JRPGs and so forth, where to start?

[pigeon_of_doom]

I have to echo the calls for you to play Chrono Trigger. Not just because it's an exemplary example of the genre, but as it is quite easy and incredibly engaging. It's also one of my favourite gaming experiences so I'll never refuse to take any opportunity to recommend it.

The original Suikoden is another quite easy game, with a fairly intriguing story but it lacks the magical quality of Chrono Trigger.

Out of the other JRPG games I can think of, apart from Pokemon these seem to be fairly good places to start.

 

[RagnorakTres]

If I pick up a 360, I'll certainly consider Lost Odyssey, although I'm considering a PS3 'cos I think it's backwards compatible.

No, the PS3 is not 100% backwards compatible1 unless you get really lucky and can find one of the pre-Bluray editions. The PS2 is still, I believe, the best system on the market today; there are awesome games from great publishers, the graphics are alright and it only costs $80. It's your decision, but I strongly suggest you get a PS2 if you're gonna get into JRPGs.

As for the list, it's alright. I note that you are going with FFVI instead of V and I can't honestly say that you won't enjoy it more (because I don't know you). However, at least give it a try. You may find that the later in the series it gets, the more you like them, or you may find that you prefer the older ones (I know that I generally prefer the later ones, but absolutely adore V for whatever reason...).

Anyway, whatever your decisions become, have fun. That's the entire point of gaming, right? ^_^

1Which was a terrible decision on Sony's part. One of the major reasons for the PS2's success was it's huge backlog of PS1 games from the previous generation. The Xbox, being the newcomer to the console scene didn't have any games going into last-gen's console wars and took a horrible beating.

 

[UnravThreads]

Yeah, found that out in my research. Can't hurt to have a PS2 and maybe a PS3. Or a PSP.

Damn I want them all

 

[UnravThreads]

Thanks John, 'tis nice to see some details along with recommendations.

I'm all for the story, to be honest. I find stories in games much "easier" to deal with than in books. No idea why!

The time factor isn't an issue, really. I've been playing WoW for over a year (recently quit though), so I've got all the time I could ever have.