"The more exciting lesson in this had to do with structure. For this game, I divided the world into three maps and populated each with approximately one-third of the premade encounter formations, one town that sold approximately one-third of the premade equipment, and one boss gating the way to the next area."
I've done basically this a bunch of times, just to mess around or attempt a jam game. I've only actually published it like once I think (for some now-lost RMN jam) but there is absolute an un-perverse joy in it. how much do i have to grind to beat rtp medusa vs rtp satan???
i've also found the same re: party size and the rtp troops between entries. sure a lot of that is just rpg fundamentals but it's shocking how MUCH it really does affect the feel and pacing of "fight some scorpions". it makes me think a lot about what the design could have been here (if there was any lol). is this troop made for just alex or ralph? it's way too easy if you have ylva and bennet like the game wants you to start with in the default system tab. so why is it like this???
as for final fantasy, i did get pleasantly jumpscared by ghosts in the immediate northern forest. i thought that was cute. i'm sure with enough number cracking you could come up with the mathematically perfect way to lay out the rtp database encounters and equipment. and would it still be fun...?