something like mario kart 64.

7. most recent game you've played

trying to catch a calm lilleep from the dreamworld in white 2. before that, i was mat duping in PSO all of yesterday. i had 5 characters to do mat plans for, including TP materials (i got them with action replay. idgaf if you call that cheating because not having access to an entire material offline is stupid. 🤪). i had to stop at like 11:30 last night due to getting tired, but i only have like 400ish mats left to do, which is pretty decent all things considered.

8. most anticipated upcoming game

is "none of them" an answer? jkjkjkjkjk i wouldn't say i'm actively anticipating anything but i guess by default metaphor re:fantazio because i pre-ordered it and know nothing about it. i'm more interested in seeing what the fuck it's gonna be than i would say anything else. metroid prime 4 seems like an easy candidate for hype so i'm staying cautious. i never really wanted the prime trilogy to get a sequel and would've rather they just do their own thing like they did with dread. oh well.

[jadagul]

I beat FFXII today. (I want to go back and do some more completionism, but I beat the final boss and watched the credits.) And honestly, while I didn't hate it, I was disappointed.

I have about 90 hours in the game. That's about twice as long as the next-longest Final Fantasy I know my playtime for (for a single playthrough, I mean). And that seems like a good thing—there's lots of Content—but to me it underscores how empty the game is that I have twice as much time in it and it feels like much less has happened.

The story just generally felt underwritten; I've said it before and I stand by that. It's not that anything was bad; it just felt like characters had isolated scenes with isolated character beats that weren't prepared or resolved. They probably should have taken some of those extensive space airship battles that definitely aren't from Star Wars and replaced them with cutscenes involving the actual characters in the actual story.

It didn't help that there were often hours of play between one plot scene and the next—another place the long playtime rears its head. Of course, a lot of that was me going off on sidequests. This game has a ton of sidequests, and at least most of them it telegraphs pretty clearly. That's nice, in that it shows you the content; but it winds up keeping the focus off the actual story when there are hours of "go kill random bosses" in between each story quest.

And it also always hurts me as a somewhat-roleplayer to go do sidequests when in theory my characters should be under time pressure. ("Oh, there's a giant sky fortress leading a fleet towards my hometown. Now is a perfect time to run errands!) One of the things I most liked about Breath of the Wild is that it basically justifies your desire to run around sidequesting rather than fight the final boss. That's a diegetic, in-character decision that gets discussed.

And the climax feels equally half-assed. I was genuinely surprised that the game ended where it did; it really felt like it needed at least one more act. (I hadn't planned to finish tonight!) The final final boss is way more arbitrary than most FF final bosses, and might even beat out FFIXs. And honestly the credits didn't wrap up nearly as much as I expected, either.

And the gameplay wasn't awful but wasn't super fun. The gambit system was neat, although I kept wanting it to be more fine-grained. (I wish I could and two gambit instructions!) The fights were sometimes a little too chaotic to tell what was going on clearly, and I really don't like the reliance on fuck-you "this boss is immune to everything for the next thirty seconds" fields.

Some of the bonus bosses were interesting and tense and fun. But if you're doing them, the story bosses then become pretty trivial. At the same time, even with doing a bunch of the optional content it's easy to be missing what I think of as core abilities, which made the optional content not really feel optional to me. (And I still don't have any of the, like, top two or three tiers of abilities or equipment. God only knows how boring the final boss would be if I'd actually done all the sidequests first.)

So yeah. I got 90 hours of playtime, and I'm probably going to get more, and I don't regret playing it. But I was disappointed, and I'd have a hard time recommending it.

[autopotion]

I finished my first playthrough of Crimson Shroud and...

I think in many ways Crimson Shroud is the least insightful of Matsuno's games. A lot of tropes are played straight in this one, whereas I feel like his other games turn a lot of those on their heads. All of the games he's worked on are racist & orientalist in some way (the sexual violence of Rapha's plot in FFT; the viera in FFXII [he didn't invent them but all the same], and also the fact that FFXII is set in a place clearly inspired by Syria but most of the main cast from that area have very light skin; the cult in Lea Monde in Vagrant Story was started by a sexy belly-dancing priestess) but Crimson Shroud is the most egregious of the lot IMO. We've got standard racist tabletop conventions--like the sentient, evil, and very killable goblins, and the oppressed fantasy ethnic group (the Qish) that is also a source of Strange Magicks, sort of a stand-in for elves minus the pointy ears. We've got Frea, of the Qish, in yet another belly-dancer outfit. And it turns out the "reason" the Qish are oppressed perpetual wanderers is because one of them (the main villain of the game) made a deal with the devil and brought the first "gifts" (magical items) into the world, which sowed chaos in the region, so there are a number of racist ideas wrapped up in that.

Also, it's really quite misogynistic, more so than some of the other games (even FFT, which has... let me count... three? four? damsel in distress plots?). In addition to the intense sexualization of Frea, a young woman "in her late teens", the main villain of the game, Abigail, covets Frea's body so that she can use their "bond of blood" to possess it and cause the apocalypse. Why? Because, centuries ago, she was once a devoted servant of a king, and she desired him, but never acted on those desires--yet the people around her saw her lustful looks and had her tortured in a horrifically gruesome way. So she's the evil hysterical angry ex type of villainness (great), except, for all that trouble, she was never even in a relationship with the guy. The other "apostles" ganged up on her because she was a woman who wanted someone, and also I guess she was insane and evil all along I guess. Cool.

AND YET.... IN SPITE OF ALL OF THAT..... something about Crimson Shroud has completely hooked me. I don't know if I could name what yet, I have to mull it over (and play New Game+), but I was fairly moved by most of the story, even though the bad end is quite abrupt IMO. What did I like? Was I moved purely out of nostalgia for FFT & Vagrant Story, because they share more than a few plot points / character types / moods in common? Was it the party dynamic, which nails "found family" in a way most games with this premise struggle to achieve (three societal deviants who've teamed up because they have no one else)? Was it because I enjoyed the tight storytelling & amount of lore for the short playtime? Was it the tabletop aesthetic, and what relation that aesthetic has to the story and how it's told (a post for a different day)? Was it because, at the end of the day, I felt sympathy for Abigail, and wondered what her relationship with Frea, whose body she inhabits in the bad ending, will be like post-game? I have no clue. It's much easier for me to say what I don't like about something than what I do, so I'll have to think on it a bit longer.

Oh, also, the gameplay is exhausting and requires a lot of thought, but I think it worked for me. We'll see how I feel on NG+ though, which is harder, I've heard.

[styrmwb]

Favorite Final Fantasy Music (FFXII)

I'm finally out of the XI hole and it feels strange: where's my tambourine and synth I need them

XII, commonly known as "Star Wars", is a very good game; however, I initially was absolutely not feeling its soundtrack. It felt too generic and orchestral. Of course, past Styrm is a Fucking Moron who did not realize what the soundtrack is, and that is Good. Sure, it's not as in your face different as some previous games are, but it is still uniquely itself, and not at all a generic orchestra soundtrack. Hitoshi Sakimoto was the main composer here, which is cool cause he also did Tactics, set in the same world as XII! (also Ogre Battle for you Ogre Battle enjoyers out there I see you) Anyways, list time.

5. The Sochen Cave Palace I love how mystical this song feels. The whole area it plays in is a damp, underground palace/cave combo (I know, it's in the name), so that initial choir really gives you that ancient deep feel, and then the horns come in for that grandiose nature befitting the actual palace part. The horns are also my favorite part of the song, I love that melody. Bonus points to this song playing in the area with the Mandragoras hunt (I like Mandragoras)

4. Chocobo Theme - FFXII Version Not gonna lie, it did feel a little dirty putting this song here rather than one of the game's unique compositions, but I gotta say: this is my favorite version of the chocobo theme. If I wasn't gonna put a variation of this song on this list, it wasn't going on any list. I love the ratchet usage, and the really cool wind instrument used for the main melody sounding almost distant in a way? the plucking bum bum bum is incredibly fun and sounds like I'm bouncing along on my horse bird and that makes me smile. Also, shoutouts to the wood block absolutely going ham. This song is like if you took all of the cool instruments in music class that all the kids wanted to play with and you put them together.

3. Discord - Imperial Version There are several songs titled "Imperial Version", and they all tend to share the same motif (there are other empire themed songs that have that motif as well), but this version is my favorite. The loud, threatening nature of the song perfectly in my mind pictures the judges, who are essentially the biggest antagonistic force in the entire game (and also this is their boss theme so it better fit them). I love the bass drum accenting the notes perfectly in the start; and that sort of horror-like string segment to start off the song, filling you with terror. The deeper horns throughout are absolutely incredible, and I love how that main empire motif sounds with this instrumentation.

2. The Dalmasca Estersand This is like, the first open world area in the game. And I think this song really prepares you for how the world is going to feel. This song is GRAND. This song is EPIC and BIG. Pretty much every overworld song is! And I think that's really cool and part of XII's soundtrack's charm. I think this song is a pretty good summary of the sounds that this game uses; a lot of heavy horns, big strings and drums, but with that slight bit of light nature in the little flute. As usual, I love the melody; there's not a single song on here I don't love the melody of; but my absolute favorite part of the song is the I wanna say third section of it, before it loops; right after the song plays a little flute trilling, the melody gets longer and drawn out, and it really feels like an adventure. The chimes bring a whimsical vibe to it too; which I think is perfect for the first zone in the game.

1. Battle with an Esper Yessssssssssssss this song is so cool. This is the song that plays as you're battling the espers (the summons). The whole song has a very heavy beat constantly playing in the back, like a heartbeat, which is so fun to listen to. The choir builds up the start, perfect for these weird, ancient monstrosities you're fighting, but instead of just being buildup, it's there throughout the entire song. It's in the melody, it takes a back seat, but it is always there, it is always menacing, and it's always awesome. I love when the choir matches with the heartbeat too. As usual, the XII brass squadron makes an appearance, although a more minor one compared to some songs, and as usual, they're amazing; but the string section is really the other main highlight of this song. The Dissidia version proves that this song is already perfect by just adding extra percussion and calling it a fucking day. We're also cheating and throwing a mention to The Esper, which is technically a different song, being where you actually summon the thing and control it instead, but it uses a lot of the same sounds, the same choir, and the same melody. This version is a lot more fast paced, has the percussion mainly replaced with a shaker and some big beats instead of the heartbeat, and has this really cool string section where they just go fucking HAM. I didn't want to give this it's own place, because it is essentially a byproduct of Battle with an Esper, but I couldn't just throw it in honorable mentions either.

Honorable mentions!: Giza Plains, Flash of Steel, Giving Chase, Battle on the Big Bridge (heh), Realm of Memory, and The Battle for Freedom

[nemo-of-house-hamartia]

Hey spectrum sister! I saw you have a new ask game on your board. So I thought I'd drop in with some treats and ask you the questions

1, 10, 20 and 21 :)

Hi My Dear!!

Welcome welcome!! and bringing nice raspberries too, omg so lucky! I eat so many of them during summertime, they are just so good! :D

Allow me to answer your questions :D

1)Who was your first ever OC? Do you still “use” them? How have they evolved over time? Answered here! :) 10) OC you most struggled to make? I already answered for one OC that I struggled to make, but I have more than one, so I can answer here as well: Eos, my brainchild for Genshin Impact. I am finding myself in a bit of a slump with her because the way I first designed her, while perfectly aligned with how I envisioned her at the time, was too generic and also not considerate of how she would play a specular role to her sister Mirana. Therefore, I had to go back to my mind whiteboard and work harder to find a way to incorporate all the details that would both make her unique in her own way BUT also very much connected to her sister. I am still trying to find the perfect vibe for her, but I feel like I am getting closer! :) 20) What story are you the proudest of? Why? I answered with the first one here! But, my second story I am most proud of, is most definitely my FFXII “Tale of Two Empires”. It’s so filled with political intrigue, I remember plotting everything out for MONTHS in order to have a plot that would sort of make sense. I spent hours at the library in my hometown, just reading and reading biographies about queens and empresses and kings and emperors, to gather as much knowledge as possible and then, eventually, develop my own political system that would expand on the one presented in FFXII. And I loved loved LOVED writing Nabyrie’s story, and show her path from cheerful young lady to anti-villain, because life kept breaking her down over and over again, but she held to a thread of light and memories that was also the same blade that caused her to bleed into villainy. I think, much like for my “The Larks Song”, I am immensely proud of this story because I was finding myself expanding from simple fluffy sceneries to darker waters and in truth, was starting to finally analyze how events and trauma can transform a person accordingly.

21) When did you start considering yourself a writer/artist? I have to be honest: I still don’t. When I talk with people and address myself as a Visual Artist, it’s mostly so that I can make others understand where I dwell creatively wise. But I do not truly feel like I have any right of calling myself an artist, but I also know that this is caused by me holding Art in extremely high regard. And do not let me start on writing. I am no writer by any means, just a person that likes to embroider her stories on canvases and hang them somewhere, to keep them as memories of all that I was able to achieve, even if it was just for myself. :) Also, please, allow me to make a clarification: this meter of judgment is one that I use only on myself, and never - NEVER - in regards to other artists and writers.

Once again, thank you for your questions <3

--Nemo

[forthegamesmyguy]

.

"combat trailer" and they repeatedly drop info about ghilannain (which was not necessary at all to watch three ppl fight darkspawn).... DA don't spoil your whole everything challenge lol like sure *I've* paid attention but maybe let ppl learn things as they play??? Idk. Just like, what possibly is left to spoil?? Aside from a climactic twist, which is always gonna happen. Literally what else could you be hiding from me 😑

also I absolutely hate this leveling tree, I know they said that the like FFX to FFXII system was an inspiration which can I see and let me tell you I literally stopped playing both of those games bc the leveling up grids are just too damn much. I just don't care about combat like this. I don't

Also the character select UI is ugly 😭 it's gotta be from when this was live service bc like this doesn't look like dragon age...at all

And I'd really hoped that force locking companions into certain missions meant as additional and not forcing 1/2 of my team to be out of my control.... Like, I better not ever see a single thing like the interactable environments from DAI (mage lights/warrior walls/rogue locks) bc if you literally will not let me have one of each you can fuck right off

The combat itself looks. Fine 🤷🏼‍♀️ but action combat is not how I've ever seen dragon age, so it feels odd. Honestly would've preferred leaning into turn based combat more rather than action combat but whatever. It lets them give you really cool animations which is nice. Also idk if it's just me but the companions seemed like, totally useless? Unless you had just told them to do an ability? They just seemed kind of....there. meanwhile I can stand still in all the other games and everything will be dead relatively quickly

Really not understanding why we can't control our companions though. They got feedback that it was too much information to deal with or something but I don't understand how there is literally any difference between having all this shit on my screen from my PCs perspective versus if I tab over and get it from someone else's......like.....how? You have never been required to do so, but it's nice to be able to move between people who are on the same battlefield but in different spots, or who need something else from me like I just. Don't get it. Also maybe I don't like the gameplay of a particular class but that doesn't mean I don't want my character to not be a warrior? 😐 Ugh. Anyway. I'm being a hater because I'm bored, probably. I just. Sigh

Also that elf warden did not have vallaslin and I was going to play as a dalish grey warden elf...... This is why I need these chucklefucks to be clear with me on which elves are and are not dalish. I can't just stick vallaslin on me after the fact. Please be upfront 🙇🏼‍♀️

[asphodelical]

Brief FFXV/XVI comparisons

Knowing the dev team of FFXIV headed FFXVI, it feels like they were singing, “Anything you can do, I can do Better” in the face of FFXV. Many of the key story elements and beats are identical: An orphaned prince clad in black who was a supposed heir to a noble bloodline, the hero’s kingdom being destroyed in the beginning, a deadly plague that is slowly consuming the world and its people, etc. Hell, they both end with a 1v1 duel and both the heroes and villains die at the end. Except FFXVI actually has a cohesive, more focused narrative, better lore, and smarter world building. It also has a massive advantage over FFXV since it is a self contained story—not a bullshit multimedia project where you have to watch a movie, an OVA and play four separate DLC games. 

Things I liked: 

Torgal. Best boy.

Mothercrystals - Both the crystal’s role and appearance are really fucking cool. It takes the basic premise of the original FF games, and looks at it realistically. (Though I felt robbed since we didn’t see the heart of the purple crystal in Waloed.)

The interpretation of the summons and Dominants. - Similar to the crystals, I like how people across Valisthea have such different thoughts on the Dominants: fear, reverence, worship, etc. Their character designs are very appealing. It’s also great to see summons who haven’t appeared in a game in well over a decade. 

Cid - Easily a candidate for the best Cid, only rivaling Cid Highwind and maybe Balthier’s dad. He was one of the few characters who had a distinct voice. (Along with Mid.) 

The music - Opinions on this game are all over the place. The one thing everyone universally agrees on is the music fucking rules. It definitely deserved its prize at the Game Awards. Great job, Masayoshi Soken. 

The Hades-esque combat system for Clive. It was fun experimenting with all the powers and abilities.

Nektar - MOOGLE. We actually had a moogle in a FF game for the first time since FFIX. HAPPY DAYS. 

No day/night cycle. No fishing. No forced mini games. Fast travel was accessible from the start. Blessed dreams.

Things I didn’t like: 

Jill is useless. She has no agency. Her confrontation with her abusers was ruined, since Clive did all the fighting in that encounter. They should’ve done what they did with Joshua, and given us control over Jill/Shiva just that one time. After the ocean fight with Barnabas, why did she waste time creating a path on the ocean floor, instead of turning into Shiva and flying themselves out of there? So stupid. And don’t get me started on the sad excuse for a romantic relationship she had with Clive. What a waste of the only female party member. (Also, why does she look so much like Tifa?)

Lack of interaction with other party members, and a lack of a core party - Sparse off the cuff conversations/remarks, no tag team attacks, no breathing room for these characters to simply exist. And when they do, it feels out of place. (I.E. the optional picnic scene with Jill and Clive that felt like watching two rocks try to talk to each other.) Final Fantasy has always been a franchise that has always had a group of eccentrics of different ages, creeds, and species banding together to fight a shared enemy. FFXVI loses that entirely. With a large portion of the game just being Clive and Torgal, this could be any other dark-ish fantasy game. (My ideal core party would be Clive, Joshua, Cid, who would then be replaced by Mid. Byron, Gav and Dion would rotate as guest party members. Jill can go away.)

Lack of good character writing and dialogue. It feels like a redux of FFXII, where the dialogue is dramatic, poetic, and oh gosh no almost everyone talks the same, and the core cast has such little personality.

Too many characters and too many unnecessary story elements. - Torgal being a frost wolf? Doesn’t matter. Sleipnir being an ‘egi’? Doesn’t matter. Spend more time on your characters, dammit!

How every goal, main and side, is impeded by a seven step process. Oh, we have to get through this gate? Well first you have to talk to five people for a fetch quest, run to another area, and defeat two rounds of mooks followed by a mini boss. GIVE ME A BREAK. Are you so insecure about your story and its run time that you have to have bumps in the road at every single turn? 

The length of the boss battles. If I weren’t on story mode, some of these battles would take me over an hour (and multiple tries). The Bahamut fight in particular was absolutely absurd.

So many of the problems could’ve been solved if characters just waltzed into places and killed their targets immediately. Clive could’ve stabbed Hugo in the back before the hallucinations kicked in. If Dion just threw his lance at Anabella or Olivier instead of making a whole fucking speech, then maybe he wouldn’t have killed his dad. It feels like nearly everyone in the game is just stupid. 

[semi-imaginary-place]

Thinking about viera and padjal conversations. I am connecting so many dots right now

So a lot of this is FFXII lore because I love FFXII but the way the Green Word works reminds me a lot of the Gridanian Hearers hearing Elementals. Viera hear the Will of the Wood and carry it out acting as its guardians. My own headcanon is that the Wood-warders are kind of like those Christian monks who seclude themselves in the mountains for spiritual purposes and live as hermits to be closer to God which also reminded me of how most padjal aren't in Gridania proper they spend their lives wandering the Twelveswood only sometimes coming back to civilization. But a Viera who leaves the Wood is Viera no longer, their ears grow dull to the Green Word. So what if one such former Viera eventually came to Eorzea and the Shroud and met a padjal? In addition from the perspective of most of the other peoples of Hydaelyn both padjals and viera appear youthful but can be very old. We don't know the maximum lifespan of a padjal since Gridania itself is only a few centuries old but this means that for the older padjal some of their only human peers are probably viera.

The way I see it, at least in FF12 Viera would lose their ability to hear green word not even because the green word doesn't want them anymore, but because living in the cities alienates them from nature over time + apparently there's also the idea that people in the cities are "filthy". So at least in theory I'm assuming that it's possible to begin hearing green word again (or even keep hearing it after leaving) if the person's views on life go along with other Viera.

Yeah I like the potential of that. Then it becomes a matter of belonging, identity, and belief. Like an internal factor manifesting externally. I like what you said about living in cities alienating viera from nature as the reason why they loose the ability to hear the Green Word. From a narrative perspective I think the other way could also be interesting too really depends on how its done ultimately. If a viera cannot regain the green word then it becomes a story of sacrifice/trade-offs, irrevocable loss, a extended metaphor for their journey outside the Wood in the sense of you can never go home and even if you did it would not be the same for you have been changed by your journey and wil never be the same there is no return to the time before.

yep, there's a lot of potential even with the potential ability to get the connection back, it's still a risk that a Viera is willing to take, because there's no guarantee that: a) they'll be welcome at home once they live, as Viera are still a society, and a very restrictive at that b) they won't change over time in a way that will make them unable to percieve the wood the way they did in the past

2024 Edit: this seems fitting for the Vii of the First. It raises a question again of where Golmorre/Source Viera are societlly, between the the depictions of viera in ShB's Vii and the older Ivalice games (FFXII, Tactics, etc.)

[soulerflaire]

So I’ve beaten the new gen of Pokemon (Scarlet and Violet). Spoilers under the cut.

I want to start off with the things I didn’t like. First and most glaring, the graphics. The game is not pretty. Textures are flat, there’s pixel-y static around the edges of everything, treetops are just made up of bunches of 2D green blobs...it’s not good. There are PS2 games with better graphics (FFXII leaps to mind). The pokemon themselves look great, but that just makes the environment look even worse.

And despite this, the game chugs pretty often. I don’t know if it’s lack of power from the Switch, or poor optimization from the game, but there’s frame drops and slowdown everywhere. There was one section of the game that ran at like half speed during pokemon battles unless I pointed the camera straight at the ground.

Also, the environment is pretty sparse most of the time. Cities are the same 15-20 buildings copy/pasted over and over, with the same 15-20 NPCs walking around. Outside of cities, areas tend to be empty grassland dotted by a few trees, empty desert dotted by a few boulders, or empty snowfields dotted by a few trees. Not everything is that way, but a sizeable chunk of the game is.

These three issues are all very common in open-world games, though. They’re the hallmark of a company’s first attempt at an open-world game, and I would expect improvements if they decide to keep making open-world Pokemon.

However, there’s some things that can’t be explained that way. For one, the gyms are all the same boring grey office building. Literally copy/pasted 8 times. You go in to a lobby, talk to the receptionist, then leave to do your gym trial. You don’t even fight the gym leader in the gym, you fight them in a tennis court arena outside. Why bother having a gym building if you’re not even gonna be doing anything in it? It strikes me as a placeholder that they ran out of time to replace.

The Team Star camps suffer from the same problem; there is no visual difference between any of them. Just plain white tents everywhere, and a stage (why is there a stage? You don’t even fight the leader there). I would have liked to at least see red tents for the fire camp, purple tents for the poison, etc.

The music is very hit or miss in the game for me, with the worst offender being the elite four theme. This is supposed to be the culmination of your journey as a trainer, and the theme feels like the kind of music you get before the boss fight starts. Its like the part of a song before the drop, except it never drops. Just repeats the same 20-30 second loop. It’s anticipation music, not fighting music. Once again, it feels like a placeholder, and they ran out of time.

“For crying out loud, Flaire, you’re just complaining about everything! Was there anything you did like about the game?”

Why, yes. I did like something about the game.

Everything else.

The gameplay, mechanics, characters, and story of this game are amazing. Open-world is exactly the kind of game Pokemon needs to be, and if they give up on open-world Pokemon after this game, I will be devastated. Just like with Pokemon Legends: Arceus, running around and seeing pokemon in the environment, choosing to initiate battles or dodging them and running away, it’s just so much fun. I am sad that you can’t catch pokemon without starting a battle, but tbh that would be a pretty huge change from standard pokemon, and is a bit too big of a leap for the core series games right now. Maybe we’ll see it if they make another Legends game and it’s successful.

I love the designs of a lot of the new pokemon. Orthworm, Tinkaton, and Glimmora are some of my favorites. I loved the alternate environment versions of Diglett and Tentacool, I thought they were clever and well done (though I don’t understand why they weren’t regional variants). I didn’t like Koraidon (I played Scarlet) at first, but I warmed up to it as I played; they just gave it so much personality that I couldn’t help loving it.

Speaking of, the characters in the game are fantastic. Nemona is probably my favorite rival ever, I thought Clavell was great comic relief (and was touched by how much he wanted to do right by Team Star), all of Team Star was great. The whole Team Star storyline, culminating in a battle against Penny I didn’t really want to win but knew i had to, was just amazing. I didn’t like Arven, but that’s not because he was badly written; it’s because they did a good job writing an immature, cocky jerk. You’re supposed to warm up to him as the game goes on, but every time he called me “little buddy” I wanted to knock him over and leave.

My favorite part was when the player, Nemona, Penny, and Arven journey to the bottom of Area Zero together. I loved seeing them run around along with me, occasionally conversing. I desperately want to have companions like that as an option in future pokemon games, especially if it lets me do double battles. Those were sorely lacking in this game; I think the only double battle was against MC Ryme? Anyway, the crater section was my favorite part, and I honestly didn’t want it to end. Also I greatly enjoyed the entire sequence with the AI Professor, how they wanted to stop the machine bringing in the paradox pokemon, but were literally programmed to stop anyone who tried to turn it off. And as much as I dislike Arven, I was still glad to see him finally get some parental affection, even if it was from an AI instead of the original. They were a copy of the professor, and that means they shared the professor’s love for Arven too.

I mentioned the music was hit or miss for me, and that’s true, but the hits were very good. I think Penny’s battle theme might be my favorite battle theme of any pokemon game ever, and the Professor battle theme was pretty damn good too. Nemona’s theme is very appropriate, it’s happy and fun, because that’s how she views battling. Man, it was always so much fun to battle her. Such a breath of fresh air after Sword and Shield, where I just felt more and more guilty every time I beat Hop. Nemona wants you to win, she wants you to beat her, so that she’ll finally have someone to compete with (and who won’t forfeit any challenge immediately).

All in all, fantastic game, and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. If you’ve never played a pokemon game before, this is a good one to try. If you’re a longtime fan of pokemon, I think you’ll enjoy it too.

[tarnishedxknight]

FFXII Week ~ Day 1 Prompt: "The past can bind a man as surely as irons."

{out of dalmasca} Disclaimer: This post may include canon-divergent interpretations of canon characters, info about OCs featured on this blog, and AUs that may not align with the canon plot/characters of FFXII and/or may contain triggering material.

- - - - - - - - - -

{out of dalmasca} This is one of the best and most meaningful quotes in the game. It definitely applies to the character who said it (Reddas), to the one he's saying it in reference to (Ashe), and then later to other characters he makes the same point with (Gabranth).

Note: The quotes I'll mention in this post were taken from the script as displayed on this site.

Here is where the quote occurs, at the Pharos, as the party is wondering whether Ashelia will choose to cut the Sun Cryst and use the nethicite shards she acquires to destroy the Archadian Empire:

Penelo: I wonder if (Ashe'll) really do it. Take revenge against the Empire. I mean, I know how she must feel. It's hard losing someone you care about. Vaan: Something we all got in common. Penelo: But, you know, no matter how hard we try, we can't change the past. There's nothing that can bring them back. Still, sometimes, when I close my eyes... I can see them so clearly. Reddas: Illusions of the past. You think to have cast them off, only to find them years later, unwearying, unrelenting. The past can bind a man as surely as irons. Cut the true path. But will she?

Obviously, Reddas understands more than most how a man's past can bind him as well as any physical restraints could. He was responsible for the Mist explosion that destroyed Nabudis, the capital of Nabradia. He used the Midlight Shard at Vayne's order, and has regretted the destruction and lives taken that day every since.

It's also relevant for Vaan and Penelo. They grew up with war in the background and lost their parents to plague. Vaan lost his older brother to war, since Gabranth killed him while impersonating Basch during Raminas' assassination. They have fond memories of their parents and some parts of their childhood, and maybe wish they could go back, but Reddas chimes in with that memorable quote to remind them that constantly looking backward can prevent you from moving forward in your life. The past must be let go of if one is to have any future.

And of course it's also relevant for who they began their conversation talking about, Ashelia. If she chose to use the nethicite on Archadia, she would be doing so out of anger and for reasons of revenge, again being controlled by her past. The true path forward, Reddas implies, is shedding all that anger and lust for revenge to accept something better.

Later on, when Gabranth makes an appearance, Reddas attempts to makes the same point again, even as Gabranth goads Ashe on in her desire for revenge:

Gabranth: Take what is yours. The Cryst is a blade. It was meant for you. Wield it! Avenge your father! [Ashe gasps, as Gabranth enters the room] Gabranth: Yes, it was I who wore Basch's face - who cut down the Life of Dalmasca. Lady Ashe! Your father's murderer is here! Ashe: You!? Vaan: And Reks! Gabranth: I slew your king. I slew your country. Do these deeds not demand vengeance? [Ashe drops the Sword of Kings, and firmly grasps the Treaty-blade] Gabranth: Yes. Good! Find your wrath! Take up your sword! Fight, and serve those who died before you! [At the end of Gabranth's line, he viciously slashes in Vaan's direction... only to be stopped by Reddas's blades] Reddas: A Judge Magister there was... 2 years past, he took the Midlight Shard and used it not knowing what he did... and Nabudis was blown away. Cid ordered this of him to learn the nethicite's true power. He swore such power would not be used again. He forsook his Judicer's plate, and his name. [Reddas steps back] Gabranth: Judge Zecht! Reddas: It's been too long, Gabranth. Reach out your hand, Lady Ashe. But that which you must grasp is beyond revenge, something greater than despair. Something beyond our reach. Try as we might, Gabranth, history's chains bind us too tightly. [Reddas attempts to strike Gabranth, but his blows are easily parried & he gets knocked down] Gabranth: No, we cannot escape the past. This man is living proof! What is your past, Daughter of Dalmasca? Did you not swear revenge? Do the dead not demand it?

Now... Gabranth is trying to push Ashelia towards violence and revenge because he was ordered by Vayne to pass judgement on her with regard to the level of threat she would pose to the Empire. If she chooses revenge, he's to kill her. But another reason why he becomes somewhat unhinged during this conversation, and even more when Basch joins in, is because he is a man most definitely bound to his own past. Gabranth can't move from perceived wrongs by Basch against him, by the grief of losing his family (and yes, that includes Basch, though he'd never admit it), and by all the suffering he's endured since then for which he feels Basch is responsible.

Gabranth can't let go of his past, and in some roundabout way, if he can get Ashelia to also give into her anger and grief, he doesn't have to. Because see? Anger, grief, resentment, and a lust for revenge are things that can't be denied. It's a way of almost justifying to himself in that moment his own rage-fueled behavior. There is also the matter of his nethicite poisoning, which may also be playing a role at this stage of the game (literally) in his erratic behavior. Lastly, one could also argue that maybe there is a shred of remorse in him for killing Raminas and/or framing Basch for it. Gabranth pushing Ashelia to get revenge on her father's murderer might be a form of self-punishment for him as well, in an attempt to give that unresolved part of his own past some closure.

Reddas pushes back against Gabranth's yes, let yourself go and do what you want! attitude, but sadly admits that, "Try as we might, Gabranth, history's chains bind us too tightly." Maybe for them, who have been steeping in their own regret, shame, anger, and failure for so long, it's already too late. But it's not too late, Reddas would argue, for the younger generation, for Ashe, Vaan, and Penelo.

There are other characters that are just as affect by - and bound to - their pasts, or at least feel they cannot escape them. Balthier still exists in the shadow of his father, even six years later, and still flees his history as an Archadian Judge. Basch still regrets his mistake decision to leave his family and homeland and flee to Dalmasca following the destruction of Landis. Fran, though she shows no signs of wanting to go back on her decision to leave the Wood where she was born, she is very emotionally affected by the fact that she can't hear its voice anymore, or at least not as well. Arguably, all the main characters are chained to their past in some way, usually by grief, regret, anger, or some combination thereof. It's a common, recurring theme of the game, and an important pearl of wisdom, for sure.

[chibisfanartcave]

October sure has been a month.

With my digital art on hold and the comic on hiatus i have been just, sketch painting? i guess? with my watercolors, so i finally got the time to explore those masking experiments that i discovered this summer.

[jadagul]

I'm about 45 hours in to Final Fantasy XII, about to head north from Nalbina to Archades after getting the Sword of Kings. And I'm definitely enjoying it, but I'm pretty sure this is gonna land in my bottom half of Final Fantasy games.

The story-writing feels really weak. This isn't a continuation of the complaint that it's very Star Wars; Star Wars is a much better story. I just feel like every story bit is very phoned in; you can see the character beats they're sketching out, but they don't do any work to set up the character beats, so they're just relying on you having seen them in other, better stories.

In contrast I think 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 all tell really clear storeis with setup and payoff, and there's enough dialogue to actually build all the character arcs. In general it feels like FFXII doesn't have enough dialogue. The voice acting is all good, but there's not a lot of it and there's not a lot of text dialogue and so everything is under-developed.

And then the combat is satisfying, but I don't like it as much as I did the combat in, say, 5 through 10. In part it feels too chaotic for me to really make decisions as good as I'd like. Obviously there's plenty of time to think, since everything pauses in the menu. But when time is running, there's like five things happening at once so it's hard to tell which action had which cause. Especially when it's hard to keep the camera focused on the enemy so you can't even see the damage numbers easily.

This is especially noticeable on, say, the bonus bosses. They have magical immunity to the spell that tells you what their weaknesses are, which first off is annoying to begin with; those are the times I want that information! But it's hard to figure out by trial and error, because I'll have someone cast fira or whatever but then I see two numbers and also an "immune!" pop up at the same time and I don't know which one is from fira. And then in the last little bit the boss goes berserk and the rate at which things happens suddenly quadruples. And I'd really rather something with a bit clearer of an interface so I can feel like I'm thinking through the encounter rather than brute-forcing it.

[avauntus]

I was recently lured back to Final Fantasy XIV by their “returner” campaign (if you are away a while, log in and play for free for two weeks). I’ve been having a great deal of fun, got over my “healing yips” and jumped into group content, and finished the Shadowbringers main “5.0″ storyline.

(Yes, it made me cry. Yes, like everyone else-- I concede it is excellent as everyone says.)

Final Fantasy games always kind of...”wink and nod” at their series traditions. And thus I’ve been happily playing along (when I’m not sobbing, natch), running across the occasional call-back to threads I know from earlier in the series, going “Oh, that’s cute. That’s clever,” and not thinking too hard...until the most recent breadcrumb dialogue line for the continuation of the story (patch 5.1) made me put down my controller, put my head in my hands, and go “Aaaaaargh!”

Urianger in brief: “I think I’ll be a problem ON PURPOSE.” lol.

Theory overthinking hours! I can come back later and see if I was right. 

SPOILERS, after the cut, for Shadowbringers through 5.0 and, uh...Final Fantasies 3/6, 7, 10, and 12. (lol)

One of the very, very clever things Shadowbringers did is finish up much of the story of the Umbral Calamities by retconing the existence of the FFXIV storyline as taking place and/or belonging to the same universe of every single other Final Fantasy game all at once, many worlds existing side-by-side ignorant of each other, each just sliightly different from the next.

Which means all those “clever callbacks” aren’t just fun Easter eggs for fans-- they’re also fair game for the plot. If the game isn’t just being goofy, it’s leaning really hard into the Final Fantasy tradition of the “Oh NO Statues.” 😆

The what now?

The “Oh NO Statues” are my mental nickname for the recurring powerful, often sentient monuments that show up in Final Fantasy and invariably break the world:

 Kefka did a number on home values with these three in FFVI, for example.

Later Final Fantasy games would refine and riff on this, of course. “Oh no, the statue is a space alien (?)” (Jenova, FFVII); “Oh no, the statue came to life and destroyed our civilization!” (Sin, FFX).

This isn’t Zanarkand, but it totally could be, right?

And my personal favorite of the “Oh NO Statues” incarnations, The Occuria, FFXII. Statues who aim “guide the History of Man,” ancient beings who manifest as aetheric masked forms, often visible only to a few, whose origins are (in FFXII) unknown:

Balthier: This creature... So this is your Venat?

Cid: Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca! Just how far will you go for power? Does your lust for nethicite consume you? Am I right? I am, aren't I. A worthy daughter of the Dynast-King! You would do well to go to Giruvegan. Who knows? You may receive a new Stone for your trouble.

Ashe: Your words mean nothing to me!

Cid: The reins of History back in the hands of Man.

And later:

Cid: To hell with the Occuria and their stones! What good a power that cannot be harnessed? Baubles best-suited for study, no more.

Vayne: We conquered two kingdoms, that you might study these "baubles."

Cid: Oh, I am grateful for the sacrifice. Without it, manufacted nethicite would have eluded us - an unrivaled weapon. Tell me, Venat. Have I not been an apt pupil?

Venat: My counsel did but guide your able hand. Through power of Man, the Stones did you perfect. Yes. So much accomplished in six fleeting years. Man's fervor o'er all obstacles prevailing.

Cid: Our lives are much too short. You undying might waste long centuries away, but we, I fear, cannot.

Vayne: Just so. Had we more time, we might have used more "prudent" measures.

Cid: Your greatest work still lies before you. Not lightly will the Occuria allow you to wrest the reins of History from their grasp.

Venat: Indeed. What claim does Gerun have on history's reins... seated on throne immortal, rent from time? For your ascendance, Vayne, I offer prayer. May you attain all that which is your due.

Vayne: Attain it I shall.

This is... fascinating, because it is heavily implied by a different storyline in FFXIV that Ivalice and the events of FFXII, exist somewhere in the worlds that were shattered from the Source that was FFXIV’s ‘main world.’ There is even an Ivalice in FFXIV, but it is NOT the one we know from FFXII-- Fran exists in FFXIV as a general of Dalmasca, and to all appearances (that I’ve seen, so far), a key difference is Balthier never existed, or never left his position in the Empire.

(On realizing this, I took a good minute to be amused that Balthier really WAS the “leading man” as he so often trumpeted, that apparently so much depended on his existing in his bravura sky piratery, all unknowing-- bless.)    

As Ivalice exists -- well, the ‘Occuria’ are much like Emet-Selch and the other Ascians, aren’t they? “...seated on throne immortal, rent from time...” indeed.

Of course, in FFXIV, we’ve struck down most of the “relevant” Ascians by the end of Shadowbringers so what then? Almost certainly, the last “sane” one is gone. 

But what’s interesting to me is this: Emet-Selch asked us to remember his people, and he mentions the three Ascians we know as antagonists-- but every single time he talked about his “purpose” it wasn’t to save the named Ascians. It was to save some unnamed other or others, his “lost friends and loves”-- one of which is heavily implied to be connected to the player character. 

(There’s a whole “fragments of a shredded soul thing,” but-- ‘we don’t have time to get into that’ meme-- here.)

The other-other Ascian that is eluded to --heavily-- in the run-up to the end of Shadowbringers 5.0 is the Unnamed Fourteenth-- the Paragon who turned away from the other Ascian councilmembers when the details of their plan to save their civilization and the toll that would be paid were revealed. I think we’re meant to think this conscientious objector is the one who summoned the Light, to grant autonomy to mortals rather than guide them towards a destiny that would serve the Ascians’ return, even if the mortals were “shadows” of what had come before the worlds were split.

Beyond a lot of breadcrumbs, we don’t get much more than that in the ending bit of 5.0, but that sure sounds like Venat to me.

Venat was always portrayed by a woman voice actor, despite the Occuria being “genderless,” and...

OK, so...what does this have to do with nethicite?

In FFXIV, “manufactured nethicite” exists -- it’s called White Nethicite Auricite (oops!) and the Scions (the faction our character belongs to) use it to trap Ascians’ will and shatter their energies.

It’s also heavily implied that if natural auracite is allowed to feed on mortal souls and imbued with aether (energy), it will cause mortals to go insane. The Ivalice raid sequence spells all this out, but in short-- your fears and desires are made manifest in exchange for your life energy. Over time, auracite exposed to mortals gains a low-level chaotic will of its own, like the One Ring in Tolkien’s works.

It is, in short, a staggeringly insane idea to propose putting your soul into a soul-eating crystal as Urianger is doing. And Urianger has no way of knowing this, of course, but this will of the nethicite in FFXII came from the Occuria -- their tools to “guide the History of Man.”

There are no more unsundered Ascians left worth mentioning (Elidibius, lol), but the energy of that Unnamed Fourteenth is out there scattered in the Light-- and this is “White [light] Auracite.” Despite everything, I don’t know that the Light are all sunshine and rainbows for mortals. For one, they like stability. 

If the Scions start unknowingly imbuing themselves with the powers of Ascians by merging themselves with insane immortal chaos crystals (!!), they may manage to bring about the Eight Umbral Calamity and the end of civilization anyway by unbalancing the world(s) themselves.

...Wouldn’t that be a kick in the pants for Emet-Selch? I mean, if the main character hadn’t had to put him out of his misery already. (*sob*)