[PS2] Final Fantasy XII

Originally Posted by SOLDIER

I'm still undecided in purchasing the guide or not. If the DVD has about the same artwork as the guide will, then I don't see the point; that's the only reason I'm interested in it, anyway, since I tend to avoid guides or FAQs for major releases, since I like to try and figure things out on my own.

If you decide to get the guide, get it from Amazon. It's $11 so if you have something else to get order that too and get the free shipping.

This is what I'm doing: FFXII guide + Zelda:TP (since Gamestop is so gay and won't take reservations now) = Win for Me

Jam it back in, in the dark.

With online orders shipping already, why can't in-store reservers pick up their game?

I was just in Gamestop today too--to trade in my Halo 2 CE and Silent Hill 4 for this game--and the clerk didn't say anything about picking it up early.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Freelance Wolf

Man...I just came back after a grueling battle with the nasty Wyrm in the Westersand (the one that only comes during a sandstorm). After more than five tries, I managed to kick its keister. Like geez, all these Hunts rank III and up are uber tough for me, but you get a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside when you beat them. Now I have to stock up on more ethers. I had to use a lot just to scrape a win, and my entire party was down to a few HP.

Heh, I was on my way to fight that guy when I decided to go kill that snake in the Zertinan Caverns.
Needless to say, two hits and a party member was dead. Rinse, repeat. Game over.

I'm around lvl 23 so that might explain why I die so fast. Heh.

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

Well, I just got my Bradygames guide and I must say its very thorough. I love it.

I just beat that Elder Wyrm guy, the one with all of that them Sporefall attacks. As a matter of fact, the status effects were the things that were getting me in that fight. I was level 25 at the time but he wasn't hitting that hard. Only when he ripped me up with a mega-status drain of confuse+oil+silence+blind+sap did I suffer.
As a matter of fact, I think I used up all of my remedies in that fight, and most of my magic went to Esuna.
What a pain.

I love how the story's starting to pick up now. While I'm still dismayed at some of the dialog (who says "Pray be quick" these days?) I can't believe what happened.

Spoiler:

I'm starting to like Vayne more than any other Playstation FF villain. His double dealings are wicked, and while he's not outright massacring villages, he killed his own father to become emperor!

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

I'm beginning to wonder if my off-characters need to be leveled up...
My main party are at levels 29 and 28, but the rest of the gang (Basch, Penelo, Fran) are all around level 11.
Granted, I could level them up and strap some quickenings on them (I think Penelo has 1100 LPs heh) for a quick backup during boss fights, but I don't know if I want to spend the time doing so.

I haven't had much difficulty with the bosses thus far, and I just wrapped up the Mt. Bur-Omisace area (even fought Bergan). No wait, actually I did have trouble fighting Bergan, but that was due to running out of MP and having to rely on Hi-Potions to heal. Plus his counters were killer during the end there.

Most amazing jew boots

Well, I'm on my way to Draklor Laboratory and I figured I'd grind up a bit and farm for some loot before heading in.

I brought my main party up from lvl 36 to lvl 42 and wrapped up a few hunts. I fought the Ring Wyrm (hunt #7? in the westersand) and it was pathetic. While it took forever because of his high HP, he was only hitting me for 80hp damage.

Strangely enough, I had some trouble fighting that White Mousse in the Waterway. He kept nailing me with who-knows-what until I was forced to call in a summon and heal Ashe in the corner so she could resurrect the rest of the team. It was bad.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I just ventured into Barheim Passage to hunt down the Bloodwing.
My party is in their mid-40s but I was owned by the constantly respawning Dark Bones and Spectres. Everytime I cleared out some of the Dark Bones and moved onto attacking Bloodwing again, my characters would move around and more Spectres and 'Bones would appear.
It was brutal, and in the end I died because I went up against three Dark Bones and two Spectres along with Bloodwing himself.

I lost an hour's worth of leveling up and exploring.

Most amazing jew boots

Did anyone else think fighting Adrammelech was an incredibly hard battle?
From the guide I have, he's only level 39, and I figured that since I was at level 47 I could take him well enough. Unfortunately that wasn't the case when he did the Arc Blast and that Immunity Shield that made him immune to all of my attacks. If he stopped attacking me at that time it would've been fine, but he had to keep coming. And Stop...I hate that status ailment. It's more annoying than sleep for crying out loud, but that bastard Adrammelech had to hit everyone with it, didn't he? Well that's cheap. Real damn cheap. So to hell with him and that fight.

I only hope the esper in Barheim Passage is an easier battle. He isn't a flying enemy, so I should be able to take him down quicker.

Another thing I've noticed is that the BradyGames guide is terrible. It doesn't have any maps for the optional areas like Zertinan Caverns and the extra Barheim Passage sections. Nor does it have an index for easily looking up things like Quickening chains or certain side-quests.
The only real good it does is help you finish the main game and show you what's on the license grid via a handy pull-out poster.

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

OK well I tried that Negalmuur auto-level technique last night on my weaker party.
After 20 hours and three stalls ("choose a new team leader" prompts), I took them up from level 31 to level 63.
In retrospect, I should have upgraded that party's equipment before going in and doing that. Their defense was around 30 or so, and even when they were level 60+ some of the mobs in the Stillshrine were seriously damaging them. I'll try running it again tonight with my main party to bring them up to level 60 as well.

Afterwards I'll be able to grind in the Nabreus Deadlands and possibly even the Necrohol. Then again, I could finish some more hunts.

Most amazing jew boots

Holy crap, the Gilgamesh fight is awesome.
I love his character. The 2nd battle was insane though, but fun nonetheless.

Too bad the Genji equipment I stole from him is all a downgrade from what I have equipped on my party. Oh well.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

No kidding?
I guess I'll put off the last two hunts until after I beat the story then. I'm a little bored with running around to gather up loot at the moment and I seriously want to see how it ends now that I've finished up the story at The Pharos.

How ya doing, buddy?