#inspired by ff8

[umbrvx]

fuck it *ff8s ur jd*

[tr1ck5]

FFVIII text posts part 3 babyyy

[angelosearch]

FF8 muppets - FF8 but all the dream squences are muppets, or everyone is a muppet but Squall?

[windupaymeric]

A Sorceress and her Knight

[warmcoals]

Queen Mom (queen of mothers, mother-queen, just her name too @frankenfran) is a benevolent, powerful, and only slightly evil ruler. hailing from unknown fae lineage, she is capable of manipulating her garb, appearance and size at will, tho she prefers to hold onto one look for years at a time. her charm magic is well known to all her loyal and adoring subjects, and she is always generous with attention and adoration for good girls. she is a doting queen and a natural mom.

her aesthetic is right at the intersection of classically regal and emphatically magical. she built her fashion foundation out of original rococo nobility and derivative, OTT lolita styles. this, combined with mahoushoujo final-form color coordination and overdesign, means every hyper feminine fit for this queen is Big: big hair, big accessories, big power. she tends to prefer pink and white/black and gold colorways, but frequently mixes the two, and isnt afraid to dip into the rainbow as she sees fit.

her outfit inspirations are:

magia baiser (mahoako)

marie antoinette (berubara)

godoka (pmmm)

edea (ff8)

[silalcarin]

Squall's greatest fear is losing Rinoa

During the ending FMV, when Squall is trapped in Time Compression, he starts hallucinating. He tries to focus on Rinoa and their memories together (mainly their first meeting) to return to the present time, the flower field at Edea's house, and fulfill his promise to her. However, the images of Rinoa — and, notably, only of her — become increasingly blurry and distorted, and occasionally she'll even disappear for a few seconds. At the end of it all, he sees a clear vision of her dying in space, with her helmet shattering. This vision completely and utterly breaks him, to the point where he starts crying and collapses.

The very thought of Rinoa leaving Squall or, worse, dying, causes him to actually cry and completely lose his will to live. By the second half of the game, she's not just his love interest; she's also his Living Emotional Crutch. That's how damn important she is to him.

Like I said in my previous post, never doubt, for a second, just how deeply in love Squall is with Rinoa, for him to have such a strong reaction to a hallucination of her dying. (Although, considering how he reacted when she was in a coma in Disc 3, this actually isn't all that surprising. Still, if he reacts that strongly over a hallucination, just imagine how badly he'd react if she really did leave him, either of her own volition or by dying...)

P.S. — Special shout-out to @squinoas because one of their posts inspired me to write this!

P.P.S. — This is the very first time I've ever created a GIF! (Over 6 years after I first created this account... oh well, better late than never!)

P.P.P.S. — I'm posting this on Final Fantasy VIII's 25th anniversary! That's right, FF8 was originally released in Japan 25 years ago today! 2/11/1999 — 2/11/2024

[pallisia]

various asks

my inbox is full of nice messages and i don't want to flood the tl so i'm going to answer a big batch of 'em! warning for spoilers:

thank you! this is great to hear. i've always loved the modern touches in ffs like 8, 13, etc., and it was a flavor i'd wanted to incorporate into a fantasy setting of my own. i still think about the part in ff8 where the president gets assassinated by a witch on live television.

even if their circumstances aren't realistic at all, i wanted the characters to feel down-to-earth, so i'm glad they came off that way. i only realized this after hearing from others, but "desperation" is a major theme throughout the story. she's gotta have "it"

thank you so much! to be fair, i was never planning to do fully rendered 3d backgrounds, only to use them as a foundation to draw over. it's something a lot of comic artists do these days, which i respect, but...i think it's not for me. i just don't like thinking about perspective unless it has an "atmospheric" in front of it. but i'm glad the approach i went with was a success! i also love "i felt like i was really getting mugged"

i'm not a musician in any capacity, and i'd never considered releasing any of my piddly little compositions until this. i'm lucky to have worked with such an encouraging friend.

i gotta look out for my clowngirls. thank you.

these two messages came one after another for a critical hit combo... thank you so much for letting my little freaks into your heart.

this is another thing i was hoping would happen! thank you.

ysme uses artisanry to augment her body. we'll get more into how that magic system works later!

thanks so much! i've never played any of the pmd games, but that's very high praise. and i'm honored to hear that i inspired you to make a vn of your own! it really is such a flexible and fun medium, so i hope you enjoy the process.

thanks! that was absolutely an inspiration. when i was outlining the script, i had the vague idea that i wanted ysme to coerce loic in a way that would make sense considering the magic at his disposal. personally if i were mugging a wizard i would simply not give him the chance to think about it .

thank you. i don't have the mental bandwidth to make an rpg, but i still wanted to make something that evoked the same feelings, so that's fantastic to hear.

thank you so much! i can only be myself, and thus there will be more titty.

[of-the-autumn]

gunbreaker feels so fun to play, but i guess aesthetically it just isn’t really doing it for me?

like i feel it’s just too much of a generic tank rather than really making the most of such a cool concept (eg. their shields/regens, etc don’t particularly fit with the theme?) especially vs the other tanks which all have very strong kits flavoured around the class. maybe they should have looked to ff8 more for inspiration (i know they kinda did just maybe not enough.)

also the combos & overall job mechanics are super basic.

it plays smooth as fuck but i find the job identity lacking a little.

re-doing my ranking list of all the ff14 jobs as i level everything from 90-100, sadly gnb is sitting towards the bottom of the list so far 🥲

[sir-adamus]

today i learned that Summer Rose's Japanese VA is Kana Hanazawa, who voiced Mato/BRS in Black Rock Shooter 2012 (which was an influence on early RWBY's animation) and Rinoa in Dissidia Final Fantasy NT (originating from FF8, a piece of fanart inspired by her done by Monty - titled Transient Princess - was used as a placeholder image of Raven in the Yellow trailer)

[istehlurvz]

Okay so, I've been a fan of FF8 since it was released but I have never considered Seiftis ship until literally yesterday. Curious, I went to see some more fanart of this ship and I found your illustration for a fic Fire and Ice and OH MY LORD IN WHATEVER PLACE YOU RESIDE, I LOVE THAT ART! That Seifer, just, I have no words. I didn't know I needed that and I'm never really even been a big fan of Seifer. So good, I'm so happy I found your art. I'm also going to read that fic the picture is based on and leave messages for the author. Thank you! I can't thank you enough! I've needed something to do and bring some brighter energy to my inspiration pool.

OMGGGG I'm so glad :')))) FF8 is so dear to me (and that fic too ahaha) I hope you enjoy! It's a BEAST of a fic (300k words of 'but what about what happens after the end of the game but make it drama.') and honestly unlocked some core thing in my brain when I was younger and I just love it so much ahsfklhasf

[dyscomancer]

when people talk about fiction that inspired RWBY I find it interesting that nobody ever brings up Final Fantasy 8 specifically. Watch the "everything is also a gun", "child soldiers at a military academy" show made in part by the guy who put Rinoa Heartily front and center in a ton of his Dead Fantasy work and tell me that FF8 wasn't integral to RWBY's conceptual base

[karalija]

https://www.deviantart.com/kara-lija/art/The-Oath-Final-Fantasy-VIII-964326497

“Rinoa... even if you end up as the world’s enemy...I’ll...I’ll be your knight.” -Squall

Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly from Final Fantasy VIII by Squaresoft (Square Enix)

I’ve always found his inner pledge to protect her to be deeply romantic and the Sorceress and Knight bond aspect wholly fascinating. It brings to mind chivalry and fairytales in a unique way.

I have a few fic rec’s to offer here, with a bigger recommendation post to be on my tumblr soon. There are so many incredible authors (and artists!) throughout this fandom who’ve expanded upon the mentioned but sparsely explored lore in the game. The first 3 fics have been hugely inspirational to me lately, while A Mist Over Winhill was a fic I read circa 2001 that I’ve loved ever since. Please check these stories out and drop the lovely authors a comment!

“Angel’s Scar” by colobonema on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24588694/chapters/59389741

“Chronicles of A Lion’s Oath” series by tricks @cynic-view-ahead on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/series/3355909

“Privacy” by SteeleStingray on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23469445/chapters/56265436

“A Mist Over Winhill” by Kate Lorraine on ffnet: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2360625/1/A-Mist-Over-Winhill

And I always rec a song or two for ambience to go with my art. The song for the viewing enhancement of this particular piece is:

“The Oath” from FF8’s ost: https://youtu.be/TsnJBvokVzk

Drawn in procreate.

Please DO NOT STEAL OR REPOST!

And be kind!

[angelosearch]

I'm kind of annoyed that FF8 was supposed to be the first game in the franchise to be all about romance, yet Squinoa only share 1 hug, never say I love you directly (they do sort of indirectly say it at separate times in Disc 3 — he says "I've fallen for you" in his head, and she admits that him saying "Just stay close to me" had started everything for her... but again, those aren't direct love confessions), and their 1 kiss panned away from them so quickly, it ended up being a discretion shot.

But... on the other hand, we are talking about a JRPG game from 1999. Eastern countries like Japan were and still are very iffy about PDA, hence why, if any kisses occur between couples in the FF universe, such kisses literally only happen once, and only between a canon couple. Of course, that doesn't really explain why, just 2 years later, in FF10, Tiduna (which I love, btw!) got a real, fully-displayed kiss... not sure what happened in the 2 years between those games to change gears like that 🤷‍♀️

Sorry, I just had that thought pop into my head and wanted to share it with you 😅😜 What are your thoughts?

Hello anon! Thank you for sharing. Haha, I am always down to talk FF8!

In terms of why the PDA was at a minimum, I think you're right that it has to do with the culture around the game. Why was FF10 so PDA heavy in comparison? This is all conjecture, but I wonder if it was an overall increase in Western influence on the company. (or just an increase in wanting to appeal to a Western audience)

Right before the release of FF10 was the release of Spirits Within. That movie required a new level of localization because of the voice acting. Then, FF10 was the first game in the franchise to require voice acting. Working with Western voice actors and translators throughout the production of the game may have had some bearing on how the story was told. Of course, FF10 was also being produced alongside Kingdom Hearts, which was a MAJOR Western Influence. I mean, it doesn't get more America than Disney, in my opinion. Whatever American executives that were working on the Kingdom Hearts storyline may have inspired changes to FF10.

Not sure if this had any bearing, but when SquareSoft was working on FF10, they were attempting to appeal to Enix for a merger. Some of their decisions around major cinematic moments may have been made to make them more competitive. I mean, when I think of 10, I definitely think of the kiss scene, so I really do think it appeals to a Western audience.

Now, in terms of if FF8 was successful in illustrating a romance... From my perspective, the way FF8 shies away from the more typical signs of love (saying the words, physical contact, etc.) makes it all the MORE romantic to me. It's like... their love transcends what is normal and expected. Maybe they don't hug and kiss much, but they do so much more. Squall carries her half way across the world on his back. Rinoa travels across time to bring Squall back to life. Squall throws himself into space. Rinoa gives Squall a metric fuck-ton of patience. Everything is so grandiose and epic, a kiss on the cheek or occasional hug, I think, would have ruined the rhythm of it all.

(Although, I am Ace, so to me, physicality and romance can exist in two completely separate spheres.)

In terms of saying "I love you" - I don't think it will be easy for Squall to come to identify with those words. He knows he feels something, but he's probably never said that to anyone but Ellone. And for Rinoa, she probably knows saying something like that to Squall could chase him off, especially because by the end of the game they've known each other for about... two weeks.

(Rinoa does say something like "We love you. There, I said it!" in the middle-of-the-road interaction at FH on disk 2 though, which I've always imagined as her saying it in a covert, "I've got a crush on you" sort of way.)

That is to say, I do think FF8 is all about romance, and I love how they portray it. Would I like a high-definition close-up kiss shot for AMV purposes? Damn right, I do. But I don't think the lack of PDA or specific wording takes any love away from the story. Anyway, that's my take! Thanks again for the ask!

[suleikashideaway]

Things I Would Like to Know About My Fellow Writers

I've been tagged by @angelosearch. Thank you!

Tagging anyone else who wants to play!

Last book I read: Okay, the last book I finished was The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It was incredibly inspiring and nothing else I’ve picked up in the past year has even come close.

Greatest literary inspirations: Honestly, The Goldfinch still influences me a LOT. Also I keep trying to make my longfic the next East of Eden because that book has a grip on my soul. 

Things in my current fandom I want to read but I don't want to write: I want to read the backstory of Julia Heartilly and Fury Caraway stuff for ff8, Alex Mullner stuff for Stardew Valley! 

Things in my current fandoms I want to write but I think nobody would be interested in them but me: I always feel like no one but me is interested in anything I write lmao. 

You can recognize my writing by: Romantic love, mental illness, and personal growth all feature heavily, I think. 

My most controversial take (current fandom): I don’t think I have any controversial takes! As @angelosearch recently told me, I see ff8 as a giant sandbox and I want to see alllll the ideas.

Top three favorite tropes: 1. Slowburn, 2. Slowburn, and 3. Slowburn. Lol jk (kind of). I also enjoy found family stuff, and I recently discovered the deliciousness of hurt/comfort. Though I will read almost anything if it sounds interesting! 

What’s your current writing mood (10 – super motivated and churning out words like crazy, 0 – in a complete rut): I’m at a solid 6. I would be writing right now but I’m stuck at a very specific scene and it’s starting to drive me a little crazy. I’m probably going to finish this tag game and then attempt a very bad version of the scene just so I can move past it lol

Share a fandom frustration: None! I often hear about people complaining about fandoms and it honestly just confuses me. I’ve only ever had pleasant interactions with ff8 people. And the SV fandom is too big so I don’t interact with it. I just like to look at cute pictures of Harvey and Elliott and Alex <3

[chibi-mushroom]

So back in June or July I was looking at some fantastic final fantasy 8 art by @skribleskrable and saw this picture that tends to get reblogged around Christmas. (If you like ff8 and/or Squall and Rinoa, seriously, go check out the blog!) Immediately inspired, I ask and was allowed to attempt to make one of the sweaters on it. Though it’s not finished, here’s what I managed to squeak out

For anyone who’s interested in making the sweater (and improving on it) for yourself, I will post the rough pattern and intarsia I made while making it. Hope you all like it, happy holidays!

[desertleviathan]

I've been working quite a bit this week on a Final Fantasy 8 inspired TTRPG and wanted to post about some of the core concepts.

First of all, obviously the core story is about kids at elite military academies where they become mercenaries who learn to use magic to summon godlike beings for combat support. That's the main FF8 thing and you can't really do a game about it without carrying that over.

AEONS

In this case, the entities are called Aeons, and they are Manufactured Spirits, cultivated deliberately by their original summoner, with a handful growing stable enough to persist beyond that summoner's lifespan. Individuals who can be trained to manifest a Personal Aeon are known as Espers, and for the most part it's an ability that only manifests among the relatively young. Teens to early 20s. Beyond that point, trying to manifest your Aeon starts to incur severe risks, including that the Aeon might go feral and steal the summoner's body. So because people bonded to Aeons have capabilities that others lack, there's a steady demand to train kids to use this magic.

In addition to personal Aeons there are Institutional Aeons, spirits who have become bound to and sustained by larger organizations, with whom an individual can form a pact for power. The Personal Aeon will always have the most potent influence over a given Esper's magic, but most kids will wind up forging pacts with a Regimental Aeon (whose pacts form the basis of character classes) and an Academy Aeon (the guardian spirits of the individual schools). And then in an Esper's brief time having access to this magic they may form relationships with various other Aeons, although too many pacts will burden them with quite a list of obligations and taboos to keep them all happy. Only the Personal Aeon asks nothing extra of its summoner, since its very creation is enough of boon to earn its power.

THE REGIMENTS

The Regiments are less like D&D classes and more like World of Darkness character groups. All these characters share core mechanics that are pretty similar, but choice of Regiment determines some specialties, gives EXP discounts to purchase specific traits, and comes with at least some drawback.

When a student is early on in their training as an Esper, the academy instructors will keep an eye on their development and eventually encourage them to form a pact with one of the eight Regimental Aeons based on which one fits that student's aptitudes the best. Not every kid tracks perfectly to one of the eight, but they govern fairly broad and flexible concepts.

ADEPT - Your creativity and artistic skill seem to have opened your mind to an intuitive understanding of sophisticated magic in a way that other Espers find enviable.

CHAMPION - You are a dedicated athlete, always pushing yourself to improve physically, and can thus channel your Aeon to supplement your strength, agility, and resilience with greater ease.

EMISSARY - You have a gift for making friends and getting along with a diverse group of people. A natural organizer, your magic lends itself well to support and coordination.

ERRANT - You're a hothead and scrapper, maybe even a bit of a bully, but the Academies know that you're just in need of a cause to devote yourself to in order to reach your full potential.

MAVERICK - You may have been a rebel, iconoclast, or just a class clown. An ordinary school would have despaired of reigning you in, but the Academies saw your potential as a saboteur.

PHANTOM - You're spooky and weird, even among kids who learn to manifest artificial Gods. Your outsider perspective has made you highly observant, and few details escape your keen scrutiny.

PRODIGY - You're at the top of the class academically, both briliant and disciplined, with the study habits that ensure you're well prepared for whatever challenges await you.

STALWART - You may not see it in yourself but your teachers have identified you as a natural leader, a pillar of reliability and composure that other kids will rally around in difficult times.

TRUANT - You have not formed a pact with one of the Regimental Aeons for whatever reason, and your magic is developing in its own unique way. This will be a difficult road, but not an impossible one.

In case it wasn't obvious, the eight Regiments draw some inspiration from the main cast of Final Fantasy 8, the six core party members and two guest party members in particular. The Regimental Aeons are more clearly based on those characters, but filtered through ascension to mythical, godlike beings. The three flashback party members and other major FF8 characters contribute inspiration elsewhere.

They're also a sort of rough alignment grid of the classic teen archetypes of Nerd vs. Jock and Preppy vs. Punk, but that draws less inspiration directly from the source characters and is more about how the individual Regiments find their places within the Academies.

MAGIC ARTS OVERVIEW

An awakened Aeon can be channeled through its summoner's body to produce a wide range of effects. Every personal Aeon grants some common abilities - the power to draw magical energy out of places or individuals who have an excess, the power to substitute their vitality for their summoner's, and the power to manifest a brief burst of power that may take the form of a potent attack, a beneficial effect, or something else that manifests and is done in an instant.

An Esper can learn to channel their Aeon in other ways for longer-term effects though, and each Regiment specializes in a number of these techniques. Specifically, each Regiment has two Fundamental Arts that are part of a pool shared with all other Regiments, and one Regimental Art that outsiders must form a positive relationship with the Regimental Aeon or find a sufficiently advanced tutor to learn themselves. Or in the case of a Truant, they may select any three Fundamental Arts to develop an instinctive affinity for. And finally there are Institutional Arts taught by the patron spirits of the Academies, which which no one is inherently conversant. Learning an Institutional Art requires a certain level of trust from the Academy Aeon, and is normally not available at character creation.

There are eight Fundamental Arts (with two different Regiments specializing in each one), eight Regimental Arts, and currently eight planned Institutional Arts. Eight is an important number for this setting.

At some point in developing these I realized that a bunch of them had names that started with R, and changed them all to match that pattern, but there's no real reason for that idea and I may back off from it if it proves confusing.

FUNDAMENTAL ARTS

RAMPAGE, the Art of Fury - You channel your Aeon directly into your body to enhance your physical strength and close-combat capabilities. (Favored: Champions & Errants)

RAMPART, the Art of Protection - You start by wrapping your Aeon around your flesh like a shield, and progress to warding your mind and spirit or protecting others. (Favored: Champions & Stalwarts)

RECLUSE, the Art of Concealment - You can shape your Aeon into a cloak of illusions that helps you evade detection and misdirect your foes. (Favored: Mavericks & Phantoms)

RECONNOITER, the Art of Observation - You have learned to enhance your senses beyond the normal human range, including awakening supernatural senses. (Favored: Phantoms & Prodigies)

REIGN, the Art of Command - You can make yourself appear more persuasive or intimidating, bolstering your allies and confounding your enemies. (Favored: Emmisaries & Stalwarts)

RESTORATION, the Art of Healing - You can channel your Aeon to mend flesh, ease weariness, and purge hostile magics, although it is costly to do so. (Favored: Adepts & Emissaries)

RITUALS, the Art of Sorcery - You have studied the formal magic that existed before the rise of Aeons, and can use your Aeon to sculpt traditional Spells. (Favored: Adepts & Prodigies)

RUSH, the Art of Movement - You start by running faster and jumping higher, but eventually may learn to teleport past barriers or redirect gravity! (Favored: Errants & Mavericks)

REGIMENTAL ARTS

RAID, the Art of Consumption: Your Aeon can siphon energy from other sources with far greater potency and precision than the baseline, even replicating monster magic. (Favored: Prodigies)

RALLY, the Art of Coordination: You become the hub of a voluntary psychic network that facilitates instantaneous silent teamwork and the sharing of some normally self-only arts. (Favored: Emissaries)

REBUKE, the Art of Punishment: You prepare a potent counter that will take effect when the enemy triggers it, punishing them for daring to engage in battle with you. (Favored: Stalwarts)

RELIC, the Art of Haunting: You can further blur the line between mortal and spirit, manifesting the ghostly traits that your soul might develop after death. (Favored: Phantoms)

RENCOUNTER, the Art of Dueling: You learn a selection of potent close-combat techniques that you can chain together into rapid combination strikes. (Favored: Champions)

RHAPSODY, the Art of Inspiration: You can plant emotions, ideas, skills, or even magic abilities in the minds of others, enhancing allies and influencing enemies. (Favored: Adepts)

RIOT, the Art of Rebellion: You can not be contained by rules or obstacles, especially those imposed by the supernatural abilities of your enemies. (Favored: Errants)

RUIN, the Art of Disruption: You can sabotage complex systems with the infusion of chaos magic, whether those systems are machines, social customs, or other spells. (Favored: Mavericks)

INSTITUTIONAL ARTS

Inspirations for these are fairly loose, since many of these characters had no magical abilities to speak of, but I wanted them to still have a place in this homage. For some of them, I had an idea for an Art and simply assigned the closest character I could. For others, the reference is much more front and center. The Institutional Aeons who grant these arts are more obvious references to each character.

RECOLLECTION, the Art of Memories: You learn to observe memories, walk directly among them, or even cause others to relive them. (Inspired by Ellone)

REDOUBT, the Art of Fortification: You can channel your Aeon into the environment to adjust its physical parameters to suit your tactical needs. (Inspired by Ward)

RAPPORT, the Art of Oaths: You can create pacts between individuals not unlike those Aeons forge, where fulfillment of a bargain generates a specific boon. (Inspired by Laguna)

RENEWAL, the Art of Cultivation: You can establish a connection with the natural world, adapting yourself to the environment and channeling your magic through it. (Inspired by Raine)

REPOSE, the Art of Dreams: You can influence the minds of sleepers, and may even learn to manifest your spirit as part of their dream, or pass physically through it. (Inspired by Kiros)

REVELATION, the Art of Fate: You can catch a glimpse of a likely future and the road leading to it, and either prepare to secure it, or prepare to counter it. (Inspired by Cid)

REVERANCE, the Art of Prayer: You can perform meta-magic feats transferring energy between Aeons and establishing diplomatic relationships with spirits. (Inspired by Julia)

RIGGING, the Art of Technology: You can refine your Aeonic magic into energy forms compatible with devices, taking control of them or temporarily repairing damaged ones. (Inspired by Dr. Odine)

I also have vague ideas for Institutional Aeons associated with organizations other than the Academies based on Fujin, Raijin, Dr. Kadowaki, Martine, Mayor Dobe & Flo, NORG, Nida, Xu, Biggs & Wedge, Zone & Watts, General Caraway, President Deling, Sorceress Adele, the Master Fisherman, and of course Ultimecia, but I don't think any of those would would have full Arts other than the Ultimecia-inspired character. She'll have an array of special techniques that she teaches to the plague of Witches who are a major problem for the setting, and player characters will probably not have much of a chance to learn them safely. The rest of these characters would grant simplified pacts that allowed for a single simple boon and a minor drawback, and maybe a summonable form for an instant effect.