Final Fantasy XII

[Sakura-Kyoukan]

Oh yea, Sakura is loving this sweet sweet game... Final Fantasy, after only 4 crappy flops (5 if you count X-2) has finally made a good game again! I'm going to do my best and find a way to hook up my digital camera with an A/V input so i can record some gameplay and cut scenes then post them on Youtube. But in the meantime Discuss the game here (yes i'll move this to the proper sub-forum later) I have the strategy guide and have played thru some of the games secrets so far, so if you have any questions or need a little help just ask and i shall deliver 200%. Otherwise discuss:
Graphics
FF XIII
FF XII Gameplay
Strategy
Characters
Comparisons to old FF series
New-ish Realtime Battle system  

[Sakura-Kyoukan]

Ok first i have to rave on the graphics... I'm using a Ps2 and i'm astonished in the detail that they have nuked into this game. I can only piss my pants in imagining what it looks like on the Ps3, or what FF XIII will look like on the Ps3 for that matter. The FF series has gone Big on graphics since they began, and this is no exception. From the Cutscenes to the Terrain. And even the Weapons and spells all are stunnning and jaw dropping to its fineist detail. And the better the items get the more awesome the detail grows.

As for gameplay, You start off with Vaan (main character) but soon you get 2 more party members then it grows quickly till you have a total of 6. You can only use 3 at a time (just like the old Final Fantasy's) however you are often joined by "guests" that are AI controlled but brings your party to a nice round 4.

The new battlesystem is beautiful. No more turn-based attacking. It's all action time bars and gambits. (wtf is a gambit you say!) Gambits are auto functions you can add to party members and even yourself. You can set one member to "heal Allie when HP <50%" and other things like "Attack enemy closest to Member" & "Cast Vox on Allie with Silence" This makes the game 100x easier to manage when you dont have to stop and select actions for every party member every battle, which you can still do btw to override any gambit in case the need arises.  

[Sakura-Kyoukan]

BTW fraan is just smexy, something about a half naked brown woman with long pointy white bunnie ears... just .. mmm yea 3nodding

Here's a SS of Actuall Gameplay, you can see a little what im talking about with the graphics






Here's some Cutscene detail

Lady Ashe (playable character)


moogles are so cute!


Fran, Balthier, Basch, & Vaan  

[Sheer_Immortal]

...Can I post yet? wink

Before this game, I didn't think I was a graphics whore, but dude, I totally am xp Everything's just so...pretty. (Especially Balthier - I'd totally hit that, lol...Fran too, for that matter >.>) ninja But I love the fact that I can scan the horizon to see whether I'm walking into a town or not, or to see where those Dark Stones were in Giza, etc.

I love the Gambit system. It makes random battles fun mrgreen (except when Balthier and Vaan spend like 5 turns stealing against larger foes because I have their Steal gambit set to Foe HP >= 70%).

As for battles, I like how it doesn't go into the random battle screen, and how you can see every fight you'll ever run into. It's about time FF took a page out of the books of games like Chrono Trigger/Cross and Saga Frontier (heck, Kingdom Hearts, too), instead of having the random battles. I also like how you can run around while you're waiting for your turn (my favorite strategy against turtles is to switch to whomever the turtle is targeting and have them run around while the rest of the party hacks on the turtle mrgreen ).

As far as the character designs go, I think I like Fran and Penelo the best - Fran because she's cool-looking (her voice is wikkid-awesome too) and Penelo because she's not dressed too skimpily. Basch is cool, too. I'm not too fond of Vaan - his abs look less like muscles and more like oddly-symmetrical dirty spots on his torso xd

For the actual characters, I dunno. I'm not terribly far into the story, I think (I'm just past where I went into Jahara the first time, where I'm supposed to go into the jungle). Fran's pretty cool, though - she's probably my overall favorite character. I think my favorite thing about the characters is that they didn't go into the extreme stock-characters stereotype. Looking at some of the other games, for example, there's usually some happy, hyper chick. In FFXII, this would be Penelo, but she's not overly happy/hyper to the point of being annoying (unlike Rikku [FFX/X-2]) - she's just regularly pleasant. Likewise, Fran or Basch would probably be the dark/brooding character (like Vincent [FF7], Squall [FF8] Auron [FFX], Paine [X-2], etc.), but they're not really all that dark or brooding - it's just that among the different stock-character-types, that's the one they fit best. If I had to assign stock character types to the characters of FFXII, I could, but within the game itself they don't really fit the profiles. It's like they're their own people, instead of completely fitting into the stereotypes. I think that's probably one of my favorite things about this game. ^.^

I like the License system, too. It actually makes sense within the game (the city's under imperial rule, therefore you need licenses to do anything), to a certain extent (if the imperials require licenses, why wouldn't you have to buy them with gil?), unlike FF9's "learn stuff off of clothes and then equip the abilities with your special magic stones, ooo".

In summary - I can't think of anything off the top of my head that I don't like about this game. ^.^

I've never seen the XII strategy guide. I like to play through games the first time on my own, anyway ^.^ Heh, I already missed out on the best spear in the game, according to my bf, and I'm barely into the story xd

Out of curiosity, what do you consider the flops? (and yeah, I count X-2...the game had a lot of potential, but it ultimately sucked, IMHO. I also count 9 and X, but I don't really know the earlier games that well. I mean, I've played them, but really only once.)  

[Sheer_Immortal]

What do y'all think about the graphic update for the moogles? I do think they're really cute in this game, but I kinda miss the old-skool moogle design. The chocos, though, are cool ^.^ I like how they move - how oversized chickens with a passenger on their back might actually, really move xd  

[Sakura-Kyoukan]

Sheer_Immortal

...Can I post yet?

Before this game, I didn't think I was a graphics whore, but dude, I totally am xp Everything's just so...pretty. (Especially Balthier - I'd totally hit that, lol...Fran too, for that matter >.>) ninja But I love the fact that I can scan the horizon to see whether I'm walking into a town or not, or to see where those Dark Stones were in Giza, etc.

I love the Gambit system. It makes random battles fun mrgreen (except when Balthier and Vaan spend like 5 turns stealing against larger foes because I have their Steal gambit set to Foe HP >= 70%).

As for battles, I like how it doesn't go into the random battle screen, and how you can see every fight you'll ever run into. It's about time FF took a page out of the books of games like Chrono Trigger/Cross and Saga Frontier (heck, Kingdom Hearts, too), instead of having the random battles. I also like how you can run around while you're waiting for your turn (my favorite strategy against turtles is to switch to whomever the turtle is targeting and have them run around while the rest of the party hacks on the turtle mrgreen ).

As far as the character designs go, I think I like Fran and Penelo the best - Fran because she's cool-looking (her voice is wikkid-awesome too) and Penelo because she's not dressed too skimpily. Basch is cool, too. I'm not too fond of Vaan - his abs look less like muscles and more like oddly-symmetrical dirty spots on his torso xd

For the actual characters, I dunno. I'm not terribly far into the story, I think (I'm just past where I went into Jahara the first time, where I'm supposed to go into the jungle). Fran's pretty cool, though - she's probably my overall favorite character. I think my favorite thing about the characters is that they didn't go into the extreme stock-characters stereotype. Looking at some of the other games, for example, there's usually some happy, hyper chick. In FFXII, this would be Penelo, but she's not overly happy/hyper to the point of being annoying (unlike Rikku [FFX/X-2]) - she's just regularly pleasant. Likewise, Fran or Basch would probably be the dark/brooding character (like Vincent [FF7], Squall [FF8] Auron [FFX], Paine [X-2], etc.), but they're not really all that dark or brooding - it's just that among the different stock-character-types, that's the one they fit best. If I had to assign stock character types to the characters of FFXII, I could, but within the game itself they don't really fit the profiles. It's like they're their own people, instead of completely fitting into the stereotypes. I think that's probably one of my favorite things about this game. ^.^

I like the License system, too. It actually makes sense within the game (the city's under imperial rule, therefore you need licenses to do anything), to a certain extent (if the imperials require licenses, why wouldn't you have to buy them with gil?), unlike FF9's "learn stuff off of clothes and then equip the abilities with your special magic stones, ooo".

In summary - I can't think of anything off the top of my head that I don't like about this game. ^.^

I've never seen the XII strategy guide. I like to play through games the first time on my own, anyway ^.^ Heh, I already missed out on the best spear in the game, according to my bf, and I'm barely into the story xd

Out of curiosity, what do you consider the flops? (and yeah, I count X-2...the game had a lot of potential, but it ultimately sucked, IMHO. I also count 9 and X, but I don't really know the earlier games that well. I mean, I've played them, but really only once.)

Yea i'd have to say my favorite characters are Lady Ashe, Fran and Basch. Just because they all have something to prove, and the personalities fit. FF did make their usally crap problem with the main character, just like FFX he's kinda a p***y, although at least they made him ALOT less of one this time around, but he's still my least fav character.

You brought up a great point. The voice acting on this game is AWESOME, the best i've ever seen and i mean EVER. It really pulls you into the game and along with the graphics makes a Very powerful combonation.

I'm not that far into the game either, just finished the first visit to the jungle like you are about to do, I dont use the strategy guide for anything other than side quests, item charts, and the occasional secret. I despise walkthru's it just makes the game no fun.

(BTW there's a big fish boss in giza plains on the way to the garif land, if you kill it and sell its scales the bazzarr will option a sell of a grimore for 22000gil *took me a while to earn the gil to buy it* but it apparently increases the rate of rare drops so >.<) i didn't even read about that one in the Strat guide.

Oh and by flops i ment pretty much everything after FF 7 (since 1-3 & 4-6 are the same game)  

[Sheer_Immortal]

Sakura-Kyoukan

Yea i'd have to say my favorite characters are Lady Ashe, Fran and Basch. Just because they all have something to prove, and the personalities fit. FF did make their usally crap problem with the main character, just like FFX he's kinda a p***y, although at least they made him ALOT less of one this time around, but he's still my least fav character.

You brought up a great point. The voice acting on this game is AWESOME, the best i've ever seen and i mean EVER. It really pulls you into the game and along with the graphics makes a Very powerful combonation.

I'm not that far into the game either, just finished the first visit to the jungle like you are about to do, I dont use the strategy guide for anything other than side quests, item charts, and the occasional secret. I despise walkthru's it just makes the game no fun.

(BTW there's a big fish boss in giza plains on the way to the garif land, if you kill it and sell its scales the bazzarr will option a sell of a grimore for 22000gil *took me a while to earn the gil to buy it* but it apparently increases the rate of rare drops so >.<) i didn't even read about that one in the Strat guide.

Oh and by flops i ment pretty much everything after FF 7 (since 1-3 & 4-6 are the same game)

Yeah, I don't really like Vaan either. At least he's less of a whiny biatch than Tidus was xd

I'm with you on the voice-acting too. 3nodding The voices really fit the characters well. (And dude, Fran's accent is awesome ^.^)

Another thing I like about the characters is that there's really no weak female character. Ashe full-on shuts Vaan up at least once that I can remember, and Balthier totally looks to Fran to pull him out of tight spots or to look for danger. Penelo's probably the closest thing to a weak sister, but she still bosses Vaan around xd To Square-Enix: This is how you do "girl power," not the over-the-top, vomit-inducing happy-crappy that X-2 was talk2hand On the other hand, I don't like my FF men to be pansies like Vaan, either. rofl

Fish boss? I was all over the plains multiple times (had to level up for the Gil Snapper mark) and saw no fish boss. 0.o I got the Hunter's Monograph and the Sage's Monograph, though.

Oh, did you find the Feather of the Flock key item in Giza during the rains? I dunno what-all it does, but I do know that it lets you talk to the cockatrices in the nomad village during the Dry ^.^  

[Sakura-Kyoukan]

Sheer_Immortal

Sakura-Kyoukan

Yea i'd have to say my favorite characters are Lady Ashe, Fran and Basch. Just because they all have something to prove, and the personalities fit. FF did make their usally crap problem with the main character, just like FFX he's kinda a p***y, although at least they made him ALOT less of one this time around, but he's still my least fav character.

You brought up a great point. The voice acting on this game is AWESOME, the best i've ever seen and i mean EVER. It really pulls you into the game and along with the graphics makes a Very powerful combonation.

I'm not that far into the game either, just finished the first visit to the jungle like you are about to do, I dont use the strategy guide for anything other than side quests, item charts, and the occasional secret. I despise walkthru's it just makes the game no fun.

(BTW there's a big fish boss in giza plains on the way to the garif land, if you kill it and sell its scales the bazzarr will option a sell of a grimore for 22000gil *took me a while to earn the gil to buy it* but it apparently increases the rate of rare drops so >.<) i didn't even read about that one in the Strat guide.

Oh and by flops i ment pretty much everything after FF 7 (since 1-3 & 4-6 are the same game)

Yeah, I don't really like Vaan either. At least he's less of a whiny biatch than Tidus was xd

I'm with you on the voice-acting too. 3nodding The voices really fit the characters well. (And dude, Fran's accent is awesome ^.^)

Another thing I like about the characters is that there's really no weak female character. Ashe full-on shuts Vaan up at least once that I can remember, and Balthier totally looks to Fran to pull him out of tight spots or to look for danger. Penelo's probably the closest thing to a weak sister, but she still bosses Vaan around xd To Square-Enix: This is how you do "girl power," not the over-the-top, vomit-inducing happy-crappy that X-2 was talk2hand On the other hand, I don't like my FF men to be pansies like Vaan, either. rofl

Fish boss? I was all over the plains multiple times (had to level up for the Gil Snapper mark) and saw no fish boss. 0.o I got the Hunter's Monograph and the Sage's Monograph, though.

Oh, did you find the Feather of the Flock key item in Giza during the rains? I dunno what-all it does, but I do know that it lets you talk to the cockatrices in the nomad village during the Dry ^.^

Hmm i thought it was because of the fish boss, It was in the corner by one of the rank II turtle hunts, but if you got the sage's monograph it must not have been, (i didnt even know about the hunters monograph, see how much i actually use that strat guide rofl)

The Feather of the Flock is part of a side quest later, it'll be usefull once i find out which one i guess lol.  

[Sheer_Immortal]

Sakura-Kyoukan

Hmm i thought it was because of the fish boss, It was in the corner by one of the rank II turtle hunts, but if you got the sage's monograph it must not have been, (i didnt even know about the hunters monograph, see how much i actually use that strat guide rofl)

The Feather of the Flock is part of a side quest later, it'll be usefull once i find out which one i guess lol.

Maybe there was a fish boss that I just don't remember. I'll check out my bestiary when I go home ^.^ I remember I got the option to buy the Sage's Monograph seemingly at random after talking to the shopkeep in Jahara, though...still, that might've been after fighting whatever in Giza whee

Hunter's Monograph was one of the rewards for hunting a mark...can't remember which one, but the petitioner was Gatsly in Lowtown. I think you might have to talk to him again after you get the initial reward, but he'll put up a grimoire for sale (18,000 gil) in the bazaar.  

[Sakura-Kyoukan]

Sheer_Immortal

Sakura-Kyoukan

Hmm i thought it was because of the fish boss, It was in the corner by one of the rank II turtle hunts, but if you got the sage's monograph it must not have been, (i didnt even know about the hunters monograph, see how much i actually use that strat guide rofl)

The Feather of the Flock is part of a side quest later, it'll be usefull once i find out which one i guess lol.

Maybe there was a fish boss that I just don't remember. I'll check out my bestiary when I go home ^.^ I remember I got the option to buy the Sage's Monograph seemingly at random after talking to the shopkeep in Jahara, though...still, that might've been after fighting whatever in Giza whee

Hunter's Monograph was one of the rewards for hunting a mark...can't remember which one, but the petitioner was Gatsly in Lowtown. I think you might have to talk to him again after you get the initial reward, but he'll put up a grimoire for sale (18,000 gil) in the bazaar.

Ohhh that guy, yea i did his hunt and he told me to visit him at his shop, but i never found him after that... i should go hunt him down in lowtown... I'm doing all the hunts i can i've downed 3 elite marks and almost 10 reg marks so far, just now about to start taking down some rank II & III's  

[Awiergan]

Four crappy flops? WTF? 8 and 9 were awesome. They beat the hell out of seven. People don't know what good gameplay is. stare  

[Sheer_Immortal]

Sakura-Kyoukan

Sheer_Immortal

Sakura-Kyoukan

Hmm i thought it was because of the fish boss, It was in the corner by one of the rank II turtle hunts, but if you got the sage's monograph it must not have been, (i didnt even know about the hunters monograph, see how much i actually use that strat guide rofl)

The Feather of the Flock is part of a side quest later, it'll be usefull once i find out which one i guess lol.

Maybe there was a fish boss that I just don't remember. I'll check out my bestiary when I go home ^.^ I remember I got the option to buy the Sage's Monograph seemingly at random after talking to the shopkeep in Jahara, though...still, that might've been after fighting whatever in Giza whee

Hunter's Monograph was one of the rewards for hunting a mark...can't remember which one, but the petitioner was Gatsly in Lowtown. I think you might have to talk to him again after you get the initial reward, but he'll put up a grimoire for sale (18,000 gil) in the bazaar.

Ohhh that guy, yea i did his hunt and he told me to visit him at his shop, but i never found him after that... i should go hunt him down in lowtown... I'm doing all the hunts i can i've downed 3 elite marks and almost 10 reg marks so far, just now about to start taking down some rank II & III's

He's in Muthru Bazaar. ^.^

Heh, my bf says I'm nuts - I'm almost to where I can take out rank V with just pure luck xd Screw levelling up when I can just get lucky with a Mist Quickening, I say...except I really have to level up (about 10 levels, I figure 0.o) to fight this thing I found in Zertinan Caverns - I think it might be an Esper. Either way, it's killed me a couple times, so I've called a vendetta on its a** xd

Do you break your characters into classes, or do you just buy them whatever abilities and equipments?  

[Sheer_Immortal]

Awiergan

Four crappy flops? WTF? 8 and 9 were awesome. They beat the hell out of seven. People don't know what good gameplay is. stare

I'll give you 8 as a good game for its story, Triple Triad and Junction system (no way it beat 7, though), but 9 was crap. Its ability system was random - it made no sense within the game. The characters were goofy-looking, Zidane was a dork, and the battling system was just more of the same ol', same ol'. talk2hand About the only cool thing 9 had was Tetra Master.  

[Dana Pixie Stix]

Awiergan

Four crappy flops? WTF? 8 and 9 were awesome. They beat the hell out of seven. People don't know what good gameplay is. stare

Don't get me started on 8, I had to beat that game for a lot of friends, I know quite a bit with that one. xd

8 and 9 were really great, and I want 12 damn it. gonk

and that was a Moogle? eek