I attempt a JRPG again: Liveblogging Final Fantasy I: Dawn of Souls

Kinkajou

Okay, here's my first liveblog on IJBM II - never really got used to the new liveblogging system over there at TVT. So I'm gonna go for a game reasonably short and easy to pick up, so I picked up Final Fantasy I.

Here's the thing: You guys get to choose what jobs, names, and genders (the last of which is a purely cosmetic matter which may find its way into this narrative) I use. The only restriction is that there should be no duplicate jobs, so multiple Warriors or White Mages is out of the question.

When you make a suggestion, you list the four characters in this manner: Job, Name, then Gender. Let's begin!

Nova

Warrior: Male

Cleric: Male

Black Mage: Female

... Thief? Or Martial Artist? @_@

delta534

Here are my suggestions 

White Mage

Rose

Female

Thief

Elf-Lord

Male

Monk

Chan

Male

Fighter

Tim

Male

Black magic sucks in the first game and the only good black magic is learned by the ninja. White magic is invaluable and the white wizard is the only class that can learn the really good ones. Monk is there for pure damage output without equipment. The fighter is there for more damage as well and better lifespan. 

Forzare

You should name characters after IJBM users.  Like me.

JBridge

White Mage

White Mage

White Mage

White Mage

gentlemanorcus

* Male Fighter, name can be anything

* Male Thief, name can be anything

* Female White Mage, name can be anything

* Female Monk, name can be anything

Legionnaire

Fighter, Thief, Black Mage and Red Mage, all male.

Kinkajou

@JBridge: No duplicates.

@Legionnaire: Ha.

dmboogie

Female Fighter: Nanti
Male White Mage: Glenn
Female Black Mage: Name can be anything, really.
Male Red Mage: Paulson

Kinkajou

Oh, and I almost forgot: There's a six-character limit for names!

dmboogie

Aww.

Paulson is now just Paul.

gentlemanorcus

I think "Paulso" would be a pretty good name for one of the characters.

"Everyone watch out, it's the great Paulso!"

dmboogie

Paulso.

I am 0kay with that.

Malkavian

Batman.

Kamina

Poplar

Azusa

Pinga

Kinkajou

Delta's and dmboogie's picks are currently my short list. Any more takers?

MoeDantes

Fighter
name: Doo
gender: Male

Black Belt
name: Wah
gender: Male

White Mage
name: Diddy
gender: Female

Black Mage
name: Dumm
gender: Female

To the guy who said Black Mages are useless... are you playing the same FF1 I am?

MadassAlex

Fighter: Dune, male.
Red Mage: Jojo, male.
Black Mage: Leo, male.
Martial Artist: Spud, male.

Nova

Alex: I see no white mage there :C

MadassAlex

MoeDantes

Just reading this topic makes me want to get the PSP release of Final Fantasy I, just so I can play along with Kinkajou (the PSP version is identical to Dawn of Souls, so I've heard).

Kinkajou

It is, save for an extra bonus dungeon that's PSP-exclusive.

There's also an iOS version out, IIRC.

delta534

I'll explain my stance on the Black Mage.It could be my play style but I felt that most black magic and by extension the black mage just became nearly useless by the end of the game. The only black magic I used consistently through out the game were temper and haste both learned by red wizards and ninjas. The high end black magic I felt was not powerful enough compared to an attack by monk, ninja or a warrior. I can see how someone might find a black mage useful, I just never did. 

Kinkajou

That's because bosses' magic defense is greatly buffed in Dawn of Souls, and spells don't deal a set interval but now depend on intelligence.

Black Mages are the best screen-clearers though.

Kinkajou

>Be the Warrior.

http://i.imgur.com/ld1jR.png">

Your name is Timothy of Pravoka, although your friends call you TIM. As an ASPIRING SQUIRE-ERRANT, you take various quests and jobs across the land, hoping to use your good sword-arm and skill with weapons well. Other than the ART OF COMBAT, you like SAILING, a matter aided by your being born and raised in a seaside town. Your favorite color is RED and you prefer using SWORDS the most.

>Be the Monk.

Your name is Nantina Sophia Charlotte Diana Strong-Arm, or NANTI for short. Despite being born into a family of great warriors hailing from Melmond, your father did not want you taking a career in arms. However, this did not mean he explicitly forbade you from learning the arts of combat; rather you did, taking up the DIAMOND FIST school of martial arts. Despite your predilection towards combat, you still like the COMFORTS of a well-to-do life. As said earlier, your martial arts school emphasizes the art of fighting with fists, although weapons are not frowned upon. Your favorite color is a dark shade of BLUE, which is matches your gi well.

>Be the Thief.

Your name is merely Paul of Elfheim, and your friends also call you PAUL. Your half-elf heritage meant that you were effectively an outcast in Elfheim, and thus you spent most of your youth as a beggar in Cornelia, developing the skills a thief is known for. Although you are an ace at STEALING from people, stealing from monsters is a concept you never understood. What would anyone find on those, anyway? Your specialty in combat is running in circles around enemies, and you prefer BLADED WEAPONS such as knives and swords. You like the color GREEN, seeing as it was the color of your rags until meeting Tim got you some more presentable clothing... which is also green.

>Be the White Mage.

Your name is Rose Elizabeth Hudson, better known as ROSE. Between you and your friends, you are the only one who was born in Cornelia, and a career in the White Mages' Guild was your destiny from the start. After meeting (or, more accurately, bumping into) Tim and the others, you suddenly gained a yearning for ADVENTURE that could not be replaced by anything. Taking your leave of the Guild Mistress, you join your new friends on a journey. Your favorite color is the color of your hair, GOLD, surprisingly given your class and garb.

So, any suggestions what to do next?

Nova

go kill stuff

:>

Or, more correctly, maybe you should liveblog their meeting or something :P Or else the first bit of the game, whichever.

Anyway. Those characterizations do sound nice ^_^

Schitzo

Very nice.

I never did like the Dawn of Souls version of the game. My favorites where either NES or Origins.

dmboogie

They all meet at an inn.

DO EEEEET. > : P

Kinkajou

>Enter town.

http://i.imgur.com/xYokf.png">

You enter the city of CORNELIA. This is the hometown of Rose, as well as where Paul spent most of his youth after leaving Elfheim. 

Rose: What are we still doing here? Aren't we going on a big ADVENTURE?

Paul: Yeah, she's right. I don't want any of the city guards to see and recognize my mug.

Nanti: But we'll use this time to buy supplies, like equipment-

Paul: ?!

Tim: and magic, because who knows what we'll encounter?

Rose: You got me there.

>Buy spells.

Rose: These are the spells that I can use, given that I'm just an apprentice-level White Mage. 

Cure allows me to channel life energies to restore health and fix minor wounds.

Dia allows me to focus holy energies to damage those that do not live, the undead.

Protect grants a charm that allows its target to take more punishment from physical attacks.

Blink makes me less visible to enemies, making me less vulnerable.

(OOC: Protect + Blink, along with the White Mage's surprisingly good average HP growth, allows it to tank quite well early game. Dia is pretty much a waste at this point since most enemies go down better with physical attacks.)

>Buy Cure, Protect, and Blink.

>Buy weapons.

Nanti: The nunchaku is a good weapon for me now, but later it will be less powerful than my fists. The Diamond Fist style increases its power through intensive training, and its most powerful adherents eschew weapons.

Paul: The knife is a simple dagger. Nothing interesting.

Tim: The rapier is the simplest sword. It's less accurate than a knife, but more powerful.

Rose: Ooh, that hammer. It's heavier and less accurate than my staff, but much more powerful.

>Buy armor.

Rose: Clothes are nothing special. They're the only armor mages like me can wear at the moment.

Paul: Leather Armor is useful, and I need something as light as it is for me to move fast.

Tim: Chain Mail is something sturdy enough to give me my needed defense. I am the party tank, after all.

>Buy one hammer, two rapiers, one leather armor, and one chain mail.

The party equip their newfound equipment.

>Attempt to exit town.

The party attempt to leave town, in order to begin their ADVENTURE. However, they are blocked by a Cornelian guard. What does this mean?