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Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age |OT| You Had One Job!

Zetta

Member
Just got it and I'm alllllll giddy just seeing the steelcase and then was all smiles when I saw Basch in the opening movie. I'm going to go with a Lore friendly build in thw first run then a optimal for my second.
 

nikos

Member
I don't know how I feel about this speed boost, especially because I never finished this game when it was released.

Saving time is nice, but I feel like I'm missing a lot by using it. Also feels like cheating. Hard to resist though.
 

Vashetti

Banned
That little kid lied! I had to go to every dark crystal!

has kingdom hearts 3 released in your future?

QbNpRrG.png
 

Tiamant

Member
The dialogue, the faces and the hair are so good! Especially the hair. How could the era of bald space marines exist on more powerful machines when we had marvels like Basch's hair on a PS2?
 
The small lightning changes look fantastic, especially in the desert zones. What a difference. The remaster is also a good reminder how time less the character models and faces in particular look.
And I won't bother with the original score anymore, or even the soundtrack version. The new one just sounds so much better.

Is there any good source for all small (even minor) gameplay changes from the vanilla version to the IZJS or even better the remaster? Stuff like droprates, sale prices etc.
 

ramyeon

Member
Just impulse bought this because the Steelbook is beautiful. It's the only FF I've never played - what are the optimal job set ups? Are there any pairings I should avoid? Going to be giving this thread a good read today.
 

Dad

Member
I was playing the PS2 version on my old PS3 and got to the
Judge Bergan
fight before my console keeled over with YLOD. How far into the game was I? Still excited to dig back in regardless
 

Niks

Member
Think im going with this setup

Vaan - Shikari / Foebreaker
Penelo - Monk / Blackmage
Balthier - Whitemage / Machinist
Fran - Red Battlemage / Archer
Basch - Knight / Bushi
Ashe - Time Battlemage / Uhlan
 
...

I swear to god the game told me that you couldn't double up on jobs, and because jobs that were already picked by someone highlight, I just assumed that to be the case.

So, basically, I completely stressed over how to dole out twelve jobs between six characters for nothing.

Yeah, now you have to stress out about how to optimally pair up 12 jobs between 6 characters and 12 espers to optimize your build.
 

Burritoad

Member
This is gonna be my party setup

Vaan - Shikari/Foebreaker
Penelo - Monk/Black Mage
Ashe - Uhlan/Time Battlemage
Basch - Knight/Bushi
Balthier - Machinist/White Mage
Fran - Archer/Red Battlemage

My only problem is Esper allocation, I have no idea how I should distribute them.
 

Fisty

Member
Any thoughts on my job list?

Black Mage/Monk
Red Battlemage/Archer
Bushi/Shikari
White Mage/Foebreaker
Knight/Time Battlemage
Uhlan/Machinist

It looks ok from what I see, mainly going for the Dark Robes + Genji Glove + Yagyu combo. Need to decide on characters as well lol
 
Just under two hours and still haven't finalized my Jobs -_-

Thinking my Balthier has SHI/FOE.

At Lv99 as SHI he's gonna be at STR 81 SPD 38. Either KNI or FOE sub Job with Grand Helm, Mirage Vest, Germinas Boots (Jackboots replacement) is gonna be STR 81 + (6 or 7) + 12 = 99 or 100 STR, then SP 38 + 50 + 10 = 98 SPD, and finally (relevant if you're SHI/FOE), VIT 58 + 20 + 10 + 10 = 98 VIT.

So he's basically the FF Tactics Ninja... as SHI/FOE can hit hard either the Yagyu Darkblade or Scorpion Tail hhhh.

Basch has a better hammer combo rate but I saw some calculations on it, and it was like Basch got 46,000 DPS to Balthier's 45,000. With Genji Glove, too. Were you going Germinas Boots you'd probably do less DPS with either character (Germinas probably only better than Genji with Ninja Swords) but it'd probably be like 1-2% difference (versus the 3% difference or so with Genji Gloves).

Balthier would still hit harder though if you also just want to see big numbers hhhh. Assuming you're using the equipment above, it looks like they'd be at:
100 STR 098 VIT 098 SPD (Balthier)
103 STR 087 VIT 095 SPD (Basch)
096 STR 102 VIT 096 SPD (Fran)
103 STR 102 VIT 097 SPD (Vaan)

So I like Balthier's lack of wasted post-99 stats plus he's tied for #1 with ninja swords, basically tied (like less than 0.5%) with Ashe for #2 with hammers. But there's a real interesting idea around of combining SHI with something like RDM to make a more traditional self-healing tank out of it, but even then you lack the Shield Block 3 that KNI or FOE gives SHI. And out of all the FF (high combo) weapons, I think I want Masamune, Whale Whisker, and Scorpion Tail on separate characters so I can run all 3 + 3x Genji for fun if I want, and Scorpion Balthier, Masamune Basch, and Whale Fran works and has the lowest 0.5 combo rates for all. Only thing I sort of miss is that SHI/Mystic Armor would be fun for Yagyu + Dark Robes for Yiazmat.

Also, still not sure about my Basch as BSH but I'm still not sure the sub Job.

Basch at Lv99 is STR 76 / MAG 63. Then as Bushi he's 86/77. Lordly Robes makes that 91/92, and then either the Shishak makes it 102/97 or the Circlet 93/102. So to hit 99/99 Bushi Basch needs either 6 extra STR or 2 extra MAG, which would mean reaching either Battle Lore 14 or Magick Lore 16. So only Uhlan, Monk, and Black Mage let him hit 99/99 (max possible damage).

Flip side is those have less fewer synergies... just for a very marginal (if symbolic) gain. BSH/KNI... You'd end up 97/99 or 99/97, but you'd gain Shield Block 3 for when you start using Masamune I, you can combine Excalibur + White Robes for the huge amount of holy-weak monsters during the story, get access to decent spells to utilize that high MAG (though MNK does this even better and has more +HP Augments than KNI or UHL). Would be nice to grab something with buffs so he could help out with rotation of Haste, Bravery and Faith, Bubble, and then self-Berserk.

Being able to change Jobs out-of-battle a la FF Tactics would sure be nice but I sort of appreciate the weight that permanency giving the character decisions. How people played the OG versus how they are now is a pretty good case study for that 'respecs vs no respecs' topic we've had a few times here. Reminds me of back in Diablo 2, and constant 'evaluate my template' discussions. Adding a second Job to Zodiac Age was a pretty small but significant change.
 
Any guide for the absolute best job/esper set up stats-wise?
Best way to see good combos is probably to visualize with charts like these over on GameFAQs:
https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/191202-final-fantasy-xii-the-zodiac-age/75527489

It helps to see which Jobs have Augments that overlap or which Espers have Licenses locked between then and may be 'competed' over by a lot of your Jobs.

Usually the better combos I suppose are the ones with a lot of synergies... Things like, RDM subbing BLM or ARC so you can use Flame Staff or Flame Bow with Ardor; SHI with Mystic Armor or KNI with Mystic Armor for Holy/Dark weapon with Holy/Dark Robes; ARC/BLM for 'complete' Chemist item Augments. Most Jobs have a weakness. BSH and ARC lack Battle Lores; MCH lacks Swiftness; RDM gets the best fire spell but no fire weapons; MNK and KNI get surprisingly good spells but shit MAG growth; likewise BSH has huge MAG but no spells. So 'best' Job combos are those that avoid License overlap and really compliment each others weaknesses, but optimally also have interesting item combinations not possible from the base Job.
Man, I can't even decide if I just want a uber party with best combos, or make sure I use all jobs.
Yeah... I still sort of feel like it's 'right' to try use 12/12 Jobs because of the perfect fit with 6 characters.

But from a sort of typical FF Tactics perspective I keep telling myself it's a silly rule haha. I'd ignore Oracles and use too many Ninjas and Monks in FFT all the time, so why not here, too lol.
 

Lumination

'enry 'ollins
Stupid question I came up like 10 years ago that I can probably logic the answer to.

When selling stuff to the bazaar to unlock new stuff, what matters is cumulative amount sold, not amount sold in the current stack, right?
 
No, it's the current amount sold. That's how it was in OG and it's the same in IZJS. Technically I'm not sure if they changed it for TZA but I doubt. So, yeah, you still have to sell all your loot at the same time to unlock Bazaar items.

GameFAQs has a few good guides for that... this one for all weapons and bazaar weapons, or this one just for the new 'ultimate weapons' just to save time to more quickly see which loot is most important to keep. As for loot itself, this walkthrough has pretty good 'Loot Alerts' so it kinda let's you know (even in the table of contents) when you should try collect new loot in each new area (plus I'm guessing the author is the RS here of the same name).
 

Einhandr

Member
So someone uploaded a video about the changes made to trial mode from IZJS. In IZJS you could steal items and get rewards for completing stages but it was pretty worthless because you couldn't transfer anything back to the main game.

IN TZA YOU CAN!

I seriously feel like this changes everything. He uploaded a video of him stealing one of the ultimate weapons from a cactoid in a level 3 trial and transferring it back to his main save file. They made trial mode worth doing when you're not level 90! Now you can get more than 2 genji gloves, more wyrmhero blades, etc!

I'm on mobile and can't easily copy the links but here is the gamefaqs topic about it:

https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/191202-final-fantasy-xii-the-zodiac-age/75552047

Another link to a thread about items that can be stolen in trial mode:

https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/939426-final-fantasy-xii-international-zodiac-job-system/75027922
 

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
Hard to believe after a decade of hoping we get IZJS, its here and in even better shape.
 

Holmes

Member
So someone uploaded a video about the changes made to trial mode from IZJS. In IZJS you could steal items and get rewards for completing stages but it was pretty worthless because you couldn't transfer anything back to the main game.

IN TZA YOU CAN!

I seriously feel like this changes everything. He uploaded a video of him stealing one of the ultimate weapons from a cactoid in a level 3 trial and transferring it back to his main save file. They made trial mode worth doing when you're not level 90! Now you can get more than 2 genji gloves, more wyrmhero blades, etc!

I'm on mobile and can't easily copy the links but here is the gamefaqs topic about it:

https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/191202-final-fantasy-xii-the-zodiac-age/75552047

Another link to a thread about items that can be stolen in trial mode:

https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/939426-final-fantasy-xii-international-zodiac-job-system/75027922
Wow
 
I don't think this was even a limitation in IZJS. I was watching a speedrun on Youtube of the IZJS version, and the guy took 2 black mages.

It's technically not a limitation because you could do it in the original.

It just wasn't recommended. You can get a single character each Quickening and Esper licence. So if two characters have the same job, then they can't get all three Quickenings.

Now with this game adding Job combos that's not a big an issue as before, as you'll probably be able to get all the Quickenings you need across two jobs even if two characters share one.
 

Skel1ingt0n

I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
How overwhelmed am I going to be if I go into this completely blind?
 
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