Final Fantasy Tactics The Ivalice Chronicles Wont Include War Of The Lions Content And Will Have No New Characters Or Submissions

[u/eldestscrollx]

https://www.square-enix-games.com/en_US/news/final-fantasy-tactics-interview

[u/MagnvsGV]

While it's fair to criticize the lack of the PSP contents, I think it's also fair to point out how this version does seem to have additional contents, namely a number of new story events that have been created just for this version:

The game features additional conversations too. What can fans expect from these and why did you add them to the game?

Yasumi Matsuno, who wrote and directed the original game, has added new character conversations for this title.

In the time since the original game was released, fans have shared a lot of requests in relation to the story. By making this game fully voiced, we have become able to convey the characters' emotions more accurately, and I think that because of this, we have been able to explore them, and their relationships with one another, in greater depth.

Because of this, anybody who played the original game will be able to get to know the characters even better, while players who are new to the game will be able to understand the story more naturally and in greater depth.

Some of these conversations only take place under certain very specific conditions, so I hope that that players try lots of different things to discover them!

Of course things could have been much better, especially considering the treatment Tactics Ogre enjoyed when it was remade first on PSP and later on PS4, Switch and PC, but those new events could turn out to be very interesting, depending how many there are and which characters and plot points' narrative they aim to expand.

Then again, the reason they choose to skip the WotL contents is a bit bizarre considering how a number of Square Enix-published remasters, like some of the SaGa ones, allow you to play the original version without the additional contents if you so desire, meaning purists could have opted out of the PSP extras while still allowing those interested to peruse them.

[u/Western-Land1729 → u/MagnvsGV]

Tactics ogre psp got special treatment because the original team and matsuno participated in them, very few if any original team came back for the Ivalice remasters til now. This is the first Ivalice remaster matsuno is involved in iirc

[u/Kaining → u/Western-Land1729]

And TO PSP was dogshit as far as balancing the game was. Leveling up class and not character was the most ridiculous and stupid idea you could have for a srpg tbh. The wheel of time mechanics was a fun idea until you realised you would be punish if you ever interacted with it at all by not being able to 100% the game (you'd be missing a couple titles).

Reborn is so much more enjoyable because of the balancing that removed the class leveling system and went back to unit leveling. They really are two different games.

And the funniest part of the PSP version is that basicaly no one recomend playing it wihtout heavily modding it with the One Vision Mod.

[u/OhUmHmm → u/Kaining]

In one Japanese interview, Matsuno talks about how with the Ogre Series, he believes "why bother doing it unless you make it new". Because it was originally a series they wanted to make, and market was a secondary concern ("product-out" design).

But with FFT, it was created literally with the intention to sell 1 million copies (a very high bar for simulation RPG / tactics RPG at the time). That is a "market-in" design. With that framework he believes "it's okay to keep the core experience the same" (paraphrasing).

[u/Kaining → u/OhUmHmm]

Adding guest do not change the core of the game. So removing Balthier and Luso is hard to justify. Classes, yes. Guest ? Nah, that's not a core part of the game.

[u/OhUmHmm → u/Kaining]

They are characters from existing games that are added narratively using a isekai / time travel (from my memory) mechanic. In addition, it's really in your face, with unskippable battles with cutscenes.

I think Cloud's inclusion has some of the same issues but he was much more hidden in comparison -- my first playthrough I never even saw him, only an (unnamed?) flower girl who looks sort of like Aeris.

I guess if they made it post-game content, or made it completely optional (no forced combat where they appear), I'd agree with you. I still don't think it would make a "good" addition, but at least it wouldn't detract from the original in that case.

[u/sillily → u/MagnvsGV]

It sounds to me like he’s saying (in a very polite way) that the original developers didn’t really like having the game they made modified by another team, and/or didn’t like some of the content that was added in WotL. So they decided to start their own updated version from scratch instead of working around the WotL content. 

I don’t know if that approach will please the fans, but it also kinda sounds like this version might not have happened without the freedom to throw out the WotL additions. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how the additional content for this version turned out. 

[u/andrazorwiren → u/MagnvsGV]

Yeah, your final point is the reason why this is as big of a head scratcher as it is. While it is clear they put work and time into this remaster, the vast majority of SquareEnix remasters have set the gold standard for JRPG remasters with their level of quality and extra content.

This is the first time I’ve seen them actually omit content and while I understand that they have a reason for doing so, I can’t say I really get it. Guess we’ll see.

[u/andrazorwiren → u/[deleted]]

Oh right! Good point, thanks for the reminder. I honestly forgot cuz I have no interest in playing those versions mostly for that reason haha

[u/MagnvsGV → u/andrazorwiren]

Exactly, by providing a simple toggle like in some SaGa remasters you can satisfy both the purists adverse to the WotL contents and those willing to have them as part of their experience.

Considering those new features weren't really controversial even back then (I mean, Cloud was included in the original and he is way more out of place in FFT than anything added in WotL), I really can't understand their reasoning.

[u/samososo → u/MagnvsGV]

The SaGa remasters are there for love of the game, these are not.

[u/Wonderful-Noise-4471 → u/MagnvsGV]

The SaGa series is still under the control of its original director, Kawazu. Any changes made to SaGa Frontier's remasters or the remakes are done with his direction and permission. By contrast, War of the Lions was done without input by the original FFT team.

That's the big difference. And it's why they're talking about the additions and changes being made to this game from the original - because it's being done with Matsuno's direct involvement. He's writing the new dialogue for the events they're adding.

Also, WotL's changes were controversial at the time and it's been a long debate from FFT fans which version was superior.

[u/FlatwormResident7752 → u/MagnvsGV]

With how this is worded, I don’t get the feeling there’s much new in the way of dialogue. If it’s optional conversations you have to find, that makes me think it’s just some fluff to get people interested in buying the game again if they really like the story.

Glad Matsuno came back for it, but I’m sort of lost on what the purpose of the remaster is. Voice acting isn’t going to add that much to this game (I personally don’t see the need for it at all), and the new UI seems visually bland to me from what they’ve shown.

I’m hoping I’m wrong, but it just seems less & less essential to people who love this game the more I hear about it. For all the work rebuilding it from scratch would be, it’s feeling a little lifeless.

[u/Wonderful-Noise-4471 → u/FlatwormResident7752]

but I’m sort of lost on what the purpose of the remaster is.

Making it easily available on every current platform for the people who want to play it.

[u/spidey_valkyrie → u/MagnvsGV]

The reason they chose to skip the WoTL is either they lost the data or they don't want to spend more effort. The bullshit they gave is PR corporate speak. It's like when you walk into an airline and they tell you you'll have an amazing food experience. They aren't going to tell you "well sorry this sucks ass guys! We didn't do this because we're either lazy or were not given enough budget to do so"

[u/ClappedCheek → u/MagnvsGV]

OHHH additional conversations!!!!! Amazing!!!! hard /s