Strategy guides and forums: how should they be used?

I didn't look at a strategy guide or visit a forum until about mid-way through the game, then I had a few peeks (trying to avoid spoilers) to get some general strategy. Approaching the end (which for me involved some monster arena, all the hidden aeons and 2 ultimate weapons) I was using them for a lot of things. Not boss info or complete walkthrough, but eg how to use Yojimbo or dodge lightning (unsucessfully!) or get 4 slot weapons.

Was this the right approach? I certainly saved myself a lot of effort (eg. knowing the best way to get ap) but I may also have reduced my enjoyment of the game, as it was easier and so less exciting and challenging than it should have been. And I couldn't totally avoid those spoilers either.

So should I have not looked at a guide/forum until I got through the game at least once? Or should I have used one even earlier (if I had I probably wouldn't have made kimahri a black mage). Its about having fun, isn't it?

:choc::choc::choc:

Generally, the only time I ever use a strategy is to make life easier in my second playthrough, or if I am REALLY stuck, as in spent hours wandering around the world, unable to trigger the next story event or complete whatever mini-game I'm currently attempting.

In FFX, the story is more or less totally linear, so you shouldn't need to use it in the main plotline. Sure, some of the bosses are quite hard, like Yunalesca and Seymour Flux, but if they were all easy, it wouldn't be a game, it'd just be a movie where you occassionally press a few buttons. As for the extra stuff, most of it is prolonged, frustrating and mundane (lightning dodging, chocobo racing, blitzball, monster catching etc.), so if it's getting to the point that you're no longer enjoying the game because of the monotony, you should use a guide to help you, but not a step-by-step walkthrough that holds your hand every step of the way, otherwise it just turns into an interactive movie.

i tend to use strategy guides throughout the game just to see where hidden items are and stuff like that. i look at boss strategies but only if i've had a few tries at it and am finding it difficult. at the end of the game i use the strategy guide for pretty much everything to make sure i've got all the secrets and therefore the most out of the game.

its about having fun definitely, if you are a long-time ff player, then you dont need strategy guides to finish the game.. the status effect names and spell names are pretty much the same, some are new but you can always test them to see how they work, i use guides only for bribe(i dont wanna waste gil).. but finishing the game is not that hard to do, not unless you flee alot though

I would only use them as a reference point. You can look through a few times, but don't have it open and turn the page thing by thing. For example, such games as FFIX will most certainly screw you over. However, FFX-2 is probably better to have a guide handy, simply because of the amount of side-quests.

For FFX... i used my fren's guide mostly for Blitzball...

It sux when you get pwn-ed by Al Bhed.. when you saw wakka beating them so easily in the 1st round..

Then you feel better, after you realised all you REALLY had to do, was get their keeper Nimrook on your side xD

Blitzball is easy when you use manual A, that's all that is needed to assure my victory. Before I was using Auto-mode and totally got PWNED...

For blitzball I think u don't need a strat guide to win competitions, in fact its a good example of where practice is the thing. Too many people quit on blitzball too soon, just cos they got owned in their 1st game like nearly everyone does. Sure you can read the tutorial, but before u know whats going on the Goers have u beat.

But a strat guide can be handy on things like how you gain experience and where to find the best players etc.

:choc::choc::choc:

I don't use a guide or look at the forums for that game until i have beaten the game one by myself without any help. I will usually play it again with a guide to get all the stuff i may have missed on the first play through. I find beating it and getting things by my knowledge alot more enjoyable then having someone tell it to me, makes the game alot more fun.

The only time I ever used a strategy guide start to finish was in final fantasy 9 to get an S treasure hunting rank. This was about my 8th play through of the game though so i'm not bothered.

I tend never to use them unless i'm completely stuck.