[quote=@Fabricant451]

Then you should spend some more time on some RPG forums and communities because boy. There's a subset of RPG fans [b]that hate FF just because it's popular[/b] so the numbers are wonky all the same. 

Point is, the series was and pretty much still is the top of the ladder in terms of the genre and appeal. It's one of the landmark franchises in gaming because it's got far, far, far more decent entries in its history than bad ones. 


[/quote]
Is this the Regina George defense?

People hate COD, GTA, Battlefield and Madden because they are popular too, and they sell good just like FF.

Yes no one is denying the appeal of the games, its the McDonalds of RPGs, a lot of people know it and purchase it, doesn't make half the mainline series any less tepid. I feel like 'decent' is misleading and setting the bar a little to low. I don't think any of the games outside of 2 and 13 are outright crap, but the non-great entries are really just average, enjoyable sometimes, kinda dull, if 1,3,5,8 and 12 didnt have the name final fantasy in the title they would be as throwaway as the Shin Megami spin offs (barring persona).