Literary Critique of Final Fantasy VII

This post is in response to a youtube video titled The Symbolic Purpose of Ultimecia in FF8 by @ScribbleRetrospective. For reference, his video is found here but is not required reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK1DHlaQ4Ng&t=1834s. I think his interpretation of the Squall character is fundamentally flawed.

In storytelling, the hero often has an internal conflict. For Squall, it's abandonment issues resulting with self-isolation. During the flashback to the light house, we learn he was separated from his big sis and in his own words he says, "I didn't turn out very well." The exact dialogue that the game shows us is young Squall standing in the rain and saying something like "Big Sis, I'm doing my best without you." There's another moment where the other characters said he was particularly fond of Ellone with regards to his days as a child in the orphanage, so we can assume the separation might have hit hard. Abandonment issues mean someone who felt the loss of being abandoned and who spends their life afraid of going through that again and taking measures to ensure it doesn't happen again. In Squall's case, he values his independence and keeps everyone at a distance. I forget where precisely in the script of FF8, but Squall either says or thinks that he doesn't believe in relying on others. He's also described by school faculty as being a student who has difficulty expressing himself.

All this said, protagonists must also have a goal in the story. In the beginning of the story, Squall does not have a stated goal in the script. He's either satisfied with being a SeeD or he's an adolescent and he's not thinking about what to do with his life as it's probably overwhelming to think about. Squall's goal is therefore whatever SeeD's goal is as long as he doesn't express otherwise. By the halfway point of the story, Rinoa becomes comatose, and his new short-term goal becomes helping her. When he learns that she is now a sorceress and that she's in danger of being a victim of this or that government or by Sorceress Ultimicia, then his goal of pursuing SeeD's ultimate goal of slaying the (bad) sorceress simply becomes personal for him.

To resolve the internal conflict of abandonment, Squall must allow himself to be vulnerable and open up to people and let them in, and to risk abandonment again, specifically with Rinoa. This is difficult for him. The internal conflict of abandonment and the external conflict of defeating Ultimecia are now connected. The theme of the story is usually found in the internal conflict. Squall has to risk being vulnerable in order to find love. He is fighting Ultimecia to protect loved ones now. He's no longer a SeeD without a purpose. He's no longer following orders because it's his job. He's fighting for love. Ultimecia does not symbolically represent anything, she's just an existential threat.

That's it. Now for geekiness.

Some early moments in the script that stand out to me as defining who Squall is comes during the Dollet SeeD exam when Seifer issues an order to abandon their post and Squall is agreeable because he wants to put his training to the test. This is the closest thing we get to Squall expressing a value or belief in the early portion of the game. He also tells Seifer something like "I feel like I can take on anybody, even if they do fight dirty like you." We can also take this example of Squall expressing that he thinks poorly of people who don't fight fair. This hints at some nobility in the character, or that the character has a sense of fairness.

One moment that I think you got wrong is in the scene in Galbadia Garden where the characters are discussing Seifer's death. In Squall's internal monologue, he's reiterating the words that the other characters said of Seifer, he is not expressing his own views on Seifer. He's not taking issue with the literal meaning of what their words, he's taking issue with the fact that they're saying it. I can speculate why. As a character who values his independence, he probably also values his privacy or he doesn't want his reputation to be subject to popular opinion after he dies, and therefore he probably does not want people talking liberally about him after he dies. Or perhaps as a person with abandonment issues, he's sensitive to the idea that other people might have true thoughts that they conceal till you're not around. In other words, Squall does not want people talking shit about him when he's not around. This might be a pain point for him, hence the outburst.

You bring up Seifer as a foil, but I think it's a shame that you overlooked the symbolism of the white knight and the dark knight theme that the game has. Seifer is the white clad knight of Sorceress Edea and later Ultimecia. Squall is therefore black clad knight of Sorceress Rinoa. They have symbols of crosses (Seifer's vest) and lions (Squall's necklace), like knights. They both have swords and mirrored scars that they gave each other (they have marked each other). Here's a nice touch. In the cutscene, where they scar each other, Seifer cuts high to low, like Squall does in battle, and Squall cuts low to high like Seifer does in battle. A for effort there. The symbolism is also in the colors of their outfits where Squall wears a black exterior, but inside he's white, and Seifer is the reverse. Seifer has a white exterior, but on the inside he's dark. In visual storytelling, color is a way of communicating things to the audience. Star Wars and cowboy movies famously used this (white cowboy hats and black cowboy hats).

Another criticism I have with your video essay is the scene where Seifer becomes Edea's servant. Here's the scenario. Imagine you just murdered people and took a government leader hostage with a deadly weapon live on tv. You retreat, but you're cornered and have no way out. Then a sorceress offers you a get out of jail free card and a position of political and military power. What do you do? Obviously, you take the job, right? By coincidence, being the sorceress' knight happens to be Seifer's romantic dream, so he's obviously happy about it in spite of some initial hesitation. I mean, it does seem too good to be true, right? And what if it's a trick? You're a SeeD, and Galbadia is involved with the Sorceress, whom your dutybound to oppose. It's a dangerous situation. What does Edea say? The immature part of you wants to run and hide, but the adult in you wants to accept. What kind of job proposal sounds like this? A proposal from a good employer or a bad employer? If you can take anything away from this, it's that Edea was not offering Seifer the job, she was manipulating him into accepting the job. Now that he's committed to it, can he really quit? Do you think this sounds like an employer who will let you quit? He's stuck. If anything, Squall saves Seifer from his fate by defeating Ultimecia. By the end of the story, Seifer is just fishing with his friends and getting mad at the fish, an earned end for the guy who made all the wrong choices and was a dick the whole way.

At some point in your video you said Squall is genuinely mean and you say this is one way that he is like Seifer. I don't know what you mean by genuinely mean, but I assume you mean to say that he is mean to others, and he sincerely intends meanness and to cause others harm or discomfort. I don't think this. I think Squall is just blunt and refuses to be sensitive or take on emotional labor. I don't think he takes pleasure in it, and I don't think he wants to cause harm. This is different from Seifer. Seifer is shown as a bully. He takes pleasure in picking fights and throwing his weight around. Quistis comments that Seifer was always trying to get attention with this behavior, and that's why he focused on Squall because Squall never gave Seifer the attention he seeked. Quistis called Seifer troubled. People understood Seifer was kind of a dick. There's another scene someone tells Squall that students in the Garden admire him or they look up to him. This was around the time that he was given his position as commander.  From other character's perspectives, Squall demonstrates competency and composure in most situations, and this is probably because he values being self-dependent. In the scenes where people tease Squall for tying to be nice, like when you have the option to cheer Selphie up because the stage was wrecked, those characters are just teasing him, and they clearly know they can get away with it.

What's Wrong with the 5e Ranger?

First concept: playstyle. There are only three pure playstyles: martial, magic, skill. The quintessential classes are fighter, magic-user (or wizard), and thief (or rogue). Every other class is a hybrid or variation. Paladins, barbarians, and rangers were once variations or subclasses of fighter.

Second concept: specialties. What makes you special is that you can do something that no one else can do. When you take something special about one class and make it available to others, it is no longer a specialty and is trivial. For example, fighters were once the only class who could regularly hit for consistent damage. Now everyone has a way of doing consistent damage such as cantrips. Wilderness survival skills such as tracking were once unique to rangers.

Third concept: niche or identity. What is a ranger? A ranger is a character who defends civilization by fighting the evils that threaten it on the boarders of the wilderness. They are in essence a fighter who has traded heavy armor for wilderness survival skills. This is easily stolen from them by the Survival skill becoming available to other classes and by a lack of emphasis on the exploration phase of the game. A Rogue can put expertise into survival and out survival the ranger.

To summarize, Rangers were once a fighter subclass that is no longer special and they're part of a class roster in a game that underemphasizes exploration which is their brand.

What has modern WotC done for the ranger? Made the ranger a combination martial, magic, skill character, which we have plenty of, with features most players won't use such as nullifying difficult terrain when hexcrawling, or features that aren't as valuable as another feature from another class, like how favored enemy is not as good as sneak attack. Animal companion is not a worthwhile feature imo because why couldn't anyone have an animal companion when bloodhounds and game hawks ought to be a commodity you can buy from a trainer? Hunters mark? Why not just give the ranger bonus damage die on all attacks since they'll be using it constantly, and so it will simplify the Ranger player's turn? Call it a built-in hunter's mark damage die.

To fix the problem, you need to take the ranger's things away from the other classes and give them back to the ranger. It's like giving anyone else unarmored defense, battle rage or an inspiring voice that gives bonuses orcsneak attack. And they have to put in some really good exploration rules and instructions so people understand hexcrawling or point crawling and want to use these rules. I've had 5 GMs now, and none of them understand hexcrawling. They all handwave it. Even Matthew Mercer, celebrity GM, doesn't do hex crawling. Maybe hexcrawling just isn't that fun? Alternatively, make ranger a subclass of fighter or rogue.

Open Lite RPG

This game is free for non-commercial use and was created with the intent to be used for Draconia '95.

RULE ZERO
The rules provide structure for the game, but the fiction we create is based on realism; therefore, the logic of a scene beats the rules.

RULES LITE
A rules lite game allows the Game Master (GM) to interpret the rules to serve their style. DIY and design are expected. GMs can change, add, or subtract rules, but new rules should not add unnecessary complexity that doesn't improve the game.  For example, you don't need a rule for playing a musical instrument when we can believe that a character can do so because the player included it in their character concept or history. This game can be adapted for any setting and any genre.

PLAYER CHARACTERS (PCs)
Discuss character concepts with the Game Master (GM). PCs must suit the tone and setting, and must be able to work with a team. PCs need a goal to pursue in play. Create an ordinary person who becomes an adventurer.

ABILITIES
Roll three six-sided dice (3d6) for each ability to generate an ordinary person. Abilities describe your character, but do not limit player agency (example, a low intelligence character does not mean you have to play your character unwisely).

Strength: hand-to-hand, Load
Agility: Defense, saves
Vitality: Max HP, saves 
Knowledge: tools, crafts, lore
Perception: Missiles, surprise
Willpower: Magic, saves
Luck (optional): critical range, random table rolls

Score Modifier Description
3 to 6 -1 modifier below average
7 to 14 no modifier average
15 to 18 +1 modifier above average

HIT POINTS (HP)
Your maximum HP is 10 + your vitality modifier. HP represents your physical condition, and so HP loss abstractly represents wounds or injuries. Recover 1 lost HP per day representing natural healing. At 0 HP, make one Save; Success means unconscious for one hour, failure means death.

DEFENSE (DEF)
Your Defense is 10 + your agility modifier + bonuses from armor and shields. Defense represents your ability to defend yourself when you are willing and able. Your touch defense is 10 + agility modifier and is applicable for attacks that do not need to penetrate or bypass armor such as wrestling. Defense cannot exceed 19.

CLASS
Class is a game term for the sake of game terminology. It suggests rather than describes your characters' background, skills, and knowledge. PCs are limited to one class. These class options are left vaguely defined for you to flavor as you like. Assume all classes are fit for adventure, can use improvised weapons and peasant weapons, and can do basic things like light fires and climb ropes.

Fighter
Fighter describes an athletic person who can use all weapons, armor, and shields. Fighters get a +2 to saves vs fatigue.
Lv Hit Save
1 +1 14
2 +2 13
3 +2 12
4 +3 11
5 +3 10
6 +3 9
7 +4 8
8 +4 7
9 +4 6
10 +5 5

Mage (alternate name PKer)
Mage describes someone who can cast spells (or use supernatural powers in other genres). Mages add a +2 to saves vs Magic.
Lv Hit Save MP
1 +0 15 2
2 +1 14 4
3 +1 13 6
4 +1 12 7
5 +2 11 8
6 +2 10 9
7 +2 9 10
8 +3 8 11
9 +3 7 12
10 +3 6 13

Rogue (alternate name Esper)
Rogue describes someone who is trained or self-taught in specialized and unconventional skills (suited to the setting, genre, etc. of the game). Rogues can use light armor, one-handed swords, and crossbows or longbows. Rogues add a +2 to saves vs traps.
Lv Hit Save Skill
1 +1 15 1-2 in 1d6
2 +1 14 1-2 in 1d6
3 +1 13 1-2 in 1d6
4 +2 12 1-3 in 1d6
5 +2 11 1-3 in 1d6
6 +2 10 1-3 in 1d6
7 +3 9 1-4 in 1d6
8 +3 8 1-4 in 1d6
9 +3 7 1-4 in 1d6
10 +4 6 1-5 in 1d6

LEVEL
Level describes how experienced you are in your class. Lower levels mean amateur, higher levels means seasoned.

EXPERIENCE POINTS (EXP)

Characters need 20 * their level in exp to increase their level (example a level 3 character needs 60 exp to reach level 4). Encounters are worth 1 to 4 exp, where a 2 exp encounter is an ordinary difficulty encounter. No exp for absenteeism. Players may not level up mid-game session.

TO-HIT BONUS (HIT)
Your hit is how well you can hit with barehanded attacks and weapons you can use or to grapple an opponent. Add to your d20 roll when you attack along with any other appropriate modifiers. An attack hits when the roll is greater than or equal to the opponent's Defense.

SAVING THROWS (SAVE)
A save is rolled in response to something that acts on you and does not ordinarily require a turn. Roll a d20, add any modifiers, try to roll equal to or greater than your own Save. Escaping a grapple or hold must be attempted on your turn and requires a successful save.

MAGIC POINTS (MP)
MP is another game term for terminology's sake. It represents magical stamina (or stamina with supernatural powers). All spells cost 1 to 3 MP to cast and require one turn to cast.

SKILL
Skill describes your ability to succeed at very specific actions described below. Roll a 1d6, and roll less than or equal to your skill. A GM may assume that only a Rogue can attempt these, or that other classes may attempt them with only a 1 in 1d6 chance of success.
Move silently without being heard
Hide in shadows without being seen
Pick pocket (or plant) without being observed, although the pick is noticed
Pick locks with lock picks
Disarm traps successfully and safely
Listen for and discern noises at doors

Climb 50 ft increments without fatigue
Additionally, a Rogue can backstab an opponent who is unaware of their presence. The attack roll is made with a +4 situational modifier, and on a hit the maximum damage is done (example, 6 damage if rolling a d6 without modifiers).

(optional) Track foes, wild game, etc. and identify such signs in the wilderness. Additionally, navigate unfamiliar regions, forage, nature lore and natural remedies, Foe expertise (specify Foe).

LOAD
Load is your carrying capacity. You can carry a maximum of 10 + Strength modifier items. When you are at your maximum load, you are encumbered and move at slow speed (15 ft per turn). Some items are heavy or bulky and count as two items, like metal armor or two-handed weapons. Some items are petty and count as 0 items. Some items stack up to a fixed quantity, like a container of ammunition. Record fatigue and similar conditions using item slots representing the effects that these conditions have on your character. There is no catalog of equipment. DIY.

EQUIPMENT
There is no catalog. DIY. Barehanded strikes do 1d3 damage. Assume weapons do 1d6 damage. Small and improvised weapons do 1d6-1 (minimum 1 point of damage). Large weapons do 1d6+1 damage. Metal armor is always considered heavy and may be restrictive and noisy.

LEVEL UP BONUSES
The class options available can be distinguished with bonuses. Players may choose one when they level up, though the availability of these options is subject to the GM.

• +1 Max HP (cap 20 + vitality modifier)
• +1 to an ability score (cap 18)
• +1 to Load (cap 20 + strength modifier)
• +1 to base Defense (limit once)
• -1 to Save (limit once)
• Light Armor use
• Heavy Armor use (requires light armor use)
• Shield use
• Weapon use (choose)
• Weapon specialization (choose one weapon, cap +1)
• Critical hit range +1 (cap 18 to 20; restriction cannot take at consecutive levels)
• Other, including special actions or movement, specialized skill or talent, extraordinary trait, etc. DIY (discuss with GM).

HOW TO PLAY
The game is played through conversation and can be freeform or structured into turns like a board game. In all contexts, players can do one dedicated thing on their turn. First, the Game Master (GM) describes the scene, setting, or situation (almost like a narrator). Second, the players describe what their characters do and/or say. Third, the GM describes the results. Repeat until a scene is resolved, then establish a new scene.

In general, if an action or speech can reasonably succeed, it does. Pass or fail die rolls are necessary only to simulate things we cannot do at the game table, like fighting. Saving throws can be called for by the GM to determine if characters can avoid harm for their actions. If something is sincerely impossible, no statistic or die roll will allow it to succeed.

COMBAT
Combat is structured into a GM turn and a Player turn, though all actions are assumed to happen simultaneously. A combat turn represents seconds. The player turn is structured into two phases. Phase 1, all players declare their intended action. Once declared, you can't change it. Phase 2, all players roll dice, and the GM narrates the results. Turn order may be apparent based on the logic of the scene, otherwise, the GM determines who goes first with a single d6 roll where the player turn is first on a roll of a 4-6. Note that there is no move action or double move; Players can simply move up to their movement (30 ft) as part of their action.

EXPLORATION
Exploration is structured into turns. Each player can do one dedicated thing per turn. There are no die rolls to find hidden things (example perception). Information is revealed by the GM as the characters interact with the room or scene (information for action). An exploration turn represents 10 minutes in a small scale location like a dungeon and assumes characters are taking their time, or 1 day in a large scale location like the wilderness. If actions can be resolved in less than a full turn, count the turn for tracking purposes, but treat the time as negligible and fold it into the next turn.

SOCIAL INTERACTION
There are no die rolls to resolve conversations or to interpret meaning in non-player characters (NPCs) face, voice, or body language. Players should treat NPCs like real people and rely on their curiosity and creativity. They will remember you. NPCs can be a resource. Try to make NPCs happy by finding out what they want and offering it to them.

FAST TURNS
Long turns are boring and slow the game down. Excessively long turns can be skipped or cut short by the GM. To keep your turn concise, turn off your gamer brain and stay in character as much as possible. Rather than ask the GM for a explanation about a room, describe how your character explores and ask what your character sees. Never discuss rules during the game. Do not have out-of-character discussions about what you can do or should do. Pay attention when it's not your turn so you never need a recap. Consider the length of time that your turn represents in-game (example a combat turn is seconds). Avoid using game terminology. Describe what your character does or says fluidly like writing a line in a book and tell us what we see. No do-overs or retcons.

SITUATIONAL MODIFIERS
There are times when situations offer a character an advantage or disadvantage to an action. The GM should use their judgment and apply a conservative modifier not to exceed +/- 4. Some examples of situations that may permit a situational modifier are: obscured line of sight or reduced visibility, partial concealment or cover, a magical effect, a physical condition or restriction.

MONSTERS AND OTHER OPPONENTS
Human opponents should be designed with similar logic to PCs, but monsters should not. Stats like Strength and Agility are excessive for NPCs. Below are recommendations. Please change them to suit your game.

Hit Avg To- Average
Die HP Hit Save Def Damage Size Example
1 3 +1 14 10 1d3 half goblin, hobbit
2 7 +2 13 11 1d6 base human, elf, orc
3 10 +3 12 12 1d6+... double lion, bear, ogre
4 13 +4 11 13 2d6 triple        giant, *dragon
5 17 +5 10 14 *dragon breath can do 3d6
6 20 +6 9 15
7 23 +7 8 16
8 27 +8 7 17
9 30 +9 6 18
10 33 +10 5 19

The Importance of Staying In-Character

Metagaming is a common concept in RPGs, and it means making decisions in-character using knowledge which the PLAYER has but which the CHARACTER does not have. To an extent, this is unavoidable. This game defines out-of-character discussions as metagaming. As much as possible, you should be speaking in-character, and you should avoid speaking out-of-character.

For example, a PLAYER might understand that they have a 90% chance to succeed at tracking, but a CHARACTER doesn't have a concept of a success chance. A CHARACTER would instead understand that they are really good at tracking. Here's what the metagame approach vs roleplaying approach look like at the table:

Metagaming has out-of-character discussions that look like this:

Player 1: "Hey player 2, you have a 90% chance to track, you should track."

Roleplaying has in-character conversations that look like this:

Character 1: "Hey Character 2, you are really good at tracking. Why don't you try tracking this monster for us?"

The roleplaying approach is preferred when immersion is desired. The metagaming approach is preferred when you want to speedily resolve a short, simple scene or obstacle, but it is less immersive, and it can slow the game down if it leads to prolonged out-of-character discussions that distract from the game; And before you know it, the participants at the table have resolved an entire scene out-of-character and they've wasted a really good opportunity to roleplay, then another, then another. If you can, you should have the conversation in character, not out of character. Instead of asking "what is in the room?" say "my character looks around," and ask "what does my character see?" Instead of asking "what sounds are in the cave?" say "my character listens for sounds in the cave," and this will prompt the GM to provide you with a description of the noises that are present if any.