Hey folks,

My name's Ben Decker and I'm doing a research paper on fan communities for a class at MIT. I'm a noob to Final Fantasy, but I very much enjoy it and am very impressed with it. The focus of the paper is on how the structure of games influences their external design dialogues, where external design dialogue refers to everything about a game besides the game itself (forums, fan sites, conventions... etc.). To get at this idea, I'm examining some of the different motivations for fan participation in general, then examing some of the variables that likely influence differnt game communities, and then lastly I'm trying to apply this framework to a specific game.

Anyway, I'm hoping you guys can maybe help me out a bit. While definitely I'm a bit of a fanatic for certain other games (Civ, for instance, and Zelda), I don't know much about the FF community. I've posted some questions below to get the conversation going -- feel free to skim through them. Really though I'm just trying to get a sense of why people like FF and how they express this affinity. So anything you have to say on the subject, about yourself or about others, would be tremendously helpful. So thank you so much, -Ben

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How long have you been playing FF? Which FF games have you played, and which are your favorites? How much do you play on average? Do you play primarily online, with friends, single-player, or both? Are you or do you know anyone who's in some sort of FF group (a clan for instance), and if so, what do you/they do in it? What are your thoughts on some of the non-game FF products, such as the graphic novels, animes, and films?

What do you like best about the Final Fantasy games? Do you find yourself more compelled by the narrative element, the action/participation element, or both equally? When reading about the games, do you tend to look more for hints and strategy anlyses, or for character and plot discussions?

To what extent are you moved by the characters of the game? Do enjoy the idea of 'becoming' the characters for a while, or would you prefer it if you could, say, create your own character with a unique identity? To what extent are you moved by the idea of leveling up your characters and the sense of accomplishment that this potentially can engender?

What sorts of external participation do you engage in? Do you read and/or post to forums (including this one) often? Have you created any sort of FF media -- wallpapers, fan-fics, video clips... etc.? If so, did you make them available online? Have you ever created informational pages--walkthroughs or characters bios or the like? Have you ever been to an FF convention or other event? If the answer to any of the above participation quesitons was yes, do you know why you engage in this/these activity(-ies)? As in, do you know what you enjoy about them? What other games do you like, and do you participate in those fan communities as well?

To what extent do you think your participation in the FF community derives from a desire for closer connection to people, as opposed to closer connection to the game? Do you feel you've gotten to know people through eithher the game or the fan community? Do you feel you've gotten close to anyone through the game or the fan community? If not, are these things you'd be interested in?

We won't do your homework for you, Benny.

You should post this in the FF discussion forum rather than this one.

I'll answer the questions for you though, just to be nice.

I first played an FF game 12 years ago when FF3(6) came out on SNES. I've played FF1, FF2, FF4, FF5, FF6, FF7, FF8, FF9, and FFTactics. I own FF Crystal Chronicles as well as FFX and FFX-2 but I've yet to play them. FF6 is my favorite. I haven't played any of them in a while so I can give you no current average. I don't have interst in FF11 so obviously I've only played single player FF games. I'm not in a crazy FF cult, that sounds hilarious. I like some of the FF action figures, and I love posters and crazy plush toys, though I have none related to FF. I own very little FF related merchandise overall actually, only a few action figures I got a few years back. Despite this I would gladly collect more. Yes, I'm a geek. Anyway, I haven't seen any of the anime, nor have I seen Advent Children, but I remember not being too thrilled about Spirits Within, the same as anyone.

I like the stories and the strategies of gameplay in FF games. Some are better than others in these fields. I like many of the characters, but typically when I used to read about the games I'd look at strategies because I simply find the gameplay, i.e. what bosses are weak against what attacks and such, intriguing. I enjoy the sidequests and "secret" elements a lot as well, mostly in the 2-d games, as I tend to enjoy "completing" games, as in unlocking all the extras and doing everything within the game that's possible.

I've cared for a few of the FF characters but never to the point of actually getting into a sense of feeling, or wanting to feel, that I am them while playing the game. I don't take the "role playing" thing that literally, nor do I feel anyone should with these particular games, I'm just taking in the story and gameplay, nothing more. I enjoy leveling up and maxing out characters, as to me it's part of completing the game to it's fullest potential as I referenced before.

I take part in 0 external participation. My posts here have nothing to do with Final Fantasy, and haven't for years now. I don't post at any other FF sites, or even visit any. My interest in the games has not died, but I don't necessarily like them any more than other series. I'm a fan of many different games, not just FF.

I don't really participate in any FF community, as I said above, and as my posts here, similar to those of many others here, have nothing to do with Final Fantasy at all, I hardly even consider my association with this site related to FF in any way.

I hope that's of some use to you.

How long have you been playing FF?

Around 3 years.


Which FF games have you played, and which are your favorites?

FFI + II: Dawn of Souls, III (original), FFIV (Chronicles and Advance additions), FFV (Anthology addition), Final Fantasy VI (Anthology), FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, FFX, FFX-2 FF Tactics, FF Tactics Advanced. Out of those, my favorites are FFIX, FFX and FFVI.


How much do you play on average?
Since I’ve competed most of those, I am currently not playing any FF games at the moment. When I’m replaying them however, generally up to 10 hours a week.


Do you play primarily online, with friends, single-player, or both?
Single player.


Are you or do you know anyone who's in some sort of FF group (a clan for instance), and if so, what do you/they do in it?
No.


What are your thoughts on some of the non-game FF products, such as the graphic novels, animes, and films?
I have nothing against such an idea, but very few of the ones I’ve seen have been of a decent quality (ie only The Legend of the Crystals OAV)


What do you like best about the Final Fantasy games?
The Atmosphere


Do you find yourself more compelled by the narrative element, the action/participation element, or both equally?.
Probably the narrative over the gameplay.


When reading about the games, do you tend to look more for hints and strategy anlyses, or for character and plot discussions?
Plot discussions.


To what extent are you moved by the characters of the game?
Never happened in an FF game. Possible exception of the ending in FFX. Can’t really remember though.


Do enjoy the idea of 'becoming' the characters for a while, or would you prefer it if you could, say, create your own character with a unique identity?
I prefer characters with pre-set personalities, if that’s what you mean.


To what extent are you moved by the idea of leveling up your characters and the sense of accomplishment that this potentially can engender?
I get a significant kick out of obtaining the highest levels, Max HP/Damage etc.


What sorts of external participation do you engage in? Do you read and/or post to forums (including this one) often?
I post at a variety of forums quite often, although far less regularly on this forum.


Have you created any sort of FF media -- wallpapers, fan-fics, video clips... etc.? If so, did you make them available online?
I uploaded a couple of crappy FF AMVs I made a long time ago. I also wrote essays on plot elements in FF games for a while.


Have you ever created informational pages--walkthroughs or characters bios or the like? Have you ever been to an FF convention or other event?
No.


if the answer to any of the above participation quesitons was yes, do you know why you engage in this/these activity(-ies)? As in, do you know what you enjoy about them?
I have a lot of free time on my hands. I also enjoy the analysis and in-depth discussion of fiction.


What other games do you like, and do you participate in those fan communities as well?
I am quite partial to the Xenosaga series. I also liked what little I have played of the Zelda series (ie only the N64 titles). I have also been known to turn to Tekken for a bit of mindless fun.


To what extent do you think your participation in the FF community derives from a desire for closer connection to people, as opposed to closer connection to the game?
As I said, I like to discuss my interests. A forum composed of people whose interests are similar to my own in at least one area is usually a decent place for that sort of thing.


Do you feel you've gotten to know people through eithher the game or the fan community?
Very few, and not from this forum.


Do you feel you've gotten close to anyone through the game or the fan community? If not, are these things you'd be interested in?
No and no.

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How long have you been playing FF?

Since FF7 was released.

Which FF games have you played, and which are your favorites?

FF7, FF8, FF10, FF10-2. FF8 was my favourite cos pretty characters ^.^

How much do you play on average?

.I play constantly until completed. Then I wait a while and play all over again

Do you play primarily online, with friends, single-player, or both? Are you or do you know anyone who's in some sort of FF group (a clan for instance), and if so, what do you/they do in it?

I play with a super bunch of people named Squall, Zell and Quistis mostly. They are my budz.

What are your thoughts on some of the non-game FF products, such as the graphic novels, animes, and films?

I like Squall's sword <3

What do you like best about the Final Fantasy games? Do you find yourself more compelled by the narrative element, the action/participation element, or both equally? When reading about the games, do you tend to look more for hints and strategy anlyses, or for character and plot discussions?

I like the pretty pictures and hot characters. Man they sure are hot.

To what extent are you moved by the characters of the game? Do enjoy the idea of 'becoming' the characters for a while, or would you prefer it if you could, say, create your own character with a unique identity? To what extent are you moved by the idea of leveling up your characters and the sense of accomplishment that this potentially can engender?

One time I was so moved by Selphie, I dressed up all in yellow and hijacked a train. That is frowned upon a lot more irl than SeeD would have you believe. They were like 'Are you Muslim? Did Osama send you?' And I was all 'No silly, I am SeeD, Cid sent me.'

What sorts of external participation do you engage in? Do you read and/or post to forums (including this one) often? Have you created any sort of FF media -- wallpapers, fan-fics, video clips... etc.? If so, did you make them available online? Have you ever created informational pages--walkthroughs or characters bios or the like? Have you ever been to an FF convention or other event? If the answer to any of the above participation quesitons was yes, do you know why you engage in this/these activity(-ies)? As in, do you know what you enjoy about them? What other games do you like, and do you participate in those fan communities as well?

If the train incident count as a convention. I was cosplaying and all.

To what extent do you think your participation in the FF community derives from a desire for closer connection to people, as opposed to closer connection to the game? Do you feel you've gotten to know people through eithher the game or the fan community? Do you feel you've gotten close to anyone through the game or the fan community? If not, are these things you'd be interested in?

Mostly I just wanted to see how long I could stick it out at a forum. Then I met some pretty superfly budz. So stickin around.


I have a fever guys ^^

Buttons you caught it off me:P

I have a fever guys ^^

Me too, my head feels liek a brick. ;;-;;;

- How long have you been playing FF? Which FF games have you played, and which are your favorites?

Can't fuckin remember, I'm not a big fan of the series, I just enjoy FF4,6 and 9

- How much do you play on average?

Not much, when I have the time, I'm a bigger fan of the Tales series, which eats up most of my free time.

- Do you play primarily online, with friends, single-player, or both?

I hate FFXI, so no.

- Are you or do you know anyone who's in some sort of FF group (a clan for instance), and if so, what do you/they do in it?

No.

- What are your thoughts on some of the non-game FF products, such as the graphic novels, animes, and films?

Cash cow products used to reel in more money for the fanboys. Adven Children sucked in my opinion with its poor animation and action sequences.

- What do you like best about the Final Fantasy games? Do you find yourself more compelled by the narrative element, the action/participation element, or both equally?

Narrative, since it seems to be the FF games' strong point. Although FF6 got me more interested in the gameplay.

- When reading about the games, do you tend to look more for hints and strategy anlyses, or for character and plot discussions?

Nope, it's fairly easy to formulate strategies.

- To what extent are you moved by the characters of the game? Do enjoy the idea of 'becoming' the characters for a while, or would you prefer it if you could, say, create your own character with a unique identity?

As much as I am moved by characters in a novel. I'd rather create original characters than say...play as one in terms of personality.

- To what extent are you moved by the idea of leveling up your characters and the sense of accomplishment that this potentially can engender?

Not that moved, I'd say that completing a task with a lower level is more rewarding.

- What sorts of external participation do you engage in? Do you read and/or post to forums (including this one) often?

Yes, but often for off-topic discussion, and to actively place an aggressive dissertation on FF7 fanboys' uninformed notions.

- Have you created any sort of FF media -- wallpapers, fan-fics, video clips... etc.? If so, did you make them available online? Have you ever created informational pages--walkthroughs or characters bios or the like? Have you ever been to an FF convention or other event?

No, and I don't plan to.

- If the answer to any of the above participation quesitons was yes, do you know why you engage in this/these activity(-ies)? As in, do you know what you enjoy about them?

The FFS community, by and large, is pretty neat.

- What other games do you like, and do you participate in those fan communities as well?

Tales of series. I post in the Phantasian Productions Fan Translations website forum and the Majinken fansite forum.

- To what extent do you think your participation in the FF community derives from a desire for closer connection to people, as opposed to closer connection to the game? Do you feel you've gotten to know people through eithher the game or the fan community? Do you feel you've gotten close to anyone through the game or the fan community? If not, are these things you'd be interested in?

It's simple, this forum places active scrutiny on uninformed notions and debate on those concepts instead of (like in Eyes on FF) just posting there and mindlessly agreeing with one another. Besides, the community consists of lots of members with alternative lifestyles with a high degree of tolerance and minimal ,easure of censoring, to which I fit in well.

Ok, this is really helpful. Thank you very much to you guys who have posted. Oh, and sorry about the category misplacement ;->

to which I fit in well.

Haha you have no idea how much that made me laugh.

wait you mean to tell me that this isnt a dbz fansite

fuuuuuudge

i started playing ff games since i was in kindergarten, which was when i was around 6 and somewhere around 1991. the first one i played was ff3/6, which is still my favourite. something of note: it seems to me that most people's fave ff game is the one they played first, you may want to do some research into that. i have played (going by japanese numbers) 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10-2, tactics, mystic quest, and legends 2. I haven't gotten into the non-game products, though i wouldnt mind wearing ff clothes, cosplaying, or buying a stuffed animal (ie chocobo, cactuar, moogle). the film was absolutely terrible but i saw it in theatres. i havent watched the other film thing or read any graphic novels (i wasnt even aware there were any).

i like the rpg aspect. i think mostly i like characters and their development/involvement in the story so that the story progresses through them. that is pretty evident in my faves: ff6 and ff8 both have really interesting characters to me and ff8's characters have the biggest arcs of any game ive ever played. it might be noteworthy that i am an actress, so that could be where that stems from. i only like a select few turn-based rpgs and most of those are ff games, so something about the system is pretty sweet.

this is the only ff community i have been involved in. in the past i have joined other game communities but i havent liked them as much. i think i came here because it was something i had an interest in but i stayed because of the people. the oldest members of the community hardly ever talk about ff games and i think that is what makes this community work--more than one thing in common. i have been here since late 2001, when i was a freshman in high school. i drew a chocobo once, it was pretty sweet. the other games i like: metroids, zeldas, tomb raiders, silent hills, marios.

edit: also, i am a girl.
edit again: i got started playing the certain video games that i like through my older brother and my cousin (both gaming boys). i dont know if you are doing any sort of gender study or not, but i thought id throw those out there. my older brother stopped gaming years ago but i still do and my cousin doesnt really anymore either.

I first played an ff game when I was about 6ish. I got ff7 for Christmas one year and just started playing through it. Since then I have played. 1 4 6 7 8 9 X X-2 and Crystal Chronicles. Leeloo I am actually one of those people who dont go by the whole "first game = Favorite" As I said the first one I ever played. Was ff7 but my favorite is easily ff8.

None game stuff, Such as Cosplaying is not something I ever actually done. But I think given the chance I would probably try it just for the laughs of it. I dont own any soft toys or anything. But I do own the entire set of ff8 figurines. I bought them a while back. The film was very shite. I saw it on tv as I was told not to bother seeing it in the cinema.

As for communities and such. This is probably the only one I have actually stayed properly active in. Im registered in a few others but rarely post there. I dont really come her for the FF discussion. I come here more now because of the atmosphere and the topics that get discussed in general discussion.

Hope this helps a bit.

i have just stuck my penis in a bleach flapjack.

uh oh.

final fantasy sux lol

Hey folks,

My name's Ben Decker and I'm doing a research paper on fan communities for a class at MIT. I'm a noob to Final Fantasy, but I very much enjoy it and am very impressed with it. The focus of the paper is on how the structure of games influences their external design dialogues, where external design dialogue refers to everything about a game besides the game itself (forums, fan sites, conventions... etc.). To get at this idea, I'm examining some of the different motivations for fan participation in general, then examing some of the variables that likely influence differnt game communities, and then lastly I'm trying to apply this framework to a specific game.

Anyway, I'm hoping you guys can maybe help me out a bit. While definitely I'm a bit of a fanatic for certain other games (Civ, for instance, and Zelda), I don't know much about the FF community. I've posted some questions below to get the conversation going -- feel free to skim through them. Really though I'm just trying to get a sense of why people like FF and how they express this affinity. So anything you have to say on the subject, about yourself or about others, would be tremendously helpful. So thank you so much, -Ben

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How long have you been playing FF? Which FF games have you played, and which are your favorites? How much do you play on average? Do you play primarily online, with friends, single-player, or both? Are you or do you know anyone who's in some sort of FF group (a clan for instance), and if so, what do you/they do in it? What are your thoughts on some of the non-game FF products, such as the graphic novels, animes, and films?

What do you like best about the Final Fantasy games? Do you find yourself more compelled by the narrative element, the action/participation element, or both equally? When reading about the games, do you tend to look more for hints and strategy anlyses, or for character and plot discussions?

To what extent are you moved by the characters of the game? Do enjoy the idea of 'becoming' the characters for a while, or would you prefer it if you could, say, create your own character with a unique identity? To what extent are you moved by the idea of leveling up your characters and the sense of accomplishment that this potentially can engender?

What sorts of external participation do you engage in? Do you read and/or post to forums (including this one) often? Have you created any sort of FF media -- wallpapers, fan-fics, video clips... etc.? If so, did you make them available online? Have you ever created informational pages--walkthroughs or characters bios or the like? Have you ever been to an FF convention or other event? If the answer to any of the above participation quesitons was yes, do you know why you engage in this/these activity(-ies)? As in, do you know what you enjoy about them? What other games do you like, and do you participate in those fan communities as well?

To what extent do you think your participation in the FF community derives from a desire for closer connection to people, as opposed to closer connection to the game? Do you feel you've gotten to know people through eithher the game or the fan community? Do you feel you've gotten close to anyone through the game or the fan community? If not, are these things you'd be interested in?


I will edit this post with my full response this evening, but fuck, this is all kinds of idiotic.

tl;dr

Hey folks,

How long have you been playing FF? Which FF games have you played, and which are your favorites? How much do you play on average? Do you play primarily online, with friends, single-player, or both? Are you or do you know anyone who's in some sort of FF group (a clan for instance), and if so, what do you/they do in it? What are your thoughts on some of the non-game FF products, such as the graphic novels, animes, and films?

I bought Final Fantasy 1 for NES when I was a young 'un, but I hated it because I was too little to understand leveling up and such. I only really got into it when 6 (3us) came out. I was instantly and totally hooked. When I play RPG's I play alone. Non game stuff is lame, except movies.

What do you like best about the Final Fantasy games? Do you find yourself more compelled by the narrative element, the action/participation element, or both equally? When reading about the games, do you tend to look more for hints and strategy anlyses, or for character and plot discussions?

I think the character development and intriguing stories are the main draw. I read to find out more plot analysis and depth.

To what extent are you moved by the characters of the game? Do enjoy the idea of 'becoming' the characters for a while, or would you prefer it if you could, say, create your own character with a unique identity? To what extent are you moved by the idea of leveling up your characters and the sense of accomplishment that this potentially can engender?

The only times I have ever been emotionally drawn in to a video game were the ending of FF6 when Shadow kills himself, and the end of Metal Gear Solid 3. I teared a bit for that one. And I was emotional for Chrono Cross' story, but thats because it is fucking genius.

What sorts of external participation do you engage in? Do you read and/or post to forums (including this one) often? Have you created any sort of FF media -- wallpapers, fan-fics, video clips... etc.? If so, did you make them available online? Have you ever created informational pages--walkthroughs or characters bios or the like? Have you ever been to an FF convention or other event? If the answer to any of the above participation quesitons was yes, do you know why you engage in this/these activity(-ies)? As in, do you know what you enjoy about them? What other games do you like, and do you participate in those fan communities as well?

The only thing I do externally regarding FF games is come here, and in the chat. But neither of those is regularly about FF.

To what extent do you think your participation in the FF community derives from a desire for closer connection to people, as opposed to closer connection to the game? Do you feel you've gotten to know people through eithher the game or the fan community? Do you feel you've gotten close to anyone through the game or the fan community? If not, are these things you'd be interested in?

I came here because I figured I would find people like me. I have, but there are many different kinds of people here. And I mean MANY and DIFFERENT.

I actually thought about responding to this, but I realized that there's no way I could give a serious reply and it really isn't worth taking the time to type out something silly.

Thanks very much guys. Many of you obviously put significant thought and time into your responses, and I greatly appreciate it. The paper's coming along well. Anyway, good luck with everything, in game and out, and thanks again,
-Ben