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Current Events > What's the sweet spot for JRPG party size?

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LightHawKnight
03/12/24 10:53:18 PM
#51:


8-10, gives you options if you dont like characters.

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Solar_Crimson
03/12/24 10:54:21 PM
#52:


6-8

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Skyscraper101
03/12/24 10:58:02 PM
#53:


I used be a 4 or 5 kind of guy but now I am starting to really like 6. It is nice to have so many characters to play around with and build but not being too obnoxious.

That being said The Last Remnant is one of my favorite games so I can def go higher
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Mussurana
03/12/24 10:59:17 PM
#54:


Shotgunnova posted...
108

Objectively the correct answer.

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Kamil
03/12/24 11:02:29 PM
#55:


108 army.

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Venixon
03/12/24 11:28:42 PM
#56:


4-8. Anymore then that it gets tedious. Especially trying to keep the weaker ones alive long enough to be decent. I also dislike having to swap between characters in different arcs.

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KiwiTerraRizing
03/12/24 11:31:31 PM
#57:


Shotgunnova posted...
108

This guy gets it

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#58
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Dabrikishaw15
03/13/24 12:19:53 AM
#59:


Alucard188 posted...
Enough so the main character can create 2 full complimentary parties to surround themselves with. Less than 10, more than 6.


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ryudo500
03/13/24 12:43:28 AM
#60:


I think 6-7

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Trevor_Belmont
03/13/24 1:12:59 AM
#61:


I don't like haveing choose who is in my battle party because I always end up useing the same characters while always neglecting the others, so the exact number of characters you can use in battle either 3 or 4 unless you can switch characters while in battle then 6 or 7.

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PraetorXyn
03/13/24 9:20:35 AM
#62:


I cant believe how many are interpreting this as all characters period instead of how many you can use in battle. Being limited to 3 or 4 characters in battle is probably the worst trend in the genre.

Suikodens 6 in battle is fantastic.

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MrMegaPhoenix
03/13/24 9:32:00 AM
#63:


PraetorXyn posted...
I cant believe how many are interpreting this as all characters period instead of how many you can use in battle. Being limited to 3 or 4 characters in battle is probably the worst trend in the genre.

Suikodens 6 in battle is fantastic.
The first line of the topic said not how many used in battle though?

I would say 8 (if 4 is the battle size) or 9 (if its 3)

feels like you can get a healthy combination that isnt too bloated but gives enough options to use what suits you best

id prob go for 4 dudes and 4 chicks, but eh, maybe 1-2 they are the robot or dog character too

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PraetorXyn
03/13/24 9:34:24 AM
#64:


MrMegaPhoenix posted...
The first line of the topic said not how many used in battle though?

I would say 8 (if 4 is the battle size) or 9 (if its 3)

feels like you can get a healthy combination that isnt too bloated but gives enough options to use what suits you best

id prob go for 4 dudes and 4 chicks, but eh, maybe 1-2 they are the robot or dog character too
I read the title and answered.

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MrMegaPhoenix
03/13/24 9:40:17 AM
#65:


PraetorXyn posted...
I read the title and answered.
Naughty

I do think its a job based game though, then 4 is best. Like one that supports jobs changing costumes

i would go with the skinny dude, bigger muscles did, the chick in her 30s with the bigger rack and then the early 20s skinny chick

just feels the best synergy for outfit designs

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BlueAnnihilator
03/13/24 9:41:43 AM
#66:


MrMegaPhoenix posted...
I do think its a job based game though, then 4 is best. Like one that supports jobs changing costumes

i would go with the skinny dude, bigger muscles did, the chick in her 30s with the bigger rack and then the early 20s skinny chick

just feels the best synergy for outfit designs
Just say FF5

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MrMegaPhoenix
03/13/24 9:45:19 AM
#67:


BlueAnnihilator posted...
Just say FF5
No cos I wish more 3d games did this

i would be super cool with FF17 doing it. Even if its action or even if its multiplayer

i just like that more realistic style with distinct character types and costumes.

struggling to even think of a game that does that?

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Smackems
03/13/24 9:55:35 AM
#68:


4 should be the minimum (to cover every fighting archetype) but I prefer 5 or 6

I only read the topic title

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BernkastelWitch
03/13/24 10:00:16 AM
#69:


At least for me to add explanation on what I said earlier, I feel four is way too few because usually most games just go with the safe core four party archetypes and don't even bother to deviate or add anything unique.

At least with a bit of a larger roster if the devs care, you can get some more creativity or underutilized archetypes or roles and add variety.

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_____Cait
03/13/24 10:11:17 AM
#70:


Ff7-10 got it right

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vycebrand2
03/13/24 10:33:10 AM
#71:


archizzy posted...
6 total including the main character. 4 character active party with 2 reserves.
So FF12? 3 and 3. 1 active rest gambit
Star Ocean 3 had 7 with the same concept

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philsov
03/13/24 10:36:34 AM
#72:


~1.5x the combat party. Greater than 2x is only good if there are situations like multiple parties (Kefka's Tower, FF8's copy, etc).

This is enough to allow party members to come and go with the storyline. Personally I still tend to just pick my favorites and let everyone else ride the bench, so why bloat it up to double or more of the battle size when that's just more characters for me to neglect?

2x+1 is the median formula for if you smushed all of the top rated JRPGs together.

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Jerry_Hellyeah
03/13/24 10:38:00 AM
#73:


Suikoden III is good so let's say 108

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Linze
03/15/24 12:32:41 PM
#74:


8.

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Aysander
03/15/24 12:41:37 PM
#75:


Really depends on narrative scope and how gameplay works.

More personal character driven stories with mechanics built FOR rather than AROUND the characters as well, I feel like 4-8 is good.

Large narratives that reasonably require more "actively involved" characters with different layers to the mechanics that leave a good chunk of who you bring up to favorite characters and how you choose to build them...12-16 is fine. This way you can have larger final battles, or different parties handling tasks in different areas, if the plot demands it.

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jblrulez
03/15/24 7:18:01 PM
#76:


My 2 favorite JRPGs had 6, so Ill go with that.
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The_Korey
03/15/24 7:20:20 PM
#77:


Japanties posted...
Nx2+1
Where N is combat party size.

This is a good formula. I'd say anywhere between Nx2 and Nx2+2.
Which is a weird thing for my to say, since I love big kasts like FF6. And Chrono Cross.

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JuanCarlos1
03/15/24 7:21:32 PM
#78:


_____Cait posted...
Ff7-10 got it right

I still don't know a thing about Amarant and they develop Freya very much. Also theres Quina....

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Trumble
03/15/24 7:36:33 PM
#79:


5 - 7, depending on how varied they are.

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KLouD_KoNNeCteD
03/15/24 7:45:55 PM
#80:


fifteen
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YellowSUV
03/15/24 7:47:44 PM
#81:


5 in combat, but everyone fights the final boss at once like in Octopath Traveler 2.

10 in the party.

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jumi
03/15/24 8:03:43 PM
#82:


10-12 full party
4 active party

FFVI is perfect in this regard.

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Voidgolem
03/15/24 8:10:48 PM
#83:


It rather depends on the systems involved, no? Like if you go route of "your party members in battle are essentially interchangable sprites" the overall roster size doesn't matter because everyone can do everything.

but if you slice the skillsets thin enough you're going to end up with somebody that looks neat on paper, might even be written well, but is utterly useless in combat (this is usually applied to mascot characters)

So, mechanically, I'd say it's slightly less than double your normal battle roster - not quite enough for two full parties, but enough to rotate people out to fit particular roles or have a challenging sequence with incomplete parties

in terms of plot? That depends on how good the writers are, ensemble casts can range from "amazing, they're all memorable" to Chrono Cross "half of these characters you will not remember by the end of the story but we made a promise on the back of the box"

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Irony
03/15/24 8:11:20 PM
#84:


I don't like having a ton of characters because it usually results in me having trouble deciding who to use

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SydnieStarlight
03/15/24 8:23:08 PM
#85:


Mm, it depends a bit on how many you can use in battle, but assuming a battle party of up to four, I think a party of six is about right. You get just enough options to experiment with team combinations, but not so many that the characters can't develop - individually or as a group - without bloating the story. It also makes a nice, even number for scenarios where you have to split the party, even three ways if the story calls for it. Go any lower and you're pretty much locked to the same team all game. Any higher and you raise the risk of someone becoming superfluous.

I think Tales of Symphonia vs. Tales of the Abyss is probably what best demonstrated this for me. Symphonia's playable cast gets a bit unwieldy, with at least one character feeling really forced in and unnecessary. Abyss, on the other hand, has an easier time making every member of the party feel like an important part of the group. Not that either approach is a guarantee of its matching result. I recently played Atelier Ryza, and despite having a final party of six, pretty much everyone felt just kinda there. Then you have something like Suikoden or Radiata Stories, which have massive playable casts, but no one really feels "unnecessary" because they're all supposed to feel like one small piece of a much larger group.

So it really does depend~

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MechaKirby
03/15/24 8:24:24 PM
#86:


6 or 8 members, 4 during combat

Has to be a even number

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HeeathLivesOn
03/15/24 8:25:31 PM
#87:


6-8, like Tales games

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jumi
03/15/24 8:26:57 PM
#88:


SydnieStarlight posted...
Then you have something like Suikoden or Radiata Stories, which have massive playable casts, but no one really feels "unnecessary" because they're all supposed to feel like one small piece of a much larger group.

Let's steal Kirinji, hee hee.

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BucketCat
03/15/24 8:28:25 PM
#89:


7-8, maybe 9-10 if they're optional/secret characters.

anything higher than that, and it starts feeling convoluted if they play a large role in the story. or alternatively, they don't really fit a story role and are just kinda there (looking at you, chrono cross)
anything lower than that, and, idk. i don't have any reasons to dislike it, but i just do.

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Charged151
03/15/24 8:28:45 PM
#90:


FF6 had 14 characters and minus Gogo, Mog, and Umaro, had a well developed cast.

It worked with 11 characters.

As for battles, I say 4 characters per battle is the sweet spot. And you want 8 characters to be able to have a full party...so that's a good power bound.

So 8-11 I guess...?

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thronedfire2
03/15/24 8:28:51 PM
#91:


whatever the party's battle size is

I don't like leaving my hard earned friends sitting around :(

FFX's system was good though, even if there were a couple characters who still got ignored

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andri_g
03/15/24 10:09:14 PM
#92:


Seven with three active: one main and two support to swap-out as needed.

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W_S_C_M
03/15/24 10:26:21 PM
#93:


The manage trois

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