Normal Levels

[Omni-Odin]

I got finished with FF1 a couple years ago, but after playing through and trying to "perfect" a couple later games, I wanted to come back and see if I could get my guys to a higher level, but I realized that I almost dominated Chaos with levels around thirty.

Is that normal, and how high have your levels been by the end of the game.

[Captain Maxx Power]

By about level 30, depending on your team, any further levelling is kind of moot. This is highlighted by the fact that beyond this level, all subsequent level ups only offer small stat/HP bonuses, and take the same amount of experience. However Hit%, the factor that increases the number of hits, will continue to increase linearly. Also Mages will generally gain more MP at higher levels (however they will max out their lower level MPs earlier, meaning they technically gain less at higher levels). I personally have finished the game with a Level 35~ party.

[Sefie1999AD]

I finished my first game on level 36 or so. That was on NES. When I beat my second game (on WSC), I think my characters were on level 32 or so. My third and fourth games were also on WSC. I beat the third game on max level (50), and during the fourth game, I went to the final dungeon on level 28, so I probably reached level 30 or so when I beat it. My fifth and sixth games were on PSX. Fifth was with Normal difficulty, sixth was with Easy. I finished the fifth game on level 45, the sixth on level 50 (when 99 is the max).

[ValiantKnight]

Given the design of the dungeons and the ease of the boss fights, as well as the items and spells that increase base damage + haste. It's just a matter of getting enough life and healing to make it to the boss, power up with saber, steel, tmpr(whatever version your FF1 is), then attack and kill the boss. Given the relative high HP growth of Fighter this can be pretty low in parties with Fighters, such as low 20s.

More levels won't really help but to make you be able to survive longer in the dungeon.

Is only thing I hate about FF1... everything else i like. The dungeons are 3x as hard as the actual boss themselves. Just because of the endurance factor and lack of healing on Normal origins and original NES.

By the time your strong enough to actually make it to the boss, he's pretty dang easy.

Course this is probably a biased opinion, and I'm open to others.
I usually go with F, BB, WM, BM or F, F, WM, BM. F, Th, WM, BM. sometimes replacing the BM with a RM

[abrojtm]

When I would play this on the NES, I knew that by the time I had hit 25, I was ready to go the the ToF and level, and by the time I hit 28, I was ready for Chaos.

[Dr Unne]

It depends on your party. If you have a balanced F/?/(RM or WM)/(RM or BM) style party, 25ish is a good time to beat the game. I think the old NES FF1 Strategy Guide recommended level 27. I could be remembering incorrectly. I'll have to look it up when I get home.

The dungeons are 3x as hard as the actual boss themselves. Just because of the endurance factor and lack of healing on Normal origins and original NES.

This is true. Usually the hardest part about finally beating the game is making it to Chaos. Thankfully(?) the hard part of the ToF is mostly at the beginning with all the gas and frost dragons. Though for some reason the water floor also tends to hurt me a lot. It's not just having enough healing magic/items, it's also having enough black magic left to kill large enemy groups quickly enough that they don't stand there pounding on you for 10 turns. And the need to save all your FAST till the end.

[Lawr]

I was like Level 29 when I made it to the Tof and I think I might
have grown one level before Chaos. I can still remember trying to
go over there at a 'really low level' (This was before the 'Age of the Walkthroughs'.)
I learned what 'Carnage' meant that day. I hadn't been beaten up that
bad since I tried to attempt 'The Peninsula' at level 5.

[Zeromus_X]

I'm usually in the 30s.

[ValiantKnight]

My solo black belt went at 50 and had a rough time reaching the bottom..

the words "time consuming" with the heal staff and defense sword get a whole new meaning.

I've went as low as 24 or 25 i think with F/?/BM/WM
I've went as high as 36 with the same party... was not too hard then :)

DoS and easy origins I think I was 38 or 39.

Have did a Fi/Th/BB/Rm (distinct lack of healing)
Fi/?/WM/BM just about every combination possible for the ?
BM/0/0/0 Solo BM... died out around Tiamat's place.. cause I got bored/was getting rather rough. Still need to finish.

BB/0/0/0

Think have done some more party types but can't remember.
No NES tho. Origins Normal is decently close to NES though.. not exactly.