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[RPGCrazied]

58/160

32 hours in. Just unlocked another area, not even in Episode 5 yet. Fragment hunting is sooooo addicting. What are you guys favorite track so far? Mine has to be the one that plays in Augusta Tower. What's that track name? I'm want to go play that on the OST.

 

[The Emperor]

Right going to bed now, play 10 hours 10 minutes today!

 

[ponpo]

How much HP do you need to survive that giant cie'th in Academia's 'dominating fist' attack? It's kind of boring that the only remotely difficult battles in the game are based on me not having enough HP to survive these super attacks.

58/160
32 hours in. Just unlocked another area, not even in Episode 5 yet.

26 hours and 68, take that!

 

[RPGCrazied]

I'm slow I guess. Just exploring every nook and crany I see.

 

[Electivirus]

58/160

32 hours in. Just unlocked another area, not even in Episode 5 yet. Fragment hunting is sooooo addicting. What are you guys favorite track so far? Mine has to be the one that plays in Augusta Tower. What's that track name? I'm want to go play that on the OST.

Augusta Tower.

 

[StunandStab]

I have 89 fragments and I've played for 43 hours and I'm still on Episode 4. Mostly because of Wild Artefacts... damn those things. I spent 160k gil on coins at Serendipity just so I could get a Wild Artefact from the prize exchange there

 

[RPGCrazied]

Augusta Tower.

Cool! Says its on Disc 3, track 16. Also an aggressive mix, I wonder if thats in the game too.

 

[aceface]

I'm actually enjoying the story in the game. I like the "jump through time and see how the world is developing" concept.

 

[BocoDragon]

Cool! Says its on Disc 3, track 16. Also an aggressive mix, I wonder if thats in the game too.

All the aggressive mixes are just the variation of the music when you are near an enemy.

 

[RPGCrazied]

All the aggressive mixes are just the variation of the music when you are near an enemy.

Oh heh, first time I'm messing with the soundtrack, been playing nonstop since I bought the game. Nice to listen to the music without playing.

 

[Digishine]

One question. Does the cutscene's still look like Final Fantasy XIII cause now they are real time and not pre-rendered.

 

[RPGCrazied]

I notice all the track names are in Japanese, anyway to turn them into English?

 

[burgerdog]

One question. Does the cutscene's still look like Final Fantasy XIII cause now they are real time and not pre-rendered.

The only difference now is performance, some scenes are too much for 360/ps3 to handle at 30fps so they have drops.

 

[Meier]

So uhh..Yeul's outfit is a bit scandalous, eh? She looks 12.

 

[Digishine]

The only difference now is performance, some scenes are too much for 360/ps3 to handle at 30fps so they have drops.

Ah ok well that's ok. gonna buy it then.

 

[BocoDragon]

The core of this game is so much more competent than XIII, that it's starting to become more obvious who bashes the tone of the game for, well... being Anime.

The last time around, it seemed quite fair for everyone to take a swing at the game. The plot was hollow enough that the anime stylings invited fury, even from anime fans. It rang "pretensious" and airheaded.

But now, listening to a couple podcasts' criticisms of the "innately unlikable characters" (namely Giant Bomb and Joystiq podcasts) and I have to think "wow, FF really isn't for you dudes."

I think even us anime-fans want a smarter plot, no doubt. There is a higher caliber of anime that is possible... But quite a few critics seem to want something that caters to their more macho, less "emotionally tender" sensibilities, and that's just not Final Fantasy. These people should look elsewhere.

FF has always been like this... Before, it was just unvoiced, with primitive graphics, and you were 10 years old.

If they cater to a so-called "wider audience" (ie a western audience who wants something safer to play in front of their bros).. You'd be cutting out some of the appeal that the game has to current fans.

 

[Deleted member 20920]

One question. Does the cutscene's still look like Final Fantasy XIII cause now they are real time and not pre-rendered.

The high polygon models are also gone since those were pre-rendered too. It's still quite a shame.

 

[ChocolateCupcakes]

When am I supposed to get the option for the moogle to reveal treasure? I remember in the demo it was in the Bresha Ruins but I'm there now staring at a hidden treasure and nothing is triggering it.

EDIT: Never mind. 2 minutes later it triggered.

 

[Grisby]

So what are Serah and Noel's best roles to level up all the way? Also, is there any reason to keep leveling up a role even though there is no more abilities to get (besides bonus's or something?).

 

[The Xtortionist]

But now, listening to a couple podcasts' criticisms of the "innately unlikable characters" (namely Giant Bomb and Joystiq podcasts) and I have to think "wow, FF really isn't for you dudes."

Most of the characters are totally unlikable. All Serah does is constantly ask Lightning questions even though she isn't there. Lightning's purpose is to engage in hamfisted philosophical dribble. Alyssa is annoying and almost pointless to the plot. Chocolina is, well...Chocolina. Mog ruins moogles forever.

Noel is decent, and the badness of everyone else elevates him further. Also his voice acting is some of the best in the game.

And FF12 fared much better in the story department. The plot, while nothing spectacular, was at least well-presented and didn't come off as self-indulgent as 13 and 13-2's. Plus the writing was fantastic.

 

[Reveirg]

The core of this game is so much more competent than XIII, that it's starting to become more obvious who bashes the tone of the game for, well... being Anime.

The last time around, it seemed quite fair for everyone to take a swing at the game. The plot was hollow enough that the anime stylings invited fury, even from anime fans. It rang "pretensious" and airheaded.

But now, listening to a couple podcasts' criticisms of the "innately unlikable characters" (namely Giant Bomb and Joystiq podcasts) and I have to think "wow, FF really isn't for you dudes."

I think even us anime-fans want a smarter plot, no doubt. There is a higher caliber of anime that is possible... But quite a few critics seem to want something that caters to their more macho, less "emotionally tender" sensibilities, and that's just not Final Fantasy. These people should look elsewhere.

FF has always been like this... Before, it was just unvoiced, with primitive graphics, and you were 10 years old.

If they cater to a so-called "wider audience" (ie a western audience who wants something safer to play in front of their bros).. You'd be cutting out some of the appeal that the game has to current fans.

Spot-on!!! Couldn't have said it better.

I've said it before, this is pretty much what I expect from a Final Fantasy, even though I do prefer darker plots (ala VII / X / XII).

 

[RPGCrazied]

My Noel is 99 rav and 99 com, Serah is 99 rav, 99 med, and I have a SEN monster. I have yet to even use buff or debuffing. I'm sure I'll regret it later. lol. I have another rav, my cloudburst.

And I have a chocobo COM.

 

[lastflowers]

Most of the characters are totally unlikable. All Serah does is constantly ask Lightning questions even though she isn't there. Lightning's purpose is to engage in hamfisted philosophical dribble. Alyssa is annoying and almost pointless to the plot. Chocolina is, well...Chocolina. Mog ruins moogles forever.

Noel is decent, and the badness of everyone else elevates him further. Also his voice acting is some of the best in the game.

And FF12 fared much better in the story department. The plot, while nothing spectacular, was at least well-presented and didn't come off as self-indulgent as 13 and 13-2's. Plus the writing was fantastic.

While I agree plot-wise, this game is not nearly as 'boring' as 13 was. 13-2 is at least interesting in how you can level-up characters and choose certain monsters over others. I'm only 13 hours in, but it's a much more satisfying experience. I wish the framerate and polish was the same as 13 was. 13-2's mechanics are what 13 needed :/

 

[akenatone]

I just want to thank you guys for that atb role switch trick, makes fights go by much faster. It also gives you a reason to pay attention. All i had to do before was wait until screen got reddish then switch to a paradigm with a Sen and or Med.

 

[Thoraxes]

Most of the characters are totally unlikable. All Serah does is constantly ask Lightning questions even though she isn't there. Lightning's purpose is to engage in hamfisted philosophical dribble. Alyssa is annoying and almost pointless to the plot. Chocolina is, well...Chocolina. Mog ruins moogles forever.

I disagree, but like and dislike are subjective, so to each his own.

 

[BocoDragon]

Most of the characters are totally unlikable. All Serah does is constantly ask Lightning questions even though she isn't there. Lightning's purpose is to engage in hamfisted philosophical dribble. Alyssa is annoying and almost pointless to the plot. Chocolina is, well...Chocolina. Mog ruins moogles forever.

Noel is decent, and the badness of everyone else elevates him further. Also his voice acting is some of the best in the game.

And FF12 fared much better in the story department. The plot, while nothing spectacular, was at least well-presented and didn't come off as self-indulgent as 13 and 13-2's. Plus the writing was fantastic.

I love XII's story, and I hope future games have similar mature tones, as well as styles that deviate just as far from the norm...

But FF cannot and should not fully excise its main style, which is a brand of sentimental drama which holds appeal to a variety of gamers, including women, broody teenagers, and even male adults who aren't afraid to dabble in anime more tenderly emotional than, say, Fist of the North Star.

I don't really agree with your assessment of the characters. I think Mog is actually just how moogles have always been.. There's something iconically FF about his childlike presence in this game.

But I'm not gonna issue a total defense of the overall characterization. It may well be lacking overall... As I said: there is a higher form of animu plotting possible, and I'm not sure that this is it.

But I can already tell that I am not immediately turned off by the whiff of these characters as you are, and that's half my point. It's not for everyone. It isn't trying to be. And what it does accomplish with its signature style actually ingratiates itself to a certain audience.

 

[kayos90]

Sorry, after Steins;Gate, no more time travel stuff from Japan.

 

[PK Gaming]

FUCK DESIGNATED GENDER ROLES.

Ironically, (or this is intentional) Noel is actually a better medic than Serah. He gets a bunch more spells than she does, including the incredibly useful Curaja. As a result of this, I've made Serah my Sentinel. I think she's even better than Noel because she gets a bunch of nifty skills. I've also somewhat balanced their stats too.

PS: (LOVING the game so far)

 

[Kagari]

Sorry, after Steins;Gate, no more time travel stuff from Japan.

Spoiler

If you change the future, you change the past!

 

[kayos90]

Spoiler

If you change the future, you change the past!

Spoiler

Ugh.... Technically that should make sense because if you change the future it's affecting the route of the past that leads to said future. But.... man.... XIII-2.... ugh

FUCK DESIGNATED GENDER ROLES.

Ironically, (or this is intentional) Noel is actually a better medic than Serah. He gets a bunch more spells than she does, including the incredibly useful Curaja. As a result of this, I've made Serah my Sentinel. I think she's even better than Noel because she gets a bunch of nifty skills. I've also somewhat balanced their stats too.

PS: (LOVING the game so far)

His Heal animation is much much slower than Serah.

 

[PK Gaming]

The spell animation is honestly irrelevant in a game as easy as FFXIII-2. The difference is fairly negligible.

 

[dakkumauji]

Oh hey, I got the damned Clock Stopper trophy! Now I can finally move on with the game.

 

[kayos90]

The spell animation is honestly irrelevant in a game as easy as FFXIII-2. The difference is fairly negligible.

No. Noel's animation is much much slower than Serah. I've noticed this and it's messed me up a few times.

 

[ponpo]

Productive past couple of hours. Got clockstoper, up to 70 fragments, finally beat that Cie'th mission in Y. Massif, got the Monster Collector skill, got a Green Chocobo to replace my unused Cait Sith and finally got a Pulsework Gladiator to replace my Silver Chocobo (phew)

 

[PK Gaming]

In your opinion?

In my opinion, It hasn't really ever messed me up at all. FFXIII-2 is REALLY easy, so losing out on a second or so isn't game deciding. Its not like FFXIII where that extra second mean't the difference post game (and really, spell animations were irrelevant for most of the game... it was just a vehicle for snow fans to brag :|). Curaja's worth the extra seconds anyway.

In my opinion of course!

 

[Kagari]

I thought Serah was better at healing and Noel at defending.

 

[kayos90]

I thought Serah was better at healing and Noel at defending.

She is. She has much more magic so she should heal better. Plus she's faster. Unless... some how Noel has much more magic.

In your opinion?

In my opinion, It hasn't really ever messed me up at all. FFXIII-2 is REALLY easy, so losing out on a second or so isn't game deciding. Its not like FFXIII where that extra second mean't the difference post game (and really, spell animations were irrelevant for most of the game... it was just a vehicle for snow fans to brag :|). Curaja's worth the extra seconds anyway.

In my opinion of course!

Not my opinion. Fact. Noel is slower. It has messed me up. I understand the game's easy. Wait until the difficulty ramp up in Episode 5. Also, don't judge difficulty for other players. Some people might have a hard time with this, others easier. Thank you.

 

[ponpo]

She is. She has much more magic so she should heal better. Plus she's faster. Unless... some how Noel has much more magic.

Edit: Never mind.

Green Chocobo has Raise, not very smart with the use of it though. Then again the auto-battle commands aren't either.

 

[Dark Schala]

She is. She has much more magic so she should heal better. Plus she's faster. Unless... some how Noel has much more magic.

Not my opinion. Fact. Noel is slower. It has messed me up. I understand the game's easy. Wait until the difficulty ramp up in Episode 5. Also, don't judge difficulty for other players. Some people might have a hard time with this, others easier. Thank you.

This is correct. Serah has a higher MAG stat than Noel, but for some reason, Noel has a bigger HLR skillset than Serah. While I've been using Noel as a backup healer while Serah Ravs or Sabs, Serah is ultimately the better healer since her MAG is higher. Noel would get some help with the HLR class Boost I and II, though, and accessories which would increase his MAG.

Noel's cast speeds are quite slow. He takes his time to cast each spell, not just the initial cast (this is why when he's a Rav, I make him use -strike attacks or Thunder to boost the gauge). I can see where it can mess someone up if they're trying to make their party members work in sync against the enemy. The enemy can also interrupt him while he's in the middle of casts because he really takes his time during casts.

Serah's speeds are faster because she is a MAG-type of character--the speed just makes her ideal for that sort of situation. Noel's Attack animations are much faster and fluid because he's an ATK-type of character... and is thus more suited for that, and buffing (since his spellset is more abundant and helpful than Serah's).

Spoiler

If you change the future, you change the past!

-_-

 

[Aeana]

I just started the game this evening, and just finished chapter 1 or whatever. I'm having a good time so far, although I haven't unlocked monster recruiting and stuff yet. One thing I have noticed is how much less of an annoyance it is for me to use ATB refreshing since the first shift doesn't take extra time. Because of that, I was reluctant to shift in regular fights in FF13 unless I really needed to, but now I can do it without getting annoyed, and so I've been making use of ATB refresh every battle.

 

[kayos90]

I just started the game this evening, and just finished chapter 1 or whatever. I'm having a good time so far, although I haven't unlocked monster recruiting and stuff yet. One thing I have noticed is how much less of an annoyance it is for me to use ATB refreshing since the first shift doesn't take extra time. Because of that, I was reluctant to shift in regular fights in FF13 unless I really needed to, but now I can do it without getting annoyed, and so I've been making use of ATB refresh every battle.

Removal of Shift Animations is a blessing in this game. Though... not that the game would've been any less easier.

 

[Xevren]

Yeah, the removal of the close-ups when you do a paradigm shift is one of my favorite changes. Nice and instant.

 

[PK Gaming]

She is. She has much more magic so she should heal better. Plus she's faster. Unless... some how Noel has much more magic.



Not my opinion. Fact. Noel is slower. It has messed me up. I understand the game's easy. Wait until the difficulty ramp up in Episode 5. Also, don't judge difficulty for other players. Some people might have a hard time with this, others easier. Thank you.

I don't want to spend the afternoon arguing this, but its most definitely an opinion considering its my own judgement about a particular thing. The "thing" being Noel's role as a medic in comparison to Serah. Though I might be wrong; i've considered this. Still, i'm going to stay to true to my opinion... who knows maybe down the line someone will end up proving me right. Akin to Snow going from being universally known as the worst character, to one of the best.

I haven't made any extreme judgements, the game is universally considered a "cake walk" and I didn't have much trouble with episode 5.

You're welcome.

 

[Dark Schala]

I don't really agree with your assessment of the characters. I think Mog is actually just how moogles have always been.. There's something iconically FF about his childlike presence in this game.

You know, now that I think about it, I find that whenever Mog speaks, it's pretty jarring.

Clearly they're retaining the Japanese audio when Mog is doing his "kupo" during cutscenes when he's not talking, or when he's being thrown. But when Mog actually speaks, and then needs to tack on the "kupo" at the end, the voice... actress(?)... sounds quite different in terms of timbre and articulation, and it makes the entire line really jarring to hear when Mog says "kupo" much differently in other parts of the game. It's kind of inelegant reading and inconsistent with the rest of the kupos said. I would've preferred if they used the Japanese "kupo" in order to make the kupos in spoken English dialogue sound consistent.

Anyway, the more Noel picks on Mog, the better.

 

[kayos90]

You know, now that I think about it, I find that whenever Mog speaks, it's pretty jarring.

Clearly they're retaining the Japanese audio when Mog is doing his "kupo" during cutscenes when he's not talking, or when he's being thrown. But when Mog actually speaks, and then needs to tack on the "kupo" at the end, the voice... actress(?)... sounds quite different in terms of timbre and articulation, and it makes the entire line really jarring to hear when Mog says "kupo" much differently in other parts of the game. Linguistically-speaking, it's kind of inelegant reading and inconsistent with the rest of the kupos said. I would've preferred if they used the Japanese "kupo" in order to make the kupos in spoken English dialogue sound consistent.

Anyway, the more Noel picks on Mog, the better.

Noel has to be one of my favorite protagonists of all time. It sucks because of the crappy story that weighs his awesomeness down.

 

[SpaceBridge]

When do you gain the ability to throw mog?

 

[Thoraxes]

When do you gain the ability to throw mog?

Sunleth.

 

[Dark Schala]

Noel has to be one of my favorite protagonists of all time. It sucks because of the crappy story that weighs his awesomeness down.

I really like him. He's probably one of my favourite main protagonists in an FF in quite a while (outside of Sazh and Balthier). His dialogue's great, and he seems well-developed enough to the point of me empathizing with his plight.

 

[Suikoguy]

I really like him. He's probably one of my favourite main protagonists in an FF in quite a while (outside of Sazh and Balthier). His dialogue's great, and he seems well-developed enough to the point of me empathizing with his plight.

Plus, he is not whiney.

 

[Papercuts]

>Learn about the card tables
>>To be unlocked with future downloadable content

Holy shit. Really?

I'm liking this a lot more than XIII so far, but stuff like that, the color swap weapons, and the outfit option being there despite outfits and unique weapon models being DLC is a shame.