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U P D A T E D
A R T I C L E S
04.21.03
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FEATURED READER EDITORIAL
The Strife Manifesto
by Aujang Abadi (Wisdom)
NO MATTER HOW often I attempt to clarify the matter, the problem keeps arising: swarms of gamers totally misinterpret Cloud, possibly the most finely crafted Final Fantasy character yet. I’ll be the first to admit, the game does not do much to steer the gamer in the right direction. You could go through the game, start to finish, without ever seeking out the side-quests and flashbacks that fully reveal his past. Yet I’m not inclined to believe most gamers neglected to do such. Why, then, do people keep making up theories about Cloud’s inadequacy and his “inferiority complex” when the truth lies right in front of them?
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Abstraction in The Wind Waker
by Joseph Witham
"I remember in 1998 being captivated by Ocarina of Time’s realistic graphics, but I’ll admit, when I got the GameCube re-release a couple months ago, I could not help but notice how outdated the blocky polygons looked compared to modern top-notch graphics. The Wind Waker, however, will never become outdated graphically. The abstract artistic quality of the cel-shading will preserve the game down through the ages because the graphics are what they are, and there’s little Nintendo could do to improve upon them."
Rebuttal to "Final Fantasy XI - The Anti-Final Fantasy"
by Daniel Orner (Cidolfas)
"…not every Final Fantasy has boasted the same battle system. Both Final Fantasy IV as well as Final Fantasy X were "experimenters" as far as battles go. ATB (Automatic Time Battle), introduced in FF4, was a revolution in that gameplay was no longer turn-based. And is Final Fantasy X's battle system not similar in some ways to FF Tactics (with, for example, the ability to see the exact order of moves)? Yes, there are similarities, but would we hold Squaresoft up to this general battle system for all eternity?"
· Rebuttal to:
Final Fantasy XI – The Anti-Final Fantasy
When RPGs Came of Age
by Martin Haller
"Console roleplaying games went through a number of important changes during their infancy -- a period that is probably best understood to begin with the release of Dragon Quest in 1986 and end with the release of Final Fantasy 4 in 1991. Three things were developed during this period -- one was the increasing emphasis on graphics in RPGs, a trend that would not catch on in the PC market for some time. The second would be an increasingly heavy focus on storyline, and the third, intimately connected to this, would be an increasingly "directed" game experience."
The Ever-Annoying Player Character Death
by Rumikoholic
"I realize that death is a part of life - yada-yada - and that the death of a beloved player character (PC) should make the player hate the villain even more… But, I tend to focus more on the actual characters than the rehashed plotlines and generally boring mini-games, anyway… So, what happens when the only reason you’re playing a character disappears? Game over, baby!"
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Editor's Comments
Today marks the debut of the Featured Reader Editorial. Reader-submitted articles that are grammatically flawless and of top-notch quality will gain this special status. There will only be one Featured Reader Editorial per week, and there will likely not even be one every single week. This award goes to editorials which are well thought-out and which present a new idea or deeply elaborate an old issue. I'd like to congratulate Aujang Abadi, also known as Wisdom, for being RPGamer's first-ever featured reader.
This week's column also features several other interesting and well thought-out editorials, including a rebuttal by Daniel Orner, of Final Fantasy Compendium fame, as well as an in-depth look at The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker's graphics by yours truly. You should also check out Martin Haller's article about old-school RPGs and Rumikoholic's look at a prevalent issue in modern RPG times.
Cortney Stone will be hosting the column next week. While I will remain the managing editor for the section and update most of the time, Cortney will be your host on the last Monday of every month. Everyone should now proceed to flood her inbox with high-quality editorials!
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T I P S
“Slaying the dragon of delay is no sport for the short-winded.”
-Anon
Conclusion paragraphs are one of the most important parts of your editorials. They are the summation of your entire article in a single statement. Within your conclusion you should pose a final question, or include a sentence defining your stance on an issue. So, in conclusion, sum up your articles within a few sentences and then leave your readers with something to think about.
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