FAQ: Venus Sigil / Thunder Plains (Spoilers)

[im_mrbrightside20]

i decided i noticed something about Lulu's weapon since ppl are talking about them is that her Onion Knight is modeled after the Onion Kid in FF3j and even has a picture of the NES Sprite on its shield lol now weither this has been pointed out be4 or not i dont kno i read up to the second page haha

[kain_ex]

All right, the only damn Sigil I'm lacking is the Wakka's one. My team is lvl 10, I already won 73 games and this h*ll Sigil don't appear as prize in a League or Tournament. How I get that?? ¬¬

Lulu's Sigil wasn't hard to me, I dodged 25 bolts, took some minutes of break, then came and dodged 25 more... that did it. A NO ENCOUNTERS weapon/armor is a MUST to do this.

Tidus' Sigil was easy. I did it in my 2nd try. Don't know if it was luck of mine or if I'm good to dodge birds.

Kimahri's Sigil is definetly the most h*ll harder, I took some 30 tries just to know I was in the wrong screen (the one you get the Teleport Sphere) and then took me another 30 tries (about) to finally get it.

[Emmy16]

Ive only ever managed to get 45 XD. But your supposed to stay in one area, avoid towers, and if you go back to the inn everything restarts... so your screwed.

I never bothered to go back and get it. It was just waaaayyy to hard.

[lufia]

got mine on my second go with the no encounter ability. so easy with it :) :) :)

[Simen]

I haven't read through the whole thread
so I don't know if this has been said,
but here's two tips that might help:

* Use "No Encounter" (on armour)
* Count the lightning strikes

[baseballer10p]

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!

[ReloadPsi]

Why is this thread pinned?

Moreover, why has it been pinned for five years?

[jammi567]

because otherwise, the topic would be continusly asked by all the newbes out there, and the forum would be cluttered with the different threads, all giving the same advice.

[cally777]

I dunno, I stand in a "3 strike" area, I have no encounters on, I pause regularly. I am still nowhere near dodging 200 strikes. I have given up for now because it winds me up so much.

Actually I'm not convinced about putting on no encounters. Fighting fiends helps to break up the monotony and relax you. But not enough to help me. Guess my timing or concentration isnt good enough.

Cant believe the length of this thread!

:choc:

[jammi567]

no encounters does help because then, it stops you getting into a battle just as a strike is about to hit, pushing the x button at the wrong time, and after the battle making you get hit by that bolt.

The best way to do it is to do 25 bolts, take a 15 minute break, 25 bolts etc, etc.

[ReloadPsi]

Ah, I see.

Anyway, this is easy. It's just monotonous and painful.

[rubah]

you don't need to break for 15 minutes, five minutes does just as good. It's not so much a time as a feeling. Conversing with someone helps, so don't do it at night when no one is awake.

[jammi567]

i admit, that was a bit long, but the point is, you need to take a break once in a while.

[chrisguapo69]

What's the record for dodging lighting bolts? I did a quick search but couldn't find anything.

I'm wondering where my measly 641 continous dodges ranks. I probably could have done more if I only took a break somewhere when I was in the 500's.

[cally777]

Well I had another go, still without no encounters, but with the philosophy that every bolt I dodged over 30 was a bonus. With this in mind I avoided becoming tense (the battles also helped) and got to where I reckoned I had dodged over 100.

Unfortunately by that point I was not only suffering battle fatigue, but I was freaked out by the thought of how massive the tension would be as I approached 200 bolts. Instead of taking a rest, I just gave up and went back to the Travel Agency!

Somehow I don't think I will ever do it, but I am quite pleased with my total (of 120 bolts) which is an early game save so the 3 str and hp spheres actually made a difference.

:choc::choc::choc:

[ReloadPsi]

FUCKING FUCKED UP AT FUCKING 186 LIGHTNING BOLTS FUCK FUCK I FUCKING HATE THUNDER PLAINS FOR FUCKING FUCK'S FUCKING SAKE FUCK

[Weimar Pluto Knight VII]

Ok, I've followed all of those tips except for turning the sound off. I'll do that. I'm pretty bad at this. It's probably my TV. It's an Insignia, and I've noticed on SNES things register like a fraction of a second slower maybe, so maybe that's the problem. Anybody know about hertz on TVs? Would an Insignia TV be why I'm bad at this? My record is 50, and I've only done that 2ce. I get hit alot even though I think I'm hitting x when it's flashing. It's very frustrating. I'm gonna use a different tv and see if that works.

Oh, Kimahri wasn't that bad. Tidus was really frustrating. After like 50 tries I finally was able to collect enough balloons while following the sidequests faq on gamefaqs and praying that the birds will have mercy on me. As for Kimahri, it's just memory of where to go and having the sound on doesn't hurt since it's relaxing music. But yeah there's some dim butterflies it's easy to mess up on and it took me a bunch of tries on both of them, but you can do it eventually. It's not just the dim butterflies, but it might take some tries to figure out where to go when you get the side-on view stupid camera angle, and also pray that you don't have to doubleback for a blue butterfly and also pray that the game does not register that you hit a red butterfly a couple steps away. But what makes Kimahri's sigil easier than Lulu's is that it's not like you have to dodge 200 red butterflies than start over if you don't make it.

As for Rikku, you don't need to catch all of the cactaurs, but I wanted to anyway for the friend sphere. I was afraid I'd have a hard time with them b/c of my TV but I was able to do it somehow with not too many re-do's.

I don't know what's wrong with my lightning dodging. Usually when I press X when there's a flash, it lets me dodge it, but I dunno, maybe the flashes are randomly faster than they're supposed to be, or sometimes I think it's because I have the analog stick foward. I'd be pretty angry at the game if it thought I was pressing X too much when the last time I pressed X was a couple seconds ago at the last bolt.

EDIT: I hooked up my PS2 to the other TV. Up to 50 no mistakes so far. Taking a break for a few minutes. I feel like I'm gonna make it this time! If I go any farther it'll be a personal record and I should make it.

EDIT: 138! NOOOOOO!!!!

EDIT: 231! Oh yeaaaah!!! Maybe it was the TV making it harder. Now, I just need to whine about Wakka.

[Tiamat3710]

my experience with this is dreadful
1st high score 123 missed
2nd high score 156 missed
3rd high score 196 missed

by the way pausing and having a break is better for calming down rather than fighting monsters i have been so dishearted by 196 missed then getting hit so i gave up alltogether good luck

[Reasoniamalive]

This is a copy/paste from another forum.

I found an 'EASY' way to dodge lightning!
In the second main area, (after the travel agency) right when you start out - walk northwest until you come to the lake in this area. Where I stood was the corner of the lake (where you could either walk up-left diagonally on the d-pad to go towards the west side of the plains, or right/up-right on the d-pad to go towards the east and north ends of the plain respectively.) Lightning here dodges as follows: first bolt in about 8-10 seconds, followed by a 2-3 second interval 2nd bolt. It may sound a little odd at first, but once you get the timing down it is SO easy! I dodged, waited a few seconds and dodged again; ran back to the edge of the lake again and waited a few more seconds and repeated. Doing this, I was able to dodge 230 bolts in a little over 45 minutes (I think, I didn't time myself - but will next time) all this while STILL FIGHTING! I was able to capture all the fiends in the calm lands AND get the sigil very easily.
Secondly - I wanted to note this because in addition to the sigil, you also get a) 2x MP sphere for dodging 20, b) 3x Str. sphere for 50, c) 3x Hp sphere for dodging 100, and d) 4x Megalixer for 150. I'm currently working on a Tidus-only challenge, and those Str. spheres and Hp spheres will come in handy - especially early on in the game! Best of luck (you won't need it!)


~ I hope this helps someone while they're trying to dodge lightning - I heard that there is also an area by one of the cactaur stones that is ideal and you can use this same strategy. I've also tested this on both the PAL and US versions of the game and it works the same way. Happy dodging! ^,^ ~


Edit: Honestly, I don't know what the big deal is on this - I understand that dodging 200+ isn't necessarily fun...but it's simple (if you follow this advice anyway - at least the frequency of the strikes will be always nearly identical.) It's certainly not as difficult to do as the calibrating mini-game in X-2. @_@

[cally777]

Yeah, but with the callibrating mini-game you don't need to callibrate all the towers to get the best prize (The Samurai Garment Grid). All you need is to get about half of them (I think) and merely attempt the other ones. Then Al Bhed guy will give u the GG. And anyway the GG is no big deal.

Lulu's Sigil isn't essential, but without it she will become a lame duck at a certain point in the game, particularly if you are beating the Arena/Dark Aeons. So it is a bit annoying that its so hard. Its just the sheer number of bolts rather than the difficulty of dodging.

Still I finally triumphed in the Chocobo Race, so maybe I will crack this too eventually. The Choc Race was more like fun though!

:choc::choc::choc:

[leader of mortals]

i swear to god I counted 199 and failed....... I SWEAR TO GOOOOOD!!!!!:mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :mad: :mad2:

[Weimar Pluto Knight VII]

Just do it again, but if you're too frustrated right now, wait until tomorrow and try it again when you'll be less frustrated.

[leader of mortals]

I did it two weeks ago and I dont want to do it again:mad2:

[sillybuttons™]

I've heard that there is a glitch with this nightmare of a sidequest. I'm not sure of the exact details but I think its something to do with getting hit 5 times on the north side then getting hit once on the south side then something in between before opening the chest. Anyone know about this?:mog:

Edit - I've Google this and come up with the following. I'm playing VIII again at the moment but if anyone tries this can they let me know what happens.

To dodge 200 lightning bolts easily, use the airship to get to the Thunder Plains, and go to the northern part. Dodge enough lightning bolts consecutively to make the chest appear but do not open it yet. The amount of times needed to dodge for the chest to appear will be different for almost everyone attempting this trick. Stay close to the exit so that you can leave quickly before lightning strikes again. After dodging, go back past the treasure chest and enter the southern part, then immediately leave and go back up past the chest to the northern part and get hit twice by lightning. Go back to the chest and open it. It should say that you dodged 200 consecutive lightning bolts or more. Make sure to stay close to the exit when dodging or getting hit by lightning so that you can leave immediately before lightning strikes again.

[Sarc the Swordsman]

I've pretty much given up on this now. After many tries, I just can't do it. >_> It's just too harsh to get to 189 hits and then get hit once and lose.

I guess it's luck.

[Skyblade]

I've heard that there is a glitch with this nightmare of a sidequest. I'm not sure of the exact details but I think its something to do with getting hit 5 times on the north side then getting hit once on the south side then something in between before opening the chest. Anyone know about this?:mog:

Edit - I've Google this and come up with the following. I'm playing VIII again at the moment but if anyone tries this can they let me know what happens.

To dodge 200 lightning bolts easily, use the airship to get to the Thunder Plains, and go to the northern part. Dodge enough lightning bolts consecutively to make the chest appear but do not open it yet. The amount of times needed to dodge for the chest to appear will be different for almost everyone attempting this trick. Stay close to the exit so that you can leave quickly before lightning strikes again. After dodging, go back past the treasure chest and enter the southern part, then immediately leave and go back up past the chest to the northern part and get hit twice by lightning. Go back to the chest and open it. It should say that you dodged 200 consecutive lightning bolts or more. Make sure to stay close to the exit when dodging or getting hit by lightning so that you can leave immediately before lightning strikes again.

Doesn't work. At least, not on the US version.

[Melodies of Life]

I did this on my second try. I waited till I had the No Encounters ability, and I chose to do this in the land around the first lightning tower in the North part of the Thunder Plains (one of the better places to do this). What I did was I dodged around 20 in a row, paused the game, then continued until I dodged more than 200 (I overshot it just to be safe).

[capricious]

^You know, you did exactly what I did. :eek: I dodged it until I got tired, then I paused. I did it on my first go. :D It was easy compared to the skipping rope challenge in FFIX.

[RGrady27]

Ok you cant go into the rest stop while dodging the lightning...it has to be 200 consecutive without a break...I suggest putting on a sword or shield with no encounters to make it faster and a trick on dodging the lightning is to press X once the white flash comes up. I find it quite simple to do.

[PenguinOfDoom]

sorry to revive this old thread, but I read the first page and it seems like if you get a random encounter the counter starts all over again, is that true? if so how are you supposed to do it???

[Weimar Pluto Knight VII]

I did it by equipping a weapon or armor with the no encounter ability on it. I don't know this firsthand, but according to other members a random battle doesn't reset the counter.

[Rantz]

Yeah, the counter isn't reset by random encounters. It just takes a lot more time if you're running around while doing it.

[tidushuyincloud lover4evr]

Britt - You are right. Lulu is a blackmage beasttt.! i made a HUGE boo-boo.... i didnt pay attention to the screen one night when i was moving her on the sphere grid, and i used a FRIEND sphere by accident! & moved her ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE GRID! :( she doesnt even have FLARE. i was on the EXACT grid circle that flare is on, but thats when i messed up:( so im just waitinnn... waitinn... waiting to get a return sphere :(

[Skyblade]

Random encounters don't reset the counter, but they can force you to get hit. Sometimes a random encounter and a lightning flash will occur at the same time. At that point, it is (as far as I can tell) impossible to avoid the lightning hit after the encounter, and you get to do it all over again. Save yourself from this frustration, equip a No Encounter weapon.

And, Tidusshuyincloud, use a Return Sphere. Should be able to take her back.

[Mini Tidus]

I dodged 181 bolts.

181! and then got hit!!!!!! I nearly cried :(