Whoo-ee! Well, that little temper tantrum of mine certainly did the trick. This was the single biggest letters day we've had since GIA was founded. Man, there's a lot of letters today. Reams of them. Good ones, too. So much so that responses from yesterday's prompts will be occupying both tonight and Friday's columns, though you should feel free to keep sending new ones (if you don't, the usual threats apply). As a result of the high volume, my comments will be relatively limited. The letters speak for themselves quite well. Enough introduction, then. Let's see what's new in Mook Town! | Hard core gamers... | If a sane, rational person tried to throw me off my high horse ( or moose in this case ), I would have to introduce him to Mr. Bat upside the head. Im proud to be a "hardcore" gamer, though some claim it for different reasons, this has been my take on the term, Hardcore: A person who has the feel for RPG's in general, and can pick up an RPG and already know half of what hes doing ( or all of what hes doing in the case of extreme hardcore aka me and many others that write in :) ) One who can tell a crap game from a damn good one within 10 mins of playing ( FF6..good...Saga Frontier..utter crap (( I hope I didn't offend the 8 Saga fans out there )) ). Age is not a factor here, it iz all about the love for the games. To blow a week's pay on the newest Final Fantasy, thats true devotion...especially if you lose the apartment that you needed to pay off with that paticular check :). That my friends, iz hardcore. - Kevin Strange
Before I say anything else, I'm going to say this: I am what I call a "hardcore" gamer. But before you toss this letter in the Recycle Bin, at least hear me out. I am offended by the mocking attitude directed towards "hardcore" gamers that I have seen recently. "Old-skewl" comes to mind. Yes, I am an old-schooler, and yes, I'm a "hardcore" gamer, but contrary to what many people believe, not all veteran gamers spend their time mocking and berating new gamers to the scene. I've several friends who are relatively new to the scene, and I certainly do not make fun of them because they haven't been playing as long as I have. There are a couple reasons why I label myself as "hardcore." I'm rabid about RPGs. I'm ecstatic when a new RPG is released or announced. I play every one I can get my hand on, and scrimp and save money to purchase them all, one by one. If a Final Fantasy compilation were ever released in the States, I'd be one of the first to go buy it. I have RPG wallpaper on my desktop. I have RPG desktop themes. The only kind of music that I collect is RPG music. I have three memory cards because I never delete my save files for any of my RPGs. Nobuo Uematsu is the best instrumental composer alive today. See where I'm going? There are some people who liked Final Fantasy VII. Granted, it seems that only a very small percentage of the population does, but within the number of pro-FF7 gamers are those who are gung-ho about it, and those who are "It's okay" about it. I'm most certainly on the gung-ho side. It's the same with every RPG, almost (aside from Beyond the Beyond, which, personally, I've never played, because what I've heard is so frightening, and unanimous). I love them all. I'm tired of the stereotypes that surround the veteran gamers of the RPG genre. I'm tired of being mocked because I label myself as "hardcore" for sensible reasons. My labeling myself as "hardcore" has nothing to do with anyone else: only me. I'm not putting anyone down, and I'm not inferring that I'm better than anyone. I don't look at games through rose-colored glasses. So why does everyone assume as much? -Matt Blackie |
| ... Meet the opposition | I would submit that anyone who can call themself a "hardcore gamer" witha straight face is indeed in need of medical attention. Actually, let me test myself. Okay, I cracked a smile and chuckled a bit. Good.Anyway, what is this "hardcore" thing? What does it mean? What do cumshots have to do with video games? On second thought, please don't answer that last one. - Rev. David Francis Smith
3. There is no such thing as a "hardcore" gamer. There are two kinds of gamers. Normal and jilted. Normal gamers don't care what other gamers think. Jilted gamers see newbies and think "Oh, they aren't REAL fans of RPGs. They've only been RPG players since *insert game name here* came out. I'm a real RPG fan, because I've played every RPG since *insert NES RPG name here*. Those other guys are just posers." ~Euleduc
Yo! I'm a hardcore RPGamer, I've been playing RPGs all the way from the Civil War. Back in the good old days, we made up our own plot and characters. We didn't have these things you call 'graphics.' We used our imaginations. Yep, I'm sick and tired of all you newbies saying how great this Final Fantasy game is; if I wanted to be given a plot I'd watch a movie. All you guys only care about them fancy graphics things. You obviously don't deserve your opinion because you haven't been playing as long as I have. So I decided to write in so I could set you all straight. Feel humbled yet? Good. Now kiss my shoes. -Arpad Korossy |
I honestly don't know whether the Reverend's was the funniest letter I received all day, or if Arpad's beat it out. It's a close call. In any case, I can sympathize with Matt Blackie's position that he has the right to claim that he's a hardcore RPG fan, and be proud of that, since it doesn't belittle anyone. Matt, believe you me, if everyone in the world were like you, my life would be a happier place. But the term "hardcore" is forever associated with two things: porn and arrogance. I can't count the number of angry letters I, and people I know who run gaming websites, have received that chew us out and belittle us for the crime of not being "hardcore" enough. Needless to say, it sort of grates on my nerves after a while, and sad to say, most people use the term "hardcore" like it's proof that they are a superior person and that their opinion holds more weight than those who haven't played as many games as they have. And that's bullshit, pure and simple. You can be more informed, sure, but there's no such thing as a wrong opinion. I guess it boils down to this: if you're proud to be a hardcore gamer, good for you. If you think that being hardcore makes anyone else's opinions lesser or invalid, then go to hell. My apologies go out to hardcore gamers who are proud of what they are, but don't lord it over others. I don't hate you. I respect you. Hell, I probably qualify as one of you. But I'm sick to death of jerks and idiots who used "hardcore" as a shield for their opinions, and sometimes, I throw out the baby with the bathwater when I rant. Mea culpa. | How we handle spoilers | Hey Double Agent, I gotta ask you -- how will this column handle Final Fantasy VIII spoilers / info? The release is ... what? eight days away? Obviously VIII will be the hot topic ... and I sure as hell don't want to know all about how Zell is actually Laguna's half-brother who ends up killing Seifer who married Rinoa (or something like that) I can still remember the shock (and the beating that ensued) when my friend blatantly spurts out (before I even knew about Final Fantasy VII) "Yeah, man, and this chick Aerith dies, it's really cool!" - Jose Jimenez |
Well, on one hand, I don't want to hear FF8 spoilers, so I'm hoping that most people will avoid sending me them until the US release. Okay, so I don't believe that'll happen either. As a consequence, all minor FF8 spoilers in the column will be marked by having bright red text for the topic, including the words "FF8 SPOILERS, DAMMIT!" at the top. For major plot spoilers, I'll probably shunt them into a second letters file, linked to from the main one like a Deep Thoughts entry, since I know how highly anticipated FF8 is, and don't want to repeat the Aeris Death situation. Sound cool? | The Crying Game | Hey Double Agent-san, Did I laugh at Gremio's untimely demise? Of course I did! sure getting eatingby flesh eating spores sucks for Gremio, but it is kinda funny to watch, andbesides you can get Gremio back, can't you? The loveable Snot, Evil Gokuh
Did I laugh when Gremio died? No, I didn't. It was a truly moving moment, and one of the very few I found redeeming in the game. As many gamers know, there is a way to ressurect Gremio. You simply collect ALL the rest of the characters (and make sure none of THEM die in the mean time) and before the last army battle, all their prayers are answered when Gremio is magically ressurected. Awww, how touching. So sugary saccarine, I could have hurled. That took what I thought was one of the only redeeming qualities of the game and trashed it. It didn't really affect the ending all that much, either. Oh well. - Tony Patino |
Our two representative answers. Half of the respondents thought it was a well-done death, and the other half either laughed, or hadn't played Suikoden at all. Also, fully three quarters of respondents brought up Aeris' death either as a counterpoint, or as support for their position. Again, a fifty-fifty split over whether it was laughable or sob-inducing resulted. Weird. I figured there'd be a lopsided show of opinion on one side or the other. | Do battle systems matter? | Hey Agent. Waz' up? Let me tell ya, this whole thing about "best rpg battle system" is pointless. If you play any traditional rpg for the gameplay, what the hell's wrong with you? Battles are the absolute worst thing in a traditional rpg. How many times have you gone through a dungeon and had to fight something every 2 steps? It is not fun. The things that make rpgs so good are the story and the puzzles, not the battles. Battles in an rpg are there for 4 reason only. #1- To give the player the feeling of interaction and not just watching a movie. #2- Eye candy. Showing off speical effects by the use of magic spells. #3- To make the main charactors look strong and every other thing imaginable weaker then they are. #4- Boss battles. Everything else is just level building and a waste of time. These are the only battles that can be fun since you aren't over powering your enemy, and you need to some stratagy instead of just mindlessly hitting the attack button. So the developer's job should be to take the enconters down a nautch, throw in a little stratagy that you have to use against normal enemies, and make it as "fun" as possible. But if I have to choose my all time favorite battle system would have to be Chrono Trigger. Gotta love them triple techs! Peace out, Down South Hustler |
I play some traditional RPGs for the gameplay. I'll be damned if I didn't have a ball with the Tales of Destiny battle system - god, it's fun, smacking the hell out of the enemies, watching them all die before my sword, one by one. In any case, I think that useless, boring random battles simply do not need to exist. It's a matter of opinion as to what constitutes fun battles, of course, but some games do make battle a complex, interesting challenge every time out of the box, and equal in importance to the puzzles and story. The battle system was probably the most complex, refined part of Parasite Eve; the puzzles certainly weren't. An action/RPG like Legend of Oasis is an excellent example of a game where gameplay and puzzles took precendence over story. The stereotype of battle being dull and tedious in RPGs does not need to be true. All it takes is a little effort. | Some things deserve to be popular | Dear Double Agent, Let's get right to the point. One of the questions you posed yesterday was, "Do you believe that sales + hype = quality?" In answer, Yes, I do. Hear me out. I'm not saying that only games with million-plus sales should be considered 'quality' games; heck, many games people consider modern classics sold fifty thousand copies or less. But if a title sells a huge number of units, and is met with high praise from most reviewers (as was the case with FF8, Z:OoT, MGS, etc.) then chances are it IS a quality game. Contrary to popular belief, people are not idiots. Not everyone slaps down $40-70 dollars on the basis of cover art, a movie license, or a celebrity cameo. The vast majority of game players read the reviews before they buy, or at the very least, buy a bad game then learn from their mistakes. And sure, titles like Fantastic Four may have sold some copies that were fit only for landfills, but the same can't be said of EVERYONE. Usually, it's the 'hardcore gamers' (or simply nitpickers and industry pundits) who like to bring down a highly successful game and call it crap. When Metal Gear Solid came out, it was met with vast acclaim, along with a small but vocal section complaining the whole thing was too easy (and for the record, anyone who says that beating MGS on maximum difficulty and getting a rating of 'Big Boss' is 'too easy', is a liar.) And of course there's good old FF7, which sold more copies than there are people on the planet, was praised to the stars and back, and STILL has people claiming the whole affair was crap. What it comes down to, as always, is personal preference. In my opinion, there's no denying that FF7 and MGS were, at the very very least, good games. Sure, some people may not like them, and I can respect that. But when they condemn them as over-hyped and with too little gameplay, they only reveal their own bias. Frankly, we live in a democracy, and ten million fans outweigh ten thousand persistent (and noisy) critics. In short, if a game sells a huge number of copies, there MUST be some elements of quality. Heck, I intensely dislike Pokemon. But, since I hear that if we stacked all the world's copies of Pokemon end-to-end we could go to Neptune and back, I'm forced to admit that, a) it must be a good game, and b) I simply can't see the appeal, so it's my own problem. Whew! Getting a little long-winded here. I'm not expecting everyone to agree with me here. Actually, I'd be surprised if anyone did. But, heck, I'm feeling inflammatory this evening. Give my best to Andrew "14 inches" Vestal, Brian Glick "The All-Night Pony", and Andrew Kauffman, Master of the Orgasm. Love & Kisses, Dietrich, the Reasonably Normal |
I broadly agree with Dietrich, up to and including his comments on Pokemon. A few other people posited surprisingly similar sentiment, though thankfully no one agreed that Sales + Hype = Quality. I'd have been very, very upset if people had, really. He also hit on one of the great mysteries of modern gaming: how did Final Fantasy VII get released worldwide, sell umpty-million copies, get merchandised up the wazoo, prompt the founding of more websites and shrines than I can ever count, rack up awards and high reviews marks like nobody's business, and yet be hated and reviled as the worst RPG ever conceived or released by man or god? How the hell does THAT work? The answer, it occurs to me, is simple. It's not reviled worldwide, really. It still cleans house in popularity polls. The websites are still going. Fanfic is being written, MIDIs composed, merchandise bought. FF7 is popular and acclaimed. You're welcome to hate it, of course - I'm a stickler for the right to hold an opinion - but the facts stand straight and tall that if you really think FF7 sucks, you're in the minority. A vocal minority, but a minority. The same boat us Pokemon-haters and the anti-Zelda pundits are in. It's a mighty big gaming ocean. | My new best friend | Guess What? I've enjoyed Suikoden, Wild Arms, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Tactics,Xenogears, Saga Frontier, Tactics Ogre, and other PSX games. I've also enjoyed Final Fantasy 1, 4, and 6,Phantasy Star 3 and 4, DragonWarrior 1 and 4, and other "old school" games. -Town Guard |
Amen for you, Town Guard. Amen. As if I haven't pissed off half my readership already, I've added a new Deep Thought to the blue box at the side, on the subject of romanization of Japanese names in gaming. I've got another one for tomorrow, so read it while you can. Tomorrow's subjects include Lufia, dating sims in the US, and the FF8 review and what it means, plus the undoubtedly massive backlash prompted by all I posted today. Whew. - The Double Agent, living in interesting times | | | |
