How could XII have been better?

What would you change? + Battle System Poll

If you could change anything about Final Fantasy XII's Characters, Cities, Music, Storyline what would it be?

ANYTHING.
Tell me your idea or something that you would have loved to see in the game that really would have got you playing.

--- WHAT ID LIKE TO HAVE SEEN ---
The old Esper/Aeons/Summonable monsters.
I loved "Aeons" such as Shiva from FFX and FFX-2 (i don't know if she was in even earlier versions). I got a small glimpse of Ixion as one of the hunts but it wasn't the same.
 
id say add the option to rank the members of your party.
so ud have a 1st 2nd 3rd and so on ranked member; the 1st ranked being your party leader.
if the party leader dies then the game automatically selects the 2nd ranked member as the new leader, the 2nd dies and the game selects the 3rd and so on.

i say this because i remember when the party leader would die in a hard fight id panic and select a character who was way weak and would die instantly again.
so this would solve that issue for me i think. let me pick my back up ahead of time
 
I would have them stay true to Yasumi Matsuno's intention of having Basche as the main character and have Vaan and Penelo simply fill in the 5th and 6th character gap. Or better yet, I would replace them with a Bangaa and Montblanc.

The battle system is great, I don't get why people go "You let the game play itself for you" The solution is simple: Turn the Gambits off, or keep the gambits at a minimal. I always argue that the battle system is flexible, you can adjust the battle speed, you can select between wait and active woops I've gone off topic.

The music is epic, as much as I respect Uematsu Sakimoto is my favorite.

The first thing I would attend to is Fran's stupid outfit, And the Viera's in general. They sit on hard wood (lol) and stone all day bare assed. XII is above fan service. I'd give Fran either a full set of armor or a leather ranger'ish outfit.
 
One thing I'd like to see is MORE BASCH AND NOAH <3 less Vaan and Balthier (<- I'm gonna be killed for this).

Everything else is great, personally I like the music that is more orchestrated and ambient which is what majority of FFXII music is.
 
The characters don't get me spun up like some people. Every FF installment has "throw away" characters - i.e. those that you could do w/o and the game wouldn't really suffer. In terms of develpment there are only 2 things I would have changed...

1.) Delve deeper into Bathier - specifically the estrangement of his father and his time as a judge. I think an extended cut-scene if you enter Nabudis after straying in the Salikawood would be a perfect opportunity as the devestation caused by the Midlight Shard was the first field test of the netecite's power masterminded by Cid.

2.) More info about the fall of Landis and Basch/Gabranth going their separate ways in terms of their allegences.

My thoughts on the battle system are pretty much in line with GameMage - it's flexible and if you feel like it's doing the work for you, then pipe down and turn your gambits off (or do you need a gombit set up for you to turn your gambits off - now that's irony right there). Personally, I like having some gambits as you can actually observe some of the battle. Go watch a youtube clip of a boss fight with someone who doesn't use them - it annoys the shit out of me to see the action stop and the friggin action windows/menu screen opening every .5 seconds.

Music was fantastic. Loved how there were multiple variations on the same theme which re-used parts of the melody. Pretty much every track was perfect at setting the mood/scene of each area.
 
I wish Vossler hadn't of died. He was my favorite character and I felt his death was kinda...well, pointles. I also wasn't a fan of the battle system. It was just daunting to just watch them walk around and continuously hit things. Especially when you turn the Gambits on and all you really have to do is just push the analog stick into the nearest group of enemies. But other than that, I wouldn't really change much else.
 
Less chest randomization...
Make the espers more like the ones in FFX
Complete the magic types including blue magic.
Make Vayne more evil.Although bad he pales next to previous villians like Kefka, kuja and Sephiroth.
More about Rozzaria.A visit there would have been nice.
Do more to tie the game to FF Tactics. Set the stage for the origin of the Zodiac Braves and St Ajora.
 
I think Vaan was the only problem for this game, I would have liked to be another character other than him in the cities having to deal with him just...ugh!

I think the Summoning system could have been a little more affective than it was, my summons were ALWAYS weaker than my team.
 
Sorry but for me the biggest drawback was the fact it was real time. It just doesn't seem like Final Fantasy anymore without the familar setup. That's why I haven't actively persued getting FF13 yet, because honestly I don't care. They had a good system, IMO, and they ruined.

Other than that, I'd bring back Nobuo back. FF12's music is just blah to me.

But that's it, I liked the way the rest turned out.
 
They should have given us a main character for a start. Vaan was wooden and the game could have moved along just as well without him. The main people IMO were Basch, Ashe and Balthier but they never really used the potential there. The story was really lacking as a result IMO. And the FF games usually have some love story involved as well but it was paper thin in 12.

At the end of the day, the gameplay could be shit but if there is a good story then you'll actually be motivated to play the damn thing.
 
yes a lack of main character, and a lack of love story exept balthier-fran but too little of it, and they should put more into character development.
 
The story...........FFVII is known for the story FFX is known for the story.........When people talk about Final Fantasy especially in the reviews and sometimes here they tend to talk about the battle system and say wheather its good or not.But when you ask someone what is your favourite Final Fantasy they will say FF7 OR FFX or whichever one.....And if you ask them why they like that Final Fantasy they say because of the story,NOT the battle system.If the story in FFXII was better and told better, than I would of played this game a lot more.
 
well for me i loved ff9 and 8 story more than 7 and 10, but yes i think ff12 is like away from the main series.
 
You know what would have made this game better is if Rassler had not died in the beginning and replaced Vaan as the main chracter!

I dont care if it would have changed the story it would have made the story
better Playing as a deposed Prince and having your deposed Princess girlfriend running around with you and your cohorts would have fun.

Say more fun than having to struggle to play with an androgynous pratt like vaan!

All the other chracters would have been better being second to a prince instead second to a street urchin and his whimpy vest and girly voice.

Rassler would have given FFXII a more regal feel that I think the guys at S-E were trying to achieve with FFXII but failed/ and Failed miserably......IMO.
 
Last edited:
I love to talk about how much I hate XII, but this is the first time I've ever divulged how I would fix it:

Problem: License Board.
Solution: Take equipment, Quickenings, & summons off of it & allow people to see their progression. It's still a ridiculous leveling implement, but at least this way it's not AS ridiculous.

Problem: Battle System.
Solution: The Gambits are just ahead of their time, there's no way to fix them right now. But the movement aspect could be used for evasion, if done right. In other words, NO GETTING HIT BY BITE ATTACKS FROM 10 FEET AWAY. And since we're borrowing from FFT, why not make for abilities that affect the topography in different ways, make the traps work against enemies & be more prominent, & do other little things like that, things that could enhance the game's strategic value.

Problem: Plot
Solution: Make it an ACTUAL prequel to FFT. I could even tolerate bullshit like the Occuria & the Viera if the Lucavi were handled better. Hell, think about how awesome this game would be if it was actually set DURING the Lucavi rebellion! More involvement from the Judges, who were actually some of the few worthwhile characters, could also help.

Problem: Characters
Solution: Just give them more attention & better motivation. Some of these dungeons are goddamn huge, we can't spare time for conversations or cutscenes? There's a little potential in everyone, even Penelo, if it's just UTILIZED. Shit, Reks was just tossed under a bus after he started to get into some interesting stuff.

Problem: Summons
Solution: Already fixed in the Zodiac Job System, although it should have been this way from the start. Namely, allow the player to control them. Also, allowing them to listen to orders from farther away & making the activation of their ultimate moves less retarded would help. I'm not too fond of them being the Lucavi, either.

Problem: Bosses
Solution: Less focus on ridiculous amounts of health, defense, & buffs. Yiazmat's battle pattern can basically be described as "stomp repeatedly & frustrate the player with millions of health." That's not a boss fight, that's a chore. You can make enemies challenging or engaging without asinine measures like having them cast Renew when close to death.

Problem: Music
Solution: Draw some inspiration from FFT, possibly remix some.

That's all I got for now. Note that I tried to keep it relatively close, rather than replace all of the cast, rewrite the story, etc. That honestly may be the best solution of all, though.
 
It too late now Neo-Bahamut!

It could have been the death blow for slow decline of the Final Fantasy series.

They have a lot to make up for with this disgraceful attempt at making a Medieval/Technologically advanced game, Its the way it is now and it will hang over there heads(S-E) for a long time.

Maybe a FFXII-2 would help to smooth the rough of off FFXII and some people can look at in a new light, but to me it is what it is: a poorly thought out gasme that takes the most basic aspects of combat out of the player hands.

Gambits=Fail.....I said and feel somewhat better about myself.
 
I really didn't like the focus being on Ashe because she was very unlikable and I was not convinced at all that she was royalty. (and no she doesn't have to be dainty and weak to be a princess, I just need to be convinced that she can rule over an entire country, and I would not want her to be my queen!) I kind of think she would have worked better as a knight or a guardian, and not a princess. They could have made it interesting by writing it that she was having a secret scandalous romance with Rassler if they wanted her to have a lost lover.
 
XII is fine as it is, HA!
And XII did have a sequel, it was a bollocks one called Revenant Wings...though some may just call it a shite spinoff.
What to add what I think is a perfect game...weeelll....a bit more diversity on the license grid, cant think of much else.
 
Big Surprise!

Revenant Wings was just Focused on the wrong people, I think the true legacy if any revolves around the Judges. You cant suck too sucky games out of the same crap guy
Vaan just does not have the charisma of a Tidus or Sqaull....well maybe not Sqaull, Zidane?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top