View Full Version : RPG's with a string of characters behind the main character?
fairyland
12-25-2005, 01:42 AM
I know this will sound really stupid, but back about 10 years or more ago before RPGs went more 3D-ish, I loved to play the RPGs that had a string of tag-a-long characters following behind the main character. I was great fun for me to jiggle them around on the world screen and watching them all follow like morons. Sorta like how I enjoy controling several ships in a string in Gradius.
But I was wondering if anyone can identify the RPGs out there that has this? I'm having a hard time recalling just what RPGs had this. I believe some Breath of Fire, maybe some of the Final Fantasy, perhaps Magic Knight Rayearth...honestly, it's been so long ago and too many PRGs in the past for me to remember which ones had this feature.
Also on a side topic, whatever happened to the feature where you're able to pick the lead character you're moving around on the screen. I just finished up Shadow Hearts: Covenant and it was rather annoying walking around most of the time as Yuri when I rather be using the sexy Karin. HECK even the wolf Blanca would have been more enjoyible to go around full time in the game. LOL Anyway, that's something else I missed from the old games is being able to pick which character you wonder about as. Hmm. I wonder if any modern RPGs game has this feature and where the people you talk to would say different things depending on who is the lead character. It's been ages since I seen that in a RPG.
Snapple
12-25-2005, 02:04 AM
That's easy enough.
The most prominent games had to be most of the Dragon Quest games, and all of the Phantasy Star games. They had strings of characters.
Also, Earthbound and the first four Breath of Fire games.
There are a bunch more, but I can't think of them right now.
Chronodriftersx
12-25-2005, 02:29 AM
Ultima Exodus was one that did that.
LOL this is how my dreams are if that counts. That dream thread someone started the other day brought it up. I dream Heroes of the lance style. If I get tired or something in a dream I can switch to a different member in my dream party sometimes without even realizing it or thinking twice.
Blanka789
12-25-2005, 02:53 AM
Doesn't Lunar 2 do this?
mills
12-25-2005, 02:56 AM
I love this thread, and I remember enjoying stringing along extra party members and enjoying it thoroughly.
Kudos for bringing back memories.
I am glad someone else mentioned the LUNAR series. I know the PlayStation versions did this, and I think the SEGA CD versions did too. I know for certain that the GBA and DS games didn't.
DonMarco
12-25-2005, 08:11 AM
I remember Albert Odyssey (for the Saturn) doing this. But I haven't played it in 5 years and my copy is about 3000 miles away in storage. Can someone check this?
Enixis
12-25-2005, 08:18 AM
Final Fantasy 8 had this feature, and i think its better than just having the main character on screen. Too bad the game just wasn't as enjoyable.
tylerwillis
12-25-2005, 10:25 AM
Ultima: Quest of the Avatar (NES) did this.
Jasoco
12-25-2005, 12:04 PM
Mario & Luigi 1 + 2 do this. It may only be one character, but it still follows your exact path like a hungry dog. I love this too. I kinda wish DQ8 had this feature. It's just so odd watching one character on screen, but hearing the carriage and horse behind you as well as some cut scenes where whoever your "head" character is shows up as the silent protagonist talking to the people with no sign of the other 3.
I dunno. I mean it's not that hard to program it. I'd much prefer more RPG's showed all the characters at once.
mills
12-25-2005, 04:01 PM
someone should hax old RPGs and add this feature into them.
Haoie
12-25-2005, 04:02 PM
Isn't it weird that so few, if any, modern RPGs bother with this, when it's clearly more realistic than having all the other people in the party 'walk out' of the main lead?
Poofta!
12-25-2005, 04:05 PM
secret of mana (snes) did this i believe. nothing that hasnt already been mentioned comes to mind though.
koolkid13
12-25-2005, 05:47 PM
Phantasy Star
Gapporin
12-25-2005, 07:19 PM
Shining Force I and II also did this.
Sothy
12-25-2005, 07:44 PM
http://212.84.179.117/i/RPG-7.jpg
Smithy
12-25-2005, 09:20 PM
Grandia II does for sure
§ Gideon §
12-25-2005, 10:52 PM
This is too... uh, quirky a topic to resist.
Chrono Trigger
Lufia
ubersaurus
12-25-2005, 10:55 PM
Chrono Cross
Paper Mario 1 & 2
DTJAAAAMJSLM
12-26-2005, 01:03 AM
Phantasy Star 4 and PoPoLoCrois.
8bitnes
12-26-2005, 11:32 AM
secret of mana (snes) did this i believe. nothing that hasnt already been mentioned comes to mind though.
Secret of Mana is active-mode, so the extra 2 characters would sort of follow along, but would attack enemies as they were encountered.
Shining Force I and II also did this.
No it didn't. It was just the main character that walked around, the rest of them wait at headquarters.
Gapporin
12-26-2005, 12:41 PM
Shining Force I and II also did this.
No it didn't. It was just the main character that walked around, the rest of them wait at headquarters.
Are you sure? I could've sworn that at least Shining Force II had all the characters in a row...
8bitnes
12-26-2005, 01:29 PM
Shining Force I and II also did this.
No it didn't. It was just the main character that walked around, the rest of them wait at headquarters.
Are you sure? I could've sworn that at least Shining Force II had all the characters in a row...
I don't know about II, but definitely in the original they did not.
qbertandernie
12-26-2005, 05:09 PM
SNES Shadowrun was like this, though you had to buy the friendship of your camrades, and it doesnt last a terribly long time.
i like the game though...
Shining Force I and II also did this.
No it didn't. It was just the main character that walked around, the rest of them wait at headquarters.
Are you sure? I could've sworn that at least Shining Force II had all the characters in a row...
I don't know about II, but definitely in the original they did not.
1 is a no, but 2 did have your caravan and a couple of plot critical characters right behind the main character at times during the game. Never the whole 12-man battle party, though.
kainemaxwell
12-26-2005, 05:41 PM
Dragon Warrior 2 through 4 did this.
2Dskillz
12-27-2005, 07:51 AM
If my memory serves me correctly Lufia did this.
I agree that this should be done much more in games.
And with your side question, why does whatever character you pick to be your world map avatar have to be essentially the tank of the group?
drwily008
12-27-2005, 01:34 PM
Grandia 1
Paladin's Quest
Lunar 1 & 2 (both Sega CD & Playstation versions)
All Dragon Warriors except the first and last one (1 & 8)
Tons more that I can't think of. I really wish more games had this feature too!
Jorpho
12-27-2005, 07:20 PM
Anachronox! Well, technically the camera follows from the back of the lead character, but it's easy enough to spin around and see the party members behind you. I think The Elder Scrolls: Arena was similar, but I never actually played that.
And of course there are all the Infinity Engine RPGs: Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Fallout, Planescape: Torment, etc.
And there are lots of older PC RPGs. If I'm not mistaken, the various Ultima and SSI Gold Box games let you see all your party members. Shadowlands also comes to mind.
The big thing most of these games have in common, of course, is that there is some strategic advantage to being able to place your party members where you want.