Did anyone here play Final Fantasy 12 at launch? Were you blown away by it?
I just started playing this game and it looks amazing, the starting area has more depth and style than the whole of Xenoblade Chronicles X.
I wish I could've played this when it launched.
>>337002038
Yeah, I was super hype for it and even bought the collector's edition with the cool tin.
Are you playing it on a ps2 or emulating?
>>337002038
It wasn't particularly amazing at the time. It was largely seen as a departure from "The Formula" and too heavily influenced by FF11's MMO mechanics.
>>337002038
Played it at launch and it was amazing. The scale and level of detail were really something for a PS2 game.
>>337002038
I havent been blown away by final fantasy since I went to the moon in IV
>>337002038
Its gr8 m8. Play through then give the International Zodiac Job System version a spin, if you can (basically requires emulation, last I checked the steps to getting the IZJS english patch going on a PS2 are nightmarish), it's like playing a completely different game
>>337002090
I was originally playing it on my ps3 but I decided to emulate it on my PC to smooth out the edges and it looks absolutely fantastic and plays fantastic.
I really like all of the characters right off the bat for some reason, it feels like it's going to be a great game
The combat is really fun, but you'll eventually put it down about halfway after you're bored with the shitty story and having only one likeable character in the entire game who coincidentally is the only one not dressed like some faggot dragqueen walking around the docks.
Still waiting for that Vita/PS4 remaster of IZJS, Square.
>>337002140
>10/10 reviews everywhere
>largely seen
Gotta love how the tiny nostalgiafag minority keeps pretending they were ever relevant.
>>337002228
>International Zodiac Job System
what the phuck is dat lmao
I got it on release day. I liked it but no, I was not even close to being blown away by it.
>>337002038
Yes
I remember loving it. I stopped playing though for some reason. Didn't pick it back up until many years later. Obviously I restarted as well.
Great game. I have loved every FF I played. Still got so many I have to play.
Bought it with the collectors addition. I was actually more enticed by the history of FF dvd that came with it than the actual game. Granted, the game wasn't bad, but I did not like the MMO feel they tried to give it. And they did try and give it an MMO feel, I was reading magazine after magazine of interviews from devs on its upcoming release.
Vaan looked like shit with his spray-on six pack, and is the worst protagonist in an FF I have ever played. The License system is a horrible progression system and never actually feels like you're progressing, stat-wise, at least. Over all, it was a blunder, but a moderately enjoyable one. But no, I was not amazed by it at launch. Quite disappointed really. Also, I'm pissed that my collectors edition is still worth jack shit.
>>337002259
This.
The story was remarkably bland in this game. I still had plenty of fun but it didn't captivate me like 6,7,9 or tactics did. Liked it better than 10 though.
>>337002550
To point out some good things, because my dumb-ass forgot to proof-read. I loved the side-quests. Monster hunting was fun, and it was ocol to see Montblac again. Rabanastre was one of the most vibrant cities I had seen in a JRPG at the time, so that was really great. The cut-scenes were quite nice at the time, but didn't quite match up to my standards that I had after FFXs. But really, other than the world, I can't say much about this game. It's a grind, and not a supremely enjoyable one.
>>337002327
Because review scores aren't regularly bought.
I'm not about to dig up ancient-ass reviews for you, but 12 was legitimately poorly received due to the battle system that people complained was "too different" or "too passive". People didn't like having direct control over their other party members, something that had been the case in every previous entry.
I liked it, but it was clogging used game bargain bins within a few months of release.
>>337002361
>>337002237
If you're emulating and you're not too far into it, I really recommend giving the International Version a try.
Changes:
Major: Job system, where you must pick a class for every character that determines your class license board (in the regular version, everyone feels really samey)
Minor stuff: There's 2x speed button that speeds up the entire game
No more missing the best spear because you opened a chest in the first 2 hours of the game
You can control the summons and party guests directly now
There's some other things i'm missing but those are the notable ones.
>>337002038
I did.
It still my favorite alongside 9 and 7.
Art direction and gameplay were top notch, too bad the story focused on Vaan instead of characters like Balthier/Fran/Basch...
That glorious boss fight theme though https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tojdtfyKWP4
i was extremely disappointed with it just from a tone/plot standpoint. i also found it really boring and grindy.
Anon, I have a few words for you before you undergo this game: MINOR SPOILERS
>There are a ton of marks
Like, a lot of them. It easily surpasses 60, and might break 80. The epic mark hunting in this game is enough to burn a solid 100 hours alone.
>Most of your summons are optional
Part of the endgame is doing all of the esper quests, and a couple of them are outrageously complex and long. One of them, in the sewers of Rabanastre, is a puzzle that I don't understand how anybody figures out without a guide to this day.
>The license board needlessly wastes points
I recommend you use a map of the license board to avoid spending well-earned points on useless licenses. Half of the items in the game are only found in niche situations (Like a specific dagger dropping from werewolves) that by the time you can effectively find the item, it's all but obsolete to the gear you can purchase in shops. Save yourself some time and map out the license board.
>The story really peters off after The sky city of Bhujerba
I can' texpress this enough. The story skews in a weird direction and your motive for traveling to certain areas in the game is almost entirely unfounded.
>Don't let your allies fall behind
Can't express the importance of this. Don't just pick three favorites and level them, leaving the others in the dust. It'll put you in some really shitty situations in the late game, especially if your healer wipes and you have to sub in a weaker healer
>Don't miss the Eskir berries
There's a point in the game where you're traveling through a giant desert. Stay as northwest as you can on the map. Trust me, you'll thank me later
>optional: Look up a guide for four specific treasure chests you shouldn't open if you want a shot at guaranteeing the strongest weapon in the game. It can be achieved by a secondary chest, but the chest has a 1% chance of spawning and a .1% chance of containing the item.
Godspeed, anon. Enjoy the game. It's genuinely good.
>Zodiac Spear
Yeah, Take the best item, and make it so you will not get it on your first play through without a guide.
>>337002038
>starting area more depth and style than the whole of Xenoblade X
I love the IZJS version but the standard release was garbage. To even say the above is to basically admit you didn't play the game at all OP. Way to prove your faggotry.
>>337002813
Thanks man, I'll have a look into it, I more or less just started the game and came to /v/ to make this thread because I was blown away.
>>337002038
I picked it up on launch, played the first 5 hours or so, and then dropped it for about a year.
I never get hyped for games on release for some reason but buy them anyway. I did go back to it and had a great time with the game but it was too different when it came out and gave me a sour taste in my mouth.
>>337002947
Thanks for the pointers man, much appreciated
>>337002947
>One of them, in the sewers of Rabanastre, is a puzzle that I don't understand how anybody figures out without a guide to this day.
I spent forever down there fucking around with everything for a hunt mark and ended up fighting that esper. I dunno how I did it though.
>>337003130
Just know that you'll have to download the IZJS version and patch it with the English translation, since it only came out in Japan, but I believe there are few pre-patched torrents out there
>>337003218
It's actually pretty simple if you're returning to the that area where the lights are on to check what the fuck you're doing. But yeah, nobody really ever tells you in-game what's down there.
Don't fall for the izjs meme, it locks you out of tons of equipment and all the utility classes with cool abilities are boned by shit slow weapons and bad damage. If you ever want to see balthier holding a gun, don't go izjs
>>337002038
Fucking SE shills.
anyone else find bombs and measures to be absolutely useless in this game?
Bombs didn't have shit for damage past the half way point in the game, and the grinding needed to obtain them was fucking painful.
I still do not understand what the measures were for. I understand that some of them offered a passive buff, but was it really worth actively holding on to that item for that reason?
What did measures do?
>>337002852
The story didn't give a single fuck about Vaan.
In my opinion, Vaan and Penelo are there to represent the player, since you go seemingly blind into the Ivalice politics and Geography-Topography and you learn about them almost identically to the rate and time Vaan and Penelo do.
Was hyped beyond words. Bought on release. Turned out to be a great game. The only thing that disappointed me was the how useless summons were compared to the older games. Same goes for X -- had no reason to summon any of them at least once.
>>337003980
I've seen people criticize it before. Supposedly it makes the game much harder then it should be.
They should have made the new classes optional. What else does it add besides the job system?
>>337002038
i was fucking blown away by it. even better, i've always liked ivalice so the ivalice alliance thing was great. it was a shame they canceled FFXII fortress. i was looking forward to it so much
>>337004618
Summons on X were OP as fuck, dude. I played through the whole game on the back of summons for absolutely everything and only got my shit wrecked when I faced Seymour Flux, because he'd banish all aeons right after they ulti'd and my party was way too slow to recover after that.
>>337004073
F-for a fucking decade old game? Grasp yourself.
What the fuck? Post FFXII girls
I have the collectors edition.
the game was actually not well received at launch
One look at that pic and Royal City Rabanastre is playing in my head. I love that game.
>>337004990
Fucking Gamestop shilling their used games.
>>337004946
This tbqh. FF10 was essentially Summon Aeons: The Game.
Yuna was my most-used party member by fucking miles.
>>337002038
I played it, and it's still, to this day, my 2nd favorite FF game, behind 9. I love Ivalice, I love the environments, I love the gameplay, the only real blemish on the game is Vaan. Even Penelo is pretty fantastic.
I'd love to have an HD re-release, so they don't have to squeeze all that voiceover and cutscenes and everything into 6 gigs. Put it on a blu-ray and uncompress all that audio!
>>337002237
Yah its a great game. Didnt play it at launch but played thd shit out of it.
How does it emulate? Might go back
>>337004946
>>337005229
>using summons for anything in X other than tanking hits
Maximum overpleb.
Your characters are way stronger than the aeons once you know how to actually play the game.
XII remaster for PC/PS4 when
>>337002038
I loved it, but I was too autistic for it.
I just killed wolves for hours, days. I kept thinking "I'll just get this next license and then move on" but I just kept going. Everyone had tier 3 quickenings by the time the rain came in the south. I didn't even make it past meeting Cid when I learned about the spear and just gave up.
>>337005252
It emulates perfectly. Definitely use IZJS, it makes the game about 89% better.
>>337005229
why use Lulu when you can just teach Yuna black magic and get more damage out of it for 1 MP cost?
>>337002297
Just emulate it, FF12 looks surprisingly good.
>>337005329
>Classes
Such bullshit. Should have left in free reign.
Worst FF. Even II was better.
>>337005418
The only bad thing about the jobs in IZJS is how you can't switch them once you pick one, but literally everything else is better.
>>337004130
Measures grant buffs on hit, you're supposed to equip healers with them so they can buff you for free. Its stupid.
>>337002947
Actually, it's 10% chance of spawning the chest, if it spawns then there's a 10% chance it's an item (not gil), and if it's an item there's a 10% chance it's the ZS. So 1/1000 everytime you go into the room.
>>337005440
Here's your (You)
>>337005473
I know and you're right, it just bummed me out.
HD version when? Because you know most are too pleb to emulate the IZJS version.
I really wanted to like this game, but it was so boring. Massive maze like environments to trudge through with little to no reward for exploring besides the occasional Knot of Rust.
Great presentation, but strip that away and you'll find a foundation sorely lacking.
>>337005651
I was sad about Rasler, I just met him but he looked like a really cool guy.
>dat feel when best summons in the entire franchise
You can tell actually effort went into them as opposed to "just plaster in a mythological being or god". Such a shame you need the never-officially-translated version for them to actually be useful or usable. Just like character limits.
>>337004298
>Vaan
>Start off a guy with a revenge boner who just wants to kill one person
>He barely knows anything about the world
>Meet a couple of pirates and the princess after finally making his big move
>Gets thrown into jail
>Meets the guy who he wants to kill
>Find out that the guy wasn't so bad after all
>Sees ghosts of his dead brother
>Fully accepts that revenge is a bad idea
>Stops seeing the ghost
>Decides that he's going to stick with the other guys and learn about the world with his childhood friend
Wish they could have used him a bit more since they had a nice dynamic with him learning from Basch and Balthier.
>>337005741
Would have been a much better protagonist than fucking Vaan.
I swear, the only way to play that game is just to have Vaan be the camera-guy.
>>337005741
He struck me as a token pretty boy MC you would play in some other game. Vaan just happened to a wannabe sky pirate.
>>337002038
I don't really like that statement of Xenoblade X but FFXII is my favorite game of the series so you get a pass
>>337005880
literally anyone would've been a better protagonist than vaan, except penelo I guess. shit, reks would've made perfect sense and game even tricks you into thinking that's going to happen.
>>337005329
>>337005418
>>337005473
>>337005589
What else did the IZS change besides the classes? I remember emulating it and not being too fond of the classes system(because for a game that long, I didn't like the limitations.)
I'm currently thinking about playing it again, but my plan is to drop the IZS, because of said class/skill restrictions.
>>337005589
>>337005418
>>337005964
There's an editor out there, use it to switch classes whenever. Just don't abuse it and everything will be fine.
>>337005958
>reks would've made perfect sense and game even tricks you into thinking that's going to happen.
That's literally why it didn't happen. It was just as keikaku
>>337005958
True.
But honestly, I'm probably biased. I felt Vaan's appearance and character somehow managed to drag the entire experience down, and objectively speaking it probably wasn't as bad as I remember it.
Played it at launch. It was great. Larsa awakened some weird things too.
Never could replay it though. Might do it if we ever get an official HD release. Couple of the dungeons were a nightmare however. Mainly the crystal and some tower.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7J_8IB5i6k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgvaZ1F7Ox8
>>337002038
>Did anyone here play Final Fantasy 12 at launch?
Yes.
>Were you blown away by it?
No. I hated it then, and I hate it to this day. I've tried to slog through that shit fest like 3 times and I always lose interest. Everything about the game is dry, repetitive, and boring. Solid OST though.
My thoughts, first time playing FF12:
>Oh, cool, I get to be the warrior-prince guy? Nice!
>Um, he died, um, okay. T-too bad.
>Well, its cool. Reks seems like a cool guy with a neat foundation to build some good charact-...
>He dies too, huh? Right...
>Who's this little faggot and why do I need to control him now? He'll die soon so we can wheel out the actual protagonist, right?
Then, some time later:
>I can't believe I'm still playing as this little Literally Who Aladin-wannabe...
>Oh, here comes Basch, he seems cool, now Vaan just needs to kick it so we can play as the REAL protagonist!
It never happened. Fuck, why didn't it happen?
>>337006095
>thong on top of panties
Rikku might not have been the cleverest gal, but she managed to put on what little clothes she had in the right fucking order.
>>337006039
>Matsuno decides to put in Vaan and Penelo after his experience with Ashley Riot in Vagrant Story
>He leaves halfway through the game
>What ever Matsuno had planned for them just stopped after the horn people dungeon
>>337006196
The real protagonist was always in your party. You just get to play as a secondary character (who represents the poorfags) who gets to experience what its like to travel the world with famous people when you don't even know more than what's around your home town.
friendly reminder
>>337006302
To be fair it's not even just those two, there are obvious stretches of time where story just stops and you're merely going from dungeon to dungeon. FF12 is probably the only core game where you can really tell it's not finished.
>>337006649
If only SE could get Matsuno back to help them expand on XII with a remake.
>>337002038
Loved the feel of the game. The combat was annoying at times, but the world was fun.
>>337005958
>booty shorts
>tube top
>open toed shoes
What manner of fuccboi attire is this?
On a sidenote, a few things have made me as happy in videogames as when you defeat Tiamat and the Clan calls you the greatest Hunter Ivalice has ever known.
>>337006575
You can try all you want XII but was a bad game with a bad story.
>>337002038
I did and no I was not, it felt like ff 11 just off line. I wasn't too interested in finishing it
>>337002228
>getting the IZJS english patch going on a PS2 are nightmarish
When I played it, all I downloaded was an already-patched file. I don't imagine it takes any more effort than that. This was years ago, so it's probably even easier to find now.
I should really replay XII. It emulates incredibly well. I can't remember a single artifact or missing effect, except for one of Basch's Quickenings causing severe lag on hardware mode.
>>337007931
>I only enjoy stories with no underlining themes and everything is explained in my face
>>337002038
>the starting area has more depth and style than the whole of Xenoblade Chronicles X.
What the fuck are you talking about ?
I can't see him without thinking of valentines day now.
Get's me everytime.
>>337010169
I think everyone just ignored it. You can't just throw a bait in there like that and expect people to notice.
I didn't see it until you pointed it out.
>>337002947
>One of them, in the sewers of Rabanastre, is a puzzle that I don't understand how anybody figures out without a guide to this day.
I don't believe this, I was like 12 when I did it, I don't recall the puzzle at all, I assume it was controlling the sluice gates, but I definitely found Cú Chulainn in that shithole with the hp drain effect on in that area.
Man that game was pretty amazing as a child and still having curiosity and not using the internet. I remember a couple years later playing through it again using the internet that time and finding out about the rare hunts (not marks) on phon coast I think it was called, can't believe I missed that.
>>337010346
Penelo is PURE.
I actually just played and beat it last month.
I disagree. I think the game looks like shit. Especially after 10. It's like a downgrade.
>>337010758
You're likely literally retarded then.
>>337010814
Nice.
>>337002772
But you could switch party leader and pause time. It's effectively the same thing.
>>337010346
How does Penelo pee? Does she need to take that whole overall off?
>>337006575
This is soo deep.
Now explain Penelo faggot.
>>337011328
She doesn't take it off.
>>337011482
He talks about Penelo too
>>337002813
I dislike this argument. No one feels "samey" until the end of the game unless you build them that way. They're your characters, build them any way you want. In fact, I recommend building characters who are specialists rather than all characters as jacks of all trades (although one jack of all trades is a good idea) because you will not be able to survive the mid game if your characters don't have at least some of the more specialized stuff. When you start to reach level 60 is when all of your characters should have all licenses unlocked... a mere 80 hours into the game if you don't power level.
how similar is this game to ff11?
i usually hate single player ff but i loved ff11
>>337005801
>effort
I liked them and all but they were all just Dark KNight armor versions of past FF bosses. Ex. Zalera is Sephiroth holding Jenova
>>337011482
It just reminds me of this
>Far Cry 3's writer argues critics largely missed the point of the game
You can google that interview if you want, but the point is that it doesn't matter what the writers or story intends to do. If people see an annoying and an useless character they will see just that and nothing more.
Maybe a bad and a good thing. It makes stories stick to safer and maybe more simple stuff which is bad, but it also doesn't excuse the writers to say afterwards
>no you simply didn't understand the story!
>really him saying muh skypirates dream was just him dealing with his grief!
If the story needs to be analyzed and scrutinised for these things to be found well that probably is the reason why people might find the story or characters lacking.
Haven't played the game again since launch though so can't say if I would find my Vaan dislike any different if I replayed it now.
>>337002038
what the fuck is with that retarded outfit
Are you able to change it?
>>337002038
Yes, the world was massive and the lore behind it was pretty big too, also I'm excited for the collaboration
https://youtu.be/orvHPpkE3lA
I did. It wasn't at all for me. I only finished it on my fourteenth attempt last year, which took eleven months and I only did the bare minimum possible. I detest it, but I also recognize that it has a specific audience and therefore it's a love or hate it affair. Although I wonder why its advocates won't play Baldur's Gate instead, which does everything XII embarrassingly attempts much better.
Since you seem to enjoy it, have fun.
Bought the collectors edition with the tin, sold it within the month because I thought it was a shit game. Huge let down honestly.
Anybody on /v/ got seintegrat?
>>337013689
>the lore behind it was pretty big
Final Fantasy XII: A new Hope
>>337014936
>implying Vaan was that important
>>337014994
The hero no one deserves
>>337002038
get off 4chan and go play it!
I dont mean that in a dick way. I've just had many games ruined by lurking here before I finished them.
>>337002038
I went to the midnight release, and even playing it back then, all I could think was "this doesn't feel like Final Fantasy at all". I can't even really put my finger on it, there's just something "off" about it.
>>337002038
Yeah, I was blown away by the scope and the detail.
My favorite game at that point (and still is) was Final Fantasy Tactics, but I didn't realize that it shared the director/writer, Matsuno.
He's pretty much my favorite game director nowif only he would make games again
One thing that really stood out to me at FF12's launch was the beautiful interface direction, especially the main menu. I loved all the graphic design in that game compared to the horrid shit in 10 and 11
>>337005801
>You can tell actually effort went into them as opposed to "just plaster in a mythological being or god".
Matsuno is a top tier lorefag. Might have something to do with the fact that he went to university for political scienceand dropped out after 3 years
Anyone want me to dump the Tactics Ogre design document?
>>337013572
>If people see an annoying and an useless character they will see just that and nothing more.
Its the same with "idiots". If a character is an idiot, 90% of the time people blame the writing, instead of the character itself.
Writing a good idiot is a pretty hard thing to do(unless its the likeable protag idiot type), because most of the time, people will just blame the writing for characters they don't like, rather than acknowledge their place in the story.
Also,
>tfw you had the """leather""" bound collector's edition strategy guide but sold it.
>Big empty map
>Once you configure gambit system the game play by itself
>Vaan and Penelo are just there, making no difference on the story
>7 races but you play with five humans and one viera
>Villain disapear for 3/4 of the game
>People praise IZJS for the fast forward button
The only good thing is the setting(Ivalice) and not even that can save this trainwreck.
>>337015769
Also, there was literally nothing wrong with Vaan. He was a protag that reflected the audience and it fit the theme of the story and game design perfectly.
Plus, its a nice change from the "chosen-one" or hero types.
>>337013396
It's basically a single player MMO
>>337002772
>I'm not about to dig up ancient-ass reviews for you, but 12 was legitimately poorly received due to the battle system that people complained was "too different" or "too passive".
Most publications and fan reviews I read at the time had positive experiences with the gambit system. It was really only a particularly vocal minority that bitched about it.
The issue with XII is that a lot of people didn't play it, so it didn't sell.
I didn't get too far into it before my ps2 broke down
>>337002038
Bought and played it the day it came out, and it's still in my top 3 FF games.
>>337003104
The standard release shits on IZJS, honestly. I don't know why you faggots shill that version so much when a lot of its "improvements" are either marginal or totally inconsequential. The job system is fucking garbage by the way.
>>337007378
This is more twink than fuccboi.
He was probably looking for a sugar daddy (Basch)
>>337015852
>Big empty map
How is it empty?
Or are you just gonna keep spouting "le open world is empty" memes whenever any game has anything even remotely resembling an open map?
