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tenshinoakuma) wrote2009-01-03 12:13 pm
tenshinoakuma) wrote2009-01-03 12:13 pm
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If you've been in TST chat at all, you'll likely know I've been playing P3 like mad. I'm just going to talk about ONE aspect of P3 that I really, really love.
One thing that I feel is... well not missing, but maybe just not done as well (or in a way that I respond to as positively), are character dynamics. I know it's not exactly something that can be missed as such, since most RPGs give you more than 4 characters in the overall party, even if there's only like, 3 or 4 in the actual battles. But I feel that in a lot of previous RPGs I've played, especially the Final Fantasy series, it's always about the plot. How the characters interact with each other in regards to the plot.
And that's not always a bad thing, especially given how much I love Twewy. But with Twewy, I feel its focus (in terms of character dynamics anyway) is on the partner aspect. And while that's not a bad thing, it's not a group dynamic, as such. It's good, for Twewy, being heavily character focused. But with games like Final Fantasy (at least the ones I've played), I really kind of wish there was more done with it, or brought to light better, because I can certainly see some of what I'm going to talk about in the FF series, but it just doesn't impact me as much.
What I love most about Persona 3 is that you have different levels and/or 'groups' (or pairs?) within SEES, yet it still all comes together as one, cohesive body.
You have what I fondly refer to as 'the three stooges' aka Junpei, Minato, and Yukari, which I absolutely love. Because seriously, I can't help but think 'why is Yukari hanging around with them so much?' and as much as you can say it's because it's just because Junpei and Minato are the other SEES members, she's shown hanging around them even during the Bad End. I can't help but think it works really well, and believably as well, because what's a bit of play-fighting amongst friends (even if Yukari won't admit it)? I think I like this little group dynamic the best mostly because you have three individuals doing their own shit, but they still have the time to do stoogey things together. Yes, sometimes shit happens between them, yes, sometimes one of them will run off and sort of ditch the group for a bit (I'm looking at you, Junpei :| ), but that kind of thing happens in reality too. And while Minato doesn't seem to actually do very much, I feel that if he wasn't there, it'd fall apart. Kind of like the silent support (and really, that's kind of the role he plays through the game), the person Junpei can be buddies with (but not stupid buddies like Ryoji and Stupei are), the person Yukari can complain about Junpei to.
It's probably no coincidence that these three are all in the same year and homeroom. I don't think it'd work if they weren't, otherwise, simply because it feels like it needs a lot of talking for them to be stooges together, even if there's not a lot of communication. I guess what's what I find most beautiful about the P3 group dynamics, because there are discrete groups within SEES, descrete levels of interaction, yet they're all pieces of a healthy, working, functioning whole. The Fool Arcana really feels quite accurate, because really, they did start off as the Fool, with infinite potentialities but nothing to guide them. I can't say the Minato is the sole reason for everything coming together, because he's not, but he is, in a way, the one who started it all, and the one who keeps things... well... stable.
In terms of just how he interacts with other characters, he's a lot like Fuuka, except he's somehow a lot more involved and a lot less involved at the same time.
For some reason, I find Fuuka less connected in a specific 'group' as such (although it seems she has a few more scenes with Aigis and/or Yukari in FES?), but in hindsight, it makes sense since she's the one who takes over Mitsuru's place as the person who watches over everyone and keeps them safe. And yes, I suppose it makes sense, because she's the one who starts out isolated from everyone else, and then she grows into this person who's still shy, but still a part of, yet not a part of everything in SEES, if that makes sense? She's not involved in specific groups, but she manages to help others within SEES (Junpei and Aigis most readily spring to mind). This is possibly the reason I keep on overlooking her.
Mitsuru and Akihiko (and Shinjiro, but I'll talk about just those two for now) are what I call a professionally close relationship.
FNGH CANNOT FIND MOTIVATION TO FINISH THIS FNGHSDF.
... You know what. This is just going to end with me listing off all the possible discrete pairs/groups within SEES. And there's no way I'm gonna ramble on all of that. Or maybe I will do this again, only neater, when I actually. Finish replaying.
One thing that I feel is... well not missing, but maybe just not done as well (or in a way that I respond to as positively), are character dynamics. I know it's not exactly something that can be missed as such, since most RPGs give you more than 4 characters in the overall party, even if there's only like, 3 or 4 in the actual battles. But I feel that in a lot of previous RPGs I've played, especially the Final Fantasy series, it's always about the plot. How the characters interact with each other in regards to the plot.
And that's not always a bad thing, especially given how much I love Twewy. But with Twewy, I feel its focus (in terms of character dynamics anyway) is on the partner aspect. And while that's not a bad thing, it's not a group dynamic, as such. It's good, for Twewy, being heavily character focused. But with games like Final Fantasy (at least the ones I've played), I really kind of wish there was more done with it, or brought to light better, because I can certainly see some of what I'm going to talk about in the FF series, but it just doesn't impact me as much.
What I love most about Persona 3 is that you have different levels and/or 'groups' (or pairs?) within SEES, yet it still all comes together as one, cohesive body.
You have what I fondly refer to as 'the three stooges' aka Junpei, Minato, and Yukari, which I absolutely love. Because seriously, I can't help but think 'why is Yukari hanging around with them so much?' and as much as you can say it's because it's just because Junpei and Minato are the other SEES members, she's shown hanging around them even during the Bad End. I can't help but think it works really well, and believably as well, because what's a bit of play-fighting amongst friends (even if Yukari won't admit it)? I think I like this little group dynamic the best mostly because you have three individuals doing their own shit, but they still have the time to do stoogey things together. Yes, sometimes shit happens between them, yes, sometimes one of them will run off and sort of ditch the group for a bit (I'm looking at you, Junpei :| ), but that kind of thing happens in reality too. And while Minato doesn't seem to actually do very much, I feel that if he wasn't there, it'd fall apart. Kind of like the silent support (and really, that's kind of the role he plays through the game), the person Junpei can be buddies with (but not stupid buddies like Ryoji and Stupei are), the person Yukari can complain about Junpei to.
It's probably no coincidence that these three are all in the same year and homeroom. I don't think it'd work if they weren't, otherwise, simply because it feels like it needs a lot of talking for them to be stooges together, even if there's not a lot of communication. I guess what's what I find most beautiful about the P3 group dynamics, because there are discrete groups within SEES, descrete levels of interaction, yet they're all pieces of a healthy, working, functioning whole. The Fool Arcana really feels quite accurate, because really, they did start off as the Fool, with infinite potentialities but nothing to guide them. I can't say the Minato is the sole reason for everything coming together, because he's not, but he is, in a way, the one who started it all, and the one who keeps things... well... stable.
In terms of just how he interacts with other characters, he's a lot like Fuuka, except he's somehow a lot more involved and a lot less involved at the same time.
For some reason, I find Fuuka less connected in a specific 'group' as such (although it seems she has a few more scenes with Aigis and/or Yukari in FES?), but in hindsight, it makes sense since she's the one who takes over Mitsuru's place as the person who watches over everyone and keeps them safe. And yes, I suppose it makes sense, because she's the one who starts out isolated from everyone else, and then she grows into this person who's still shy, but still a part of, yet not a part of everything in SEES, if that makes sense? She's not involved in specific groups, but she manages to help others within SEES (Junpei and Aigis most readily spring to mind). This is possibly the reason I keep on overlooking her.
Mitsuru and Akihiko (and Shinjiro, but I'll talk about just those two for now) are what I call a professionally close relationship.
FNGH CANNOT FIND MOTIVATION TO FINISH THIS FNGHSDF.
... You know what. This is just going to end with me listing off all the possible discrete pairs/groups within SEES. And there's no way I'm gonna ramble on all of that. Or maybe I will do this again, only neater, when I actually. Finish replaying.