gaming Favorite JRPG 'Customization System'

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,682]

JRPG's, a lot of the time, share a common ecosystem within their gameplay. Usually strategy based or turn-based or otherwise, with characters that you level up and traverse through a world and story. JRPG's have very distinct aspects to them. One aspect that any JRPG has that sets itself apart from other games in the genre, is customization of your party of characters. Nearly all games of the genre have some form of this and there are tons of different games with their own unique system and these aspects have always been one of my absolute favorites for JRPG's.

 

So to the discussion! What are some of your favorite customization systems in JRPG's?

 

A very classic personal favorite of mine was the Materia System from Final Fantasy VII. It was pretty straightforward but allowed you to essentially create your own classes how you wanted to, taking varies materias that give different attributes and abilities onto whatever character you wish, in time leveling up that materia to make it stronger. It is a very nice system that simply gives you the tools to create classes rather than them being simply decided for whatever character automatically. Also, maxing out the 'All' materia and then selling it is the best way to make buko-bank in the game.

 

A classic system from a classic game. I really hope the remake doesn't botch this up.

 

Another one that is already becoming a favorite of mine is from the Xbox 360 game Blue Dragon, which is also backwards compatible on Xbox One. I started this game recently but having already put 6 hours into it, I already love the customization aspect. It is a class based system where your party has a class by default when they start out. As they level up, you can unlock additional classes for them. Each class levels up from SP earned form battles and when they level up, you have a chance to unlock a skill from that specific class. What makes this awesome is that, once you unlock a skill from one class, you can then switch to a different class to level it up, but you can then use the abilities that you unlocked form the class you were just using, giving you all sorts of options to mix and match. Plus it gives you a lot to level up. This system makes me think of the 'equipment skill' system from Final Fantasy IX, but here I find it to be far superior.

 

From my experience so far, the Generalist class and its skills are beastly useful.

[PoisonClaw 8,165]

Speaking of Final Fantasy's "Equipment Skill" System, a similar system was utilized in the FF Tactics games, mixed with a class system. Weapons and armor teach particular skills based on a unit's class, like Soldier, White Mage, Elementalist, ect. Participating in battle and completing missions awards SP, which will eventually allow the unit to lean the skill permanently. This allows for some amazing combinations, like a Summoner with Double Spell, a Ninja/Paladin, Black/Time Mage, ect. 

 

Despite being a Western RPG, the first two Paper Mario games still have interesting systems. Every time you level up you can increase health, FP (Flower Points, this game's version of Mana) or Badge Points, with Badges being equippable items that alter Mario or his partner's stats or allow him to perform special attacks, which has surprising amount of depth and options. The second game even implemented a few for challenge runs, like Double Pain (Enemies do 2X damage) and Hammer/Jumpman (Increase Hammer or Jump attack, but prevents you from using the other)   

[Megas 27,742]

Final Fantasy Tactics is probably the best, but VIII is my favorite. Not for being particularly good, but for being inredibly broken. You can customize literally anything for your character barring weapons and limit breaks, and you can break the game as early as the Fire Cavern(granted, you have to grind a bit. Yet, this gives the game a lot of it's charm imo

Edited March 9, 2017 by Whompy Whomperson

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,682]

Final Fantasy Tactics is probably the best, but VIII is my favorite. Not for being particularly good, but for being inredibly broken. You can customize literally anything for your character barring weapons and limit breaks, and you can break the game as early as the Fire Cavern(granted, you have to grind a bit. Yet, this gives the game a lot of it's charm imo

I have heard a lot of people absolutely hate FFVIII, which I assume it is because of the enemy scaling with you, which I hated at first a long time ago. After my brother explained the system to me though, I actually want to play the game all the way through, it sounds awesome. :3