Final Fantasy XII

[Seven]

Wait until you get the Excalibur and Ultima Sword and you'll wonder why even bother summoning espers or casting offensive spells.

On a different note, the graphics never fail to amaze me. Try walking around Rabanastre and Lowtown and just notice the intricacy and detail of the architecture. Even the floor tiles amaze me enough where I start thinking it would be nice to have that style in the floorplan of my house. I heard the design team traveled to Turkey to get ideas on architecture and background designs.

I haven't seen a game yet that has that much detail in the city backgrounds, but I don't play that many games.

What's really sad is that a majority of the game players will just run past this stuff that the team worked really hard on and never notice it. Even worse is when said people start moaning that the graphics are a travesty and that FF10 had better graphics. I'll never understand it. I can take screen caps from both games and its really obvious which one is graphically more detailed and visually impressive, but alot of people still have this sentiment.

[Warmaker]

I might have to check the game out. The FF games have disappointed me ever since FF 7 and 3.

[mister_e]

Well, I'm a couple more hours in (avg party member level is 14) and I'm starting to get frustrated. Basically, I feel monsters hit too often for too much damage. This effectively takes one of my party members out of combat because they spend all of their time using potions or casting Cure. Then that person runs out of MP (which doesn't take long since they cast Cure on every turn) and I start dying because everyone's max MP is so low. I'm always buying potions, I go through them like water. Plus, I still don't have access to very useful spells. I know I messed up earlier in the game with my random and inconsistent choices on the License Board. I'm seriously contemplating starting over, but 13 hours seems like a lot of time to just throw away. Any tips/suggestions from those that have mastered the game?

[Seven]

Well, I'm a couple more hours in (avg party member level is 14) and I'm starting to get frustrated. Basically, I feel monsters hit too often for too much damage. This effectively takes one of my party members out of combat because they spend all of their time using potions or casting Cure. Then that person runs out of MP (which doesn't take long since they cast Cure on every turn) and I start dying because everyone's max MP is so low. I'm always buying potions, I go through them like water. Plus, I still don't have access to very useful spells. I know I messed up earlier in the game with my random and inconsistent choices on the License Board. I'm seriously contemplating starting over, but 13 hours seems like a lot of time to just throw away. Any tips/suggestions from those that have mastered the game?

Don't set all your characters to gambits that prioritize healing. Use one character for that, and make sure that character uses ranged attacks to keep him/her out of the melee. So in one team of three, make one the healer, while the other two are the attackers.

Make sure to prioritize learning all of the license board augments that add HP bonuses. Also, I used mainly light armor, since light armor adds HP bonuses. Heavy armor may provide higher defense but the addition of +50 to +100 hp from light armor is much more helpful.

I adapted two different strategies for healing depending on when I am in regular battles versus boss battles. When in regular battles, I use healing gambits that use the Cure/Cura spells with a higher percentage trigger (<70% HP). When in boss battles, where response needs to be quick, I use gambits that use potions/hipotions with a lower percentage trigger (<60% HP). Both of these are augmented by learning augments from the license board that increase magic or potion potency.

I do not think you have to start over. You can just stay at Lhusu Mines and spend time leveling and building up LP. Then you can move on from there after you are in better position. I did this myself to build up money and LP, and after I learned the proper augments, it made the rest of the game much easier.

[wolfx]

Started playing FF12 finally. Its pretty good.....spent 1s hour watching cinematic....then walk around no fighting....zzzz....then fight abit....cinematic....fight abit more story...not too bad.

About Vaan....zomg....he's freakin gay lookin....his character reminds me of Disney's Aladdin. Heck he's even a "street rat" sorta character.

And princess ashe....wtf...she going clubbing or going around killing baddies? Everyone wants to wear full plated body armor but she goes on and wear that sad excuse for a pink skirt.....metal underwear beneath?

[Skull Leader]

Started playing FF12 finally. Its pretty good.....spent 1s hour watching cinematic....then walk around no fighting....zzzz....then fight abit....cinematic....fight abit more story...not too bad.

About Vaan....zomg....he's freakin gay lookin....his character reminds me of Disney's Aladdin. Heck he's even a "street rat" sorta character.

And princess ashe....wtf...she going clubbing or going around killing baddies? Everyone wants to wear full plated body armor but she goes on and wear that sad excuse for a pink skirt.....metal underwear beneath?

... you question the short skirt? NEVER question the short skirt

[wolfx]

And is it me or is this game HARD....i got pwned by Garuda....and the Nibollgg hunt is hard.....

I think i got to do a side quest before going after Garuda. Geh....i was so lazy to explore the whole sandsea place and went the most direct route to the tomb.

[Seven]

And is it me or is this game HARD....i got pwned by Garuda....and the Nibollgg hunt is hard.....

I think i got to do a side quest before going after Garuda. Geh....i was so lazy to explore the whole sandsea place and went the most direct route to the tomb.

Actually, it was quite easy for me once I got my gambits down. Seriously if you think this is hard, then Final Fantasy Tactics would've given you an aneurysm.

As for the "Vaan is gay looking" comment... meh, I've heard that complaint thousands of times and you know what, since when has ANY Final Fantasy main protagonist been a macho womanizing hulk recently? You have Cloud and Squall, the emo-boys, Zidane the monkey boy, Ramza the effeminate, Tidus the boy band sports hero, etc. Blame it on the Japanese gamers for responding stronger to more effeminate main characters in their Final Fantasy games and Square marketing on wanting to make the games appealing to teenage girls to capture their market share. I could go on and on, but its just easier to tell you to switch Vaan out and use Balthier or Basch for your main character.

Hint for Garuda: Ground based attacks don't work. Use ranged attacks, so I hope you have at least one person that can use bows/guns. Vossler will help anyways. Also, get the berry from the Urutan people after killing the Urutan Eater. Then feed it to Garuda for an easier battle.

It also sounds like you are rushing through the game and not leveling a bit before continuing.

[wolfx]

Hmm...levelling...i dunno. From the past FF games, the monster difficulty levels are usually adjusted according to your characters' level, so it is possible to say, play FF7 without levelling up and getting the ultimate weapons, with final Sephiroth only dealing 200-500 damage max to you.

Currently i am having money problems.....there just isn't enough to go around equipping your guys. YOu need money for magic, you need money for armour, you need money for weapons...bah. Selling loot doesn't seem to help either.....and where the heck do i get more teleport crystals? >_>

Actually the game isn't too hard yet...i was just annoyed that i had to flee on a number of occasions cause there was no way to win them, namely on the Leviathan, and the Lhusu Mines. (flee? Can't remember a FF game where i had to flee) And i was really peeved when i keep failing to hit that last few 100 HPs left on Nilbolgg cause when he's at critical HP, he starts hitting you with combos or his attack time is only 1-2 seconds.....despite having a slow spell casted on him. >_< Probably i'll be back later with better equipment.

And about Garuda, yeah that's probably the side quest i have not done. Ouh well. I got too lazy after seeing 3-4 paths that led to the same place.

And about Vaan....at least Cloud and Squall were cool. But zomg Tidus and Vaan... >_< I prefer Han Solo..uhh..i mean Balthier to be the hero any day. Or maybe they should make a moogle a hero. Yeah that would be cool with the girls.

Edited December 13, 2006 by wolfx