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TAKING A PAGE FROM FFVI'S BOOK.
Posts
Feldschlacht IV
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CloseRemember the part of FFVI where your party is split up? Not those parts where you have to split between two or more parties in rapid succession (like the Phoenix Cave or the assault on Narshe), but the part where Sabin, Edgar, Terra, Banon, and Locke are split up and you have to pick between which of the three parties you want to play as until all three were done, they met up somewhere, and the game continued?
I've always thought this was a fantastic and I've always wondered why more games don't do it. Recently there's a part in my game I'm working on where something like this happens, and I struggled with how to approach it. I was thinking of doing it pretty much this way. What do you guys think?
I've always thought this was a fantastic and I've always wondered why more games don't do it. Recently there's a part in my game I'm working on where something like this happens, and I struggled with how to approach it. I was thinking of doing it pretty much this way. What do you guys think?
Aten
1570
One way in which I approached this in FFD was you begin the game controlling one party, then at a certain point, the game switches to another party who has begun the same journey, but obviously goes around it in a different manner, the story keeps switching sides, with both parties meeting and helping each other along the way till they eventually start traveling together.
Of course, that's how the story was designed, but if all the party members have already met, and then have to split, then.... well, not much I can say without knowing the details of your story, (and thats something you might not want to share just yet). So, to make a wild guess, just introduce some sort of scenario where they have to split to get a task done in a certain amount of time (like a week, in game terms) or something.
Of course, that's how the story was designed, but if all the party members have already met, and then have to split, then.... well, not much I can say without knowing the details of your story, (and thats something you might not want to share just yet). So, to make a wild guess, just introduce some sort of scenario where they have to split to get a task done in a certain amount of time (like a week, in game terms) or something.
Yeah, I already have the scenario written and everything (so I don't have to create one for the sake of doing this), where a party of four breaks up into separate three parts, but up until now I had no real convenient way of telling all three of their stories.
Aten
1570
So what is the reason for splitting, (in brief summary if you will)? Also, another example might be ttales of the Abyss, party has to split to stop a war, so one group goes to talk with one kingdom, while another goes to talk with the other kingdom.
So what is the reason for splitting, (in brief summary if you will)?
Without spoiling too much, it's more or less a combination of being forcefully split up by circumstance, seeking political refuge, and getting support from another nation. It's a four person party being split up in three ways, one person, one person, and two people.
Aten
1570
Well, seeing as how you have a good reason for the split, AND you know what each member is doing, I don't see why you don't just roll with it? So wheres the difficulty?
No difficulty, I was just curious as to how people felt, and wanted to bounce off some opinions, about me doing it FFVI's way as opposed to some other way.
I am always in favor of letting the player have options.
Also, I am curious why you didn't make this a blog entry.
Also, I am curious why you didn't make this a blog entry.
Yeah, that's why I liked FFVI's way, because you could do them in any order you want. Don't feel like going back to the Lete River after you just left? Do Locke's scenario! Like ninjas and samurai? Do Sabin's scenario! Want to put the Lete River and Banon's old ass behind you forever? Do Terra, Edgar's, and Banon's scenario!
Aten
1570
Yeah, it's a good way, it doesn't matter really, you could use any method of splitting, but FFVI's way was just fine. (Plus now that you are alone, it gives you time for some power leveling! haha)
I liked the feature, but my only gripe was that in the end it didn't really make any difference since you had to complete all of them to progress anyway. I think I prefer A Blurred Line's "Choose Your Own Adventure" style where decisions, even if you don't realize you're making one, can change how the story plays out quite a bit. Both are good though.
Billwilliams
1159
I was originally planning to do something like this for parts of Druman Action. The player would follow one party for a mission, then follow another group for a bit and so on. The main catch would be that all parties would have the same common inventory and I was never sure how to get around that.
I've since learned how to make a party select screen and I am going to have to rethink the entire game before I go back to it.
I've since learned how to make a party select screen and I am going to have to rethink the entire game before I go back to it.
post=119448
I liked the feature, but my only gripe was that in the end it didn't really make any difference since you had to complete all of them to progress anyway.
Yes, but it allows the player control over what part of the narrative they want to play though in what order, in their terms. I don't like the idea of robbing the player out of experiencing one part of the narrative in favor of another, if telling both stories are important to the overall scope. I'm not looking for a cop out so that the player doesn't have to play one part over another (after all, who WANTS to play less game?), but I want to allow the player some choice as to what order the narrative plays out.
post=119450
I liked the way it was done in SD3.
huh
AznChipmunk
4613
Well, you chose three characters in the beginning.
You played as the first one for a while, then at some point you played as the second one for a while, who then joined the first, and later with the third.
You could implement this game by like... allowing the player to choose 3 characters out of your cast of characters to do specialized quests that will boost something just for those characters! or something like that.
You played as the first one for a while, then at some point you played as the second one for a while, who then joined the first, and later with the third.
You could implement this game by like... allowing the player to choose 3 characters out of your cast of characters to do specialized quests that will boost something just for those characters! or something like that.
Oh, yeah, that sounds cool. Although that doesn't fit THIS particular scenario for my game since, like FFVI's case, the circumstances that made them split up and require them to join up again are more of means to an end and they have to get to X place with little interruptions. However, I WILL use the chance to develop their personalities and characters since with three groups of one/two people, its easier to focus on individual characters.
Eike
2708
I did like that part of FFVI a lot. I was originally going to do the Suikoden III way in my game, switching between the three parties from the start until they all meet up later, but decided against it because I didn't really want the lack of an obvious main character, and in the end just made one of them the main and put very short segments as the others early on to give them a little background before you meet them. S3 way isn't the exact same as the FFVI way, but worth a mention.
Like statistic said though, if you're doing this in RM2K3 you're going to have to work around the common inventory. I guess you could use a lot of variables, or just go for suspension of disbelief.
Wait, I can't actually remember, but I think FFVI had a common inventory as well. Ah.
Like statistic said though, if you're doing this in RM2K3 you're going to have to work around the common inventory. I guess you could use a lot of variables, or just go for suspension of disbelief.
Wait, I can't actually remember, but I think FFVI had a common inventory as well. Ah.
AznChipmunk
Well, you chose three characters in the beginning.
You played as the first one for a while, then at some point you played as the second one for a while, who then joined the first, and later with the third.
No they don't. You do play as the first selected character (who each has a unique scenario until they reach Jad). When you get the other party members, they just give a tl;dr version of their unique scenario before joining the party. The only way to play their scenarios is to make them your first character.
Anyways more on topic, Suikoden 3 and FF9 did a much better job with the split parties. Each party actually contribued to the narrative and the actions of each could actually be seen by the others even if they weren't aware of it. You got to see the plot progress through multiple perspectives.
