Voice acting killed Final Fantasy

[Katana314]

I used to rag on how Legend of Zelda just used text boxes for everything, but I think they're really underestimated. The basic pluses are that you can easily change dialog, there's no budget for voice acting, and translation is easier. Of course, some would say it reduces immersion. Definitely some more active genres like shooters are suited for voices, but having played games like Phoenix Wright, where they seem to have this whole advanced scripting system for pacing, it can work really well.

They honestly do everything possible in that game to make sure you "hear" the voices in your own head. The blip sounds are adjusted for each gender and even sound garbled when talking to "the killer" over a voice-modifier radio. They change their pace depending on the impact of their words, will often pause at a comma, period, or when they're hesitant to say something. Each character has several different "postures" There are even 'abrupt' sound effects when they suddenly yell something out.

Even when not so much effort goes into it, it's hard to do text wrong, whereas voice acting can get very, very wrong.

 

[Korten12]

I think I am one of the few that loved FFX,XII, and XIII.

 

[FinalDream]

What do we reckon to FF6 making it to PSN? Am I waiting in vain to play this game on my PSP, or should I just pick up a PS1 copy?

 

[Tetranitrophenol]

Have you ever

Its not dead, ff 10 was great, 12 sucked, and 13 rocks.

have you ever played any FF previous to FFX?
If you honestly have, then there is no way you can say that it has a better story quality and character depth. FFX and above just look prettier compared to their predecessors, but their quality as FF has gone down the drain.

I bet that is nostalgia talking

Its not that I posted that thinking I was going to convince anybody, I own, played and finished FF 10,11(lvl75=finish),12 and 13(on the way) and I have to say that there is a definite gap in characters and story. Character back story feels much more shallow and the overall story feels more like its only purpose is to help show you the pretty graphics and cut-scenes in different angles rather than an important factor of the game.

They all feel too romantic for my tastes, sure >9 featured that but in a more complex way.
Its true, my opinions might be influenced a little bit by nostalgia, but that dosent change the fact that the classic FF story and quality has changed (for the worse IMO).

You were introduced to the series with FFX I assume (which is about the time when the pussyfication took place). You might stand in my shoes some years from now when you state that FFXX focuses on the fully rendered sex scenes rather than the kind of storytelling that you were introduced to the series...

 

[Loxes]

Oh ffs. Get off your high horse.

You're only TEH KULUST FINAL FANTASY FAN EVA if you hate all the games after I.

 

[Wounded Melody]

Well, the sad truth is, SE will probably keep making games like X and XIII, because they sell like crazy in Japan and the magazines there also give these games 9 & 10/10.

 

[TheEarlOfGrey]

I never really minded voice acting. I do have to have a chuckle at Vanille's voice though. Is it English? Is it South African? Is it Australian? WE'LL NEVER KNOW!!

 

[Enigmers]

I liked the voice acting in Final Fantasy 12.

I know this makes me a traitor because having my own preferences is blasphemy, but there you go.

 

[Methos12]

It's probably already been said, but the problem is that western voices (I don't understand Japanese so I can't comment, but they're always more expressive with their VA... but then again, being a VA is apparently a huge thing over there so it shouldn't be much of a surprise) always try to fit the original voice... stop that.

For example, the whole "squirrel punched in the nut sack" high voices that Japanese VAs use for cute, young or innocent female characters simply doesn't fly with western audiences (Last Hope... urghh). Just give characters their own voices that don't make us westerners (weaboos excluded) puke when we hear them.

 

[KarumaK]

SNIP*
How is it wrong?
Each of those is correct.
The only question is "Pseudo Paladin" but I use that as in the "Cover" type abilities, which is essentially what a Sentinel does.

Commando and Ravager are apparently two classes together, which is not what I was asking for.
The W. Mage has apparently been split into two separate roles.
For two of them you just gave a description not a predecessor.
And if you had to use 'pseudo' then it's not actually a Paladin now is it?

 

[Altorin]

Voice acting just drew closer attention to the bad writing. Even the real classics (4-6) were badly localized/written

 

[crazyjay321]

I started on VI Which is the best Then X,9 and 8.

I don't think Voice acting has anything to do with why XII and XIII(except vanilla) sucked. it was more to do with thier shitty gameplay.

 

[KarumaK]

SNIP*
The argument remains. They are job classes.

Commando and Ravager are seperate roles (not two classes together).
Paladin uses cover as an ability, Sentinel uses cover exclusively. It's just a different way of doing things.

If you need citation for Syn and Sab, then Red Mage in FFXI would hold that I guess.
Buffs and Debuffs were always traded between mage types (White/ Black) in the FF universe for the most part.

I still really think the issue you have is weak sauce. So they changed the names. Is that REALLY a problem? I mean c'mon... If you'd at least give a relevant complaint, maybe I could take you more seriously, but as it stands, yours is the weakest argument I've ever heard.

First off if we're gonna make this argument technical they are not job classes, they're paradigm roles.
Second you described both Commando and Ravager with two different Job classes each, meaning they are combined.
Thirdly I don't care if you take me seriously or not, as it really doesn't matter.
Finally http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_character_classes <- JOBS

 

[Kagim]

Well, except for the actor they gave Yuna i think, and still do think, the voice acting in FFX was pretty good. I played this game back when i first bought a PS2 and I am playing it again now. The laughing scene is pretty bad, yeah. Its not a game breaker in the slightest. Hours of good gameplay nullified by a two minute fmv. That's not stupid at all. Linearity? Yeah, because having tons of extra side quests, secret weapons, aeons, dungeons, and upgrades is linear. You have to look for the extra content in X instead of having them hand it to you.

People say the older games have more depth of characters.

No, not really.

FFVI:

Gau: Hes a guy who's dad threw him out cause he thought he was a monster.
Locke: Is thief stealing stuff to save his dying wife. So he is Mr.Freeze essentially.
Terra: Is a half god. She has magic. She was enslaved to fight for emperor. Now she fights for rebellion.
Cyan: Is a samurai who's castle got wiped out. Now he fights for rebellion.
Celes: Captain who betrays the emperor. Now she fights for Rebellion. She sees Cid as a daddy.
Edgar: Is a king who secretly fights for rebellion. Then overtly fights for rebellion.
Sabin: "whoa, i know kung fu"
Shadow: HIS.NAME.IS.SHADOW. SHADOW. Don't worry hes a assassin with a heart of gold who loves his dog and little girls.... Wait what?
Setzer: He is a gambler who is stalking an opera singer. Okay seriously? He is a pervert. What the hell.
Strago: Is old.
Relm: Is a little girl who paints and has a fascination with ultros.
Mog: Is a moogle.
Umaro: is a yeti.
GoGo: Is a secret, faceless character with no backstory.


4-6 and 9 and 10 had CONTENT. There was lots of FUN things to do in them. That's why they are awesome. Seven i don't really like anymore and eight i didn't get through so no comment on those.6 was good not because of its depth but because of its massive amount of side quests for each character. There was always something to do to power up each of your hero's without grinding. THAT'S why it was good. It has nothing to do with storyline and voice acting. Hell by that time the storyline had been bled out by the last 5 games. It was just fun to play. That's why X is really good. There are tons of player specific side quests to do. Hunting down the pieces of there ultimate weapons. Seeking out the temples for the most powerful aeons. A combat system that made you rely on all of your characters in a fight. So much to do. Its why i loved it so much and still love it.

What made X-2 suck was it was clearly pandering. "lets have three girls run around skimpily dressed!" The voice acting in THAT one i will agree was bad. The plot was vapor thin. It WAS a bad game. Which is sad because the battle system was awesome.

12 was just... slow. Empty and large with no reason to be so big. Spending twenty minutes walking from point a to point b with no real rewards to exploring outside of leveling up.

Fuck you square.

The problem with 12 is the extra content was mostly those damn missions. The dungeons were huge and open but in a bad way. Instead of lots in them they were mostly just horribly long hallways. You could cut almost every hallway in half and miss NOTHING.

That's the way i see the series declining. XII and XIII have a tendency to take to long to get to anything good. Padding out the game. X has maybe half an hour to an hour tops of intro crap. After that its a really fun game. XII has about 10 hours before you finally get your little party together and start doing anything important. Its pretty much watching a movie. A dull movie.

I haven't played XIII. I heard it takes 30 hours to get to the real part of the game. What, the, fuck. Normally if i only hear it from one source i disregard it. But From four? (PA, ZP, Friend and a family member) i start to worry.

I need to stop ranting....

 

[Space Spoons]

If voice acting really killed the franchise for you, I'm not sure you could be called a fan of the franchise to begin with. Honestly, who plays Final Fantasy for the voice acting? It's about the gameplay, not the cheesy writing.

 

[spinFX]

FFVII and FFVI are all I care about.

I have only played:
FFI - not to completion but I enjoyed it
FFIV - released in North America as FFII but really it is IV, was pretty good
FFVI - ZOMGOOES AWESOMESAUCE. Released in North America as FFIII
FFVII - Awwwww yeah! Loved it to pieces.
FFVIII - Killed me with boredom. This game ruined FF for me forever.

Now if they had voice acting do you think I would have liked them any less? Nope. Unless the voice acting was terribad like Just Cause 2 (seriously that game was so bad).