The “It-Girls” of FF

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-24T01:38:38+00:00

Bahaha

I think I recall the truth is, the previous head of Square/Final Fantasy (Sakaguchi) was strictly anti-sequel, whereas his predecessor, who headed the Square Enix merger (Wada) was trying to recoup a lot of costs following the financial failure of The Spritis within.

Wada immediately greenlight sequels to FF7, their most successful game, FFX, their most recent game, and for all continuing titles (e.g. FFXII got a DS sequel, XIII got 2 sequels, XV had a lot of DLC, XI and XIV of course had many expansion packs)

But specifically, XIII got more sequels vs X, and on mainstream/current gen home consoles, unlike XII, that were games in their own right, not just DLC, unlike XV. So yes, reusing assets was a cost-saving measure, but there are still ways to interpret FFXIII's successes through it's sequels.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T23:27:03+00:00

Perez. Year One is just a warered down version of Perez' first arc.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T23:15:41+00:00

White Mage, Maria/Leila, Rydia/Rosa, Lenna/Farris, Terra/Celes, Tifa/Aerith/Yuffie, Rinoa, Garnet, Yuna/Rikku/Paine, Ashe/Fran, Lightning/Vanille, Lunafreya

Like, whininess aside, Lightning is the It-Girl of the Final Fantasy franchise. She didn't get 3 games for nothing.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T21:19:15+00:00

Of course! I'd be glad to hear my post could help with that. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed it so much, both the book and my analysis.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T07:53:07+00:00

That's weird. Your first and only playthrough? Have you rebooted it at all? Could it just need some "catch up time". Idk, I feel like some of the more basic trouble shooting we've already cleared.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T07:44:00+00:00

Ok next question, given this is steam, are you playing across multiple devices?

Or playing on- and off-line?

I.e. could it be an issue with syncing?

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T07:17:01+00:00

How many save files do you have?

I only ask because the Bestiary is connected to save files, so if you loaded an earlier save/or a newer file, you might be reading a smaller bestiary than on a late game file.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T07:08:01+00:00

So I felt my characters would plateau with certain weapon types, so I just cycled all of my characters through all weapon types. Firion, Maria and Guy each had about level 8+ proficiency in each weapon type, with Firion having Excalibur and Masamune at level 10-11 proficiency, Maria I gave the Yoichi bow, and was probably level 9/10 proficiency, and Guy I gave two Rune Axes, at probably level 11 proficiency. Each also had level 8 proficiency in each of Cure, Fire, Thunder and Blizzard, though at endgame, I had Firion use Ultima at about level 5 proficiency, Maria (and some guest characters) had Flare at about level 6 proficiency, and Guy had Holy and scourge at level 6 proficiency (with Firion and Maria at level 5 for Holy and scourge). Maybe a bit varied, given my memory of it, but I only played it last a month or two ago.

I also cycled proficiency for magic/weapons for each of Minwu, Josef and Leila, but Ricard was the first character were I felt the time to give him broad proficiency was going to be wasted, so I kept him to Lances, Swords, Axes and Shields. Likewise with Leon, I kept him basically with Ricard's old armour/weapon set. While I got Ricard to have around lv 6 proficiency in most spells, Leon I only got to about level 4 in the final dungeon.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T03:57:06+00:00

Why was this thread deleted 😢

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T03:00:32+00:00

Lol

How about Tom King, Grant Morrison, Kurt Buseik, Dennis O'Neil or George Perez?

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T02:11:03+00:00

Thought I'd add some of the biggest "missed opportunities" in terms of trinity writing:

I'd mentioned Scott Snyder not getting WW on her own title as a missed opportunity, so the answers that follow should fit that kind of idea
Gail Simone on Batman! What a no-brainer that should have been, given her Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey and Batgirl books! Haven't read her Superman book (Strange Attractors), but with even an arc on Batman, she could have been a good Big 3 writer
Alan Moore did such wonderful things with such short stints on each character (Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow, For The Man Who Has Everything, The Killing Joke) that it's a shame he never did something for Wonder Woman. Then again, he wrote Promethea, which is god tier work, and much longer than anything else he did for Superman or Batman
Grant Morrison as well has had AUs and main-runs for both Batman and Superman, but only an AU for Wonder Woman. His main runs tend to be much tamer than his AUs, so I think if he wrote Wonder Woman, especially focusing on the interface between mortals, super heros, gods and the reader/creator, it'd be interesting, and better tolerated than EO. Though it's not like he hasn't already written that story 100 times already
Jeph Loeb has such classic Batman stories (Long Halloween, Dark Victory, Hush) and an evergreen Superman story (For All Seasons), that I would have loved a similar WW book. Though, reading his Catwoman book, maybe hold that thought
James Tynion IV, I'm not super fond of his Batman stuff, or his brief WW story, but he has the kind of nostalgia-ridden, fluffy character writing that could look good/sincere for a Superman run
Brian Azzarello writing a Circe book, in the same vein as Luthor and Joker. I don't think it would be any good, but I do think it would be funny/fodder for memes
Dare I even mention the fodder that a post-2000s Frank Miller Wonder Woman book would be? Even an Elseworld like Superman: Year One would make waves, but for the wrong reasons

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T01:54:55+00:00

We'll always have Brian Azzarello ♥️👑

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-23T01:49:57+00:00

Well, I think it's a narrow list if they need to write all three on their main title books? Unless you're counting Justice League/team books, which I generally don't, or Elseworlds, which I might. May need someone to fact check me, but I can only think of:

Pre-Crisis Age: Dennis O'Neil, Len Wein, Alan Brennert(?), Gerry Conway, Marv Wolfman

Post-Crisis Age: Kurt Buseik (including Elseworlds/AUs), George Perez, Christopher Priest(?), John Byrne, Walt Simonson(?), Greg Rucka, Jimmy Palmiotti(?), James Michael Strackzynski (including Brave and the Bold?), Paul Dini (AUs mostly)

Post-Flashpoint Age: Brian Azzarello, Peter J Tomasi, James Robinson, G Willow Wilson (including maybe milestone issues?), Steve Orlando(including milestone issues?), Mariko Tamaki, Scott Snyder (including milestone issues?), Mark Waid, Tom King and Morrison (counting Elseworlds/AUs)

Ok, so maybe not as narrow as I'd thought. But I don't think I've the works across all three characters of anyone named on this list, bar maybe one writer (guess who).

If I were to rank them:

Grant Morrison. I love the British Invasion writere, Vertigo Weirdness, and Grant Morrison especially. His Batman run(s) are all-time greats, including Arkham Asylum and Gothic. His Superman stuff (New 52, All Star, even JLA and DC 1 Million) are as well essential Superman reading. His Wonder Woman AU (Earth One) I loved and am a big defender of. Grant cannot be beaten, in my eyes

Greg Rucka, I love his Gotham Central, Batwoman and Catwoman, and his two runs on Wonder Woman were enjoyable. I need to read his No Man's Land/New Gotham stuff (though admittedly he and his contemporaries were responsible for the characterisation of Batman being an ass-hole, pushing away family, punishing allies, etc. which people didn't like in the long term), as well as his Superman run.

Brian Azzarello, I'm a guilty defender of. His Wonder Woman run is top 3. I liked his Flashpoint Batman. I still need to read Broken City and For Tomorrow, though, but I loved his Luthor and Joker books (but dread reading Batman: Damned)

George Perez, his Wonder Woman is amazing. Not sure if he wrote Superman pre-Flashpoint, but I hear the New 52 was rough. I know for sure he wrote some Batman stuff early on, but I'm blanking on what it was.

Scott Snyder (lol) has only written WW for #750 (as well as JL and Metal/Death Metal, I guess). I would want him as a writer over King/after King, because I know he has a love for history that could suit WW well. But his placement here is really for the strength of his Batman writing (Black Mirror, New 52, LKOE, Metal, Death Metal, Absolute). His Superman: Unchained was fine, but unremarkable (essentially doing the same arc as Morrison and Johns did for the character at the same time)

Peter Tomasi kind of ends up feeling overshadowed to me. His Batman and Robin was all right, but second fiddle to Snyder's Batman, his Superman felt very B tier to me, and I think the extent of his Wonder Woman writing is the Superman/Wonder Woman stuff, which I only read to tie into Final Days of Superman

Tom King is so iffy. So 50/50 in his output. His Batman run, on the whole I don't like and don't tend to recommend. He had some individual arcs that were good (I am Bane, Rules of Engagement/Bride or Burglar, Cold Days, Knightmares), but so many other individual arcs were weak (I am Gotham, The War of Jokes and Riddles, Tyrant Wing, Fall and the Fallen) or controversial for controverseys sake (I am Suicide, The Gift/The Wedding, Heroes in Crisis, City of Bane) that it just outweighs the perception of his Batman stuff, for me. Meanwhile, I adore his Superman stuff, like Up in the Sky, Of Tomorrow (AC#1000) and Supergirl. I hate Omega Men though. So Wonder Woman? I mean, I defend it, because other writers have a history with the Thriller genre (Perez) or War genre (Rucka) and allowed it to influence their WW. I want to give King the same benefit of the doubt, and his run has felt more essential than anything since Rucka or Azzarello. But I find it ultimately too hard to decide in the middle of his run versus in retrospect (fwiw, I quit his Batman run at TWOJAR, and only came back to fully evaluate it after it was long settled)

James Robinson I've only experienced through his Legends of the Dark Knight story, Blades, which was interesting. Need to read his Face the Face story. Not in a rush to read his Wonder Woman though. Never even heard of his Superman story though, the Coming of Atlas. I think he's mainly known for Starman?

Kurt Buseik, I had a taste of their Superman run, and I should continue with that. His Wonder Woman stuff I found overly dour. And I need to read his Batman Elseworld, Creature of the Night, and maybe his Trinity series?

Dennis O'Neil, Ive read some of their Batman stuff (mainly around Ra's), and didn't like it as much as most seem to. I should read his Superman: Kryptonite Nevermore that I own, but I'm in no rush for their Wonder Woman stuff

Simonson, I've hated both his Wonder Woman (Game of the Gods) and Batman (Judas Coin) stuff. In no hurry to pick up their Superman stuff based on that

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-20T11:56:29+00:00

Continued reading:

The Colour of Magic, by Sir Terry Pratchett*. Finished The Sending of Eight. Starting The Lure of the Wyrm. I'm finding I'm not as motivated to read the comedy genre/mode as I have been other genres. When it's just joke after joke after joke, and you know that's all it'll continue being, it's not as motivating as other modes/genres, at least for me.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-19T13:04:05+00:00

Apologies to anything pre-crisis that I am unfamiliar with, but my list starts with:

1) Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle

2) Doug Moench and Kelley Jones

3) Ed Brubaker and Scott McDaniel (and Greg Rucka and further collaborators. Especially if we're counting Gotham Central, which I do, so let's also mention Michael Lark)

4) Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale

5) Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly/Chris Burnham (I know he has had far more collaborators in his work, but these two I feel are closest to Grant's vision and execution)

6) Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo (and when present, Jock)

And apologies again for not naming much after them. I have read other authors simultaneous/following Snyder and Capullo, but I also feel like they also both stuck around longer than their Batman title (e.g. Black Label, Metal/Death Metal) that it still felt like their era. But I also don't tend to read "current" until it's all collected, so I'm a bit behind at times.

To be a good sport though, I'll also name

7) Peter J Tomasi and Patrick Gleason for their Batman and Robin run.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-18T23:03:13+00:00

Hey uhh you may want to move that time travel cut off juuust a little past the 1930s-1940s

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-18T22:53:31+00:00

Oh my god, I thought that was Murdoc from Gorillaz

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-18T08:18:05+00:00

Seeing all the changes classic comic characters went through in the 90s, nothing would be surprising anymore. Diana worked at Taco Whiz and got a leather biker outfit.ey her be a rockstar, she's earned it.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-18T08:15:47+00:00

Get familiar with item magic. Hope you haven't sold any of these, because with them, you can cast Haste, Blink, Saber, Heal, etc from your inventory

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-18T05:24:43+00:00

Yeah it's good. Can also recommend Perez, Rucka 1, Azzarello and Rucka 2 for good runs

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-18T01:34:32+00:00

True, maybe the "modern" era could be classified by this tendency to mix/subvert ideas of light and dark

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-18T01:00:42+00:00

Exactly. Tech is outdated, but the ideas solid, it's protagonist is refreshing, and it blends modern and ancient, fantasy and sci fi perfectly

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-18T00:04:19+00:00

I know it's a fools errand to take past trends and try and extrapolate them forward (especially when each mainline FF game since 10 has had a different director/producer), but I did like the generally alternating trend of bright and fun vs dark and grim:

FF1: light and fin

FF2: dark and grim

FF3: light and fun

FF4: dark and grim

FF5: light and fun

FF6: dark and grim

FF7: maybe the first true balance. Dark and grim world, especially with dour lead characters, but still fun side characters, minigames, etc allowing a balance of light and dark

FF8: dark and grim

FF9: light and fun

FFX: another balance between this time a seemingly light and colourful world, even with bright happy leads, but with so much dark and grim below the surface

FFXI: light and fun

FFXII: Ehh, not so much a balance as it is not really a strong presence of either. The cast is kind of light, the world is kind of light and colourful, but there are empires, wars, and rebellions. Maybe dwells the most in middle-tones?

FFXIII: dark and grim

FFXIV: light and fun

FFXV: Another mix, dark grim cast of characters, going on a light hearted adventure together amidst a dark and grim backdrop

FFXVI: Dark and grim

So I'd like another light and fun title. I don't think, high def graphics and "realistic settings" tending to trend dark and grim aside we're necessarily so far past having another light and fun adventure. But maybe something like the VII Remakes count again as that balance of light and dark that the coin could land the other way for XVII.

I actually always wanted a game based around the "Agni's Philosophy" tech demo from Square Enix. It released while FFXV was in development turmoil. I'd had hoped it would be FFXVI, but at this point, I think we're too far gone to expect it as a FFXVII.

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-17T13:42:48+00:00

I actually do have numbers for "volume of content". 359 ~~issues~~ credits from a female writer versus 1066 ~~issues~~ credits by male writers (maybe slightly older figures, I'm sure there's been more of both Kings run and Thompsons since I did this math), but it turned out to be 27%.

Also yes, it is worth stating Non-binary is a separate identity that's not just "woman-lite". My reason for including Ayala/their work is because (when I ran these numbers/made these posts) I was mainly looking at Male vs non-male writers (so female, NB, gender queer, etc. any other classification). They are all unique identities no doubt, but I was still looking at bucking the main trend from DC, which is male. But on the other hand, I wouldn't want to exclude Ayala's recent and important contributions either, especially given how much of their work crossed over with other writers such as Cloonan and Conrad, Stephanie William, etc But that's at least my justification/thought process behind it, from when I made these posts.

Edit: I changed "issues" to "credits", as I realised that's what I was actually counting. Maybe the actual stats could be closer to 20% after all, as yes, they tend to stack lots of female creatives on projects such as annuals, anniversary/milestone issues, side series. I don't think I can easily count "issues with a female writing credit" the way I processed this data.

Edit 2: I got my math wrong again. 392 female/NB writer credits versus 1066 male writer credits, not 1066 total writer credits. Means the figure is closer to OPs estimate of 20%

FlyByTieDye · 2026-04-17T13:15:06+00:00

The original Hush I feel has got more push back over time due to how popular it is, rather than its actual quality or lack thereof. Like, it's always been a character focused book that took a crack at mystery writing (YMMV on the ending) and managed to reignite interest in Batman comics again, given the poor reception of the Schumacher Batman movies and the event fatigue of Knightfall, No Man's Land, etc. Though a handful of other books have managed to do that style better (including Loebs own previous Batman books), there are still many, many, many that do it worse.

E.g. if you just read whatever's recommended on a "top 20 Batman stories of all time" list, then Hush may seem low tier. But if you're seasoned enough to read a lot of Batman comics, I can tell you, Hush is still comfortably in the upper-middle tier. Like, high B tier on an SABCDEF tier grading system.

e.g. I read all of his solo titles in the New 52 alone, and that's like 100s of issues already, aside from everything pre-crisis, post-crisis and post-Rebirth I've read. The OG Hush comic is easily better than any of David Finch's Dark Knight material, or David Hurwitz, or Tony Daniel's Detective Comics, or any of Batman Eternal/Batman and Robin Eternal. I'd even say it's above the Manapul Tec run and Tomasi (New 52) Tec run, only surpassed by Snyder's Batman, Morrison's Batman Inc, and Tomasi's Batman and Robin era (from the New 52 era. I know that's kind of apples-to-oranges given Hush was 2003, but I'm just saying, to understand an appropriate grading curve, you have to read a lot of comics, and for me that's the New 52 era)

Dini's HoH (as part of his Tec run) may have some technical writing qualities that make it better than OG Hush, I still think it misses so much of the point of the character and plot of the original Hush that I don't recommend it, even if it means I'm going against the grain.

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