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I think I liked them both the same...:/ Maybe I slightly prefer the sphere grid because it at least gave all the characters definable roles for a while. The license board was annoying because I suck at making decisions. Ack! Should I spend LP on that spell or this weapon or that accessory??
Actually, I prefer neither. They both had awkward growth opportunities.
I prefer the License Board cause it at least gave you real customization freedom rather than the illusion of it.
The Sphere Grid is literally a interactive form of FFIV's system and true customization opportunities didn't open up until the very end of the game at which point you're party is already powerful enough to finish the game. Basically the customization options in X are unnecessary and irrelevant which is rather counter-intuitive in my book.
I like the License Board more but it doesn't mean it doesn't have its faults. It could have been larger, had more buffs or skills that create more defined job classes. Its very easy to build a party of clones so most unimaginative people complain about that cause they can't stick to strict class systems. Though, I think it would have been beneficial if your party had a restriction on the number of Licenses they can use.
Perhaps they could have gotten License ranks as they got up so at Lv. 50 Basch could equip 255 License points. At which point you equip Licenses on him until the value adds to 255. Just give him a limited options by equipping the best heavy armor and greatswords? or do you lay top level spells and medium level magic armor? It could have been interesting ;)
License board. Actual customization is better than the illusion as Wolf Kanno said, and I had no trouble sticking to defined job classes throughout the entire game, right up until I beat it. In fact, I'd say it was downright easy to keep them to certain job classes. If I wanted a white mage, I'd give them white magic instead of black. Not rocket science, and not hard to do. It's also not as easily exploited later on in the game since leveling still plays a decent role in developing your characters, not just what abilities they have.
I didn't like the License Board (more on that in a sec), but I really don't have an opinion about the SphereGrid, as I mostly just play(ed) X for the storyline.
As for the License Board, the reason I didn't like it was for the reason hhr1dluv mentioned. However, I would definitely throw my weight behind the License Board if they actually allowed you to see ALL the slots from the beginning so you could better plan your characters to reach a certain point. The way it was, I literally just ended up picking at-random without having any clue as to what my party would end up as. I eventually just used the GameShark to unlock them all for everybody to get out of that predicament, but I HATE using cheat-sources for Final Fantasy games.
I liked them both.
I might agree with this if it weren't for the simple fact that they showed all of the license board squares available beside the ones you unlocked already. Like I said before, it wasn't hard to just follow the path if you wanted a white mage, black mage or whatever. It wasn't often that you would have to pick a square outside a certain specialty to move on to the next one in the path. And in the few cases it wasn't obvious which way to go, or in the case of some of the more obscure weapon or armour squares, it's easy enough to find the entire license board online or in guides so you can plan ahead.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyric
Even when it wasn't obvious though, it was generally easy to know that magic must be in one section while techniks are in another.
>>> Both are good, but I like sphere grid more because you can erase everything in it, and then make some crazy stuff with it..
But if you just follow the "obvious path", it pretty much defeats the purpose of Customization at which point the Sphere Grid is much better, because you can see EVERYTHING on the grid, and you have the option of clearing spots as well to put whatever you want in it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vivi22
Also, my PS2 is hooked up to the same TV that my computer is, so looking up the entire license board online isn't that convenient. I have to pause the game, flip the TV over to the computer, locate the thing on the internet, download it (if possible), and then continue to flip back and forth as I decide which path to take. Aside from that, it also requires that you have both a computer AND a PS2 running which runs-up your electricity bill (no big deal, but still). It would've been MUCH better (like the Sphere Grid), if they just showed what was on each square (greyed out), and then just activate the immediate surrounding spots to learn. I guess the way the License Board is wouldn't be much of a problem if they made License Points less of a pain-in-the-arse to get in the first place. For instance, if you find out you made a "mistake" earlier on the board, it wouldn't take hours upon hours, and hundreds and hundreds of monsters killed, to get to where you want to be.
You leave out the fact that most of the special spheres that even grant these privileges are generally available at the end of the game. Whic makes this a moot point cause end game-wise in XII you should have unlocked most of the License grid and can customize everyone to do pretty much any thing you want.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyric
The greyed out areas Vivi22 mention I feel gives you enough information to plan out a character to a certain degree. Like old school FFs, you basically get placed with equipment and spells befitting starter FF classes like Thief, Warrior, and the three mage classes (Black, White, and Red). After you get farther in the board, weapons and augments that belong to higher level classes begin to open up. Sure you can't start the game as the Ninja's but it would probably get boring quickly and you would give him a sub class like thief or Green mage eventually.Quote:
It would've been MUCH better (like the Sphere Grid), if they just showed what was on each square (greyed out), and then just activate the immediate surrounding spots to learn. I guess the way the License Board is wouldn't be much of a problem if they made License Points less of a pain-in-the-arse to get in the first place. For instance, if you find out you made a "mistake" earlier on the board, it wouldn't take hours upon hours, and hundreds and hundreds of monsters killed, to get back to where you want to be.
Sphere Grid doesn't even give you real preplanning, you get to see that after you get past 40 more nodes, you can get Curaga cause its at the end of Yuna's sphere path. By the time you collect the special sphere's to allow you to get their faster, Yuna is probably almost on top of it anyway so you might as well just grind your way to the ability naturally rather than waste the sphere on learning it a few level early.
Not to mention X is so ridiculously easy that using return or teleport sphere's are a waste of time cause god knows the Killer Bees in Macalania Woods are so difficult that using Wakka or Lulu's level two magic isn't enough. We need Flare to fix those nasty things. :rolleyes2
Besides, who seriously changes peoples classes mid-game in FFX? Besides Kimarhi I don't see a point in changing Auron into a mage or Tidus into a thief mid game? Its not like you need two Black mages or healers in X.
As for getting License points in XII being hard... How? A few mark hunts fix issues in the beginning and about the time you hit the middle of the game you are practically swimming in them. Most people complete the license board not out of sheer tenacity for completion sake but because its relatively easy to do cause the board is small and the LP are easy to obtain in droves. Hell, you will probably build enough LP just by grinding for cash to purchase the magicks and equipment you need in the first place.
smurf me now. This man is correct.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolf Kanno
Well, aside from the fact of being able to switch classes at any point during the game in FFIII, and considering how quick FFIII is becoming my favourite FF, I see the logic in what you're saying. And if you say the LP are relatively easy to gain, maybe I just haven't been able to stay focussed on the game enough to get to that point. I'll say what every one of my friends who have played FFXII agrees with me on: Square-Enix put way too much "new" stuff in FFXII from FFX/X-2. First it's getting used to the Gambits, and at the same time having to do said hours-upon-hours of monster killing just to get enough LP for the next License. Obviously, that leaves a sour-taste. They could have also put an OPTION for the battle-system that makes it work more like all of the previous games. That way once I've gotten used to the Licenses and stuff, I'd be able to get myself to start trying Gambits. When I finally give FFXII another try, maybe I'll try just sticking to the prescribed paths of each of the characters and see how it plays out. Maybe, even, I'll be able to change FFXII to FFII for my most hated battle-system. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolf Kanno
The system is daunting at first but later you will laugh at how simple it really is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyric
First, you have the option to shut off the Gambits. This means you will get to input commands somewhat normally like in past games. I highly recommend you put the battle system on Wait mode when you do this. I know it sounds wimpy but XII's battle system is pretty damn fast on Active mode. Its even daunting when using Gambits to their fullest. Once you get more comfortable just use Gambits for things that you absolutely need like Phoenix Down on Ally=KO and basic healing and buff stuff. Once you get comfortable, experiment more with Gambits and throw it on Active mode to see how intense the battles can get.
Also, don't forget you can access your menu screen even in the middle of battle so you can change Gambit settings or even weapons and equipment. The battle system is based around strategy rather than level grinding to get max stats so it allows you these little perks. It allows many fun possibilities and regretfully its major fault is that its open ended to the point of making the player feel lost on what is right, you just need to accept that their is no right way. ;)
I don't know why you'd need hours upon hours of level grinding to get enough LP for another license. I never had a problem with getting enough, and considering I limited myself to only using three characters during the game I was essentially getting half as much as someone who bothered to level up all six characters. Now I did do a fair number of hunts in the game because I loved exploring the world, and I loved the battle system to death, but I was still, if anything, a little under leveled at a number of spots in the game and still didn't have much trouble. I also can't see how you could make a mistake early on that's impossible to get around later. I kept my characters to very strict classes until I beat the final boss and only a handful of times did I get curb stomped by a boss, and that was usually poor planning.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyric
As far as getting used to Gambits goes; it really is a pretty simple system. If it's giving you trouble then take Wolf Kanno's advice on building yourself up to it. And like he said, you can turn them all off and issue commands manually if you really want. I personally always kept one character totally manual, and wouldn't hesitate to issue commands to the others if I felt it necessary. I would just set them up with basic gambits to help avoid accidental death due to my not paying attention and some higher level stuff to help with bosses that I'd keep turned off most of the time. Just because Gambits are there doesn't mean you have to set them up so your characters can kill everything on their own. There's a certain amount of satisfaction you may be able to gain from figuring that out, but the game is even more rewarding if you get your hands dirty yourself a little bit.