PS2 RPGs with equips that show up on your char?

[tintinmayo]

I think having the armor and weapons show up on the character also helps with role playing. Like, you sorta feel like your avatar is more powerfuler after that long grind because it's now sporting a full metal armor instead of the sleeveless shirt & khaki shorts combo he started out with.

[Hazerd]

I think having the armor and weapons show up on the character also helps with role playing. Like, you sorta feel like your avatar is more powerfuler after that long grind because it's now sporting a full metal armor instead of the sleeveless shirt & khaki shorts combo he started out with.

THANKYOU!

This is also called Progression, you dont really get a feel for progression without the visual change in my opinion, then again if you dont care how your character looks, then your probably in it for the story and battle system as JRPG's love experimenting with new battle systems.

Look at Final Fantasy, i would say every FF has added in something new and started to get really fancy when 10 came out.

[Menegrothx]

It's a double edged sword. Most of the time you'll have mitchmatched armor that looks bad on you. You'll look awesome when you finally do manage to get equipment that's designed to be a complete set but once you get better items it'll break the set and look bad again. If your character looks always the same it's not like his/her personality "changes" with different equipment. In WoW you'd often see a Paladin who looks like a warrior, a shaman who looks like a hunter, a druid who looks like a rogue etc because they were using damage dealing gear rather than healing gear. Some armor sets capture the essence of a character class so well that it should be the norm. It's nice to feel that you progress but I think you should move from one well designed armor set to another, like with the tiers in world of warcraft.

http://www.wowwiki.com/Clownsuit

[isiolia]

^ Newer games seem to like utilizing dyes so that different sets can be matched in appearance. At least to an extent.

I think it also helps when you have "hide headgear" type options too.

It is something the PS2 could handle - FFXI has hundreds of unique skins representing thousands of visible items that can be mixed and matched. Which, they are, since it's very rare that a full set of any armor actually represents the best option. Then again, a competent player is going to be constantly swapping gear anyway.

[tintinmayo]

I've only played Shining Force EXA as an example of what I was looking for (on the PS2, at least). Mismatched sets are not really that much of a problem since the gear comes as armor+headgear, then shield, then weapon. Simply getting the armor changes the entire body's look already so it's not that jarring if the headgear is different.

I've been playing Torchlight II for a while so I understand how weird it looks when you have mismatched sets (especially if it's a mix of plate armor and cloth types). Add the fact that sets usually have bonuses when completed and there's more reason to farm a complete one.

Basically, the "equips show up on the char" thing is just a bonus for me, I'm certainly not going to think a game is broken if the avatar remains the same throughout the game. But I do feel like obsessing over the gear aspect of the game feels incomplete without the visuals, because without it I'm just playing with stats; it doesn't matter if I get a headgear or a pair of gloves or a spaulder, they're all just things that increase my attack or defense.

[BogusMeatFactory]

I am a fan of the pimping out of your character. It adds some personality and personal flair that gets you into the roleplaying aspect of the roleplaying game. Games like the Elder Scrolls series really fueled that desire personally.

I can see the problem with it, however, in most JRPGs. Games that have a huge focus on pre-rendered cutscenes can interfere and break the continuity if your character is wearing a completely different set of armor in game than in the cutscenes.

It all really depends on the type of game and what the developers want to achieve.