On renaming RPG characters, like many of you, it was something I did when I was much younger. It usually didn’t play well, so I let go of the habit. I still chuckle when I see that someone’s renamed a character cleverly, like making FF8’s Zell Dincht something more appropriate like Dbag Dincht or HotDogsAreAMetaphor Dincht.

There are other games like Etrian Odyssey where it’s not about the story, so it doesn’t matter what you name the characters. Still, I try to give something that would play well in the proceedings. Take Etrian Odyssey 2: You’d want a female dark hunter, brandishing her metal whip and clad in her domineering leather suit, to have a strong, sexy name (I would go with Valeria). Then again, if you’re into subverting, you might want to name her something decidedly unattractive, like Muffintop, or Foopa.

And now my input on Final Fantasy. I have been playing them since the original on the NES and VII is NOT my favorite one, but I do have fond memories of playing it. I recently tried to go through it again and the graphics are utter dog shit. I do, however, think the materia system is still cool and the overall world and plot in VII was pretty good, but I think VIII is a much better game. IX was a nice return to the more stylized high fantasy roots of FF. Since then….meh. Too much Sci Fi for me. I haven’t been able to make it through a single one since then except for…..wait fo rit….FF X2…don’t even ask me how.

It was probably the tits.

I did pick up XIII and so far it’s boring as shit and repetitive, but I’m only 4 hours in so I could have a better opinion of it in a few days. Or not. I’m not holding my breath that it’ll be amazing, but I’m also not ready to dismiss a franchise of games that I’ve been enjoying for 2 decades.

I really do wish they would ditch the sci-fi shit they’ve been doing for the last 10 years and make a TRUE fantasy game, with actual world exploration and male characters that don’t look like bi-sexual emo cosplayers.

Its not too often I hear the west coast using that term or even knowing what it means.

Kudos!

I download The Geekbox to listen whenever I have the chance, so I wouldn’t want the show to change from being a podcast, but I would definitely be interested in seeing the show move in new directions in to be more interactive.

Good show, though.