Are RPG's getting worse every 5 years? (List your top 10 RPG's ever to help!)

Originally Posted by Megavolt

Good point. I always compare that type to Cyan. Cyan lost just as much if not more than Cloud but does he get caught up in some angsty revenge quest for the duration of the game? I think not. He experiences the self-loathing and such, but he tends to handle things in a more mature way, and he doesn't treat others like garbage just because "my suffering is greater than yours and you could never understand".

Eh, You do realize that your comparing a 50 year old man man to someone who's barley out of this teens, not to mention your taking account upbringing and lifestyle, right?

Of course generally Cyan would be a more mature person since his lived his life, and has a family. But the situations that he and Cloud went through are very much different. Yes both had their hometowns destroyed losing both they families, but at least Cyan wasn't experimented on afterward and had his mind warped, or became a failure nor did he end up questioning his very existence due to some shocking events. What Cloud went through would have broken anyone down especially with the consistent disarray his mind was in. He was only able to move on once he entered the lifestream and piece his past together with Tifa.

Let's not forget that Cyan did let death's of his clouded his judgement as he refused Sabin's help at first and would have attacked Celes and Terra had none of the returners stopped him because they were once associated with the Empire. Even after the battle at Narshe he still didn't trust Celes and did not let go of his grieving until you did his subquest.

As far as Kain, Shadow and Cecil are concern, they dealt pasts and predicaments for quite awhile.

Cecil got over his the fastest since he had made his decision to stand against Baron at the start of the game after coming to terms of what went at the Village of the Myst (and his long indecisive period), through whenever the Mystdia(Sp?) issue came up he would be depressed again.

Shadow grieving over his past IS his entire character. It's why he's emotionless assassin who would kill your party if the price was right, without batting a eyelash. He's not much different than Cloud at the start of the FFVII, and unlike Cloud he never gets developed and at the end of FFVI chooses to die in a tower instead of moving on with his current life.

Kain angsted for more than 70% the game and was responsible for a lot of the parties hardships because of it. He let Goldbez control him through his jealously of Cecil and Rosa which almost got Rosa killed. He doesn't began find redemption for himself until the end of the game.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Megavolt

Funny how Ramza didn't angst all the time despite being a younger fellow.

Ramza was also a naivete Noble with a pampered childhood. In the start of the game not one pinch hardship had come into aside from his father's death. Atleast he still had Alma, Delita and brothers in his family. It's much different than say Clouds, or, Celes who were understandably cold people from the beginning.

Originally Posted by Megavolt

Since when is maturity directly proportional to age anyways?

Most of time it is in RPGs. The fact of the matter is that Cyan has gone through more events in his life that has shape him into who he is than either Cloud or Ramza, but some cases Cloud and Ramza have gone through worse. Growing environment also counts toward how a person perceives his/her surroundings.

Originally Posted by Megavolt

Some of us don't prefer for heroes to wallow in self-doubt and be carried by others. I don't care how realistic and compelling someone else thinks it is. I think emo characters like Squall are excessive and unrealistic in how they treat others like crap and yet manage to engender concern and compassion.

Well, you just have accept that. There are many different types of heroes and not all of them will have happy outlook on life depending on their circumstances with they own reasons. Some people like those type of Characters while others don't. Same goes for the reverse.

Also one other thing Cloud=/=Squall, while Cloud isn't one of my favorite Characters he was hardly emo for much of the game. It only persisted from beginning of the game until they left Midgar.

Originally Posted by Megavolt

That's just good development. They explain right after Cyan gets enraged at the sight of Celes that although the Empire may be evil, not all of its people are.

It doesn't stop his distrust in her even after the battle at Narshe when she fought against her own comardes, and was ready to believe what Kekfa said about her, and this after Edgar said that.

Originally Posted by Megavolt

At the Emperor's Banquet, the right choice for Cyan is to let Kefka stew in prison for a while rather than just kill him.

I don't ever remember that or, any of the questions at the Banquet being Cyan's choice or, any of the other Characters for that matter. All of them where more player choices than to anyone specifically in your group.

Originally Posted by Megavolt

That's different from Cloud who even by the end of the game still focuses on "settling the score" with Sephiroth.

There also big different between your Arch enemy in Jail, and your Arch Enemy walking around and continuing on with his/her path of slaughter which eventually lends to a great catastrophe. Also there the fact that said Arch enemy is subconsciously controlling you to follow him (due to Jenova Cells) so, no matter what you do, you soon meet up with him again and do his bidding. Besides had Kefka not been in that Jail cell I'm quite sure Cyan would have killed him.

Originally Posted by Megavolt

I'm sure that's why he helps you escape the Floating Continent.

As Shadow himself states, he only helps you because the Empire betrays and leaves him to die. He was only interested in getting back at them.

Originally Posted by Megavolt

And there's no proof that he commits suicide at the end of FFVI. That end segment is there to show how he finally decides to let go of the past.

Considering that he sends his dog to your party and the only way in or, out of Kefka's Tower is by air along with point that he isn't with your characters on the only way out of there, I say he's pretty much dead. Shadow would either fall to his death or be crushed by the crumbling Tower.

Yes he does decide at thar point to let go of his greving after holding on to it for so long through the game by killing himself and hoping to be reborn into a better life. This what I understood from his comment.

Originally Posted by Megavolt

I agree that Cecil shouldn't have continued to put up with Kain's treachery after being betrayed by him on numerous occasions.

Yeah, but Cecil from the beingnning of the game to the end has always been shown to be a big softy as wll as a bit naviete.

However, the poison of angst didn't completely seep into the series and begin to bring it down until FF7 with its typical anime rivalry business.[/QUOTE]

Nope. Angst has been part of series every since they started having actual plot, i.e since FFIV and onward. I don't see the issue with this through because conflict created between your party aside form villain makes the story more interesting and realistic especially you characters were once former enemies of each other.

The whole "typical anime rivalry business" has also exist since FFIV. The rivalry, however has not always been shared the opposite person, or is even there at all.

Example:

FFIV, Kain saw Cecil as a rival through Cecil did not.
FFVI, had little no rivalry save for the small bit with Sabin and Vargas.
FFVII, Speth barley gave a damn about Cloud other than when he wanted to screw with his mind to get what he wanted. It was Cloud who wanted to settle things.
FFVIII, Squall and Seifer, pretty much explantory.
FFIX, Zidane and Kuja were pretty much rivals.
FFX, pretty much like FFVI. Tidus hates Jecht for what he did, than anything with rivalry, through it's a bit of a "icing on the cake" so to speak.

Personaly, I don't see the problem with rivalry. It's a lot better than FFI-V and IX chessy "big bad guy" who appears out of nowhere at the last point of the game with little personality or, motivation for what they do. Kefka sort of fit's here but he's got a personality that saves him.

Originally Posted by Megavolt

it's a shame that FF6 was the last of the series to have a great cast.

I strong disagree with you since FFVII and FFX had great casts with evry other FF game save for FFI-III and V having decent casts. This if we are just talking about the main series.

For me if we included all the games and I only could pick 5, it would look like this:

FFVI
FFX
FFT (through unfortunately only Ramza and Delita get development)
FFVII
FFIX

There's nowhere I can't reach.