Different party member functioning on different game rules.

[TheTitan99]

Been thinking about this, as the game I've been making has a bunch of playable characters. What are your opinions on different playable characters functioning WILDLY different from each other. Not just having different stats, but to have different rules altogether, like they're playing on a different game.

For example, in Final Fantasy 6, Sabin uses button inputs to attack, almost like a Mario RPG. Every other character uses menus but him, to give his moves more personality. FF7 and FF10 also have characters like this, such as Cait Sith and Auron.
In Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis, you can recruit undead party members, who resurrect themselves over time, get hurt by healing, and overall function like playable bosses.
Or in Bravely Second, there is a playable job that allows you to possess other characters, enemies and allies, leaving the battle entirely, and it also uses a unique stat called Soul Power as opposed to MP.
Or for a lesser example, in Citizens of Earth, the programmer party member displays all damage in forms of Binary and Hexadecimal.

Leaving RPGs, into different genres. In Marvel VS Capcom, certain characters can just... fly. Infinitely. In a 2D fighting game setting.
In the Godzilla fighting games, Space Godzilla can literally alter the battlefield, creating a crystal fortress. No other monster can alter the battlefield, much less create buildings.
And in Super Smash Bros., there are characters that control almost like a Dota 2 character. Like Captain Olimar and Ice Climbers and Rosalina, they control multiple units at once, being fundamentally different than other characters.

What's your opinion on characters like this? Characters who's very being break the established rules.

I think I really like them, but I'm curious on other's thoughts.

 

[Rhaeami]

Personally, I'm a huge fan of this sort of thing, but most especially when their differences help to enforce their character, or make sense plot-wise. Sabin's actually a good example, since his inputs made one think of fighting games, and he's a martial artist. Some other examples that come to mind:

Lost Odyssey

Spoiler: Mechanics

The game features several characters that are literally immortal, but you always have some mortals in the group, too. So, even though the immortals automatically revive after a few turns, you still lose if everyone gets wiped out at once. The mortals and immortals function entirely different in terms of learning skills - only mortals learn new skills naturally, while the immortals (apparently too old to learn new tricks on their own) get new abilities by copying mortals in their party.

Final Fantasy Type-0

Spoiler: Mechanics

In this action-RPG, while everyone does follow the same basic mechanics, each of over a dozen playable characters have entirely different signature skills, basic attacks, weapon types, etc. which make them play differently. An archer who can zoom in to first-person view or charge up shots. A martial artist that strings together combos with different buttons. A revolver gunner with ammo mechanics and reload who specializes in close-range gun combat. That sort of thing.

Final Fantasy XI

Spoiler: Mechanics

Another from the same series, but they really like this stuff. A certain job, Beastmaster, can capture and use wild monsters Pokemon-style. Early in the game's lifespan, this completely changed the game, as it was the only viable way to solo in a party-centric MMORPG. Beastmasters were a separate experience from every other character class, where you'd fight with your pets. In a game where half your time was spent looking for parties, the Beastmaster had no need for one, and was utterly unwelcome to boot. Other jobs had lesser special twists too, though well within the expected gameplay.

At any rate, again, I really like these sorts of things. It can definitely get out of hand if done without finesse, but there's lots of potential if done right.

 

[XIIIthHarbinger]

I think it can be a good thing that can increase a player's enjoyment of the game, so long as you avoid doing a few things.

Specifically:
1) Don't have one or more of your unique characters so head & shoulders above more powerful than your other characters, that it disincentivizes the player from using other characters. For example a character who has a probability of one shoting an enemy with each attack, that no other character posses.

2) Don't have the character being so unpredictable that the player is disincentivized from using the character. For example a wildly oscillating attack power.

3) Don't make the character a "must use" because it has some non combat ability that provides a utility outside of combat, that no other character can do, if you're running a large party. For example you have twelve potential party members, but only one of them can pick locks.