IMO, if they don’t own ass, they shouldn’t cost ass-owning amounts of mp, have riduclously long attack sequences, backstories built entirely around them, etc…
In my experience, summons rarely ever did more damage than just stabbing whatever it was I wanted dead. Which means I never used them. Which makes them useless. That’s the logic I’m going by.
I only used them extensively in X, and even then I only ever used their overdrives.
Re: The story. Unfortunately, FFXII had two problems in terms of story. First, is that there are two storylines going on at the same time. On one hand there is a major political conflict that’s quickly escalating into a second all-out war comming complete with double-crosses, under-the-table negotiations, a coup, and other assorted political wheeling and dealing. On the other hand almost all of that takes place in the background, far removed for what the main characters (and thus the player) are up to. That of course involves them going around trying to gather super powerful magical artifacts that threaten the known world while trying to fight off the various meddlers that race to stand in their way of their prize.
On a sidenote, not only do I agree with Weilla on the question of the moral roles of the game’s antagonists but, I’m also suggesting that the protagonists themselves could be could be considered as supervillains trying to unleash devastating power upon the land (with of course an obligitory change of roles when newer more villainous villains show up to make you look like good guys again). Unfortunately this does highlight the reason why we don’t see more RPGs starring villains (What else do they do aside from obessively seek out weapons of mass-destruction while making an apperence or three to annoy the heroes (and the world at large) by throwing a smackdown challenge?)
The other thing this game should’ve had was some kind of an event viewer like in FFT where you can rewatch cutscenes in case you had missed something or needed to remember what you were last up to (hell even Pokémon does this) without forcing you to either consult an FAQ or work your way back up to that point again with a separate file.
Vayne was pretty gratuitously and unnecessarily evil when you think about it. He had all the markings of a sly, assholish but ultimately competent and reliable leader. So of course instead of taking power in a less blatantly incriminating fashion (Dude, the king was dying on his own already, take a page from Dycedarg) and making the right allies to take on Rozarria better prepared with a unified region, he starts a war threatening to nuke the world’s token “Sad Puppy” country thus ensuring that nobody could possibly consider him to be anything but the bad guy.
Goddamnit man, just take control, ally yourself with Dalmasca once you realize that EVERYONE of note seems to be falling over themselves to help Ashe for God-knows what goddamn reason, blame all past oppression on your dad, unify the place and THEN pick a fight with the other superpower once you have your army of magic DEATH LAZORZ battleships ready. What could go wrong? I mean, how many people would actually believe “Oh sorry, Basch didn’t kill anyone, it was his identical twin brother under Vayne’s orders!”.
Feels like I’m right back in Suikoden V with Gizel Godwin: “Oh hey, I just staged a coup and killed the already shady Queen and incriminated someone else. It can’t be too hard to convince that population that I’m the good guy. By the way, as my first act as Commander, I’ll assign a psychotic bloodthirsty killer as one of my high officials!”
I just started playing FFXII (hence the avatar/title change), and I’m fairly impressed so far. I’m not far in (I just finished the sunstone quest), but I really don’t have any complaints so far except that the camera can be a pain in ass sometimes.
You still haven’t started “Foot-Trip World Tour to the Map’s Arse”, essentially 95% of the game. Enjoy watching Vaan talk, you won’t see him doing that for about twenty hours once that kicks in.
I loved the game, but my complaints about the story are in line with the opinions expressed several times above. I would also add that I don’t like the prevalence of technology in the recent games. Most FFs (and other fantasy-setting games) explain away their tech as the remnants of a lost civilization, but with 10 and 12 especially they’re just throwing in a ton of highly-complex stuff with little explanation. Look at the airships in 12, for crying out loud - they’re ridiculous. You might say that the same sort of thing shows up in 7, but at least in 7 the technological development of the rest of the world matches the ships/reactors/electronics we see elsewhere. 12 has cities full of people carrying around swords to go along with its inexplicable gigantic death machines from nowhere. 13 looks to continue the overboard trend, from the trailers I’ve seen.
Okay, I admit that there is a style to the dialog, but there’s very little substance. It’s the vacancy of the words that bother me; it’s almost as if they aren’t even trying to form an interesting plot anymore. Of course, I’m not saying that any FF had a good plot, but at least they had interesting ones to a degree. It’s just another “The empire really sucks, let’s go back to the old monarchy that is totally better than the one that’s imposed on us” plot. This doesn’t just strike me as tired, but as reactionary pap.
As far as the tech goes: I tend to agree with RPT. Steampunk is fine and dandy, but that sort of thing affects the entire world, not just its weaponry.
Re: Kefka in Kingdom Hearts
Aww, but what they did with Auron was just fine in KH2. Admit that having him called back from the dead by Hades was just a moment of genius. It fit perfectly.
Auron was a warrior, not a mage. In fact, his character was so little changed from FFX that it worked perfectly. It helps that he was a Nomura character same as KH. Kefka, on the other hand, simply wouldn’t fit in KH. There’s nothing I can do to turn around his square peg and make it fit in the round hole there.
I disagree; KH combines SO many different styles, from Anime to Disney to Live Action Movies (in Pirates of the Caribbean) that if they wanted to use Kefka, I’m sure they’d find some way to make him fit. (I’m still amazed that the Black-and-White “Original Mickey Mouse” section worked! 0_0 )
Edit: Hey look, my face is back! 
It’s not Kingdom Hearts, it’s Tetsuya “Belt and Zippers” Nomura that’s the problem.
Setzer was a jackass lovable and smooth gambler who dresed in a long leather overcoat and had long flowing white hair. He was required to be in the center of a game as a guest celebrity. Anyone could have written that part, really: Just make him behave like a wiseass for a couple of lines and you’re done.
So of course Nomura had no better idea that to turn him into some flamboyant rainbow-colored metrosexual who was so afraid of losing to a bunch of kids that he had to resort to cheating.
About Kefka in KH: It wouldn’t work, as Cid said. He didn’t come right out and say it, but a genocidal maniac isn’t exactly someone that you want in a kid’s game. You could clean him up, but what would result would be like… well… the 70s TV show Joker vs the Joker in the comic books.
So I guess Sephiroth didn’t really want to kill everybody with a giant meteor? 
And hey, there’s room in the world for BOTH versions of the Joker- I happen to prefer Cesar Romero’s! ;p
Well, in KH, all Seph wanted to do was mess up Cloud’s head some more. And Tifa was there to unmess it up (I guess.)
Now, if Kefka was there… “AHEM, THERE’S SAND ON MY GUMMI BLOCKS >:(”
He could mess around in the Atlantis world. “SON OF A SUBMARINER!”
… now I feel horribly unclean…
Well, he wouldn’t be the same without Woolsey, at the very least. You prove that much.
I’m willing to buy a beer to whomever made this website if I ever meet them (and if they like beer).
Ah… you know, I’ve fangirled a whole lot of characters, but Kefka remains my one true love. :mwahaha:
UWEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!
Sorry, got a bit overexcited there.
Kefka was the first video game villian that I truly wanted to kill, followed closely by Kuja.