Double Agent
The literary equivalent of Big Macs - April 5th, 2000 - Chris Jones

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this column are those of the participants and the moderator, and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIA. There is coarse language and potentially offensive material afoot. Dammit, Snickers peed on my boot again. Don't say we didn't warn you.


Just for a moment, I'd like to indulge in the giddy thrill that realizing I'm in charge of this column brings. Generally I like to use this space for good and not for evil, but the fact is, it's entirely under my control. If I want to talk about my favorite barbecue place in the city, or the fact that I have to clean my apartment or even those little things they put on the end of shoelaces, I can, and there ain't no one that can stop me. And (this is the great part) you'll still read it! You won't skip past the inane stuff to the letters on the off chance that I might say something interesting or important so I have a captive audience of thousands hanging off my every word! Hah! This rules! I'm only disappointed that this is text and not video, so I can't make you watch me eat a microwave pizza or read a book or something. But who knows what technology will bring?

Ok, now that I've done the "lovable jerk" routine for a bit, maybe we can get to some letters.

I asked for it, I got it
Dear Double Agent,

...and another thing! Exactly what "apparent technical faults" are you talking about? Is it the game's appearance? It looks comparable to Wild Arms 2, Suikoden II, Alundra 2, Rhapsody, Grandia, Persona 2, Arc the Lad III and all the rest of the recently released games that combine sprites with polygons. Is the frame rate somehow only 20 FPS? How could that possibly matter when the gameplay is slow-paced-as-all-hell Dragon Quest? The game does not share the new Final Fantasy look, but who says it must? Both DQ and FF have spawned their imitators, and apparently, despite Final Fantasy's techincal ambitions, there are not a whole ton of RPGs that even choose to aspire anywhere near the same place. Why should they, when a variety of styles has always worked well for RPGs?

And if, by technical faults, you mean the antiquated menu system, well, your guess is as good as mine as to why Enix and Chun Soft have not thrown that out, but I have a small theory: In every DQ game, because you can search places, because you have to open a menu to open a treasure chest and what-not, its lended the game a more interactive feel than most RPGs where you just push the same button for every thing in the over world. It is pretty much an illusion, but it works. And besides, DQVI had cute, awesome animations for most of that stuff that made it much more fun to do.

As for the gameplay, there's nothing old and moldy about it. Its looks to be the start of a new trilogy for the story arc (at least there don't seem to be any connections to the Floating Isle of Zenithia) and the gameplay depth is sure to be like always. New features like rows for the enemies, being able to talk to your comrades in battle, uncovering the underworld as you play and who knows what else are bound to be used well, as many of the new elements in Dragon Quest are always tuned to the gameplay so precisely that you can't help but feel that they've been polished to a shiny, lucid whole. On top of that, you have the 3D, you have the CG and you have the hand-drawn-looking gorgeous battle graphics and animation.

Better yet, when you combine all the things the gameplay has inherited through the series, the monster-gathering, the mini-games, the job-mastering with the classic Dragon Quest elements this is most likely to be one game where the depth is superb. All the games in the second Dragon Quest trilogy were not only longer than their Final Fantasy counterparts, but generally involved thinking on a grander scale and began to institute very good plots, if more light-hearted and less focused on character development than FF. I see many RPG fans complain about random battles lately, and its largely justified because a lot of games just cram in enemy after enemy that tend to act almost identical to the last. This is not the case in DQ games, especially as the series gets more complex. The difference between a Metal Babble, King Slime, Wyvern, Warlock, Fury or a Huntsmen is quite large, its just not HP amount, and it makes quite a difference in battle strategy. Moreover when you don't have an unlimited inventory, many a time Dragon Quest's strategy is not the same heal, battle, repeat and resource management, but more the type of thinking that will you get through the insanely difficult dungeons in one piece.

I've always liked Dragon Quest better than Final Fantasy, though the competition sure is a close one. Every single Dragon Quest so far has benefit from the massive time taken to adhere to the details. More than innovating out to the moon or drastically changing the format, the series evolves and rediscovers itself, much in the same way Zelda has since the SNES version. Better yet, playing each one is analogous to the feeling of coming home out of the rain to drink hot chocolate. You know when you play Dragon Quest that the developers pay attention to developing rewarding, thoughtful, excellent gameplay, not just flash and melodrama. (FF is certainly a lot more than that, but sometimes in those games...) The creators of Dragon Quest aren't intimidated by any trends, they just create a series whose gameplay will out last the sands of time, and that is the most important thing.

After all, what other RPG in the near future is going to allow you to call a wolf to fight alongside you like DQVII will? And what RPG in the past allowed you to commandeer a floating island, join a beauty contest (with a statistic for stylishness to boot!), dance to kill your enemies (besides FFT), distract the enemy by telling them a joke or become king for a day?

-Link

(P.S. While writing this, I noticed I have a couple of very old e-mails in my directory from Chris Jones talking about RPGs...hmmm...I wonder if that was you.)

Could have been, but there are lots and lots of Chris Joneses out there. As for the rest of your letter, I gotta say that's about as thorough a defense of DQ7 as I could have wished for. There are a couple of points I could contend though:

  • I don't think the game looks as good as say, Wild Arms 2. Not that much worse, but not as good either.
  • Yes, DQ games have been longer than FF games. (At least the first four, never played 5 or 6.) But that's because of their reliance on level building, which I've hated with a passion ever since I played FF4 and realized you didn't have to make a game that way.
  • It seems a little early to presume that this will be a new trilogy, if for no other reason than the series might not survive until 8 or 9, but I can't disprove that statement either.
  • I don't remember their being all that much strategy to DQ1-4, but again, that may have been instituted in the latter games.
  • It's fine for a series to rediscover itself, but generally speaking you want to do that early or midway through a system's life cycle, not at the very end.

Other than that, you make a very persuasive argument. If the combat system is as complex as you seem to think it will be, we could have a contender on our hands. I'm still dubious though, and want to see what's gonna happen on 5/18/00.

Just when you thought you'd never have to wait again
Chris,

I know you said you haven't played much of FM3 yet, but what do you think about the slow loading time. I was shocked when I first saw that hideous black screen with the word loading in the bottom corner. I immediately had flash backs to horribly old games from when I first got my PSX. But seriously whats up with that, I thought that PSX games were beyond stuff like that now.

Steve Newman

If you don't like load times, never ever ever play Fear Effect. As for FM3, so far I haven't been bothered by it, considering that the load times seem to be only a few seconds, and the battles are nice and long. One thing I would criticize FM3 for is the overall visuals, which look much rougher and less attractive than FFT from what I've seen. On the other hand, I'm fairly impressed with the whole "Internet in a bottle" thing, even if it is very limited so far.

No worries here
I wonder how many DBZ fans will attack you after you said Toriyama's work wans't impressive?

Nobody yet. Besides, it's only the blonde Super Saiyans I have to worry about, right?

Someone else with a lot to say about Dragon Quest
There's something I might add to the DQ7 debate, that in modern times I think we have all forgotten.

Graphics do not make the game.

Look at FF8. Stunning graphics... amazing FMV.. OK music... Gameplay of a turnip. Graphics are a nice touch to games, in fact they are somewhat important, but good graphics do not make a game an instant hit.

And in a similar vein, mediocre graphics do not ruin a game. It has always been the gameplay that's important, at least to me. As corny as it sounds, I don't play games, RPGs in particular, to watch Squall and Rinoa dance. I play them to face off against the evil wizardess and save the day.

The problem with saying that the graphics in DQ7 are bad is that it's your opinion. I happen to think that the screen shots I have seen so far are very good, in an SD Anime-style sort of way. Sure, the graphics ain't hyper realistic CGI silicon graphics workstation created masterpieces. They aren't supposed to be. They're a different style, an updated version of the old NES/SNES DQ games. And that's what all the DQ games have been about -- building upon the earlier games in the series. Growing and evolving right with their fans. But above all else, keeping the heart of the series the same.

The game follows in a long line of very popular, amazing DQ games -- and rather than try to change the whole system and idea behind the games (Which can really alienate longtime fans of a series... cough cough FF8 cough cough) they are sticking with the DQ traditions. Traditions like the fight engine have been around for years, and will no doubt be updated -- but not replaced -- in DQ7. The original happy faced blue Slimes are back in DQ7 -- with more cousins like Winged Slimes, Rock Slimes and Spot Slimes. The only difference between the Slimes from the original DQ1 and the DQ7 slimes will be that the slimes -- like all the enemies since DQ5 -- are now fully animated. The party members follow the hero in DQ7 on the overworld, just like in every DQ since DQ2.

And with any luck DQ8 and DQ9 and even DQ100 will have the same fight engine, the same slimes, the same overhead view format. That's what MAKES them DQ games. Not the name, not the people who made it. The traditions, the links to the past, the building upon a foundation of wonderful gaming experiences -- this is the heart of the DQ series to me.

And that's the ultimate point of Dragon Quest 7 that I don't think anyone who hasn't played a DQ game all the way through will understand. If Enix took out the Slimes, took out the old battle system, used CGI created FMV for half the game, then DQ7 would not BE a Dragon Quest game. It would be a pale imitation of what they USED to be. Enix knows what their fan base wants, and they are working to offer that to them. And anyone else can either become a fan or not.

The Dragon Quest series IS the old school RPG genre personified -- the First DQ game WAS the first console RPG. And you can still see elements of the original game in DQ6, and you will be able to see links to the old NES games in DQ7. And THAT is what endears the game to me.

And in a modern, new school world of 60 minute FMVs and 40 hr gameplay over 4 CD games, I for one am looking for a little bit of the old school in this FMV flooded world.

-- Mark Cantrell
The Knight in Tarnished Armor

This brings up an interesting point: how long can something stick to tradition before it drops out of the medium entirely? In other words, if Dragon Quest does stick to the elements Mark mentions above, how long before it looks and acts nothing like the rest of the video game universe? You can claim that you're a true DQ fan and don't care, but when was the last time you played something REALLY old school - the original Pac Man or Defender or Dig Dug? Or an Infocom text game, for that matter? You may see film shot in black and white from time to time, but what's the last time you saw a silent black and white film as anything but a historical artifact?

I tend to disagree with the idea that you can't upgrade something without losing its spirit. As Link pointed out above, Zelda is constantly reinventing itself but still remains true to the original. The difference between the original Zelda's combat system and Z64's combat system is like the difference between an amoeba and an aardvark, but both games are unmistakably Zelda. There's a case to be made for DQ7 being a good and worthwhile game, but I don't think saying "it's exactly the same as all the rest" is gonna cut it.

One last point - I haven't played DQ5 or 6, so this is purely conjecture, but has the DQ series always been as conservative as people are claiming? I remember Dragon Quest 4, the last on the NES, being called far more inventive and original than FF3, the last Final Fantasy on the system. Heck, I remember DQ4 being called more inventive than FF4. I was also under the impression that 5 and 6 at least tried to keep neck and neck with the equivalent Final Fantasies, and that the first stories about Dragon Quest 7 were quick to point out that it would have a 3D world, just like FF7. Is it just me, or is it possible the traditionalist argument is an attempt to cover up a badly botched development cycle? Join me next time for RPG Conspiracies Exposed!

Too much of a good thing
They changed Vagrant Story into another long RPG??? How in the *%#&%#@ hell am I supposed to be able to finish FM3 (which is really long and quite addictive), pick up Vagrant Story, finish it before Legend of Mana ships, and finish that before Chrono Cross does too? Not to mention FFIX ships two months later!!!! I think this is a Square conspiracy to reduce the whiners who used to complain it took too long and there were too few titles shipping to the US into highly ashamed individuals, and to keep us too busy to demand a FFT sequel. A nice plus is that the competition won't be able to keep up: I was waiting for Koudelka, but it looks like I'm not buying it this year! Dammit, it's not even the amount of cash involved!!! I don't want to have to spend the whole *&#^#*@ summer indoors!!

After the long, winded rant, question: if you had the dilemma above, what would you pass on, buy later? I already decided to pass on Parasite Eve II, and I didn't highly dislike the first one... Now, I know you're a self professed Squarehead, so this is highly hypothetical, and if the mere thought of having to renounce buying any of them causes you any pain, I apologize in advance.

Princess Jemmy

Ok, to continue the loveable jerk theme, I plan to buy everything Square puts out between now and Final Fantasy 9, inclusive. Also Lunar 2, Wild Arms 2, maybe Vanguard Bandits and assorted Dreamcast RPGs, depending on word of mouth. I'm doing this mostly because I can, now that I'm not a poor student anymore.

But wait, before you shoot me, I also have a good reason (ok, rationalization) for my spending habits. It's very clear that 2000 will be a great year for RPGs, and that there's more coming out than anyone but a shut in could possibly handle. However, I'm not at all sure about what the following year is gonna look like. The PS1 will be dead, basically, and while there's gonna be lots of games for the PS2, you generally don't get good RPGs on a system for at least a year because developers are still getting a handle on the machine. FF4 is an exception, but how long was it before Wild Arms came out for the PSX? The Dreamcast may have some good RPGs, but maybe not nearly as many as the Playstation. Stockpiling RPGs now may be a very good idea, or better yet, wait a while, then go back and buy them as needed at reduced prices.

The late DQ7
You know why I'm looking forward to Dragon Quest 7, Chris? Of course you don't. But I bet you want to know don't you? I'm looking forward to DQ7 because I figure they must have *something* worthwhile in that game that it'd take who knows how many years to make.

And kind of like Alex, when I think of RPGs in a broad way, DQ is one of the first things to come to mind. And this is coming from someone who's only sampled the first DQ. Such is the power of DQ.

And you know what else? I like sprites. I like 2D. Bring on the SNES grade graphics, baby. Like what's his face from IGN said...'Graphics don't make a game, but bad ones can break it.'

I also don't see myself outraged, because I honestly have no expectations for the game other than a solid RPG experience. Not spectactular, not genre redefining. Just...Fun.

~Ian P.

P.S. Seriously...How long exactly has DQ7 been in the works? Well over three years now?

Curiosity. Always a good reason to do anything, and I gotta say I wouldn't give a damn about DQ7 right now, based on what I've seen, if it wasn't for the fact that it was massively overdue. As I've said before, I think the 2D sprite-based Saga Frontier 2 is the best looking game on the PS right now, but after seeing that I'm not sure how well genuine SNES graphics would be in comparison. But overall Ian's general outlook is reasonable.

I can't find an exact date for DQ7 being started, but I was able to find a news story stating that Shonen Jump first showed screens and character shots of the game back in July 1998. I can't imagine Enix would have let anything be shown without at least a year of development, so three years seems about right.

Hate bands, get rewarded
good job. anyone who dislikes limp bizkit is doing a good job. i would like to thank you.

elizabeth

And I would like to be thanked, whenever you're ready. Money and/or food are always good. 

Double Agent - does that sound particularly trustworthy to you?
Ok, if there has ever been a blatantly obvious and absolutely pathetic attempt at propaganda by a video game company, it has to be the letter from Clyde Hudman. If he doesn't work for Sega, they must be paying him, because nobody in their right mind praises anything like that in normal conversation or in a letter to a publication like the GIA with that kind of language. He sounds like a corporate zombie spewing the company's latest useless catch phrase. I can't believe he (and Sega) could have the gaul to write such a ridiculous letter and expect us to think it was really from a normal person. I, personally, am offended. But then again, Chris, you did not seem to wretch upon laying your eyes on it. Even if it did boost your ego. Hmm... You are suspect now.

CO

Damn right I'm suspect! Not only did I say everything Clyde said before he said it, I'm a virtual unknown who popped up suddenly in the DA position, which dozens of people wanted! And you're just now wondering if I'm trustworthy? Man, I'm speechless. You won't last five minutes in corporate America, you might want to look into poetry or something instead.

Closing Comments:

Not really feeling tired, but slow. Took me twice as long to do this as it should have, so no amusing closing rant. Apologies.

As for tomorrow, if you've got anything interesting to add about Dragon Quest, send it in. Otherwise I think it might be cool to take a look at what Jemmy said: there's too many good RPGs coming out this year. If you don't have excess money to waste on games you're not gonna be able to play immediately, what are your priorities? What are you going to buy, and why, and why not something else? Adios for now.

-Chris Jones, not sure what to do if wombats attacked

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