FF Improvements, Pt. 2

by Mike Lemmer

Warning: May be hazardous to Chocobos. If swallowed, induce vomiting.

Now, to continue my discussion of what could be changed in Final Fantasy games. In the first part, I discussed changes to the combat system. In this part, I'll talk about changes to the exploration. (Hint: Walking around will be the least of your worries.)

FEWER BUT BETTER!
Face it: you could fight most FF battles in your sleep. Most enemies easily fall to a a couple sword swings, maybe one or two techniques you constantly use. But it's not truly challenging. And heck, they happen every 10 steps! *yawn*

The only way to combat this is to make the monsters stronger. Make even the random battles you get into on your way to the boss a challenge. Then to balance it out, make them happen less often. Voila, you've gotten rid of two big complaints: "The battles are too easy" and "I get into a battle every 10 steps!"

SET BATTLES
In fact, random battles will be few and far between. In their place will be set battles. There will be monsters patrolling at certain areas. Need an example? Most Final Fantasy games use random battles. Chrono Trigger uses set battles.

Of course, there will still be a couple random battles (as in "Where the hell did that monster come from?") to keep the players on their toes.

SEE MONSTER. SEE MONSTER SLASH. SLASH, MONSTER, SLASH.
The player will be able to see the monsters while they're exploring. Some might be sleeping, some might be patrolling, some might be waiting in ambush for the player. In fact, they'll still continue moving, even during battles. Imagine the surprise on the player's face when he spends so long battling an Orc that he forgets about the Lizardman patrol coming up behind him.

NOT ALL THE FIGHTING IS IN COMBAT
Players won't just wait for the monsters to attack. They'll take the initiative. Not only will they be able to see where the monsters are, they'll be able to use combat abilities on them. Want an extra hit on that sleeping demon? Sneak up to him and whack him with your sword before he wakes up! Want to avoid fighting 24 giant scorpions at once? Cast a Sleep spell on them, kill the ones still awake, and walk right by the rest! Want to avoid that patrol? Set up a Fire or Ice Wall and block them from your route!

One of the more devious tricks would be setting a bunch of Land Mines in a certain location, then running away from the monsters attacking. The player watches as the monsters give chase... right over the Land Mines. Ouch.

Given the right combination of useful spells and opportunities, the player could think of all sorts of creative and evil ways to crush, smash, and pummel everyone in his way. Even bosses would be easier to kill... if the player prepares for it.

EXPLOSIVES: THE COMBAT FREAK'S KEY
Not all doors will be opened by getting the right key. Sometimes the solution could be as simple as firing a fireball or missile at a door. True, it ain't exactly stealthy, but it works. Some puzzles will be solved by using magic (use an ice wall to block that stream of fire) or tech (place a 3-ton mech on top of that stubborn switch to open it). Some may be solved by both (freeze the slope with an ice spell and slide down it with a tank). Many puzzles will have multiple possible solutions. After all, how many times is there just ONE solution to a problem in real life?

TRAPS: THE POOR MAN'S MONSTER
I'm not just talking pit traps. Poison needles, arrows shooting out of the wall, trip lasers connected to automated turrets, giant blocks falling from the ceiling, teleporting above a floor of spikes, toxic gas... you name it, the player will probably encounter it. When the player is paranoid of an empty room, the traps will have done their job.

Being able to disarm those traps would be essential. Just imagine how much more useful Locke would be in FF6 if you had to use him to disable all the traps you came across. Of course, smart players will try to figure out a way to trick the monsters into setting off the traps... or make their own. (See Land Mine trick above.)

XP FOR BATTLING THE MONSTERS, XP FOR AVOIDING THE MONSTERS...
Experience Points will not just be given for killing monsters. Avoiding monsters, disarming traps, and just making it to certain parts of the dungeon will net the player XP. Better yet, reward the player with XP for using creative methods. Give the player more XP for setting up a cunning trap, rather than just bashing the monsters to death. Give them extra XP for making a combo that causes the monsters to combust, or managing to barrel through dozens of monsters without getting a paper cut. Reward them for variety!

This could lead to people having competitions to see who could squeeze the most XP out of a single dungeon. Imagine thousands of RPers replaying a dungeon over and over again, hoping to score just a little bit higher on an online XP chart. Of course, that would require a Dungeon Replay option, plus an Online XP Posting option, but I can already see some of you rubbing your hands and cackling with glee. "Finally! A chance to prove I'm the best RPer ever! Bwahahahaha..."

YOU TAKE THE HIGH ROAD, AND I'LL TAKE THE LOW ROAD
One thing that I enjoyed about Deus Ex was that there were 2-3 paths to every goal in the game. Even in the first stage, you had the option of either sneaking up some crates to the top or just bashing through the front lines like Rambo. Being able to reach the same destination by taking a different route instantly ups the replay value and enjoyment of a game. After all, if you're frustrating yourself with a puzzle you just can't solve or an enemy you just can't beat, being able to pick another route is a godsend.

I'm not just talking dungeons, either. Even paths to towns would have multiple routes. Don't want to sneak through the underground tunnel to the town? Then try taking the treacherous mountain path inhabited by bandits. Need to get into the secret enemy HQ? Either bash down the front gates, swim through the sewers, or sneak in on an arms wagon. Now you'll finally have a good excuse for replaying the RPG 2-3 times.

YES, I KNOW THIS IS AN RPG. JUST SHUT UP AND SHOOT.
An RPG minigame that really makes a difference in the main game? Sure. After all, I said there'd be vehicles in this game. Vehicles can A) move very fast and B) have gun turrets on them. See where I'm leading?

Instead of just moseying up to the Enemy HQ, make them fight their way to it. They could walk through the gauntlet, but with all those enemies patroling, that'd be suicide. The player's best bet? Load up that RAT-V (Rapid Armadillo Transport Vehicle), hook up some fully-energized crystals to the blasters, and burn rubber all the way to the front door! As the patrolling enemies notice the kamikaze party making an all-out run for the entrance and begin to attack, the player enters a 1st-person mode, taking the view of a party member manning one of the blasters. As the ABR speeds out of control over the terrain, the player will have to give orders to the other members manning the guns and wheel, shoot enemies out of the sky, cast a couple quick magic spells here and there, reload the blasters, etc etc.

"Dodge left! NOW!" *BAM BAM BAM* "I'm out of juice!" "Get him another crystal!" "Someone cast a fireball at that squad coming at us!" *BAM BAM BAM* *FWOOSH* "Turn right! Turn right!" *ZING* "$@# %@*&, TURN RIGHT!"

For those of you that don't like all that fast-paced action (wusses), you could also set it to RPG Mode, where it battles just like normal combat.

AND THAT'S IT FOR THIS WEEK
Join us next time, when we tear apart the oh-so-beloved FF plotlines and put some new twists (and branches) in this one.

Original Editorial: FF: Combat Improvements