FFIV: Preparations

I'm also due to start this up soon (well, I've started, but I haven't even moved - I've just watched a couple of scenes right before I took a nap because I was knackered already when I started. Anyway. I want to know if there's anything in this game that is missable and is definitely worth getting. Is this that kind of game? Or can I just roam through the storyline without worry? I'm hoping it's the latter because I really don't want to have to follow any guides or anything, I want to experience the game as if it was the first time I was playing it. Are there secrets, or is it safe?

Also, no spoilers here, please! But tips and tricks are much appreciated. :)

You can miss Namingway and get waaaay behind on all of his different names/tasks/etc.

The only things you want to get are the smuts.

There are a lot of missable weapons/armor hidden throughout various towns and castles. Check behind fireplaces, in tall grass, and be on the lookout for hidden walls.

And make sure to level-grind to learn Float once you're about halfway through the game. It beats healing every ten steps.

What version of the game will you be playing? There are some rare items that can be acquired via drops from enemies that you may miss out on if you are not looking for them.

I got my version downloaded on PSN. It's FFIV & The After Years, but I'm playing the standard game from the menu first.

Ooh, with the shiny remastered sprites on PS3?

You can find (SPOILER)Yang in a sprite cave. Look for that.

nah, just remember to fight the ogre's under banon's castle and in fabul.
unless you're playing ff6, then just go to figaro castle and call it a night lol.

There aren't any horribly big lost forevers in FF4 to the degree of Shadow in FF6, a lot of the materia in FF7, or some of the FF5 summons.

The only one I can think of that's major enough is (SPOILER)the Knife from Yang's wife (heh, that rhymes), since Sylph can be gotten simply by visiting the Sylphs after Yang is in Mysidia with everyone else. Everything else that can be lost forever is only really worth getting for completion purposes.

Are you interested in completing the bestiary? There's some entries that can be lost forever in (SPOILER)the Tower of Zot. There's also boss forms that can only be gotten by making separate save files (even a temporary one works) and defeating each boss form in each separate save (this applies to Lugae, Barnabas, and Barnabas-Z).