Level Up! Seize the Experience!

A friend of mine has abandoned the original GBA Chain of Memories for the fancy-shmancy 3D version on the PlayStation 2. While I plan to hold over her head that she’s not a true Kingdom Hearts fan for doing so — I’m fully aware of how weak that is — I have to admit that she’s stirred up the Kingdom Hearts feeling in me to play my copy of the PS2 Chain of Memories.

Arrrgh and I shouldn’t! I still have Final Fantasy VII to finish as well as um, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XII. I really should play games that I haven’t already beaten, even though I technically haven’t beaten this KH game.

I’m going to have to force myself to wait and play this game after I finish 358/2 Days when I get that in August. Unless I beat all three FF games before then, which I’m fairly certain won’t happen.

Must stick to plan, must stick to plan…

Well, according to a friend armed with sales quotes, the Pokemon franchise has blasted every other RPG franchise out of the water. He says that the franchise has sold over 186 million video games, while Final Fantasy has only sold 89 million. I’ll admit that the numbers are pretty convincing, but I’m still skeptical. I’ll admit it’s because I don’t want to believe that a game as annoying, boring, and repetitive as Pokemon could be the most popular role-playing video game.

My first question is the number of games released for Pokemon versus any other franchise. If memory serves me correctly, I believe that many Pokemon games have been re-released on additional consoles. I also remember at one time two to four Pokemon games were released at the same time, each entailing the same damn game but each having different sets of Pokemon to collect. I would think that many fans would buy each copy just to try to collect the various types of Pokemon.

One could argue that they release this many Pokemon games because of the popularity, but I wonder if it’s really because of the popularity or because they know that fans will buy each and every game.

My next question is the cult following, and I’m going to admit first-hand that I have limited knowledge and experience with this. I have attended several gaming, comic, and anime conventions over the years, and I have seen maybe one or two Pokemon cosplayers. Don’t try to tell me that the costumes for the Pokemon themselves are difficult, because I’ve seen some damn intricate costumes. One group at an anime convention dressed up as the various demons from Spirited Away. No more complicated than a handful of Pokemon.

Also, when I talk to other gamers about RPGs, Pokemon NEVER comes up. The talk usually centers around Final Fantasy games and their complex storylines and then goes to Fable, Mass Effect, a Tales game, and then random games without a running franchise. Maybe none of these gamers want to admit that they play Pokemon?

Or maybe more than half of the Pokemon demographic are children, and as every generation of children passes, a new generation comes in and sweeps up the Pokemon mania. If the cult following is really primarily with children, then I’m going to say that Pokemon is not the most popular RPG overall. It’s the most popular children’s game, period.

If anyone offers anything else to argue for the other side, PLEASE DO! I’m just trying to understand why and how Pokemon could really be the most popular RPG franchise. And if it really is, then I’ll need to write about how it’s the most overrated. Hee hee hee.

Graphics-wise, going from a graphics giant like Lost Odyssey to Dawn of the New World has been a bit painful on the eyes. The graphics on the Wii RPG are far brighter, but definitely more on the anime side than anything else.

So while that is a downside to the game, the combat style is such a breath of fresh air. Granted, it’s a new frustrating breath of fresh air, because I have to switch the gears in my brain. I was so used to taking my time in making decisions and planning my strategy that I’ve fallen out of the habit of making quick decisions. That’s a bit of a problem when the combat happens in real time. I haven’t died alot..yet…but I have had to heal myself far more than I should. I went through the same issue when I started Crisis Core, so I know I’ll get over this one just as quickly.

One reason why I stopped playing Final Fantasy VII is because I couldn’t handle playing two turn-based games at once. The gameplay was too slow for me and it was driving me insane. So now that I’m playing Dawn of the New World that features real-time combat, I will be picking up Cloud’s buster sword once again.  But not too soon. I want to swim in this action for a little while before slowing things back down again.

Well I thought that I would be able to finish Lost Odyssey by the end of the month, like my original goal stated. But once again Shawn had to work a lot and didn’t come home until late or not at all, so that meant I had no break with parenting. Which means that I was worn out by his bedtime every night and crawled into bed by 9 p.m. like an old person.

Should I get into another genre of gaming? The amount of time RPGs require doesn’t seem to work well for me to play them often enough to get through my library. Of course that doesn’t help me write this blog, now does it? Not to mention that I suck at first-person-shooters and platform games frustrate the hell out of me. Oh and I really, really like playing RPGs.

I guess I just need to either give up the idea of completing all the sidequests or start taking energy shots. Or here’s an idea… the kid needs to stop being so demanding with my time. Isn’t it time he became more independent? He’s eleven months. That’s plenty old enough to start giving himself a bath and putting himself to bed.

Don’t call CPS on me.

I contracted some form of yuck either from Sakura con or the four and a half hour flight to get there, and it’s made playing Lost Odyssey or any other RPG near impossible. See, I have thin patience to start with, so it’s amazing that I’m able to play turn-based games at all. Add in the sick factor, and my patience is virtually nonexistent. I get into one turn-based fight, and I’m already turning off the console. Not to mention, hearing the same battle music over and over, and the victory fanfare over and over, doesn’t do much for my illness-induced headache.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a TV console or handheld. The end result is the same.

So what have I been doing while lying in my sick bed (other than begging my husband to please take care of the baby)? Phantom Hourglass has been a nice friend. Oh I go nowhere near the dungeons. That’s just asking for trouble. I played one dungeon when I was starting to get sick, and I yelled at Link so much for not moving his ass fast enough that my husband was a mixture of fear and amused. So I’ve been fishing (in an attempt to snag that heart container), exploring new islands, and playing other mini-games for various rewards. I’m usually not a mini-game person, but at least I have a worthwhile reward in the end for some of these. Well, that and you can’t expect me not to game at all, even though I feel like death.

People either love or hate the Overworld element of gaming. If they love it, then they hate certain ways that it is implemented.

I used to be an Overworld hater. I liked the comfort of a linear structure. Now I like the freedom to run all over the place. And now I’ve become picky about what I like the Overworld to have, just like all lovers of the Overworld.

Lost Odyssey sort of has an Overworld. It’s more of an Overworld map of the world, and every place you can go to has a diamond marking it. Every place you have actually been to or opened a path to is listed in a menu to the left. If you select an area, the diamond glows a bright blue, and you can choose to visit the region. Basically the map has two purposes: to show where you are, show where certain regions are geographically (which is quite helpful for the treasure hunting clues that say, “in the bay area…”), and warp you to any area you wish. In essence, it’s like Kingdom Hearts’ overworld; you have to forge your way there, but once you unlock it, you can pop in and out at any time. But it’s less annoying than that damn Gummi ship.

I like the idea of warping from spot to spot if I want to, but that’s about all I like about it.

Contrast this with Final Fantasy VII’s Overworld, where Cloud literally wanders all over the continent. While this method has the potential to be frustrating because you have no idea which way is a certain city, it has two distinct bonuses. One, you REALLY learn the world. You know exactly where the Golden Saucer is, the Corel Mines, Midgar, Rocket City, etc. Two, wandering around triggers battles which means experience, experience, experience! If I want to gain experience in Kingdom Hearts or Lost Odyssey, I have to warp to a specific region where I know I can get into a fight.

The closest game I’ve come across so far that tries to combine these two is Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. However, the number of fights Link gets in doesn’t help his leveling situation, so in terms of this blog, it really doesn’t count. I’m sure a RPG is out there that combines both Overworld styles, and I just need to find it. The game will probably suck, but I’ll be able to achieve Overworld nirvana.

I’m starting down that road I always go down and never recover from. I’m thinking of stopping one game so I can play another. I fully intend to finish that first game someday, but right now I’m feeling the need to play something else.

I do this all the time. And the sad thing is, I rarely go back and finish the first game. I always mean to. But I keep putting it off for other games. And then it gets to the point when I know I’ll have to start over just so I can remember how to play. That’s when all motivation to finish it shoots out the window.

So what am I thinking about pausing for another adventure? Final Fantasy VII. I can’t seem to find the motivation to play it. I think that will change when I finish Lost Odyssey — which please God please happen in the next twenty hours — but lately I’ve been thinking about picking up Final Fantasy X. I don’t know if it’s the allure of the better graphics, different turn-based system, or the fact that seeing Tidus in Dissidia has made me long for the annoying blonde emo. (I guess that means I’ll be trading out one spikey haired blonde emo for another?)

I’m trying to resist. I’m at least postponing the decision until I see the end credits roll in Lost Odyssey.

I must be strong. I must be strong. I must finish what I start. I must finish what I start.

As you all have heard me yammer about for the last few weeks of posts, I’m in the middle of sidequesting in Lost Odyssey. Part of this includes traversing to areas I have already been through to search for chests I missed, complete optional tasks I forced Kaim to agree to (although I’m quite sure he could have cared less about performing any of them), and unlock more of Kaim’s dreams. While roaming through these lands, I still encounter random battles like I did the first time through, but I’ve noticed a huge difference in these battles, and I don’t mean their level of difficulty.

The first time I run through any area, I seem to get HAMMERED with battles. I don’t know if it’s because I’m exploring more, or if I’m more hesitant in walking through because I’m unfamiliar with the terrain, but I get hammered. I usually greatly appreciate the onslaught, because it prepares me for the boss waiting for me at the end. But after defeating the boss and running back through the region, hardly any enemies will approach me.

I’ve noticed this with most RPGs I’ve played, whether they’re action-based or not. I think the only exception I’ve seen so far is in Kingdom Hearts, because if you enter a certain part of a room, it will almost always trigger a battle. So I’m rather curious if the enemies have a level radar — if you’re over a certain level, they don’t bother with you. I’ve walked through an entire area without triggering even ONE battle during this sidequesting bit. It’s a little frustrating, because I’d like to use this opportunity to level up a little bit as well. Not that it seems to matter in Lost Odyssey, because apparently I’m too strong to gain any experience from these now weaker foes.

Well, at least the infrequent battles haven’t dragged out my treasure hunting exploits. I’ll just rely on new areas to level me up and beat my ass at the same time.

Since I’ve just recently gotten into the realm of Final Fantasy, suddenly the branch games of the franchise are popping up in my head and are hitting my radar when I read gaming news. Dissidia has recently been suggested to me, since it’s going to be an action-RPG for the PSP and therefore I’ll more than likely find more time to play it. If I go that route, what about the other Final Fantasy branch games?

I did a search on PlayStation.com and Nintendo.com for a list of other Final Fantasy games and the list is overwhelming. Do I really want to delve into this strange land? Haven’t I ventured into the dark side enough with accepting turn-based games? Or by just purchasing a Final Fantasy game? Have I mentioned that I bought Ehrgeiz off of ebay? When will the madness end?

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

I have to admit, some of the games do look appealing, such as Final Fantasy Fables and Dissidia. I do have a stack of handheld games I have to finish first, so maybe by then this mania will leave my body and soul in one piece.

But probably not.

I’m a sucker.

A friend recently asked me for advice on how to find time to play RPGs. He’s tired of FPSes and other genres, and he really wants to get back into the world of the RPG, but like so many of us, he no longer has as much time to devote to 70 hours of gameplay. Not to mention that unless you have at least two hours to devote to playing a RPG, you’re kind of wasting your time.

I haven’t answered him yet, because I’m no expert on this. It’s been close to ten days since I’ve played Lost Odyssey, because my husband was out of town for over a week and I couldn’t find time and awakeness to play the game after entertaining a baby all day. I played Phantom Hourglass when I could, because at least with the DS, I can just close the case when needed and walk away for a few hours.

I’ve been playing a lot of RPGs lately, but playing Lost Odyssey and Final Fantasy VII is the first time that I’ve even attempted a turn-based RPG since Gabriel was born. What RPGs have I played and completed since that fateful day? Let’s see… Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, Kingdom Hearts 2, and The World Ends with You. Do you see a pattern? These are all action-RPGs. It was very easy to find time to play these games at night because none of the battles took very long. Crisis Core became my ultimate naptime game, because I could finish two or three missions during a short nap.

My original goal was to complete both Lost Odyssey and Final Fantasy VII by the end of March. I was alternating weeks of playing them, playing each one for two to three hours a night, and things were running smoothly until reality set in. My husband would go out of town. We met with friends at night. Our son started teething. You know. Things. As mid-March approached, I abandoned my goal and focused on Lost Odyssey, to finish it by the end of March. Well, thanks to real life once more, my goal has been extended to the end of April. My goal for FF7 is to finish it by September, since I have so many other CURRENT games I need to finish.

So, all I can say is that I do my best. I try to play two to three hours a night when my husband takes over parenting duties. Will I find time to do all optional bosses and find all treasures? Well, I always try, but I give up quickly too. I just don’t have as much time to devote to RPGs as I used to, which may not do them justice, but the way I see it, if I like the game enough, I’ll go back and replay it and it’s usually then that I strive to complete all the extras.