how does job/ability stack up against the rest?

[cheesesteak]

as i fall more and more in love with FFV's job/ability system of course it makes me start to ponder about comparisons to other FFs and put it in list form!!! i will only compare it to the streamlined FFs that i have played (meaning no III or VI). here's how i see it:

FFV vs. FFI
you choose a class and lvl it up to a slightly more advanced version...deep.
winner: FFV

FFV vs. FFII
perhaps an almost close-to-life lvl up system. you only get experience in something by actually using it!!! however, for some reason at least to me, some characters didn't seem to lvl the right way...realistic, but not too deep.
winner: FFV

FFV vs. FFIV
each character is pre-set with a class. also realistic, showing a lack of variety which i would assume would be accurate...i mean, what black mage would wanna use an axe!?!? some interesting concepts like the twin magic and having to fight according to what characters you currently had. if i remember correctly lvling up was simple and allowed characters to learn more skills. interesting as it adds to the storyline, but lacks depth and control.
winner: FFV

FFV vs. FFVII
aaahhh, FFVII. at the time and perhaps even now, the greatest game i ever played. however looking back, the materia system wasn't all THAT great. it sort of...diluted out characters and made them potentially all the same. the only thing that really set the characters apart were limit breaks and weapons. fun, easy to use. about as deep as a guy wearing flip flops, sunglasses and A&F clothing.
winner: FFV

FFV vs. FFVIII
now here's where it gets interesting, imo. weapons and limit breaks gave characters their individuality, but nothing special. what i absolutely loved were the junction/GFs. each GF is like its own character, learning abilities that get carried over the character it is equipped to. i could probably write a 5 page essay on the junctioning system alone. it didn't give characters much individuality, since you could swap GFs, but man...just man...
winner: FFVIII

FFV vs. FFIX
each character has his/her own abilities that they stick to through the entire game, a la FFI or FFIV, giving the characters their own identity and importance. the crystal system was nice as it allowed characters to have skills/abilities/stats that were sometimes vital and not available by any other means. very interesting, very cool...but for some reason it never seemed to STICK OUT to me...
winner: FFV

FFV vs. FFX
sphere grid. very innovative, very original. kept characters on a certain path to be built a certain way. i also liked how each character had his/her own weapons that could be customized to bring depth to the team. the aeons being just like playable characters with lvl ups and gaining skills is also very nice. though i love the sphere grid, for some reason i'm still partial to the job/ability in FFV. perhaps because of just the timing. FFV is a new beauty to me, therefore i am more enfatuated with it...kinda like women.
winner: FFV

FFV vs. FFXI
almost the exact same thing, except FFXI job system is EXTREMELY deeper and more intricate (for obvious reasons: it being an MMO and having over a decade in advanced creativity and knowledge of RPG lvling up). however, the fact that FFV's job system is so simple AND genius leans me more towards it...plus somtimes it can take FOREVER to lvl up in FFXI. plus i like how FFV you can keep abilities from higher lvl non-inherent jobs when youre at a lower lvl job...err...example:
lvl 1 white mage can use lvl 5 time mage ability whereas in FFXI a lvl2 whm can only use lvl1 abilities from other jobs it has lvls on.
winner: tie goes to the runner...FFV

there ya go. for it's time and even now, FFV's system is one of the better, if not the best system of all the FFs. however, like i said in my FFX review, i may only think this way cuz it's what i'm currently enfatuated with. like chris rock's "only one thing better than pussy...new pussy" joke, "only one thing better than cool lvling systems...new lvling systems, and FFV is new to me!!

anyway, now, these are just my opinions and like sir charles barkley said, "I may be wrong, but i doubt it." any other opinions, statements, or flaming? plz post!! and maybe someone can do a FFV vs. III and VI or just wait...like 4 months and i'll get right on it!

PS. yeah, i know i need to practice my past/present-tense agreement grammar...!

[Shin Gouken]

I agree with almost your entire post. i love the junction system more than words can describe, but still job system>junction system.

When you play ffvii or ffviii, you finish with so many skills learned/materia mastered. When you finish them a second and third time, you find you always finish them the same. its also very easy to play through the whole game very much the same.

But with ffv, you instantly play it again specifically to do things differently from the first time.

Each class is incredably unique and mixing classes in a huge number of ways makes a lot of unique combinations. Too many to experiment with in a single play through or even two,three or more play throughs. Who here has had a dancing knight, a dragoon hunter, or a sorcerer summoner. I quite like the sound of a dancer knight but ive never tried it. Ive played through ffv some 20 times now, yet i dont tire of it, i find it gets more interesting the more i play it. rock on job system ^_^

[ljkkjlcm9]

I noticed FFVI wasn't on your list. Neither was III, which was also a job system.

But it's really a matter of opinion. I mean yeah it's cool being able to have your character be a jack of all trades, but personally I liked in FFVI where there were so many characters each with a deep story, that had their own abilities that made them unique. So you have so many different possiblites, with so many in depth characters.

I'm sorry, but I think VI is the best, just because of how well it was done with the characters stories.

Also you missed games like FFTA, which is very comparable to this game class wise and being able to use other jobs abilities.

THE JACKEL

[cheesesteak]

i will only compare it to the STREAMLINED FFs that i HAVE PLAYED (meaning NO III or VI).

...and maybe someone can do a FFV vs. III and VI or just wait...like 4 months and i'll get right on it!

i love quoting myself!!!

[Crossblades]

FF V vs. FF III

Same job system but the only differences between the two is that in FF III you can't learn job skills and you can't mix jobs

FF V vs. FF VI

In FF VI, no matter what esper you equip, your characters will learn all types of magic. Unlike FF V, which you have an option to teach characters magic. But I feel that all my FF VI characters needs to learn magic

[cheesesteak]

thanks crossblades.

yeah i can't wait to get my hands on FFVI...my only experience with it is watching my cousin play it constantly when it first came out when i was like...10...and when i played the first 30 mins of it by myself (then i decided to play them in order for some reason).

but i'm little over half way through FFV (sadly, i have played less of it in the past week or two). then i'll hopefully try to speed through FFVI (40-60 hours i hear...!!!). then i'll just wait for FFXII or FFIII for DS, whichever comes first.

perhaps once i'm finished w/ the streamlined, i'll go outside the main series and finish tactics and mystic quest, play tactics advance, x-2, crystal chronicles, the legends...etc etc. :-\

[Markus. D]

FFX-2>FFV

FFV>Any other FF except 8 and X-2.

[Prancing Mad]

tactics had a wicked job system very much like FFV. I think tactics did take it up a notch though. Having played both a lot, and liking them, I have to say that the job system lends itself better to a strat-rpg than to a turn-based one. My point's seconded by the scores of strat-rpg games that came out after it that capitalized on that type of system. Not to say there weren't any strat-rpgs with classes before FFT, just that FFT made it more popular. I've clocked 200 odd hours into one file of that game. When you add all my clockings together, I think the number's pretty huge. It's a very deep job system, and fights to not get tiring.

[Crossblades]

thanks crossblades.

yeah i can't wait to get my hands on FFVI...my only experience with it is watching my cousin play it constantly when it first came out when i was like...10...and when i played the first 30 mins of it by myself (then i decided to play them in order for some reason).

No problem

And get FF VI. It's worth it

[I Don't Need A Name]

I disagree with most of your opinions, as i think that having people set with specialised classes makes you have to choose the party carefuly. also, if there is a boss which is weak against black magic and you havent bought any magic, then your screwed, but if someone has a set class then they will hae learned the magic to own the boss

[Slam Dancin' Moogle]

Man, what are you, in love with FFV? Dude, usually, I don't go with class changning games (exceptions: FFIII/FFT(A)) I mean, I liked FFI better than FFV, FFII better than FFV, FFIII better, hell, even FFIV, which I hate, is better, FFVI definitely better, and thats all I've pretty much played. Still man, I think FFV was too short, and too easy.

[Elpizo]

Man, what are you, in love with FFV? Dude, usually, I don't go with class changning games (exceptions: FFIII/FFT(A)) I mean, I liked FFI better than FFV, FFII better than FFV, FFIII better, hell, even FFIV, which I hate, is better, FFVI definitely better, and thats all I've pretty much played. Still man, I think FFV was too short, and too easy.

*Faints*

TOO EASY?

Man, if you are at a very high level, sure, it's easy, but try beating NeoExDeath on lv 40!

Let me tell you: next to impossible, unless you have loads of luck. How come? Ask "Grand Cross"

But yeah, aside from NeoExDeath, the game was not too hard.

[Slam Dancin' Moogle]

The beginning was so easy, I could have beaten it in my sleep, heck, I could've beaten the Steam Ship in my sleep. All it takes is a little patience. Well, I guess that getting into the floating island thingy with the earth crystal was a little difficult...

[Shin Gouken]

All the final fantasy games are easy if you know what your doing o_0