Just got my hands on Final Fantasy Tactics

[Goldenboko]

Anything I should know? I'm psyched. No spoilers please.

[BG-57]

Complex plot is hard to follow at times, but the game play is great and the job system hasn't been beat, although it takes a while to figure out all the intricacies. Some matter more than others: Zodiac affinities have a much greater impact on battle damage than weather effects.

[Raistlin]

Couple of general tips:

There are some good abilities for Squires that should pretty much be learned by everyone (off the top of my head: Gained JP Up and Move +1, and I also found Accumulate very useful as something to do to gain JP when no baddies are nearby).

It's probably a good idea to try out some extra random battles early on to get used to the combat system and the jobs. The random battle enemies level up with you, but the story battle enemies don't, so it can also help make some of them easier as well.

During combat, it is ok if a party member dies, because they'll just come back at the end, UNLESS they're dead long enough to turn into a crystal, in which case they're gone for good (unless it's Ramza, in which case game over).

FFT is a great game, so you should enjoy it. Have fun.

[ANGRYWOLF]

I assume you have the handheld version and not the original playstation version.

Some differences between the two versions.

I haven't played the handheld version so I only know what I have read about it.

Have fun friend.

[Goldenboko]

I assume you have the handheld version and not the original playstation version.

Some differences between the two versions.

I haven't played the handheld version so I only know what I have read about it.

Have fun friend.

Nope, got the original from the PS3. :)


During combat, it is ok if a party member dies, because they'll just come back at the end, UNLESS they're dead long enough to turn into a crystal, in which case they're gone for good (unless it's Ramza, in which case game over).

Ah, okay, I was worried about letting my characters die. Now I'll go ahead and let'um faint if the battles just about in my pocket.

[VeloZer0]

Yeah, Gain JP Up is virtually essential, you don't ever really equip anything else until the end of the game, or if you are having a lot of trouble with a battle.

Save before ever random battle, you never know what the luck of the draw will be. Some times you get a super hard encounter and lose a character and have to reload.

I always try to make sure I take at least one character who can heal/revive into every battle, because things can go bad.

And enjoy! Welcome to the greatest gaming experience this planet has to offer.

[BG-57]

Generally a good rule of thumb is to check out shops every time the story advances. Usually the stores get equipment that's one notch better.

Some bosses require strategy to beat, but even the hardest ones can be defeated by an overleveled party. I generally spend time in random battles until the current armor becomes ineffective.

This game is super cutomizable, so you can alter your party's composition and skillsets until they can be anything you want them to be. Kind of like in FFI, but you can change your mind later.

Getting through the game is mildly difficult, but getting all the sidequests and rare items requires a lot of time and patience. This is the only game I've ever completed everything.

The game has several exploitable glitches that will make your life easier. I suggest that you wait until the second playthrough before exploring these.

[Wolf Kanno]

My biggest suggestion is simply this, if you want to know how useful a job class is, make Ramza the class. He starts off with all around above average stats and he's actually incredibly good as either a mage or warrior. His Squire class is actually ungodly powerful in the later parts of the game.

Ramza can pretty much show you how useful any class can be and while some classes are much more exploitable than others, I don't think there is a bad job class in this game if you build the proper set up. There are a ton of story character to recruit in this game but my advice is to try to keep a few of the generics as well.

[BG-57]

Generics are useful in two ways: you can send them out for Propositions, and they are cool aesthetically since their character design changes with their class while nongenerics do not.

And they're no reason to stick with the Generics the game gives you. You can pitch them and recruit your own. I like starting out with four Generics with Brave and Faith of 70 each. You can tweak Brave and Faith eventually, but I like going out the gate with high stats.

[Raistlin]

I actually prefer using generics in battles to most story characters, because I've already put work into customizing them to my liking by the time those story characters are recruited (Mustadio is a notable exception who I like to use for a time after he joins, because guns are badass). And as BG said, their appearances change with the jobs, so it looks cooler.

[ANGRYWOLF]

as I prefer the storyline characters and by the time I get them I end of having to delete /release the generics to keep them all. Then I have to take the time to build them up.
Fortunately you can use the time to try to steal /acquire special items and that relieves a little of the boredom of grinding.

;)

It's still my favorite FF game.

I guess it's not a spoiler to tell you to get those special items when they become available to you.

[Goldenboko]

Woah, lots to try and absorb. Been busy all day. Going to pick up the game again tonight. Haven't gotten very far at all, headed through some forest atm. Plan on picking it up right now and doing a few randoms, although it doesn't appear I can really switch my party members yet without having no armor to equip! :)

EDIT: Outfitted my party with better armor, but how do I get these non-story encounters? :O

EDIT2: Nevermind, apparently it's by running around randomly like in other FF's. It just seems weird via the world map.

[Raistlin]

Yeah, you have a certain percentage chance of encountering a random battle on the green non-city map points. I've heard a bunch of rumors about how to lessen/increase your chance of a random encounter (such as clicking on the map point when it's flashing the brightest to avoid a battle), but I don't know of any with a real affect.

I will further say that I <3 monks early on.

[Goldenboko]

Alright, so, I never bothered to start by getting a party with good beginning faith and bravery. Will those stats rise as I level? Is it a big deal?

[VeloZer0]

They will never change unless you do it manually in battles. My first play through of the game I never knew about it at all until the end of the game. If you just want a quick break down, BR gives counter chances and Unarmed damage, FA increases magic damage given and taken.


*Warning, more in depth mechanics below*
As a general rule 1 Brave is equal to 1% chance to trigger your counter ability. So 40 BR would be a 40% chance to counter, 70 BR (max you can recruit a generic with) would be a 70% chance to counter. 97% chance( max you can raise it to permanently) combined with a counter ability that avoids the attack gives you a very broken 3% chance to be hit at all. Also, for unarmed damage multiply by your BR as a percentage. So attacking unarmed with a character with 70 BR will do twice as much damage as a character with 35 BR. You can't raise Brave easily until Chapter 2 when Ramza learns a unique ability to do it.

Faith predominantly affects spells, generally [Caster FA as a %] * [Target FA as a %] * [Spell effect chance or damage]. So the more FA your casters have the more damage/healing/success rate they will have, same with FA of the target. Also, if they have above 89 FA they leave your party forever. No joke. FA is much harder to raise than BR.

Hope I didn't get into too much depth and ruin the mystique of the game for you. You will notice FFT fans generally like to delve fairly deeply into the nuances and mechanics of the game.

[BG-57]

No, but you will eventually get Jobs that include abilities that can raise Faith and Brave. These effects seem temporary but in effect for every 4 points you raise either stat during the battle, it will be permenantly raised by 1 point after the battle is over.

Brave generally affects physical damage dealt so high Brave means more damage. Faith affects magic attack and defense, so high Faith makes offensive spells hurt more and restorative spell heal for more, but enemy magic affects you more as well.

Avoid raising Faith to 96 more or lowering Brave to 4 or less, since the characters may leave the party (except Ramza). It may seem silly to want a low Bravery, but it improves the odds of getting rare items with Move-Find.

I forgot to mention that one additional advantage of hand-picking your Generics is you get to name them.


Hope I didn't get into too much depth and ruin the mystique of the game for you. You will notice FFT fans generally like to delve fairly deeply into the nuances and mechanics of the game.

You were saying? :D

[Raistlin]

I'm one of those freak fans that don't memorize all of the equations. And there are a lot.

[BG-57]

I don't either. I just look up the excellent Game Mechanics Guide on gamefaqs.com.

[VeloZer0]

Is it bad if I have a copy of the BMG on my hard drive?

[BG-57]

Considering how useful it is, no.

[Wolf Kanno]

Hell, pick up the guide for the PSP version if you can find it cause it actually does break down all the nuances of the games battle system even having a section for building "perfect stats" and tells you what stats get raised by using certain jobs (course you can ignore the PSP exclusive content) but it was so thorough and good, I'm actually kicking myself for not buying it.

[BG-57]

I bought one even though I never even got the PSP version. I even have two copies of the original guide, one that the binding broke and I have in a three ring binder and a replacement 'greatest hits' version.

[VeloZer0]

Does said guide offer anything to someone who has read the BMG from front to back? $60 for the PSP one is REALLY steep.

[Bolivar]

The only thing one NEEDS to know about this game is to have multiple saves from at least a few battles back wherever you are.

There are 2 or 3 parts in the game where you can get stuck and will have to start a new save if your character's can't handle the battle, 1 of which many people have found themselves ensnared in.

Other than that, this game is a great outlet, a blank slate to express your Strategy RPG wishes.

[-N-]

Spend some time leveling and getting the cool jobs. Keep at least 2 saves.

And have fun.

Of all the games I own this has the most replay value hands down
(even Deus Ex is a distant second).

[Dignified Pauper]

I am repurchasing this and will be starting a new play though. I have missed this game tremendously, and the fact that there are leaderboards just sounds amazing.

GoBo - add me to PSN

"DignifiedPauper" is my PSN

[VeloZer0]

There are leader boards?!? What do they track?

[Roogle]

Yeah, you have a certain percentage chance of encountering a random battle on the green non-city map points. I've heard a bunch of rumors about how to lessen/increase your chance of a random encounter (such as clicking on the map point when it's flashing the brightest to avoid a battle), but I don't know of any with a real affect.

I believe that the chance to encounter a battle on a given map is a fixed percentage. I have never heard of clicking on the map point at a certain time to avoid a random encounter, but it sounds like an urban legend. If you want to be sure about whether it's true or not, I recommend checking Final Fantasy Tactics at GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/game/197339.html) and looking for the Battle Mechanics guide as it lists all of the inner workings of the game.

[BG-57]

Eventually you can unlock adjacent noncombat points on parts of the map. Makes fufilling Propositions in those locations a snap.

[Goldenboko]

I am repurchasing this and will be starting a new play though. I have missed this game tremendously, and the fact that there are leaderboards just sounds amazing.

GoBo - add me to PSN

"DignifiedPauper" is my PSN

Two things:

A. Never set up my PSN xD

B. Doing it on PSP

C. LEADERBOARDS WTF?

I'll add you once I get around to making a PSN account that has online (we don't really have online games for the PS3 other than Uncharted 2 and Killzone 2)

[Roogle]

There are three versions of the game available:

- Final Fantasy Tactics on Playstation
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions on Playstation Portable
- Final Fantasy Tactics on Playstation 3 via the Playstation Network

You will not have access to any of the online content provided by the Playstation Network if you are playing Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, so there is no point to adding friends on the Playstation Network for your game of Final Fantasy Tactics.

[Bolivar]

There are three versions of the game available:

- Final Fantasy Tactics on Playstation
- Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions on Playstation Portable
- Final Fantasy Tactics on Playstation 3 via the Playstation Network

You will not have access to any of the online content provided by the Playstation Network if you are playing Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, so there is no point to adding friends on the Playstation Network for your game of Final Fantasy Tactics.

what online content? Someone here said there were leaderboards a while back, I'm still confused as to which drugs he was taking.



I'll add you once I get around to making a PSN account that has online (we don't really have online games for the PS3 other than Uncharted 2 and Killzone 2)

You really don't need online games for the PS3 other than Uncharted 2 and Killzone 2...

[Roogle]

what online content? Someone here said there were leaderboards a while back, I'm still confused as to which drugs he was taking.

I cannot find any information Final Fantasy Tactics as a Playstation Network title to confirm the presence of the online content. All titles played on the Playstation 3 have a small amount of online content like trophies and displaying the game title to friends on the Playstation network.

[MrSchpagge]

I don't know if it's already been said, but starting in chapter two you can send your party members out on 'Propositions' that are found at the bars.

This is one of the fastest ways to gain JP. Just make sure you have decent replacements because you won't be able to use the members you sent out until the proposition is completed.