UPDATE – Final Fantasy VI: General Leo Edition Hack

Gentle Reader,

Many commentators have suggested that the storytelling in Final Fantasy VI loses steam in its second half due to its nonlinearity.  (I agree with this assessment, though I would argue that the presentation itself remains excellent.)  However, what works well about the second half is that we get to see how the twelve initial party members have tried to find a place for themselves in an environment of isolation and ruin.  Some have done better than others, and many are haunted by memories of their old lives.

The primary aim of this project is to answer the question:  how would General Leo react to the end of the old world, and what would he end up doing in the new world?  General Leo doesn’t get that much screen time in the original game, but what we do see of him is impactful.  This is evidenced by the tremendous amount of interest in him even after so many years, despite his brief role in the action.  So, I think the question of how General Leo would deal with the ruined world is an interesting topic to explore, and one that has not been touched on before.

As I said in the previous article, the overall story is largely unchanged in the hack.  However, I did take advantage of a couple of opportunities to give General Leo more time in the spotlight.  Since he survives the attack on Thamasa, we get to see how he reacts to finding out once and for all that Emperor Gestahl is beyond redemption.  Will he accept this truth, or deny it?  Will he remain loyal to the Empire, if not to the Emperor?  And then, after the year of darkness, what type of role will give Leo a sense of purpose?  Will he try to repair the damaged world, and if so, how?

I also thought it would be best if Leo’s story in the second half could reflect the arcs for Terra and Celes, the two characters to whom he has the closest relationships.  Leo’s expanded story is connected to both of these threads, and ends up bringing to them a greater sense of resolution.  However, I have been mindful to try to take the existing story elements to a natural-seeming conclusion, rather than delving too far into fan fiction land, and I think I’ve succeeded in that.  I’m really very pleased with how it’s turning out so far, and I hope you will be, too!

And now… pretty pictures! ^_^

General Leo's new troops.

Hanging on the airship.

Initial stats.

100% bug-free equip menu.

Using his newly-learned spells.

Shock is way too overpowered!

Links:
Original Article

Ever Yours,
Fauntleroy