What a shame... I was looking forward to play the new content...
The rank up system seems far-fetched. They could level up with new curves for stats, but depending on the main story kinda makes you run for it... Going half way to an FFX-like stats customization doesn't cut it for me.
Everything else seems great. Loved the new 10 minutes to escape and the second battle. The specific abilities for each char also... and pretty much everything else really.
I actually really liked the Sphere grid and ffx stats customization, actually a game came out a few years ago which was pretty successful which basically copy and pasted the sphere grid called path of exile, a diablo-ish clone. I got bored of it pretty quick but it's redeeming feature was the sphere grid, it allows a lot of customization. That's what chief's system does to an extent, a lot of customization options. Actually I really liked ffx-2's battle system too despite loathing many aspects of that cash in/fan service. I've heard plenty of people complain about the voice acting of 10, getting rid of the over world map, the look of Tidus, I agree with these things to an extent, but I've never seen someone not like the sphere grid before
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That's not saying I don't think the sphere grid could be improved, I think it might have been in the international version from what I've seen, everyone starts in the middle and the loops/circles of pre-reqs you have to go through are gone. Sounds pretty good to me.
I'm actually playing persona 4 and persona 3 fes for the first time right now, and I'm really loving how your stats/resistances are affected by your personas I think Ni no kuni was like this too. I just love stat customization I guess, I was a kid growing up with diablo 2 Lord of Destruction as well. So maybe I am a bit biased to the old ways
Actually one of the things that pissed me most off about ff7 before I found out about mods was that there was intended to be a tradeoff when you equipped magic materia, your physical stats, like strength and vitality were supposed to take a hit, whereas other support materias were supposed to boost your stats. In the base game I mean they do that but the impact is so small it doesn't seem to matter. Why make a mechanic if it can be ignored? I'm not far into new threat but it seems like Chief corrected this problem I had which is why I really like this mod so far along with the new bosses and tweaked old bosses. I actually took all my magic materia except cure off Barret and put support materia on him, and he serves as my tank sort of. I always liked the Job system too, ever since Tactics where I found out about it. Having roles is kind of a step towards the job system which I think is why I managed to beat x-2, the dress spheres were basically jobs if I remember right.