[PS2] Final Fantasy XII

Originally Posted by Metal Sphere

Saturday's another shipping day? I was able to preorder it because it a treat from the old man, so he went all out and got Overnight shipping. IIRC, a few friends of mine were able to get a good amount of car detailing equipment (claybar, for example) and went to work.

Hopefully it gets here soon so I can let you guys know. I don't have a camera though. =/

Yep it is which is why you may have it tomorrow fingers crossed.

Quote:

Hmm, hopefully it all goes alright. What exactly did he spill?

Just that GameStop prefers to make money from "walk-ins" rather than holding reservations because their argument is that there's a certain percentage of people who don't pick up their copy on release date and another percentage that don't pick it up at all. That way these "reserved" copies could be sold to walk-ins, or basically those without a preorder/reservation, as more copies arrive the next day and when customers do come to pick up their reserved copy they're none the wiser.

So basically if you've got an in-store preorder then it's best to pick it up ASAP or you may lose out altogether.

How ya doing, buddy?

My copy should be pretty safe I mean I've only been in there twice and I've held my copy so it's no biggie really.

Hot on 1UP's review comes IGN's and....
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/741/741991p1.html

Quote:

10 Presentation
Lightning quick load times, one of the best storylines for any genre on any system for the entire year, and a gigantic fully-realized world is yours right out of the box.
10 Graphics
A PS2 technical accomplishment in every sense. Slowdown is a non-factor, model detail is incredible, facial and skeletal animation is stellar, and the artistic design kicks ass.
9.0 Sound
English and Scottish voice actors play out the storyline perfectly and the sound effects are varied and first-rate. Musically, FF12 isn't the best in the series, but is still extremely strong.
9.0 Gameplay
The new gambit system, full-camera control, license board upgrades, and enemy AI make for a Final Fantasy like no other. Best of all, it's fun AND challenging.
9.0 Lasting Appeal
Expect 40-100 hours of gameplay depending on your grinding preferences. Luckily, there are plenty of mini-games and hidden goodies to uncover along the way.
9.5
Incredible OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)

So what is it now....3 days?

I went ahead and updated the very first post in this thread with review scores and quotes along with refreshing alot of the character bios and information etc.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by SOLDIER

He has, and hasn't stopped complaining about it since. I was almost certain this would be the one FF where everyone would unite in aggreement to its awesomeness, but I guess that isn't the case.

You're kidding right? People were complaining way back when they discovered the battle system wasn't turn based or if it wasn't that it was how the art design sucked and so on and so forth.

To each their own I guess. It's good to see more reviews coming out with the game at an average of 91.7% so far on GameRankings and with each review I get more pumped.

2 days!!!!

Jam it back in, in the dark.

As I mentioned a few pages back Circuit City will have the regular edition of the game for only $37.99 on Tuesday and here's their Sunday paper to prove it:


Fry's will also have the same deal. Best Buy will have the game for $49.99 but pick it up between the 31st and November 4th and you'll receive a free mini-artbook.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Spatula

Well, it now looks like it my local EB has left me a voice mail, saying it will be available Tuesday morning, rather than Wednesday November 1st, which is nice. Unfortunately I won't be able to get it until the afternoon, damn it.

Also, Canada sucks for snowing and making the roads fucktacular to drive. Go Canada, we love your weather.

If it's any consolation then Michigan is the same...only we don't have any snow yet. I'll have to give some cash to my sister in-law tomorrow since she'll be picking it up Tuesday afternoon for me.

It looks like Wal-Mart if offering the same mini-artbook or possibly a different once which is 32 pages when you preorder the game:


So many promotions.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Spatula

LOL Artbook, even I'm thinking of buying the best buy promotion for the regular game, get the artbook and return the unopened game a few days later. That's pretty sad, just for a 32 page book. Is this freebie even that great to warrant such a sly action.

Probably not but then such items and acts only come around every so often especially for a FF title where a numbered core title hasn't been seen in nearly 5 years.

Quote:

Simo: Yeah but my special copy from EB comes with a metal case, that way if my house burns down with my PS2 at least I'll still have my FFXII, lol.

Only the power of Matsuno could endure such a feat. I'd imagine the PS2 would be saved should bear the mark of FFXII!

...Which reminds me, I'm kind of surprised, and disappointed, SE and Sony aren't releasing that PS2/FFXII bundle that was released in Japan over here:


How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by kainlightwind

You beat the game already? I'm not finding this believeable concidering it's a 80+ hour game. Unless you're talking about the japanese version you just beat. That's crazy.

And I've read back to how some people there are hardly any interactions between the characters? What kind of crack are you smoking? There's a lot of it. At least from what I could tell in the first five hours that I have played.

He's had it for a month now and playtimes vary for every player anyways.

Gaming-Age have their review up now - A- Excellent:
http://www.gaming-age.com/cgi-bin/re...enum=1&pages=4

I also got the "call" from EBgames today. So close.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by SOLDIER

It seems fortune smiles upon me. Those carpet guys have rescheduled for Saturday, so I can take it easy for the next few days, and should be able to enjoy FFXII first thing tommorow.

I might pick the game up on midnight, since the store is a bit out of the way from work.

Also, I was hoping someone would handle my FFXII avatar/sig request in the aforementioned thread. Anyone got any illustrations for the game that haven't been used as an av/sig here yet?

I've got this PNG image of Penelo you could use where all you need to do is crop and resize it to board sig limits and change the background to that of the board so it'll appear transparent:


Avatar you can work with:


If you need or want something else then let me know, I've got all sorts of renders and promotional stuff for FFXII.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Spatula

That reminds me, I don't even know if my EB has the LE guide in stock for tomorrow. I know 100% for the LE game, but the guide, meh.... it'd be nice to get them right at the same time, plus enough of them for me to choose which cover I want. I doubt that though ;__;.

You won't be able to choose what cover though since the whole thing is shrinkwrapped and I doubt EB will be happy if you started opening several of the guides just to get a cover you want. :P

Quote:

Well, I was more hoping for Basch, Balthier, or a Judge/Judges, but I don't have a real preference. I tried to convert a ping image once as a sig, though, and the results weren't very good. Also, I was hoping more for drawn illustrations, something that hasn't been seen much here. Maybe I'll wait for the bonus DVD and rip whatever artwork is present.

Well then how about one of Inhert's unused and excellent sigs?


I'm off to work in 15 minutes which means this will be my last post before getting the game! Man, I haven't been this excited and pumped for an FF title since FFVIII.

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Yeah so no surprise where I've been. :biggrin:

I don't really have much time before work but a few things: CE case is damn sexy! I actually like how the case has that rough texture to it rather than just your usual shiny tin cases.

As for the game? I spent a few hours with it last night but not enough that I wanted due to Halloween and having do hand out candy. I did manage to make it to the waterways before calling it a night and so far I'm LOVING it! The moment you're in Rabanastre the game just sucks you in and whole city seems like a fully realised populated area.

I've managed to complete 2 hunts but you sure have to be careful because the difficulty can jump quite abit from one hunt to another especially if you're just in control of Vaan which is why I tackled the 2nd hunt, after many failures, when I had Penelo in my party. Hopefully I can put in alot more hours tonight.

Oh I did try the bonus DVD too and there seems like it's got a few nice featurettes on it. The Art Gallery also seems to exactly the same as the book included with the LE guide except it actually has more artwork than the book...

Damn Spatula! I didn't know you was buying both versions of the game.

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I agree about the controller customisation since I really wish I could invert the controls and I also wish there was a "First Person" camera view too, likewise I literally had Vaan standing there so I could rotate the camera every which way possible to marvel Rabanastre's architecture or just to watch the townsfolk go about their business.

I also ran into my first environmental change last night too which was pretty wicked over in the Westersands...

Spoiler:

...where one time it was perfectly fine and then at a later visit a huge sandstorm has enveloped the area.

Anyways I'm off from work so now I can jump back into the game. Also thanks to those for throwing props towards the thread!

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Judge Gabranth's entrance was The character model and texture work is awesome. I can see where some get the Star Wars references because that whole scene seemed similiar in ways to ESB but that ain't no bad thang.

So yeah that's where I am. Game keeps getting better and better for me and now unlocking more Gambits and Licenses just makes things more sweeter.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Musharraf

Oh, and yeah, that faggot who "designed" Vaan's "sixpack" should be shot.

Seems like it's the in-game modeler at fault since Yoshida's designs has Vaan's sixpack looking nothing like that. Likewise with the CG Event model.

I left my game last night after just arriving at...

Spoiler:

The Sky Capital Bhujerba. I mean I never even stepped out of the aerodrome.

I spoiler marked the location just incase given there are obviously those who wouldn't want to know which location follows storywise after Rabanastre.

I'm beginning to think that maybe I should of stayed in Rabanastre a little more given I heard some talk of a minigame but I guess I can always come back later. I'm liking the battle system alot more now that I've got more Gambits and Licenses. Heck I even managed to get Basch's first Mist Quickening.

The one thing I don't like is the random treasure chests where the items can vary from being a few gil to a rare weapon all in the same chest at different visits or attempts. I also hear that opening some chests at select locations will also stop you from obtaining a rare powerful weapon later on in the game which I pray isn't true as I've already opened the chests in question...:eyebrow:

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Spatula

How far have some of you gone with your mob hunts? I'm with the 3rd hunt, and I can't find him thus far.

Spoiler:

It's the cactuar with the flower on its head, and it's somewhere in Estersand (yeah that helps a lot). I think you need to cross the river at the small town in the middle of the Estersand, but the dude that owns the boat is on the other side. I'm trying to find a way if there's a way to get across, but it might be too late, as I just reached the sky city just now, and it looks like I'm going on this quest for a while.

I'm on my 4th hunt and the answer to that one is consult your world map. From there you can access Dalmasca and the surrounding regions so when they tell you to search "such and such" area by name you should be able find it via the map.

So for that particular hunt though...

Spoiler:

He mentions it's in that labyrinth which you can find via the world map but turns out it's actually in that area north of where you begin the hunt.

Played an hour more and seems like the said minigame is actually in the Sky Capital rather than in Rabanastre so nothing missed.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Spatula

Okay, I'll just continue on and not opt for the hunt then. My guys are about level 12. I just want to clean that place up and explore 100% of the map, as well as keep sealing bone fragments, since they're worth quite a lot when I sell it back.

Also, what is that thing from the Bazaar for 18,000 gil? Whatever it is, that's a lot of cash.

You mean when shops offer you Bazaar? They're basically like "pack" choices where one bazaar can be like a set of 2 Phoenix Downs that save you 100gil or something to the like.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I'm now supposed to head to...

Spoiler:

King Raithwall's Tomb

...but I decided to head back to Rabanastre and finish up some loose ends including taking out that Wraith mark and joining Clan Centurio. As it stands now I have 4 marks and 2 'Elite Marks' under my belt with 4 achievements including 500 kills, 200 attacks, X number of steps taken and...well I forget but it's the little Fran icon anyways.

Since I'm in the Giza Plains I'm charging up another sunstone before I head back into town to see the other Elite Mark and any more postings before heading off west.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Spatula

Actually, just wondering if anyone can answer my question that I posed to Simo. I just happened to ask him since it so happens he's just a bit ahead of where I am.

Leviathan:

Escaping with Ashe from the Leviathan, and now you're back at the Aerodome? I have 2 teleport stones, and I'm thinking of heading back to Rabanastre, but I just want to make sure that the game allows me to get back to Ondores place on Bhujerba. Is this allowed? I still want to finish up that 3rd mark, the cactus with the flower on top of its head.

Just go ahead with the story and visit Ondore.

Spoiler:

The game will take you back to Dalmasca anyway so you can resume any hunts you had there and future ones too.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by JazzFlight

Like I said, try to get all your quickenings (at least, for your main 3 characters) as soon as possible, since they multiply your max mp. Make sure to equip everyone (all 6 characters) with the LP-doubling accessory ASAP to make the most out of your kills.

Hmmmm I haven't come across that accessory yet in any of the stores. Can you recall where it's actually located?

My main party is comprised of Basch, Ashe and Balthier. Basch is the leader and my primary tank and I'm going to make sure Ashe deals with the magick to be more of a "battle mage" but right now I'm not focusing on getting more augments and a Quickening for her before moving on to those. Balthier is my gunner since guns ignore defenses so I've usually got him stealing and poaching before backing the party up.

How ya doing, buddy?

Well now for some reason my copy is fucked up.

I just defeated...

Spoiler:

Vossler

...and as the scenes switch back and forth between the ship and your party leaving before seeing said spoiler on their knees, the game completely locks up. My second try had the same result so for my third attempt I tried skipping the scene altogether which as a result seems to have skipped an important FMV to Ondore's narration again but as soon as that's done the game locks up again.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Xaekid

I kinda expected this one to sell well but not that well. Impressive.

That's 1.5 million copies shipped, not sold.

My copy still doesn't work at that point so I called EBgames to ask about exchanging it since today is the last day it's within warrantee and I can't make it out there until tomorrow. Luckily today is voting day so that worked out to be a good enough excuse and the clerk said it was fine.

Hopefully it's the game and not my PS2 but if it was the latter then surely I'd of had problems from the start rather than 20 hours in.... :eyebrow:

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Originally Posted by Black Mamba

The guide mentions the Golden Amulets can be bought in Mt. ??? (not there yet, not sure of the name) and Rabanastre Lowtown (from the traveling merchaint). Now I'm not sure about the later, but either way I would like to get Golden Amulets for my party as soon as possible. I'm currently right after obtaining all characters (traveling to Tomb of Raithwall). When will I be able to branch off and buy them? And from where?

Thanks!!

Lowtown doesn't have them so the guide is wrong and you won't reach the Mount for a considerable amount of time if you're heading to Raithwall's Tomb.

I'm heading to the Mt now after taking out all of Centurio's Elite Marks and some Lvl II posts along with discovering the cave in the Westersand that had some narly enemies and a hidden esper that raped the majority of my party before I got out of there. I completely forgot about the medicine sidequest so I may have to venture back up there. Oh and the Garif's are fawking awesome.

I haven't had much time to play FFXII though because my copy was wrecked so I took it back to EBgames on Wednesday, exchanged it for another copy that worked and then last played it on Thursday as a member of the family took gravely ill and passed away on Friday.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Well I played for a few hours last night which originally was only going to be a half hour session but the game just sucks you in that by the time you look at the time you've already given up 2-3 hours.

I ended up heading back from the Golmore Jungle through the Ozmone/Giza Plains and back up north of the Eastersands to take care of that "Patient in the Desert" subquest. I managed my largest Mist Quickening change at the Broken Sands on one of those Lvl 30 Sauriens with something like a 14 hit chain dealing over 12043 damage.

My party is the same with Basch, Ashe and Balthier with all 3 around lvl 30. Basch is still the leader and powerhouse dealing around 1100HP of damage but since he's got one of those axes damage can range from 1000HP to 78HP, the trade off I suppose, while Ashe and Balthier inflict around 500HP of damage.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Scratch and Sniff

Where has Simo been? At first he was pretty gung ho with this thread =/
Simo where are you?

Busy unfortunately and alas I haven't touched FFXII since last November....

What happened is that my work hours bumped up to 48-53 hours a week leaving very little time for anything else and to top it off I had a 3 year overdue vacation back home to England to worry about for the holidays. Even now my work is still a little hectic even without as many hours a week so I've just got bring back the motivation the replay the game after such a long break.

Looks like Metal Sphere has been doing an excellent job with the thread though.

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