Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
So with regards to that Fullbringer quest, I found these old posts I made from a while back about how I thought Bleach should have gone.
Leingod's Ideas Thread
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Doesn't seem all that wrong. You'll have to be more careful to maintain tension given that there will be so many more power ups than in canon.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
With how bullsh*t Bleach's threat escalation is, that won't even really be much of a problem. It's like giving the Earthlings in Dragon Ball the Kaioken; it's less making them broken and more just allowing them to squeeze out a few more arcs of plot relevance because of how ridiculous Super Saiyan is.
Final Fantasy XII Quest
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Ivalice. A region where the three continents of the known world meet and mingle. Where a myriad of cultures and races interact and rub shoulders daily. And now, it is the border between two expansive, all-consuming empires vying for hegemony.
Many centuries ago, a minor noble named Raithwall made a pact with the gods, and became the great Dynast-King who united Ivalice under the Galtean Alliance. For 400 years, Ivalice knew peace and prosperity, until the Galtean dynasty founded by the Dynast-King died out. But even now, King Raithwall's legacy shapes Ivalice. At the very center of Ivalice, the small but wealthy kingdoms of Dalmasca and Nabradia trace their origins directly to the Dynast-Kings bloodline. And Archadia and Rozarria, once minor city-states at the very edges of the Galtean Alliance have used the centuries of peace to grow and expand into mighty empires, and are now rivals vying for influence and control in Ivalice. Many fear that the two might come to blows, and the kingdoms and states in-between the two eye this state of affairs with well-justified anxiety.
Whether it be called destiny or the will of gods, forces beyond your knowledge or power to change are at work in Ivalice, and whoever you are, you will one day feel the effects of this force in your life. But where does it start? What life do you lead? And what stars do you follow?
[] Knight of Dalmasca
The Order of the Knights of Dalmasca forms the backbone of the military forces of the Kingdom of Dalmasca. For centuries, their keen discipline and excellent training has made them some of the most elite soldiers in Ivalice, and their reputation is almost as potent a deterrent as their actual skills. Almost as storied as their prowess is their conduct: the order upholds a strict code that demands valor, loyalty and chivalry from all who would call themselves knights. For generation after generation, almost every child in Rabanastre has dreamed of donning the armor of the Knights of Dalmasca and marching in their ranks. You are one of the few who made this dream a reality.
You are a young knight who has only recently taken the vows and been given your equipment. You were at the top of your class as a recruit and have passed at a young age, so much is expected of you, and no less an officer than Captain Basch fon Ronsenberg himself has taken notice.
You grew up in the poorer districts of Dalmasca; your family weaves straw mats and sandals for a living, and while you rarely went hungry, yours was a life with very few luxuries. That you were able to accomplish your dream of becoming a knight speaks greatly of your talent, and that there has been very little stigma against you surely speaks well of the order. An idealist and something of a dreamer, many see you as the stereotypical eager young knight: diligent in carrying out your duties and zealously living by the Code, perhaps a bit too much at times. You believe strongly in the ideals the knights represent: to bravely protect the weak and defend your home with the utmost loyalty, to act with fairness and justice in all your dealings. People see your strong devotions to the virtue of the order, and they often miss that you are far from lacking in ambition. You aren't content to be a simple soldier, though you don't look down on it at all. You're determined to one day become famous, perhaps as famous and important as Captain Basch.
-You are most likely a Hume, but Bangaa and the occasional Seeq have also donned the armor of the Knights of Dalmasca and would not be commented on. Perhaps you'll be the first Viera to join?
-Of the 12 Constellations of the Zodiac, you are most attuned to Taurus, Leo and Scorpio, and may choose one of them as your starting class
[] Archadian Judge
In Archadia, the title of "Judge" holds a different meaning than in most of Ivalice. The Archadian Judges are a special order of knights attached to the Imperial Archadian Ministry of Law. During Archadia's rapid expansion as an imperial power, there was a commensurate rise in crime and regional conflict. To streamline the judicial process, the emperor introduced legislation to create an empire-spanning military court system, this being the origin of the Order of Judges. They are the supreme enforcers of Archadian law within the empire, and each Judge wields extraordinary legal and military authority in their person, able to commandeer civil and military courts and to give orders to both civilian and military authorities when necessary... within limits, of course. All Judges are as much elite soldier as legal scholar, and perform their duties in full armor. Above the normal Judges are the Judge Magisters, who are not only the highest legal authority within the empire (excepting the emperor, of course), but also serve as the imperial house's personal guard and as the highest-ranking commanders of the imperial armed forces. Judge Magisters are required to be adept in combat both physical and magickal, and to be masters of Archadian jurisprudence.
You are a young Judge, having only recently passed the grueling training necessary to produce the elite warriors and legal adjudicators that the Order of Judges demands. For your exemplary scores and performance as a recruit, you have been attached to the command of Judge Magister Drace, whose main duty currently is to protect and mentor the younger son of the emperor, Prince Larsa Solidor.
Your family are proud Archadians with many generations of military service to their name. You are the first of your family to don the armor of a Judge, though, and for that I'm sure they're extremely proud of you. You have what some of your instructors called the perfect mindset for a Judge: you are strict, stoic and dutiful, though you're far from devoid of emotions or passion, particularly when not on duty. You also have faultless loyalty to the empire and a certain reverence for the law that is crucial in preventing a Judge from abusing his tremendous powers and responsibilities. However, what few of your instructors ever noticed is that you are not some blind zealot of the law; you recognize a difference between its letter and its spirit, and if the two ever conflict, you will choose the latter every time. Many Judges will praise you for this, but just as many will condemn you. Tread lightly.
-Only Humes are allowed to serve in the Archadian military
-Of the 12 Constellations of the Zodiac, you are most attuned to Taurus, Cancer and Leo, and may choose one of them as your starting class
[] Heir to Bhujerba
Magicite. Magickal energy trapped within stone, ready to be released and bent to whatever end the holder desires. Its uses in industry and war are infinite, and as such it is one of the most vital commodities in the world; perhaps the most obvious example of this is the fact that magicite is absolutely necessary for skyships to function. Mysterious and all-important, many a sage has spent their life studying these miraculous stones, and many of them conduct their research in the clouds, for great concentrations of magicite have created a large network of floating islands, known collectively as the Purvama, or "Floating Lands." These islands are home to sky-cities that grow rich from magicite, and the largest and most powerful sky-city, to which many of its younger sisters look to for leadership and guidance, is Bhujerba, located on the Sky Continent of Dorstonis.
For countless centuries, Bhujerba has been able ruled by a Marquis of House Ondore. Through their able leadership and the natural barriers of the Purvama's nature, Bhujerba has grown into a powerhouse of trade without ever being forced to become subject to another power. As the heir to Bhujerba's rule, you've received a great deal of training in all aspects of rule. You've also learned a great deal about magick; it's important for someone of your stature to be able to defend yourself, after all. Your grandfather, Marquis Halim Ondore IV, has continued that proud tradition, though he has also forged close links to the kingdom of Dalmasca due to his close friendship with its king, King Raminas B'nargin Dalmasca. His daughter and heir, Ashelia, affectionately calls your grandfather "Uncle Halim," and the two of you know each other as cousins.
You've always been a patient, thoughtful sort, which your grandfather finds encouraging; he tells you that Bhujerba's neutrality can only be maintained through careful diplomacy and stewardship, especially in the current political climate. You prefer to carefully consider your options before you make important decisions, though you understand that's a luxury you may not always have and try to be decisive when you make up your mind about something. Something of a scholar, you have a knack for collecting knowledge and an equal knack for finding ways to apply it, but your duties as Bhujerba's heir means you never have as much time for these studies as you'd like. You're not exactly shy, but you lack the natural charisma and magnetic charm of your cousin; people who feel loyalty to you beyond your family name do so because you carry the air of someone both wiser than their years and kind enough to care about their needs and do something about them.
-House Ondore are Humes, and you aren't adopted, so...
-Of the 12 Constellations of the Zodiac, you are most attuned to Aries, Cancer and Capricorn, and may choose one of them as your starting class
[] Hunter of Clan Centurio
A "clan" is a term used to describe what in less martial professions is called a "guild." It is a gathering of members of a certain profession in a certain region, whose members pool their resources and organize themselves as a group for the benefit of all involved. Clan Centurio is a young clan of hunters. "Hunters," in this context, refers to those who, for pay, eliminate all manner of fiends and monsters who threaten people in some way. Usually, this is done through a bounty system, although "bounty hunter" still refers specifically to those who hunt down other sapient beings, usually wanted criminals. Clan Centurio is newly formed and very small, but already their ranks include a few very skilled hunters, so some believe they are a rising force among the clans, which you considered a good reason to join up.
You grew up on the streets of Rabanastre, one of the city's truly destitute. For most, the underground waterways of Lowtown are merely storage for enterprising merchants, but for some it is the only place they can call home, in out-of-the-way shantytowns that act as perfect smuggler's dens. Orphaned from a young age, your early life was merely one long struggle for survival, where nothing was sacred and anything that ensured you lived another day had to be considered as a possibility. You had a knack for surviving, as it turned, and for more than that: you thrived, to some extent. You graduated from Lowtown brawls and knife-fights to hunting fiends and monsters and selling the bits for bits, catching the eye of a man named Tomaj and being pointed in the direction of Clan Centurio. Montblanc managed to sell you on the rewards and benefits package, so here you are, the clan's newest hunter.
Morality is a secondary concern to you, something negotiable when survival is on the line. It's not that you enjoy hurting people, it's just that you have long since decided whether it's going to be you or them when the chips are down. Con jobs, gambling, theft, burglary, robbery smuggling; you've dabbled in all of it, and while you've never killed anyone on purpose, you're likely to hesitate when the situation really does call for it. You're a hard person who's lived a hard life, and you're not entirely unsatisfied with how you turned out... but that's not to say some part of you doesn't recognize it's probably not the way everyone wants to live. No one gave you a hand when you were some grubby kid begging and picking pockets in the streets, but why should that mean you act like them now that you've got some power of your own? You've built up a collection of urchins and orphans like you, the castoffs of Rabanastre scarcely given a second glance, and you've been helping them make their way in the world. For some, this means finding them jobs they can do, like courier work. For others, it means passing on some of your valuable skills. Surprisingly, you've found some allies in this endeavor and made contacts you might not have otherwise. Chief among them are Old Dalan, an old information broker operating out of Lowtown, and Migelo, a bangaa shopkeep with a soft spot for kids, though you have a hard time fully trusting the former and the latter has a very hard time fully trusting you.
-Clan Centurio accepts people of any race, so long as they prove worthy. You could be a Hume, a Bangaa, a Seeq, a rare Viera outcast (there's already one right there at headquarters), or even a Moogle like the clan's founder, Montblanc.
-Of the 12 Constellations of the Zodiac, you are most attuned to Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces, and may choose one of them as your starting class
[] Wandering Warrior
Ivalice is home to warriors of all stripes, being a meeting place between three different continents. Their skills, backgrounds, and reasons for traveling are all their own, and though many are similar, few are truly the same. Right now, you are merely one of many, but your story promises to be unique.
Who are you? What are your reasons for the life you live? That's for you to decide. Perhaps you're a mercenary or a bounty hunter, your skills as a fighter for sale to any who can pay. Perhaps you are an honorable warrior who seeks a cause or master worthy of the skills you've spent a lifetime to hone. Or perhaps you simply wander in search of challenge, bereft of all purpose save polishing your skills to their very pinnacle.
-You could be of almost any race; Ivalice is home to wanderers of all kinds. You could be a Hume, a Bangaa, a Seeq, or even one of the very rare Garif who leave their traditional pastoral life to see the wider world
-Of the 12 Constellations of the Zodiac, you are most attuned to Virgo, Aquarius and Pisces, and may choose one of them as your starting class
[] Wandering Scholar
Ivalice is home to scholars and explorers of all sorts, being home to an endless variety of wonders and mysteries that bear investigation. Their skills, backgrounds and reasons for traveling are all their own, and though many are similar, few are truly the same. Right now, you are merely one of many, but your story promises to be unique.
Who are you? What are your reasons for the life you live? That's for you to decide, as is the specific focus of your studies. Perhaps you seek knowledge that will improve the lot of mankind in some way and further our understanding of the world. Perhaps instead you seek glory and fame everlasting, or even simply to discover some source of vast wealth yet untapped. Or perhaps you journey simply because you're consumed by an unending thirst for knowledge and new experiences.
-You could be of almost any race; Ivalice is home to wanderers of all kinds. You could be a Hume, a Bangaa, a Seeq, or even one of the very rare Nu-Mou who leave their traditional life of quiet contemplation and study on Mt. Bur-Omisace to see the wider world
-Of the 12 Constellations of the Zodiac, you are most attuned to Gemini, Libra & Capricorn, and may choose one of them as your starting class
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Races of Ivalice
Hume – You know, humans.
Bangaa – A race of lizard-like humanoids. With their predatory instincts, Bangaa are well-suited to martial pursuits, and they're sometimes stereotyped as aggressive brutes or even outright savages.
Seeq – A race of pig-like humanoids. The Seeq are unfairly stereotyped as lazy, greedy and cowardly, and are often second-class citizens forced into lives of either manual labor or crime.
Viera – An extremely long-lived race of humanoids with features of rabbits. With a very strong connection to magick and the forest they inhabit, the Viera are essentially elves. They almost never leave their forest homes, and those who do lose their mystical connection to their home and become outcasts. Also, they all dress like strippers for some reason. Oh, and their names tend to be lacking in vowels.
Moogle – A very small and somewhat race that resemble both cats and rabbits. They're mostly known for the dexterity of their small hands and their quick wits, which makes them skilled engineeers, pilots and mechanics – as the race that first built airships, they are often connected with them in the minds of people – but few take them seriously as adventurers because of their small size and cute appearance, though you may be one of those who buck trends. If you are a Moogle, you are one of the few whose wings are large enough to fly, though you can't fly very high or far without getting tired. Also, you're probably named after a pastry or sweet of some sort.
Garif – A race of hairy, muscular humanoids who abhor the trappings of what other races call civilization and live according to their ancient tradition as nomadic hunters. Their traditions and spirituality are intimately connected to the bone masks they never remove except in private or with their closest family and friends, and they know many secrets of ancient lore lost to other races. You can only play a male Garif, because I can't find any art of females to use.
Nu Mou – A long-lived race of humanoids with both canine and vaguely simian features, their physical appearance remains unchanged through most of their life, and even young Nu Mou have an aged look to them. Unsuited to physical pursuits, the Nu Mou have a powerful affinity for magick, and also tend to be very wise and knowledgeable. Most live lives of quiet study and contemplation on a variety of subjects on the holy peak of Mt. Bur-Omisace, where they are consulted by pilgrims and scholars alike.
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Constellations & Classes
The constellation of Aries is connected to the White Mage class. As its name suggests, White Mages are the undisputed masters of White Magick, a discipline of magick that focuses on healing and protecting oneself and others, though there are a few rare White Magick spells that turn the light of healing into a light of judgment against the wicked. White Mages wear no armor and have little talent for physical combat, though the rods and measures they use to focus their magicks can serve as actual weapons in a pinch.
The constellation of Taurus is connected to the Uhlan class. The Uhlan is a heavily armored warrior who fights with what is sometimes called "The King of All Weapons" for its versatility, power and ease of use: the spear. The Uhlan is fast, powerful and durable, and in addition to his prowess with the spear, he can rely on a functional repertoire of Black Magick to battle enemies from beyond the reach of his spear, or who are simply resistant to it, and some Uhlans are known to take up the use of firearms.
The constellation of Gemini is connected to the Machinist class. The Machinist is a versatile class that fights at range, wearing light armor and wielding the rare and expensive but unarguably useful weapons known as firearms and hand-bombs. Firearms in particular are famous for their ability to pierce through most conventional forms of personal armor, and in addition to these the Machinist can make use of Time Magick and Green Magick, the latter being a peculiar form of magickal discipline with a variety of esoteric spells that mostly function to hinder enemies, though a few assist oneself and one's allies in novel ways.
The constellation of Cancer is connected to the Red Mage class. The Red Mage is perhaps the most versatile of all classes, dabbling in both all known forms of magick and being a capable physical combatant in their own right. The Red Mage wears special mystical armor meant to protect them while remaining lightweight, and most fight either with mace and shield or with greatswords. A truly gifted red mage welds magickal and martial combat together into a seemless whole that becomes more than the sum of its parts and belies their reputation as a "mere" jack-of-all-trades.
The constellation of Leo is connected to the Knight class. A Knight wears heavy armor and battles primarily with swords (either a longsword paired with a shield, or a greatsword held in both hands), trusting in their great strength and durability. But the Knight is not without magickal prowess, being a capable practitioner of White Magick. This combination makes Knights invaluable on the field of battle, as they not only lead the charge, but protect and heal their allies with their magick as well.
The constellation of Virgo is connected to the Monk class. The Monk is an oddity, eschewing the trappings of armor and most weapons. The Monk has inherited an ancient form of combat mastered through long years of physical and spiritual training; its ultimate result is to create a body honed to perfection and able to channel magickal energies through its bodies to enhance the Monk's physical acuity far beyond what most can dream of. A properly trained Monk, unarmored and unarmed except perhaps for a staff, is at least the equal of a fully armored and well-armed warrior. Further, the Monk often learns to turn their ability to heal and protect their own bodies with magickal energies outward toward others, meaning they are often adept in the use of White Magick.
The constellation of Libra is connected to the Time Mage class. The Time Mage is, as the name suggests, the undisputed master of Time Magick, and also of Green Magick, which allows them to hinder and bewilder opponents in a myriad of ways and so assist their comrades. Unlike most focused spellcasters, the Time Mage wears heavy armor, and they also use crossbows to attack physically from range. If brought into physical combat, the Time Mage can also wield longswords and shields.
The constellation of Scorpio is connected to the Breaker class. The Breaker is the most physically powerful and durable of all classes, wearing the heaviest of armor and fighting with axes and hammers to crush their enemies, usually paired with a shield. Unlike most classes, the Breaker has no magickal capabilities, instead focusing completely on physical combat to become an unstoppable bulwark of strength.
The constellation of Sagittarius is connected to the Archer class. The Archer is a quick, nimble class that wears light armor and fights from range using their mastery of the bow. Archers have only a small capability in White Magick, but they have access to a wide variety of Technicks that allow them to achieve a variety of effects without the use of magick.
The constellation of Capricorn is connected to the Black Mage class. The Black Mage, as the name suggests, is the undisputed master of Black Magick, which focuses on destructive power and is what many people think of when they hear the word "mage." The Black Mage wears special mystical armor to protect them and wield staves to better focus their magickal power, which can function as a weapon when need be, though they have little ability in it.
The constellation of Aquarius is connected to the Samurai class. Somewhat rare in Ivalice but not unheard of, the Samurai is the master of a special kind of sword called the katana and wearing medium armor. With their katana in hand, the Samurai can strike with virtually unmatched swiftness and skill that imbues their strikes with amazing power to match its blinding speed. Samurai eschew all magickal capabilities in order to focus on honing their martial skills.
The constellation of Pisces is connected to the Hunter class. The Hunter is the swiftest class after the Samurai, wearing light armor that doesn't hinder mobility and wielding small, lightweight weapons such as daggers and a special breed short swords known as ninja swords, though some Hunters have been known to utilize crossbows or firearms for ranged combat. Hunters know a small amount of magick, largely weaker spells that hinder and mislead enemies. In addition, they are acquainted with a wide variety of Technicks that allow them to accomplish their aims – whatever they might be – without the use of magick.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
I think the reason Final Fantasy XII is the last Final Fantasy game I actually liked at least partly because it contains at least a little of what almost no Final Fantasy game ever includes - politics and complex moral situations, where the "evil empire" isn't some massive monolith of puppy-kicking evil and where even the ultimate villains have goals that you can at least somewhat understand.
Also, the artwork for the locations is absolutely gorgeous. Just take a look at Bhujerba here:
It's got a great Indian aesthetic to it, too. Oh, and here's what the varying races look like.
Also, the artwork for the locations is absolutely gorgeous. Just take a look at Bhujerba here:
It's got a great Indian aesthetic to it, too. Oh, and here's what the varying races look like.
A Nation's Virtue
南國山河南帝居
Oh, nice. I've never really gotten into FF, but I did play the DS sequel to FFXII. It was a fun game, and I liked the lore. Don't really have anything to add though aside from my assured interest.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
I never played Revenant Wings, but I have heard it was really FF Tactics-y, and that series always had really solid gameplay at the least. I actually didn't really like XII's gameplay much; it reminded me too much of MMO games, and I hate MMORPGs almost on principle.
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One gameplay mechanic I'd really like to find some way to include is Final Fantasy XII's bestiary, which is one of my favorite uses of such a mechanic in the history of RPGs. The bestiary entries are all written as though they're the writings of some old-school naturalist from the 18th or 19th century (minus extraneous taxonomical details and the typical ludicrously verbose vocabulary of Victorian scholarship that has me convinced that all their mania against sex was the result of a truly pathological insecurity in everything from their intellect to the size of their bell-ends), which is always really fun to an antiquarian like me, who finds himself (against all his better judgment) nostalgic for a time that was long-passed by the time his grandfather was a sperm stirring in his father's loins.
Also, the way it worked was that the bestiary would update with a monster's entry when you first killed one, but then there would be a number (except for bosses and other unique enemies, obviously) and when you killed that number of the same monster it would unlock world-building information, like descriptions of history and religion and whatnot, or it would be simple flavor, such as advertisements and leaflets on such subjects as someone giving advice to novice adventurers that they should kill cactuars until they get a bundle of 1,000 needles for the experience.
Which actually brings me to another thing I found really fun about the game albeit completely unnecessary that would be really fun but very irritating to implement in a quest: the loot system. Only human enemies drop actual money in Final Fantasy XII (usually not very much, since Archadian soldiers never seem to carry around more than enough gil to buy maybe 2 potions if you're lucky. I guess the Archadian government prefers to provide benefits and old-age pensions rather than pay appreciable wages to the soldiers during their term of service, which would explain how casually they set them up like lambs to the slaughter long past the point where it becomes obvious that the party are a bunch of indiscriminate murderers who don't give a piss how many orphans they're making as they carve their way through entire brigades without so much as a flinch), and other enemies instead drop loot, which is useless to you as-is but can be sold in shops for money, and more to the point, selling off a certain amount of the right kind (or kinds) of loot will unlock "Bazaar" items which show up in store inventories and can be bought with the hard-earned money you got from selling off the things that were then turned into these items you're buying.
What I liked about this system is that it creates at least a token illusion of a functional economy that I could actually see existing in a fantasy universe like the one presented to us, where adventurers rip out the teeth and skin the hides of their kills and sell them to merchants who then turn around and churn out tacky bits of bling that the adventurer then buys back for an inflated price in the belief that it'll make him kill and skin wolves faster and more easily so he can repeat the process more quickly, plus it provided another dimension to gameplay by turning grinding out gold and XP into a search for varied forms of loot in hopes of getting good items rather than simply calculating which enemies in the immediate vicinity have the best reward/time ratio and finding the most efficient way to farm them for gil.
And this all has the pleasant side-effect of freeing up vital "Suspension of Disbelief" memory space that I can then turn over to suspending my disbelief about other things more effectively, such as the idea that Vaan somehow isn't some kind of rent-boy despite being desperately poor and looking and dressing like one and that he is in fact in some way shape or form the protagonist of this game despite having about as much effect on the overall plot as the random NPC who helpfully informs you which parts of the city are east and west.
... Jesus I need to stop watching Zero Punctuation in huge hour-long chunks at a time, because that stuff seems to really stick with you like... no, I'm not finishing that tortured simile. I've abused Little Simile and his sister Metaphor more than enough already; the high has worn off and all I'm left with is a lot of screaming and severed orphan fingers and oh God damn it I did it again.
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Same for me, though X still holds a special place in my heart as the first FF game I ever really got into and played to the very end, and I'd argue that it's got the better main characters, though XII has by far the superior plot and setting and better villains. Also, while XII has the beautiful score we've honestly just come to expect for Final Fantasy, X had that and also "To Zanarkand," which remains the greatest bit of music Square Enix has ever produced in my mind.
So of the choices I presented, which one sounds most interesting to you?
Aioria
The Gold-fanged Lion
I like the idea of us going with a female viera for a knight of dalmasca. Sounds like a pretty interesting storyline.
Hunter of Clan Centurio is a bit cliche for me. But it could still be fun, the one with the judge sounds curious as well.
I am varying levels of "Okay" with the other ones, (Wandering Scholar at least sounds rather unique) but my favorite is still Knight of Dalmasca.
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Full disclosure, I was honestly a little leery about including the Viera because of Fran.
Well, Final Fantasy thrives on cliches.
The two "Wanderer" options basically exist so that the voters have a "blank slate" option for both warriors and magic-users, so it's not surprising they're not especially gripping.
Personally, I have a soft spot for the Bhujerban option, simply because I really like the Indian thing the Bhujerbans have going on; Indian history, myth, etc. is all really interesting and very under-utilized in fiction.
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On another note, I've at least glanced over pretty much every RWBY quest on this forum, and I've noticed a kind of trend that I think is kind of a bad idea. Namely, with regards to team names.
In most quests, it's standard procedure that you get to name your character. But in RWBY, most of the time you're creating a character who's going to have a team, and that team will have a name that is an acronym of the team members' names that has to refer to a color (and optionally the team's leader as well), and it has to start with the letter of the leader's name.
Also, at least one that I've seen let the voters impact the assignment of teams, meaning that canon teams got broken up and the results (if the quest had gotten that far) would have needed to come up with names for those teams as well.
So that normal strategy sort of falls apart, honestly. It leads to having to tortuously cobble something out of whatever random grouping of names you get. And while making the team assignments something the voters can affect adds an air of authenticity, it also needlessly creates a lot of unneccesary busywork trying to hash out a suitable team name out of a random collection of 4 letters, and the result is never as seamless as canon for the obvious reason that the canon teams had their names carefully chosen; the writers didn't put the main characters' names in a hat and pick them out to decide the team names for the sake of authenticity.
Team ROYL was predetermined. I chose their names ahead of time, I chose who the leader would be ahead of time, and obviously I chose what team they would be on ahead of time, and I didn't let the players change that. I did give them some impact over the characters by allowing them to pick the entire team's genders and also allowed them to choose whether characters were "Bright" or "Dark," which boils down essentially to taking the basic personality and backstory I'd already created and making it either more or less traumatizing.
At the time, the real reason for this approach was simply that I'd created Team ROYL originally intending to write a fanfic with them but instead making it into a quest, but with the benefit of hindsight I can definitely say that I think it's simply a better approach than allowing the voters to create the names and teams themselves, simply because it feels much more cohesive with the show. "Team ROYL led by Roy/Raine Regal" sounds like an authentic RWBY team, just like "Team CFVY led by Coco Adel" or "Team ABRN led by Arslan Altan."
Now, there is a way to let the voters create the main character whole-cloth and still not have to kludge together some abomination of a team name, and that's to first let them make the character, then decide whether or not the character should be a team leader, and then decide for the voters what teammates that character gets, based on what you can make a decent team name out of and, more importantly, what seems like it would create an interesting team dynamic.
That's my advice for making any RWBY team at all, BTW: start with the team leader or the team name, then figure out whichever of the two you haven't figured out, then make the rest of the team based around that team name, and perhaps also a theme (in the same way that RWBY is "fairy tales" and JNPR is "crossdressers of legend") if you can swing it. It's just all-around less work and usually leads to good results.
For example, in ROYL I created a minor character named Euclid Floros, the leader of Team EIVY ("ivy"). I never thought of any names for his teammates. Let's solve that right now:
I - Iris Spiridon. Iris flowers are purple, and I just like the sound of Spiridon, it's Greek so it fits with Iris, and it comes from the name Spyro, so you could claim that it reinforces the purple.
V - Vance Vinewood. Vance means "marsh" or "fen," and Vinewood just happens to fit with the greenery thing I'm going for with this team. And alliteration is always a plus.
Y - Yasmin El-Amin. Yasmin is Arabic for "jasmine," which is a white flower. El-Amin just means "the truthful," but I like the sound of it and you could use that to inform the character's personality.
Bam. Three character names, done in *checks time* about 15 minutes, and most of that was bumming around www.behindthename.com for names that started with certain letters. I managed to come up with letters for a V and a Y with no problem and even managed to keep a cohesive theme of plant-based names.
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
You know, I've never played any Castlevania games, so I never knew what the Belmonts actually looked like. Having looked that up to see if any of them could be used for the appearances of the Belmonts in that JJBA idea I had... Yeah, it's a disturbingly good fit.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
And are 90s-bishie-muscular as heck.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Leon is especially pose-tastic.
Simon is especially weird. He's got a glamorous pretty boy head, but everything below the neck is from some barbarian bodybuilder that would make Conan proud. Seriously, dude's calves are as thick as his head.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
*shrug* That's just how you design a 90's villain to a 90's man's man hero. Just as buff, but super effeminate and not as good in a fist-fight.
EmpirePlayer
Anyone need some chaos?
- Location
- Penang
Reminds me of that photoshop where they replaced Johnathan Joestar's head with a Horse's Head and it fit perfectly. If you ask me which part's body design I liked the most, I would say Part 4's builds. You still have some traces of the superbuff design, but it's not like Part 7/8 Artstyle version of Jonathan by Araki which turned him into a stick. (Not that there's anything wrong for the design from a standalone perspective, but a thin, non-buff Jonathan is just... wrong.)
- Location
- Leeds
Google is no help. Tell me more.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Probably the best sign of just how different Araki's art-style has become is to compare Jotaro to Jo2uke, i.e. Josuke from Part 8. According to WoG, Jo2uke is actually supposed to be about the same size and build as Jotaro. It... doesn't come across. In fairness to Araki, though, he's said in interviews that he's literally forgotten how to do beefcake.
- Location
- Leeds
The pink sailor uniform probably doesn't help.
EmpirePlayer
Anyone need some chaos?
- Location
- Penang
My mistake, but it was Joseph, I think. I don't remember it clearly, but I remember seeing it in the JoJo thread. Google gave me this result.
But JoJo has shown me that you can wear pink and still be MANLY about it.
Terrible Joke:
But Araki already knows 4 moves. Delete one to make room?
Y
Are you sure you want Araki to forget "Drawing Beefcakes"?
Y
...
Araki has forgotten "Drawing Beefcakes"!
Araki has learned "Immortality"!
- Location
- Leeds
No Jojo has shown us some people can wear pink and be manly about it. Not that everyone can wear pink and be manly about it.
Important distinction.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Well, they say you're best at writing what you know...
I'd say he's a vampire, but since he's been seen in sunlight, so it seems more likely that he's a Pillar Man who became the Ultimate Lifeform at some point.
- Location
- Leeds
Jojo is a semi biographical work?