Playing FF with a guide?

Hey guys.

I've completed FFVII many times, at first without any help and then the next few times trying to get everything with the guide.

However, I've not completed FF8 or 9 and I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because, unlike FF7, I tried to play 8 and 9 from the start with a guide and it's not as much fun? I mean, I've tried playing through FF9 about 5-6 times and always got to different parts then for some reason or other just stopped. I guess it's kind of just boring if you are reading what to do in a guide and then acting it out on the game.

What do you guys do? Play the game through properly first without any help or use the guide from the off?

I reckon I might start a game on FF9 today without the guide and see how I go. The only problem is that I just can't stand thinking I'm missing things like things you can steal from enemies and rare items like cards and such. What about you?

I never understood the point of using a guide for your first time through a game. It takes away the fun of exploration and discovering weird things out for yourself. I only use them after I beat the game and want to see what I missed.

Yeah i try to not use guides, especially for Final Fantasy, if i'm really stuck on a game then yes maybe but most of the time theres no need, and it can stuck the fun out of a game if you constantly rely on it.

Never used guide's the first time through, ruins the entire challenge of the game and the story. I take a look at a guid the second or third time, and :eek: at all of the things I managed to miss the first time:eep:

i did ff9 the first time without a guide and that was fun. But since then ive used the guide for ff9 about 3 times because i like to pick up every item that isnt nailed down and i like to have the right abillitys eqipped for battles and know what there is to steal.

its a helpful book but i cant believe:eek: that it dosent mention any tips or instructions to beating ozma. And for stuff like chocobo hunting "is chocobo hunting really worth it of course it is go to playonline and SHUT UP i payed all that money for the guide and it tells me to got to the internet :mad:

Definitely agree with that.

You splash out on the guide and you expect to find inside everything there is to know about the game.

What if someone doesn't have access to the Internet?

i tend to hav a guide at hand (susally of gamefaqs) and only use it if i get uber stuck or if i want to obtain all the secret stuff which i couldn't do otherwise

if youve not completed it and your reading a guide that tells you whats about to happen, its really pointless. i own the FFX and 8 strategy guide (i bought the FF8 one after beating FF8.) and instead of reading on and spoiling the story, i justed look at it for advice and strategies occasionally. using guides on a second playthrough is fine but it puts you off if its for the first playthrough. and usually the only hard part about FF is the boss battles. seems as the game is always straight forward, the only thing you may need help with are hard bosses.

ZOMG!!! u hav the exact same guides as me!? it's liek this was meant to happen 8-)

The FFIX official guide is notorious for being the most useless guide ever published. This was due to Square's lame PlayOnline scheme to make you go online in conjunction with the guide to "enhance" your experience. The website (US) is not even available anymore, and you can't even give the guide away on ebay.

I do a mixture of guided and guideless playing.

I always play an RPG all the way through without a guide. Then, after, I'll go re-play the game with a guide and pick up all the extra stuff.