Board 8 > Ahem... there's SAND on my boots! [Playthrough Topic] [Kefka]

(+) Yeah! (+)

Welcome to this, a playthrough topic that will attempt to do justice to (what can fairly be considered) one of the most storied games of all time, Final Fantasy VI. As the last series entry before the big rebirth that was VII, FFVI is many things to many different people. Some anticipated it with baited, Cheeto infused breath way back in 1994, having already been RPG fans for years. Many of these lovable old fogies still hail it as the highest point in the series (and, along with Chrono Trigger, possibly the highest point in the genre). Others discovered it only after FFVII and the Playstation captured their imaginations. These gamers found either a better experience, a passable one, or one that simply didn't hold a candle to the mighty Cloud and Sephiroth.

Once again, I am a unique case. Yes, I'm tackling this one after VII, but I tackled VII years after most people, and I'm tackling all dese RPGs as a full grown adult. And I will be documented my thoughts for you fine folks. Despite their trading a youthful vigor and brashness for a pained walk and ear hair, I have still been very impressed with Square's other old offerings I have beaten (those being CT, FFVII, and FFX). Still, I make no assumptions.

I'm very interested to see how the visuals, music, and overall world found here compare to that of Chrono Trigger. I'm also wondering if Square can make the 14 or 15 party members - a number that left me surprised initially - sufficiently relatable and fleshed out. And I'm wondering if Kefka, who is still often lionized as the greatest villain of the series, is truly a badder dude than old Seph. Only one way to find these answers, so please, fans of FFVI, join me and have a good time!

I honestly doubt I'll get much done today - will probably stop as soon as I reach the first save point, but given the awesome PotD, there was no better time to get this playthrough/project underway.

All that being said... I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE YOU.

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Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!

will read this if you also comment on every little mermaid movie

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~Zen

Should be playing FFVIII instead, oh well

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http://i.imgur.com/CbfFb.jpg

Don't ever play FFVIII.

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ExTha

Play FFVIII every day.

while we're at it, don't ever play FFXIII!

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~Zen

Play all the FF games, regardless of what anyone says.

Well, except for the online ones anyway.

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Support Morrigan Aensland (Darkstalkers) for Character Battle IX!
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Oh man... they're here! They're back! They're... they're... VICKS AND WEDGE.

Wait... Vicks? The **** is a Vicks. Off to a tumultuous start already!

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oh lord

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Vicks >>>>>>> Biggs

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Kibbles and Vicks

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Support Seifer Almasy (Final Fantasy VIII) for Character Battle IX!
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ExTha

Okay so I'm like two minutes in, haven't even done anything, and this is already awesome.

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Yoblazer: http://i43.tinypic.com/25z1non.jpg
Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!

From what I remember, the beginning parts of FFVI were a lot of fun. I played through the early parts of it twice. Stopped the first time at Vargas and the second time made it all the way up to getting Shadow.

Dunno why I stopped, really. I think I just lost interest. Maybe I should re-try it.

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ExTha

The intro is pretty cool.

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LeonhartFour posted...
Play all the FF games, regardless of what anyone says.

Well, except for the online ones anyway.

Fix the part about online and you have the most sensible advice.

Unless you really can't afford 30-40 bucks.
10-20 for the game, a free month, and then one or two more and you will definitely have experienced enough to have a firm opinion.

No.

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"Why must we always choose between certain death and probable death?"
"I'm in an epic battle to the death, FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF!"

Why do you hate MMOs?

Because I don't think they're fun.

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The underlying question was why don't you think they're fun.

I mean, even if you hate them, why tell someone to not play them?
You don't enjoy every offline FF do you? I thought you were telling him to find out for himself and make his opinions, so why stop with MMOs?

I would de-recommend an MMO to someone because it could very well suck out all of their free time.

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Black Turtle did a pretty good job.

From: pjbasis | #021
You don't enjoy every offline FF do you?

Actually, I do.

All the ones I've played anyway.

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"But you have been given freedom. Freedom to be...outside."
"I am lightning...the rain transformed."

No can do on the MMOs, pj. I've just never been into PC gaming in general. I didn't even start playing Valve games until they hit consoles.

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Yoblazer: http://i33.tinypic.com/ml36gl_th.gif
Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!

Garbage, if they don't enjoy it, they won't play it.

If they do enjoy it, then why is it bad they spend their free time on it? Cause they will "waste" their time on other video games?

I played XI on consoles!

Were you the one who made a topic a while ago about loving the song Terra?

Hope you enjoy the game. FFVI was my favorite game for a long, long time. Still one of my favorites. I don't know if that's nostalgia or what though. Some old NES and SNES games I love blindly and I know it's nostalgia.

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Account created-9/10/04. Just a normal GameFAQs user/leprechaun
Ramza: rofl. Rofel: You say my name? -Eise

There was a great war 1000 years ago, pitting factions of magic users against one another. Through ruin and bloodshed, civilization was nearly destroyed, and the use and practitioners of this "magic" faded from the annals of history. Now, a millennium later, machines and the fires of industry (http://tinyurl.com/3e2v9wz) shape society's progress. Magic is a forgotten, archaic term, but there are still those who wish to resurrect the practice. Unfortunately, these are unscrupulous, powerful men who wish to exploit the magic for their own desires.

That's the backstory.

Our story begins with three mech-riding badasses - Vicks (god this better make sense), Wedge, and an unnamed, silent, and restrained (she seems like an unwilling prisoner) green haired woman - in search of something rare. There is short dialogue before a scene with the trio traversing through the harsh, snowy landscape. This first shot is a brilliant one, as their trek is scored by one of my favorite themes from a game I've never played:



Tremendous tune. Terra's theme has always struck me as befitting a soldier marching towards a battle sure to bring his death. We'll see if actually playing the game gives it different meaning.

The opening credits also roll here, proving that even in 1994, Square possessed a keen mastery of presentation and Get Hype. I felt a strange mix of shame and pride at recognizing so many of these Japanese names (Sakaguchi, Uematsu, Amano, Nomura), but in the end, PRIDE won out because hey, this is my hobby, and I'm not gonna feel ashamed about recognizing and acknowledging those who helped shape it. Not too ashamed, anyway.

Gameplay begins in a cold, outdoor industrial area with us still searching for... whatever it is we're searching for. The search is not long unimpeded, however, as the first enemy engages us mere steps into the journey. He's a guard who sics his damn dog on us, but not before delivering this:

GUARD: Machine-riding, self-important swine! Take this!*

*I'm sorry, but I've gotta rant off-topic here. That, THAT right up there is why older games with no voice acting have such a warm place in my heart. It's one of the first damn lines of the game, and a wore a huge stupid grin as soon as I read it. Can you imagine it with voice acting? Unless they were going for the Resident Evil cheese approach, it would have certainly been ruined. I loved FFVII and CT so much more precisely because of their technical limitations. Instead of a huge budget and a bevy of actors, they relied on the wit and charm of their writing staff, and in gaming, wit and charm wins over fat wallets any day. Sure, many games these days need voices and flashier presentation (I can't imagine the Mass Effect series without it), but I wouldn't call it a prerequisite, and honestly, I don't want to see it in Zelda anytime soon.

Anyway, we destroy the guy's dogs and all other annoying impediments with our overpowered as HELL mechs. We've got missiles, bio attacks, beams of every color, and healing rays. They have... the equivalent of a rock and two sticks, basically. I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to enjoy my fun and awesome powers before the game's greedy hand rips them away. Novelty! The crew, led by my main man Vicks Vapor Rub, quickly make their way to a cave entrance, where it is revealed that we are searching for an Esper, though no more information is given. We enter and save, and I shut the game off for the night.

And that's the start! Woo! I didn't expect to write so much for what could not have been more than 15 minutes of actual play, but I'm pretty excited for this game. I'll try to get a real session in today, but it might be tough.

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Yoblazer: http://oi52.tinypic.com/ad21i1.jpg
Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!

Wait, you hadn't played Chrono Trigger OR FF6 until recently? Huh.

Well, enjoy. I've always loved the opening credits to this game. The mechs running through the snow toward the town while that theme plays is just perfect.

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Ginhyun
'Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

Vicks was a mistranslation of Biggs, nothing else.

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My Japanese alter-ego.
Hey all this is Bartz btw.

From: VintageGin | #029
Wait, you hadn't played Chrono Trigger OR FF6 until recently? Huh.

I hadn't played any traditional jRPG (Pokemon and Kingdom Hearts aside, although I'm not sure if those even count as "traditional") before late 2007, when I tackled FFX.

FFX - 2007
FFVII - 2008
CT - 2011
FFVI (hopefully) - 2011

If I like this one, I may tackle Secret of Mana next. I'm digging the way the SNES handles these jRPGs so far.

From: KingButz | #030
Vicks was a mistranslation of Biggs, nothing else.

Damn, I was hoping for more. So much more.

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Yoblazer: http://i43.tinypic.com/25z1non.jpg
Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!

If you play Secret of Mana, you gotta try Secret of Mana 2(Seiken Densetsu 3, not available by traditional means) as it improves upon its predecessor in almost every way.

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My Japanese alter-ego.
Hey all this is Bartz btw.

From: KingButz | #032
If you play Secret of Mana, you gotta try Secret of Mana 2(Seiken Densetsu 3, not available by traditional means) as it improves upon its predecessor in almost every way.

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"You caused the rain to bleed." ~SCP~
http://img.imgcake.com/Jeffzeropngus.png "Thanks Punny!"

tag

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(Maniac64 at work) [Browncoat] ~Board 570901~
All the proteins, vitamins, and carbs of your grandma's best turkey dinner, plus 15% alcohol.

From: PartOfYourWorld | #031
If I like this one, I may tackle Secret of Mana next. I'm digging the way the SNES handles these jRPGs so far.

WHAT

If you want to play more SNES RPGs, play Mario RPG or Lufia II.

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Support Otacon (Metal Gear Solid) for Character Battle IX!
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fff, I'm in world of ruin and Blazer is catching up fast.

brb beating the game.

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Vote for this guy in every contest: Sess

Secret of Mana (and SoM2 as well) really need to be played coop. So much better.

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MvC3: Haggar/Ammy/Wesker
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Up we go.

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"I couldn't stand a day without a past or future. I need to live each moment to keep fighting here and now."

Hmm, tag.

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Okay, I rolled a 14. What's that mean? Hsu
That you're a cheater. This is a 12-sided die. Chan

This is so far the only Final Fantasy I have beaten (and along with Chrono Trigger, the only RPG I've beaten). As many of you know somehow, however, I do want to start a blind playthrough of FF7 later this month.

Yeah FF6's story is really compelling.

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Currently Playing - Mega Man 2
Hopefully Next Up - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Brood War

I would prefer a mute playthrough, personally.

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That's pretty harsh. >_>

Sorry for the lack of an update, busy enjoying the outside. Will have lots of time to geek it up this weekend, though.

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Yoblazer: http://oi52.tinypic.com/ad21i1.jpg
Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!

It's just what LMS and I do.

He plays Curly and I play Moe, if you will.

Only he's totally unresponsive and oblivious, so maybe it's more like Weekend at Bernie's.

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mega-tag, awesome writing so far, yo!



also, abbbbsolutely hoping on the "play Seiken Densetsu 3 next" train, definitely my second favourite SNES RPG (after ff6)

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SegMlCassieIsAmazingjhsux~>[64T2jampXDpikaness is awesome!8forgaMike RSmurf is too!

From: LeonhartFour | #043
He plays Curly and I play Moe, if you will.

Only he's totally unresponsive and oblivious, so maybe it's more like Weekend at Bernie's.

Heh alright, this one was good.

Thanks, GMUN. The CT topic was a lot of fun, so I had to do the same for ol clownface as well. RPGs just seem to be the best candidates for playthrough topics. HaRRicH made RE4 work, but that may have been the exception to the rule imo.

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Yoblazer: http://8board.webs.com/ariel.jpg
Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!

yeah RE4 seems like a big exception to the rule

I remember Clover_Meadow's RE4 "playthrough" topic being hilarious while it lasted

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LeonhartFour posted...
It's just what LMS and I do.

He plays Curly and I play Moe, if you will.

Only he's totally unresponsive and oblivious, so maybe it's more like Weekend at Bernie's.

Ugh...I completely fail to understand this.

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Currently Playing - Mega Man 2
Hopefully Next Up - Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Brood War

Needs more softsquare playing.

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Vote for this guy in every contest: Sess

From: LinkMarioSamus | #047
Ugh...I completely fail to understand this.

I am not surprised.

Also, yes, let's play.

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Did some playing. Time for recapping.

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Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!