I love collecting strategy guides

One of my hobbies is collecting RPG guides, even though I don't own the game that goes with the guide! Here are pics of all the FF guides I own that has ben released so far

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../photo_024.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../photo_027.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../photo_025.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../photo_026.jpg

Now I'm patiently waiting till the guides for Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core, FF XII, and the other two FFCC games get released :D

very cool ^^

i wish they would come in hardback. i can only try to keep mine in good condition.

Which of those would you consider to be really good and indepth? Which one's the best?

Now, I've heard bad things about some FF guides. FF9's guide, for example (as it constantly redirects you to playonline.com for a lot of information even though most of the links are dead), and FF7's as its incomplete (not talking about some stuff) and has a decent number of errors, especially when it comes to how obtain certain materia.

IMO, the best ones are Origins, Anthology, and Chronicles guides. They cover everything and help you get the full experience of the game

I own 0 strategy guides as I'm the type who wants to figure it out on my own, and if I have a question, I'll ask someone who has played it, to get a more precise answer. Also, I looked through a few after I played the game and more than once I've seen information that was wrong in the guide. If Square made the guide, not Brady or some other company besides Square, it'd be of more value to me. It escapes me why people buy guides with the game. Where's the challenge if going into a boss fight you know its weaknesses? Sure its useful timewise so you can get everything the first time through the game, but to me, why pay $40.00 for a game if you intend on playing it once? I have played FFT literally 5 times beginning to end, and I never used a strategy guide. I used my brain, the way the programmers intended it to be played. I will occasionally go to GameFAQs.com if I get overly stuck and have 0 other options. But to shell out an additional $20.00 for a guide is beyond me.

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Originally Posted by RedCydranth

I own 0 strategy guides as I'm the type who wants to figure it out on my own, and if I have a question, I'll ask someone who has played it, to get a more precise answer. Also, I looked through a few after I played the game and more than once I've seen information that was wrong in the guide. If Square made the guide, not Brady or some other company besides Square, it'd be of more value to me. It escapes me why people buy guides with the game. Where's the challenge if going into a boss fight you know its weaknesses? Sure its useful timewise so you can get everything the first time through the game, but to me, why pay $40.00 for a game if you intend on playing it once? I have played FFT literally 5 times beginning to end, and I never used a strategy guide. I used my brain, the way the programmers intended it to be played. I will occasionally go to GameFAQs.com if I get overly stuck and have 0 other options. But to shell out an additional $20.00 for a guide is beyond me.

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Many people buy Strategy Guides not for the purpose of simply beating the game but more as Collector's Items. Oftentimes, players want to get every item there is in the game and literally complete *everything*, as well as get the some additional background info (on characters, places, etc).

Generally, I've heard that the quality of FF guides varies greatly. As you've mentioned, a lot of them are full of mistakes, do not go in depth about a lot of the side quests and/or are confusing.

EDIT: btw, most FF guides can be had for $12 at Amazon, pocket money really.

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Originally Posted by FinalBob42

Many people buy Strategy Guides not for the purpose of simply beating the game but more as Collector's Items.

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Yeah, that's mostly the reason why I buy Strategy guides. However, I use them if I'm stuck or something

You're nothing if you don't have the FFVII guide published by Versus Books.

My only gripe with RPGs in general is the fact that especialy in the newer titles, secret items and quests can be so obscure I dont see how its possible to get them unless someone tells you about it in a game guide.

Take for instance getting the King Tonberry GF in FF VIII. There is no way I would have figured that after discovering the tower where Odin resides and after figuring out how to get him, that I could get the Tonberry GF by fighting 18-22 tonberries inside the same tower after wich King Tonberry would apear so I could fight him and get him as a GF.

I wish all the secrets followed at least some thread of logic so you didnt have to look at a guide to get everything in the game.

I have the very first guide for FFVI when it was first released as FFIII. The book is very detailed, and has a lot of nice artwork throughout it. But what is kinda funny is the guide was obviously not checked for errors. In the part of the game where you are supposed to feed Cid fish in order to save him, I never knew that you had the option of saving him. The book states that he will die no matter what you do, so I have always seen the 'suicide' scene with Celes. Until I first started reading the forum boards, I found out it was intended for him to live. :Oo:

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Originally Posted by Kawaii Ryûkishi

You're nothing if you don't have the FFVII guide published by Versus Books.

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Pffft! Brady's version is better :p

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Originally Posted by Kawaii Ryûkishi

You're nothing if you don't have the FFVII guide published by Versus Books.

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Is there any way to get that in the US online? Or import it from the UK?

EDIT: This isn't what your talking about, is it?
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846
EDIT2: Or this?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...588486-1215032
EDIT3: I think the 2nd is actually the Versus Book you're talking about. What makes it so much better than the official guide? Does it cover all the hidden materia, chocobo breeding, etc.? It seems to be out of stock everywhere.
EDIT4: Actually, I found it on Ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...sPageName=WDVW
$124.99? HEEEEEEEEELL NO!
EDIT5: Yes, another edit. I say screw this! Off to the FF7 board to look for the best free guide to FFVII.

It's totally worth it.

The Final Fantasy IX Strategy Guide is probably the worst, most useless published strategy guide I've ever seen in my life.