Final Fantasy

[Benji]

As for XIII, I really have an urge to try it again. Benji, you want to share those power leveling spots? My huge problem with it was not being allowed to level at my own pace. I know you still can't, really, because everything is limited by chapters. I've only recently found out that you unlock Limit Breaks near the end of the game and you can power level using Vanilles. I probably won't start on this until after finishing Crisis Core though, which has started to get quite entertaining. I love the missions system.

So far I only used them before battles I remember needing. There's more, but these are the two I remember, so...

There's a spot in the theme park with five of the little bat-like things running around a treasure sphere. If you run back to the previous treasure sphere the five will respawn, and they give around 500-600 CP per turn.

Then later on in the Fifth Ark, there's a spot where you have to jump up about five or six spots to reach a sphere, which is protected by ten little slug things. Throw on the Solidarity paradigm (trust me, with the way they attack you'll need the sentinel and medic early going) and switch to relentless assault once they're down to about half if you want, and watch the little slugs fall, then jump back down the aforementioned places, and jump back up, and they'll have respawned for about 640CP a pop, which is really helpful since one of the most pain-in-the-ass bosses is not long after.

As for Crisis Core, I loved the mission system. The only thing about it that I ever really disliked was how repetitive the areas were.

[Benji]

Purely rumour at the moment, but reports have said that FFX-2 might be on the same disc as FFX HD when finally released.

[TKz]

That's fairly useful, might start that after Crisis Core is done and Mrs. TKz will let me pry the PS3 away from her and Bioshock Infinite. >_>

The only thing I'd change about Crisis Core would be an actual leveling system instead of it being mostly random and maybe change up the DMW a little. How random it is can kind of bug me, I like the idea but it seems really rare that you get what you'd want, when you want. Kind of defeating the point of Limit Breaks in that respect.

Also, Benji - does Crisis Core go all the way up to the start of FF7, including what happens to Zack and Sephiroth at the end? Or does it just end after all this Angeal/Genesis business? I could understand why they'd just do the separate story instead of having you playthrough what you've already played, but I'd love to see both the rise and fall of those two.

Guess I could use it as an excuse to finally watch Last Order or whatever it's called.

And that'd be FUCKING GREAT about X-2. Such a good game. Seriously, fuck anyone with anything bad to say about it. Outside of pretty shallow problems (BUT YOU PLAY AS GIRLS AND CHANGE DRESSES) I find that game to be one of the best in the series.

[Benji]

Crisis Core...

Crisis Core goes all the way. Literally the final scene in Crisis Core is the first scene in FFVII.

If you want any other levelling points just let me know, I have the guide and it provides notes on them quite regularly.

[TKz]

What, for FFXIII? What guide is that? I've got the XIII guide but I don't recall it ever mentioning grinding spots really... Though I seem to recall a bit part of my problems with the game probably started when I had to skip like two huge sections because I just didn't have the chance to heal as I had no money and no potions. Leaving me pretty much at the mercy of the enemies and hoping not to die. Skipping all those random battles probably contributed to being horribly underlevelled.

In retrospect, I remember one of the big complaints of FFXIII were that the treasure chests take ages to open. If only they knew what we know now...

[Benji]

Yeah, throughout the walkthrough (official one, I have hardback, but presume paperback is the same) it has a note of "Power Tip: Levelling" every two or three chapters (usually at the end in notes). Some are better than others, and I only really needed those two because I remembered struggling against...

Sazh's eidolon, which is where the bat things power levelling was, and the Cid Raines battle, which is where the slugs were.

And yeah, never skip a battle. The only time I ever skip a battle in FFXIII was the first encounter with one of the ridiculously shelled enemies (mostly because it takes so god damned long), and I still fought one of them to get to the treasure sphere.

[TKz]

I had no problems with the Cid battle, though I'd heard nothing but complaints about it from others. It was weird, the one that did me in the end was Dahaka, on top of Taejins Tower. Just couldn't do it, no matter how hard I tried. I was literally just too under leveled. The other that nearly caused me to quit earlier was Barthandeules' first form. And knowing that I had another fight with him coming up, I wasn't exactly in the mood to continue. >_>

[Benji]

I don't recall struggling with that, but then I spent way too long down in Gran Pulse the first time I played (I was well aware of having too many Crystal Points, but I just wanted to finally enjoy having free roam after ten chapters locked up

).

The one thing I'm not looking forward to right now is the fact that the Crystarium doesn't open up fully until AFTER I've beaten the final boss. Always seemed moronic to me.

[TKz]

I don't recall struggling with that, but then I spent way too long down in Gran Pulse the first time I played (I was well aware of having too many Crystal Points, but I just wanted to finally enjoy having free roam after ten chapters locked up

).

The one thing I'm not looking forward to right now is the fact that the Crystarium doesn't open up fully until AFTER I've beaten the final boss. Always seemed moronic to me.

That's because it is moronic. Limiting how much you can level in a JRPG is just stupid. And can you even level in Gran Pulse? I remember getting there, thinking I'd be able to, then getting crushed by most of the enemies. And it took so long for them to respawn, you couldn't do shit for a long time. Could you stock up on CP for when the next part got unlocked?

See, this is why a PC release of FFXIII would be great. Modders would remove those restrictions and lower the respawn of enemies in no time flat. Fixing most of the problems with the game. Well, most of the problems of that part of the game, anyway. >_>

[Benji]

You can stock up to 999,999 CP. Enemies respawn when you cross certain boundaries, so literally going between two enemies across a border gives you access to quick respawn. Considering the corridor nature of the game though, it's no wonder people got under-levelled.

[Benji]

Got to Gran Pulse last night...

... forgot how much the Alexander fight sucks. It's easy, but the damned timer was a *bit* to short, so I had to do a bit of mini-levelling.

Now I'm in the Steppe, but I think I'll try and move past it quickly, because there's a spot where, according to the guide, I can farm 20,000 odd CP in 10-15 minute blasts in the next area. The sudden massive jump in CP needed to fill up the damn bars is ridiculous.

[Schlitzbrille]

Purely rumour at the moment, but reports have said that FFX-2 might be on the same disc as FFX HD when finally released.

Came on here to post this. Curse you....

...though in all seriousness, I liked FF X-2. Kinda nice to play a Final Fantasy game that doesn't take itself too seriously.

[TKz]

I'd actually say it's one of the best Final Fantasy games since 8. But then I didn't like IX, XII or XIII, so it's competition isn't exactly large. >_>

[Benji]

I liked X-2. It wasn't an epic game, but it was really fun, and I loved the dress-sphere system. Plus, for some reason I absolutely loved Ormi, Logos and LeBlanc as villains, cartoony enemies and general fun is something that seemed to increasingly be taken out of FF until FFXIII-2 came along.

[Ruki]

The dress-sphere system was wonderful, because that system hadn't been used since Final Fantasy V, which is one of my favorites.

Again, XV needs to have a fucking job system.

[Ruki]

Rumor has it Final Fantasy XIII Versus is going to be XV.

Final Fantasy Versus XIII has reportedly been renamed Final Fantasy XV and will now release as a PS4 exclusive.

VGLeaks, a reliable source of next-gen info in the build up to Sony's PS4 reveal last month, claims Square Enix quietly moved the project from PS3 to the new console two years ago.

It also suggests that Sony is co-developing the game, "helping with assets among other tasks". The report echoes a rumour from last year which claimed that FF Versus XIII’s development and resources had been folded into Final Fantasy XV. At the time, Square Enix boss Yoichi Wada released a statement denying that Versus XIII had been cancelled. The game was announced way back in May 2006 alongside Final Fantasy XIII.

At Sony's PS4 reveal event last month, Square Enix took to the stage to announce that a Final Fantasy title is in development for the new console. Final Fantasy franchise brand director Shinji Hashimoto said more news about the game will be revealed at E3 in June.

I don't like that. I don't like that at all.

So does that mean we still get the XIII world for a FORTH FUCKING GAME?! BAH!

[Benji]

No, it was only connected by themes and names, not world.

In even MORE FF news (seriously, what's with the sudden rush of stuff), FFV "HD" for iPhone screens were leaked.

[TKz]

It won't be the XIII world, it'll be the new areas and so on taken and added to a new game. I'm okay with that, I was never so into Versus XIII anyway.

[TKz]

Playing Crisis Core... did they have to make Aeries so adorable?

The feels. They hurt so much.

[Benji]

See! I told you! It gets better too.