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RPG Classics Mailbag
Well, I did indeed make it, sorry for the wait.
Oh, that's all right, everybody loves you, so nobody minds!!! *hugs Cid*
... Fiend! What have you done with Ozzie!
Oh, nothing, I was just overcome with love for my employer today!
If you kiss me, I'll turn you into a frog.
Toooooooo....WATE!
Bwahaha!
You did this, didn't you?
It'll wear off soon. Isn't it a nice change, though?
No. Mailbag people want Ozzie being hit with heavy things, not Ozzie being *nice*! Brrrr! Oh, that gives me an idea! *presses button* *10-ton weight falls on serenely smiling Ozzie*
Ouchie. Doofus.
Thank you. Our topic for today: The olde world vs. futuristic RPGs! Unsurprisingly for a site called RPG Classics, most of you old fogeys voted for the fantasy setting. Sigh... ah well, let's get started. Here's Sir Fenrir.
hi, it's Sir Fenrir. i don't care that celes isn't staff, i don't mind her interrupting my replies, or anyone for that matter. now as to the actual topic.
when i saw this, i immediately thought of someone who is destined to become a joke boss. u know, the one which recquire the use of an item once to kill them, like an undead boss in the FFs, or has ridiculously low hp/defense/attack. this person has ruined health care and education, so it would be fitting for him to start the the battle with low magic power and poisoned. this person is mike harris!!!! yes! and he would have a wild arms 2 style intro!: the destroyer of Ontario!!!
so that's my reply.
And what a good one it was, too. Don't worry, son, the big bad Harris monster won't bother you any more, since we're all voting for Jim Flaherty in the coming elections. *evil mind control*
DISCLAIMER: Anyone voting in the Ontario by-elections should not in any way be swayed by Cid's own political views, or we could get sued.
Yeah.
Ah, shaddup. *bonks Squall on the head*
Ow. *faints*
Shoulda tried that years ago. Next up is... er, well, you can see for yourself...
d_Galloway: Heya, Cid! How's it goi...*trips and falls down a plot hole.*
JFGemini: *walks in, looks down the plot hole* Oh boy, he ain't gonna be happy when he gets out. Oh, well, I might as well take over his response. Anyway, according to my watching of my brother, he prefers neither one of the worlds. He seems to like them equally well. And as for me...
*A hand reaches up from the plot hole and grabs hold of Ozzie*
Ozzie: AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
*d_Galloway climbs out of the plot hole and throws Ozzie into it*
Ozzie: *Falls down the plot hole*
JFGemini: ...oh, no.
d_Galloway: Go home, brother.
JFGemini: *Goes home*
d_Galloway: Anyway, as for a reason why I don't have an actual preferance, let's analyze what makes an RPG good. First there's gameplay, then story, then graphics, and so on. The actual world doesn't really matter to me as long as it fits the story. And I kinda dislike hybrids because they tend to make you think more than I want to. Still, is there ANY futuristic RPG where the hero DOESN'T use a sword?
Anyway, signing out!
Sure, there's... wait... does Live A Live count? It's got an SF chapter.
Maybe.
And a Near-Futur chapter, too. Akira uses his Psionic powers and gloves...
Hmmm... and I haven't played the Phantasy Star games extensively... or Robotrek... and that's about it, isn't it? Yeah, what's up with these people? Swords in the distant future? Sheesh. Hey, this guy is Shalcar, and he is a self-proclaimed newbie!!!!!!!!!! I love guys like that, I don't have to worry about them being embarrassed. 8p
*The lights dim, all is reduced to darkness, suddenly a giant ray of light illuminates a section of floor in the center of the room, standing there is.... nothing*
*A whispered "over here idiot" ruins all the associated suspense, as the the light moves a small weedy nerd dude with thick glasses is illuminated*
Hi guys! Its Shalcar here, a lvl 1 Newbie. Heres my 2 cents Cid, save up and get yourself something nice. Anyway, without a doubt Fantasy flogs all futuristic RPGS by a long way. The whole Rambo image ruins all the enjoyment i get from playing characters with guns and magic is just so much more fun anyway. All you need is one powerful mage to cast *random overused protection spell* and suddenly even the weakest character is nigh invincible. ^_^
About the only thing that future has over fantasy is nukes, but mages usually get an Armageddon spell anyway. Fantasy allows anything to happen, while future is limited in some ways. *rant mode off*
Thats all the stuff you are getting from me, but Cid can have another 2 cents... Ozzie and Luna can have a dollar and tell someone who cares!
*twitches madly*DONT CALL ME LUNA YOU DAMN FREAK!!
Yay, a dollar! *drops it down a plot hole* AWWWWW!
Note that I didn't say "fantasy vs. science". I said "olde world vs. futuristic". It's quite possible for magic to exist in both worlds (hey, remember Star Wars?) This one's by DarkAni, whom I keep getting his name wrong, so he put it in big letters right at the top of his e-mail. 8p
Sorry I didn't answer the previous mailbag. I will gladly recieve my punishment for this crime, as long as it doesn't involve me having to listen to Ozzie and Lunaris performing "Madame Butterfly".
...The mere though of it gives me shivers.
Anyways, I like the 'hybrid' types, or to be more precise, the ones containing 'olde worlde' and 'sci-fi' elements like the Final Fantasy games. The "olde worlde" setting maintains the "usual" RPG genre, but the "futuristic" elements(which are usually put to the extreme in the final leval of the game) make the game more interesting, and just plain cooler.
Ah yes, the general "super-advanced final castle". Although in FF7 and 8, oddly, it seems to be the other way around. O_o Here's Xelopheris. *averts eyes*
Hey Cid, Xelo here
You stumped me last week, but this week im here in full force!!!!!!!!!! (and no I did not mess up, I just couldn't think of a comical response)
So what have you been up to...
Well, I had a few assignments to work on, shoveled some snow, been doing stuff for the FF Compendium (W00t, FFU episodes), working on some maps for two different games, more shoveling and freezing me buttocks off while I was at it...
Okay Okay, I didn't ask for your life story. Oooh, mailbag, don't mind if I do
I think RPGs are better set back in the olde worlde. Two words PLOT HOLE
What would Balamb Garden be like if it wasn't a Cetra Shelter. KABOOM.
I'd also bring up FF10 except you havent played it yet.
Lets see, any other technically advanced RPGs.
Well, the point is they all have huge Plotholes which they throw at you every hour, and it gets annoying after a while
Sheesh. Just because the ones you played have plot holes doesn't mean they ALL do. And the one you mentioned from FF8 isn't a plot hole at all. O_o Weirdo. Here's a reply by Dark Dragoon, who makes sure that I notice that he's *not* a newbie. 8-)
Dark dragoon here, this is my second mailbag response and i think that medieval type settings for rpgs are the best. The most memorable games we have played are in that style and when you play a new one with that kind of setting, you canīt stop feeling a bit nostalgic about the games of yore and how you once played them, enjoyed their stories and fell in love with the characters in them. Who doesnīt remember Kain from FFIV and Shadow from FFVI, their inner struggles and conflicts made you emphatize with them and you couldnīt do nothing but cheer for them. Well, thatīs my point of view, at least.
P.S. Those two characters are my personal favorites
Er... but Shadow isn't an "olde worlde" type character, and while Kain *is*, FF4 really isn't. Other than having knights and mages and whatnot, most of the settings were futuristic (especially, as DarkAni said, near the end). Man, I love knocking holes in people's logic. It gives me such a nice warm feeling inside. -_- Lessee what I can do with our next newbie, Saladin!!!!!!!!!!!!
Greetings stinking beings. I am the one (Only you, I, they or *IT* can tell which one *har-har-har*) called saladin (Note: My name has nothing to do with infamous salad-in bar...belch...). What! Never heard of me? Good. Ahem... And now I shall answer your not-so-weird question: Ah, Da olde rpg world is always better than stinking futuristic world. Futuristic world most likely lacks important rpg elements such as magic, swords, magic, strippers, swords, axes, clubs swords, SWORDS!
Guns. Swords are for PUSSIES and QUEERS!
*has mental image of ninety thousand RPG heroes bearing down on Lunaris* We'll just imagine that remark never happened.
MWAHAA!
I NEED BIG SWORD! MWAAHAHAA! I'LL SEVERE HEADS, ME BIG,
GUAAH!...*whee*..erm...
And I would belive that medievalish world has somewhat more classical touch
than futuristic not-too-intresting world. Fallout is only game that has succd..
sucee... sucks.. succeeded to create good futuristic world(Yes, it was intresting, too *WHEE again*). I'll be back, and I shall bring even more TYPOS WITH MEEeee*disappears*
..actually I jumped out from window, but you should not know this
(Or perhaps you should because I told it to ya*Duh*)...
...Nope, he knocked all the holes himself without me having to do anything. Challenge me! RalphTheRobopon!
I would prefer more, as you call them, "olde worlde" RPGs. Most futuristic ones(like FF8, in my opinion) don't have very good stories. Also, sometimes, in some parts, they might try to mimic medieval RPGs. Which usually doesn't work out to well. So anyways, I want a YOU MESSED UP! sticker, so I will now mispel the word speling.
No... but I'll give you one because you didn't back up any of your points.
Again: the problem is not "which futuristic RPGs *already out* do you like?" it's "do you like the mood of olde worlde vs. futuristic"? Doofuses. Gimme a real answer! How's about Helen?
Blather! Gotten past the 75th mailbag already, ne? That means there's only 25 (well, 24 now) mailbags to 100. The question is, though, will number 100 be reached before the residents of the mailbag start having nervous breakdowns?
Oh, we've already had them already.
Yep.
Mm-hmm.
Me head still hurts.
*twitches randomly, and madly*
...
...
...
...Ok, ok, so my blather was hardly... blathery. Blame it on the fact that
I'm going back to school tomorrow.
Now, to the point. Do I prefer RPGs set in worlds of sword and sorcery, or do I prefer RPGs set in worlds of computers and robots? Personally, I prefer futuristic RPGs.
Why? Well, let's face it... magic and dragonslaying and swordfights and demonfighting get kind of OLD after a while. Sure, there are games that still pull off the olde-worlde type rather well, but when every second RPG decides to use the olde-worlde type, it gets annoying. After all, there are only so much things you CAN do in an olde-worlde type.
Meanwhile, with FUTURISTIC RPGs, you can always expand on the usual boundaries due to technology and such. You can go to other worlds without the use of some plot-contriving portal, have sensical time-travelling capabilities, get kidnapped by a bunch of hungry aliens, end up on some planet with... um, scratch that last one, it was kind of tasteless. In a futuristic world, you can always do more, and I personally find that enjoyable. Besides, I'm a geek at heart. Of course I'd go for something with a computer in it.
And yes, I knew about the hybrid option. Just didn't care. I'll leave you now to deal with my brain-diseased ramblings.
AAHHH! Ramblings coming through!
Quick! Into the trash compacter!
Whoops! *ramblings miss the trash and hit Ozzie*
Whoa. That was... actually rather enlightening.
Sigh... *hits Ozzie with another 10-ton weight*
So was that. Oof.
Well... TidusID apparently prefers hybrids, but refuses to say another word. We'll ignore him. Let's see what Esedess says.
Like old school final fantasy and breathe of fire. old school weapons armor and houses with like flying ships and submarines. Wild ARMS is a perfect example. Like post future rubble of Breathe of Fire 3 was really good too. hope i explained well enough.
No, you most certainly didn't, unless you meant hybrids, because you apparently like both of 'em. Here's one by Paranoid Dragon, aka Pokefreak_85, aka lots of other things.
Hello again!!!!! Your own schizophrenic polymorph is back!!!!
If I like old worlds (fantasy setting) or Neo,sci-fi thingy worlds is easy... The Fantasy setting... I'm a huge fantasy fan. Books, games, movies and anything else thats fantasy. And the best fantasybooks I've read so far are a series of books filled with fantasy and humour... Yup, you gessed it: Terry Prattchet's Discworld!!!!! But we were supposed to talk RPG's now...
I like the fantasy setting because you can see almost anything there... I tend to get a bit bored after the 40000000 ton of metal (i.e. 20 fights :þ), but in fantasy there are a lot of different monsters but the really big reason for liking fantasy is: Dragons!!
I just really like dragons!!! Big dragons, small dragons, baby dragons, ancient dragons, black dragons, green dragons, fire dragons, ice dragons, dragons dragons dragons dragons dragons dragons...
You forgot Silver Dragons, you freak! But besides that, all the Dragons that you mentioned taste very well in a highly cooked soup, add a bit of tomato sauce, noddles and whatever you like then for a very firey meal!
The only problem is the people with shiny armours and big swords... DragonSlayer... They could be anywhere, they could be anyone, they could be... ... ... You!! *starts backing* No... Don't come any closer... Get away from me! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!! AAAAHHHH!!! *flees pusued by a HUGE group of nonexisting dragonslayers*
Ah, imagination. So sweet. Next up is Igno, take it away. In fact, keep it. See if I care.
Rpg time settings? Hmm. This might take a while. Pull up a chair.
Well, most of the RPGs I've played were olde world. That's nice,
classic, but it gets old after a while. As for futuristic settings,
those tend to get a bit. . .depressing. They're always post-apocolyptic
and everyone's hungry and skinny and stuff. It's just too depressing.
Hybrids, however, are alright. Chrono Trigger, for example, lets you go
to the future, where it sucks, and back to the olde world how ever many
times you want. 7th Saga is also pretty good, the Olde world, and then
there's olde olde world.
Quite honestly, though, if you had to make me pick an olde world or
futuristic, I'd take the olde world, tried and true. And there ya go, my
.2 of a dollar.
Now... is this $.02 American or Canadian? Because if it's American I can probably by a house with all the $.02 I've gotten so far, with the Canadian dollar as is (no, I refuse to say "loonie", it's degrading). Shame it's only imaginary money, eh?
Yep. Imagination only goes so far.
And imaginary money can't buy a house... sigh... or anything else, come to think of it... ahem, where were we? Ah yes, Red Dragoon aka Dragon Slayer had something to say.
It's Me again, Red Dragoon. Just call me Dragon Slayer from now on.
Okay. I kind of like both...both olde worlde and futuristic rpgs. Like Final Fantasy 7.
OW=Swords, rods, shirukens.
Futuristic=Guns.
...What? You people thought I only liked medieval weapons?!
Actually, we really don't know you well enough to know what kinds of weapons you like. Anyhoo. This very polite letter (whew, what a change!) was sent in by Demolition Man. Also a newbie!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good Evening...
Good...*look outside, blink as he cant see how outside like because of the snow then shurgs*
If I was to pick my favourite time peroid for an RPG, at I would have to choose old world because when I first started playing these games I was mostly playing old worlds. Back then I was not really introduced to futuristic of hybrid worlds.
But I would still play futuristic RPG's like Final Fantasy 7 and 8 as well as Hybrids like Chrono Trigger. They are all great games.
But I would have to pick old world just because that is where I was introduced to these games. So my final answer is old world RPG's.
Have a nice day.
Only because you asked me to. It'll really be tough, I hope you appreciate it. Ooh, here's Sephiroth252! Remember him?
No.
You fickle fools.
*Warps in through a worm hole*
Hello, mortals. I bet you thought you wouln't see me again, didn't you?
Well, I would like to get to the point but Ozzie's fat butt won't move...
Well, I NEVER! *heaves bloated mass six inches away*
...thanks!
Well I like the hybrids where there is some long lost technology but the world is lke sort of medieval...
...like in Wild ARMS 2!!!!!!!!!!
I am a poke-freak so people, don't offend Pokemon! Ok!
*Leaves throuh another worm hole*
Hah! I offend Pokemon! Every day! And there's nothing you can do about it! HAH!
Even... Pikachu?
Hmmm... YES.
Awwww...
Oh, shut up. Our next correspondent is Doc Shinryuu.
*A plot hole opens on the celing and Doc Shinryuu falls through, landing rather hard on the floor.* OW!!! That was a rather long fall... *looks up, notices Ciddy and the rest, and leaps to his feet.* Oh, hey everyone. Doc Shinryuu, once again!!! *Explosive fanfare!* Anyway, on to the response!
Interesting topic this time, Cidster. Time period... hmm... definetly hybrid. I mean that as in a game that starts off semi-olde-worlde(e's intendede), while the weapons and armor get more futuristic as you progress. Just imagine, you start off with your traditional D&D-ish weapons, but you eventually get to some superadvanced city cut off from other civilization, where you get guns, laser weapons, and mech-armor. Then you go beat the final boss, BIG TIME!
To end, I hope the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl. They have all it takes to win! So now, I'M OFF!!! *Fires a Kamehameha Wave through the celing with the DBZ theme playing in the background, does a handspring, and leaps through the hole in the celing.*
HA-ha. Loser. 8p
I didn't know you follow sports.
I don't, but it's kind of hard to get past that big headline on the front page of the newspaper. Sigh... Deedly, take my mind off this, 'kay?
... Its actually kinda hard to choose between the 2...
DESCISION OF THE CENTURY! LOOK AND READ ABOUT IT ON THE 'OZZIE'S LAMENTE' ISSUE OF THIS DAY!*
I like the technolological weapons and ships in the future worlds, but they kinda take away from the fantasy/magical element that I like in RPG's. I also dont like the fact that guns are made so incredibly weak in these games, its because the game designers wanted there to be swords and guns, but they didnt want to make swords pathetic in comparison...
I like the added fantasy of the old time games, most of these games have alot better gameplay and more variation between the people in skills, In the technological games sometimes the only difference between characters is the type of weapon they use (like in FF8) in the more futuristic games there is also the problem of few non-human characters... this was another bad side of FF8
I really like hybrids, but only when used well. The best hybrid I have seen is FF6. Their things with the merging of magic and technology where excellent, but they still kept the better elements of the older settings intact, and unlike most games thet use technology, the people each had unique skills. The only real thing I disliked in FF8 was that the people hardly had any unique abilities (with the exception of limit breaks and squals gunblade trigger thing).
*gives Lunaris a suit of Magitek armor just to show how much he loves the magitek idea*
Use that to blast annoying people
umm..... why did you just make Ozzie put a target on me...
*Watches in horror as Lunaris aims the weapons at him*
eep...
*throws the target and runs*
*hears a huge blast as the target falls on Ozzie and he gets blown into little bite sized pieces*
Voice from nowhere:"this random insanity was brought to you by Deedly"
*Commercial break*
*back to the show*
Yep, definitely random. Weirdo.
I hate it when they do that.
No matter how often I tell 'em, too. Here's yet another newbie!!!!!!!!!! This one's named XXJermyXX. Don't ask.
i chose olde worlde because futursitic rpgs are impersonal and synthetic feeling. olde worlde rpgs have much more character an warmth. what other answer would you expect from a rpgclassics.com poll?
My sentiments exactly. Next one's by Chris, but I won't give him any !s because I think he'll never write in again. I dare ya. 8p
I like the olde world rpgs better because there is no real equivalent to magic in the futuristic ones. Ok, there are Stimpacks or something like that to heal, but I've never seen attack magic in an futuristic RPG. Maybe because I didn't play a lot of them (only Fallout 1 and 2, which were nice, but not too good). Also, I like swords and bows better than guns. Please excuse my mistakes, I've had English only for two and a half year.
You know something? Everyone else here has been speaking English all their life and generally make mistakes in their e-mails, whereas other than "year", you haven't made any. O_o People really have no idea about their language skills, eh?
Hey, does I'm any bettah to you? But, English not my primary language...so...
Good point. Here's one by bling bling... urghl...
Personally, I love olde games alot. Even though I love games like ff7.*You hear a gun cock* Um,. and I 'm saying this of my own free will, and the olde ff lovers are not forcing me to say this, even though the future rocks! *you hear a gun shot* Ugh, what was that for? *Hear two more gunshots* Uhh..*Hear 5 gunshots and a reload* why....*8 more gunshots* Then silence...
Everyone!! Listen before its to late! The old forum has been taken over by hackers! Merlin says he cant do anything about it but we gotta try!!! Old forum users, unite!! Besides..its the only thing i'm not banned from on this site..
I think they're deleting that forum... man, that's gotta hurt. 8p Next is someone either named "Blokeski" or "the emperor" depending on what you believe.
the subject of futurstic worlds/magic worlds is a it of a null one seen as pretty much every rpg has some elements of them both...the fantasy ones have some lost civilisation that perfected space travel and guns,while futuristic ones have some group of people who use magic or some ancient power...there is very rarely a true setting..and i think its better because all rpgs need some mystery to keep u playing
so dont forget....hybrid worlds rock,newbies roll and never turn your back on ozzie
the emperor hath spoken
That's a pretty good point, although there *are* some pure RPGs out there. Our last reply comes from Mabatsekker, that weird Scandinavian dude! You go!
Hail sirs Cidolfas and Lunaris, Evil C and Ozzie, und Lady Lucca... 'tis I Mabatsekker, whom has stepped out of the deepest dungeons of a rough exam weeks to guide you onward in your careers, if any...
Hey Lucca, you realise he called you UNlady?
No, "und", as in Scandinavian for "and", you uncultured moron. Please don't show off your ignorance.
*sniff...*
This topic is actually VERY interesting made me think about all those RPG's back there. I myself prefer oldeworld-hybrids, since the magic is still there, but you have the chance of finding something that will either help you a lot (FF1: NUKE!) or something to destroy you (FF1: Warmech!!).
Well, so far we have gotten plenty of these games with 'normal' medieval worlds with swords and sorcery, but there ALWAYS will be something that'll make your head turn in a wide arc, like Blasters in Might & Magic 7. It did require a ridiculous amount of skill points to get it hit something...
But by golly, they fired FAST.
As for futuristic RPGs, I haven't played much of them, but a solid favourite is Fallout 2 ( More RPG than all final fantasies and dragon warriors, but hey, it's a merit of a PC mouse: More abstract commands are available...) where you essentially start with a spear, move to crude improvised pipe rifles and then to some real guns like 9mm's and Shotguns. AND on top of that, gauss rifles miniguns, alien blasters, Bozars, Laser Rifles Flame throwers... *Sees Lunaris have seizures from ll these great and not so great weapons*
*drolls*
As for these crossbreeds, I consider Planescape: Torment one. Sure, you may not get big guns, but you get to travel in an awesome city that has all kinds of fun things, like 'Clockwork Rogues' (Modrons..) or a bar that has a great grill to uphold a certain eternally combusting Mages life...
Anyways, it really doesn't matter what kind of RPG is at hand, as long as the core remains: A good, solid adventure!
Seeya next mailbag, guys! (and a gal)
And that's our gamut. And here's something interesting that no one at all mentioned: MODERN RPGs. Personally, I thought Parasite Eve was genius. It definitely could have been longer, have a better battle system, whatever, but the setting was unbelievable. Using real-life places and settings, and true-to-life people, in a fantastic setting (this is known as urban fantasy) really GETs you in many scenes. I definitely think they should go out on a limb and try making more of these. Well, that's it for today! For next week is a topic sent in by several people. Macc already did this, but apparently it's in vogue again. 8p "Who's the most useless/stupidest/worst character you've ever had/seen in an RPG?" Give a couple choices if you like. Send them all in to cidolfas@rpgclassics.com and may the force be with you!
I like Dragon Soup, Guns, and I hate my freaking schedule of school!!!
*: It only contain a half of one page, made of recycled paper. What? You tough that something with Ozzie's name on it would be good?