Author Topic: FF7 Remake general thread  (Read 83970 times)

hian

  • *
  • Posts: 126
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake Gameplay Reveal
« Reply #150 on: 2015-12-13 07:34:31 »
The purple is actually in the game natively, it just doesn't show until you raise the saturation levels with about 50%.

The reason I'd want a filter for this game, is because even adjusting saturation on most TV's is not going to give you this result since it requires the combination of both a bloom effect and a cell-shade effect to make the colors pop like that.

Tekkie.X

  • *
  • Posts: 896
  • Formerly known as DragonNinja
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake Gameplay Reveal
« Reply #151 on: 2015-12-13 09:58:56 »
Bearing in mind that in comics and animation purple is often used instead of black because clothing or hair would look flat and lifeless.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PurpleIsTheNewBlack

Thus why he was a much lighter purple in the original game than in the artwork although in battle it was a bit darker than in the field.

Even in Crisis Core and Advent Children you could still see the blue in the outfit.

gjoerulv

  • *
  • Posts: 1225
  • me
    • View Profile
    • My Youtube
Re: FF7 Remake Gameplay Reveal
« Reply #152 on: 2015-12-13 16:48:47 »
@hian, would you mind doing one of those for the shot of Cloud's face after he hops off the train at the end of the trailer? That shot of him bothered me the most, because he looked like a meth-addict, and I want to see if your color tweaks makes him look somewhat normal again.

Aerith: Cloud, you used to be in SOLDIER didn't you?
Cloud: ... How did you know?
Aerith: You look like a meth-addict.

If he was supposed to look like this in the original it's a miracle no one asked him: "Dude!! Are you alright!?!"

DLPB_

  • Banned
  • *
  • Posts: 11006
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake Gameplay Reveal
« Reply #153 on: 2015-12-13 16:55:44 »
Aerith: Cloud, you used to be in SOLDIER didn't you?
Cloud: ... How did you know?
Aerith: You look like a meth-addict.

If he was supposed to look like this in the original it's a miracle no one asked him: "Dude!! Are you alright!?!"

Exactly.  The only thing that was wrong with him in the original story were his eyes.  His psychological issues manifest themselves and are a key part of the story.  If he turns up looking like a meth addict then those clues are wasted.  This is just rather poor design and a divergence from the earlier style.  I think people are starting to fall into the trap of understanding these changes as "part of the story" or believing crumby explanations from the writers that contradict the earlier work.
« Last Edit: 2015-12-13 16:57:29 by DLPB »

KnifeTheSky77

  • *
  • Posts: 548
  • Somnambulistic Paraphile
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake Gameplay Reveal
« Reply #154 on: 2015-12-13 17:08:53 »
I think the really well maintained hair threw them off.

gjoerulv

  • *
  • Posts: 1225
  • me
    • View Profile
    • My Youtube
Re: FF7 Remake Gameplay Reveal
« Reply #155 on: 2015-12-13 21:58:30 »
At least someone in-game in FF7R have to mention his looks haha.

His hairstyle looks very awkward in the realistic artstyle too.

There is far less room for abstraction as well, leaving it much more open for criticism and questionable situations. Like, for instance, Cloud running through those bullets... It's a common cliché for the hero to run though bullet-rain, but the problem here is the presentation. You just don't buy it. You have to make excuses, in your head, on behalf of the game to make it work.

DLPB_

  • Banned
  • *
  • Posts: 11006
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake Gameplay Reveal
« Reply #156 on: 2015-12-14 22:38:52 »
At least someone in-game in FF7R have to mention his looks haha.

His hairstyle looks very awkward in the realistic artstyle too.

There is far less room for abstraction as well, leaving it much more open for criticism and questionable situations. Like, for instance, Cloud running through those bullets... It's a common cliché for the hero to run though bullet-rain, but the problem here is the presentation. You just don't buy it. You have to make excuses, in your head, on behalf of the game to make it work.

And it really isn't necessary to add that cliche, either.  It bloats the game and it means even more work where it wasn't needed.  FF7's cutscenes were great already, and mostly adhered to FF7's own internal logic (which, in many respects is the same as our planet). Jumping through bullets just makes things worse.  Less is often more.

StickySock

  • *
  • Posts: 155
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake Gameplay Reveal
« Reply #157 on: 2015-12-15 03:23:24 »
@hian: I think that your version still looks 10x better, and I'd be happier with a less ultra-realistic style.

EDIT: Accidentally posted before I was ready to.


It really is a shame that they are so focused on how light reflects off skin to realize that it looks like strawberries regardless.

Anyways, here's a video I think you all might find interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpIlShZ2tEI (It's Jim Sterling's opinion on the remake situation.)
« Last Edit: 2015-12-15 03:29:44 by StickySock »

Kefka

  • *
  • Posts: 202
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake Gameplay Reveal
« Reply #158 on: 2015-12-15 14:52:20 »
Anyways, here's a video I think you all might find interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpIlShZ2tEI (It's Jim Sterling's opinion on the remake situation.)

Yeah, he covered it quite well in that video, turn-based combat is far from outdated, at least not for me. What I always liked most about turn-based combat systems was the strategic aspect they offered. My issue with action-driven systems (from FF12 onward) was that you lose track of what's actually happening on the screen way too easily with everyone acting at the same time and damage numbers flying all about. This loss of control over the battle gives me the feeling that I'm a bystander rather than an actual participant. Thing is: the faster a combat system is designed, the less strategic it gets (because you don't have the time to ponder your next move anymore). And it's not funny when your AI-controlled comrades kill that one enemy that you still wanted to steal an item from. With turn-based combat systems, everything was much better "organized", if that makes sense.

Oh, and I agree that hian's Cloud looks a lot better than what Square Enix has given us. Good job, hian.

DLPB_

  • Banned
  • *
  • Posts: 11006
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake Gameplay Reveal
« Reply #159 on: 2015-12-16 03:14:08 »
That's absolutely it, Kefka.  The goal of having great visuals has pushed out the gameplay aspect. And, er, we are talking about a game.  If I went to a movie, I wouldn't expect a joypad to drop down during it and have to fight random enemies in order to progress the plot. People shouldn't be accepting this as the norm for the genre.  It isn't.  FF and jrpg in general are supposed to be tactical affairs - which, as you noted, cannot happen with a real-time combat in anywhere near the same fashion as turn-based combat.
« Last Edit: 2015-12-16 03:16:21 by DLPB »


Covarr

  • Covarr-Let
  • Administrator
  • *
  • Posts: 3941
  • Just Covarr. No "n".
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #161 on: 2015-12-19 17:00:33 »
We really don't need a separate thread for each announcement or update. Merged and renamed. ~Covarr

Gatchaman

  • *
  • Posts: 84
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #162 on: 2015-12-21 01:33:23 »
Thanks for the link!

I'm glad they're finally sorting out that damn asphalt! Don't want big grains in my tarmac- that's unrealistic!

I am interested to see how they'll change the soldiers, I thought they looked recognisable.

I love how they half- mention things, as if they just want to generate more discussion over tiny topics. Things like "online content" (! I guess they mean DLC?), or the party ability ("it's not cooperation!")

Also weird that they keep saying Jessica.

gjoerulv

  • *
  • Posts: 1225
  • me
    • View Profile
    • My Youtube
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #163 on: 2015-12-21 03:59:01 »
Quote
Some parts in the Compilation that have been difficult to understand will be connected better in the Remake.

oh God...

Quote
VII’s famous opening, where the camera zooms in all across Midgar, etc., will probably be changed in the remake.

What the actual fern?!?! Ha, ha are they trying to piss us off? Well, it depends on whta they mean by "change" here. Imo that opening is one of the, of not the best opening to any video-game with a story.

Quote
Real ≠ Photoreal “Real” is an important keyword for 7R, but Nomura says this does not mean photo realism. The “real” comes from maintaining integrity and unity of the world.

Not quite sure what to make of this. Sure, integrity is all good, but the art-style clearly has a photo-realistic approach at the very least. Has the above quote nothing/little to do whit art-style then?

Quote
The remake will have more scenes of people actually living in Midgar.

Fleshing out Midgard is something the original lacked. All good in my book. Online play also gets a thumbs up from me. Had been fun to play original FF7 PvP.

DLPB_

  • Banned
  • *
  • Posts: 11006
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #164 on: 2015-12-21 04:14:02 »
The camera thing probably means they hired Lucas to have a big elephant like creature wander aimlessly across the screen because cgi is good.

There was a moment during the Star Wars prequels when I wondered if Lucas was either senile or had taken a knock to the head in order to transform what he was into what he is now.  And I'm getting that same feeling regarding the original writers of VII.  Sakaguchi leaving can't be blamed for everything. How is it possible for these guys not to realize that what made FF7 great in the first place was none of the things they are currently trying to peddle as essential or necessary?

They're even falling into the "alter it later" trap that Lucas did.
« Last Edit: 2015-12-21 04:21:17 by DLPB »

picklejar

  • *
  • Posts: 147
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #165 on: 2015-12-23 03:22:24 »

Calone

  • *
  • Posts: 19
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #166 on: 2015-12-23 15:08:03 »
These are dark, non-mako powered times, for sure. Changing the opening? Really? If it isn't broken why fix it? Is it jusrt me, or did that last update give the feeling that they are going to make this a corridor simulator?

Covarr

  • Covarr-Let
  • Administrator
  • *
  • Posts: 3941
  • Just Covarr. No "n".
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #167 on: 2015-12-23 15:41:55 »
Is it jusrt me, or did that last update give the feeling that they are going to make this a corridor simulator?
After all the flak they got for doing that with FF13, and even explicitly acknowledging it as a problem, there's no way Square Enix would allow that to happen again. The tight corridors shown in the trailer are in places where there were tight corridors in the original, such as the tunnel they escape through after the reactor explodes.

edit: Not to mention, the action-focused combat they're doing outright requires open spaces. Consider how areas tend to be laid out in Kingdom Hearts, where there are corridors when appropriate, but also arenas when appropriate, as well as obstacles (buildings, fountains, etc) to make it more interesting. For all Nomura gets wrong on a regular basis, I've noticed his games tend to have well laid-out levels, so that's the one thing I'm truly not worried about here.
« Last Edit: 2015-12-23 15:45:28 by Covarr »

picklejar

  • *
  • Posts: 147
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #168 on: 2015-12-23 20:58:40 »
Worst case would be something like FF13, but (like Covarr) I seriously doubt they'll do that.

"Best" case, they'll create an entire planet with every single square inch detailed out, with a full world map, and you can travel to every possible coordinate in the world. But, I put "Best" in parentheses because I'm not sure if that's truly necessary. Do we really want Square Enix to spend development time fleshing out an entire planet?

I'm guessing it will be somewhere in between:
  • At minimum I think it will be like "FF15 without airship capability", i.e. there will be a large number of "large open spaces" ("area maps") that connect together, such that it at least feels like a large world.
  • Ideally, it will be like "FF15 with airship capability" where you can travel to a large percentage of the entire planet, and you can at least "see" any spot on the planet from a distance. Basically, they should be able to create a single "world map" that contains all the individual "area maps" connected together in one cohesive unit. Actually I think SE needs to do that least this much if they want to to support airships and/or if they want it to feel like an entire world.

Another thing to remember, SE needs to do underwater detail too, not just land detail, at least for the submarine portion of the game. (But even in the original I think you could only travel to a part of the underwater part of the planet, not the entire ocean.)

RVallant

  • *
  • Posts: 1
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #169 on: 2015-12-24 02:58:29 »
Eh, my friend went out and bought the PS4 port, the trailer put him off but, when they said it was episodic he just threw in the towel.

I'm in agreement with him. This is looking like it is all flash no substance, and that highly amuses me, as it is exactly the mistake they made with FF14. In fact, they identified that as a problem, too much focus on art assets, too many polygons/pixels in background art that has no bearing on the game, and no enough focus on the interesting bits.

Was it Yoshida (I can't keep track of Japanese names), who produced this wonderful analysis on the failure of Final Fantasy? He pointed out the bloated art departments, the lack of cohesion. I only subbed ARR for a month or two, but when the announcements for updates were made, he seemed on point, for example, refusing to make things group-centric in the normal battles precisely because the average gamer doesn't want to be a wuss, getting owned by normal creatures. The average MMO gamer wants to feel like a hero. I think he's on point with what people wants, and that is why ARR feels more like a FF than any FF post-X.

I don't know what Nomura is doing, but I think his marketing/PR justifications basically highlight the issue, which is that Square is still woefully out of touch with the core fanbase. Has been for ages. It doesn't surprise me that they may be struggling for money, given the design decisions seems to be a return to 'max graphics' and the episodic decisions seems to be a 'ooh, how will we pay for this?'

Ugh, I'm so frustrated with SE, they really dropped the ball on everything post FFX in my opinion. Bah!

Anyway, this remake, I see lots of people were lapping it up on other forums and yet, were having second thoughts when it was announced as episodic. Personally, I was weary from the start, the Barrett sunglasses (Morpheus lol), and the action combat just bothered me.

So, I probably, 99% sure I won't pick it up, and/or if I *do* end up picking it up, and this will be once I conveniently ignore all the reviews going 'omg it's sliced bread version 2' and listen to genuine fan reactions, I'll pick it up on the cheap. Though, every bone in my body says that I shouldn't bother, as it will just kill my experience of Final Fantasy, don't even get me started on the compilation rubbish.

Instead, since it's the Winter Sales, I've picked up the PC version of FF7. And my eyes get misty over the music, why have I picked it up (for the third time), considering I already have one opened and one unopened copy on the PS1? Modding! ;) Ah well! :)

Fischkopf

  • *
  • Posts: 217
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #170 on: 2015-12-24 11:38:11 »
Another update: SE discusses fully voiced staff, world map, mini games:

http://www.novacrystallis.com/2015/12/final-fantasy-vii-remake-will-be-fully-voiced-staff-discusses-world-map-mini-games/
My thoughts on this:

Quote
Nomura: "Basically, it will be fully voiced."
I guess this will mean the game will be cut short quite heavily in regard to trivial dialogs. There is NO way they will have every single line voiced that was in the original game. This makes me wonder, why the hell do they present themselves with such a challenge? This is something NOBODY has asked for. I'd rather have all the dialog from the original, with voice acting added for cutscenes. Nobody will argue, even today that the way they did it for FF-X was already perfect.

We shouldn't forget it was because of constraints like this, that FF XIII has become the sh1tty linear game it was.

Quote
Kitase:“We want to put the mini-games that remain favorable among fans in as much as possible.”

Nomura: “There were a lot of things from big to small, but we need to consider a bit whether it’s necessary to create them all with the latest technology.”

Whether it's necessary? NECESSARY??!

Are they short on budget already making statements like this, or what? We want nothing less than all the mini games. ALL of them.

Quote
Nomura: Personally, I’m waiting for Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 and World of Final Fantasy in 2016. I think when they’re completed, I’ll be able to release new information.”

Are they seriously prioritising development of some MMO-spinoff and a Kingdom Hearts game over FF VII?? I don't know about you people, but I never cared about KH not in the slightest. I just can't take it seriously and it doesn't grip me at all, which probably has to do with the fact that it's based on the completely RIDICULOUS premise of mixing Disney characters with Final Fantasy. And I couldn't care less about yet another Final Fantasy MMO either. Now that FF XV is near completion, all their focus should logically be on the newest game in their main franchise, which is the FF VII Remake.

It should have been obvious to them from the beginning, that FF VII Remake will be literally their biggest project ever and should get all the development resources it needs, which basically are all of them.

/rant
« Last Edit: 2015-12-24 11:40:06 by Fischkopf »

hian

  • *
  • Posts: 126
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #171 on: 2015-12-27 03:40:03 »
My thoughts on this:
I guess this will mean the game will be cut short quite heavily in regard to trivial dialogs. There is NO way they will have every single line voiced that was in the original game. This makes me wonder, why the hell do they present themselves with such a challenge? This is something NOBODY has asked for. I'd rather have all the dialog from the original, with voice acting added for cutscenes. Nobody will argue, even today that the way they did it for FF-X was already perfect.

I don't think we should assume that what he means by "fully voiced" is that every single NPC in the game will be voiced - rather that everything of importance will be voiced.
Even if that weren't the case, I'm pretty dialogue heavy games like the Witcher already do this, so it's far from impossible.

We shouldn't forget it was because of constraints like this, that FF XIII has become the sh1tty linear game it was.

This is on a new platform though, with less restriction, using a much more developer friendly engine, being partly outsourced to multiple outside companies, being released in parts presumably to avoid this being an issue.

Whether it's necessary? NECESSARY??!

Are they short on budget already making statements like this, or what? We want nothing less than all the mini games. ALL of them.

You really gonna miss Sumo Arm Wrestling that much?
Especially if the trade off is, for example, a better, and more fleshed out Chocobo breeding/racing mini-game with online multi-player?


Are they seriously prioritising development of some MMO-spinoff and a Kingdom Hearts game over FF VII?? I don't know about you people, but I never cared about KH not in the slightest. I just can't take it seriously and it doesn't grip me at all, which probably has to do with the fact that it's based on the completely RIDICULOUS premise of mixing Disney characters with Final Fantasy. And I couldn't care less about yet another Final Fantasy MMO either. Now that FF XV is near completion, all their focus should logically be on the newest game in their main franchise, which is the FF VII Remake.

That's not what Nomura was talking about in the Dengeki interview though. He referred to being swamped in other work preventing him from giving out more news in the near future, not about the pace of the development.

SE is a developing and publishing company - their focus should, logically, be on whatever projects they've already pooled time and resources into, that have promising near-future economical pay-offs, in the order that they were initiated.
FFXV isn't finished yet, and has yet to generate any revenue. They have multiple other projects closer to completion that have yet to generate any revenue either.

You're saying it would make sense for them to pool loads of money, time and resources into a project  that is nowhere near finished at the expense of other projects despite having dumped loads of money, time and resources into them already?
Where exactly are the funds for salaries and continued development of FFVIIR going to come from then?


It should have been obvious to them from the beginning, that FF VII Remake will be literally their biggest project ever and should get all the development resources it needs, which basically are all of them.

It is getting all the development resources it needs - that's why its being developed by multiple outside companies on a 3rd party engine, while also stealing resources from in-house teams like the KH3 team.
This is literally 100 times better than it being developed on their in-house engine for instance, which would limit their development potential to a much smaller pool of developers who're all currently tied up in FFXV.

Timing was a thing in even getting this project of its feet. They've been candid about this several times - they'd only do this once the original members could get back together.
This was their time-window - however, they can't just have SE, a giant company responsible for several major IPs, drop everything to the floor for this one game.
Because regardless how bloated the confidence of the original fan-base is - this game is not an instant cash-grab when developed on a new system, with this generation's graphics and level of content. Certainly not to the extent that they can sacrifice all their other IPs and still make up the difference with FFVII alone.

Now, I'm under no illusion that this game is going to be the next best thing after sliced bread, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if what it ends up we're looking at is essentially "Final Uncharted of the Old Republic 7" rather than a what a good remake or good re-imagining would be -
but non of what Nomura and Kitase have said so far is really all that controversial knowing at least in part, based on the trailer, what this game seems to be aiming for.
It's a reboot plain and simple. It isn't going to retrace the footsteps of the original.
That however, does not mean that we can safely assume that what it ends up being won't be a good game.

It can be a strawberriesty remake, and still be an excellent game in its own right. Is that unfair towards fans of the original? Yes. But, if that's what we're getting, let's at least rate it for what it is - not for failing at being something it never tried nor pretended to be.
« Last Edit: 2015-12-27 05:31:28 by hian »

DLPB_

  • Banned
  • *
  • Posts: 11006
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #172 on: 2015-12-27 11:23:15 »
The "true to the original" ship has long sailed. It's no good being disappointed by every new announcement that content is being changed, dropped, or completely warped.  We all know now that that is how they're doing it.  And I've known that's how they'd do it for well over 5 years which is why I never wanted them to start.  Your best bet is to stop reading their interviews and forget the game is even being made - like me.  And then not buying it - like me.

I disagree with Hian that what they're saying isn't controversial.  Their entire game plan has been a slap in the face to the original fans and will continue to be.  But my point is - that's how it is. There's no changing it.

They're going for maximum graphics, maximum hype, and maximum flash.  Substance isn't really their main consideration - revenue is.  As people keep repeating, this remake is nothing to do with the fans or making a faithful game.  It's all to do with money.  I expect the game to be decent in its own right - but completely void of a soul and for that and other reasons, not a game I personally will ever want to play.  A lot of content will be dropped, for sure. And their approach (part releases) is already piss poor and a symptom of crap management and milking the remake for all it's worth. Since it's Christmas, let's let Jesus do the talking:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13&version=NLT

« Last Edit: 2015-12-28 20:39:10 by DLPB »

Zara9

  • *
  • Posts: 559
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #173 on: 2015-12-27 11:28:22 »
hey

i hope the ff7 remake is good
« Last Edit: 2015-12-27 11:33:04 by Zara9 »

hian

  • *
  • Posts: 126
    • View Profile
Re: FF7 Remake general thread
« Reply #174 on: 2015-12-27 14:55:02 »
The "true to the original" ship has long sailed. It's no good being disappointed by every new announcement that content is being changed or completely warped.  We all know now that that is how they're doing it.  And I've known that's how they'd do it for well over 5 years which is why I never wanted them to start.  Your best bet is to stop reading their interviews and forget the game is even being made - like me.  And then not buying it - like me.

I disagree with Hian that what they're saying isn't controversial.  Their entire game plan has been a slap in the face to the original fans and will continue to be.  But my point is - that's how it is. There's no changing it.

What I meant to say is - it's not controversial from a design or industry perspective - it's perfectly "reasonable". It's hilariously insulting and sad for long-time fans though.
But, that's what I was expecting to happen to begin with - this isn't Squaresoft - it's Square-Enix, a monolith of a company, and one of the last bastions of AAA console gaming in Japan.
They have "better things to do" than cater to their old fans =P