Physical vs Magic attacks?

[metagloria]

Use MP or don't use MP?

Don't use MP.

Not strong enough without MP?

Level up!

[Depression Moon]

Use MP or don't use MP?

Don't use MP.

Not strong enough without MP?

Level up!

I don't see how this is plausible with characters like Yuna, Vivi, and Rydia.

[metagloria]

Use MP or don't use MP?

Don't use MP.

Not strong enough without MP?

Level up!

I don't see how this is plausible with characters like Yuna, Vivi, and Rydia.

Defend, or use weak physical attacks while everyone else does all the work. : )

My philosophy with MP (and items) is: Never use them, because you might need them later!

"But is it ever later?"

Yes. The final boss battle.

[Pumpkin]

But considering MP restores at Inns just like HP, isn't it a wasted resource if you don't use it, especially when just grinding or whatever? I have very very rarely run out of HP on my mages, like Vivi and Lulu

[Depression Moon]

For me it depends on the game and character. In games where people have specific classes I play according to the class. In games with switchable job classes I keep a balance between magic and physical users unless a specific boss or dungeon calls for something different. In VII I think I went almost all physical with the occasional summon, but I had Aeris act as a white mage and tried to make Cait Sith a blue mage, but it was difficult and with blue mages I most of the time just end up using their physical attacks majority of the time. In VIII just about everyone was physical. I had Selphie and Rinoa as my magic casters though. Selphie seems to be pretty weak in physical attacks.

[Loony BoB]

If I could get away with physical attacks, I'd opt for physical attacks. In most FF's (the obvious exception that springs to mind being FFXIII, where MP doesn't exist), MP is consumable and physical attacks are not and I hate running out of MP, bop pow bam worked for me just fine.

The exception to this is, of course, FFXIII where magic did not consume MP and magic/physical attacks were pretty well balanced because of this, just with different general effects.

[Depression Moon]

Which FFs are physical attacks consumable? Pokemon is the only RPG where I've found that to be true.

[Formalhaut]

I hardly ever used Auron's various breaks, because they all cost MP and he really doesn't have much to be playing around with.

[Lazerface]

For me it depends on the game and character. In games where people have specific classes I play according to the class. In games with switchable job classes I keep a balance between magic and physical users unless a specific boss or dungeon calls for something different. In VII I think I went almost all physical with the occasional summon, but I had Aeris act as a white mage and tried to make Cait Sith a blue mage, but it was difficult and with blue mages I most of the time just end up using their physical attacks majority of the time. In VIII just about everyone was physical. I had Selphie and Rinoa as my magic casters though. Selphie seems to be pretty weak in physical attacks.

I've found that to be somewhat true in some of the Final Fantasy games after FFVI. Especially when limit breaks and desperation attacks were thrown into the equation and rendered them just as good to use than magic but they took a long time to charge or they'd only work when you're on your last sliver of health. Now as for the best physical attacks on her I will say it has to be some of the monks abilities and Cloud's Omnislash. Sabin when he uses Phantom rush is straight up overpowered on the highest levels and Tifa when she uses all of her limit breaks plus Final Heaven. Overall physical is more powerful but it's time consuming and only strikes one enemy at a time. Unless that Monk is using kick like in FFV.

[Lazerface]

One thing I didn't get was FFXII International zodiac job system. I liked it, but I felt it was inaccurate.

[Loony BoB]

Which FFs are physical attacks consumable? Pokemon is the only RPG where I've found that to be true.

Fixed my post, I saw how it probably made you think that's what I meant. xD

[Lazerface]

If I wanted to say which would one up the other then I should look at FFVI and compare the damage from Sabin's Phantom Rush to Ultima and Omnislash to Ultima and Flare and I'll leave summons out of that. From there I'd see which would do the most damage in the long run then. Though you could hit many more times with physicals in a combo sort of way.

[Bubba]

It would obviously depend on the enemy you face as to which to use. If I had a preference though, I much prefer physical attacks. I love overpowering enemies with sheer force, especially when it doesn't use MP or anything.

[Dat Matt]

As said before, it depends on the game. I tend to favor magic users, however

For example, in FFXIV I play mages/ranged because I like distance.
In FFIX, the physical attackers physically attack, magic users use magic attacks
In FFVII and FFXIII where any character can fill any role, they mostly physically attack is it's more hassle for them to go into magic which is ususally sub-optimal to hitting them with a large blunt object.