Your Levels..How High are You?

What point in the game are you, and how are your levels?

Here's some advice to those going by the stradegy guide and not taking time to level up.

Before you do anything, I'd level up Squall and whomever was in my party to a high level. Every thing goes by quicker when you fight it, and you won't have to worry about leveling up late in the game. I just went by the stradegy guide on my 5th time playing the game, to make sure I got every thing and didn't miss a thing. Later in the game, I hadn't taken any time to level up just by training. I needed to level up when I was fighting Adel, and nothing seemed to work. In areas around bosses, monsters give you low EXP. At Lunatic Pandora, when you're supposed to go fight Adel, the monsters give you around 1. So, level up before you do anything! Even before you go on the SeeD mission. :choc2:

i just started again on seed misson and got a level 10 squall i may add that the seeD misson starts after you meet quistis to fight ifrit so kill im with less than one min left to get 100 socre for jugment

disc 3, working on devouring for stats.

level 100.

Unjunctioned: Rinoa, Squall, and Selphie
HP: 6031 | 5197 | something lower than those
STR: 191 | 127 | 149
VIT: 111 | 91 | 107
MAG: 141 | 86 | 122
SPR: 71 | 44 | 93
SPD: 37 | 40 | 37

properly junctioned:
HP: 9999 | 9797 | 9170
STR: 255 | 255 | 255
VIT: 255 | 239 | 187
MAG: 255 | 186 | 222
SPR: 232 | 162 | 221
SPD: 87 | 110 | 107
JNC: STR/MAG+60%, SPR/VIT+40% | STR/VIT/SPR +40% | SPR/STR+40%
SPL: I dunno. stuff

<3 devour.

And if you're levelling before disc 3, you're one sad puppy.

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Originally Posted by rubah

And if you're levelling before disc 3, you're one sad puppy.

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When I was about to finish the game. Time: around 45 hours
Squall - lvl 100
others - around lvl 60 (Rinoa with the higher lvl among the five.)

..... no need to level up! I just hate fighting pawns. Escape while you can (I say it's relatively easy to escape.) or equip with non-encounter party ability. All I've done is to acquire every Gfs and master some unique abilities, my Squall's already at lvl 100!!! That's toooo easy. well, I spent a lot of time to draw and go shopping!!! ha, it's easy to make money too, no really need to fight monsters.... Whenever I was in danger, I'll ask Zell to ----KAMIKAZE----- (fanfare's playing right away!)

Ultimecia's bad.... I spent more than an hour to beat her....... :(

When you're leveling up before disk three it's making things easier for disk three. (And four, lol) But which ever way you chose to level up is your choice. If it gets you to the end quicker, then hooray you. :P

I'm about to start a new game over because my disk finally decided to break. I'm going to gamestop sometime this week to get a new game..lol, but once I do I'll post up my levels and stuff like that.

Before the game broke, I was at the middle of disk three, with Zell and Squall at 100, Rinoa in the mid 90s, Selphie in the 70s or 80s, Quistis in the 60s, Irvine in the 80s..with some good junctions. I junctioned death somewhere in there to kill the monsters faster--killing monsters at such easy HP gets annoying after a while. lol..but yea, that's all I remember.

I'm not in the middle of a game at the second but I do have my saved game right before Ultimecia. Squall, Quistis, and Selphie have their levels in the mid-30's and the others in the high-teens/low-twenties. I never go level up just for the purpose of it. The games easier/faster that way.

I have about five games of FFVIII saved to my card, but my best one puts the entire six characters at level 25 at the final save point in fron Ultimecia's room. I'm very proud of it.

*sigh* When will people understand that levelling up is not the way to go with this game?

On my second game i have my characters in early 40s, on disk 3, have just beaten bahamut, but the levels are far too high for my current goal :crying2:

First try --Squall at level 43 and the others not even level 40
Rinoa's limit break was my lucky break, it somehow got me through the end battle.

Second try --levelled them all to 100 save Zell. Not that I don't like Zell as a character I just didn't like his limits. Button codes+me= doesn't work

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Originally Posted by DocFrance

*sigh* When will people understand that levelling up is not the way to go with this game?

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That is untrue. Leveling up is the way to go in this game. You have access to better magic if you level up, plus the enemies do not seem to level up at a proportional rate with you.

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Originally Posted by nik0tineThat is untrue. Leveling up [I

is[/I] the way to go in this game. You have access to better magic if you level up, plus the enemies do not seem to level up at a proportional rate with you.

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That is untrue. Although the magic you draw from enemies becomes better, the magic you can refine remains the same. It's actually very simple to end up with 100 Ultimas, Holys, Meteors, Flares, Triples on all your characters, no matter what level they are. As I say, lower level enemies with strong junctions will always be preferrable to high level enemies with strong junctions.

Enemies do level up with you. They're not always at the same level as you though. A Bite Bug can tank two hits from Quistis' Chain Whip at the beginning of the game when she's level 8. At level 100, with the same weapon, it'll still tank two hits.

I'm at the end of the game (I've finished it) so all my characters are at level 100.

Well, i personally have completed the game a few times, and i have nearly always found that levels do help with drawing magic and especially rounding your characters off and keeping them near enough even is a high priority. At the beginning, i personally think it's crucial to have good levels, enemies such as Ifrit will nearly always have the same HP, it will only differ by about 100~200 max if you level up one level or ten.

However, the Ultimecia battle will be really easy if you keep one character at a low level (as i found on three of my games) and she only has approximately 600,000 hp at the last stage, which is really nothing to worry about. Junctioning and Levels go hand in hand in this game: junctioning gets you levels and levels get you better junctioning - its just a repeating circle. I personally relied mainly on my levels and sats all the time to get me my magic, I hate refining.
And Ultimecia really shouldn't cause too many problems!

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Originally Posted by Mo-Nercy

That is untrue. Although the magic you draw from enemies becomes better, the magic you can refine remains the same. It's actually very simple to end up with 100 Ultimas, Holys, Meteors, Flares, Triples on all your characters, no matter what level they are. As I say, lower level enemies with strong junctions will always be preferrable to high level enemies with strong junctions.

Enemies do level up with you. They're not always at the same level as you though. A Bite Bug can tank two hits from Quistis' Chain Whip at the beginning of the game when she's level 8. At level 100, with the same weapon, it'll still tank two hits.

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I have to agree with you both. It just depends on what type of person you are, whether you have patience or anything like that. Whether you are really talented enough (even though it doesnt really take much talent) to make it through all four disks at low levels.

But, if you do level up than it makes things go by quicker and it would be easier for you. The magic that you draw/refine would most definitely help you get by quicker in the game, especially if you've leveled up enough.

When you haven't leveled up, you can still make it through all 4 disks. I have tried this route myself, and I think that it works..but it just depends on what type of person you are.

I find it easier to at least take some time in some points in the game to level up a little, it always helps.

sqall, zell and rinoa at level 100.

if I can say anything, those who have eden at lv 100 most likly have all characters lv100. If you could throw meone tip I should know in the game its what monsters give you stat boosters and where do you find them if you have devour.

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Originally Posted by boys from the dwarf

sqall, zell and rinoa at level 100.

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Same with me. Irvine & Selphie are in the 70s and Quistis...eh who cares, I rarley use her. I think she's 38 though.

Almost every GF at LV 100.

All. Yes ALL characters at Lv 100.

I am very high. ;)

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Originally Posted by Sephiroth's Cage

Almost every GF at LV 100.

All. Yes ALL characters at Lv 100.

I am very high. ;)

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ha yeah almost every GF I have are at 100 too.

Everyone is level 100 and most of the GFs are

Cool.

All my characters are lvl 100, except Selphie, who's at lvl 12. :D

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Originally Posted by roto13

All my characters are lvl 100, except Selphie, who's at lvl 12. :D

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I didn't really pay much attention to Selphie in most of my FF8 games..she's actually one of my least favorite characters and I think that she is just too happy and annoying for me.

But on one of my games, all of my characters are at level 100 as well as all of my GFs, each character has pages filled with very good magic all at 100..

I spent a lot of time making my characters good in that game. :D

Yeah, that's pretty much a summary of my file, except Selphie has nothing.

My characters and my GF's are at level 100, except Zell, it is at level 98

Zell is not an it.

Sorry, my fault

Zell is a guy who had tires run over the left side of his face adn eats the discusting substance known as "Hotdogs"

Sorry, ok?, And I know who's Zell

Zell is a pretty cool character, actually. And his mom will give you a free Zell card if you talk to her.

One one save I'm Lv100 with maximum base stats (all except Eva and Hit [except Squall and Selphie]) on all characters. Maxing Luck was a pain. On another I'm Lv26 with most of my GFs Lv100.

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Originally Posted by The Lone Forest Ranger

One one save I'm Lv100 with maximum base stats (all except Eva and Hit [except Squall and Selphie]) on all characters. Maxing Luck was a pain. On another I'm Lv26 with most of my GFs Lv100.

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Eek maxing luck. Sounds like it really must of been a pain.

Although leveling up in this game is generally Not. A. Good. Thing, I'm used to it from previous RPG games I've played.

And, even though it can be a time suck, it allows you to play around with the junctioning system, to see what works or doesn't work against whatever monster you're bashing away at.

That said, currently, Squall is at 100 and every one else is somewhere in the 80's and 90's. I will say that at higher levels, killing off monsters gets too easy. (I think someone else mentioned it somewhere.)

In my current game, I just got the garden mobile. My levels are between 8 and 13, Squall being the highest. I'm not going to level up on purpose until I have all the stat bonus at levelup abilities.
Also, Zell is fun because of Punch Rush and Booya

I'm all the way leveled up though not maxed stats. got my favorite Gf's with a lot of skills learned so I can have all my charaters junctioned at once. Like Squall just has I think Bahamut and knows all stat junctions, emelmental attack and 4 def. status attack and 4 def. 3 commands and 4 or 5 (can't remember add on's like haste). Some of my characters though have to have 2 Gf's but thats not a problem. I think it went like this:
Squall lv100 - GF Bahamut lv100
Riona lv100 - GF eden lv100 Siren lv100
Quistis lv100 - GF Doom Train lv100 and Diablos
Zell lv100 - GF Quezacotl lv 100 and cactur lv100
irvine lv100 - GF Tonberry and panamondon (wind) both lv100
Selphie - GF - Shiva and Cerberus lv 100
Leviathan Ifrit and carbuncle I don't use much but ifrit use to be good with his elemental attack and def being free for AP.

In nearly all my games my characters don't gain a single level until the end part of Disc 3. After that I level up Quistis :love: , Squall, Zell and Irvine in preparation for Omega Weapon, whom I then trounce.

Zell's mo will only give you one if you play a card game with her. She's fat!

I'm on disc 3 right now, just before entering the Lunatic Pandora, and all my characters are level 100 and these are there current stats with them being junctioned.

My Party being Squall (Russell), Zell and Rinoa.

I use ultima life and life2 as status defenders. but meteor holy flare and aura are good things for stats as well as meltdown. I have squall (cause he's always in the party) with death as his status attack, while everyone else has drain. I need riona in there cause she and another are junctioned with revive and recover. for squall incase he gets down. as for anything though squall in melee type cause of auto haste protect and shell. while everyone else takes the cure and attack with fun stuff thing. as for the all monsters in the game at this level they are too easy. you can fight and say your level don't matter but if you junction your team then yes your magic will bring you over they're heads. Some say they don't like using GF well I don't like to strain and use magic to cure so let the GF use the hit points they got, and enjoy what they game gave you not what you asume with it.

...So if leveling up is "generally Not. A. Good. Thing", what happens if you use a lvl 100 character (say, Squall) coupled with 2 lvl 20-something characters (say, Irvine & Selphie)?

It will kinda balance out the difficulty of the monster/boss(?) right?

And what in the world is 'maxing luck'??

...o_O;???

Getting your Luck stat as high as it can go, of course.

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Originally Posted by GreenTea

...So if leveling up is "generally Not. A. Good. Thing", what happens if you use a lvl 100 character (say, Squall) coupled with 2 lvl 20-something characters (say, Irvine & Selphie)?

It will kinda balance out the difficulty of the monster/boss(?) right?

And what in the world is 'maxing luck'??

...o_O;???

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Nope, monsters/bosses levels are based on Squall level, whatever level he is the monsters are. Best to a stay low level as possible untill you have most of the GF's e.g Cactuar.

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Originally Posted by Russielloyd

Nope, monsters/bosses levels are based on Squall level, whatever level he is the monsters are.

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Untrue. The enemy's level, as long it isn't capped or fixed, will be between 80% and 120% of the average of all three party members.

To put it another way

Enemy level = (([Character 1's level]+[Character 2's level]+[Character 3's level])/3) * 0.8~1.2

Using the example of Squall being Lv100 and the other two being Lv20, enemies will be between Lv37 and Lv56.

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Originally Posted by The Lone Forest Ranger

Untrue. The enemy's level, as long it isn't capped or fixed, will be between 80% and 120% of the average of all three party members.

To put it another way

Enemy level = (([Character 1's level]+[Character 2's level]+[Character 3's level])/3) * 0.8~1.2

Using the example of Squall being Lv100 and the other two being Lv20, enemies will be between Lv37 and Lv56.

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Does this apply to the bosses (both big & small) too? Or is it just the small fry??

It applies to all enemies, bosses included. Some bosses have a level cap. For example, Ifrit will never be higher than Lv6 and (SPOILER)Ultimecia will never be higher than Lv65. Enemies on the ICTH/H and Omega Weapon are always Lv100 regardless of your characters' levels.

Wow... Okie-dokie. So it won't matter how high the sidekicks' levels would be since I'll *still* get my @rse kicked by Omega Weapon & friends... ...time to read the walkthrough... ...Oh yeah, thanks TLFR.

Squall / Zell / Quistis: Level 100
Rinoa / Irvine: Level 60-70
Selphie: Level 50

Just started leveling Rinoa and Irvine cause I realised their awesome ^^

My GFs are all about 80+ i think.

Its too easy to level up in this game. Im playing 2 files, one is disk two squall is 33, everyone else is 25. My other is in disk 3, rinoa and squall are 100, zell and irvine are 72, selphie is 50, and quistis is 19 :)

I level up everyone from Lv10~15 to Lv100 with Str/Mag/Vit/Spr Bonus. They get pretty good.

Why not HP? Because HP Ups are cheap and easy to make - 1x Gaea's Ring each! 100x Giant's Ring means +100 HP to someone, and it's worth it, because you can have infinite money. The other ones are not THAT wort, specially Vit Up.

And how can you max natural Luck? Luck Ups are a pain in the bunghole to do, and I don't remember if there is a monster that, when Devoured, gives Luck +1. Luck is not that important, anyway. I don't even care with Luck-J to everyone.

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Originally Posted by Alexander

And how can you max natural Luck?

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100 Curse Spikes -[Tool-RF]-> 1 Dark Matter -[GFAbl Med-RF]-> 1 Luck-J Scroll -[Forbid Med-RF]-> 1 Luck Up

You're right in thinking there are no monsters that give Luck +1 when Devoured. Luck is important. Among other things, it means you get a Critical hit (2x damage) almost all the time with any character not named Squall.

Well I've finished the game now but the file I used to write a full FAQ on it was racked up with every character maxed out and fully stat increased through devour or items. GF's set up my own "perfect junction system" (PM me for details) and had every item in the game to it's maximum amount so therefore if it was possible to get it I got it. Spells I had 100 of every spell (including lower level versions of multi level spells such as Fire distributed across the characters in my party) completed every side quest all in all the file clock was frozen but I had counted roughly the amount of hours played and managed to get well in excess of 530 hours play from the game....would I go back and play it again? Hell yes.

(please note I also crashed my playstation from over heating it and wore out a copy of the game in the process of doing that file)

I just beat omega with my stats and it captured it, im just editing it with music and making it look like a good action scene.

Ill have it done tomorrow probs.

well i didnt level up untill disc 3 i was about level 25 for each character except for squall who was aout level 30. I got everyone to junction the str bonus e.t.c and then levelled them up to 100 without removing them. Then when i junction str60%e.t.c they got 255 for most stats. (shockwave pulsar did about 400 damage because my spr was 255)