Guides and walkthroughs

[Raian the Fallen]

When do you use walkthroughs, if at all?

I only use walkthroughs during my second playthrough, to help with missables and just help me reach 100% completion. I'm a huuuuuuge completionist :V

[Jiro]

I only use guides to know when collectables are coming up. I prefer the no-spoiler ones quite thoroughly. Checklists are just as nice.

I'm just usually not interested in repeating asinine collectable quests more than twice, so I get it over and done with the first time.

It's been a long time since I was stuck on where to go or how to beat a puzzle/section, though it has happened in the past. Guides save controllers.

[Bolivar]

I do use them on first playthroughs if I'm stuck on what to do next or can't beat a certain boss. Sometimes I also use them before the final dungeon to see what side quests I can do and prepare. I like to try to see all the content of a game on the first playthrough, I did pretty much the same for Chrono Trigger (although there it's more obvious what the side scenarios are). So for most games, I might check out GameFAQs once or twice.

Ironically, second playthrough are when I don't use a guide. If I go back to a game, it's to enjoy the story and characters and the mechanics itself, not necessarily to have a "perfect" file. If it's a game with an insane amount of depth to it, that I go back to multiple times for different reasons, like FFXII, I'll use a guide then. Actually that's one game I kind of do want the perfect on.

Guides save controllers.

You should pitch that to Brady Games as a slogan.

[Del Murder]

I used to buy the guide for all the FF games back in the day. I have or had VII, VIII, IX, and X-2. These days I play through the game on my own and only use the walkthrough to go back and get what I missed, find sidequests, etc. I did buy the FFXIII guide but that was mainly for my girlfriend, though I did use the information on the upgrade system quite a bit.

[VeloZer0]

I generally only look at guides for insight into game mechanics. So many times I will be playing a game be be wondering "how does 'x' work". Knowing what is going on behind the scenes really helps me enjoy the experience. With random shots in the dark I usually just give up because I don't find it enjoyable.

[Flying Arrow]

I used to use them to find out how to acquire rare items or random drops or find out how to complete obtuse side quests. I've since stopped doing that because I tend to not look too kindly anymore on games that require grinding for rare drops.

[Depression Moon]

I had one for X and XII. The one for XII I think was highly needed, well not entirely because in this day and age you have GameFAQs which is free, but I do like the convenience of not having to go into the other room to look something up when I have a guide in the room with me. For XII you would miss a lot of stuff without the guide. You might not know until it's too late that you missed a great item from a random treasure chest and you would never know about getting the Zodiac Spear without it. I never bothered to get it myself as I found it boring and taking out the fun like the Excalibur II quest, but if you're a completionist the guide would help you greatly in regards to quests in XII.

[Raian the Fallen]

...the Excalibur II quest.

Speaking of Excalibur II in Final Fantasy IX, I consider that a challenge; not for 100% completion. Of course you need it if you want a perfect save, but for a general 100%, I wouldn't require it.

[Wolf Kanno]

I tend to buy guides more for the official artwork than the actual guide part. I usually use them for second playthroughs only unless its something like MegaTen where having a fusion chart can save time and controllers... as Jiro said. I tend to want the first experience of the game to feel as natural as possible, and I feel having a guide telling you how to do everything and where to go to get overpowered items tend to cheapen the gaming experience. In fact, its because RPGs and some games tend to put in game-breaking items into their games that I tend to avoid using guides.

I mostly use them for the second playthrough cause I play mostly for game mechanics now that I know the plot and don't feel obligated to rush to each new story segment. That's when I do that perfect file, though some games tend to be elusive...

[Jiro]

Unless I am absolutely trouthaus at a game, I won't (ab)use gamebreaking items or equipment. I need to have it for brownie points though.

[MJN SEIFER]

When I first started, I had a walktrough close by in case it was needed. I have quite a few for FFVII, one for FFVIII, the official for FFIX and the offical for FFIX and an unofficial one for it too.

All my unoffical ones were free with magazines, except my favorite which I lost, which was part of a cheats book - it was for FFVII, and it was awesomely worded - it gave no spoilers at all (The Final Fantasy VII Spoiler, is spoiled in all the other guides I had, but thankfully I played it before hand). My FFVIII book from what I remember was pretty careful with spoilers, but it gave away things that are impossible not to spoil such as (SPOILER)Seifer being alive, but it also revealed (SPOILER)That they all knew eachother, but it didn't explain it very well, so I wasn't expecting it to be as amazing as it was.. The official FFIX guide was okay and helpful in places, but it showed the bare minimum - 50% of it was "Find Out More On PLAYONLINE" - which doesn't exist anymore as far as I can see, the Offiical FFX Guide avoided doing this thankfully, and was very well described. Finally the unofficial FFX guide was interesting because it tried to be different - it is meant to be written from Tidus's perspective (presumably because Tidus narrates the game to some degree), however by the time "Opperation Mihen" is reached it suddenly stops doing in this, and reverts to the style of every other guide.

I wish I could find my Favorite VII one...

[Jessweeee♪]

The first time around, no. If it's a game that's at least a couple of years old, I'll go on the internet and ask about general tips or major missables (like Zodiac Spear omg), but other than that I like to explore it on my own. If I get so stuck that I need to take a break, I might look up a strategy or what to do next. After that first play through I scour all the guides I can find to learn every little aspect of the game mechanics so I can learn how to break it wide open.

[Pike]

For me, it sort of depends on the game and type of guide. My guide for FFTA is battered and dogeared because I used it as a class/spell/weapon reference SO MUCH.

I also read this "Harvest Moon relationships walkthrough" on GameFAQs pretty religiously for a while when I got to the waifu simulator part of the game.

But I don't really like the ones that walk. You. Through. Every. Step. Of. The. Game. They tend to take a lot of fun out of the game, imo.

[Raian the Fallen]

But I don't really like the ones that walk. You. Through. Every. Step. Of. The. Game. They tend to take a lot of fun out of the game, imo.

Yeah, same here. That's why if I ever do get stuck, I look up that one part.

[Carl the Llama]

I used a guide for the Feathers... all you fellow brothers of the creed know of what I speak.

I also buy guides if they are limited edition (I have the limited edition XII and XIII guides).