But before we get to what little plot I did today, let’s talk more about the Job Class Challenge. Final Fantasy VI already does a great job of making characters feel unique with job specific skills. Locke is clearly a thief. Sabin is a monk. Edgar has machinist tendencies. Etc. However, when it comes to magic, everyone often ends up being very samey. If everyone knows Cure, Haste, and Ultima, then that uniqueness is lost. Now, just like VII, this can be player forced into keeping that one unique style, with characters having to personalize spells related to a particular job. There are non-manuel ways to keep everyone different. Mods, for example. Many people know about Brave New World and might be wondering why I’m not using that. For starters, I have the PS version of the game and not the SNES. I’d rather use what I have and not emulate things. I haven't done well in keeping with that preference, but that’s for another day. Secondly, Brave New World is a difficulty mod that I’m not into. I played around with it a few years ago and didn’t like the changes. In reality, all they did was make the bosses bullet/sword sponges. I got to Humbaba before I found it all more tedious than difficult. I also wasn't fond of the re-translation. Relm became vulgar and Edgar sexualizing her in Thamasa was gross. I know the last one was closer to the original, but that doesn’t make it better. Whoever wrote those lines in the first place should feel ashamed of themselves. I have zero tolerance for pedophilia, as you should, but I’ll give leeway for a better meaning, which the Woosley version does. Hopefully, they keep in for the PS version. With BNW out of the question, to my lack of dismay, I now have to manually force myself to keep the JCC honest.
But what will I be equipping, and to whom, in this run?
Terra and Celes are easy: everyone and everything. I’ll be focusing on magic Espers for them, obviously. I might make them specialize in certain things, Celes with ice and more physical focused, while Terra is big with fire and more like a sage, for example. But right now, they’re not changing much from a conventional playthrough. They're red mages with natural aptitude, so it seems fine.
Edgar will be my Dragoon and Time Mage. I know he’s listed as a Mechanist, but there’s not a lot of magic that would adapt to that job. Break and Stop are the only ones that come to mind. Any Esper la that raises defensive stats work as well. He may end up being a little Paladin-ish.
Sabin is the monk. He’ll have low level while magic and offense stat Espers.
Locke is a thief, so he gets debuff magic and the speed Esper.
Cyan is a Samurai. I’m still not sure how I’m going with this. He’ll be offensive Espered with a few weird spells thrown in.
Strago and Relm get magic focused Espers. I’m uncertain exactly how I’ll build Relm. Full Black Mage, maybe?
Mog is a Dancer/Geomancer. Not sure what Geomancer is like, but he’ll get buff and magic Espers. I might add some offensive too for some Dragoonary.
Shadow, being a ninja, gets low-level black magic and debuffs. Also, the speed Esper.
Umaro gets Strength Espers, as that’s all he can do.
Goto is the wild card that falls out the back of the airship.
I’m probably not using Gau, and I’m definitely not using Setzer.
Equipment will he job specific, so Locke will only be using knives and never swords. Terra will be using light armor, but Celes can get some heavy armor. Relics will follow in line too. Cyan, for example, got my early game gauntlet, while a Gengi Glove can only go to Sabin, Shadow, and Locke.
And that’s the plan. I might edit this later when I get more Espers and have a better idea of what’s going on, but let’s get on to tonight’s playthrough!
Celes, Locke, Cyan, and Edgar left Zozo and headed back to Jidoor. We walked around until we met The Impresario. He’s emotionally distraught because he recently received a letter saying his star Opera Singer, Maria, was going to be kidnapped. A man named Setzer, who has the world's only airship, wants to marry Maria, and he’ll force her to do just that. Do you see why I’m not using him? Fortunately, Maria and Celes are the spitting image of each other, which gives Locke a plan to reach The Imperial Capital.
Heading south to the Opera House, Locke volunteers Celes to play the part of Maria in tonight’s performance. Celes is embarrassed to play the part but runs into her dressing room and practices her singing with no actual force applied to her. While she practices her lines, everyone else goes to box seats in the theater.
This scene is probably the best directed in all of, not just Final Fantasy but all of, video game-dom ever. The music is beautiful, the lyrics are haunting, and the experience is memorable, even to young me. My second play through ever ended here (I only brought Locke and Celes), but I’ll always recall this scene in 2001. The gameplay consists of memorizing three opening lines to the lyrics. You also follow the stage directions with a questionable (due to technical limitations)) dance sequence and being in position for the flower throw at the end. The opera is about an invading army winning a war and separating Maria from her love, Draco. Meanwhile, Prince Ralse tries to take Maria as his own. And here’s where things get fun.
Remember Ultros? Well, he shows up and tries to get revenge against us by ruining the opera. How does he do this? He plans to drop a ten-ton weight on Maria’s head. Like all evil villains, he gives away his plan, which gives us the chance to stop him. Locke and the rest take to the rafters to stop Ultros. After fighting through his sewer rats back-up, everyone falls onto the stage and takes out Draco and Ralse just as they finish their Act 1 climactic fight scene. Winging it, Locke declares that he will win Maria’s heart, and the party does battle.
We have the octopus surrounded, but that doesn’t give us much advantage. Ultros still hits very hard, and we don’t have a healer. He can also poison a row and, worse yet, turn a row into imps, making our attacks do nothing and removing skills and magic. Don't be afraid to use potions or Green Cherubs. Have Edgar spam Chainsaw or Drill, Cyan using Dispatch works, and Locke can be there.
After the battle, Setzer makes his way down and kidnaps our trained soldier. He locks her in the engine room of the airship, and she brings everyone else into the ship. Rather than kill the kidnapper, they talk him into joining the squad. He doesn't want to since the Empire has made him a lot of money. Using Setzer’s gambling addiction and a rigged coin, Celes cons the man into giving them a ride to the Empire’s continent. Rather than go straight to Vector, the capital, I walk around the whole place and visit all three towns, buying new gear and preparing for the raid on the Empire’s headquarters...
...which I’ll do tomorrow!
So Setzer is a rapist, right? There’s no benevolent reason to kidnap someone, especially one not in mortal peril. This thing is my least favorite character in any game. I’ve said e how much I hate Tales of Symphonia, which has Zelos use child grooming as a joke, but at least he’s trying to do good. Setz is straight evil, and I don’t understand why people like him. Regardless, sorry for the short playtime tonight. Walking around Vector, seeing how creepy Locke’s scene in Kohlingen is, and knowing how long the Magitech Research Facility is, gave me a reason to end a little early. Let’s get the band back together tomorrow.
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