PUDDOR'S PROFILE

I liked Cloud, Squall and Lightning as characters, so *shrug*

Yeah I agree. I'm thinking about editing the tileset to get rid of them, since they're annoying me.

Well, I'm considering flashbacks because a number of background plot points are part of character's pasts are things they would never mention because a) they don't remember it properly anyway because of the nature of the event and b) they'll be scrutinized and c) it'll probably screw another character up in the head.
That's for CC, which even though it's a fangame I have put a lot of effort into putting in a detailed backstory, to make sure all the currently occurring events have motives, issues, consequences.
I have also put in an Information Terminal because I find with a lot of players is that they skip through the dialogue. It's not only for story, either, it's for where you've got to go next, which is really frustrating, but must, in my opinion, be compensated for.
In my other game series it's intentionally designed that all the 'backstory' is the past. It is slowly detailed through playing the stories and mentioned in dialogue and it is up to the player to piece it together. The important background conflicts occurred over 300 years ago, after all, and though the effects of it can be seen its a story of vengeance and fixing wrongs done by others so looking back isn't exactly a good idea.
All current stories play out as games- for example in the one I'm making for a competition, one character is at the 'midpoint' of his character story, which actually was begun in another story occurring a few months beforehand, and isn't tied up until later.
(They're all short games and I'm going to get them done :V)

Don't Imps usually face that way? (first encountered them in FF8 and they still had their backs turned, cheeky smart-asses)

I like to think that if you can find the tedious parts entertaining still you're good. I can run through my game and grind to hell and back, the battles are exactly how I wanted them to be and I really just enjoy playing. Only problem I have with starting new saves and testing is PLAYING THROUGH MY STORY AGAIN. I'm very prone to bugs and I keep a playthrough save so I'll see most cutscenes three or four times at least. I can quote a few of them word by word, namely the intro scene. I have rewritten most cutscenes a few times now too just to keep them interesting.

I'm actually thinking about making a mid-way point release just to make sure the game's clean up to...well mid-way. But I'm nervous about doing it, heh :/