New Idea for Summons

[Locke4God]

So what I'm getting out of this game is that each character has one summon assiciated with them? Interesting. So it's not like 10 or 9 where only Yuna can summon, or Garnett & Eiko have unique summons to one-another, and not like most other games where everybody can summon every creature? This is interesting.

It makes me wonder about a new idea. VIII, VI, X, and several other games had very unique places for Summons in the storyline, usually as some sort of ancient being who had died, but no game has ever made the playable characters the summoned monsters themselves. Imagine if you had some effinity for fire and could summon your rage to transform yourself into Ifrit. Interesting idea, although that's not exactly what's going on in XIII. Still it would make for an interesting take in the battle system. You may have a magic limit break seperate from the physical one that allows you to transform.

[highskill64]

transorming into summons? thats a great idea it would be cool and help alot because in some ffs the summons do random things but to transform that would rock

[Che]

FFXII was sort of like this. You used a Summon and only you and that Summon were controllable after that. The summon would take damage, and lose health overtime (if I recall correctly, I'm not there in my newly-made game yet in 12) until they dissapeared and the rest of your party came back.

I sort of thought of them like a shield. If I knew an attack that was powerful enough to kill me was coming I'd summon it.

[LocoColt04]

As for a FF title where you transform into the summon yourself, it's a little late to consider that for XIII since it's nearing completion; however, it is a pretty solid idea that could be considered for XV down the line. It wouldn't be the first time a game has done this; to see the style, look at any number of the various Shin Megami Tensei games (notably Digital Devil Saga) and you'll see what I mean. That doesn't make it a bad idea, of course.

So long as it could be implemented in a rational manner (well, rational from a videogame standpoint... real-world physics obviously don't apply) and makes sense along with the storyline of the game, I've got no problem and would embrace the idea. I rather like when they do something different.

[Ryu-Kentoshii Hirokima]

Lightning has Odin as her Summon
Snow has Shiva as his Summon
Oerba has Carbuncle as her Summon
And Ifrit is in there as well, but it is not known who gets to have him.

[Locke4God]

Agreed that it would have to make sense within the story. It would give them a good excuse to have a large party as well, as you would need one if you were going to have more than 6 or 7 summons. In fact, maybe some side quests would be going to convince extra characters to join, just so you could utilize their abilities.

Whoever becomes Odin or Bahamut would be key to get on your team and the whole quest of convinceing them to join could be made into a long adventure.

[KeybladerXIII]

Transfoming yourself into a summoning is a very unique idea. My only wish is that it would be the classic incarnation of said summon. We haven't seen a classic summon since X (or maybe XI, but I haven't played that). XII had original summons from Ivalice, XIII is going to make them machines, which I hate. I hate that they changed the summons to turn into motorcycles and hot rods,WTF?!? XIV might not have summons, so I hoping that in XV they'll go back to their orginal selves.

[Locke4God]

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, the machine is quite weird. I mean, I'll check into it, but that's taking a step in the wrong direction if you ask me.

You know what I found interesting about 12, was that your first summons are essentially the same as they've always been. Fire, Ice, and Lighting, but they weren't Ifrit, Shiva, and Ramuh as per the norm. Regardless I liked them. From what you say they were summons already known from other Ivalice games, but I haven't really played any other those, so I'm not really aware of the whole Ivalice mythology.

Or how about this!!!

You summon, and that summon acts as an extra party member, dealing damage or status effects for you. Your enemies could attack it, but your entire party stays on screen to continue the battle.

Or, going off of what we've been discussing, the character who summons does turn into the summon (Like Terra) and you still remain with the entire party.

I think that might eliminate some difficulties with both X & XII's summons where many of them were either too powerful, too useless, or you simply used them as shields.