Why do people even like RPG?

[Kenryoku_Maxis]

Severance said:

Kenryoku_Maxis said:

You're the one who isn't reading what I'm saying.  I previously said FFVIII and X had more emphasis on gameplay than other FF games (highlighted and underlined).  But even with that, the story and graphics had even more focus.  You can see it when you compare the amount of time you spend interacting with characters and how much dialogue is in the game.  And the creators of the series even emphasized this.  Its been the foundation of the series ever since its conception with Hironobu Sakaguchi and on down the line with its core development groups.  Most notably, Yoshinori Kitase, the series current lead producer and the main overseer for Final Fantasy FFVII, VIII, X and XIII.  Both Sakaguchi and Kitase have focused on setting Final Fantasy apart as being a series focusing on heavy storylines with 'cinematic feel'.  As should be plainly evident with the path the series has taken in both presentation and design.

And its not like its a bad thing.  Its what sets the series apart and made it popular.  But the point is, from the first game on, gameplay wasn't the focus.  To quote Sakaguchi himself, 'Telling a story' was.

'Final Fantasy was developed during Square's brush with bankruptcy in 1987, and in a display of gallows humor, director Hironobu Sakaguchi declared that his "final" game would be a "fantasy" role-playing game; hence the title. When Sakaguchi was asked what type of game he wanted to make, he replied "I don't think I have what it takes to make a good action game. I think I'm better at telling a story."'

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_%28video_game%29#Development

i really really don't get what you are trying to do here, so if a game is very cinematic its automatically loses gameplay? why can't a game have both? besides if you know Sakaguchi , he never worked on the gameplay part hes a director not a developer, he writes the story, also Action games =/= RPGs , you call Oblivion an Action Game?

so by your logic here Mario 64 wasn't a graphical achievement because Miyamoto foced on gameplay

and also by your logic Halo is an online only game because they focus on online gaming.

Bottom line Final Fantasy always had the gameplay as one of the main focuses , you know developer teams are.... teams right? its not like sakagushi made final fantasy by himself

Actually, its just you who's taking my points and turning it into an 'either or' extreme.  I laid it out quite clearly, that the games had a progression in gameplay, but that story was the focus.  And, as I've said multiple times, just because the story was the focus, doesn't mean the gameplay was bad.  It just means the story was the focus.

Stop taking that as me saying the gameplay is 'crap'.  Focus is not another word for bad.  Using your own analogy, games like Mario 64 and Mario Galaxy didn't have crappy graphics just because the gameplay was the focus.  Nowhere did I say that, or even imply it.

And I'm going to say it one more time, the emphasis on the story and 'cinematic feel' is what makes Final Fantasy stand apart.  Most notably, from Dragon Quest, which came out before Final Fantasy.  Its this emhpasis of style and focus on story that has made the series famous.  And which they still push today.