REBUTTAL TO: Ode to the Randomness
In Stew's last editorial, he states, "An experience like that (the fear of encountering Warmech) could never happen in a game like Final Fantasy XII where encounters with lesser monsters are essentially optional. If you see a tough monster that you'd rather not fight just yet, you have a good chance of avoiding it. While that can obviously have its advantages (I would have run from the Warmech if I could), had the original Final Fantasy made such encounters predictable, I wouldn't be able to write to you now about how cool an experience it was would I?" That got me thinking about a possible remake (yes, a full remake) of the original Final Fantasy. The game that has seen tons of versions has not seen many major changes. I say that it is time to fix that. I propose a remake of the original Final Fantasy with a modified version of Final Fantasy XII's combat system. Many things would have to be modified for this to work properly, but it could be doable.
First, the remake would require converting the world map into an explorable, real-time world. This could easily be done with "zones" as was done in Final Fantasy XII. The area between Cornelia and the Temple Of Fiends (or the Chaos Shrine as it was most recently translated) could be titled West Cornelia Forest and contain all of the typical low-level baddies that players battle before attempting the battle with Garland. North Cornelia Forest would be the area with the bridge that gets rebuilt after defeating Garland and would offer stronger enemies on the path to Matoya's Cave and Provoka. A zone system would be an easy implementation and could even be more entertaining than that of Final Fantasy XII as it could have interactive battles while sailing or canoeing. It might be easier if an auto-navigation feature was implemented to help with the issue of battling while traveling, as it would be difficult to steer and fight at the same time.
The next challenge would be in dealing with the characters. Final Fantasy XII had a system where story characters could be customized via the License Board. Characters could be assigned spells, weapons, abilities, or enhancements from the board. The original Final Fantasy, of course, did not have moldable characters. It featured a party of four characters, each with a permanently set, yet upgradeable job selected at the beginning of the game. Now for a complete remake, there are plenty of options that could be implemented. The approach from a purist's perspective would be to just have the same old, four-character-party setup and have them gain gambits (for lack of a better term) upon completing certain sections of the game. There would be no License Board, instead the gambits would just allow for deeper AI. These characters would still have the class change option via Bahamut with the same benefits, new and improved stats and spells. A less pure, yet still conservative option would be to give each job, especially the Warrior, Thief, and Monk, a set of skills. Warriors could have skills that draw enemy aggression like the Decoy spell from FFXII and Thieves could be able to actually steal items from enemies. A more extreme option could involve redoing the class system completely. Maybe allowing characters to change classes at will and having the Bahamut upgrade grant access to more jobs.
Even though the game offers little in terms of story, I think that Final Fantasy could benefit just from trying something totally new in terms of combat and exploration. The core plot would need to stay the same to keep the classic feel, but there would be no harm in upgrading the battle system. After all, it's not like there haven't been a half dozen ports with nothing drastically altered. If the remakes are going to continue, then why not try something really new and innovative? Just imagine how awesome having Warmech spawn and attack you in full 3D would be? Very awesome.
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