Highlights
- Retaining the original while adding the new junction systems in a Final Fantasy 8 remake would cater to all fans' preferences.
- Revamping the tutorial to evenly spread explanations and addressing abbreviations would go a long way for the old and new systems
- Implementing adjustments like limited (but increasable) Spell Slots, doubled stat boosts, and tiered enemy ranges would greatly improve gameplay.
After having fallen in love with the characters, the setting, the music, the story, and the addictive card game, fans have been pining for a remake of Final Fantasy 8 for about as long as they've wanted one for Final Fantasy 7. With the release of the second installment of the FF7Remake trilogy, many are wondering if they'll ever set their eyes on a reimagining of their beloved eighth mainline entry. But before that can happen, an important element needs critical attention: the junction system.
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Some fans have suggested the junction system be "junked" in favor of adding a more traditional mechanic, such as MP. Even Final Fantasy 8's game director, Yoshinori Kitase, went on record saying that for there to be a remake of the game, the junction system would need an overhaul due to its excessive complexity and vulnerability to exploitation. However, besides the fact that drawing and junctioning magic are intrinsically tied to the story, this unique mechanic has so much to offer and has the potential to win over the most embittered skeptics with a little refinement.
Making Both Systems Accessible
Player Choice, Tutorials, & Abbreviations
- Challenge: many Final Fantasy 8 fans love the original junction system; even so, FF8 doesn't do a great job of explaining itself
- Solution: give players the option to use the new junction system or the original at the start of the game (while providing comprehensive and digestible tutorials)
Love it or hate it, the junction system is an important aspect of Final Fantasy's history. Many fans love the unique and innovative RPG mechanic for its unparalleled flexibility, and a remake with an overhauled junction system just wouldn't sit right with some. With this in mind, it would be only proper to release a Final Fantasy 8 remake with the option to choose between the original and the new system at the start, just as Final Fantasy 10 does with its "standard" and "expert" sphere grids. This way, veteran players and newcomers alike have the option to experience the RPG classic just as it was.
Whether the player chooses the new or the original system, the tutorial at the start of the game needs an overhaul. The junction system is complicated (with or without the tweaks), and Final Fantasy 8 frontloads many important details before the player's first battle. The tutorial should spread lessons on the system's nuances more evenly throughout the opening act. Finally, an unnecessary barrier to entry is all the confusing abbreviations, such as "Str-J, Spr-J, ST-A/D AL-A/D." TVs and monitors tend to be wide enough these days, so a remake should probably spell the hieroglyphics out in full.
Addressing The Draw System
Magic Stock & Spell Slots
- Challenge: the draw system is time-consuming, encourages grinding, and potentially breaks the game early
- Solution: GF Compatibility determines each character's maximum magic stock limit (Spell Slots)
The most efficient way to build a party in Final Fantasy 8 is to painstakingly draw stacks of 100 for each type of spell as soon as a new spell is identified. Of course, this isn't the only way to obtain spells: cards and magic can be refined into spells using GF abilities. However, rather than an optional, fun alternative to magic gathering, Triple Triad becomes another grinding activity for players looking to optimize their builds. While FF8 never forces players to optimize via grinding, it shouldn't incentivize it so much, either. To tame the difficulty curve and alleviate the temptation to grind, GF Compatibility could determine the maximum number of spells a character can store, and only for spells of that GF's type; for example, Shiva and ice-type magic, Ifrit and fire-type spells.
Raising these limits (pictured above) would be referred to as gaining "Spell Slots." This would free players from the obligation of systematically drawing 100 of every available spell but still allow characters to stock 10 of any spell they encounter. So long as a GF has been unlocked, players would retain their higher spell slot capacity, with or without junctioning them. If GF Compatibility ever decreases below the threshold, excess spells of their type (above the new ceiling) would be lost. By linking spell maximums for GF Compatibility, characters would be able to tap into more varieties of magic as GFs are organically unlocked through the story. Of course, given that all but three GFs are considered "optional" unlocks and can easily be missed, their acquisition methods would also need a reassessment.
Breaking Even On Stat Junctions
Stronger Boosts & Surplus Spells
- Challenge: players are disincentivized from using any of their magic (especially the good spells) because expending them might lower their character's stats
- Solution: Limit the number of stat-junctionable spells from 100 to 50 and double the boost potency all spells have on stats
After drawing a countless number of spells, players are encouraged to junction them to a stat to boost their character. However, using even one of these junctioned spells means lowering their stats. As the most powerful spells for junctioning are also the most effective in battle, players are basically obligated to not use stronger types of magic. One way to correct this would be to cap the number of junctionable spells to 50 and double the stat boost. This way, players don't have to spend all their time drawing magic, but if they do want to go the extra mile, they'll have plenty of magic in stock for use in battle.
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This tweak would combine well with a mechanic that limits a character's Spell Slots and gradually increases them as they improve their GF Compatibility. The tension between using magic and optimizing stats would still exist during the early game, but as characters gain Spell Slots (and mastery over a certain magic type), they would be able to do both if they so choose. Elemental Attack and Defence and Status Attack and Defence should remain the same (in that the player should be able to junction 100 spells without doubling the boost), as this aspect is relatively well-balanced already.
Spell Hoarding In The Late Game
The Flux Spell & The GF Character Ability, Transmute
- Challenge: players are disincentivized from using rare spells, even during the late-game
- Solution: introducing "Battle Transmutation" and the "Flux" spell
Even putting the problem of spell-use-related stat reduction aside, some players feel compelled to hoard rare spells for a "special occasion," a sentiment that can be felt even during the showdown with the final boss. Players can refine items and cards into spells in the menu, but this quickly becomes a chore after the 50th go-around. One way to fix this is by introducing a new spell called "Flux" as well as a new GF Character Ability: "Battle Transmute." Flux won't do anything on its own, but with Battle Tramsute active (and under certain conditions), the spell has a small chance of transforming into another spell during an enemy encounter, depending on which stat it is junctioned to (see the chart below).
Stat Junction | Flux Transmute Condition |
HP-J | Recover HP with an item |
Strength-J | Defeat an enemy |
Vitality-J | Hit by an enemy physical attack |
Magic-J | Use the Magic-J-junctioned spell |
Spirit-J | Hit by an enemy's offensive magic spell |
Speed-J | First to max the ATB bar |
Hit-J | Successfully hit an enemy |
Evade-J | Dodge an enemy attack |
Luck-J | Land a critical hit against an enemy (% chance for Gunblade users) |
Flux should be a reliably easy spell to find, but the more powerful a junctioned spell, the less likely it is to transmute. For example, if Squall junctioned Blizzaga to his Vitality-J, getting hit by a physical attack would have a small chance of transmuting Flux into more Blizzaga. Getting hit by an enemy's Fira spell would have a reasonable chance of turning his Flux into Shell when junctioned to Spirit-J, and using a Hi-Potion to replenish his HP would have a very good chance of transmuting Flux into Cure when junctioned to HP-J. After receiving spells as a passive bonus, players should feel more confident in expending them in fights as needed.
Level Scaling
Finding The Sweet Spot Between Challenge And Satisfaction
- Challenge: level scaling disincentivizes players from leveling up and (unintuitively) makes fighting harder at higher levels
- Solution: Implement tiered monster tables with limited level ranges
Perhaps in an attempt to persuade players away from grinding, Final Fantasy 8 uses level scaling, which means that enemies level alongside the player's characters. This is a double-edged gunblade, as it keeps combat engaging but never allows players to feel the payoff for their level-ups. Leveling is indirectly related to the junction system in that the higher the player levels, the higher the enemies become, and therefore, the more spells and items are available for the player to draw and steal. The inverse is true for enemies who face lower-level player characters.
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What should be challenging fights become cakewalks for under-leveled characters with proper junctioning. Rather than throwing out level scaling, a better solution might be having tiered enemy tables and enemies that level scale but only at specific ranges, depending on the player's place in the story. For example, "Tier 1: Easy" enemies found in the fields of Balamb might scale with the player from 1-15, while later-game enemies in "Tier 5: Challenging" might spawn from levels 60-80. This would make leveling up feel good and ensure that the player still feels challenged but is never outpaced.
