Level 99?

[Ex-Caliber]

There has always been somthing about people who play RPG's. The fact that people brag about having partys wuth characters that were totaly maxed out head to toe. Even some of my friends thought they were cool because they had every spell, weapon and so forth. But I look at it a different way. When I see somone play a game like that for the first time I think to myself "Wow that person sucks at this game" Having everything in the game kinda shows that you weren't a good player to play the game how it was designed. Instead that person had to level up because they weren't good enough. Also the whole concept of leveling up is kinda redundant. If you stay in one area it takes for ever to gain levels because the exp given stays the same. But if you go through the game right your progress will be a steady peace. I'm mainly talking about people playing an RPG for the first time. Are there other people that agree with me?

[Talus]

I dunno, some people level up to 99 and collect everything because it's satisfying to know you completed everything and got the full experience of the game. I personally don't do it, but if it makes others happy I say more power to 'em.

[*ETERNAL FANTASY*]

i think your looking at it at only one perspective...for all i care people might go to lv 99 cause its in their nature to be 'perfect' in the game...the fact that each charecter is maxed out might be satisfying...

and ill admit it....ive played this game since '99 and i go through it quickly....then i go through it again maxing out my charecters....im a perfectionist when it comes to rpg's...its just me i guess....but i dont like to brag about it though...thehee

[Azure]

I prefer playing with lower levelled characters- that way boss fights are much more of a challange.
But after I've completed the game the first time, I probably would go back and level them up. Just so I can prove my power :D

[Cz]

I play through the game once, then return to my last game save and collect the hidden items etc. Then I beat the final dungeon one last time.

[Sefie1999AD]

I did in Kingdom Hearts what Black Mage 121 did. Usually I beat the game once in a normal way, and on my second game, I try to get everything I can. FF4 and FF5 are exceptions. Sure, I do all the side-quests, but I won't get the tiniest details (like secret summons, pink puffs, master all classes, level 99 etc).

[Advent Child]

I only max the guys out for fun, once I'm at the end. In MMORPGs I try to find out ways to get low level characters VERY good so everyone is like "Wagh, l33t."

[TheSpoonyBard]

I'm a perfectionist. I must have every item, every weapon, every armour, every accessory, every peice of materia/magic/summon, otherwise I feel disappointed that I wasn't able to complete the game. I know it may sound strange to some of you, but I feel that these things were put in the game for a reason, and that is so you can obtain them. I hate the feeling of knowing there is something I can get, but leaving it behind. To me, it makes no sense. What is the point of there being an item that you just leave behind? So far I've managed this with FF7, 8 and 9, and I am presently attempting to do the same with 10. And after that, I'll do it all over again, but faster!

[Cz]

It's nigh-on impossible to complete FFIX 100%, due to the sheer difficulty of getting Excalibur II, while obtaining all of the rare items along the way. It's one of the faults of the game, in my opinion.

[Radje]

I've only ever maxed out 7 and nearly 10. I like getting my characters ace but not fully ace.

[Leia]

I'm completely pathetic in that way. I basically only level up to continue with the game and do the sidequests that I feel like doing.

[i90east]

It is satisfying and fun to bring out the maximum potential of your characters. It's not that the game is too hard. In my expert version of FF6 I tweaked the game so that there are level 99 challenges. The battles are truely epic, and it's great. That's what it's all about.

You haven't mastered an RPG until you've brought your main group up to level 99, collected all items, learned all spells and beat every sidequest. :)

[Sasquatch]

I don't think bringing your characters to lv. 99 and learning all spells has anything to do with "mastering" an RPG. If I can beat the game at level 35, why do I need to waste my time getting to level 99? It does get boring after a while.

[i90east]

Because there's someone else out there with a stronger party. :D Also it shows that you love the game so much that you're willing to spend the extra time to do it.

[Xander]

Originally posted by Leia
I'm completely pathetic in that way. I basically only level up to continue with the game and do the sidequests that I feel like doing.

This is pretty much me too. Although I bothered more with X getting break HP and damage limit, but was still nowhere near maxed out really.

I like levelling up quite a lot now and I spent a lot more time doing so in IX and X than I did in VII (which was the first FF I played). However I don't think I really have the patience to get to level 99 :p

But it is still my aim to someday, in all FF games, why? Just because it gives me a challenge that I haven't completed yet, and another reason to go back to those games.

However it does kinda bug me when people brag about being level 99 and doing everything, we can all play the games how we want to, their not really that much cleverer for doing so, it involves more patience than skill IMO anyway.......

I like to play the games once normally then go back and do everything although I've never managed this yet cos I get bored and stop playing, I'm trying with VII though :p

[Sasquatch]

Because there's someone else out there with a stronger party. Also it shows that you love the game so much that you're willing to spend the extra time to do it.

Stronger? Better? Not necessarily. I'm sure a medium-level party could beat a high-level party, it just depends on who's controlling them.

And to me, it only proves that you have absolutely no life. Beat the game, great. Go through it again to find things you missed, get all the best stuff and go through the sidequests, wonderful. Spend 100 hours on it getting everybody to their max...priority problems.

[DocFrance]

Getting to level 99 is just a test of patience. And proof that you have no life besides Final Fantasy.

[Daedra]

As for me, I'm quite like Xander. I like to play the game normally for the first time, that is to say not spend too much time on side quests, going quite straight through the adventure and so on.
However, after I've cleared the game once, I always do it again, this time trying to get everything. The developpers took a lot of time to put some secret areas, to create difficult challenges, so why not try them ?

[Garland]

Having everything in the game kinda shows that you weren't a good player to play the game how it was designed. - Ex-Caliber

You lost me at this point. How is finding all of the things the designers put into a game not playing it how it was designed? If the creators didn't intend for you to find various items, they wouldn't have included them. And what items should a "good" player avoid finding? I imagine the true videogame master beats a game without uncovering a single hidden secret?

As for level raising - to each their own. Bragging about how you play is equally wrong whether you powerlevel, or play lowest possible level games. Powerlevelling has no bearing on how much of a life you have outside of videogames. I doubt all you low level players stop playing videogames after beating a game quickly. You probably move right on to the next game and never leave your room just like the powerleveller you just ridiculed as a loser. Pots and kettles, people. Pots and kettles. Stop calling each other black.

[Cz]

I think the point that Ex-Caliber is trying to make is that being at level 99 makes the game incredibly easy. Although I don't agree (anyone who does all that work reaching level 99 deserve an easy ride) I do think that high level games are rather dull. That's why I complete RPG's once before raising my levels to anywhere above 70 or so.

[Daedra]

And more and more, challenges are made for powerlevellers, such as the Weapons in FFVII (...) or hidden monsters in FFX (much more of a challenge if you ask me :p)

[Daydrius]

Sometime, I play the game with 1 character, or put some sort of handicap on myself...I should try that w/the expert version of FF6 that that guy created...seems like it would actually be a challenge

[MagicKnight Locke]

instead of lvl 99,I'd try completing a low level challenge

[Rostum]

In FF8 it's probably better to be level 99 as enemies level up as you do.

[Cz]

In FFVIII, it's best to be at a low level, with high-level spells. The enemies can't use any good magic, but you can. High level enemies just make things more difficult.

[DocFrance]

It's the only RPG I know of that punishes you for leveling up...

[Danger]

Originally posted by DocFrance
It's the only RPG I know of that punishes you for leveling up...

If you're talking about FFVIII, you're not exactly right. At higher levels you can get better items and draw better magic from monsters.

While monster stats tend to raise faster than you as the levels get higher, you're supposed to have better magic from draws and what not (of course an experienced card player can get these things too if they know what they are doing).

If you want to get the most out of your levels in FFVIII, play the game at low levels until you get near the end of the game and you have Ability 4X and a certain GF that gives all the plus at level up bonuses (you guys know the one). Put death on Status Attack, kill the two other characters and send your person to the island where the monster level is set to 100 (Island closest to Hell I believe is the better of the two). I had an average character lvl below 20 when I started there which means by the time I hit lvl 100 I had +80 in all stats besides what I normally get for lvling and junction. Using this you can max out all the stats of your characters at and even though the monsters are leveled up with you, they are still a joke.

So high levels aren't punished in the game if you know what you're doing.

That said, I'm of the opinion that if you get all the secrets, stories, side quests and items in a game, you've completed it, no matter what your level is. I for one will only level up to 99 the second time I play the game and I will cheat or use a trick to do it so that it takes up less of my time. Some examples include the one above (it only took me a couple hours max to level up all my FFVIII characters), the Lete River trick in FFVI for SNES, game genie codes for big experience gains in FF1 and V and Game editors for FFVII PC. I only do this for the perverted satisfaction of desemating everything I come arcoss.

[TheSpoonyBard]

I know I'm being pedantic, but can't you get to Lv. 100 in FFVIII rather than Lv. 99?

[Danger]

Originally posted by Darkness
I know I'm being pedantic, but can't you get to Lv. 100 in FFVIII rather than Lv. 99?

You are right and yes you are being pendantic (even though I don't quite know what that means).

[Mo-Nercy]

Level 99 is an achievement well worth praising. The time and patience required just to get anywhere near that is astounding. Personally I haven't done it and I tip my hat to anyone that has in any RPG.


Having everything in the game kinda shows that you weren't a good player to play the game how it was designed.
I know this was remarked on earlier but I'm still pretty cheesed off at this. I reckon that anyone with a IQ in double digits is qualified to beat a FF game. I've never heard of a person that stopped playing FF because it was impossible to finish. So how can you distinguish between a good player and a bad player?

[TheSpoonyBard]

You are right and yes you are being pendantic (even though I don't quite know what that means).

When you are being pedantic you are pointing out every little mistake someone makes, even though it has no importance whatsoever. (Just goes to show how much of a perfectionist I am)

Back on the subject, it seems there are two types (maybe three) of players here; those who try to get everything out of a game, those who challenge themselves to make do with as little as possible, and those that collect things and level up along the way. I am of the first category, and my reasons have been made earlier in this thread.

[Edgar]

I believe that people who has completed the game fair and square should have to rights to get to level 99. If not...