Final Fantasy XII: Early Domination

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2007-10-02 02:53pm

Here's the scenario. I am at the point in the game where you have to go and speak to Old Dalan for the first time, I have not done that yet. So far I have:

-Reached Level 28, my character has over 2000 HP and almost 300 MP
-Filled the License board in all of the locations where I have weapons/armor or spells purchased. Also All 3 Quickenings for Vaan.
-Reached Nalbina fortress to get the better weapons for sale
-completed all three availiable hunts
-explored all of the Westersands, Estersands, and Giza Plains
-Purchased the Hunter's Monograph
-Filled half of the augmentation slots on the license board, including all of Battle Lore and HP boosts.
-Can defeat Wild Saurians and werewolves with ease

The only thing I really can't do at this time are challenge the elementals and a couple of the other super rare monsters that I can locate, nor can I explore the Zertenian Caverns too far.

But those can change if I can just find the right equipment! Anyone know of any ways to get some great equipment prior to the fete and meeting with Old Dalan? I want to get as much done as I can before I have to expand my party and FFXII is one of the few RPGs I have played where I can really accomplish anything like this.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2007-10-03 01:16am

Update: Explored the small subsection of Zertenian Caverns I have access too, and have now killed at least one of everything I have encountered. Also, now have all Magic Lores filled up.

raptor3x · Post by **raptor3x** » 2007-10-03 09:24am

Have you gotten the Rod and the Gladius yet?

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2007-10-03 11:25am

Buy Persona 3 instead and experience a much more enjoyable RPG.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2007-10-03 02:00pm

raptor3x wrote:Have you gotten the Rod and the Gladius yet?

I do have the Gladius now, and I got a Kotetsu. Now working on getting the gil to get the last two Monographs. Currently at Level 32 and almost finished unlocking Augmentations.

DPDP wrote:snip

Convince me that it isn't as lame as it appears and I might rent it.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2007-10-03 04:40pm

"As lame as it appears?"

What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

And good luck renting it. Atlus titles aren't usually at Blockbuster.

Andrew_Fireborn · Post by **Andrew_Fireborn** » 2007-10-03 04:49pm

Atlus has a decent history of good games. The Shin Megami Tensei & Persona series are considered excellent examples of the RPG genre.

FFXI... is an offline MMO, complete with grinding and mediocre quest rewards.

I liked FFXII's story... up until the race that made the Suncryst and all that shows up... then it went sourly lame for me. (And if you didn't see the event at the top of the tower coming... you apparently haven't played any Final Fantasies...)

Haven't played any Persona games myself, but I have played the second Digital Devil Saga. Very interesting game. (Though, if you want fun and offbeat, check out the Shadow Hearts series.)

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2007-10-03 09:39pm

DPDarkPrimus wrote:"As lame as it appears?"

What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

And good luck renting it. Atlus titles aren't usually at Blockbuster.

Well I read about the game plot and decided it didn't sound very entertaining. I can't sink $50 into a game just to try it out.

Andrew_Fireborn wrote:I liked FFXII's story... up until the race that made the Suncryst and all that shows up... then it went sourly lame for me. (And if you didn't see the event at the top of the tower coming... you apparently haven't played any Final Fantasies...)

Ditto, but I am being drawn back into replaying it because I like the gameplay and I'm going to try what I just finished in ff9. Leveling up hardcore at the beginning and then barreling my way trhough the rest. I have done that successfully in pretty much every Final Fantasy I have played.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2007-10-03 10:45pm

What? You're not supposed to read up on the game plot. You are supposed to uncover the plot over the course of the school year.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2007-10-03 11:44pm

DPDarkPrimus wrote:What? You're not supposed to read up on the game plot. You are supposed to uncover the plot over the course of the school year.

Then how am I supposed to determine whether or not I want to buy the game If I don't review it first? I didn't read the whole plot with the ending and everything I jus tknow there's a school and some demons which makes it almost exactly like half of the bad anime in existence.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2007-10-04 03:34pm

The plot is there's an hour that takes place between Midnight and 12:00:01 called the Dark Hour. Only a few people experience, while everyone else turns into coffins to protect their souls from the Shadows that come out during this time. You have to find out why the Dark Hour exists and to stop the Shadows from stealing peoples souls.

It is the characters in the game that drive you to play more than the over-arching plot, and I can't tell you about how great the characters are without spoiling anything. The voice acting is pretty awesome (except for a couple mis-steps) and that really helps with the more emotional scenes.

Darth Fanboy · Post by **Darth Fanboy** » 2007-10-05 01:19pm

Update:

Acquired a Barbut and a Winged helmet, also managed to get Traveller's Vestments from the bazaar. All augmentation slots filled and sitting at Level 36.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-10-06 05:30am

Fanboy ...

Jesus. H. Christ.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2007-10-06 07:15am

What does this mean?

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-10-06 07:19am

MKSheppard wrote:What does this mean?

That Fanboy is utterly mad.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2007-10-06 07:22am

Ford Prefect wrote:
MKSheppard wrote:What does this mean?
That Fanboy is utterly mad.

Actually it sounds alot like how I play games. You should have seen how I powerleveled in the Shining Force games.... (I think I spent 30-40 hours or so earning enough stuff so I could max out my skills and level up to 80, out of a potential level 130 or so)

Edit: Oh, and I'd recommend the Persona games (I forked over for the two PSX titles just to be a completist) because they're very different from other RPGs in alot of ways. I also have to admit that I kinda liked Growlanser Generations when I picked it up (I also have Kartia, both Disgaea games and a few other Atlus titles but I haven't played them yet... I actually have a ton of PSX and PS2 RPGs to play through.)

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2007-10-06 07:28am

Connor MacLeod wrote:Actually it sounds alot like how I play games. You should have seen how I powerleveled in the Shining Force games.... (I think I spent 30-40 hours or so earning enough stuff so I could max out my skills and level up to 80, out of a potential level 130 or so)

Where do you get the patience? Admittedly, it's not so bad as Disgaea, where you could level your character - and their equipment - to a number with four digits, but still.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2007-10-06 07:32am

Ford Prefect wrote: Where do you get the patience? Admittedly, it's not so bad as Disgaea, where you could level your character - and their equipment - to a number with four digits, but still.

It helps that I listen to alot of music and audio books when I'm playing. I got through several of the Harry Potter books (including the last one) playing Shining Force Neo. It also helps to find a place where you can maximize your "run throughs" of a certain area wwith minimal delays between respawning the enemies. Developing and modifying patterns to maximize efficiency quickly is a key to that kind of insanity.

Vendetta · Post by **Vendetta** » 2007-10-06 09:27am

See, I just waited until about level 50 and then used Negalmuur to auto-level to 99. Takes weeks though. (Negalmuur is a unique mob that spawns other mobs indefinitely, and has pretty much no attacks other than Doom, there's a gambit setup that makes your party ignore him, kill the other mobs forever, and pick up anyone who gets Doomed, so they'll level up by themselves whilst you're asleep, or out at work, or whatever.)

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2007-10-06 08:24pm

Connor MacLeod wrote:
It helps that I listen to alot of music and audio books when I'm playing. I got through several of the Harry Potter books (including the last one) playing Shining Force Neo. It also helps to find a place where you can maximize your "run throughs" of a certain area wwith minimal delays between respawning the enemies. Developing and modifying patterns to maximize efficiency quickly is a key to that kind of insanity.

Ditto. Last I played, I was wandering those damn caverns. Started out getting owned, then after a week or so, was kicking everything's ass. Need to start playing again and, uh, actually finish the story.

Would be easier if I could just buy a gun or something like normal games. Pah.