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Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age |OT| You Had One Job!
- Thread starter FlutterPuffs
- Start date
Jesus Christ either I forgot how good the dialogue is in this game or I was too young to appreciate it back in the day but seriously it's outstanding for a Final Fantasy game. Not to mention the cast has to be the most mateur final fantasy cast I've ever played not a goofy personality in the bunch not that I hate goofy characters when done right but it's just refreshing to see a jrpg without one.
I'm only a couple of hours into the game but Balthier is already the MVP.
The whole exchange between Vaan and Basch in the tunnels combined with the music is just outstanding and the way Balthier just cuts across the drama at the end is godly.
I'm only a couple of hours into the game but Balthier is already the MVP.
The whole exchange between Vaan and Basch in the tunnels combined with the music is just outstanding and the way Balthier just cuts across the drama at the end is godly.
Someone on Reddit was VERY lucky and got the Seitengrat in 50 minutes. He got it the second time he got the chest to spawn. Sadly they are still missing 3D models.
This is what I've got too. I just need to figure out Espers, once I get those... I think I figured out which quickenings I'll get, and haven't ruined that by grabbing a few random ones without realizing some lock you out of getting other abilities.
ClearMetal
Member
Oh man, that Lowtown music. Amazing.
Also, running around Rabanastre and seeing all those Bangaa still makes me wish there was a Bangaa party member.
Also, running around Rabanastre and seeing all those Bangaa still makes me wish there was a Bangaa party member.
The only problem I see with having time/white is being limited to how robust you can make your gambit set up due to the limit of how many gambits you can have. And possibly burning through all your MP too fast.
Started my first playthrough last night having never seen or played the PS2 original. Absolutely loving it so far, probably the strongest opening of any FF imo. Maybe rivaled only by VII.
I was streaming so I managed to get my reaction to Basche's little character moment at the very beginning on camera (game audio was muted unfortunately so I'm gonna go back and fix that tonight) 😛
https://clips.twitch.tv/OriginalGlamorousGoblinMrDestructoid
I was streaming so I managed to get my reaction to Basche's little character moment at the very beginning on camera (game audio was muted unfortunately so I'm gonna go back and fix that tonight) 😛
https://clips.twitch.tv/OriginalGlamorousGoblinMrDestructoid
Haven't reached a point where I can choose 2nd jobs yet, but here is what I've chosen and why.
Vaan - Knight (will be taking Bushi) Vaan has really good magic stat (3rd to Penelo and Ashe) and his animation speed for greatswords and katanas are top tier. For lore reasons I would have liked to give this to Basch but his low magic stat was a roadblock.
Basch - Shikari (will take Foebreaker) he has the fastest dagger and ninja sword animation in the game (actually he's great with pretty much all weapons) and this combo does not require any magic at all. His low vitality will mean slightly weaker damage with hammers or axes, but he won't really be using them that often.
Balthier - Uhlan - Balthier has top tier speed swinging spears, so he's perfect for this role. I believe I'll be taking time battlemage as his 2nd job, but there's an outside chance of taking machinist- I'll decide later. Both of these jobs will provide "swiftness x3" and both give some access to time magic. Heavily leaning on time battlemage though since I'd rather not give it to my white mage.
Fran - White mage - she doesn't have a great magic stat, but decent enough, and if there's one category of magic you can use with non-optimal magic stat its white mage - you want your offensive spell casters to be your best magic users. 2nd job will be machinist or time mage, depending on what I want for Balthier.
Ashe - Black Mage (Monk) best magic user in the game combined with tons of buffs and utility from monk, including high level white magic (holy)
Penelo - Red Battlemage (Archer) - natural combo here as Fire Bow can power up ardor significantly. Only other option to do this is black mage / red mage so you can use flame staff, but I'd rather separate my offensive mages. With Penelo's high magic stat, she will decimate enemies. Having ranged attacks from bow is nice for some situations, and the swiftness x3 from archer ensures faster cast times.
Vaan - Knight (will be taking Bushi) Vaan has really good magic stat (3rd to Penelo and Ashe) and his animation speed for greatswords and katanas are top tier. For lore reasons I would have liked to give this to Basch but his low magic stat was a roadblock.
Basch - Shikari (will take Foebreaker) he has the fastest dagger and ninja sword animation in the game (actually he's great with pretty much all weapons) and this combo does not require any magic at all. His low vitality will mean slightly weaker damage with hammers or axes, but he won't really be using them that often.
Balthier - Uhlan - Balthier has top tier speed swinging spears, so he's perfect for this role. I believe I'll be taking time battlemage as his 2nd job, but there's an outside chance of taking machinist- I'll decide later. Both of these jobs will provide "swiftness x3" and both give some access to time magic. Heavily leaning on time battlemage though since I'd rather not give it to my white mage.
Fran - White mage - she doesn't have a great magic stat, but decent enough, and if there's one category of magic you can use with non-optimal magic stat its white mage - you want your offensive spell casters to be your best magic users. 2nd job will be machinist or time mage, depending on what I want for Balthier.
Ashe - Black Mage (Monk) best magic user in the game combined with tons of buffs and utility from monk, including high level white magic (holy)
Penelo - Red Battlemage (Archer) - natural combo here as Fire Bow can power up ardor significantly. Only other option to do this is black mage / red mage so you can use flame staff, but I'd rather separate my offensive mages. With Penelo's high magic stat, she will decimate enemies. Having ranged attacks from bow is nice for some situations, and the swiftness x3 from archer ensures faster cast times.
The Xtortionist
Member
Time/White Mage is a good support class, but don't forget that Knight also gets high level white magic via espers, and Machinist gains high level time magic in the same way (making White Mage/Machinist a good late game support character).
Time Mage/White Mage will have a lot of casting to do. Too much in my opinion. I'd advise you to avoid this combination, as your caster will probably be low on MP and/or won't have the time to cast Time Magic when healing will be needed during tough fights.
This is only my opinion, but I wouldn't stack two casting jobs in any case. Now, some jobs will be able to cast high-level magic once you get the appropriate Esper, but remember that you will be locked out of other equally interesting abilities on other jobs. Really, it can be quite a pain to determine what are your best options, so either you scrutinize each license boards beforehand, either you just say "screw it I just want to play the damn game already!".
I actually went with the second option.
Exactly the same as mine, just on different characters. I'm giving Ashe katanas just because she's the character I use the most
So this is my first ever experience with FF12, and the only mainline FF i have never played.
Just fired it up and......is there supposed to be a huge black border on the bottom of my screen during cutscenes? It's really off putting, considering it's full screen during the gameplay etc...
Just fired it up and......is there supposed to be a huge black border on the bottom of my screen during cutscenes? It's really off putting, considering it's full screen during the gameplay etc...
Only on cutscenes - I guess they were going for a more theatrical look.
Yeah those combos are pretty cookie cutter, and I can't take credit for them, as they've been tossed around for weeks if not months on gamefaqs. It really comes down to slight tweaks, and who gets which role (ultimately it doesn't matter that much, as stats are fairly close at level 99)
First time playing this, only a few hours in and the gravitas of this game is felt, moreso than other games in the series I played, I think. FFXV especially pales. The presentation and dialogue are top-notch so far for my liking.
Note: Played many games of the series, but only finished XV before.
Edit: Also some of these tracks are unreal, love the under city one.
Note: Played many games of the series, but only finished XV before.
Edit: Also some of these tracks are unreal, love the under city one.
StormBrute
Member
This is what I'm planning for my setup.
Main team:
Ashe - Monk + Black Mage
Balthier - Uhlan + Time Mage
Basch - Knight + Samurai/Bushi
Backup:
Vaan - Hunter/Shikari + Breaker
Penelo - White Mage + Machinist
Fran - Archer + Red Mage
I wanted to use every class, though I'm debating now. Main concern is that my main team will not have any healing magic until the right Espers.
Other concern: making Balthier a Time Mage when his Magic stat is so bad. Does Magic have any effect on Time Magicks? Increase duration or anything like that? I know it affects the accuracy of Green Magicks, but with so few of them, it doesn't seem that important.
Main team:
Ashe - Monk + Black Mage
Balthier - Uhlan + Time Mage
Basch - Knight + Samurai/Bushi
Backup:
Vaan - Hunter/Shikari + Breaker
Penelo - White Mage + Machinist
Fran - Archer + Red Mage
I wanted to use every class, though I'm debating now. Main concern is that my main team will not have any healing magic until the right Espers.
Other concern: making Balthier a Time Mage when his Magic stat is so bad. Does Magic have any effect on Time Magicks? Increase duration or anything like that? I know it affects the accuracy of Green Magicks, but with so few of them, it doesn't seem that important.
When I played IZJS years ago, I went with Shikari (Vaan), Lance (Balthier), Breaker or whatever the axe class is called now (Fran), knight (Basch), White Mage (Penelo), and Black Mage (Ashe).
But to be honest, I might fuck around since optimization didn't matter a great deal even back when you were locked in a single class. But with two now? Goddamn.
I am totally going to make Ashe like a knight/samurai, stats be damned.
But to be honest, I might fuck around since optimization didn't matter a great deal even back when you were locked in a single class. But with two now? Goddamn.
I am totally going to make Ashe like a knight/samurai, stats be damned.
Bolivar687
Banned
I don't think it's a good remaster. The input lag is noticeable once I hit the title screen and the frame rate and camera panning are noticeably choppy. I know DF says it's more consistent now but I just can't imagine the original handling like this on PS2. It reminds me a lot of how games handle now so I can see how it might not bother some people but it's disappointing for a gameplay-focused JRPG where you're analyzing a lot of information. The game just deserves better, I don't care if it took 3 programmers 10 years in their spare time, FXII deserves more care than this.
You get used to it, though. Ultimately, it's a masterwork game and it's good just to have it back and off a dead console. I played Tactics Ogre leading up to this and it's awesome to see their most detailed world with that classic Ivalice sound and feel. This is the GOAT RPG gameplay, it's amazing to be out in the open, filling in the map, and accumulating L.P. The map you can bring up with L3 is a great touch and is the perfect bridge between the mini and full map to stay moving while you explore.
Also, nothing makes this feel like a modern game more than Nolan North as one of the first voices you hear once the gameplay starts (as Vossler).
You get used to it, though. Ultimately, it's a masterwork game and it's good just to have it back and off a dead console. I played Tactics Ogre leading up to this and it's awesome to see their most detailed world with that classic Ivalice sound and feel. This is the GOAT RPG gameplay, it's amazing to be out in the open, filling in the map, and accumulating L.P. The map you can bring up with L3 is a great touch and is the perfect bridge between the mini and full map to stay moving while you explore.
Also, nothing makes this feel like a modern game more than Nolan North as one of the first voices you hear once the gameplay starts (as Vossler).
Red Battlemage can heal as backup. In boss fights you probably want to stick with your white mage though.
You're worried about stuff like slow or disable being able to stick on an enemy? Time mage gets 9 magic lores, which should help.
Thanks for the advice! I like the setup you are suggesting, so now my group would look like this:
Vaan - Samurai/Uhlan
Basch - Hunter/Breaker
Penelo - Black Mage/Monk
Balthier - Machinist/White Mage
Ashe - Time Mage/Knight
Fran - Red Mage/Archer
It seems to be quite a popular setup based on previous posts lol
FWIW, the input lag seemed to be more or less the same in the original - tried it real quick on an emulator on Tuesday. They absolutely should have fixed it for the remaster, but it's not like they introduced the input lag with this version.
I think it's a very good remaster, in fact.. Aside from the fact that they didn't bother to fix the damn input lag lol. The QoL additions ensure that I won't be returning to the original or IZJS any time soon.
Basch - Breaker/Hunter
Balthier - White Mage/Machinist
Ashe - Samurai/Knight
Fran - Black Mage/Monk
Vaan - Time Mage/Uhlan
Penelo - Red Mage/Archer
That's what I'll go with and see how that works out for me. I should be pretty good with that setup based on what I've looked at in my preview of the job grids in the game.
Balthier - White Mage/Machinist
Ashe - Samurai/Knight
Fran - Black Mage/Monk
Vaan - Time Mage/Uhlan
Penelo - Red Mage/Archer
That's what I'll go with and see how that works out for me. I should be pretty good with that setup based on what I've looked at in my preview of the job grids in the game.
Lumpy Onion
Member
Biggest issue for me is the lack of cohesion with the background textures. Some of the walls and floors look pretty ugly. Almost as bad as Lightning Returns sometimes. And those reflections on the glass cases in shops are horrible...so much that I can't even see their contents clearly. Wish they had ironed this out before release because it's a shame since a lot of the visuals look great.
And yeah I too love the overly map.
TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared
Member
I forgot how good this game is.
The Xtortionist
Member
not gonna lie I may have maxed out my bone fragments on the skeleton bridge using 4x speed
and loved every second of it
That's my planned build too, with different character assignments. Wrestled with Vaan for a while but like him as the Uhlan/Time Mage. Wanted to give him a quirkier combo with the bonus of looking like blonde Kilik out there on the Plains.
The main issue is if you want all the swiftness, I do. then you're limited in options unless you double up jobs. Which I want to avoid as I don't want clone characters. I will experiment on different setups when I replay the game as I will play this multiple times.
My character assignments are more personal bias. Ashe gets Excalibur for me even in the vanilla game. The only one I may switch is Bash/Balthier and Penelo/Fran depending on I feel when the time comes lol.
Ok, I changed up my party set up based on feedback
WIll this work good? I'm trying to go for most optimized set-up
Ashe - Knight & Time Battlemage
Basch - Bushi & Knight
Balthier - Machinist & White Mage
Fran - Archer & Red Battlemage
Vaan- Foebreaker & Shikari
Penelo - Black Mage & Monk
Should I switch Basch to Samurai & Ulhan or Ashe Ulhan/Time Mage to cover all 12 jobs?
I read Knight/Time mage and Samurai/Knight were great combinations so I thought giving up Ulhan for it would be worthwhile.
And Basch's magic stat is low, which makes magic spells from ulhan pointless.
Thoughts?
WIll this work good? I'm trying to go for most optimized set-up
Ashe - Knight & Time Battlemage
Basch - Bushi & Knight
Balthier - Machinist & White Mage
Fran - Archer & Red Battlemage
Vaan- Foebreaker & Shikari
Penelo - Black Mage & Monk
Should I switch Basch to Samurai & Ulhan or Ashe Ulhan/Time Mage to cover all 12 jobs?
I read Knight/Time mage and Samurai/Knight were great combinations so I thought giving up Ulhan for it would be worthwhile.
And Basch's magic stat is low, which makes magic spells from ulhan pointless.
Thoughts?
KZXcellent
Member
I think I'm too strong at this point. First time playing.
The longest boss fight I've encountered was maybe 90 seconds long. Didn't think I was power leveling but I guess I was. Balthier already has his third Quickening at the Raithwall Tomb.
The longest boss fight I've encountered was maybe 90 seconds long. Didn't think I was power leveling but I guess I was. Balthier already has his third Quickening at the Raithwall Tomb.
MaximumSpider
Banned
Honestly, I really loving the battle system so far but that beginning of the game just throws so much story at you. I would have honestly preferred a slower start that eased me into the world.
The Xtortionist
Member
How does purchasing quickenings work with multiple license boards? Certain quickenings unlock additional licenses, but how does that work across different boards? I'd hate to get, say, Red Spiral with Vaan on the Shikari board and have that lock me out of licenses on the Foebreaker board.
Fast forward saves the game. I don't know how the game scored 90+ MC back in the day without it. Every damn thing takes so looooong to do, but it's a breeze with even 2x speed.
Fast forward saves the game. I don't know how the game scored 90+ MC back in the day without it. Every damn thing takes so looooong to do, but it's a breeze with even 2x speed.
Going to recommend Kensuke's guide in the OP again in support of Basch as a bushi/uhlan
. Gives you access to more battle lores (both knight and ulhan give you approximately 10 battle lores without espers) to increase Katana damage, and all the magick lores in the bushi license board can mediate Basch's low magic stat in the mid game if you ever change your mind about using magick. Finally the OCD in me likes using all 12 jobs.After buyin ff vii, viii and ix in the eu sale i decided to also buy Zodiac Age steelbook edition online and a cheap copy of Worlds.
Can't wait to play a lil bit of Zodiac Age before Splatoon 2 comes out but i promise to finish the games sometime haha.
FFXV kinda brought me in the FF series.
I really like each numbered one takes place with it's own set of characters or a new universe/planet all together.
Can't wait to play a lil bit of Zodiac Age before Splatoon 2 comes out
but i promise to finish the games sometime haha.FFXV kinda brought me in the FF series.
I really like each numbered one takes place with it's own set of characters or a new universe/planet all together.
MetalliCabombination
Member
Did this game always have music SO good?
Errrr, unless they changed him again in The Zodiac Age compared to the IZJS, Larsa no longer has his infinite Hi-Potion supplies.
Yes. If there is one thing that didn't age badly and remained excellent, it is the OST of that game.
Oh yeah,you're right.
Going to recommend Kensuke's guide in the OP again in support of Basch as a bushi/uhlan
I was thinking of turning my Bushi unit into a pure DPS unit with Berserk, so I'm not particularly worried about the magick that I would be missing out on. The Bushi + Ulhan combo has more Battle Lores and Magick Lores than Bushi + Knight so I'm curious as to whether Bushi / Ulhan would do a better job when only dealing damage is concerned.
Of course if we use a Katana and Genji Glove, yeah it (Ulhan) probably would out damage the Knight through combos.
However, my rationalization on Bushi/Knight is this:
Knight makes it easy to wipe out hordes of Undead, especially with Curaja and Excalibur, which is important in a lot of the optional dungeons (Henne Mines Phase 2 Dig, Great Crystal, Pharos Subterra, etc.).
Vaan's a good white mage. Slap something physical on him for a second job and you're golden. He has JRPG-protagonist Stats.
Yup..I wish for a JRPG free from having to cater to strict JRPG tropes ,character archtypes and the need to cater to fanservice.
Even the brilliant Persona 5 and Nier Automata are still heavily bound by such conventions.
FF as a series after 12(particularly XIII sequels and XV)is leaning heavily to the Otaku direction,sadly.
Is Larsa still unplayable in this version ?
badcrumble
Member
What's some great overpowered equipment to nab really early in the game?
sensui-tomo
Member
saw this build and was wondering if it had any viability to it?
Vaan: Monk + Bushi
Fran: Black Mage + Red Mage
Ashe: Knight + Time Mage
Balthier: Shikari + Foebreaker
Basch: Uhlan + Archer
Penelo: White Mage + Machinist
Vaan: Monk + Bushi
Fran: Black Mage + Red Mage
Ashe: Knight + Time Mage
Balthier: Shikari + Foebreaker
Basch: Uhlan + Archer
Penelo: White Mage + Machinist