(Chapters 11 & 12 threads) Yep, Still Linear. I swear

[Wolf Kanno]

So I'm finally in Gran Pulse and OMG if I may end up staying here forever. Its great to finally just have a moment to meander around at my own pace and do something slightly none plot related.

I've only done the first mission but will probably do more in a bit. I'm mostly leveling up right now so I can have an easier time with the Mark Hunts and amass money to finally upgrade all my characters weapons cause I've seriously been neglecting it for most of the game. I don't even have a weapon transformed to its second stage yet and I think my highest leveled weapon is 14.

My god is this Chapter a great breath of fresh air for once. I'm all sad that this is mostly a repeat of FFX when you get to the Calm Lands after walking that simple road for 30+ hours. Damn you SE for not making a more middle ground.

I've also begun playing with some of the Summons. I've decided that Odin kinda sucks, Bahamut is overpowered and Alexander is just god like with Hope. Still need to try Shiva and Byrnhilda.

My party is Hope, Fang and Lightning but I'm thinking of switching out Hope and Fang for Snow and Sahz. I might use Vanille but her battle cries were getting on my nerves in the previous chapter. I wonder if the script actually called for the character to make every noise that comes out of her mouth that isn't dialogue should sound like she's having an orgasm. I thought jail-bait Rikku was bad.

I'm probably going to be here for awhile...

[seiferalmasy2]

X had villages and explorable areas and towns. Luca, Besaid, kilika among them...it was certainly not 1 road or anything like XIII....

[Raistlin]

I might use Vanille but her battle cries were getting on my nerves in the previous chapter. I wonder if the script actually called for the character to make every noise that comes out of her mouth that isn't dialogue should sound like she's having an orgasm. I thought jail-bait Rikku was bad.

Cid from Bleys's LJ: "Vanille's moans are becoming a problem."

I thought the exact same thing. At first it was almost amusing in a "wtf were they thinking" kind of way, but it just got ridiculous.

[Loony BoB]

Query for anyone with a non-English version: Is it just as orgasmic with Vanille in other languages?

[Wolf Kanno]

X had villages and explorable areas and towns. Luca, Besaid, kilika among them...it was certainly not 1 road or anything like XIII....

They feel exactly the same in terms of design (not surprising since its mostly the same team) with the exceptions of towns, but towns were moot gestures in FFX, you never needed them and you basically wandered them until you talked to the right person to advance the story which is pretty much what happens in XIII. Course this is a debate for another thread.

Query for anyone with a non-English version: Is it just as orgasmic with Vanille in other languages?

I'm curious now too but judging by her gestures in her summon... I figured it would be about the same. Using Vanille makes me feel dirty, its like using Rikku in well anything she's shown up in really.

[Rinoabella]

I might use Vanille but her battle cries were getting on my nerves in the previous chapter.

Haha I totally agree! That was the reason why I stopped using her. To me, she is the most interesting character, but her moans during battles is just annoying! I was hoping she would get over it after visiting Oerba, oh well.

[Wolf Kanno]

I think that's how she just is I'm afraid. If I played this game when my GF was around and she didn't see what I was doing she would probably accuse me of watching porn.

[Rinoabella]

LOL so true! Makes me feel uncomfortable

Question for those who have completed the game: After finishing, did you CP grind to get all your characters' Chrystariums maxed out in all roles? Should I do this now while at the end of Chapter 11? Or after completing the game?

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

The Crystarium's last level only unlocks post-game. :/

[Rinoabella]

Ah, thanks! Will just go and complete the game then

[Wolf Kanno]

Oh yeah... I'm going to be here for awhile. Doing missions and simply exploring has just been a nice break from the game.

Anyone else notice that the cost of leveling the Roles that are not your characters primary are horribly expensive?

I really wish the game a had a better monetary system cause upgrading equipment is an act of god without money. I need those damn Cauctars to start dropping their loot cause Wolf Needs cash if he's going to upgrade everyone some new toys.

[RedPouch]

I wonder if the script actually called for the character to make every noise that comes out of her mouth that isn't dialogue should sound like she's having an orgasm.

Oh, you thought it was orgasms huh? Strange. My brother and I decided that she was about to throw up.

[Raistlin]

It's definitely orgasms.

I really wish the game a had a better monetary system cause upgrading equipment is an act of god without money. I need those damn Cauctars to start dropping their loot cause Wolf Needs cash if he's going to upgrade everyone some new toys.

I have never gotten another cactuar doll to drop from a cactuar except for the very first battle. There's no real good place to grind for gil in chapter 11, but there is one completely random sidequest further on in the chapter which makes up for it.

[Crowseye]

If your characters are reasonably well-developed, you can farm Bituitis (Mark Mission 7 I believe) in the Archaeopolis part of the Massif zone for the Bomb Core x5 mission reward. They have a very good EXP value, and Bituitus might drop (rarely) the Tedradic Crown or (very rarely) Tiara, which can be sold or upgraded then dismantled for other good stuff, including Hermes Sandals/Sprint Shoes.

Bituitus is close to the C'ieth Stone, and once you accept the mission the first time you have no other enemies to deal with. The battle itself takes 30 seconds to no more than a minute for a good party.

Conceivably you could upgrade every item in your inventory, in its original form, to its max level before leaving Chapter 11 with very few money issues and maybe a long evening of farming. You will have a problem affording the catalysts for the more evolved forms though, at least until the sidequest I believe Raistlin was alluding to. Do as many Mark missions as you can, dig up stuff with a Chocobo, and open every treasure sphere you see -- that will get you some catalysts for a few of the weapons or good accessories until then.

[Wolf Kanno]

I'm mostly trying to do missions so I can find one that drops decent loot. If I had Vanille's death spell I could hunt the giant Adamantoises and get their drops but I have a feeling that won't happen anytime soon.

I'm just a bit disappointed cause I have barely used the Weapon system and have made it this far. I think the concept was neat but the execution is definetly lacking since you really do need either gil or enemies to start dropping more than 2 or 3 of their loot items per battle.

If I had know cash would be this hard to get, I would have stayed in Chapter 9 longer and farm the hell out of the soldiers til I maxed out gil or something.

Editga: I haven't sold any of my catalyst items (read the description and figured it would be safer to keep them), in fact I still have about 1 of every loot formed. Thanks for the tip on the Bomb Cores though. Now I just need an easy way to farm Barbed Tails or one of the other low tier loot that raises the XP Bonus.