Characters in demos

[Linkforce]

Has anybody noticed that in ppls. demo's, the characters never start with any skills.  Why is that?  I mean if he or she is a skilled fighter, they should have a few skills handy right?  And I don't think that they should always start on level 1.  As I just said, if they are fighters, they should have SOME experience right?

[Trevlac]

Precisely why FF 7 starts you at Level 6 and you already have a Limit Break.

You're very right.  What I want to know is why the facsination with the following cap numbers:

99 (or anything ending in "9")
75 (where the hell'd that one come from?)
50 (that's not nearly enough)
starting with lvl 1. (at least start counting with 0, like every computer in the world)

I dunno.  I just like how Star Ocean caps at 255 (hexadecimal maximum) and how Chrono Trigger caps at ** (basicly, 100).

[drenrin2120]

I don't know. but who really honestly cares that much? I believe we're starting to worry a little too much about cliches. There's certain kinds of cliches that are avoidable, but if you think about it too much, you can make a cliche about almost anything. So, there will always be the "unavoidable" cliche.

[Linkforce]

It's not really cliche.  It's realism.  If you were a swordsman, and you were taught by a mentor for yers, don't you think you would be past level one with at least a skill or two?  At the very least.

[ZeroKirbyX]

That's exactly why I hate it when games start you off so odd. I mean, there are games when he's never used a sword, but he's instantly a master. Or he's trained for years and knows one tech.

But cliches are getting out of hand. Like he said you can make anything a cliche. "Oh my god. The grass is green, stop ripping off FF n00b".

[drenrin2120]

lol, yeas. I guess I could see both sides of the argument on this one. I'll be thinknig about my own character's levels now...

[ZeroKirbyX]

I'm still going to have him start at Lv. 1 with 2 techs, and my mage at 1 with 3, but the third chars been fencing for years with a rapier so I have him starting with 7 basic techs.

[Osmose]

Who ever said that everyone has a level? Think of it like this: Normal people don't have levels. People who have trained enough will be given the level 1 and can grow from there. And where their level caps is their physical limit. Their body cannot grow any more.

[Sephiroth rocks]

Yeah you forgot how weak ordinary ppl are. They're level 0 and have 1 HP and 0 MP! The hero is already from level 1 significantly stronger than commoners.

[Linkforce]

Yes, but lvl. 1 is weak.  And you cant learn to wield any weapon unless you have experience.  So, lvl. 1 just doesn't seem real.

[Trevlac]

I think I'm going to agree with Osmose.  RPGs don't HAVE to have levels.

[SaiKar]

I liked the way Final Fantasy IV did it. Kain and Cecil started at level 5, the experienced mage Tellah was 10 (I think) but Rydia was 1 when you first got her. You really had to work to protect little kid Rydia for a while until she got some levels and become a total magical powerhouse.

But the reason characters start at level 1 in most games is to just show that they have a long way to go. If they start at level 5, then what's the point of having levels 1-4? Either way it's the same start and the same skills. If you start at 5 you just get to the cap faster, which means less playing.

About characters not having skills - don't you think knowing how to use a sword and a shield counts as a skill? Things things are HEAVY and BULKY and most civilians would be totally unwilling to stab someone with a sharp object. Just being able to weild the weapons in combat is a skill.

[Moosetroop11]

Interesting... The way FF2 did it was better, perhaps, as the characters developed in whatever skills they used most frequently.

[Dragonium]

Yeah, I agree, it's weird.

But I at least always try to give reasons for less kills or power. For example Endair in my game was very skilled with a sword, but he decided to use a bow instead, after he saw how easily his soldiers died when they rushed in.

Little things like that.