Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Fantasy of the Final sort.

Though I'd just about discarded the notion of kitbashing an "emulation" of Final Fantasy -- by which I mean the first one -- the notion's been woken up again as I spend some time sorting piles of books, including many game guides, in preparation for installing a new huge bookshelf in my bedroom.

(I also have to admit, I'd thought that writing up the arcanist, especially with the variant spell lists, would satisfy the notion. No such luck, it seems.)

Now, I'm certain that at this point there are screams of agony at the very idea ;3 But Final Fantasy is so stunningly (A)D&D-like in the original game, it continues to amaze me. You pick your classes (Fighter, Black Belt, Thief, or White [*coughClericcough*], Red or Black [*coughMagic-Usercough*] Mage), for your four-man party, and set off across the lands scouring monsters from dungeons, claiming artefacts, saving princesses -- and, might I point out, kicking the arse of Chaos. Literally.

If you get party members slaughtered, you take them to a temple to be brought back to life -- or cast a ressurection magic, if you're high enough level. You find nifty magical items. And the first plague of monsters on your pathetic tyro heads are Goblins.

You even get a new class title and nifty privilege after you pass a certain level and talk to a king for whom you had performed a great quest (granted it's Bahamut. but that's part of the appeal to me). Look, Name level! ;D

So, yes, I'm tempted. Nyah.

*ducks flying bricks*


What would this kitbashing involve? That, I haven't decided yet. I have all the classes I would need (if I added the RC Mystic to my Red Box-ness); really, it would basically be writing up critters and spells and maybe a few magic items. I don't think I'd want to actually write a gazetteer of the world besides I'm busy writing a gazetteer for FFIV. Hush.

On the other hand, too much inspiration and emulating and I'll be right out of Red Box land -- more and more of the unique FF critters and such are higher level -- and I don't want to do that quite yet. It is a quandry, I must say. I could conceivably make notes of changes in appearance or tweaking of stats of extant D&D critters, based loosely on FF. But that's just one option.


It's also a completely honest statement that, arguably, FF is so clearly based on (A)D&D right down to mind flayers, mariliths, Bahamut and Tiamat that an "emulation" of that first game is essentially pointless to begin with.

That's also probably true -- but I'm still tempted ;3


10 comments:

Michael S/Chgowiz said...

Kitbashing/homebrewing is exactly what I believe older versions of D&D were meant for. Take the plunge! :)

taichara said...

Kitbashing/homebrewing is exactly what I believe older versions of D&D were meant for. Take the plunge! :)

This is true! Perhaps I shall -- as soon as I decide where to start ...

*grins*

Michael S/Chgowiz said...

I've always found it's easiest to start on the stuff that interests me first, but not go overboard. I've been reading so much good stuff (like yours) on the web, I feel embarrassed by the amount of cool stuff available. I try to take it slow and small.

taichara said...

I've always found it's easiest to start on the stuff that interests me first, but not go overboard. I've been reading so much good stuff (like yours) on the web, I feel embarrassed by the amount of cool stuff available. I try to take it slow and small.

I may take a peek at the lower-level critters and suchsort in the next few days. I have to admit, you're very encouraging *grins*

And thank you very much for the kind words :3

(... I'm also trying to comment on your blog, and it's not letting me send the post. it's a little peculiar.)

Michael S/Chgowiz said...

Sometimes the captcha is strange on blogspot. I have that happen now and again.

I hope you share your homebrew here. I haven't ever played FF, but I find the amount of detail in the universe fascinating and what I've seen my kids play is fairly intense.

taichara said...

Sometimes the captcha is strange on blogspot. I have that happen now and again.

It took some beating on it, but it coughed up my post ;3


I hope you share your homebrew here. I haven't ever played FF, but I find the amount of detail in the universe fascinating and what I've seen my kids play is fairly intense.

I likely will, either here or in a file linked from here. The first game is very simple (the Nintendo years! *grins*) compared to more recent games, but I'm still very much attached to it. I might add some "typically FF" critters like chocobos to it also, just for fun.

Michael S/Chgowiz said...

I might add some "typically FF" critters like chocobos to it also, just for fun.

I had never really considered using whimsical creatures, but after seeing how wonderful it is from some really good DMs on the web (Sham and Jeff), I think it's a really nice part of the game that can enhance it.

taichara said...

I had never really considered using whimsical creatures, but after seeing how wonderful it is from some really good DMs on the web (Sham and Jeff), I think it's a really nice part of the game that can enhance it.

Yes indeed! And sometimes -- like chocobos -- you just need to approach them from a certain angle.

After playing Final Fantasy Tactics and having my troops chewed up by knights mounted on vicious huge-beaked killer birds that can shoot fireballs and heal their riders, they aren't as whimsical any longer --

Critters like Phorusrhacos and Diatryma make chocobos much more fearsome ;3

Michael S/Chgowiz said...

You know, you might have just inspired what my nomadic dwarfs might be riding in my Dark Ages campaign. I love old Joust and chocobos seem to evoke that type of mount...

taichara said...

You know, you might have just inspired what my nomadic dwarfs might be riding in my Dark Ages campaign. I love old Joust and chocobos seem to evoke that type of mount...

Sweet. (a fellow Joust fan!) And chocobos could work like that pretty easily, yeh -- there's varieties that fly.