Trying an NSG game

(NSG = No Sphere Grid)

So I thought I'd give it a shot, having done FF7 with no Materia, and once with no shopping or spending of Gil in any way (lotsa fun, that), and don FF1 with a single character party (which I'm never doing again, argh!)

Right now I'm just waiting for the cutscene in Kilika Temple to end, but it's going real well so far, but I have a question to throw in along with the usual discussion on NSG games that will take place: Even if Yuna doesn't advance on the Sphere Grid, does gaining Sphere Levels beef up the Aeons, or will I have to use the extra items to do that?

Tell us about your NSG fun here, or your other challenges!

I once attempted a NSGIENC game, an NSG game without ever changing or customizing your initial equipment. The game was considered impossible due to the wedding scene and boss fights like Sanctuary Keeper, however I actually got past those parts and ended up making it all the way to Seymour's final form inside of Sin; the second to the last boss in the game. Even though the challenge did become impossible at that point, I still considered my challenge a success since I made it so far on my own, and I'm the only person I know of to ever attempt it. I imagine an NSG game alone would be pretty easy, actually, but probably still fun. Some people encouraged me to finish the game breaking the initial equipment or customization rule, but I decided that it wouldn't be satisfying to me anyway.

Good luck on your challenge! If you want to read about my challenge, I had a sort of journal going here:

http://forums.eyesonff.com/final-fan...-spoilers.html

i haven't actually tried an NSG challenege before but i think that in order for your aeons stats to go up, yuna's stats have to go up. so just getting sphere levels won't do anything to ur aeons unless you use them. of course you can buff them using aeons soul and summoners soul. you won't be needing ur spheres anyway :D

You can level up aeons just by getting into random encounters, you don't even have to beat them, you can run and their stats will still increase eventually...I think it takes 15-20 random encounters before you see a jump.

I've tested this and proven it myself.

I thought that it was sixty battles initially, then 30 after that?

I've done an NSG challenge before, and I thought it was really fun. I found that lot of farming for items is involved in the challenge. You can get armor with No Encounters ability later on (dropped from a ghost in the sunken cave), and this should make it easier to get around, esp. before you get the airship.

As Necronopticous said, the Aeons get stat boosts after every certain # of encounters.

You can also beef up your Aeons' stats using your various spheres once you get Aeon's Soul. Whenever you obtain Summoner's Soul later on (thru a sidequest you can do), you can teach your Aeons new magic abilities and skills using your various spheres and items.