Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Enh. I never found it a problem. She just sounded like a really bubbly Australian chick to me.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I started up a new game after the friends left. It should be noted that I'm skipping all the cutscenes that I've already seen, which will be all the way up to just before they get to Oerba in Chapter 11.

It should also be noted that I'm on Chapter 4 already after only playing for just under 3 hours. I don't know what that says about the game because I remember it taking a bit longer than that to be able to get to where I am now. At least a few days.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Skipping the cutscenes in a Final Fantasy game, isn't that like skipping the meat at a barbecue??

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I'd say skipping the cutscenes in FFXIII is almost exactly the same as skipping the cutscenes in the MGS game for the PS3.

It's like renting a movie to just watch the loading screen and the ending credits.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Any tips on what accessories are the best to upgrade?

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I know it sounds bad the way I'm gonna say it but I just want to be done with the game. I like it! I really do, it's just that I spent 30+ hours on it only to have my PS3 bork and then I'd have to sit through everything all over again. The datalog does a good job of providing everything that's going on with the plot, which isn't that hard to remember, and like I said, I'm only gonna do it up to chapter 11 since that's where I was before I lost my stuff.

At least the battles are still enjoyable for me since it doesn't feel like a chore for me to run around and fight people. If that were the case and the cutscenes couldn't be skipped...I honestly don't know if I would have been willing to jump right in again and get back to where I was.

I do see your point though. Every time I play through an MGS game I don't skip the cutscenes because for one it's not as easy to catch your bearings afterwards and find out what you need to do (although the CODEC does assist with that), but they're also very fun to watch too.

That being said, I got up to chapter 8, right in the beginning in Nautilus.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I feel for ya.
I wouldn't replay it if my system crapped out on me halfway through, either. I have that problem if I lose a saved game or something I just lose all motivation to try again.

I need to expand my PS3 friends, if you would like to be my friend, add me.

SmashAwesome

I like friends.
I need friends.
God, I'm so lonely.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Will be doing so now, I'm gonna see how far I get into chapter eight before I inevitably pass out. I put some stuff on Netflix and fire through the game while I do it, so that helps with the repeating. Keep a lookout for scarz0ftime, but I'll let you know it's me in the message

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Also, halfway? D: I was on Gran Pulse and almost got to Oerba! Damn it!

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Don't feel bad! I got past Midlight Reaper with 0 stars...both times I've done it.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

He's a tough one at that point in the game for some reason.

I've made it to mission 11 now. Not too sure how many more of these I can take...

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

You're not really supposed to stay around there doing a lot of those until later. I think you've done enough that you can progress on to Oerba. You've just gotta make sure you know which battles to pick while you're at the Archylte Steppe. There's one to progress that you can't avoid but it's one of those three way battle things with a behemoth.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

The missions, other than an unavoidable few, are all side quests that aren't required to finish the story. I would recommend leaving them until after you've beaten the game, they'll be a lot easier by then too.

I only did two missions in the Steppes area before moving on. I just made it to Oerba, and I'm calling it a night.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Phew - that's good to know. How far along the Crystarium is everyone?

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Having just made it to Oerba, which I believe is the last area of Chapter 11, I've reached the level 4 role crystal for all three of my three main character's (Lightning, Fang, Hope) primary roles. Also for each of those characters I have picked up every "main" crystal (not counting the branches), as well as all of their ability/accessory/ATB crystals. All I have remaining on the pure stat buff outliers, which I should have finished by the end of Chapter 11, I only have a few more left on each character.

As for Sazh, Vanille, and Snow, I'm just hording CP. Since I never use them I'm not spending it, and I intend to go crazy and make them out in 1 role at the end of the game. So Sazh will be a super synergist, Vanille will be a super medic, and Snow will be a super sentinel.

After you get out of the Steppes there is an awesome farming area in the "Maw of the Abyss" area. There's a hallway with a juggernaut at one end, and a box phalanx at the other. If you run back and forth killing everything in between (but not including those two things) you can rack up a ton of CP.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I got a guide and it said that it's something like 22,000 CP in five minutes or so back and forth, which is awesome because that's when everything gets retardedly expensive in the Crystarium.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

That area is amazingly epic. I'm going to try and max out the main roles on the crystarium before advancing.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I wonder if there's ever anything that would compel me to get the platinum trophy in this game. The amount of grinding alone is a huge deterrent alone, even if you get the Growth Egg after the 55th Cieth stone mission.

I'd have to hope I can get used to listening to this a lot:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMEe9...yer_detailpage

What is with YouTube embeds not working? D:

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I made it to Chapter 12: Eden Under Siege today. I'm going to attempt to max out the main roles again before advancing. I'm leaving for NY tomorrow morning though, so it will have to wait for after.

Any advice on what accessories are worth starring?

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Barthandelus is really chapping my ass this second time around. I really want to know what in the hell I did differently. This is supremely frustrating.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Took care of that about an hour ago, only to get destroyed by Bongo Bongo in Master Quest.

Stupid double damage. I've had enough of bosses today. I'm off to bed.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Who is your main party?

I bought some Warrior wristbands and sorcerer's marks from the B&W Outfitters shop (I think I spelled all that stuff correctly).

I have two of the sorcerer's on Hope, and three Warrior's on Fang. Lightning has 1 sorcrer, 1 warrior, and 1 whistlewind scarf. She also wields the axis blade, which combined with the whistlewind scarf synthesizes an ATB recharge ability.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I think my issue with Barthandelus was I didn't have a good party, oddly enough, since I don't think it's the members so much as that paradigms that matter. I think I'm sticking with Lightning, Vanille, and Snow.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Here we go, Cid Raines, part 2.

I realize I keep posting a lot.

Don't care! Cid Raines is probably gonna take me a while. Took me a few tries the first time.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Only took me two tries this time! As opposed to like the 10+ the first time I tried fighting him. Hooray! Three stars, I'll take it! It was a bit tough.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I've been using Lightning, Fang, and Vanille.

I've heard Spring Shoes is quite effective with the auto-haste feature?

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I'm not sure, but I don't have any idea how you can put up with Vanille's constant constipation noises during battle. :\

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I always found her to be more....useful than Hope as far as stats go. Don't quote me on that too much though, I'm starting to use him more now and he's a pretty awesome medic with the right stuff equipped.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Vanille has more balanced stats, but Hope has the highest magic stat in the game, which makes him an awesome Medic/Ravager/Synergist.

Vanille also doesn't get the AoE -aga spells.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Well that was the mistake I was making the first time I was going through. I also learned to love the Delta Attack and Solidarity paradigms a lot more. Before it was more Relentless Assault or Diversity and then quick switches to Combat Clinic.

I read somewhere that Fang actually turns out to be a lot better at being a Commando than she does a Sentinel, which is interesting. She does well enough for me, but I know Snow is the best one. I think he can get so OP as a Sentinel to the point where he can only take like 1 damage for any move? Something ridiculous like that.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Snow is the best sentinel, his HP becomes ridiculous.

Fang has a crazy strength stat though which, as you said, helps her be a great commando as well which I think makes her a better fit for a well rounded party. You can use Delta Attack to work up the stagger gauge to about 40% - 50%, then switch to Mystic Tower (Ravager Sentinel Ravager) to stagger. Flip to Relentless Assault to work up to about 500% damage (on the bigger guys), then flip to Commando Commando Ravager to do some crazy damage.

So yeah, Snow can be a great tank, but having someone who is a good commando is also important in a lot of fights so that's why I opted for Fang over him. Lightning is there because she's just good at everything, though perhaps not great. She's a good Ravager, a good Commando, and a good Medic.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I will be taking this into account for the future. Yay new paradigm decks!

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Any updates? I'm going to start playing again Monday night.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Last night I made it back to Cacoon and I'm moving through Eden.

And wow, the game just starts throwing crazy enemies at you at this point. Behemoth Kings everywhere. I'm just after the part where you fight the Proudclad.

The cut scene after arriving back on Cacoon is one of the best I've ever seen in a game. Very cool.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I was on a slight vacation this weekend so no playtime for me. I'm moving through Maw of the Abyss now though.

I think what I'm gonna keep doing is farming CP until everyone gets to their level four role crystals for their three "main" jobs. The main crystals too, not any of the outlying ones unless they lead to abilities or additional accesories.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Right now I'm basically just running around Siren Park grinding for CP. Spheres have gotten ridiculously expensive, and the enemies in the area after Siren Park (Leviathan Plaza), are ridiculously difficult.

Just going to grind until I have all the available spheres.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

I was able to get all the spheres filled out for each of the three "main" roles for all my characters so any CP I'm getting is just sitting there until I get to Stage 9 of the Crystarium, which I'm assuming is once you get to chapter 12? Either way I actually stopped playing right at the point where I was before I lost my save thanks to my PS3 dying. So hooray for that! I have a doctor's appointment in an hour and I'll probably just come back home and advance the plot some more as soon as I'm done there.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Yeah, you get a Crystarium expansion right at the end of Chapter 11.

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

Officially done with chapter 11! That was an interesting boss fight, got one star only, but I passed it and I'm happy, especially considering I got a decent length along the way of the expanded crystarium with everyone.

Vamp, I read that the last stage of the Crystarium doesn't open up until you beat the game, is that right?

Re: Final Fantasy Megathread
 

No idea, I've never beaten the game. :)

That Barthandelus fight was pretty crazy. I tried it once and spent over 20 minutes trying to beat him, only getting him down to about 1/3 health. Then he cast death on lightning so I switched to relentless assault in a desperate attempt to beat him, and just got killed.

Second time around I switched up my paradigms - I used Smart Bomb to afflict him and buff me, delta attack to stagger, relentless assault to work his stagger meter up to 500%, then aggression until the meter ran out.

Ended up getting 5 stars the second time around.