SO3 : For the love of cheese help!

[Captain Maxx Power]

Zeromus_X! Ultima Shadow! Anybody! I need help!

OK, I've almost completed the game (sans Battle Trophies thanks to a faulty disc/memory card), but I'm basically getting my touche handed to me regularly. I heard talk of Orchialum or somesuch that'll help a lot, but I haven't the foggiest idea how to go about it. I'm using Fayt, Cliff and Albel as my main party (don't tell me I should use someone else, the other characters are severely underlevelled). I'm doing the second visit to the Shrine of Kadaan.

Basically, what can I do to power myself up at this point? SO3 distinctly lacks any side-quests for uber-gear. I'm currently Level 60ish.

[Mirage]

Just buff Maria and you won't need Orichalcum for the last boss. Maria's easy to level because you can solo enemies with her at 40, that you have problems with on level 70 with almost any other character.

[LunarWeaver]

Wow, I used this same exact team and when I got to the end boss I couldn't win. We have similar problems it seems.

I got so frustrated I just YouTubed the ending..Er, one of them.

I don't have much advice for you because I suck goatnuts at this game...Other then level up I guess. Good luck Maxx!

[Zeromus_X]

Orichalcum ruin the main game. I suggest waiting until you beat the game to even begin manufacturing them, they get expensive (as well as their superior, the Boots of Prowess), and IC is just tedious in this game in general. If you absolutely need them, use an Item Creation faq on Gamefaqs.

You do not have to fight every encounter. Some encounters are just made to simply hand your ass to you on a silver platter (I assume you had trouble with the spider robots earlier? Machine gun robots? Yeah.) If you're having a hard time, just ignore the encounters.

As for leveling up. The very best way (though costly) is to create five Rings of Erudition. Refine them fully, then Synthesize them to a Laser Weapon. Now anyone can equip a weapon that increases gained experience by 100%. (Five 10%s refined to five 20%s which means 100% experience gain).

But that too is tedious (considering many other trinkets overlap the Ring of Erudition's price), and also costs money. So...that leaves the stupendous, fantastic, wonderful Bonus Battle Guage!

However, you may have a problem keeping the BBG from shattering, let alone getting the '300% Experience Bonus'. To get the 300% Exp bonus, the last blow to fill the guage must be a minor attack. Since Albel is on your team, this shouldn't be a problem.

Now, for keeping it from shattering. The BBG will only shatter if you get hit by a critical hit (ciw), even if you're defense is at the point where all attacks do 0 damage. When in doubt, switch to a character that stays out of the way (though your party is mainly melee oriented, still, switch to another character and back off while the enemy is in a frenzy).

Your party. It's awesome! I used that party before. However, I switched Fate for Mirage for some hot Klausian action!

*ahem*

But anyway, Albel is best controlled manually by the player. I'd suggest disabling Fate's crappy spells so his AI doesn't just spam some worthless magic. Cliff is good enough, he just needs to hit things. Albel however, doesn't have very good AI. You just need to control him and use his wonderful short minor attack. You know the one. Later on, you can use better close range attacks like Hand of Doom (great damage), Aura Wall (incomparable stunlocking capabilities), and Vampiric Flash (costs alot of MP, but can refill your HP and MP. Best combined with a freezing weapon).

As for the best monster to gain experience from, the Blood Monster in the Shrine of Kaddan gives very good exp. With the BBG on, you can get about 10,000 exp a battle with him! He usually comes alone, so that's even better. Just slash at him while switching to another character away so the BBG won't break.

But you wanna know what's even better, Captain? Freezing! You may have been frozen before. Wanna know how you can obtain this wonderful ability?

You need Star Sapphire. This also comes from Item Creation. It may be hard to produce, but when synthed to a weapon, that weapon has the Freezing factor! Now you can "shatter-kill" enemies with ease! Combine it with things like Vampiric Flash, and Albel truly becomes wicked.

But, I understand you like Cliff better. Fists of Fury is a great skill for him, especially chained! Of course, he's just as good at smacking the enemy. Later on, you get the powerful Max Shockwave, which charges for awhile, but does supreme HP damage. Crescent Locus and Infinity Kick are great skills too (although one of those is in the bonus dungeons, I think).

Anyway, I hope I can help. SO3 can get pretty difficult near the end of the game, but don't give up hope! Unfortunately, Galaxy mode is way too easy for me, I don't even need to use IC. Why can't I share your guys' pain.

VP2 is almost here...more tri-Ace goodness... *salivates*

Edit: Maxx, most uber-gear comes from Item Creation (explaining why nobody ever acquires it) and the post-game dungeons. But the final equipment you can buy from Ruddle and Rumina's shop in Aquios should be fine for the end of the game. It's the northwestern-most house in Aquios, if I recall. Buy your Mythril Sword now!

[Ultima Shadow]

Zeromus_X pretty much summed it all up.

Avoid those "ball" enemies, as they can be a royal pain in the ass, especially in large numbers. The Shirine of Kaddan usually have some pretty nasty encounters so your main goal should be to make it to, and beat, the bosses in there only. Not fighting every singel enemy you encounter. If you ever get into a battle with an enemy you don't like to face, just escape.

Is there any specefic part that you find hard?

That Beholder-boss (big eye + tentacles) is really easy, so that shouldn't be a problem. If it uses that "circle-something" attack that absorbs HP and MP, just move out of the way (if the AI keeps attacking when you don't want it to, you can just temporary switch to "manual" and move away, then switch to another character etc) or use a dammaging item to interrupt the attack.

[ValkyrieWing]

...

You know, i didn't even have a problem with this part.

Of course, that could be because I went to the underground of the Ruins of Mosel really early, just to level up...and I HAD Orichalcum.

[Lynx]

woah woah woah you shouldnt have trouble in the shrine of kaddan on your 2nd visit at levels around 60 mine were in the high 40's. and i never needed orichlacam or anything infact i still dont undertsand the item creating things crafting writeing synthing any of them and ive beaten the game on level 55 and i played the hardest mode i could. im not bragging im jsut saying its all stratagy. since your on level 60 use air blade its like the greatest ability. wtach for attacks. i noticed a lot what id have to do is accept that everyone else was dead and fight solo because they werent any help so maybe just focusing on useing your strongest character will work? look out for only him. also i used sophia instead of albel in your case she helped a lot in keeping me alive so that might be why it was easier for me i had 2 fighters and 1 healer while you have 3 attackers? idk but good luck.

[Reine]

I had this exact same party in my first playthrough, it was awesome.

As for EXP, I had the rings of Erudition for most of the game after I could make them, and the 100% stacks with the 300% bonus battle, and you can get some incredible EXP with this

When playing it safe with this party, I always used Fayt to either cast Deep Freeze, or had him use a long range Dimension Door (Although I am not an expert player like Ultima Shadow and Zeromus X *yet*)

A word of advice, keep AWAY from the Polyhedra, the ballish enemies that have a permanent No Guard like effect, in general, sphere shaped enemies always give me a hard time (Like the ball of light enemies in dark places)

By using Item Creation, you can get stuff generally better than the stuff sold in Aquios, like the Veinslay for Fayt that I attached the five EXP+20% on, the Veinslay is his third most powerful weapon, the other two are found post game.

For battle skills, well, I generally use Side Kick + Air Raid cancel combos for Fayt, or a Charge + Air Raid, I used the latter so I could level Charge up to Level 10. Double Slash + Hand of Doom is my skill of choice for Albel, while Cliff, I cannot stress the importance of this, AERIAL ASSAULT, AERIAL ASSAULT, AERIAL ASSAULT. This move can be abused so badly, with its rather huge HP/MP damage, I often just link it to itself and go to town (Mirage and Cliff both with Aerial Assault = pwnage) Fists of Fury is great for stunlocking, but I found Aerial Assault to be the most effective move he has, until getting his secret skills post game.

If your chjaracters are getting MP killed to much or your spending a lot of items healing MP, I suggest equipping Regeneration Symbols or ven better, Rings of Mental Power, they regenerate your MP by 3% at set intervals, and the Ring when refined does it at 6%. It was a must have item for Cliff, as he has the lowest MP in the game, I think, either him or Roger..

Hmm, cant think of more info right this moment..

Seems SO3 is a game for the PRMs

[Mirage]

I like Hammer of Might (Cliff/Mirage) a lot myself. For Fayt I usually go for Sidekick frenzies, and for Maria i just cancel Scatter Beam forever, until I get Energy Burst, which is easily the most imba move in the game.

[Pharoh Amon Khan III]

I have a problem... I got UGH! Adray... How do I get Nel back and also how do I get Abel back too?

Adray is like Cloud in Final Fantasy Tactics... I don't know if he's a good characters, even though they talk about him like a legend in the game, (which is why I made the mistake of getting him and loosing my precious Nel), but I just don't have the desire to level him up...

NEL!!! Come back Nel!!! Oohohohohoooooo I'm sorry Nel! I'm sorry! Come back!!!!

[Mirage]

Adray is inevitable. No matter what you do, you get him.
The optional characters in the game are: Nel, Albel, Peppita and Roger.
To get Albel, you have to talk to him in the Kirlsa inn while he is still in your party, and for Nel, I don't remember, cause I always got her by default. I don't think it's possible to get Nel if she didn't come at the top of the training facility, right before you left the planet or whatever.

[Ultima Shadow]

Adray is inevitable. No matter what you do, you get him.
The optional characters in the game are: Nel, Albel, Peppita and Roger.
To get Albel, you have to talk to him in the Kirlsa inn while he is still in your party, and for Nel, I don't remember, cause I always got her by default. I don't think it's possible to get Nel if she didn't come at the top of the training facility, right before you left the planet or whatever.

Actually... it's possible to get both Albel and Nel afterwards (if you didn't get Roger and Peppita already, that is). For Nel, I think you just need to talk to her after returning to Elicor II. For Albel, you need to speak to that old guy (can't remember his name) in the mansion in Kirsla, and then go to the Lava Caves... or something like that.

[Pharoh Amon Khan III]

Adray is inevitable. No matter what you do, you get him.
The optional characters in the game are: Nel, Albel, Peppita and Roger.
To get Albel, you have to talk to him in the Kirlsa inn while he is still in your party, and for Nel, I don't remember, cause I always got her by default. I don't think it's possible to get Nel if she didn't come at the top of the training facility, right before you left the planet or whatever.

"Where oh where, are you tonight? Why did you leave me here all alone? I searched the world over and thought I found true love, you met another and pfft! you were gone..."

So these optional characters... Can you get 'em all like Pokemon, or is there a limit to your roster of active members?

[Ultima Shadow]

So these optional characters... Can you get 'em all like Pokemon, or is there a limit to your roster of active members?

Out of Nel, Albel, Peppita and Roger, you can only choose 2. So if you go for Albel and Nel, you can't get Roger and Peppita etc.

[Pharoh Amon Khan III]

So these optional characters... Can you get 'em all like Pokemon, or is there a limit to your roster of active members?

Out of Nel, Albel, Peppita and Roger, you can only choose 2. So if you go for Albel and Nel, you can't get Roger and Peppita etc.

I have
Fayt,
Sophia,
Cliff,
Maria,
Mirage,
Roger,
Peppita,
Adray

So is there a way at all to get Abel or Nel... Any at all?