Final Fantasy XII

[MartyG]

Played some more of this at the w/e after a fair amount of absence, but it ended up being mostly level grinding as I've been struggling to get through the area I'm in given there are so many battles that aren't really avoidable ( I'm in the Ogir-Yensa Sandsea atm ).

I can't help but feel I've not really progressed my characters
adequately or properly. As with all FF games, you need to learn the
leveling system and develop the characters in the right direction, and I don't think I've exploited this very well. I've ended up with characters all of similar skills, and without the required licenses for a lot of the stuff I've opened up ( with two characters I have swords 7 and not even a level 3 sword ).

After 15 odd hours, I'm perhaps only 5% of the way into the game, so I don't think there's a need to restart, but there's definitely a need to grind some more for LP to open different areas for other characters in the party.

[C']

I think I found the best gun in the game whilst hunting a mark. It’s certainly the last one I’ve been able to unlock on the license board and the area where guns leads to has now been finished. Currently being used by Balthier and it seems nicely powerful. Just need some more ammo options. Best I’ve got so far is an ammo with DMG:3 and Water element attached to it. With that combination of gun and ammo I’ve hit 9999 damage on enemies weak to water in the area I’m currently up to which is sweet.

Hopefully after completing the area I;m in currently I’ll have access to a Teleport Crystal and can explore a few areas I’ve attempted previously and failed. My targets are Zertinian Caverns, the Estersand and Nam-Yensa Sandsea. Revenge is in order for a few bosses.

Finally, I’ve got 2 hunts in my clan primer that are unfinished and bugging me. One is the Lindwyrm which is supposed to spawn during specific conditions in Tchita Uplands but I can’t get it to appear. The other is in Barheim Passage but I can’t get back in their without a Barheim Key. I hate having uncompleted hunts in my primer.

[sj33]

I can't help but feel I've not really progressed my characters adequately or properly.

It does feel that way for ages tbh, but it's not actually true, it just feels like it.

[112]

I did some major levelling up in the weekend, and ive now got meself 3 espers lol, i have a feeling you could probably get an esper for each character.One thing thats been bugging me is getting these greens that chocobos like to eat, where the hell do i find em? Cant find any........ any ideas?

Oh and once again, STILL loving it! Been at it for like 65 hours now and is my current fave game lol!

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[C']

I think the chocobos on Osmone Plan (the 3 outside Jahara for example) can drop Gyashal Greens. Also the port town (Balfonheim?) that you end up in after fighting

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Cid

in the Draklor Laboratory has a store near the yellow teleport/save crystal just before the exit that sells Gyashal Greens and Teleport Stones. I think the NPC is called Dyce and he’s sitting on a chocobo.

[112]

yeah about that port after you defeat

->Open Spoiler<-

cid Are you meant to progress to the next field area or work yah way back to the fairwood area? Cos i did both and im stuck, i dont have some giga thingy, hmmmm

Thanks for the greens, will do that tonight!

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[C']

The next field area (Cerobi Steppe? – I’m crap with names of areas XD )is explorable if you like. Some good loot available and a really good Hunt, after which I got a key item which I presume is for a side quest later. However, there is nothing there that you HAVE to complete for the main story. Eventually it joins back on to Tchita Uplands after which I just used a Teleport Stone to get to Golmore Jungle to travel to the Feywood.

I think I know where you’re stuck.

->Open Spoiler<-

You’re in the southern most part of Feywood and have followed the illusions (how cool is that ) to a door where the inscription says something about Gigas summoner, you have the key or somesuch?

It did take me about 5 minutes of head scratching but had an epiphany and figured it out. I can say with certainty you will have the key to this but the reference may only be obvious if you have read all the Bestiary entries. I’m not sure if I should give it away but I’ll spoiler it, just in case.

->Open Spoiler<-

Gigas is the nickname given to the very first Esper you get in game (once again my rubbish memory for names lets me down). Summon him then check the door again. It will open the way.

[112]

Thanks C, i aint looked at yah spoiler but will read my bestiarys tonight lol. If i can do it in an hour ima read yah spoiler lol!

I dont have time for these head scratching moments and im too short on epiphanys these days, lol!

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[Briareos]

One thing thats been bugging me is getting these greens that chocobos like to eat, where the hell do i find em? Cant find any........ any ideas?

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Also if you take a trip on the commercial airships they have shops onboard that sell Greens and Teleport stones...

[112]

cool thanks Briareos!

Out of curiosity C, am i near the end yet?

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[C']

I don't know, I've not finished it myself yet. I have this feeling I'm close to the end (and I'm not that far ahead of you) but that's just my intuition, nothing more.

[112]

Well, after much reading of pointless Bestiarys i finally figured ity out after 45 mins lol! The thing is i tried doing itbefore but it wouldnt let me. Maybe it knew i was still too weak or maybe i jus didnt have something else, i dunno, but trying what i tried before worked a treat lol!

Thanks C for pointing me in the right direction again

Im now through to a new area where i defeated the next boss on my first go, but by the skin of my teeth again lol!

Cant wait to go home to plow on! Best game since ages for me!

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[C']

No probs dude. I’ve not been so involved in a First Play like this for ages (maybe Initial D: Special Stage ) so it’s good to be playing alongside someone else and helping each other out. Especially as we seem to be very close to each other regarding our current progress.

I finished up in Giruvingen (sp?) last night then focussed on non-story developments.

Beat the

->Open Spoiler<-

Earth Tyrant

in Dalmasca Westersand. Attempted him about 15 levels ago and only just lost so he was piss easy now. Was somewhat disappointing that the route that opened up after beating it only led to a Part of the Dalmasca Estersand that I’d already been to

Also defeated the boss in Zertinian Caverns that gave me hassle at lvl40. Still a challenging fight with my characters between 44-50 but defeated him in the end. AOE magic really useful here.

->Open Spoiler<-

Turns out he is an Esper so I guess I have my first secret one.

Last week I mentioned that I found an item that allowed me to

->Open Spoiler<-

speak with the cockatrice.

Turns out it is related to a sidequest which I have started.

[112]

lol i did the boss in Zertinian Caverns in the weekend, he's a bitch

->Open Spoiler<-

cos he flys! Really annoyed me, plus the zombie/dead creatures jus kept popping up and giving all kinds of nasty ailments!

Im jus about to get a chjocobo so i can cross some marshes which i think leads to some hidden level lol.

About these

->Open Spoiler<-

espers, is it me or are they pretty useless? Cos i find chaining quickenings more worthwhile than summoning an esper.

Maybe im not using them right, but they seem pointless to me.

Oh about these quickenings, whats the highest chain you've done? I think i got like 9 yesterday, but that only gave me a

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'torrent'

best ive done damage wise was an

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'Ark blast'

. I get well chuffed when i do that. All my characters now have full 3 quickenings (finally). lol, makes such a difference!

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[C']

I’ll be honest, I barely use my Mist Charges at all. As you say, Espers seem to be useless but I also find Quickenings to be mostly ineffective. Even when I chain them together all I ever seem to get is Inferno and the damage is never massively impressive and all that happens after creating a chain is a party with no MP and the boss taking a chomp out of me.

I guess I’ve just not figured out the secret to them yet.