My FFIX Challenges journal

[Ergroilnin]

Hey there guys,

I always wanted to do something like this but I never had the patience, time or simply skills for it. Since I am on paid break because of health problems, I have plenty of time that I have to spend in bed, so I kinda figured out that this could be a nice way to spend a bit of it, since I love FFIX the most and I never actually done any challenges on it.

I plan on playing two challenges parallel at the same time.

One game is going to be lvl1 game and the second one is gonna be getting excalibur II on PAL version with FMVs.

I never done neither of these two and I am not going to use walkthrough for any of them. Perhaps I will look just what times other people usually are at the end of each discs, so I know if I am on the right way or if I should backtrack and get better times (I am not masochist enough to play totally by myself to see that I simply can't deal with lich unless I backtrack three discs back >_<).

Also since I no longer have my ps (well I do, but it's already dead, R.I.P.), I will be playing it on ePSXe 1.9.0. I don't plan on using any advantages it could bring like save states etc. tho.

I will be updating this topic daily with my progress on both of these, each upgrade gonna have it's own post (unless it's against rules?). I will also try to make a some screenshots so it's not just a wall of text.


I hope I am gonna entertain at least some of you a bit.

Look forward to this!

[Sephiroth]

I plan on playing two challenges parallel at the same time.

One game is going to be lvl1 game and the second one is gonna be getting excalibur II on PAL version with FMVs.

This is gonna take much time, I did them. Excalibur is something you might think of as cool since it is actually an actual challenge that is rewarded ingame but restarting the game again and again to get rewarded in the end for doing the low level-run is something you really need to be detemined to. It is nothing for instant gratification as long as you don't see it like "and now I have finished a certain chapter on a low level".

I wish you best of luck and fun, however.

[Ergroilnin]

Perhaps I worded it badly. I meant that I am going to play two different games at once, both having their own saves. I am not crazy enough to do it in one game.

EDIT: Or actually I am not sure if you got me and I don't get you Either way I already started both games and I am gonna make my first update later today. I already replayed FFIX normally so many times that I want to do it differently for once (or actually twice).

[Sephiroth]

Yes, I understood what you have meant. One challenge is difficult enough, however. Excalibur can be found pretty easily if you know what to do, you can even train fast enough above Gizarmaluke's grotto but the Level 1 challenge is something completely different. Funny, as I think, but difficult.

[Ergroilnin]

Well I have enough time anyway atm so I will see how it's gonna go. If the level 1 challenge proves to be as hard as you're saying, I may eventually stop it, but I will at least try.

And tbh, the excalibur challenge is probably going to prove very hard on me as well. I do remember the game and the mechanics very well, but I never want to rush forward. For example I usually spend tens of hours in the chocobo forests.

I myself am curious just how well or badly will I do. That's partially the reason I want to write down my journey through it as well.

[Sephiroth]

You know that you can only win in certain battles with certain weapons like Quina's fork of the Zaghnol?

[Ergroilnin]

Yeah that one I do know. Through the years I read many FAQs and watched many youtube videos for pure enternainment so I do remember quite alot. Not to say I remember everything tho so perhaps I will have to redo some parts. That is something I look forward to as well to be honest, since it is the part of the experience.

[Ergroilnin]

Okay!

First actual update on my progress is here.

So far I got both of my games right after evil forest, so don't expect many screenshots as there isn't much to see.

Level 1 Challenge:

Okay so this I started as usual, watching the FMV, setting speed to maximum afterwards, lightening the candle etc. Nothing interesting.

I picked every treasure in alexandria and went along the story.

Since this is LL game, I really wanted a boost in the beginning so I told myself I would get 100 impressed nobles for 10k gil and Moonstone. After trying for two whole hours, I gave up after getting to 98 and 96 multiple times. I suck at things like these and I simply can't be bothered to spend more time.

I actually wanted to get the silk shirt along with more gil. but I missclicked that I want to redo the show after 98 impressed nobles and I couldn't get that much in next ten minutes so I gave up on silk shirt as well. I really suck at this!

I simply continued, tried to steal stuff from Steiner along the way and did everything up to the Evl Forest boss. The boss itself is really easy. but this is the first time I had to soft restart the game until I won the odds. In order for everyone to stay lvl 1, you need to get lucky enough that only 2 Forest Spiders spawn in the forced battle. Both 3 and 4 will give you level up and if you try to soak the exp with Blank, the level will later carry on to Amarant, ruining his pure level 1. This took me just about 6 tries so it wasn't too maddening.

Afterwards I saved on the world map and went to my excalibur challenge.

ff1.png

Dont mind the long time, as I said, I tried to win the Moonstone, but after giving up I didn't restart.


Excalibur II Challenge:

Now for this one. I am using the start trick for saving time after each FMV, since I can't skip them, but so far I am not sure if the trick works on ePSXe. Well nothing to lose by trying.

I started the same, watching the FMV, setting highest speeds and then went to the battle with Baku. I was lucky enough that I stole everything Mage Masher included on the first round, first try. I killed myself afterwards for faster advance.

I decided I won't be picking much of the optional stuff like cards, a little gils, chests without anything particular, so I simply picked up Ether and Phoenic Pinion with Vivi and went along the story. I didn't care enough to try and get the Moonstone and the Gils after my last experience and considering I would have to restart my game after each or perhaps every two attempts.

After the crash in forest, I tried about twenty times to get to the boss without an encounter, but I didn't manage to. After remembering how unlucky I am my whole life about that one encounter in the first area, I just gave in and killed that one goblin.

Again I did just what I had to, I didn't try to steal from Baku this time and killed him in fastest possible way. Later on I bought some stuff from Cinna and went to save Garnet. This time without any encounter on the whole way. I was extremely unlucky at the boss, he kept killing my charas etc, so by estimate it took me about 35 tries, Thankfully I didn't have to care about the number of spiders.

I also decided that I will be comparing my time with two other sources each time I update this.

Gamefaqs perfect FF9 file with skipping FMVs by Atomos199 time: 00:53:33
Youtube FF9 perfect game without skipping FMVs by rlouisw: estimated 01:00:00 (no save on the world map).
My time:
ff1-2.png

Considering he's doing perfect game, while I just rush through, picking up just the most important stuff, but also considering this is my first try ever... I am kind of okay with my time. I will be harder on myself from now on tho. Also, I am not sure, if both Atomos and rlouisw times are from NTSC or PAL versions.

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So far, so good I would say on both of them. So far I am having fun even with multiple resets on primitive parts. If any reader has any comment on my progress, writing style or anything, please tell me. This is my first journal ever and also my first FF9 challenges so ANY comments are welcomed.

[Jinx]

How does one even do a Level 1 challenge without leveling up...?

[Ergroilnin]

Well there are multiple ways tto avoid getting exp and to simply get AP from battles. Only exception is the end of the third disc, where you are forced to accept exp in three forced battles. There are multiple ways of doing this, one can for example soak all the exp with Zidane, leaving 7 outta 8 chars on lvl 1, or you can share it to keep many people at still very low level etc. I will be deciding on this much later tho.

[Ergroilnin]

Here goes the next update:

Level 1 Challenge:

This one was not as bad as I thought it would be honestly.

I picked up everything on the way to the frozen moogle and saved. Although on the way here I ran into few battles and noticed that I have really hard time fleeing by L1+R1, so I usually was forced to use "Flee" and lost a few gils on the way there.

For the boss battle I had hard time thinking out strategy as I wasn't able to survive. I had to retry this battle like 6 times. After some twinking I finally found out that to sucessfully survive and steal mythril dagger at the same time, I have to put Zidane in front, kill the wizard, steal the dagger all before hitting the trance and then attack sealion once normally and finally finish him off with tidal flame.

ff2.png


Excalibur 2 Challenge:

Now this one was pure hell with all the screens, items to get, encounter rate etc.

After my level 1 playthrough I decided which chest to get and which aren't worth it. I decided I should pick up Tent, Ether and Mage Masher. I really wanted Leather wrist too but decided it's not worth my time. I also decided that I don't want a single encounter on my way to the moogle. For the first time I used the changing screen trick to reset encounter rate and after messing up and being simply unlucky, I finally managed to pull through after about 30 tries.

Now for the boss battle, I used the same strategy I came up on level 1 challenge, while also stealing extra ether for more money. Since Zidane is level 2 atm, it was easier. The area after the boss can theoretically be done without any encounter, but that is extremely unlikely and not really worth aiming for. One encounter is fine as is. And I managed to get only one encounter on my very first try that I managed to kill the boss. Lucky!

Gamefaqs perfect FF9 file with skipping FMVs by Atomos199 time: 01:02:14
Youtube FF9 perfect game without skipping FMVs by rlouisw: estimated 01:11:39
My time:
ff2-2.png

Seriously I am not sure how the hell do they come up with these times. Well they are much better than me and they both probably tried much harder for these times as well. Still I don't think I am too far off from rlouisw time so far so I think it's fine.

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This area really gave me troubles on both challenges, I am happy I finally managed to get it over with. Now I am off to the most plain place in the game (at least in my opinion). The village of Dali.

[Freya]

OHHH I just remembered. The boss battles don't give you xp THAT'S how you do it! I dunno HOW you'll do it but goodluck.

I tried an excalibur run before. I always get distracted by chocobo hot and cold though....

[Ergroilnin]

Yeah they only give a nice ammount of APs.

I can totally see how you get distracted by it,, but since I am also running lvl1, I will just satisfy my hot n cold cravings here.

Also... I absolutely love your signature haha.

[Ergroilnin]

Yet next update is here!

Level 1 Challenge:

The village of Dali is really simple place, just lots of unnecessary text. It is important to prepare yourself for the cotton robe trick tho, meaning one has to buy as many wrists as he can. Since I didn't get the 10k gil from the swordfight, I couldn't really buy that much.

I went with the story, looted the underground, easily killed both waltz 2 and 3 and arrived to Lindblum. I must say that the FMVs on the ship are one of my favourites. Poor Vivi and also Vivi rules!

Since this challenge isn't time restricted, Lindblum is really easy going place. All I did was loot some optional chests and mainly, I did the cotton robe trick for making some money for my other purchases. As for the hunt, it is absoluely mandatory to steal the needle fork from zaghnol, else one can't pass gizamaluke's grotto without leveling up. I managed to get it on my fourth restart, my earlier tries failed on either tent not working, me not stealing, or me unequipping silk robe off Zidane and dying to thunder.

I also decided that I want Coral Ring as my reward, so I kind of exploited the wait ATB system. Once I successfully stole the fork, I simply entered some command menu and waited till the time ran out.

ff3.png


Excalibur II Challenge:

This whole part from Dali to finishing Lindblum almost made me cry.

I ran through the Dali as fast as I could, bought tons of Wrists, made it to the waltz 2 only to realize that I can't win without Iron Sword that I didn't steal from Baku way back in the Evil Forest. This realization took me four or five resets alone.

Thus, I had to redo one earlier save. I had to redo the Dali and buy one Iron sword along the wrists, thanks god I only had to jump back so little. This was in the end only my own fault for rushing through things without thinking ahead.

Once I got back to the waltz 2... I couldn't somehow kill him anyway! He kept killing me with his Fira and I was really confused why, since he didn't use it on me at all on the level 1 challenge. After spending two hours retrying, I finally managed to solve the puzzle. He won't fira as counter as long as the character he targeted last time dies right before he drops below 50% HP. Seems like I was incredibly lucky on the lvl1 and he killed the character himself. So after I finally done him good, guess what? I died on waltz 3 because I didn't equip vivi with silk robe! I will make this short... I got there once again, only to die off a missclick.

Well it took me quite a while but I got to the Lindblum at last.

Now since this IS time restricted challenge, I couldn't simply take my time doing the cotton robe trick, I had to go and actually make my own shopping list for exact amounts of what each transaction. Like "sell 5 cotton robes, buy 8 steepled hats; sell 8 cotton robes, buy 16 steepled hats" etc. and then after the shopping is done, you also gotta get the game right before the festival in one go.

Since this was one of the parts that relied purely on skill and not on blessing of the RNG, I wanted to do this part as perfectly as I could, meaning I retried the shopping about twenty times and then settling for a little error anyway, cause my D-pad is so wobbly that I couldn't simply make no mistake. Damn cheap gamepads. After the run I was ok with, I had to redo this again because I was all text skip happy and I flew to bad district.

On the very next try tho I managed to get it done just fine and I saved before the festival.

Now I stood before the choice of spending about ten more minutes here and get the needle fork, or skip this. The needle fork is needed for lvl 1 challenge, but since this game is purely getting the Excalibur II, I can level however I want meaning even forced black mages in gizamaluke's grotto are ok.

Since I decided to save me the time, I suicuded in the first encounter possible, thankfully Freya wins the competition automatically if noone else has been announced yet, meaning I still get the awesome Coral Ring.

I went to the base level, picked up tent, sold the rest of cotton robes, bought few potions, phoenix downs and tents and saved a somewhere in first third of way between Lindblum and Qu Marsh on the world map.

Gamefaqs perfect FF9 file with skipping FMVs by Atomos199 time: 02:07:43
Youtube FF9 perfect game without skipping FMVs by rlouisw: 02:16:56 (estimated PAL time 02:29:19).
My time:
ff3-2.png

Not bad I think. Still mad props to them having such times with perfect game. Crazy.

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Overall I am very happy with my progress on both challenges. Also the more maddening part, the better and more satisfying feeling after conquering it.

Look forward next update!

[Freya]

How do you keep everyone from leveling? Zombie? And also do the skills help you defeat bosses? It's boggling my mind how you're defeating bosses at level one!