The Final Fantasy XII Thread!

[Rasix]

Gesundheit.

[Yegolev]

Pazaak.  That was good because it was simple and rather superfluous.

[Glazius]

Chocobo Hot & Cold was great, mostly because it eventually put you in touch with Chocobuddha.

Now, Tetra Master, that was something that could stand to be carved from the rest of the game with a rusty spoon.

--GF

[StGabe]

Those replies help a lot.

I am just trying to understand items again.  Is there a way for me to tell in game (or a good list out of game) for what weapons benefit from which stats?  And which boosts I can get from which armors?

I was thinking of making Penelo a support caster in mystic armor with a katana (as apparently that boosts damage with magic?).  Does that make sense?

[Trippy]

I am just trying to understand items again.  Is there a way for me to tell in game (or a good list out of game) for what weapons benefit from which stats?  And which boosts I can get from which armors?

Strat guide has that stuff. Gamefaqs.com might as well.

I was thinking of making Penelo a support caster in mystic armor with a katana (as apparently that boosts damage with magic?).  Does that make sense?

Yes. However Katana's won't be available for a while so you'll need to have her wield something else before then.

[Hoax]

Spoilers:  Rank 2 Hunt fight question (Gazia during rainy season)

How in the fuck do I kill the "croakadile"??  He uses regen (even when silenced) to auto full heal himself whenever he gets to about 10% hp.  Anyone beat that fucker yet because he's been annoying the hell out of me.

[/color]

So here is what I've been doing with characters although I change my mind often:

Vaan -  Sword/Shield, lt. armor, green/white/blk
Penelo - Dagger/Bow, mystic armor, green/white/blk
Balthier - Gun/Katana, lt. armor, blk/white
Basch - Spear, hvy armor, white
Fran - Axe/Bow, hvy armor, white/blk
Ashe - Staff/Rod, mystic armor, green/white/blk

No good reasons for all that though, tbh the stats dont have huge variances that I've seen @ just short of L20.

[Rasix]

I was thinking of making Penelo a support caster in mystic armor with a katana (as apparently that boosts damage with magic?).  Does that make sense?

That's what I'm doing.  You might want to have her use bows/spears until then as the katanas are in that general direction. And like Trippy said, you get katanas later, around lvl 17-18.

[StGabe]

What other weapons (if any) get boosts from magic?  Speed (any?)?  Everything else is strength?

I've always relied on GameFaqs (which doesn't have the information I am after).  I guess that has always worked better for me because I tend to play these games a year or two after they come out (that and, to my enjoyment, this FF has a lot more interesting character development than the past ones have).

[Trippy]

Spoilers:  Rank 2 Hunt fight question (Gazia during rainy season)

How in the fuck do I kill the "croakadile"??  He uses regen (even when silenced) to auto full heal himself whenever he gets to about 10% hp.  Anyone beat that fucker yet because he's been annoying the hell out of me.

I'm not that far yet but why not nuke him down with Quickenings right before he gets to that point?

[Trippy]

What other weapons (if any) get boosts from magic?  Speed (any?)?  Everything else is strength?

1H Weapons
Axes & Hammers: Strength, Vitality, Attack power vs enemy's defense
Daggers: Strength, Speed, Attack power vs enemy's defense
Measures: Attack power (defense ignored)
Swords: Strength, Attack power vs enemy's defense
Maces: Magick Power, Attack power vs enemy's defense

2H Weapons
Greatswords: Strength, Attack power vs enemy's defense
Katanas: Strength, Magick Power, Attack power vs enemy's defense
Ninja Swords: Strength, Speed, Attack power vs enemy's defense
Spears: Strength, Attack power vs enemy's defense
Poles: Strength, Attack power vs enemy's Magick defense (not regular defense)
Rods: Strength, Attack power vs enemy's defense
Staves: Strength, Magick Power, Attack power vs enemy's defense

Ranged Weapons
Bows: Strength, Speed, Attack power vs enemy's defense
Crossbows: Strength, Attack power vs enemy's defense
Guns: Attack power (defense ignored, guns never miss)
Hand Bombs: Strength, Vitality, Attack power vs enemy's defense

Edit: Katanas and Ninja Swords are 2H weapons

[Rasix]

I think I can get to level 20 in WoW faster than I did in FFXII.  I keep forgetting about quickenings.  Probably because there's no reliable way to get ethers yet and I suck bad enough at quickenings that they aren't insta kills for me. Plus, not all of the party has them yet. 

LPs have started getting stingy (I sure wasted enough) but at least I now have the trinket that gives you double LPs.

Here's a helpful hit for folks: do hunts when you've got a guest.  Free DPS and some of them aren't made of paper (I'm looking at you, Larsa.. damn kid). 

[Trippy]

Here's a helpful hit for folks: do hunts when you've got a guest.  Free DPS and some of them aren't made of paper (I'm looking at you, Larsa.. damn kid). 

Yeah but he's a potion quaffing machine (he has his own, unlimited supply).

[StGabe]

Awesome, thanks for the weapon info.

[Trippy]

Awesome, thanks for the weapon info.

Don't get too hung up on "stat matching". Each weapon type behaves slightly different and those differences are often more interesting than trying to min/max stats. Also as you play you may pick up a weapon that are far better than what is available in stores at the moment which might cause you to juggle who can wield what type of weapon.

[Quinton]

Awesome, thanks for the weapon info.

Don't get too hung up on "stat matching". Each weapon type behaves slightly different and those differences are often more interesting than trying to min/max stats. Also as you play you may pick up a weapon that are far better than what is available in stores at the moment which might cause you to juggle who can wield what type of weapon.

Elemental affinity seems to make a pretty huge impact.   Basch is currently using spears in my party.  Against a weak-to-lightning enemy, he was doing about 1400 damage with the best spear I had.  Just for grins, I swapped in a spear that was 12 levels lower in attack power but did lightning damage -- and he started hitting for about 2200 damage. 

I haven't tested it extensively, but it seemed like the spear in question was doing about 2x its base damage against critters that were lightning-weak.  Having a reason to not toss gear immediately after getting something with slightly better stats is something I like.

I've used armor that reduces elemental damage taken by 50% in a boss battle or two and it certainly made a pretty huge difference too.  Status effects also seem to be a bit more significant than in some previous final fantasies -- perhaps it's less of an issue if your party is massively overleveled.

-Q

[Merusk]

Status effects, gah I hate those.  I keep hunting for gambits that are "Ally= <status>" just so I can bot my white-magic.   

Hm.. I just realized what I typed.  Hooplah, healing sucks in ALL games!

I'm realizing I've also spent far, far too much time just hanging out killing shit for LPs.  I'm finally to the point Penlo joins as a permanent member, and she had 1200LPs for me to spend.  She wasn't able to get all the stuff Fran (who was in-filling as "Black & Green mage" until I got a character with decent magick power) has. 

  I think if I continue at this rate, I'm going to wind-up filling-out my License grids by ~30.  That's nuts.

[Quinton]

Status effects, gah I hate those.  I keep hunting for gambits that are "Ally= <status>" just so I can bot my white-magic.   

I did that until about 20 hours in when somebody pointed out to me that the status effect actions in gambit lines have an implied "only if needed".  So you can do something like:

"Ally: any" -> "Phoenix Down"
"Ally: any" -> "Blindna"
"Ally: any" -> "Stona"

and you'll only use a PD if the party member is dead, cast blindna if they're blind, etc.

If you're good on MP but short on gambit lines:

"Ally: any" -> "Esuna"

goes a long way.

I *really* want to find "Self: MP < 10%" so I can tie it to "Charge"...

-Q

[Rasix]

So, anyone that's beaten the game want to put out how much time was on their save game and the average level of their party?  I'm nearly 40 hours in and the end really isn't in sight (I don't think).  Just got to Giruvegan.

Trying to keep up with the hunts and other sidequests.  I always tell myself that I'll go back and complete quests after I've beat a RPG.  It never happens unless I do another complete run through (KOTOR, VTM: Bloodlines).  Even games that are pure awesomeness that I'd like to complete all of the sidequests for (ie SH2), it never happens.  Once I beat a game.. on to the next.

[Strazos]

I think you'll be at 60+ hours when you beat it.

[Rasix]

I think you'll be at 60+ hours when you beat it.

That'll be fine.  I'm still enjoying it.  I just haven't played a single player game that's this long in quite a while.

Helps that this might be one of the greatest console RPGs ever made. The preceeding statement is dependent on the ending.  Great games can be ruined by aweful endings.

[Signe]

Hundreds and hundreds of hours if you don't bother to turn it off when you wander off or go to bed.  I'm already up to 80-something!   

[Rasix]

Hundreds and hundreds of hours if you don't bother to turn it off when you wander off or go to bed.  I'm already up to 80-something!   

I'm afraid of something catching fire if I leave it on too long. I did leave my PS2 on for around 2 days once when I forgot to hold down the power button.

Heh, I left the game on pause the other day for 3 hours because I didn't want to break my 60+ mob chain. I don't think pause adds to your time played.   

[Signe]

Pause doesn't but I think leaving it on the save screen might. 

[Miasma]

I think it breaks whenever you touch a crystal.  It might also break if you enter a town area.

I've got about forty hours in and I'm probably not even halfway through because I keep doing the hunts and grinding out money/LPs on the panthers in the jungle.  I cleared the augment and accessory sections for everyone and have about 1500 LP left over, now I'm just trying to figure out the best way to get everyone their three quickenings.  I was also going to get all of them the Telekinesis technique but then I realized I can't buy it yet and probably won't be able to for some time.  I hate flying enemies.

[CmdrSlack]

So basically, if I am just now through the Sandsea, I'm nowhere near even halfway?  Sweet.

One thing that I am wondering is whether it's worth it to get the damn strat guide (or look up spoilers) to know which chest to not open because it has something cooler later on or whatever.

Heck, I'm just still trying to figure out licenses and which roles my characters will play...it almost seems like if I just ground LP for a long time, I could end up with each character having every license on their respective boards unlocked.

[Merusk]

3 of the 4 The chests you aren't supposed to open to get 'teh awesome' spear happen before you even escape the dungeons w/ Balthir & Fran.  Sooo.. not really worth it if that's all you're after.

Yes, if you just grind LPs you can unlock the whole board and worry about 'roles' later.  It's only ~13k LPs plus another 1k for the Espers/ Quickenings.

[schild]

Actually, my roommate got that spear...


... more than worth it.

[Merusk]

I meant the guide & hints about getting the spear, not the spear itself.

I was kinda pissed when I realized I'd opened the first one and boned myself.  Not pissed enough to restart, but still.

[Triforcer]

The series ended with FF6(3).  Can't we just all agree on that?  

[Trippy]

I meant the guide & hints about getting the spear, not the spear itself.

I was kinda pissed when I realized I'd opened the first one and boned myself.  Not pissed enough to restart, but still.

I thought there was another way to get that spear.

[schild]

You can steal it in level 2 of the Henne Mines.

[Merusk]

And so you can.  Wii.

   I'd just happened to read the little blue blurb in the guide that said "don't open this or you can't get the Zodiac Spear in the XXX treasure" and was ticked.

[StGabe]

The spear is like a .1% drop on steal though, from what I've read.

So yes you can get it without the asinine, "let's sell strategy guides" chest thing.  But it's an asinine grind if you do it that way.

Just don't worry about it.  From what I've heard it's pretty much game-breakingly powerful.  Games are fun, don't break them.

[Lum]

Don't break games? I'm levelling my characters unattended right now. I should take a pic of the 999 chain message. (It stops at 999)

[Trippy]

Go go gambits!