So I'm Finally Gonna Play XII

[Forsaken Lover]

Well I insist on being years behind everyone else and I think it's about time I played this game.

I have to ask first though. I know there are a couple "sequels" but I can't play either of them because Squeenix sucks balls and put them on the DS.

I'm just wondering if they suck and don't really expand the story and thus I can ignore them and not feel inadequate?

[Saber]

I haven't played the other games besides Tactics and Tactics Advanced. I own Vagrant story, but never played it much. The thing with 12 is you have to be up for side quests or the game isn't much. Storyline isn't all that great, but the side quests are awesome. There's so many things in FFXII thats hidden so I suggest you get the brandy guide and look stuff up online if you are still lost.

[Forsaken Lover]

Oh i always use a strategy guide for games to make sure I find items that will be helpful. People who don't use guides are purist fools. (no offense if there are any such people reading this thread)
I don't use the guides for boss fights typically, though. The guides just tell me which quest to go on to get which nifty and useful item/weapon.

[ANGRYWOLF]

How can I say this ?

FFXII got a huge favorable rating from various reviewers when it came out.
It had a lot of fans who loved it even though they hadn't played it.They thought it was the best FF ever.
If you felt differently then..well..you know.
As time has gone by most of the fans seems to have withered away and now most people I talk to about the game recognize it has some serious deficiencies.
There are still a few people that feel it's a good game, mostly because of the hunts.

I liked the hunt idea I just felt it didn't go far enough.


I haven't played Revenant Wings so I don't know how it ends or if it fills in some of the gaps in the story.

I hope you enjoy FFXII.Let us know if you have any questions.;)

[Wolf Kanno]

XII has two direct sequels though it is attached to the original Tactics and Vagrant Story as well but they happen 1000 years after the events of the Cataclysm so there is only a few things that keep them connected (mostly the Lucavi/Espers).

I don't particulary care for RW as it sorta feels like XII smashed into a bit of the X story frame with a mediocre RTS battle system. Most of the cast feel like caricatures of themselves as opposed to how they are presented in XII and the plot tries to come off epic but always seems to misstep somewhere. I can't give a good recommendation but take that with a grain of salt cause I know our taste differ greatly from each other. Some people feel the cast is more "lively" in RW than they were in XII. ;)

FFTA2 is a semi-sequel as four characters from XII do show up and have roles that give them a bit of a larger purpose than simple cameo. Mostly you finally get to see Vaan and Penelo as adults and Al-Cid reappears as well as Gurdy (he's a very minor NPC in XII) gets more of a starring role. Montblanc also weasels his way in as fan service character. Its actually a really good game but its not important to understanding the story of XII. XII is pretty much self contained.

[Mirage]

Oh i always use a strategy guide for games to make sure I find items that will be helpful. People who don't use guides are purist fools. (no offense if there are any such people reading this thread)
I don't use the guides for boss fights typically, though. The guides just tell me which quest to go on to get which nifty and useful item/weapon.

People who don't use guides actually want to use their brains when they play. Have fun following a guide like a mindless drone.

[Saber]

Oh i always use a strategy guide for games to make sure I find items that will be helpful. People who don't use guides are purist fools. (no offense if there are any such people reading this thread)
I don't use the guides for boss fights typically, though. The guides just tell me which quest to go on to get which nifty and useful item/weapon.

People who don't use guides actually want to use their brains when they play. Have fun following a guide like a mindless drone.

I think some things in 12 are too hard to just figure out without a guide. I find it hard to believe that anyone would know the lava eater or hell even some main game hunts on their own. I know a guy who has played the game for 200+ hours and was still no where near I was with 120 hours. I almost had game completed and he just finished the story line. This guy is a good player at Final Fantasy too, its just this one game I would suggest to use a guide. It makes life a lot easier on you.

I'm sure if he just wanted to get through story line he would be able to manage. Sure he'll get stuck but nothing major. I'm just talking about the secrets of the game. If you want everything in the game.

[Forsaken Lover]

People who don't use guides actually want to use their brains when they play. Have fun following a guide like a mindless drone.

Yeah, you have a great time using your brain in Final Fantasy X-2. You'll get 100% no problem using just your brain. Your brain will tell you you have to choose the Youth League in order to get 100%. Your brain will tell you you have to immediately talk to O'aka as soon as he comes on the airship in order to get .1% story completion. Your brain will tell you there's a secret hidden dungeon in the Mi'hen Highread and you have to send Chocobos there relentlessly to find it.

Brains are just so awesome.



I'm sure if he just wanted to get through story line he would be able to manage. Sure he'll get stuck but nothing major. I'm just talking about the secrets of the game. If you want everything in the game.

Thank you for the vote of confidence. Typically, on my first playthrough, I do just go with the story. That way all the sidequests and things I miss give the game replay value ya know?
But we'll see what I do when I get the game. Hopefully I'll have it by this weekend.

[Crop]

People who don't use guides actually want to use their brains when they play. Have fun following a guide like a mindless drone.

Yeah, you have a great time using your brain in Final Fantasy X-2. You'll get 100% no problem using just your brain. Your brain will tell you you have to choose the Youth League in order to get 100%. Your brain will tell you you have to immediately talk to O'aka as soon as he comes on the airship in order to get .1% story completion. Your brain will tell you there's a secret hidden dungeon in the Mi'hen Highread and you have to send Chocobos there relentlessly to find it.

Brains are just so awesome.



Erm, you just said you'd use guides to get through the game (which is what I think Mirage is referring to)...now you're saying you use it to get 100%? There's a big difference.

[Mirage]

Crop knows it :p.

I really don't give a crap if I miss out on a single item that will let me inflict 20 more damage for an hour until i find something better, There aren't many games, especially not RPGs because it's usually laughably easy to get through their "main story" anyway, that are so hard that you absolutely must get every single secret useful item to beat the last boss. Probably not even to beat the optional bosses. When was the last time you were unable to defeat a boss because you forgot an item pre-endgame?

The first time I'm playing through a game, I'll rather actually play it than dig my face into a walkthrough. I guess that's not as important as getting cookie cutter character builds to some people.

[Forsaken Lover]

I said I'd use it to get good items and weapons because you don't always know where those good items and weapons are.

Example. FFIV Advance. i wouldn't have known about Eblan Castle or the goodies in it without a guide. I suppose I could have wasted my time flying around the entire world looking for things that might be useful, but I just don't think that's a productive use of my time.

And it's no different than trying to get 100% at all. They're both things you have no way of knowing on your own. You either waste your time or you be smart and find out where the good stuff is and then go get it.

[Brennan]

Axes are really random with their damage, so watch out for that. But as far as storyline-wise, the game's easy enough.

[Crowseye]

You can play XII without a guide, just be mindful that most of the game features outside of the main storyline assume that the player will want to explore and try, like, every single solution to sometimes ambiguous clues that you can think of.

Without the desire to explore beyond the main storyline, you'll miss some summons and a number of items created from "rare" drops that you very likely wouldn't come across without doing a lot of fighting/farming and keeping track of what various enemies dropped.

Definitely commit to doing the hunts. They will actually help facilitate some of the exploration you'll need to find some of the "hidden" stuff.

[PuPu]

Just use a guide so that you know what chests not to open for the Zodiac Spear. That's something that can't be figured out on your first playthrough without some outside help.

[Forsaken Lover]

The shipper in me is curious. Does RW confirm Vaan x Penelo?

[Bolivar]

All you need to know is don't treat it like the next version of Final Fantasy. It's the next version of the Ivalice sub-series of Final Fantasy, in the line of FFTactics, Vagrant Story, and especially FF Tactics Advance.


Crop knows it :p.

I really don't give a crap if I miss out on a single item that will let me inflict 20 more damage for an hour until i find something better, There aren't many games, especially not RPGs because it's usually laughably easy to get through their "main story" anyway, that are so hard that you absolutely must get every single secret useful item to beat the last boss. Probably not even to beat the optional bosses. When was the last time you were unable to defeat a boss because you forgot an item pre-endgame?

The first time I'm playing through a game, I'll rather actually play it than dig my face into a walkthrough. I guess that's not as important as getting cookie cutter character builds to some people.

I sympathize with you guys, but I assume you'd be willing to concede that a guide is necessary to get things like the Zodiac Spear (The most powerful weapon in the game) and especially on how to encounter some of the mark hunts (the serpent one in the caves in the westersand (i think, if that's even the name of the area)).



The shipper in me is curious. Does RW confirm Vaan x Penelo?

Do you really want us to spoil it for you? If you do, then yes, it does.

BTW I play just as much, if not probably more, RTS than anyone in this forum and I thought Revenant Wings was a great game on the DS. It did what it needed to do, and that was be a fun game to play, with some depth and optional stuff to frustrate you :)

[Forsaken Lover]

You're not spoiling it for me.
I can't play DS games.

As for Vaan and Penelo, here's what I was told elsewhere.

it's hinted at fairly strongly, but there are no overt romance scenes between them.

So it's not confirmed.

And I finally started 12. The compressed audio is strange but the ye ol' speak is more what I envisioned in an FF than the voices in any of the other games.

[oddler]

I loved this game mostly because of the battle system. Gamibits are an awesome way to improve the AI of your party members. Not to mention being able to attack without mindlessly pushing the same button over and over is sweet. I like the real-time feel of it where multiple things are happening at the same time, too. :choc2:

As for using guides, I didn't use one for the game at all. In most games, I won't use one unless I just get stuck and can't figure out what I'm supposed to do to progress. I've found that following a guide really really slows me down, actually.

I heart Axes. xD

[Quindiana Jones]

I love FF12. It's a fantastic game. It has a pretty good story, I think, if a little (lottle) slow. Especially when you throw in everything else the game has to offer. By the time I got to the next cutscene, I'd usually have to try to remember the last one. But it's a small effort compared to the large benefits of FF12 being freaking brilliant. The License system, I always thought, is pretty good. It adds to the story, in a sense, whilst giving a really simply to use platform to build your characters on. One of my favourite parts is absolutely the Gambit system, though. Argh, I love it. Love it love it love it. I am pro.

I played this game sans guide. I don't like wasting money on games I don't know I'll like. Then I fell in love with it, and wanted to know EVERYTHING. So I bought the guide. I also own guides for 7, 9, Lost Odyssey, Oblivion and Fallout 3. I only ever buy games that I'm in love with.

[toad626]

12 is different than the rest. I beat it last year, but never really touched it again. However I still rank it above 7 and 8 mostly due to their desire to avoid emo characters. That being said it has its flaws. Story is actually short, hunts and other quest was more of the game more similar to X-2. The treasure system is extremely broken. Mostly because any idiot goes online to find a guide that has printed what each box "may" contain. So naturally if it's a wanted item aka Excalibur (with it being the best weapon for undead areas) one will just find the closest save point and try to get the box or urn over and over again via reset until they get what they want. It would have been much better just to have set items as before or at least have the major good weapons and armors as set chests and randomize the regular item urns.

After playing 12, I have my own theory as to why FF10-2 was even made. They wanted to test the ideas so they said hey we have a game without a happy ending we can expand this, maybe make a little cash on the side and try out all our new ideas before we completely commit them to 12. Diff developers, but same Corp. decisions need to be made. Example. Unrestricted access mostly fairly early into the game. Airship vs teleport crystals. Battle system. Face it, they were basically the same, actions had different times it took to execute. Side quests galore. People hated most of 10-2's non combat quests, as such most of 12's quests had combat, tried the mini-game thing and it was annoying, so it was a no go for 12. From a design standpoint, I see many similarities though it is just speculation.

As for Revenant Wings. It makes good use of what the DS is capable of. Expands a little bit of the story on the Occuria. But beyond that it is just a simplified RTS. Without resource management. But it gets old fast. Every battle same thing. It's basically the Fort Condor mini-game battle from FF7. That game had a triangle effect too. aka guy a strong to guy b. But guy a weak to guy c. You had a melee, a ranged, and flyer, and then the 3 were divided into element. You were basically given all enemies that will appear in the pre battle screen so you could easily plan your counters accordingly. However some bosses were actually quite hard. Took me forever to figure out how to beat Feolthanos Bahamut. It also took me awhile to realize that Bahamut was the best Rank III as Mega Flare has a larger radius and also inflicts disable vs Final Eclipse from Zodiark. No radius at all on his attack. And since someone asks Panelo only kisses Vaan on the cheek at the end of this game.

Finally. FFTA2. Nothing really to do with 12. A few hints. Mountblanc and Vaan and Panelo appear and become recruit able, but you get them late which means low level. You won't use them. Al-Cid comes joins after you beat it. A few references are made to 12 but you aren't missing anything if you don't get this game. Revenant Wings before this game.


The only game I'm missing in the Ivalice world is Vagrant Story never fully finished it. But it and Tactics appear to take place way after the events of the other games.

[Forsaken Lover]

So here's my most recent thoughts on FFXII.
-I felt like an idiot after consulting a guide and realizing the reason I couldn't escape the Dreadnaught was because I was going the wrong way the whole time.

-Judge Ghis was the hardest boss I've fought as of right now.

-The Sandsea is my favorite area so far. I went up about 4 levels and got a crapload of new Augments. My favorite is the one where you actuallY gain MP from beating enemies. Invaluable.

-Garuda was absurdly easy.

-I feel kinda stupid after blowing all my License Points on crap and now I can't get he new and ultra-powerful weapons the merchant is offering. I settled with giving Vaan an Ancient Sword, Ashe a Spear and Penelo a Long Bow.

-Oh yeah, my main party is now definitely gonna be Vaan, Ashe and Penelo. I'm gonna miss Balthier but I have this weird thing where I like to keep the main characters in my party for....some weird sense of keeping it all sensible. Vaan and Ashe are suposed to be the main protagonists. And Penelo is there because she's hot and adorable. Also they seem to fight just as well as Balthier or Fran. So why not. Actually, when i first got Ashe, she seemed like a better version of Fran gameplay wise.
And apparently some consider Basch and Ashe the real heroes but from where I'm at, it sure seems like Vaan is really the one moving the plot... But I guess I'll find out more as I go along.

So that's where I am. I'll go into this Tomb or whatever when I next play.

Now for a question. I need a little advice.
I finally got to my first Quicekning with both Penelo and Ashe. However it tells me you can only get one Quicening per tile. So it's either I get Ashe's "Northswain's Glow" or Penelo's "Intercession." But I can't get both. So which to get?

Also since I've never gotten a Quickening yet, how does it work? I'm told they're like Limit Breaks so can you only activate them when damaged? Is there a little bar that fills up?

Oh and as for the story, it's really starting to get interesting. The scene with the King and Gabranth was quite cryptic. Of course it would seem to be it's the traitorous adviser plot but Vayne is also an antagonist. I am very curious to see how this turns out.

[Wolf Kanno]

Don't worry, there are enough Quickening panels so all characters can gain all three quickening that they have. Also, the second and third Quickenings you gain will double and triple your MP just for acquiring them.

Quickenings consume a chunk of your MP and once you start using Quickening chains it will begin blowing all your MP. Your party is allowed three Quickening each and each is stronger than the last but consumes more MP. When two party members gain Quickening's you can start using Quickening chains, basically you have one activate their Quickening and during the animation for it, you'll see a list in the right bottom corner listing applicable party members (they have to be in your active party) which will either list three options next to their names:

Grayed out Quickening name = Can't use a Quickening
White colored Quickening Name = Can use that particular Quickening
Mist Charge = Recharges all their MP and allows them to perform a Quickening on the next turn.

A timer is also on the bottom showing how much time you have to input commands. You can press R2 (I might be wrong, its been awhile) and it will shuffle your Quickening options and so you basically shuffle until you either get a highlighted Quickening name or Mist charge then you activate them.

What this all does is allow all your party members to chain together their Quickenings, think of it like this:

Cloud uses Omnislash and during the attack, the game gives you the ability to let Tifa activate her Limit Break immediately after with no break for the enemy, so you chain them together; but while Tifa's is doing her limit break the game gives you that ability to recharge Cloud's Limit gauge so he can use another Limit Break after Tifa finishes. Of course their is a timer going on that prevents you from doing this indefinitely. Also, even if Barret your third member has a full Limit Gauge, he can't use it until you get a shuffle that will allow him to use his and many times after everyone goes, you may run out of time shuffling through the options to get a recharge.

Now once you start acquiring level two Quickenings, your Quickening chains can start making use of the Concurrence system. As I mentioned earlier, all Quickenings have three levels of power and that is actually important when you are making Quick Chains cause you can activate special damage bonuses by making Quick Chains consisting of specific Quickenings of a particular level. Course you don't have too much control over this but luckily the game doesn't need you to go into any specific order and it will always do the most powerful Concurrence you are qualified for. So really in the end, the game gives you even bigger damage bonuses for just keeping the Quick Chain going. :D

This may all sound very confusing right now but believe it will make perfect sense once you start using it and its actually much simpler than I probably explained. Of anything, unlock Quickenings so you can get the MP bonus.

[Forsaken Lover]

Thanks WK.

And YES.
FUCK YES.
YES YES YES YES.

I finally beat the optional Demon Wall. It took hours of grinding to get everyone up several levels and to get gil for better equipment and to get Quickenings but I did it.

I did it mainly because I figured this be a good time for me to figure out how Quickenings work. I did that and after a lot of trial and error, I think I'm pretty decent at it now.

The main problem was I was too focused on my main party of Vaan, Ashe and Penelo. Once I realized you can switch other party members in for a reason, I decided to let Fran jump in and save the day. Vaan got taken out by the Cheap ass N-Zone but Fran, even though she's like 8 levels below us, was still able to get hers and Penelo's Quickenings off and finish the damn thing.

Now I better get one helluva sword for this. The guide promised me a good sword if I could beat this thing.

[tebian]

People who don't use guides actually want to use their brains when they play. Have fun following a guide like a mindless drone.

I just give you a few examples as to why you are a "mindless" troll.

KH2 deluxe guide, X-2 deluxe guide and finally the FFX13 deluxe guide. Your generic "mindless" statement means you really do not know what a good guide is, nor have you seen the special art work or additional things that are not in the game in the least which are in these books. But you did a good job of flaming up this thread and making a mess when the person just ask a simple question. I own every single guide to the Square games that is out there and I consider them all to be extension of the games themselves.

FF12 has lot to offer in sequels. I know many people who play 12 over and over trying to get certain goals and it is the most used of the series i have seen for speed runs.

Good luck with the game Forsaken Lover.

(see bottom shelf for those "mindless" guides...)
http://www.rgonotsayz.com/forum/index.php?action=media;sa=media;in=39;preview

[Merk]

It's a good game. Not a top 5 story in the history of the series, and a very different fighting system but I liked it. Also if you're a big fan of summoning you may be dissapointed.

[Quindiana Jones]

FL: The sword you can get is freaking AWESOME. But it's not guaranteed. You'll have to do a lot of running to and fro to get it. But once you do....hoo boy. It'll keep you for aaaaaages. Same with the katana the Werewolves in the Westersand (or the other one) drop if you chain them. Well worth getting both, and well worth getting two Demonsbane. Also, congrats on killing the optional Wall. Really really congrats. xD

A word of advice on Quickening chains: only ever activate your lowest level Quickening. Even when all party members have all three Quickenings, only activate the weakest. This makes epic chains a piece of cake, because the characters keep their MP for longer. You can easily get 10+ chains this way, which end up dealing a good 50K damage!

[Ammy]

I thought XII was really fun to play through, my 2 favorite characters being Fran and Balthier. As a few people have said, it does have a very different feel to it, which takes a little getting used to. Enjoyable game overall though.

[Forsaken Lover]

Dammit I was afraid of this. My friend warns me the party will split up at some point. So now I gotta go and level up Basch, Balthier and Fran.... Ugh. They're like 14 levels behind at this point.

I just left Fran's home village so I sure as hell hope I have some time until the split.

[Quindiana Jones]

It's totally worth levelling up your vanguard. Seriously, it'll save your ass multiple times. And it's a breeze really. They get LP, so you can get them all the best licenses. Then you just give them really powerful weapons, and they can take out monsters well above their own level. Not necessarily at your main party's level, but not too far away. So they level up nice and fast!

[Forsaken Lover]

Well on the note of getting powerful weapons, is there an easier way of getting Gil than simply sellin gloot after every dungeon? I mean, it gave me a nice chunk of cash early on but at this point (just got to Nalbina so we can go and sneak into Archades) I'm broke after buying mayb two weapons and some spells.

I got tons of crap from fighting untold dozens of monsters in that place to get the Sword of Kings and I am pretty much broke after buying just the Avenger, the Magoroku and the Dispel spell.

I figure I can hold off on buying a new set of armor; my main party all has Shield Armor which gives 24 Defense + Auto-Protect. The other armors don't seem to give that much greater defensive power right now.

Still, this doesn't solve my money woes. I suppose I can do more Hunts but that' gives me like 1000 Gil at the moment. That's not very much at this point.

Anyway, a quick recap of my current thoughts on the game:

1. smurf the Elder Wyrm and its status effects. Hardest boss to date for me because of that cheap :bou::bou::bou::bou:.

2. I now have Level 2 Quickenings for my main party and boy is that a lifesaver when it comes to MP. Can cast even my strongest spells and not have to worry about draining myself for a while.

3. The plot thickens. Vayne is a real douchebag. But Judge Kain is awesome so all is well.

[Wolf Kanno]

Sadly, there are no easier ways to obtain money other than selling loot. Though I do recommend doing the Mark Hunts as they reward you with better gear by mid-game so it starts to go a bit easier on your wallet. You may also want to stop using Teleport Crystals and just start walking everywhere so you can level and get better loot.

Now may also be the time to start doing some of the side-quests to obtain the optional Espers. A good chunk of them should be available and they are some pretty awesome battles that will make you really have to use the Gambit system proper.

[Quindiana Jones]

Ah, the Elder Wyrm is a total bastard! I remember just walking (well, running for my life) round him and taking him out later in the game.

Regarding loot, bear in mind that the bigger the chain, the better the loot. So it's best to simply kill one type of enemy. The undead are total bitches for doing this, so it's best to go places that they are. The Stilshrine of Miriam is probably your best training spot at the moment. I made a :bou::bou::bou::bou:ty and hard to understand map for you, which might help if you can understand it. Basically, enemies respawn if you go two screens away. So, you run back and forth along the dotted line until nothing appears, then run back to the start point. Then you do it again. You'll easily be getting 30+ chains per run, and this leads to massive loot and easy XP.

[Forsaken Lover]

Thanks for the advice guys. Guess I'll just go around and grind for some LP and Loot.

Question though. Is the Poach ability worth anything? It says you can sell monsters or something as Loot. Does that give you a decent bit of Gil?

EDIT:
I've been doing some research and it seems like my best bet is to get the Forgotten Grimoire.

Also when you say chains, do you mean Quickening chains or just regular chained attacks? Are regular chained attacks when everyone attacks at the same time?

[Wolf Kanno]

Poach basically kills an enemy and turns them into a piece of loot. I believe they still drop loot as well funny enough...

"Chains" in this instance is when you begin to kill the same type of enemies over and over again. Your first look at it was probably during the Yensa Sandsea section cause there are tons of similar enemies wandering the area. As you increase the chain in this instance, enemies start dropping multiples of common loot and even raise the chances they will drop rare items. Eventually, once you chain kill 60 -100 enemies, you can start getting minor HP/MP restores for your party. Later in the game, these kill chains will be very important if you want the ultimate items (like Tournesol) that can only be obtained in the Bazaar.

[Forsaken Lover]

Here's a bizarre little question. Do you guys ever think some characters just don't look right with certain weapons?

For instance, Vaan looks completely idiotic wth a Pole.

I have Vaan wielding Daggers because they seem like his kind of weapon. That or swords.

Ashe is good with any kind of weapon.

I like Penelo with Hammers because it's rather adorable.

Plus you gotta factor in the different animations for their Victory Pose depending on the weapon they have. i really like Vaan's Dagger pose.

[Wolf Kanno]

The way they hold weapons are also different. Specifically Katanas. ;)

[Forsaken Lover]

Okay, seriously. Screw this game. Damn it to Hell.

I spend 10 maybe 15 minutes fighting the Ring Wyrm and then beat it and then on the way back, I get destroyed by some floating fire thing called a blabh blah Entite or whatever.

Yeah screw this game. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

They're just lucky the RW wasn't worth much in terms of reward because I am not doing that crap aagain after this BS.

[Quindiana Jones]

Oh yeah. Entites are bastards. Met one in the Yensa Sandsea when I first went there. HATE THEM IN THE FACE. If you ever see one at the very edge of the screen, just go a different way. xD

[Wolf Kanno]

You can also just turn off all your gambits and walk past them or use the escape option. As long as you don't attack them or use magic of any kind near them, they are pretty docile.

Beyond that, they are evil SOBs :mad2:

[Shin Gouken]

Okay, seriously. Screw this game. Damn it to Hell.

I spend 10 maybe 15 minutes fighting the Ring Wyrm and then beat it and then on the way back, I get destroyed by some floating fire thing called a blabh blah Entite or whatever.

Yeah screw this game. smurf smurf smurf smurf smurf.

They're just lucky the RW wasn't worth much in terms of reward because I am not doing that crap aagain after this BS.

Your first experience with an entite is always a bad one. I remember when an entite first slaughtered my party though seemingly unprovoked. Once you figure out that they wont hurt you if you don't cast magick around them, they become quite harmless. Watch out for other entites that will undoubtedley pop up in certain areas

[Forsaken Lover]

Well I just did a night of hunting. Took down the Ring Wyrm (again), some giant Bunny for one of Fran's people, the Mindflayer and the White Mouse flan in the Waterway.

I tried to tackle Marilith because I overestimated my abilities a tad. I just got a bunch of augments and Gil you see. He beat us all but I know I could have won if I had gone in prepared. So I got Vaan and Ashe their last Quickenings for the massive boost in MP, bought some more Phoenix Downs and I'll kick his butt when I wake up.

I think then i may go to this Feywood place. I hear it's a great source of Gil thanks to the Loot you get.

EDIT:
Oh and what was the Geomancer in Jahara talking about when he says there's something of great power in the Mines but I'm not ready to get it?

[ANGRYWOLF]

You're no way ready for that yet.

Yes we should of reminded you about the Entites. They do drop rare items you need to make special weapons so eventually you will want to kill them.But you need to level up quite a bit and get better weapons before you will be able to do that.

:)

[Forsaken Lover]

I'm not planning on fighting Entites. It's Mirrorknights that drop all valuable items.

Level 37 isn't enough to take them on? I thought the stuff iN Faywood wer eall level 30ish.

[ANGRYWOLF]

to make some of those special weapons/items.

I presume you intend to use the bazaar ?

In time you'll be able to beat the entites without difficulty. I seem to recall each one has a weakness.

I did read faqs about the game as I was playing it.I realize some people don't like reading faqs as they feel it spoils the game for them.
But without the help of faqs this game would be very difficult to complete.
Just my opinion.

Good luck.:)

[Wolf Kanno]

You might want to hold off on the Feywoods... Yeah the enemies are level 30ish but they have a wonderful time swarming you and trying to tackle 10 of the Tomato monsters with three party members with the same level is still going to be a challenge. I'd wait since you'll eventually be going there anyway.

As for the Mines that the Jahara mentions... yeah, ANGRYWOLF is right. You don't want to go there. That's not a friendly place. He'll give you the key to access the rest of the Henne Mines once you obtain 8 or 10 of the 13 Espers.

If you are looking for new uncharted lands, I'd go to Balfoheim since its a bit of a detour on your way to Archades but you can get access to some really good gear there. You could also sneak into the Necrohol of Nabudis at this point and get some levels. You'll need to go here if you want to get Chaos later.

Once again, I'd recommend taking down the Espers. Adrammelech is probably useless now but Zeromus and Exodus will definetly be helpful to you at this point. Cuchulain and Zalera are also pretty nifty and have decent usability times at this point in the game as well.

Really, the trip to Archades is one of the larger parts of the game that finally lets you really explore the world. Have you tried traveling on one of the commercial airships yet? Have you visited the tribe in the Giza Plains? How about Nabradia? There are tons of little fun side-quests that should be available at this time as well. ;)

[Forsaken Lover]

If you are looking for new uncharted lands, I'd go to Balfoheim since its a bit of a detour on your way to Archades but you can get access to some really good gear there. You could also sneak into the Necrohol of Nabudis at this point and get some levels. You'll need to go here if you want to get Chaos later.

So both of those are on the way to Archades?


Once again, I'd recommend taking down the Espers. Adrammelech is probably useless now but Zeromus and Exodus will definetly be helpful to you at this point. Cuchulain and Zalera are also pretty nifty and have decent usability times at this point in the game as well.

I dunno...are they really worth it? I haven't even used the Espers I have. I'm not sure how the Summon system iN 12 works, anyway. So I'm kinda hesitant.


Have you tried traveling on one of the commercial airships yet?

Yes. I accidentally started some sidequest about a ring or marrying someone and I have no idea how to finish it.


Have you visited the tribe in the Giza Plains?

Don't think so.


How about Nabradia?

The name sounds familiar... Where is it?


There are tons of little fun side-quests that should be available at this time as well. ;)

I'm mainly just doing the Hunts. I just want Equipment and Gil. And I guess the LP and EXP that comes with going to get those things.
Also loot that will help me get newer and better equipment from the Bazaar.

Ya know I've been looking at guides but it's so annoying. There are so many sidequests to do and no one just is nice and puts REWARD at the top of them so i can know if I want to bother with them or not.

Oh while we're on the subject, are the Faith and Bravery spells worth it? Do they giv ea nice big boost in magic and strength? If not, I won't bother buying them.

[Wolf Kanno]

So both of those are on the way to Archades?

Not really... The Necrohol is north of Rabanastre, and its the place where the game started when you were Reks. Balfoheim is on southern end of Valendia continent and is far south of Archades. Basically on your way to Archades, you'll reach a crossroads that will either take you north to Archades or south towards Balfoheim. You'll reach Balfoheim eventually but I was suggesting dropping by early, especially since the trek down there will earn you tons of gil and Exp.



I dunno...are they really worth it? I haven't even used the Espers I have. I'm not sure how the Summon system iN 12 works, anyway. So I'm kinda hesitant.

They are similar to the way FFX does is, where the summon replaces your party except the Summoner. The major difference is that Summons tend to be glass cannons, they do fairly high damage but are really bad for crowd control until they activate their special summon attacks. Basically, you will need to treat them as regualr party members and heal and buff them to keep them alive while they do big damage. Also, they work like guest characters so you can't directly control them as well as they have a timer on them, they stay around until you dismiss them, get killed, have the summoner killed, or have them perform their cinematic attack.

Most people find them useless in comparison to Quickenings but I find them fun and powerful when used correctly, also the top tier summons, Chaos, Ultima, and Zodiark are incredibly powerful and actually do have real nasty crowd control abilites. The only thing that might be a nuisance is that several of them require special conditions to activate their Cinematic attacks. Ultima alone has the games most difficult and its hardly worth it in my opinion. Zodiark on the other hand has the easiest and the most powerful (about as powerful as a high level Quickening Chain). You can literally set your self up to summon him and have him go directly into his Cinematic attack when he appears.

Really, I would say play around with them, they are great for getting levels for a solo character before you acquire the Firefly accessory. You might like them, you might go with the rest of people and hate them.


Yes. I accidentally started some sidequest about a ring or marrying someone and I have no idea how to finish it.

You basically have to go onto every flight available in the game and talk to the sisters who have the whole Nurse Joy/Officer Jenny thing going on. They are always in the same place on the airship. I think their are seven of them in total. Also, be on the lookout for a rich family, you usually see them in the terminal area after the airship reaches port, the kid keeps mentioning seeing a strange creature in the sky. Keep talking to them and you will eventually unlock another Mark Hunt.



Have you visited the tribe in the Giza Plains?Don't think so.

Go during the Dry season and talk to the little girl Terra who is taking care of the Cockatrices. If she starts mentioning a feather that lets you talk to the Cockatrices then you are about to start one of the most amusing side-quests in the game and it will net you some excellent gear if you finish it quickly. You might want to start this one after visiting Archades though (actually, I think it unlocks after you go to Archades).



How about Nabradia?The name sounds familiar... Where is it?

Its also north of Rabanastre and is the fortress you see get overtaken in the beginning cutscenes of the game, its the place Prince Rassler was killed. The easiest way to get their is to take the airship from Rabanastre. It has a few really amusing side-quests and stories there, as well as a popular pair of famous Star Wars references. ;)


I'm mainly just doing the Hunts. I just want Equipment and Gil. And I guess the LP and EXP that comes with going to get those things.
Also loot that will help me get newer and better equipment from the Bazaar.

Then I would advise doing the side-quests cause most net you rare accessories or good equipment with a bit of gil. Have you been making sure to report back to Montblanc? He gives you rewards and gil for performing special tasks in the game aside from the Mark Hunts and Clan Hunts.


Oh while we're on the subject, are the Faith and Bravery spells worth it? Do they give a nice big boost in magic and strength? If not, I won't bother buying them.

They are good but I don't feel they are worthy of being set-up as a Gambit for continual buff. I'd ignore them for now cause you'll need them more for the final Marks and optional bosses. Berserk is a spell you may want to invest in though, especially now that you have access to good Greatswords and Katanas. They raise a characters attack power and speed.

[Forsaken Lover]

Coincidentally, I just talked to Montblanc last night and discovered he gave me a ton of crap. So that was cool. Plus he has his own set of Marks and I'm doing them right now.

After that I'll go do the Cactuar Family quest so i can get the Wyrmfire Shot.
And then I'll head out to the Necrohol.

After all this, I'll go to Nalbina and begin on my way to Archades though I'll make sure to go to Balfohlem first.

I hope there is a place to buy a map for that area so I don't go the wrong way.

Oh and WK, I don't think I'm supposed to go the Necrohol just yet... Even at Level 39 with the best Armor I can buy, my party was helpless before the first 3 enemies.

Also the Bomg King sure was annoying. I beat him on my first try but he nearly killed my party several times.

EDIT:
Damn I love the Phon Coast! Even regular enemies almost always drop stuff worth about 800 Gil a piece. That enabled me to suit up my party most comfortably with the best new weapons and armor. I kept Vaan with a Dagger as always, Ashe with the new Katana and after dabbling around with the gun, I decided I like Penelo best with Hammers.

Wandering around to make some extra Gil and EXP on my way to Archades, i stumbled across the Sochen Cave Palace. Of course by the time I fought the level 38 boss, my party was level 44, had all its Augments and all 3 Quickenings. Poor bastard died in maybe five minutes of just physical attacks.

This was a much needed confidence booster after my utter decimation at the Necrohol. Plus I can only imagine how much Gil I'll get for the crapload of loot I've accumulated. I'm already at 59,000 and I'd be lying if I didn't think I had another 20,000-30,000 at least already.

[ANGRYWOLF]

there is an entite at the deadlands as well.

There's the Nabreus Deadlands where most of the paths are hidden and you can follow the paths to the Nechrol of Nabudis.
The Nechrol is a good place to pick up items for the bazaar but as you found out probably too tough for you at this point.

If I recall correctly you can take on some additional hunts from the hunt club there on the Phon Coast.

I liked Split Infinity's faq although he and I didn't see eye to eye about FFXII.

Good luck.:p

[Forsaken Lover]

Phew. What a night. I needed to get to the Barheim Passage to fight a mark (Bloodwing) so i had to do that sidequest to get the Key. But after that, I learn that there's a way to get a Deathbringer! So I definitely go that. And it only took about 11 tries to get the damn mimic thing to appear.

After that I ventured forth to fight Bloodwing. Thing was only a threat because he spawns right in the middle of area that pops up full of Dead Bones and Spectres. So I died a couple times from simply being overwhelmed. I got him in the end, though. And what should I find after the room with the save crystal? The ugliest summon I've ever seen! Beat him...er...it on my first try. Took a lot of Phoenix Downs but just keep spamming Curaga and it's no threat.

I love undead though so I might just use Zalera to see what it can do.

Oh and I beat the Trickster too.

And afte rall that adventuring I got 133,000 Gil or some ammount close to that. Bought a Diamond Sword for Penelo from the Bazaar because the Hammer's uncertain damage is annoying.

Oh and my main party is now Level 46.

So one heck of a night. Tomorrow I'll probably do some more Marks then set off for Archadia again.

[ANGRYWOLF]

is in the waterway as well..
You didn't mention fighting him.
It took me about 12 tries to beat him.He has a sap ability that sucks up the hp from your party.

There's also a mark in the mosphoran highwaste, so you might want to check him out.But you will need a guide to find him as you have to activate those silly fountains in a certain order.

Have fun.:D

[Quindiana Jones]

Cuchulain was a complete bastard, and I have no idea how but I managed to beat her on my first try. I...oh, it was a miracle.

Also, kudos on getting Deathbringer. Though I hate you a little. I didn't get because I simply got bored of trying. So many attempts and didn't get even one. :(

[Shin Gouken]

Phew. What a night. I needed to get to the Barheim Passage to fight a mark (Bloodwing) so i had to do that sidequest to get the Key. But after that, I learn that there's a way to get a Deathbringer! So I definitely go that. And it only took about 11 tries to get the damn mimic thing to appear.

After that I ventured forth to fight Bloodwing. Thing was only a threat because he spawns right in the middle of area that pops up full of Dead Bones and Spectres. So I died a couple times from simply being overwhelmed. I got him in the end, though. And what should I find after the room with the save crystal? The ugliest summon I've ever seen! Beat him...er...it on my first try. Took a lot of Phoenix Downs but just keep spamming Curaga and it's no threat.

I love undead though so I might just use Zalera to see what it can do.

Oh and I beat the Trickster too.

And afte rall that adventuring I got 133,000 Gil or some ammount close to that. Bought a Diamond Sword for Penelo from the Bazaar because the Hammer's uncertain damage is annoying.

Oh and my main party is now Level 46.

So one heck of a night. Tomorrow I'll probably do some more Marks then set off for Archadia again.


Reflect on your party and spamming Curaja on the undead + Firaga on bloodwing would have simplified that a bit.

You're doing well at knocking down those marks, be sure to head to the market in rabanastre and visit the muthru bazaar. Some nice things become available to buy when your clan rank gets high enough. Specifically look for the nihopalaoa. Costs a stack of gil if i remember but it's well worth the investment. It can really mess up some marks and bosses in seconds if you have some remedies to spare

[Forsaken Lover]

I didn't have Curaja at the moment. It becomes avilable when you get to Balfonheim.
And yeah, I know aout the Clan Provisioner who gives you new items with each rank. i got a Bubble Belt off him that wa spretty handy.

Anyway, more recent comments on things that have happened:

And holy crap, it's Phil LaMarr! What is it with him and playing characters who leave corposes lying ominously around?

Fight with Cid was pretty easy, though.

God I love the Feywood. They weren't kidding at how easy it is to get a chain with the Mirrorknights. I got 150,000 Gil just fromt heir items in maybe 20 minutes.

After that though..Giruvegan was beautiful. Best looking dungeon by far. Well of the ones I've seen.
And hey, I got a new Esper. WHoo.

The Occuria, including the one on Cid's side, all seem like douches. On the other hand, humans are douches too. No one is gonna win a douche-off.

Party is level 50 and my guide tells me all the crappy old merchants now sell great new accessories. So off I am to Old Archades to get the one that halves MP Cost. invaluable.

Then I gotta go to some Lighthouse.

[Shin Gouken]

I didn't have Curaja at the moment. It becomes avilable when you get to Balfonheim.
And yeah, I know aout the Clan Provisioner who gives you new items with each rank. i got a Bubble Belt off him that wa spretty handy.

Anyway, more recent comments on things that have happened:

And holy crap, it's Phil LaMarr! What is it with him and playing characters who leave corposes lying ominously around?

Fight with Cid was pretty easy, though.

God I love the Feywood. They weren't kidding at how easy it is to get a chain with the Mirrorknights. I got 150,000 Gil just fromt heir items in maybe 20 minutes.

After that though..Giruvegan was beautiful. Best looking dungeon by far. Well of the ones I've seen.
And hey, I got a new Esper. WHoo.

The Occuria, including the one on Cid's side, all seem like douches. On the other hand, humans are douches too. No one is gonna win a douche-off.

Party is level 50 and my guide tells me all the crappy old merchants now sell great new accessories. So off I am to Old Archades to get the one that halves MP Cost. invaluable.

Then I gotta go to some Lighthouse.

The next dungeon is loooooong lol you've got your guide which will help a bit here, so don't make things difficult for yourself by sealing your magic, instead when you have to give up something, choose your minimap since you can still refer to your main map. Few bosses in there too but sounds like nothing that will give you any problems. I don't think many people liked the pharos, probabley due to its length, but personally i quite liked it

[Wolf Kanno]

I loved the Pharos personally... though the basement levels are not exactly fun but at least they are optional. If you are level 50ish, you are pretty much at the point the rest of the storyline dungeons and boss fights won't be an issue. You'll simply need levels now for the higher tier Mark Hunts. My personal favorite is still Man of Mystery... Best optional boss battle ever... at least for an FF. :D

Now that you have passed Giruvegan, you should go back and fight Ultima. ;) Easily the hardest of the Esper battles (well Zodiark as well but he's a cheating bastard) not to mention going after Chaos in Nabudis.

[Forsaken Lover]

tHe next dungeon is loooooong lol you've got your guide which will help a bit here, so don't make things difficult for yourself by sealing your magic, instead when you have to give up something, choose your minimap since you can still refer to your main map.

Definitely. I never even use the minimap in most of the dungeons.


If you are level 50ish, you are pretty much at the point the rest of the storyline dungeons and boss fights won't be an issue.

When I informed a friend I was playing FF12, he told me an anicdote of how a buddy of his fought the final boss (spoilers ZOMG it's Vayne!!!! ...okay not surprising) and turned on Gambits. he then went to make a sandwich and by the time he came back, his party had beat him.


Now that you have passed Giruvegan, you should go back and fight Ultima. ;) Easily the hardest of the Esper battles (well Zodiark as well but he's a cheating bastard) not to mention going after Chaos in Nabudis.

Hm. I might try it. Still, I don't want to just breeze through the rest of the game. That be no fun.

[Wolf Kanno]

You would need to be a lot higher than the level 50's to beat the final boss with just Gambits. He's actually a bit tricky cause he likes to hide behind physical/magical palings and spam his ultimate attacks. high 60's I could imagine if you have most of the end-game gear.

I'm tempted to try it actually but I'm currently working on taking down Omega Mark XII who wouldn't be so much of a pain if the path to get to him wasn't littered with high level undead, not to mention the damn Phon Coast Trophy Hunt quest has bit me in the ass again and these Zombie hordes keep having a high level Rare Game Spirit spawn with them. He loves spamming death and the zombies love hitting me with cloister breath...

I may need to level a bit more to take on Omega as well as abuse the Cat Ear Hoods. :shifty:

[Forsaken Lover]

Well I presume I'll be higher than level 50 by the time I get to the final boss. Not sure how much or the game is left at this point (I want to keep it that way) so maybe I'll have time enough to level up to 60 and beyond before I get there.

i'm on the Second Ascent of the Pharos place right now. Decided to save and eat some pizza before continuing.

I got a gun for Penelo again. I thought about using it for Vaan (the character I always control myself) but it just isn't cool enough for me to bother with. The gun weapon be a lot more appealing if it didn't make that sissy "pft" noise when you fired it. I mean with a land of airships that fly like futuristic speeders and the like is it too much to ask for a badass gun that fires like a cannon or whatever?

[ANGRYWOLF]

you'll know when something happens..no spoilers..lol.
I know from reading faqs.Never got to the end as I quit playing.

You will have to decide if you intend to go back and finish other marks/ quests .I think there will be a point of no return.:p

[Forsaken Lover]

Oh yeah. Time to get in Bahamut and beat the crap out oF Vayne!

*goes to Sky Fortress Bashamut*

Tch. Puny mooks, I've been beating you guys for the last three dungeons and had no problem!

*is promptly killed*

...well..:bou::bou::bou::bou:.

My poor level 55 party! With its new weapons and armor...destroyed after maybe fifteen minutes.

Admittedly I did take down probably around fifty of the SOBs in this one area before everyone died but Vaan...my best guy. He kept dying faster than anyone else. How annoying.

I guess I went in a little gung-ho. I mean this is the final dungeon isn't it? The game is reaching its fimsle and I wanted to get there as quick as I could.
Guess I'll have to take a tour of the world and level up. Maybe get some of the uberweapons you can't just buy.

I had a feeling I was being a bit hasty but comee on.... Freedom is at stake! There's no time to go around revistting dungeons when the new station that is the ultimate power in the universe (Ivalice) is attacking!

Oh well...guess I got no choice.

In other news, Cid went out like a champ. A crazy old champ.

His death was definitely overshadowed by Reddas' though.
"I, Judge Magister, condemn you to oblivion!"

[Saber]

Pretty much now the game gets interesting. You can do all the side quests without wondering what comes next in the story. Some of the side quests are really worth doing, some are hard and got not so great of rewards for doing it. I would suggests getting Excalibur, Ultima, and the Zodiac Escutcheon in one go. If your up for it you can tackle Omega too but I didn't. I waited until all my characters were leveled up then went back.

[Wolf Kanno]

Actually, you probably can beat the game, just ignore the enemies in Bahamut cause if memory serves me correct, they will just keep spawning continuously until you reach the first boss. After that, its smooth sailing sadly enough. ;)

[Shin Gouken]

You would need to be a lot higher than the level 50's to beat the final boss with just Gambits. He's actually a bit tricky cause he likes to hide behind physical/magical palings and spam his ultimate attacks. high 60's I could imagine if you have most of the end-game gear.

I'm tempted to try it actually but I'm currently working on taking down Omega Mark XII who wouldn't be so much of a pain if the path to get to him wasn't littered with high level undead, not to mention the damn Phon Coast Trophy Hunt quest has bit me in the ass again and these Zombie hordes keep having a high level Rare Game Spirit spawn with them. He loves spamming death and the zombies love hitting me with cloister breath...

I may need to level a bit more to take on Omega as well as abuse the Cat Ear Hoods. :shifty:


Getting to Omega is half the fun, fantastic place to reach level 99 if you havn't already. I don't want to spoil the fun with Omega, but with just 4 well placed gambits on each character you can put down the controller and watch it happen. Tricky battle until you figure out... the thing that you can figure out which makes things somewhat easier... am i being to vague =)


Forsaken lover, dying too quickly? Get yourself to the Necrohol of Nabudis and find the sneaky little hidden merchant who will sell a sexy little piece armour called the maximillion. It's the best armour you can get without going into major rare game chaining or treasure chest respawning

[ANGRYWOLF]

because you didn't complete everything necessary such as the nechrol and use the bazaar.
I had deathbringers for all my party, ultima swords,maximillian armor, the saggitarius bow, the best gun and all the shots, the best crossbow and all their shots and the nip device.

I think you're going to have to work on getting some of that stuff if you want to survive.

Good luck.;)

[Forsaken Lover]

Forsaken lover, dying too quickly? Get yourself to the Necrohol of Nabudis and find the sneaky little hidden merchant who will sell a sexy little piece armour called the maximillion. It's the best armour you can get without going into major rare game chaining or treasure chest respawning

Coincidentally, I just got there. Getting the Goliath mark. I glanced at a FAQ about uberweapons and it says you can buy some from the Bazaar if you have the right items. But of course I'll need plenty of gil to buy them and Mark hunting is a good way to get Gil and levels.

Hm...Gilgamesh hunt rewards you with the Masamune. That'll save me some cash. What level should I be at before attempting that?

[ANGRYWOLF]

is a red herring...

:p

[Forsaken Lover]

I found a "Door of Horrors" in the Necrohol. It seems to imply I need to put some medallion in it. It still gives me the option of opening th edoor, though... I think I'll play it smar tand avoid the Horrible Door.

[Shin Gouken]

Forsaken lover, dying too quickly? Get yourself to the Necrohol of Nabudis and find the sneaky little hidden merchant who will sell a sexy little piece armour called the maximillion. It's the best armour you can get without going into major rare game chaining or treasure chest respawning

Coincidentally, I just got there. Getting the Goliath mark. I glanced at a FAQ about uberweapons and it says you can buy some from the Bazaar if you have the right items. But of course I'll need plenty of gil to buy them and Mark hunting is a good way to get Gil and levels.

Hm...Gilgamesh hunt rewards you with the Masamune. That'll save me some cash. What level should I be at before attempting that?

I can't remember what a good level for gilgamesh is. The first fight should be a piece of cake but the second fight requires you to find the site 11 key (In the hunters camp in the phon coast) and then trekking through a large secret area of the Lhusu mines.

If getting the Tournesol is too much work for you (and it can take a while) then Excalibur is probabley your next best choice. Excalibur is in a chest in the great crystal, if you go back in you'll notice it's much much bigger than you would have seen on your first visit. Though the Tournesol is probabley the best weapon you can get and is well worth the effort

[Wolf Kanno]

The first battle with Gilgamesh is a bit of a joke, the second battle is much more lively and my big suggestion for you is to be a level not dividable of 3, 4, and 5... Yes, like his previous incarnation in FFV, Gilgamesh is a freaking Blue Mage and he loves spamming his Confuse spell to have your party kill each other. Gilgamesh is one of the nastier Mark Hunts but its easily the most memorable in the entire game. Its my favorite Mark Hunt hands down.

The big thing about the Gilgamesh fight is that you can steal all the Genji Gear off of him. Two in the first battle, two in the second. They are some of the better armor in the game. Most of all, you want the Genji Gloves cause they raise the chance of your character doing Multi-attacks. So technically, the first battle might be more challenging cause you have to steal the items during certain times in the fight. Basically when he reaches one of the quarters of his health. You can steak four items off him usually but only two will be Genji Gear and this is the only battle you can get them.


@Shin Gouken

I fought Omega and he's not as nasty as Yiazmat but I ended up quitting cause my party was in poor shape thanks to rushing into the fight and getting picked at by all the damn undead. I'll redo the battle when I get the chance but I'm still trying to get the Zodiac Shield chest to spawn... I should go after Excalibur too while I'm at it.

[Shin Gouken]

The first battle with Gilgamesh is a bit of a joke, the second battle is much more lively and my big suggestion for you is to be a level not dividable of 3, 4, and 5... Yes, like his previous incarnation in FFV, Gilgamesh is a freaking Blue Mage and he loves spamming his Confuse spell to have your party kill each other. Gilgamesh is one of the nastier Mark Hunts but its easily the most memorable in the entire game. Its my favorite Mark Hunt hands down.

The big thing about the Gilgamesh fight is that you can steal all the Genji Gear off of him. Two in the first battle, two in the second. They are some of the better armor in the game. Most of all, you want the Genji Gloves cause they raise the chance of your character doing Multi-attacks. So technically, the first battle might be more challenging cause you have to steal the items during certain times in the fight. Basically when he reaches one of the quarters of his health. You can steak four items off him usually but only two will be Genji Gear and this is the only battle you can get them.


@Shin Gouken

I fought Omega and he's not as nasty as Yiazmat but I ended up quitting cause my party was in poor shape thanks to rushing into the fight and getting picked at by all the damn undead. I'll redo the battle when I get the chance but I'm still trying to get the Zodiac Shield chest to spawn... I should go after Excalibur too while I'm at it.

Hmm the Zodiac escutcheon chest took its time spawning for me too. I'll be nice i think and offer a small piece of advice for omega (though i leave you to figure out most of it) Because of his insane speed, it's highly beneficial to use weapons with quick charge times. You'll find often by the time you've charged an attack with Tournesol, your character cancels it to heal instead. Faster weapons doesn't have to mean less damage, you can balance it out with a few castings of expose.

Figure out how to survive that beam attack and you've got it =)

[ANGRYWOLF]

I found a "Door of Horrors" in the Necrohol. It seems to imply I need to put some medallion in it. It still gives me the option of opening th edoor, though... I think I'll play it smar tand avoid the Horrible Door.

that you need to do then you might want to do the medallion sidequest to gain access to those doors in the nechrol.There's an esper there as well.

Your choice.:)

[Forsaken Lover]

This game really delights in building me up and knocking me down. I beat Gilgamesh Part 1 and then decided to head to Part 2. Only...the enemies in the next area destroyed my party. These new bats are insane and dodge 99% of my attacks.

And the new "Dark Lord" skeletons wipe us out with magic.

*grumble* I wanted that Masamune but I have no idea if it's worth this. By the time I'm strong enough to beat Gilgamesh and these other guys I'll probably have forgotten why i want to go to Bahamut in the first place.

What I hate about sidequests. They are distracting and remove a lot of feeling from the storyline.

Also I tried to go to this Subterra section in the Pharos to fight Ixion. Regular enemies there killed me too.

Bleh.

[ANGRYWOLF]

I guess you weren't listening to my previous post...

The enemies in that area aren't that tough if you have the right armor/weapons and gambits set properly. No where near as tough as those say in the secret area of the Henne mines.

Not telling you how to play the game but it seems to me you're simply going to have to go back and get those crucial items even if that also means consulting a player guide/faq.

Your choice.:)

[Forsaken Lover]

I read your post. I just think getting all those things would take a long while.

I think I'm just going to go back to the Necrohol, get the Max armor then collect the items to sell so i can buy an Ultima Blade. Then I'm gonna try and finish the game. i should be level 60 by that time and with those items, I think I'll be okay.

[Wolf Kanno]

I would just simply beat the game and leave the rest as post game fun for this moment. No sense in killing the momentum created from the Pharos on the bazillion of side-quests that become available by end game. :D

[Goldenboko]

Yeah, just complete the game. If I could do it with a mid 40 level party and a low 40 backup you should be fine

[ANGRYWOLF]

I had a hard time with it until I got to the higher levels and got the better equipment.
Of course when I admitted that I was ridiculed for it on another forum.
I went to a lot of trouble to get all my characters to level 99 and to get those weapons, armor and the nip device. Still gave up at zodiark though.I didn't feel like continuing through all the frustrations.

If the tc wants to continue that's fine.We're here to give him advice if he feel he needs it.

Good luck.:)

[Forsaken Lover]

I've just completed FF12. I wanted to give a list of my thoughts and feelings on the game. I also want to address a few things I've heard argued about even since the game was released (though i just now understand what they are about).

Initial Thoughts:

1. The combat system is great. It took me off-guard at first, being so different from all teh other FFs I've played, but I think it's really more immersive than any of the others I've played.
2. Hardest storyline boss all game for me was The Elder Wyrm. Damn you status effects! Though if the optional Demon Wall counts, I also beat it after a while. I mainly fought it to get the Demonbane and to practice learning how to use Quickenings.

Now, onto the real meat of the topic.

The Story:

It's good. The best FF story yet? Hell no. In maybe the Top 3? Yes. While there's not nearly enough character development, the actual plot of the game is very intriguing. Not many twists and turns but I don't think it tried to have them. It certainly didn't seem like they were trying to keep the fact Gabranth is Basch's brother a secret.

Also I like the trend of public speaking with the villains now. Edea(Ultimecia) iN VIII was happy to give a delightuflly Evil Speech but then Seymour came along and was introduced by giving a friendship speech. Vayne did the same thing and even if I hadn't known then, I would have known from that that he was the Big Bad.

Really, the Empire itself was a far more interesting antagonist than Vayne. All the scenes with The Judges and Emperor kept me hooked.

The Ending:

I had more trouble getting to the bosses than the bosses themselves. The ending was decent I suppose. Nothing too unexpected but I wish it had gone on longer. Would have been more morable had Balthier and Fran actually died.

My Favorite Scenes:

1. The entire bit at the end of the Pharos with Gabranth as well as Cid's and Reddas' deaths.

2. Judge Bergan's crazy speech

3. Vaan and Ashe in Jahara

4. I'll just be general and say every other scene with The Judges.

5. Balthier's and Fran's Introduction

6. Zalera's Introduction

My Favorite Characters:

1. Gabranth - The plot did a much better job setting him up as the antagonist than Vayne. Vayne has actually a very minimal role in the plot when screentime is considered. Gabranth is just more interesting as well. I just kept waiting for his and Basch's moment to finally confront each other.

2. Balthier - What can I say? He's Balthier. It's like if you put James Bond and Jack Sparrow in a blender and created Pure Awesome. It helsp he undergoes some good development what with hsi father and all.

3. Ashe - Surprised me how much i actually liked her. She was quite the stick-up-her-ass bitch at first but she gets a lot more lax with time and I started to like her.

Now to address the aforementioned controversial topic:

Vaan:

Oh Vaan. Even before XII came out I remember people getting on the boards to rant about you. Then the game came out and most of them still ranted about you. Only now they threw in "he's not even the main character!" Well perhaps not. But he's definitely the second most important member of the party. It would go Ashe then Vaan then Balthier then Basch than Fran then Penelo.

I don't care what people say about Basch "should have been" the hero. The fact is, he's not. In fact, from the moment Vossler is killed up until the ending of the Pharos, Basch is completely worthless storyline wise. He had no reason to exist for all those dungeons and hours.

Also, as for Vaan vs. Tidus, there is no comparison. None. Tidus is an abomination; a mindless blackhole who serves to suck all enjoyment and intelligence out of everything near him. Tidus is what happens when you give a character -too much- personality. Vaan, in contrast, had just enough personality to be interesting. He had his dream of being a sky pirate which evolved into him showing he was just trying to distract himself from the truth of Reks' death. Vaan is just a normal kid. He's...average. not great, not terrible.

Voice-Acting:

1. Judge Zargabaath - I just call him Judge Kain.

2. Reddas

3. Balthier

4. Gabranth

5. Dr. Cid

6. Ashe

Favorite Music:

1. YouTube - Final Fantasy XII Music - Upheaval (Imperial Version) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pJvkGlfFNY)

2. YouTube - Final Fantasy XII Music - Time for a Rest (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsrRtsrQHxQ) This one may be unusual for some but I think every dungeon should have a satisfying conclusion theme. It's all well and good to have a big epic boss battle but I want something nice and peaceful to show me all that Hell I just went through as worth it. When i first heard this theme in the Tomb of Raithwall, I felt that peace and satisfaction.

3. YouTube - Final Fantasy XII Music - The Garamscythe Waterway (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpDVXJBzC_g) It's amazing that a lot of the lesser significant dungeons in this game have the best music... This music would make you think you were off to some distant battle instead of fighting rats in a sewer. This music is the music to my most hated level in thIS game. i got lost in the Waterway so many times and I probably would have gone crazy and broken the game had it not been for this great tune keeping me calm.

4. YouTube - Penelo's Theme (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIdn6uy4GE4) Hey after all the big important and mystical music, how abou a cute little theme for a cute little girl? Penelo was in my main party from the second I could have her... Sexiest chick in FF12.

5. YouTube - Final Fantasy XII Music - Seeking Power (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQghaLIt_sU)

6.YouTube - Final Fantasy XII Music - Esper Battle (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqD1GsdnHBk)

Conclusion:

In my personal rankings of FF games, where to put 12.... Well, none will ever beat FFIX that much I am certain of. But I did have more fun with this story and world than either FFVII or X. I suppose overall VII and X had a better, more well-developed cast but well-developed doesn't mean memorable or likable. Apart froM Fran, I liked the party very much. While with FFX, I just liked Auron and Rikku.

So yeah, I think I'll place this as my second favorite FF game ever. Well dne FF12.

So those are a quick draft of my thoughts on the game after just beating it. i'll probably think of more.

So anyone here share my thoughts or disagree with them?

[Wolf Kanno]

First off, congratulations on finishing FFXII :cool:

Three of my favorite FFXII themes that you didn't mention (good choices by the way) have to be:

Basch's Reminiscence (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yf3Ui89Pe8)- reminded me of some of my favorite theme from Xenogears.

To Be A Sky Pirate (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHFSDUR3VSE&feature=PlayList&p=E5EC78995AC87E7C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=44) - Criminally short and I think it was used only once (most of the best tracks are) but beautiful none the less.

The Battle for Freedom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfhQWViG6n8) - Its been a long time since I really loved a Final Boss theme in FF but this track really hit all the right elements for me.

Also, you will be happy to know that Penelo's theme is one of the few recurring themes in the sequels RW and TA2. ;)

I have to agree with Gabranth cause he was easily my favorite character in the game and I loved his story. I was so happy when he emerged as the representative for XII in Dissidia.

My issue with Vayne was simply that I felt for 90% of the game he was feigning being the bad guy, basically choosing the most cruel and brutal choices not only to set Archades up for his brother Larsa but to instill in him a sense of justice and honor that House Solidor was known for in the past. That all basically went out the window when you reach the final dungeon and he goes into the whole "I DID IT FOR THE POWER!!! MWHAHAHAHA!!!!!!". I know the game had some issues when the story was being written not only from Matsuno's departure in the project but also the main scenario writer mentioned that their was some creative differences between the two Matsuno teams (FFXI and the FFT team).

I also really loved Basch cause despite all the crap he got handed to him he never really lost his focus on what was important and it was really played out well in his conversations with Gabranth in the Pharos and Sky Fortress Bahamut. Though I agree he drops out of the picture after the Vossler incident but I felt he came back at the very end. I still feel Lady Ashe fits the role of lead character as the entire plot is basically her story but then I also understand that the team really didn't intend for the game to have a lead which is why it has some confusions.

And now for something completely different... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXU84JD9uKo)

[Quindiana Jones]

HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE FRAN? :crying:

Pretty much the only thing I disagree with, to be honest. I thought Fran complemented Balthier perfectly.

[Forsaken Lover]

First off, congratulations on finishing FFXII :c

Thank you very much. ^^



The Battle for Freedom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfhQWViG6n8) - Its been a long time since I really loved a Final Boss theme in FF but this track really hit all the right elements for me.

It's nice but better than Dark Messenger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGpOjQwjSSk)?


Also, you will be happy to know that Penelo's theme is one of the few recurring themes in the sequels RW and TA2. ;)

Awesome.


gree with Gabranth cause he was easily my favorite character in the game and I loved his story. I was so happy when he emerged as the representative for XII in Dissidia.

Does he do anything of note in the game?


My issue with Vayne was simply that I felt for 90% of the game he was feigning being the bad guy, basically choosing the most cruel and brutal choices not only to set Archades up for his brother Larsa but to instill in him a sense of justice and honor that House Solidor was known for in the past.

That's what I figured as well. Especially since people have been telling me for years (indirectly, in general FF villain topics on various forums) that Vayne really wasn't a "Bad guy." I say he was....



And now for something completely different... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXU84JD9uKo)

Lol


HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE FRAN? :crying:

Pretty much the only thing I disagree with, to be honest. I thought Fran complemented Balthier perfectly.

I'm just not a fan of her voice. Ye she compliments Balthier well but that's about it for me.
Also don't like bunnygirls.

In other news, seeing Gilgamesh in XII has made me want to go back and finish FFV. I only vaguely got started on it (like two hours in) and I reckon it's time I put another FF under my belt.

I'll also probably be restarting FFXII and try to do what a lot of people do ie. making your own Job Class. Seems like it be fun.

[Wolf Kanno]

The Battle for Freedom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfhQWViG6n8) - Its been a long time since I really loved a Final Boss theme in FF but this track really hit all the right elements for me. It's nice but better than Dark Messenger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGpOjQwjSSk)?

Dark Messenger isn't the Final Boss theme though ;)

As for Gabranth in Dissidia, no he doesn't get a large role but he does get his own special chapter. His EX Burst is brutal as its basically all three of Basch's Quickening Chains finished off with a Black Hole Concurrence.

[Shin Gouken]

First off, congratulations on finishing FFXII :c

Thank you very much. ^^



The Battle for Freedom (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfhQWViG6n8) - Its been a long time since I really loved a Final Boss theme in FF but this track really hit all the right elements for me.

It's nice but better than Dark Messenger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGpOjQwjSSk)?


Also, you will be happy to know that Penelo's theme is one of the few recurring themes in the sequels RW and TA2. ;)

Awesome.


gree with Gabranth cause he was easily my favorite character in the game and I loved his story. I was so happy when he emerged as the representative for XII in Dissidia.

Does he do anything of note in the game?


My issue with Vayne was simply that I felt for 90% of the game he was feigning being the bad guy, basically choosing the most cruel and brutal choices not only to set Archades up for his brother Larsa but to instill in him a sense of justice and honor that House Solidor was known for in the past.

That's what I figured as well. Especially since people have been telling me for years (indirectly, in general FF villain topics on various forums) that Vayne really wasn't a "Bad guy." I say he was....



And now for something completely different... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXU84JD9uKo)

Lol


HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE FRAN? :crying:

Pretty much the only thing I disagree with, to be honest. I thought Fran complemented Balthier perfectly.

I'm just not a fan of her voice. Ye she compliments Balthier well but that's about it for me.
Also don't like bunnygirls.

In other news, seeing Gilgamesh in XII has made me want to go back and finish FFV. I only vaguely got started on it (like two hours in) and I reckon it's time I put another FF under my belt.

I'll also probably be restarting FFXII and try to do what a lot of people do ie. making your own Job Class. Seems like it be fun.

Ah XII and V are my two favorite FF's <3 And Gilgamesh my all time favorite character <3 You should keep us updated on your progress like you did here, i'm sure people will be interested in what you make of it plus you get lots of advice. Not to mention the FFV forum is usually dead lol it needs a little livening up

After the disapointment that was FFXIII i'm hugely considering starting a new game on XII. Even though the file that i used last (about 3months ago) has 300+ hours racked on it :D

[Forsaken Lover]

So i'm looking at this Class Challenge Guide on Gamefaqs (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/459841/45802)


And it says for Berserkers:

Weapons : All Breakers

What is that?

[Shin Gouken]

So i'm looking at this Class Challenge Guide on Gamefaqs (http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/file/459841/45802)


And it says for Berserkers:

Weapons : All Breakers

What is that?

I think that refers to axes and hammers. They have a random number generated in their damage calculation which can mean a seriously powerful blow or a very poor one.

Just found this on gamefaqs -


Breakers (axes/hammers/hand-bombs) really lose their effectiveness as you progress through the game. The inconsistency in DMG values hurts. In fact, hand-bombs are completely useless and deserve Mr. Yuck stickers all around.

A somewhat simple comment for an otherwise quite in-depth faq, though this guy really knows what he's talking about with all the damage calculations

[Forsaken Lover]

Ah, thank you. I think I'm gonna do that Class Challenge thing.

And ya gotta have a Berserker.

[Shin Gouken]

Ah, thank you. I think I'm gonna do that Class Challenge thing.

And ya gotta have a Berserker.

Well i wish you the best of luck. I considered a low level challenge or a solo character challenge but despite having played a perfect game, i'm not comfortable with my knowledge of the game at this time.

Careful with that beserker, as a fixed class you wont be able to control him for the entire game =/

[Forsaken Lover]

Yeah. I'm thinking I'll go with a Berserker, a Paladin and a Chemist. That way I have two characters capable of attacking and healing.. Wanna make sure you have the capacity to heal with magic and items both, especially early on. I relied a lot on magic later when I had MP to spare but early on, items are very useful.

Hope it goes well. Sure it won't be a pcinic though.

[ANGRYWOLF]

probably been over a year since I played it last.

I went through the nechrol hoping to get the Helvenik to drop that special armor.No dice there.

I'll try to get a ribbon then on to Zodiark..to try him again.:roll2

[Wolf Kanno]

Did you buy the Black Masks in Balfoheim?

[ANGRYWOLF]

I wasn't to that point...so I was trying to get zodiark a bit early and as you see it hasn't worked...;)

[Wolf Kanno]

I'd wait to get the Black Masks cause they will save you so much frustration...

Where did you leave off in the plot?

[Shin Gouken]

I'd wait to get the Black Masks cause they will save you so much frustration...

Where did you leave off in the plot?

I'd want Aegis shields and Opal rings aswell tbqfh. Shell shields would go a long way too

[Tainted Angel]

Revenant Wings is like Tactics if Tactics had it's gameboard' removed and characterscould walk around normally..

Second sequal? No damned idea.

[ANGRYWOLF]

I'd wait to get the Black Masks cause they will save you so much frustration...

Where did you leave off in the plot?

with me and I had accepted Zodiark and was told about the Pharos lighthouse.

I presume you will say I should just go on to Pharos and get past that...

After that I presume the masks will be available at Balfonheim..
.....
and Bahamut will be visible in the sky.

:roll2

[Wolf Kanno]

Well that goes without saying. You need the Black Masks to counter Darkja's damage (though there is no protection from its instant death effect) but it will make things less annoying. Scathe is also a must cause Flare takes too long to recover and if memory serves me correct, he has an ability that makes him immune to Holy.

If your levels are high enough, you can beat him easily by knocking him down to a third of his health and then try using a Quickening chain to finish him off in one fell swoop but I never have much luck with Quickenings so I stick to twiddling him down with magic. I ended up manually moving all three party members around him to form a triangle and had each of them spam Scathe. The triangle formation prevents Zodiark from hitting all of your party with Darkja and Scathe.

I'm sure someone has a much better strategy but that's what worked for me and my levels were around 50'ish.

[ANGRYWOLF]

just not enough for everyone.
Don't demon shields works against darkaja ?

They don't seem to work too well.

I guess you're right and I might as well go on to pharos.
I was hoping to get at least one set of grand armor and maybe a ribbon before I went there but not having much luck at the nechrol or finding the legendary red chocobo.

so onward I go.

:D

[Shin Gouken]

Well that goes without saying. You need the Black Masks to counter Darkja's damage (though there is no protection from its instant death effect) but it will make things less annoying. Scathe is also a must cause Flare takes too long to recover and if memory serves me correct, he has an ability that makes him immune to Holy.

If your levels are high enough, you can beat him easily by knocking him down to a third of his health and then try using a Quickening chain to finish him off in one fell swoop but I never have much luck with Quickenings so I stick to twiddling him down with magic. I ended up manually moving all three party members around him to form a triangle and had each of them spam Scathe. The triangle formation prevents Zodiark from hitting all of your party with Darkja and Scathe.

I'm sure someone has a much better strategy but that's what worked for me and my levels were around 50'ish.

Shell gives you 50% protection from the death affect on Darkja. Aegis shields give 50% evasion from his spells. Opal rings will allow you to bypass his reflect.

[ANGRYWOLF]

from reading other message boards I know some people were able to beat Zodiark prior to going to Pharos.

Scathe isn't available until after Pharos..or so it seems.:mad2:

So we're on our way to Pharos first....


a few days later...

I completed Pharos.
I was surprised the monsters were that weak.The bosses weren't a decent challenge.
The best cutscenes of the entire game were in Pharos. I was surprised.Maybe Matsuno worked on that part of the game before he left.
I'm going to try to do all the remaining hunts before I go to Bahamut.