It’s the Final Friday in September, and it’s also the final installment of Final Friday on Adventure Rules. So it’s the Final Final Friday on the Final Friday in September…finally. I thought I’d never get through that.
Today we’re gonna talk about what’s coming to the blog to replace this segment, and also about why Final Friday is coming to an end. I’m actually going to talk about those in reverse order, though. I mentioned the first thing second to keep you all on your toes.
So why no more Final Friday? I’m gonna be real with you guys. I picked Final Friday as a special segment because I thought the name was clever. Seriously, that was the whole premise of my idea. I play Final Fantasy games, sure. But as far as how much I like the series? I’ve played 1, 2, 4-10, and 13, along with some spin-offs like Chocobo’s Dungeon, the Tactics games, and Dirge of Cerberus. And of ALL those games, how many do you think I might have beaten?
Four. Chocobo’s Dungeon. Dirge of Cerberus. Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced. And Final Fantasy V.
So let’s recap. As many Final Fantasies as I have played, I have only beaten four. And only one of those was in the main series.
So why is that? What turns me off from finishing a Final Fantasy game?
The length of most Final Fantasy games outlasts my enjoyment of them. Now that’s not to say I don’t like lengthy games. I’ve beaten almost every Dragon Quest title I’ve ever played, and I’ve played most of the Fire Emblem games four or five times each. I’ve beaten Tales of Symphonia twice. And Ni no Kuni is one of my favorite games of all time. None of these games are short. But what’s special about them is that even though they take an obscene number of hours to play, they stay interesting for all of those hours. In most cases, Final Fantasy does not. Instead, they add artificial length by making random encounters last as long as boss battles, most of which aren’t even fun to play anymore by the time they’re done.
There’s something to be said for a game that lasts exactly as long as it needs to be. And Final Fantasy consistently passes that time by. Why? Beats me. I guess Square thinks that good games are made that way. But for me personally, I lose focus 70-90% of the way through the game, and I am never engaged enough in the story to care to finish.
So I’m sorry if you were attached to Final Friday. It’s passing is ultimately my fault for starting a segment about a series that I really don’t love all that much.
However, not all is lost. Because when October comes, we’re going to have a whole new Friday segment. One I am quite excited for, and that I hope you will be too.
The segment is called Fanfic Friday. Each month, I’ll be writing a fanfiction set in a video game universe. The story will take place in four or five parts, posted on each Friday of the month. So by the end of the month, we’ll have a completed story to enjoy.
I’ve chosen this for a number of reasons. First of all, fanfiction is where I cut my teeth as a writer, and I think it would be neat to return to it. Second of all, writing stories is my real passion. Adventure Rules is ultimately a writing exercise, testing my ability to write on a regular basis and pushing me to write better by practicing all the time. By adding fiction to the mix, I’ll be testing my abilities and flexing my creative muscles on a whole new level.
Some of you may not be into the idea of Fanfic Friday, and that’s fine. You’ve still got four other days where I am posting my standard content.
Some of you may be absolutely stoked for Fanfic Friday, and will be anxious to read every one.
Some of you may not really care either way, and will support me no matter what.
No matter how you feel about Final Friday’s loss and the coming of Fanfic Friday, I want to say thank you to everyone who takes the time to read Adventure Rules. Whether I get two views or twenty, that support helps me to keep on writing and to push myself to try new things as a writer. Please keep that support coming regardless of how you feel about the changes to the blog.
So next week, be ready, because Fanfic Friday will be making its first appearance. And as far as the story? You gotta read ’em all to find out!
Adventure Rules 