Lost Forever moments in gameplay

[Reverof Enola]

Final Fantasy is a great series but what sometimes pisses me off are some of the lost forever/only obtainable once moments. Such as FF8's and FF9's way of closing most of the cities on the last disc. I mean you could use a guide but if mess up you are never getting those items unless you reload the game. Plus, I know these moments encourage players to replay the and add some challenge to the game but they can still be pretty annoying. What are your moments when this has occurred?

[Tonberry Time]

This has probably occured on occations beyond count, but the one that stand out the most right now is the time I went for a new game in FFVIII, trying to get all GFs/final weapons. At the time I was under the impression that the Solomon Ring, one of the components for summoning Doomtrain, could be obtained at any moment, so I went to the moon without realizing this would make it disappear from the world. I was pretty bummed out, to say the least. :eep:

I'm also not a very big fan of the permanent music changes which occur in all the PS1 games, such as the world map music changing in FFVII and FFIX. Oh, let's not forget Silence and Motion disappearing from Esthar in FFVIII.

[Formalhaut]

I'm not really a fan of closing off virtually the entire world map after a certain point. It's just loses my satisfaction with the world map after that. While I get that there are points of no return and such, but why do it so the world map itself is an effective point of no return? It's just abit eh... cheap. I can see why developers would do it; to create that "end of the world" or "endgame" feeling, but it can really kick you in the teeth.

Linked in with this is the annoyance that is XIII's destruction of virtually all of the Orphan's Cradle. Makes sacrifice farming impossible...

[DownDiagonalLeftA]

I know I'm not the only person who missed Atma Weapon or let Shadow die on a play-through of 6. Those were amateur days though. Now I know every tonic barrel and elixir clock.

[Gamblet]

One time in FF VIII I was trying to do a clean run through the game. I wanted to get all the GFs before the Disc 4 and do the sidequests. But after leaving from Dollet I remembered that I forgot to draw Siren! I was already in Timber when I remembered that. SO I started all over...

[NinjaCoachZ]

I know I'm not the only person who missed Atma Weapon or let Shadow die on a play-through of 6. Those were amateur days though. Now I know every tonic barrel and elixir clock.

I missed Ultima Weapon! On the other hand, I knew about Shadow beforehand so I got to keep him around.

I remember playing FFIX and hearing something about an optional boss called Tantarian so I thought, "Okay, cool, I'll get around to fighting that sometime." Then when I was on disc 4 or so and tried looking all over the castle for him to no avail, I found out that Tantarian can ONLY be fought during two specific plot events! Who'd have even found that without a guide anyway? To a lesser extent, I was a bit miffed to find out that the Hippaul minigame is only playable at the start of disc 3, but that wasn't too big a deal.

One last FFIX note... Burman Coffee, anyone? Aaarrrgggghhhhh.

[Del Murder]

The FFXII Zodiac Spear is the one for me. What a stupid set of requirements to obtain an item. The treasure system in XII was stupid in general.

[Jowy]

The FFXII Zodiac Spear is the one for me. What a stupid set of requirements to obtain an item. The treasure system in XII was stupid in general.

I'm convinced that was implemented solely to sell strategy guides.

Personally, I preferred hearing "Dark World" to "Searching For Friends" as the map theme in the World of Ruin. Mideel was my favourite city in FF7 as well, I was upset that I couldn't return there and had to purchase all of my goodies from the hoarder nearby.

[Formalhaut]

The FFXII Zodiac Spear is the one for me. What a stupid set of requirements to obtain an item. The treasure system in XII was stupid in general.

I'm convinced that was implemented solely to sell strategy guides.

Personally, I preferred hearing "Dark World" to "Searching For Friends" as the map theme in the World of Ruin. Mideel was my favourite city in FF7 as well, I was upset that I couldn't return there and had to purchase all of my goodies from the hoarder nearby.

I think virtually most hidden or secret things about XII require a strategy guide. I bought my Piggyback anyway.

And you know what? I actually preferred Searching for Friends. I loved it in Theatrhythm and I have it and the piano version on my Ipod.

[Reverof Enola]

Never got 100 percent on the first playthrough for ffx-2

[Raistlin]

The FFXII Zodiac Spear is the one for me. What a stupid set of requirements to obtain an item. The treasure system in XII was stupid in general.

I agree, this was the first thing I thought of as well. It was incredibly stupid treasure system, even without the ridiculous Zodiac Spear secret chests issue, in that it basically required you to save before opening every single chest if you wanted to go for the best items.

[Formalhaut]

I agree, the treasure chest system just ruined the "fun" for the game. It's ridiculous having two items in a chest, with the other item having like a 10% of appearing. Silly. It made the Cerobi Steppe and it's many rare treasures a chore.

At least if you follow the rules, your guaranteed the spear...

[Dr. rydrum2112]

Never got 100 percent on the first playthrough for ffx-2

same- the 2 things i learned that had to be down was you have to start the marriage (or promo) quest right away before that chapter ends & you have to look through the camera in kilika.

[Reverof Enola]

Never got 100 percent on the first playthrough for ffx-2

same- the 2 things i learned that had to be down was you have to start the marriage (or promo) quest right away before that chapter ends & you have to look through the camera in kilika.
I didn't even know you could whistle back at the end of chapter 3.

[Wolf Kanno]

As I said in the other thread, I don't mind missable items or events in a game cause I feel it gives more incentive to play through the game again.

[Gamblet]

I don't mind missable items or events in a game cause I feel it gives more incentive to play through the game again.

[Axem Titanium]

One time in FF VIII I was trying to do a clean run through the game. I wanted to get all the GFs before the Disc 4 and do the sidequests. But after leaving from Dollet I remembered that I forgot to draw Siren! I was already in Timber when I remembered that. SO I started all over...

I think you have a 2nd chance to draw all the draw-able GFs... in Ultimecia's castle *sweatdrop*.

[Gamblet]

One time in FF VIII I was trying to do a clean run through the game. I wanted to get all the GFs before the Disc 4 and do the sidequests. But after leaving from Dollet I remembered that I forgot to draw Siren! I was already in Timber when I remembered that. SO I started all over...

I think you have a 2nd chance to draw all the draw-able GFs... in Ultimecia's castle *sweatdrop*.

Yes I know, but I wanted the MagBonus early in the game.

[Reverof Enola]

One time in FF VIII I was trying to do a clean run through the game. I wanted to get all the GFs before the Disc 4 and do the sidequests. But after leaving from Dollet I remembered that I forgot to draw Siren! I was already in Timber when I remembered that. SO I started all over...

I think you have a 2nd chance to draw all the draw-able GFs... in Ultimecia's castle *sweatdrop*.

Yes I know, but I wanted the MagBonus early in the game.
When it came to finding energy crystals within disc 4 it was....aggravating.

[Quindiana Jones]

If a game is good enough that I'm going to want to play it more than once, then I don't missable items or events or characters, as they enable me to continue playing the game in a new way every time. If the game isn't good enough for me to want to play it more than once, the existence of missable items doesn't matter.

[VeloZer0]

Miss-able stuff, items in particular is often enough for me to loose interest in a game entirely. I don't care about miss-ables for the sake of completion, but if I don't have/am unable to get all the useful stuff at the end of the game because I was playing for fun and not following a walk-through it really ticks me off. If I am worried about missing stuff I can't come back and get then I tend to not have a whole lot of fun, and in many cases will just give up on the game entirely.

[Gamblet]

One time in FF VIII I was trying to do a clean run through the game. I wanted to get all the GFs before the Disc 4 and do the sidequests. But after leaving from Dollet I remembered that I forgot to draw Siren! I was already in Timber when I remembered that. SO I started all over...

I think you have a 2nd chance to draw all the draw-able GFs... in Ultimecia's castle *sweatdrop*.

Yes I know, but I wanted the MagBonus early in the game.
When it came to finding energy crystals within disc 4 it was....aggravating.

Disc 4? I always managed to get those before it. .... the Esthar grind....

[Mirage]

The FFXII Zodiac Spear is the one for me. What a stupid set of requirements to obtain an item. The treasure system in XII was stupid in general.

Thankfully, some of those things were fixed in IZJS. If they ever make a HD rerelease of it, let's hope they'll base it on that.

[Reverof Enola]

One time in FF VIII I was trying to do a clean run through the game. I wanted to get all the GFs before the Disc 4 and do the sidequests. But after leaving from Dollet I remembered that I forgot to draw Siren! I was already in Timber when I remembered that. SO I started all over...

I think you have a 2nd chance to draw all the draw-able GFs... in Ultimecia's castle *sweatdrop*.

Yes I know, but I wanted the MagBonus early in the game.
When it came to finding energy crystals within disc 4 it was....aggravating.
That' the thing I never knew you could do that until disc 4 starts. Another careless mistake where you play without a walkthrough.

Disc 4? I always managed to get those before it. .... the Esthar grind....

[qwertysaur]

The Zodiac Spear isn't truly lost, there is an infinitesimal chance it's in a chest in the Henne Mines. :p Still a terrible design choice. :p

[Formalhaut]

The Zodiac Spear isn't truly lost, there is an infinitesimal chance it's in a chest in the Henne Mines. :p Still a terrible design choice. :p


The treasure system in XII is something to be desired to be sure. The Cerobi Steppe.. I spent hours in that place... just opening chests... and chests... and chests...

[Quindiana Jones]

It is most certainly not something to be desired. :colbert:

[qwertysaur]

The Zodiac Spear isn't truly lost, there is an infinitesimal chance it's in a chest in the Henne Mines. :p Still a terrible design choice. :p


The treasure system in XII is something to be desired to be sure. The Cerobi Steppe.. I spent hours in that place... just opening chests... and chests... and chests...And then you make an Undine Entity mad and it murders your party and you get to do it all over again. :p

[Roogle]

I see less of these in modern games. I know that it was extremely common in Final Fantasy IX, but I see less of it in Final Fantasy X and beyond.

[Del Murder]

Are you joking? 90% of the areas in FFXIII you can never return to. Plus FFXII has the whole Zodiac debacle.

[Quindiana Jones]

Hey, you can't lose what you don't know you have. :p

[Wolf Kanno]

Are you joking? 90% of the areas in FFXIII you can never return to. Plus FFXII has the whole Zodiac debacle.

Except in XIII you can eventually buy everything in the shops, every weapon and most non-upgraded equipment is purchasable by Chapter 11. The Zodiac Spear itself is also obtainable from a treasure chest though its an incredibly rare drop from said treasure chest but its not like fans haven't figured out the algorithm to make getting it easier.

In all honesty, Roogle is correct that missable items haven't really been an actual factor in the numbered entries since FFIX. Though I chalk some of this up to how marginalized items and gear have become in the PS2 era FFs.

[chionos]

It's the worst when it's arbitrary (Zodiac Spear), or when the missable item or moment results from bad internal game logic. As in, situations in which you would have to break from the quest-at-hand and backtrack across the world to get something at just the right moment (leaving Treno during the card tournament to get the mayor's key in FFIX).

Does anybody else remember that Playonline, which eventually morphed into the online vehicle for FFXI, began life as an online guide to FFIX, and was teased at the time as the ongoing database for FF games going forward? Something along those lines as I remember it. Here's a dump of the PAL version of the site, lol. (http://finalfantasyixarchive.110mb.com/)

It also sucks when characters you just equipped with super awesome gear randomly leave the party for long periods of time (or sometimes forever!).

I'm not against strategy guides in general, but given enough time, a dedicated person should be able to discover everything a game has to offer on their own, without outside help.

Items needed only for 100% completion are one thing, but it's despicable when characters and summons are missable. Several FF's have missable summons, and several DragonQuest and Star Ocean games had missable playable characters.

[Gamblet]

It also sucks when characters you just equipped with super awesome gear randomly leave the party for long periods of time (or sometimes forever!).

I equipped Edea with my best magic in FFVIII, she left group and I did not find my magic in the inventory. T_T

[Reverof Enola]

It's the worst when it's arbitrary (Zodiac Spear), or when the missable item or moment results from bad internal game logic. As in, situations in which you would have to break from the quest-at-hand and backtrack across the world to get something at just the right moment (leaving Treno during the card tournament to get the mayor's key in FFIX).

Does anybody else remember that Playonline, which eventually morphed into the online vehicle for FFXI, began life as an online guide to FFIX, and was teased at the time as the ongoing database for FF games going forward? Something along those lines as I remember it. Here's a dump of the PAL version of the site, lol. (http://finalfantasyixarchive.110mb.com/)

It also sucks when characters you just equipped with super awesome gear randomly leave the party for long periods of time (or sometimes forever!).

I'm not against strategy guides in general, but given enough time, a dedicated person should be able to discover everything a game has to offer on their own, without outside help.

Items needed only for 100% completion are one thing, but it's despicable when characters and summons are missable. Several FF's have missable summons, and several DragonQuest and Star Ocean games had missable playable characters.
I didn't know Tellah was going to die in FF4...... with my equipment!!

[VeloZer0]

I know I have become a soulless cold hearted bastard when the first though that runs through my head when someone dies is "crap, he was wearing my..."

[Wolf Kanno]

I know I have become a soulless cold hearted bastard when the first though that runs through my head when someone dies is "crap, he was wearing my..."

Funny, I consider that the most human response. ;)

[Gamblet]

"crap, he was wearing my..."

...socks.

[NeoCracker]

"crap, he was wearing my..."

...socks.

...Lovers skin?

[VeloZer0]

If people went out and died wearing my socks it would explain why I keep loosing so many of them.

[Gamblet]

If people went out and died wearing my socks it would explain why I keep loosing so many of them.

Bad luck socks! "Decreases wearers luck by 90."

[Reverof Enola]

I know I have become a soulless cold hearted bastard when the first though that runs through my head when someone dies is "crap, he was wearing my..."
Dude that runs through my head every time someone leaves the party or just dies. Seriously how is the player suppose to know that? While more importantly I spent a lot of Gil on that equipment and I don't even get the chance to sell it!

[qwertysaur]

I like how FF II handles it, at least in Dawn of Souls. They have the equipment in soul of Rebirth. :p