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Ok who all has ben waiting for some info on this one? i know that the main character is a dude names Vann he is Human with 3 other companions i think the setting is on van diel but i am really not sure if you have any ifo post it i really want to se teh final fantasy seris take root again.

Uhh.... 1) This is the movies section. 2) That pic is not of FFXII, that's FFVII: Advent Children. 3) FFXII is not going to be in Van Diel..... or whatever the XI world is.

moved for obvious reasons.

Vaan
Age: 17
Race: Human
Weapon: Sword

Vaan is an easy going, positive young man who lives in the former Dalmaska Kingdom which is now under the rule of Arcadian Empire. During the battles with the empire, Vaan lost his family and now he dreams of commanding an air ship to escape the conquering Arcadians. Vaan joins the resistance to free the citizens and the royal family of Dalmaska...

Ashe
Age: 19
Race: Human
Weapon: Sword

Ashe is the daughter and only child of King Dalmaska, who died during the battles of the evasion on the Arcadian Empire. After the Dalmaska was conquered, Ashe dissapears and joins the resistance to fights against the invaders in order to free all the citizens of Dalmaska from the rule of the Arcadian Empire.

Fran
Age: N/A
Race: Viera
Weapon: Bow and Arrow

Fran is from the Viera race and travels the world with her partner Balfrea, she entrusts her faith in combat as she journeys with Vaan and Ashe, Fran is very useful when it comes to grappling and fencing.

Balfrea
Age: N/A
Race: Human
Weapon: Gun

Balfrea is a Sky Pirate who pilots a small ship around in the skies of Ivalice. With his companion Fran by his side, they roams around Ivalice and both are neutral in the war between the kingdoms of Ivalice.

Prologue
A warrior takes sword in hand, holds a stone to chest
Disappearing memories carved onto the sword
Trained skills entrusted to the stone
The story is told by the sword and continued by the stone
Now, let that story be told...

That is the story of a world called Ivalice.

The strong military kingdom known as the Arcadia Empire
That rules the Valentia Continent,
And the Rosalia Empire that rules the Ordalia Continent
Have been continuously at war for long years.

In the midst of it, Arcadia Empire invaded the small kingdom of Dalmasca,
Positioned in the hallway between the two continents and thus is geopolitically important.

Under the invasion of the Arcadia Empire, the Dalmasca Kingdom accepted defeat.
But Ashe, the rightful heir to the trone of Dalmasca,
Joined the resistance army movements to fight against the empire.

The enemy's chase and attack of this girl with the liberation of her mother nation in heart is severe,
But, she can not be defeated.
At this moment, she meets the young man Vaan.
With this meeting, begins the change in Ashe's heart.

And thus...

The meeting of these two people will greatly change the story of this world.


Story
Final Fantasy 12 is set in the world of Ivalice, for years the two kingdoms of Arcadia and Rosaria have been fighting against each other in a bitter struggle. Located in a strategically important corridor between the two powers is the small kingdom of Dalmaska.

Arcadia's invasion of the kingdom prompts its princess Ashe to join forces with the resistance. Vaan is an optimistic and bright young man yielding from the ancient kingdom of Dalmaska, which has fallen under the control of the Arcardian Empire. Due to the unsatisfactory conditions there, he has cut his ties with relatives there, seeking his very own personal freedom.

As an adventurer, he dreams of being able to command an airship someday. Ashe is the sole daughter of the king of Dalmaska and hence the next inline to the throne. Following the invasion of her country, she becomes the leader of the resistance against the Empire. During a wild pursuit, she loses one companion after the other. Despite her desperate situation, she still hasn't lost the pride of a princess. In this situation she meets Vaan, and before long loses her heart to him. Thus their joint adventure begins.

Thank ye storm

you' re welcome

I dont think this will top FFX, cuz they said the polygon count is way lower and its more textured I guess I'd buy it after I beat ffx and ffx-2 cuz by then itll be 20 dollars w00t

It takes me forever to finish those games...

I'm predicting this will be the fallout of the final fantasy series, they are losing it as of late...and I just don't think they have it anymore. Thye will never make a game that will beat ff6 or 7.

i have already beat them both any questions you have about teh game ask me i basicaly can tell you anything and i know that was Cloud off Advent but i just thoght it was cool to post.

I wonder if square enix needs any game designers? yeah that would be one heck of a dream job.

http://www.ff12.com/

You can check their site
But there are alot of requirements
Including Understanding japanese (even the U.S division requires this)
but i dont think they need game designers
there are other jobs involving computer based knowleage

I started playing FFX today, and I realized what exactly is wrong with the newer final fantasy games (excluding FFIX).

SquareEnix seems too be putting the battle systems of each game ahead of the storyline. Thier main priority seems to be to keep pushing the limit with their battle system, and making them continuously unique and fresh. This is great, but they also seem to be putting so much effort into this aspect of the games, that the storilines seem to be put in the back seat to new and innovative battle systems.

Also, the storylines of newer games are needlessly complex and filled with to many twists and turns aimed at shocking the player. This problem started with FF8, when throughout the course of the game many different villians were introduced, at one point we were lead to believe that the wich was supposed to be the main villian, then Sifer, then another which, then finally we found out within the last 30 minutes of the game, the villian was a wich from teh future that we had never seen. This makes it difficult to care about the story, because for a story to be good in these games, it needs to have a well developed bad guy, and most of the new games tried to twist and turn so much that the villians are never really developed well. Even Sepheroth wasn't developed very well, after about 15 hours into the game, he just disapeared as the other characters were developed, then later he showed up again only to kill Aris. This was just an easy way to try to make us hate him again, probably because the makers realized they forgot to incorperate the main villian into the storyline for a long period of time. Then after he kills aris, he disapears again for a while. Not a good way to keep the hate on a villian.

Kefka was the last villian I remember really being developed well, by the end of the game, you truly hated him, he never left the story for long periods of time, and was always doing horrible acts to the different characters we had grown fond of. He was the best villian of all time as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, I'd like to say that I'm hopefully for FFXII, but I'm not, at the current rate of the games, I think the game will be very disapointing for hardcore FF players who have been with the series for a long time. I hope I'm wrong, but from what I've seen and heard, it doesn't sound like I will be.

Storm you f***ing rule!

Ok, I've just about had ENOUGH of the FF series. 9 was the last one I've played and will play. I just simply don't have the time to play a 50+ hour game, and I'm 16. That is pitiful if I don't have the time, but 20 and 30 year old people do. That is just plain pitiful.nono

Alright man first of all no one here really cares if you don't have teh tiem to play the games then you really don't have the time to write that post. second of all if you really like the series then you make time or you can just play them a little bit at a time.

That to me is what makes a great game. You don't beat in one sit down. Final Fantasy X took me three days to beat, and then I played it again just for fun, and got my time down to two days. It is a challege... how fast can I beat it?

Yeah if you don't like to play a game for more than three hours and beat it then Final fantasy may not be for you.

yea, im still on ffx-2 and ive been playin it for over 48 hrs. and not all day- all night either ive been playin it every chance i can get (sometimes im not in the mood like tonight!)

Me and all my friends think the guy from 12 is a fruity version of Tidus

which one???? shuin??? or sombaody else?

FF 12 the guy

Um....Tidus was pretty fruity himself.

lol that is funny! yea

Lol We think the end is the girl will go to kiss him and he'll go H*** no and go to kiss the guy

hahaha, that would prolly happen, why did they make him look so gay? i mean why couldnt thay stick with the looks from the other games?

can some one send me the kingdomhearts2 trailer

my email is [email protected]

yeah i wish they could look more like squall or cloud they were cool

2 new characters:

Penelo

Age: 16
Race: Hume
Weapon: Martial arts, pole

Penelo is a 16 year old hume who lives near her close friend, Vaan in
Rabanastre of Dalamasca. She lost her family in a previous war and
works happily at the bazaar. Her philosophy is "As long as you never
give up, things will get better down the road." Penelo loves to sing and
dance. She learned martial arts from her older brother, who used to be
a knight. Her dancing style is similar to martial arts, even if she has no
actual fighting experience.

http://www.ffxii.net/images/pannero.jpg

Basch

Age: 36
Race: Hume
Weapon: Sword

The 36 year-old Basch is the sixth character in Final Fantasy XII. He was
a former general of Dalmasca, but he killed the king when he found out
King Dalamasca sold his people to Archadia. Basch also killed Vaan's
older brother, Reks, when he had found out the truth. Basch is known as
a villian but he travels with Vaan, but his intentions are still clouded in
mystery.

http://www.ffxii.net/images/basch.jpg



And Balfrea' s name has changed to Balthier (a new spelling of his old name).

Battle System

A new battle system has been created for Final Fantasy XII. Influenced
by Square Enix's own Final Fantasy XI and Vagrant Story, the battles
now real-time and take place on the field. No more battle transitions or
victory poses. Gil and experience are gained automatically after an
enemy is dispatched and some even drop items for characters to pick-
up.

Features:
+ ADB (Active Dimension Battle)
+ 3D camera
+ Field encounters
+ Three party battles
+ Free movement in combat


During field exploration, all three party members in the active party will
be on-screen following the lead character. Players will be able to rotate
the camera freely to get a good view of the surroundings. Characters
will be seen carrying their weapons in and out of battles with a new
battle system called ADB (Active Dimension Battle) in real-time. Players
will be able to control the actions and movement of one of three active
characters at once. It's also possible to pause during the battle with the
Circle button for issuing commands and switching control to the other
two characters at any moment.

Available enemy targets will have an icon appear above their heads
when the party moves within combat distance. When an attack is
used, an arch appears between the character and the enemy,
indicating which target the character is focused on. Similar to FFX-2,
commands are used, the ATB bar begins to fill and the character will
perform the action when his or her ATB bar is full. Characters will
automatically keep on attacking the enemy until the battle ends or a
new command is issued. Other than Black and White, Green is a new
branch of Magic. Green Magic will contain buffs like Shell and status-
infliciting magic like Blind. A new Gambit system will allow players to
select certain strategies and tactics for the characters controlled by A.I.
The new battle system also takes into account character placement that
add a layer of strategy to battles. Melee characters can be pushed to
the front in order to prevent the enemies from attacking the ranged
characters shooting from behind.

Sounds very interesting. This game will definately be a hit or a miss.

Race

Hume
Humes are the most common race in Ivalice. Technologically advanced
and well-rounded, humes are efficient in nearly all types of jobs.

http://www.ffxii.net/images/content/hume.jpg

Viera
Known for their tall ears and slender bodies, the viera race consists of
only females. Agile and graceful, vieras are adapt at speed and stealth.

http://www.ffxii.net/images/content/viera.jpg

Bangaa
Fierce bangaas are built for combat with tough scales protecting their
bodies. The scaly bodies of the bangaa race can take on a variety of
different colors.

http://www.ffxii.net/images/content/bangaa.jpg

Moogles
The short, furry race of Moogles all have a red pom-pom above their
heads. With high defense, but low offensive abilities, moogles is best
suitable for ranged combat.

http://www.ffxii.net/images/content/moogle.jpg

ahhhhh the gayness. try a different game.

Thanks for that info, Storm! Looks like a bit of effort was put in, and appreciated

FFXII hopefully will be a hit, not a miss. Bares a striking resemblence to FFIX with the airships, also an awesome game

Hey... i was just wondering if i was just being like really slow on hearing but i read somewhere in a Mag that theres gonna be a FF12 out soon... so if i am v.slow at hearing the news... sorry lol. I wonder if it will be as good as all the other FF's?

soon is not the term to use "i think"...it will be in 2005 (but when? The end of 2005?) And the graphics and characters are made by the creators of Vagrant Story (me LIKE)...but that Ash still looks a litte "girly".

I don't know,but why can't square-enix make a more masculin MAN. (yeah with muscles and a face that I DON't WANT TO KISS! you see this everywhere: MGS for example)...

And will it be as good as the the other FF's? Well,let's hope so...i don't want another FFX-2

Yeah well i guess soon isnt the case lol... i can wait till 2005 i think hehe. Also yeah, i do not hope for another FFX-2 either... i thought at the time after playing every other FF and FFX that it might of been some gd after reading the guide that my friend had... so i brought it and was slightly disapointed... but i still liked the element of having the dress spheres... thought that was kewl...

Found a much better quality trailer in English, not a cam copy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhooMB7Ky_4

Enjoy

Wow. British accents, ahoy!

The voices seem fairly good, though. Lip-syncing, as far as when characters were actually speaking onscreen instead of in voiceovers, is very good. Thank God the release is close.

Originally posted by General Kaliero
Wow. British accents, ahoy!

The voices seem fairly good, though. Lip-syncing, as far as when characters were actually speaking onscreen instead of in voiceovers, is very good. Thank God the release is close.

British accent is perfect for a game like this. Is this real or did a fan do it for us?

Uh... this is real. It's on the official Square-Enix site for it too.

www.finalfantasyxii.com

Yay! The voicework is ALOT better than FFX.....

No annoying Rikku voices!!

For the most part, I liked the voices, though I must admit the video seemed a bit fake - the audio quality was WAY better than the video quality. Though youtube does tend to kill video quality.

Vaan already annoys me (just reminds me WAY too much of Tidus, who I couldn't stand), and I though Penelo sounded kinda like Rikku. However, I very much like Ashe and Fran's voices in particular, they suited the characters.

I might actually not despise a main character in an FF game!

The video reminded me a LOT of FFX - especially the airship bit, reminded me so much of when you escape the attack on Home with the Al Bhed. Stylistically it seems very similar to FFX, and as I adore that game, I see that as a good thing

...I want this game to come out now. I really want to play it.

Oh, and with the British accent - one of my friends has the Japanese version of it, and I remember her saying that even though she's very good with Japanese, she had a bit of trouble understanding it because they used a very formal dialect, so that could explain why they chose to go with British accents instead of standard American ones like they usually do in games.

Well seeing as the game is supposed to have a "royal" feel, what with kings and princesses and dukes and all, I can understand the formal dialect, and the subsequent choice of British accents. We're supposed to feel like we're affecting kingdoms with our actions, after all.

I VERY much want this game to be released already. Great big red circle around the first week of November proves that.

Who else is slapping down an extra $10 for the Collector's Edition?

Oh, and Lana, the official site's video is much more in line with the audio.

I'm paying for the collector's edition. I want some sort of compensation for all the delays.

Might be your computer, when I upped it to Youtube it works fine for me. I also have it on my computer; I'll upload it for anyone that wants to download it.

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=4D78B20854D88C6E

^ Linkie to the vid; directly from the Square Enix site so it looks great.

I'm going to get the Collector's Edition, naturally...

Collector's edition looks neat and all, but I will be getting the normal edition. The extras don't look worth the extra 10 bucks.

About one month left until release, can't wait.

Ditto!

Although I knew this, I also briefly forgot about this game coming out so soon.

I'm not excited as I should be. I don't know when I'll be able to get it either.

But I plan on playing this game of course.

is it comprehensible.....

Although I knew this, I also briefly forgot about this game coming out so soon.

I'm not excited as I should be. I don't know when I'll be able to get it either.

But I plan on playing this game of course.

is it comprehensible.....

For those interested, the entire opening cinematic to the game can be viewed here, in english! Obviously spoilers will be in this video.

http://www.ffinsider.net/news/1159745105.php

Originally posted by BackFire
For those interested, the entire opening cinematic to the game can be viewed here, in english! Obviously spoilers will be in this video.

http://www.ffinsider.net/news/1159745105.php Spoilers!!!

eek

I refuse.

mhm

is it comprehensible.....

Originally posted by BackFire
For those interested, the entire opening cinematic to the game can be viewed here, in english! Obviously spoilers will be in this video.

http://www.ffinsider.net/news/1159745105.php

....

Ooooooooooh.

I've kept myself from knowing a lot about the game beyond the basic plot and character profiles and such (unlike for FFX and X-2) but I think I'm gonna have to watch this.

...

And first thing that I think of? Am I going to be able to hold my PS2 controller with my hand the way it is?

I suppose from the screens and the videos it will rock. But I also hope the fighting system will be very similiar to Final Fantasy X...And yeah the upgrading system was good on that too...

Originally posted by Rewmac
I suppose from the screens and the videos it will rock. But I also hope the fighting system will be very similiar to Final Fantasy X...And yeah the upgrading system was good on that too...

The fighting system is supposed to be closer to Zelda-style while still turn-based, so it gets rid of a lot of the random encounters.

Something that I am VERY happy about. I DESPISE random encounters. From what I've seen, this way of encountering should be similar to Tales of Symphonia or Zelda 2, just seamless and with ATB.

Originally posted by Lana
The fighting system is supposed to be closer to Zelda-style while still turn-based, so it gets rid of a lot of the random encounters. I thought that we just controlled Van in battle and the other characters did their own thing.

is it comprehensible.....

Originally posted by InnerRise
I thought that we just controlled Van in battle and the other characters did their own thing.

is it comprehensible.....

That I don't know about, because as I've said, I really haven't been keeping up with stuff on FFXII, because I don't want everything to be spoiled when I play.

I just know that random encounters will be more or less gone.

So will the creatures be visible on screen and you can just walk up to them or avoid them?

is it comprehensible.....

As far as I know, yep.

I loved the battle system of FFX...I had no problem with encounters. And the upgrading system was great too...You had to work hard to get what you want...

Originally posted by Lana
As far as I know, yep. Yeah, I thought so by video footage and stuff I've read.

I wonder how this will affect the leveling up process. By taking away the random encounters, you won't have to battle as much and there for not level up as much.

is it comprehensible.....

The battle system is akin to that of an MMORPG. You only control one character at a time, the other characters in your party fight automatically, based on what strategy you have them set on.

And yes, random encounters are gone, monsters are on the screen.

The battle system sucks.

Originally posted by Rewmac
The battle system sucks. ....no it doesn't.

Originally posted by Rewmac
The battle system sucks.

Heehee. The troll smells funny.

The full english game's been leaked onto the Internet through various Bittorrent sites. Sucks for square.

Already? Damn. That DOES suck. Then again, makes the legal players more likely to get a copy.

Originally posted by BackFire
The full english game's been leaked onto the Internet through various Bittorrent sites. Sucks for square. Yep, been there for almost a week and a half, I saw.

Got the new issue of EGM today, in which they reviewed the game. Got 8.5, 9 and 9.5. Good scores.

For some reason. My Playstation U.S Magazine stopped coming and so did my Tips and Tricks.

For some reason though, Nintendo Power is coming.

I'm confused and pissed off.

I'm sure my demon of a mother stopped my issues somehow.

is it comprehensible.....

The lone EB employee in the store was hyping FFXII like there was no tomorrow, while I was picking up Tales of the Abyss. C'mon, it's not like any gamer DOESN'T know it's coming by now...

Umm....Her job is to sell games.

Nothing wrong here.

is it comprehensible.....

Hmmm, sounds like KOTOR's battle system, in which case... I have reservations.

Originally posted by InnerRise
Umm....Her job is to sell games.

Nothing wrong here.

is it comprehensible.....

True, his job is to sell games, but it's been mentioned to me the last three times I've been there. I'm just saying, do they not think the big window decal, the signs at the register, and the pile of "Coming Soon" cases on the wall behind the register aren't enough?

Wonder if they're being paid off by Sqeenix to hype the game...

And I have a preorder already.

Originally posted by General Kaliero
True, his job is to sell games, but it's been mentioned to me the last three times I've been there. I'm just saying, do they not think the big window decal, the signs at the register, and the pile of "Coming Soon" cases on the wall behind the register aren't enough?

Wonder if they're being paid off by Sqeenix to hype the game...

And I have a preorder already. Well looks like it worked on your.

Must be doing something right.

is it comprehensible.....

Not like I wasn't planning on... I mean, I always... DAMN YOU ADVERTISING!

I love FF. ALways have always will. I dont really like that SE is putting High Futuristic "GUN"s into the game. It was fun, when you could use magic, or summons, weapons of the age. Now they are trying to incorperate the BFG into FF which, I think not many people will like. I am really hoping for a high sucess with 12. I really wish I had stuck with playing ff11 because that game just had it all. RMT, and jackass players took over that game.

On side note

Are there any MMORPG game's out there better than FF11?

World of Warcraft.

Farmers and slow paced gameplay kinda ruined FFXI for me.. used to be great until buying a dagger costs you 3 million gil... meanwhile you're slaving away at 500 gil a teleport?.. gtfo lol
yay WoW~... where blizzard is actually strict with farmers.. wewt!

I did love the huge world with ffxi.. you were actually able to hold a conversation walking somewhere cuz it took so long

Originally posted by JKozzy
....no it doesn't.

Most agreed... final fantasy needed this drastic change in battle system for the longest.... being 'forced' to fight monsters was uber lame IMO

Originally posted by S.C.U.D DF
I love FF. ALways have always will. I dont really like that SE is putting High Futuristic "GUN"s into the game. It was fun, when you could use magic, or summons, weapons of the age. Now they are trying to incorperate the BFG into FF which, I think not many people will like. I am really hoping for a high sucess with 12. I really wish I had stuck with playing ff11 because that game just had it all. RMT, and jackass players took over that game.

On side note

Are there any MMORPG game's out there better than FF11?

I'm sorry to hear all of that. I hope you've played other RPGs also, and besides MMORPGs will always have a ton of douchebags, that's why they suck and the monthly fees.

Just a heads up, most stores already have them in stock, sitting in the back waiting for Tuesday. Some are already releasing them early, so might want to check some local independent game stores or big chains like Walmart that may not be aware of the official street date.

None around here, unfortunately.

I know my store has copies of it already, I think we got them Wednesday? I know we had them in the backroom last night.

We're doing a midnight opening for the release, as well.

For that midnight release, is it only for the people who preordered?

I'm sure it is, EB Games and Gamestop are totally stupid like that.

Nope, it's for anyone, though you're really only guaranteed a copy if you preorder, since the number of copies of a game that's sent to an EB/Gamestop depends on the number of reserves that store gets for it. We've gotten a lot of preorders for it at my store, so there'll likely be a good number of extras. If we didn't get many reserves, we'd have the number of reserves and maybe one or two extras.

Originally posted by Lana
Nope, it's for anyone, though you're really only guaranteed a copy if you preorder, since the number of copies of a game that's sent to an EB/Gamestop depends on the number of reserves that store gets for it. We've gotten a lot of preorders for it at my store, so there'll likely be a good number of extras. If we didn't get many reserves, we'd have the number of reserves and maybe one or two extras.

Yeah, I heard stores just got tons of them.

Good to hear that it's not only for preorders. Nice change from Gamestop, who usually goes to stupid lengths to try and trick people into preordering.

Well, I always thought preordering was pointless, but as I've found out, it's like I said - the number of games sent to each store is dictated by the number of preorders they get. So it's either try and get people to preorder, or listen to them whine and b!tch when we don't get enough copies.

Yep, I know.

But most big games will be preordered by plenty of people, and the fact that not all stores in an area get them around the same time, or that preordering doesn't even garantee a copy is a problem.

I believe there's some other reason they like to get preorders, as a company. My friends, who work at Gamestop, said that the company takes the $5 they get per preorder and put it into an account so it develops interest longer than it would if it they didn't get that money until the game ships.

Smart, and makes sense.

Definitely going to the midnight release party, myself.

When is the game being released again? Did any of you preorder?

is it comprehensible.....

It's being released in approximately 26 hours and 10 minutes.

Or, as that's time zone dependent, on October 31st, and a lot of places are doing midnight openings for it.

I didn't preorder as I can' afford it until next week.

Wow. It just came up on me. I originally knew when it was being released but now it's right here. And I just obtained enough money to get it. Good timing. I'm not excited as I would like to be, but I'm anticipating the game all the same.

is it comprehensible.....

ugh final fantasy 12 SUCKS. almost being compareable to X-2. i dunno what the HELL squaresoft is thinkin these days. final fantasy 10 was the first stop to the worse but u cud still call it a fantasy game, this is different though, howcome they cant make games like final fantasy 9 or crono cross anymore or final fantasy 7 and 6. heck id rather prefer crono TRIGGER with 2d over FF12 any damn day.{further disgrace the other square enix game valkyrie frofile 2 is MORE final fantasy than ff12 ever could be and it was released with it.

advice, forget final fantasy 12 n buy valkyrie profile 2

1) Don't double post, use the edit button.

2) Have you played FFXII?

well DUH. lol. went in expecting a LOT turns out its more of a freakin star wars game than a final fantasy. political storyline, no character development or PURPOSE for being there, the battles arent random and are for the worse mostly, no spectacular spells except mist knacks which are surprisingly tiring after 50 hours of gameplay. random treasures, very hard ot come by gil. no FEAL to it. teribl long dungeons without story like some diablo game minus the feal. limited enviornments and practically all fail to amaze. can be quite hard at times though not in the main story. no real world map travel, no real airship exploration, the musical score is TERRIBLE for a final fantasy that is. the characters arent really noticeable and have no real personal part. summons changed mostly for the worse and they play no real role in the game except minor, any character can take up any class of weapoms armours equipment, no unique moves except mist knacks which even though they look different do similar non elemantal damage for every character. textures SMOOTHED out to look better but personally i like artistic deapth and many a times it takes away from the feal fraan's curves often looking like pasted paper when shes not moving. it might seem better in preview skills to anticipating gamers but in the game it takes away. n dont even get me STARTED on the dialogue{but here many people might go against what i say} many a time u cant makes heads or tails of what these victorian stiled folks are saying. talking like shakespear minus the emotions. all around major disappointment, compareable to X-2.

oh yea those bangaas look like jaar jaar binx!

Are you double posting on purpose?

Your grammar and sentence structure is as awful as you say the game is.

Anata Wa Wakarimasu Ka......

uh, hey InnerRise! ^_^

Originally posted by Shroons
uh, hey InnerRise! ^_^ Whoa. eek

Wow.

Hey!! youpi

I should have been the first person you IM'ed.

We need to catch up.

It seems you came back just in time for the release for FFXII. Was that planned. shifty

If so that was very selfish of you. Just kidding. tongue

Glad you're back.

Anata Wa Wakarimasu Ka......

A few reviews are up for this game now. IGN gave it a glowing 9.5 score, while Gametrailers gave it a respectable 8.

Did anyone go to the midnight sale that gamestop/eb had?

Gametrailers are terrible at rating games. They are very harsh for random things that normal people don't/ wont usually care about. IGN usually has pretty good reflective scores of games.

I'm not even a Final Fantasy fan, but the new (less turn based, more KOTOR style) combat system looks awesome to me (as I hate normal turn based RPG's).

From Wikipedia:

On March 16, 2006, Final Fantasy XII became only the sixth game ever to receive a perfect 40/40 score from the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu, as well as the first Final Fantasy game and the first PlayStation 2 title to do so. It is also the second Yasumi Matsuno title to garner a perfect score, the first being Vagrant Story. It was praised for its graphics, scenarios, game system, and the freshness it brings to the Final Fantasy series.. The game has also been critically acclaimed by many reviewers outside of Japan despite not having been released yet. It was praised for its seamless transitions between FMV segments and the in-game engine.

Final Fantasy XII was voted number one for Best Art Style on IGNs weekly Top Ten. The game scored a 9.5 on IGN

The American release of Final Fantasy XII received, in each case out of a possible top score of 10, a 10 in the November 2006 issue of Official PlayStation Magazine, a 10 in the November 2006 issue of Play Magazine, an 8.5, 9.0, and 9.5 in the November 2006 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, a 9.5 from IGN, a 9.25 in the November 2006 issue of Game Informer, and a 9.5 in the October 2006 issue of PSM (magazine). As of October 30, 2006, Final Fantasy XII has a collective score of 92.0% on Game Rankings , making it the fourth highest rated Final Fantasy behind Final Fantasy VI (94.0%), Final Fantasy IX (93.1%) and Final Fantasy VII (92.1%).

Not to shabby I'd say.

I'll be picking this game up tomorrow. (I guess today actually)

I won't be able to get it til this weekend. Hopefully they'll still have some. I don't really see them being sold out in Wal-Marts though. It's very rare that that happens. But this is Final Fantasy, so who knows. But I doubt it though. If I seriously thought that would happen, I would drive out from College and go and get it today.

Anata Wa Wakarimasu Ka.....

Originally posted by BackFire
A few reviews are up for this game now. IGN gave it a glowing 9.5 score, while Gametrailers gave it a respectable 8.

Did anyone go to the midnight sale that gamestop/eb had?

I was going to (since it was dead all evening yesterday when I worked so we were playing with balloons and making the store pretty) even though I'm not getting the game until this weekend, but was just feeling way too tired. Stupid cold. I guess the manager wanted to do a costume contest but didn't because he didn't think anyone would turn up in a costume...beyond me, had I gone.

Got the game earlier, about 3 hours into it now, so far so good.

Originally posted by BackFire
Got the game earlier, about 3 hours into it now, so far so good.

Must you mount your steed and trampled my heart so? cry

Lock it in a trapper keeper until next week.......k......... blush2

Anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Originally posted by InnerRise
Whoa. eek

Wow.

Hey!! youpi

I should have been the first person you IM'ed.

We need to catch up.

It seems you came back just in time for the release for FFXII. Was that planned. shifty

If so that was very selfish of you. Just kidding. tongue

Glad you're back.

Anata Wa Wakarimasu Ka......
yes we do!! and who knows, maybe this was planned! mwahahaha *cough*

Originally posted by ((The_Anomaly))
Final Fantasy IX (93.1%)
Ah, I love it. 13

Originally posted by BackFire
A few reviews are up for this game now. IGN gave it a glowing 9.5 score, while Gametrailers gave it a respectable 8.

Did anyone go to the midnight sale that gamestop/eb had? Yep, I did. There are 2 EB Games near my campus, one down the road, the other is 2 miles away. I go to the obvious choice since the guy that gave me my preorder said I could go to either, and they say that I have to go to the one two miles away. Walked there, got my copy, and walked back for the midnight rls. Watched the FF 1-13 thing on the bonus disc, played a bit, went to bed. Up to now, I've got about 5 hours into the game and I'm loving every moment so far.

I agree on the previous Gametrailers review remark, they do rate some obscure stuff for their ratings....
OPM gave it a 10/10. Not bad at all. And IGN's score is great too. Will be interesting to see Gamespot's review.

edit: It's up, a 9.0 and editor's choice. The general consensus seems to be that.... it's an awesome game.

Originally posted by JKozzy
I go to the obvious choice since the guy that gave me my preorder said I could go to either, and they say that I have to go to the one two miles away.

Could you clarify this part please?

And does the bonus disc come with all Games or just Pre-ordered games or is that a Collector's Edition that you got that has the Bonus Disc?

Anata Wa Wakarimasu Ka.....

I had two EB games I could go to, the one that was closer I didn't preorder at but I was told I could get my copy there, which wasn't the case, apparently, so I had to go to the mall that was two miles away.

I preordered the collector's edition, it's the bonus disc from that.

I got the game, I'm 6 hours in, its quite amazing, and things are JUST starting to pick up in the game.

So far I'd say its a 9/10 as far as I've played it.

Its a little slow to start, but thats good since it takes some getting used to all the new things (i.e. combat system) But overall its a great game, and thats coming from a gamer who isn't too keen on RPG's in general.

And all the crap you might be hearing about the camera system is completely ridiculous, the free camera works just fine, and the set camera, while sometimes getting in the way (at some rare points) can easily, and quickly, be remedied by a slight move of the right Analog stick.

The level designs and the overall design of this game is outstanding, a true work of art, especially on the much outdated graphical abilities of the PS2.

The fighting system is awesome, I'd take it over traditional RPG turn based combat any day.

So if you like FF or even if you like RPG's, get this game. Its amazing.

Originally posted by JKozzy
I had two EB games I could go to, the one that was closer I didn't preorder at but I was told I could get my copy there, which wasn't the case, apparently, so I had to go to the mall that was two miles away.

I preordered the collector's edition, it's the bonus disc from that. How much was the Collector's Edition and was the Bonus Disc worth it?

God. I can't wait until this weekend to get this game. I'm pretty excited now.

I'm still worried how I'll accept the fight system. Of course I'm liking it. But I'm worried about the whole "now I don't have to fight" and how that will affect the leveling up process.

Anata Wa Wakarimasu Ka.....

Don't worry about the fighting system, if you've played KOTOR for PC or Xbox, its much the same as that. Except more in depth.

And TRUST me, your gonna wanna level up, and your going to spend A LOT of time doing it. This is a difficult game, and dying is commonplace, especially at the start.

Its also pretty hard to avoid enemies in general as they chase you for a good while. Running away in this game is actually slightly harder then in previous FF games, as you cant just hit a button and get out, you actually have to run away yourself. And keen enemies wont easily let you get away (sometimes you actually have to leave the area in order to escape). So don't worry about it.

Originally posted by ((The_Anomaly))
Don't worry about the fighting system, if you've played KOTOR for PC or Xbox, its much the same as that. Except more in depth.

And TRUST me, your gonna wanna level up, and your going to spend A LOT of time doing it. This is a difficult game, and dying is commonplace, especially at the start.

Its also pretty hard to avoid enemies in general as they chase you for a good while. Running away in this game is actually slightly harder then in previous FF games, as you cant just hit a button and get out, you actually have to run away yourself. And keen enemies wont easily let you get away (sometimes you actually have to leave the area in order to escape). So don't worry about it. Oh ok. Although you nobody really likes having to battle. There's no better way to level up than to be constantly thrown into battle after battle. So it seems the game still has some of that so that's good.

I've never played KOTOR though. But I'm not worried. Still looks good.

I was about to ask about healing after a battle now that the battle system has changed. I just remember though that FF games don't automatically heal you after battle anyway.

It seems Baten Kaitos Origins has handicapped me in that department. I'm going to be expecting that when playing this game for a while until I get used to having to buy items and healing myself again.

Anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Yeah, the graphics and scope are amazing. I do like the battle system and license board. Only thing, none of the characters seem particularly interesting, and I don't like the character design. Plus the game does start off very very slowly, but it kinda has to to in order to teach players all about the new style and combat.

Originally posted by BackFire
Yeah, the graphics and scope are amazing. I do like the battle system and license board. Only thing, none of the characters seem particularly interesting, and I don't like the character design. Plus the game does start off very very slowly, but it kinda has to to in order to teach players all about the new style and combat.

Yea, overall this is my main problem too. The characters are not as interesting as I'd like them to be. I think its because at the beginning they are trying to start off what will be a huge scope of a story by introducing you to like a 'million' characters and attempting to make you follow everyones story. They try to do this too much. I'm 6 hours in, and I feel like I'm JUST starting to get a grasp on some of the character motivations. Thankfully though, the characters do get more interesting as time goes on, and as you (slowly) learn more about them. The problem is that they are trying to do too much with too many people I think, so it takes a long while before you actually get anywhere (character development wise) with the characters. This isnt a major concern, as the game does focous more upon the overall conflict of nations as opposed to the actions of 2 or 3 individuals. Never the less, I hope the character development starts to pick up (though it already kinda has) more quickly.

Yeah, I read the game starts off very slowly and it takes about 5-6 hours before you really get into and that the characters aren't interesting at all.

I hope I don't feel that way about the characters when I play the game this weekend.

Anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Ah man, it feels so good to be into a new FF game again, it's been way too long.

After playing a few hours today I can say a few things.

1. The combat is great. For the first few hours it's pretty bland seeing as you don't really do anything but attack with one character. But now, about 11 hours in, I love combat. Building your characters through the license board and figuring out which gambits to use for maximum efficiency is really rewarding. I can safely say that grinding is the most fun it's ever been in this game.

2. It's hard. Yes, the game is pretty difficult at times. Particularly boss fights. Be prepared for some frustration at some points.

3. The story takes a LONG time to start. It basically just started and I'm about 10 hours into the game. Be patient and enjoy the other aspects of the game for the first few hours.

4. Boy this game is addictive, as much so as any other FF game, and even more in some ways. The combat has that nice feel to it, where you don't want to stop killing enemies because there's always something JUST out of reach, whether it be a nice new ability on the license board, or a character nearing their level up, or coming close to getting the amount of money you need to buy that nice new weapon.

5. Money is pretty hard to come by in this game. Most monsters don't drop money, instead they drop trade goods that can be sold for some cash. Also the fact that you need to buy a lot of things really enhances the money game. You won't just get stock loads of money, not for a while, at least, if at all.

Anyways, it's a very good game so far, Final Fantasy through and through. I know this because it's nearing my bedtime, I'm tired, but I want to keep playing.

Welcome back, Final Fantasy.

Yeah, I read on most of the things that you mentioned. You matched one reading almost to a "T" actually. Good Job in explaining.

From the way it sounds though. I'm beginning to fear I might not like this game that much. The License system doesn't sound good. The gambit system doesn't sound good. The lack of money doesn't sound good.

I do how the game doesn't throw you right into everything from the get go. I don't mind laying low for the first 10 hrs or so and just enjoying the game without any stress inducing events right off the bat.

Sounds like it's just like Kingdom Hearts 2 Beginning where it was slow and you weren't even Sora for the first few hours. Although, this game seems to have a longer period of before the game picks up. But as I said, I'm fine with that.

anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

I'm only a few hours in, so I don't know about the Gambit system, but I can say the License Board is not bad, just... odd. It feels kind of weird to have to earn a license to use a weapon I'm already carrying. Apparently you'll need a license for most everything you can equip, weapons, armor, accessories, even the ability to cast magick. But it's not a bad thing. Just different.

From my few hours of play so far, I must say that I like it. The areas are beautiful, the music is perfect, the voice acting isn't painful, animation is clean, the world feels lived in, and battle is less of a hassle than before. I actually prefer this battle type to the old ATB system, it simply feels better to me. I agree characters are a bit... bland at this point, but I see plenty of potential in development.

Here's hoping that XII is good enough to usurp "Favorite FF" from VI, and acknowledging that I think there's a definite chance.

Yeah. It's said that the characters become much more interesting further on.

They said the most interesting characters is the Pirate/Sky Captain. He's name is like Baithlasar or something like that.

anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Balthier. I've heard him and Fran being compared to Han and Chewie (Fran is even the mechanic of the duo), which I can really only guess is a good thing.

So is there anything about the game that you don't like?

Is there anything you can assure me on that I posted above that I don't know if I'll like that is actually a good thing?

anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Keep in mind I've played a grand total of less than 4 hours. But no, I've not encountered anything yet that is a big turn off.

Actually, there's one thing that is a minor annoyance, at least in the city of Rabanastre. What the shops are for isn't readily apparent. I spent some time wandering around the East End just figuring out what the shops sold and where they were. I suppose it's somewhat more realistic in that you shouldn't instantly know where everything is until you familiarize yourself with the area, but as I said, it's a slight annoyance. I'm sure the large map has them color-coded in some way, but that too would take time to learn.

gametrailers said the story is lame cuz it doesnt involve the characters.. just their nation...and that the amount of story doesnt balance with the amount of content.. they threw something in about tedium as well.. but gave it an 8.2 or an 8.0 score.. so it couldntve been that bad.. O,o

How does the amount of story not balance with the amount of content? shrug

Being that many other reviewers have given it high scores along with high praise in their reviews, I'm not too worried about Gametrailers review. Plus they gave it a 8.2, so whatever.

anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Originally posted by InnerRise
How does the amount of story not balance with the amount of content? shrug

Being that many other reviewers have given it high scores along with high praise in their reviews, I'm not too worried about Gametrailers review. Plus they gave it a 8.2, so whatever.

anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

they said that theres about 20 hours of actual story line and like 60 hours of gameplay..

Originally posted by SaTsuJiN
they said that theres about 20 hours of actual story line and like 60 hours of gameplay.. Wow. I would really like to know how they pulled that off. What would the 60 hrs of gameplay involve? Nonstop fighting????? I don't see how one can play the game at anytime without being involved in the storyline.

Have you gotten the game yet? If so, what do you think?

anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Well, I've spent a bit more time now, and my opinion has only improved.

The Gambits really only make things easier. Unless you completely misunderstand how to use them, which has got to be difficult, all Gambits will do is automate most of the tasks during battle. Things like healing if a party member's HP goes below a certain level, using a certain attack on enemies, stuff like that. Gambits, simply, modify the party's AI to your liking.

I haven't noticed any lack of story. (6 hours in, now) Characters are developing a little more, and I really like Balthier. The world just keeps getting better, and I've been seeing some interesting ideas implemented. Still waiting to find something I don't like, beyond getting Flan-spammed... (I've ALWAYS hated Flans...)

"Flan-spammed"???? shrug

anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

The enemies called Flans. Big jelly like (flan like, actually) slimy monsters. Extremely resistant to physical attacks, so much so that sometimes attacks do zero damage, but weak to various elements, depending on the type of Flan it is. The place I'm in now has tons of the kind of Flan weak against Fire. So they're eating up my magic reserves faster than I can replenish them, and they pop up outta nowhere, even while I'm trying to flee so I can build my magic up again. So yeah, "Flan-spammed."

Oh yeah. I hate those.

anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Flans are annoying.

And honestly? Every FF game has more gameplay than story. Hell, every game does, period. You spend a good majority of the game travelling from place to place fighting random encounters to level up and guess what, killing that Flan or this Cactuar doesn't forward the plot in anyway...

That would be weird, if every battle in a game like FF had something to do with the plot... then again, it'd be weird if that were even possible.

Speaking of battles, I think another testament to this game is the fact that I'm willingly running into battles. Everyone has been frustrated at some time or another before with random battles, groaning as the screen flashes yet again only two steps away from the door. But I'm rushing to arms here. Go figure.

I think they meant it more towards the fact that they made it MMO in size.. and that the story wasnt big enough to fill its shoes

but I personally have no idea... I wanna buy Wii first

I would imagine this game would feel more at home to fans of final fantasy tactics (being Ivalice and all)

I'm about fifteen hours in, and the story and characters pick up a lot towards the eighth/ninth hour for me. Love the combat and everything. My friend's about 32 hours into the game (yep) and he was skeptical at first for all the reasons you were, but he told me that (as we know) the game is so addicting and so much fun.

About the characters, reading a review it compared the game to VII in the sense that we won't become as close to the characters of XII as we did to Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, etc, solely for the reason that the story isn't about the characters (well, all about them) but the nations are of greater importance rather than the characters themselves in this title. I don't have a problem with it at all so far, it's working fine for me.

My bedtime, though.

I just got this game today, and its very addictive

Very good game. But very frustrating at times too. You definitely have to be on your P's and Q's if you don't want to get a GAME OVER and start all over again from wherever you were. You know it's bad they put up those statements at some Save Points right before you save to save in another file b/c this area might be hard to get out of. There haveo only been a couple/few times so far where I've been very frustrated. Although, I have 4 save files b/c of those statements and I didn't really need them. I progressed well enough. I never had to go and use those extra save files that I used.

The game is picking up nice indeed. I'm roughly 20 hrs in.

I brought my Console and the game up here with me so I'll be able to play throughout the week. youpi

I plan on playing more tonight, so don't expect me on here. doped

I agree with the statement above about not bonding with the characters that much.

You do find yourself going around running into battles.

And I was very nervous about the License and Gambit Systems. But I'm happy to say, they are very easy to get the hang of. The review I read made them out to be a monster. Not so much. You rack up License Points with ease just like that. I've found myself with over 200, 300, 400 my characters at time. They just pile up. The dungeons are so LONG AND HUGE they'd have to. Everytime I come up to a dungeon and I look at the map it's like..............*SIGH* Here we go. They're so big. But thankfully some of them don't require you to traverse the entire thing, most of them do though. I like how they let you know which random citizens you're able to talk with. This way you're not running around the whole city talking to every single body.

By the way, does anybody use the Right Analog Stick (Camera Viewer) to run in different directions? I find myself pressing up on the Left Analog and I steer with the Right Analog. I don't know. Just wandering if it's just me or if other's do it as well.

Anybody taking the time to do those HUNTS?

I've done 2 of them. I don't really care for them. I may do more just to get cash, which is easier to come by than I was expecting. With some the things you get from defeating certain monsters being 300 something dollars a piece, it's easier than I thought as well. Not as easy as previous ones, but easier based on reviews and posts that I've read.

I do wish that they had put a CutScene viewer in this game.

Does Fran remind anybody else of Mystique from the X-Men? She reminds me of her. At first I was put off by her voice, but it has grown on me and is quite fitting. She's not human, so it needed a little something to make it unique.

I do enjoy the guests that enter your party, I wish that you could have 4 out at a time all of the time. So far though, I've had guests joining for the majority of the time, so I haven't had to use just 3 players that often. But once you get use to 4, it's a drag to have 3, battles don't go buy as fast.

Did anybody defeat the Avion Bird w/out help from the sand men creatures?

Overall, if you're confused by my statements on whether I like the game or not, I like the game and can't wait to play it some more.

Baten Kaitos pales in comparison and I may have just wasted my mother's money when getting that game, I don't have any plans on playing it anytime soon.

doped

Anata Wa Wakarimasu Ka.....

If you have no plans to play Baten Kaitos, send it to me.

But yeah, people made mountains out of mole hills when complaining about licenses and gambits. And the less gil thing.

Personally, I like the less gil thing, because it really isn't. Monsters shouldn't be carrying gil, but getting a wolf pelt from a wolf? Sure. I have no money wants at all.

Oh, and 20 hours?! I'm only about 7...

Yup. 20hrs. a lot of which was spent fighting monsters mind you.

Where exactly are you at?

anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Well, situation change, I won't be getting FFXII until after November's over.

Originally posted by Lana
Well, situation change, I won't be getting FFXII until after November's over. shock

This is becoming a pattern with you.

What has changed?

anata wa wakarimasu ka.....

Too busy and won't have time to play this month. I'm entering a writing contest

That, and I need to pay my car insurance so my mom doesn't kill me.