Final Fantasy XII

[JAS4Yeshua]

FF3 is actually FF6.

I have FF1, FF2, FF4, FF5, FF6, FF7, FF8, FF9, FFX, FFX-2, and FF12 on my PS2. I originally played FF1 on the NES and FF4 on the SNES (as FF2).

I would recommend playing the other games as well, particularly FF7 and FFX. Others are good as well, but those two stand out IMO. FF12 is also definately worth it.

 

[joelkaziro]

Oh My Daze...I accidentally reset my PS2 while FF12 was playing and I accidentally (yes accidentally) corruptted my save data - so I have to start a new game. I HAD 23 hours saved up on there. It's not major I know but it's such a pain in the backside. I was just gettin my characters to where I want them to be but now I guess I'll have to start all over again. i would say pray for me but it seems a bit silly..- pray anyway..hahahaha..

fine chrsitian people. I love you all.
JK

 

[Utah Knight]

sounds like what happened to me

 

[joelkaziro]

Where are you on it now. I've now been demoted from a FF12 expert to a beginner all over again. Now I know what to expect...I hope to make a mendz to all that has befallen me and raise up a party that was born to ruin people ; - )

Who's your fav character? Mine has to be a battle between Fran, Basch and Vaan. Those three in the same party would ruin people.

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

I intentionally restarted my game after the first 20 hours of play or so, just after getting Basch as a "guest" member. I considered that my "getting used to the game" session.

Since you're starting over, I strongly recommend taking the time to level up, steal lots of loot, and get stocked up. It will definately help as you progress farther in the game.

My favorite team is Bathier, Basch and Ashe, although I use my two teams interchangably, keeping them at the same level.

 

[Colabomb]

sorry guys, I havn't followed the thread, I just have a question.

I have never finished a FF game, (I'm currently trying out Three on my DS and enjoying it, but can be a bit frustrating in spots.)

I know I like the CONCEPT of an RPG, because I play MUDS and I have been playing Knights of the Old republic to death. But I don't know if I will like this one.

Would you recommend it?

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

I think the people in this thread are probably a bit biased in favor of the game.

If you are uncertain, I'd recommend renting it first, if you are able to. That way you can try it without the commitment to buy. You'll never complete it on a couple day rental, though. It should be enough to give you a feel for it, though.

Play at least 10 hours (I'd say 20 hours) to get used to the unique game play. It is quite different than most other games, and might put you off if you give up early. Be prepared for a very long game that has some slow points.

I'm over 100 hours into the game myself, and have been enjoying it. I would personally recommend it.

 

[serephim01]

WOW!! I thought I was the only one to play that much :lol: I hit 97 hours in FF12 and 78 hours in FF7....60 in FF8 but FF12 is great for beginners because the gameplay is so easy IMO

 

[joelkaziro]

I started again and just like Yeshua said, I'm concentrating not so much on the story anymore, but on battling techniques, leveling up and battle chains. It's more rewarding, but just long because my old characters weren't doing too bad. I guess now they'll be doing fantastic.

Joel

 

[joelkaziro]

But let's not dwell on Final Fantasy 12, let's talk about it. What do people find good about the game, what didn't tickle their appetite.

Personally, and I would say this applies to everybody (or those that didnt play ff11), the battle system was the hugest shock I could imagine. I knew they were re-vamping it, but downright altering it I didn't know. In any case, I LOVE IT. I really do, I feel the fact that enemies can gang up on you and you on them brings such a realism to the game and I actually prefer it to back in the day 'encounters'. The only problem with it is, when you've cleared an area of all the enemies, it takes a while for them to 'return' or regenerate (I like to leave the area and then come back if I'm trying to chain up). The other problem is that sometimes the camera can't let you view all the enemies you are facing and it becomes very hard to face multiple enemies, especially if they are resonably hard and you use the 'active' battle mode - sometimes it becomes all too overwhelming.

What about the characters - Vaan isn't your typical hero and Basch seems to become Mr Valiant but Vaan's a fighter and I really like him. Is Penelo everyone else's weakest character because she's a tart in my eyes? A lil' softie that is a long distance attacker but packs a mean magic punch My strongest character is Fran though, she's often my group leader also...I can actually say that I am in love with Fran and would like her species to exist (hahaha - that's as much as I'm going to admit).

Any one got any opinions on the game?!?

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

I didn't know about the changes to the battle system until I actually played it. It took me by complete surprise. I never played FF11 because I'm not interested in online games. (Tangent: I believe they should have just called it Final Fantasy Online, and numbered FF12 and FF11.) Took me a little while to get used to the new battle system and gameplay. When I started, I wasn't too sure about it, but now I actually prefer it over the "traditional" battle scenes.

I have my party divided into two groups.
Balthier / Basch / Ashe
Vaan / Fran / Penelo
As one group gains a level, I switch to the second group, which keeps them leveling up evenly. Currently, they are levels 61/60. Vaan and Basch I try to make my heavy hitters with the powerful armor, one-handed weapons, and shields, while Ashe and Penelo are my primary spellcasters (they have the light armor that raises their magic attack and defense). Although with each having their license board maxed out there really isn't much of a difference in fighting styles or spell casting ability.

If I had to find something that I don't like about FF12, it would be the license board. In other FF games, each character had a particular skill that they excelled in, and weapons and armor associated with it. It forced you to think more about how to balance your party. Early in the game, I tried to keep to that as much as possible, but it became a moot point once the license board was complete. It still vary the weapons and armor, but it isn't the same. Despite that, I still think it is an excellent game.

 

[joelkaziro]

It's a gift and a curse, the licence board. On the one hand (thet con), it generalises everyone but on the other and I think this is a very powerful pro, it gives you unprecedented freedom with characters. Initially, you'd level them up as you say (make penelo and fran the magicians) and then eventually, the entire board will be filled. However, at any one point you can change your party in order to suit the requirements of the battle (e.g. let's say you have to face a flying boss or an enemy cave that's filled with wind resistant monster - you have the ability (and you need a bit of gil too!) to just tailor your group to suit the necessities of that task. You can buy everyone guns or crossbows or give everyone wind enriched arsenal - the limitations are endless. Plus it offers a more customisable way of doing battle; you can make your own killing squad, armed with just guns, or reincarnate the last samauri and give everyone katanas. All in all I'd say the licence board was definately a step up from FF10's Sphere grid and FF8's Draw system (which at times was just tedious - still made for a formidable storyline though and battles were still awesome).

Yeshua, all in all, I do see your point. Because of the licence board, characters lose their individuality and mark on the game but I think this is more than compensated for with very good dialogue and an interlacing storyline - it's just a shame this couldn't have been a PS3 title.

 

[joelkaziro]

What do people think of the storyline? I think it's amazing. It's a long time in a final fantasy that we haven't had right from the start, the old notion of the good guys, the bad guys and the way that bad overcomes good (bear in mind, I haven't got that far in the game so I may be wrong here).

In FF7, we had the Shin'Ra I suppose but because Cloud was initially apart of them, I have a bit of a sympathy for the Shin'Ra and eventually they become redundant because Sephiroth becomes the main terrorist in the game (yes, causing meteorites to incinerate the earth is terrorism although it is a bit of a red flag word these days). In FF8, you had the rivalry between gardens but this was more comparable to the rivalry between two schools or sports teams. Moreover, the story totally drifted from the whole garden theme and concentrated on Squall's fight against the manipulators behind the system, and coupled with the spiritual side of the game, it didn't seem clear who the real enemies were until later on in the game.

Of course those storylines were groundbreaking and outstanding in their own right but I'm glad that Square Enix have brought out a very obvious Good Guy vs. Bad Guy scenario. I haven't gone deep enough into the game to find out how that scenario pans out but I'm sure Square will not leave me disappointed (like they did with FF9 - WORST FINAL FANTASY EVER MADE I HOPE GOD BURNS THAT MEMORY FROM MY MIND).

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

Just a comment: Jas is fine.

I agree with your comments about the license board, I was just mentioning the slight limitation that I saw with it. I think it is good, but I think it could have been better, IMO.

Story is one of the things I enjoy the most about the Final Fantasy series of games. Each game had its own unique story that grows as the game continues. I disagree in the fact that each game did have clear good guys and bad guys, although they also had ones that were in the grey. FF12 seems to be along the same lines, except on a somewhat larger scale. There are a lot of secrets that slowly get unveiled as the game progresses, and the evil may not necessarily be what you expect (although you might guess it early in the game).

Final tangent comment: I enjoyed FF9, and thought the game and story were fine.

 

[Tariel]

I LOVED XII! (despite the lack of hot guys...Vaan just doesn't cut it ). The story was very interesting, and the characters were a lot of fun (Balthier Rocks!).

The licence board wasn't too bad, though I still miss the junctioning from VIII--that was my favorite.

I don't want to spoil anything for anybody who hasn't finished the game so I'm not gonna say much more, but for anybody who has finished, what do you think of Basch's haircut? Doesn't it look good?

No....I'm not normally this fangirl-like. But discussing the deep dark secrets of the characters requires spoiling stuff. (On that note, I love the conversation between Basch and Judge Gabranth )

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

FFX Sphere grid was my favorite.

I've completed Draklor Labs, but haven't moved on to the next part of the story yet. I've been busy doing hunts and other side quests.

 

[peterxrikuxaxel]

sorry guys, I havn't followed the thread, I just have a question.

I have never finished a FF game, (I'm currently trying out Three on my DS and enjoying it, but can be a bit frustrating in spots.)

I know I like the CONCEPT of an RPG, because I play MUDS and I have been playing Knights of the Old republic to death. But I don't know if I will like this one.

Would you recommend it?

no, not really.
...
JK!
April Fools!
i LOVE the game. (and guess what?! i've never finished a ff game, either!)
but, really, i do reccomend it. it's AWESOME.

 

[l0v3n]

I got it. I enjoy it! I wish I wouldent get stuck so much because the storyline is amazing!