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[Durante]

At that specific part of the game he doesn't have Commando for those 2 yet.

He just said he can use commando with them, and just didn't level it?

 

[jjasper]

Oh I read the first sentence not the whole post

 

[Mandoric]

You should still use Commando even if you didn't level it. Without any commando hits slowing down the decrease rate of the stagger bar and only 2 characters it's basically impossible to stagger an enemy -- making your battles take 4 times as long as they should.

Adding to this, the enemy counts are set up so it's pretty hard to not come near capping all roles in a chapter

Spoiler

before 11

, and there's really no harm in using a character who's the right role level but missing abilities. ATK has "magic" attacks (Ruin) and BLA has "melee" attacks (the Blow set), so even though one gives strength boosts and the other gives magic boots they both can be used.

There are particular must-have abilities like Zone Crush/particular elemental spells depending on mob/your first -ga spell, but even those are situational.

Edit: Sazh has ATK natively. For Sazh-Vanille your optimas should probably be:
ATK/BLA: default/use during break
BLA/BLA: switch to rush up break meter
ATK/HLR: holding pattern
ENH/BLA: the closest you can come to holding meter position while you buff up
ENH/JAM: will probably take about the same amount of time for each to finish, good way to start boss fights
ENH/HLR: for safety's sake

Swap #4 or #6 with ATK/JAM if you have debuffs wear at inconvenient times a lot.

 

[DangerousDave]

The problem is not the linearity. Going through other paths, only to get some items or kill enemies, and then trackback to the main path, or having wider paths that forces you to check both sides looking for chests... is not very different to the narrow path with small branches, in the gameplay.

The problem of XIII is the lack of variety in gameplay. It needs a minigame to disconnect when you has been fighting during some hours, like the card games or blitzball, some interactive elements, like switches or small puzzle elements, and more special sections with different gameplay, like

Spoiler

driving the robot

in chapter 4.

But I still like a lot the game, basicly because of the plot and, specially, the battle system (best in any FF ever).

 

[gkryhewy]

As long as you have beaten the enemy once it should remember the stats, best to use it when you first fight new enemies incase the absorb certain magic or halve its damage.

Thanks!

 

[D6AMIA6N]

I have to say I was hating on this game at first, and while I still can't stand a lot of the dialogue, mainly Vanielle/Snow, the game is really starting to grow on me. I have so many other new games to play, but I can't stop thinking about FF XIII. Not really missing the towns, and the combat is the best in any FF that I've played (VII, VIX, X, X-2).

 

[DangerousDave]

You should still use Commando even if you didn't level it. Without any commando hits slowing down the decrease rate of the stagger bar and only 2 characters it's basically impossible to stagger an enemy -- making your battles take 4 times as long as they should.

Yep, one commando is important. But, you can change it for saboteur. If you have the Satz-Vanilla couple (none of them good in commando), you can cycle through Saboteur + Ravager and Ravager + Ravager, optimizing the damage without depleting the stagger bar.

 

[Durante]

So, the first

Spoiler

Falco Velocycle

you encounter in Chapter 7, when you have just

Spoiler

Lightning and Hope

, I assume it's intended to be skipped? I needed 3 tries to barely defeat it (with 5 stars though), and it's just a normal enemy :lol

 

[Meier]

I am not entirely sold on the Crystal(whatever) upgrade system. A.) I don't feel like it controls very well and B.) It seems like such an absolute chore to upgrade everyone. Surely I should be given the option to automate this for secondary characters since it takes so long. Hitting the trigger to switch to another character and then simply having it slowly go back to the character select screen is one of the most odd things I've ever seen in a video game.

 

[ElFly]

So, the first

Spoiler

Falco Velocycle

you encounter in Chapter 7, when you have just

Spoiler

Lightning and Hope

, I assume it's intended to be skipped? I needed 3 tries to barely defeat it (with 5 stars though), and it's just a normal enemy :lol

Hahahaha, no. You can dodge a few ones, but sooner or later you will have to fight it again.

I am not entirely sold on the Crystal(whatever) upgrade system. A.) I don't feel like it controls very well and B.) It seems like such an absolute chore to upgrade everyone. Surely I should be given the option to automate this for secondary characters since it takes so long. Hitting the trigger to switch to another character and then simply having it slowly go back to the character select screen is one of the most odd things I've ever seen in a video game.

I feel it would be a lot better if it didn't have the crystal opening up each time you want to use it. Not a big deal to me anyway.

 

[joelseph]

Finally made it to chapter 3, thank the lord!

 

[lljride]

Just finished ch 5 last night and I'm still loving just about everything about it. I'm really starting to get the hang of using COM/RAV, RAV/RAV and switching to healing as needed.

There's really only two possible negatives (and I really don't feel strong enough about them to call them negatives per se). The linearity doesn't really bother me that much, but it does make everything feel a little more stressful I guess, since it feels like there's not really any time to breathe. Still not sure if I think that's good or bad though.

I'm also dying to get my whole party together since it still has everyone separated. I'm hoping that'll just build up the excitement and make the reveal that much better once everyone gets together for good.

Overall a great, great game.

 

[Y2Kev]

So, the first

Spoiler

Falco Velocycle

you encounter in Chapter 7, when you have just

Spoiler

Lightning and Hope

, I assume it's intended to be skipped? I needed 3 tries to barely defeat it (with 5 stars though), and it's just a normal enemy :lol

If you run past it, Hope comments like "that was close" or something.

Hahahaha, no. You can dodge a few ones, but sooner or later you will have to fight it again.



I feel it would be a lot better if it didn't have the crystal opening up each time you want to use it. Not a big deal to me anyway.

Press X and you can skip the crystal opening.

 

[kyo_daikun]

I am not entirely sold on the Crystal(whatever) upgrade system. A.) I don't feel like it controls very well and B.) It seems like such an absolute chore to upgrade everyone. Surely I should be given the option to automate this for secondary characters since it takes so long. Hitting the trigger to switch to another character and then simply having it slowly go back to the character select screen is one of the most odd things I've ever seen in a video game.

Yeah its all rather odd isnt it, to start adjusting a different role for even the same character you have to back out of the one your doing then select it.

I think its a pretty poor system compared to most FF's.

 

[Jeels]

So I had to write a review for a Muslim youth editorial website. The problem was, the review was due last night, so I only got to play fifteen hours of the game, so I consider it more impressions then a review: http://www.shababulhaq.com/2010/03/review-final-fantasy-xiii-two-thumbs-up/

For those of you against clicking links:

Going into a Final Fantasy game is like transferring yourself to another world – one of kooky magic, zany, off-beat characters, and embarrassingly beautiful visuals, (whether that’s something one prefers or not is up to individual taste). Longtime fans of the series know that each successive installment comes with its own history: no two Final Fantasy games are ever the same, yet they share a common lore and mythos. For me, it was incredibly mind numbing booting up the latest installment in the long running series for the first time– anyone that’s followed the development of this game knows the drama, all five years of it, and has likely been informed that Square Enix has gone to great lengths to really change up the Final Fantasy formula into one that is more stream lined and action oriented, certainly at the cost of other series traditions. For this reviewer, it was a matter of had the development team gone too far, had they crossed the point of no return, where a Final Fantasy game would no longer feel like one? And most importantly, with half a decade spent in the making of this one title, could it possibly live up to the hype? These are ultimately the questions that will surround the debate of this title for the months and years to come.


This is Not Your Father’s Final Fantasy

Let’s just get this simple fact out of the way before I can really solidify my opinions surrounding the game: Final Fantasy XIII makes radical changes to the Final Fantasy formula, completely abandoning long cherished traditions, and when it comes down to it, does it for the better. I would not even know where to begin, so just to throw some things out there: the battle system has been completely redone; it is not a simple turn based affair. Instead of simply waiting for one’s turn in action, players stock their attacks up instead. Different actions take up a different amount of slots in their action gauge. As their gauge fills up, these attacks are executed. This makes for a very action based battle system, so fast in fact, that many series staples have been completely removed – there is no MP, no leveling (although a Final Fantasy X like “Sphere Grid” system remains, except this time, there are multiple sphere grids per character, per class), no random battles, no game overs, and players are only given the ability to control the party leader.

Say what?! We are not even done yet. The pacing of the narrative has been set up in a manner that completely eliminates other series staples – gone are the artificial towns the series is known for, and with it mini games, side quests, and anything of that sort. Instead, player’s simply move from one huge set piece to another, one major battle to the next, with cut scene expositions in between. (And boy, are there a lot, supposedly nine hours of cut scenes in total!) However, for this reviewer, this was fundamentally necessary, and contributed greatly to other aspects of the game, which will be touched upon momentarily.

What needs to be stressed is that despite all these changes, the game nonetheless exemplified the Final Fantasy experience, successfully redefining it. It’s amazing how Final Fantasy XIII can so easily take away everything I love about the series, and still make me feel just as absorbed and involved as I did in the early PlayStation entries. The lore, the world, that essential “fantasy” feeling, it’s all still there, and in some cases, radically evolved from its not archaic predecessors.

The Most Breathtaking Straight Path You’ve Ever Embarked On

So, as formerly mentioned, Final Fantasy strips down the series two it’s two core elements: the story and the battle system. Let’s tackle the former first, and the design choices surrounding it. As previously noted, the game is structured in regards to its story line, one in which the cast is constantly on the run, finding themselves in situations where their lives are at stake. Without going into any story details whatsoever, the characters are put into predicaments of life or death (or in an unfortunate twist, death or death, as odd as that sounds), and have to cope with what this means to them in terms of their past and future. Each character has their own inner struggle and conflict, and the game does a good job of constantly fleshing out individual back story as the story progresses – one knows very little about the character’s at the beginning (the player is simply thrust into the middle of the conflict, and unlike past titles, most of your party is immediately involved from the get go), but events are slowly explained as time goes by.

Another major focus is the interactivity between the characters: In a breath of fresh air for RPGs in general, the cast does not necessarily like each other, some in fact want to tear their fellow teammates a new one. After all, they were placed into their situations, they did not choose to, which leads to some awkwardly hilarious scenes. It’s all done extremely realistically, compared to previous Final Fantasy titles – yes, the characters find themselves in a completely absurd situation, but they react and behave to the situation as much more than the usual anime archetypes. This is only complemented by fairly enjoyable voice acting, and definitely a step up for Japanese localization standards.

When it comes down to the structure of the story, Square Enix made the right choice. Yes, the level design is for all intents and purposes, literally linear – a line from start to finish. But upon turning off the mini-map, I hardly even noticed. There is only one point in the game where I honestly missed the diversions the series is known for, without giving any details, I was expecting a setup similar to the Gold Saucer in Final Fantasy VII, but it never happened. It is a little disappointing, but it also comes with its benefits. fantasy4

The linear nature of the game tends to truly highlight the game’s gorgeous graphics. The developers obviously invested a great chunk of time into the presentation and quality of how the world looks, and it’s paid off. Words cannot describe some of the breathtaking set pieces players will get to encounter in Final Fantasy XIII – there were many points in the game where I found myself just standing there and staring at my surroundings, which truly felt alive. Characters animate hilariously well, making for often enjoyable cut scenes purely from an eye candy perspective. I usually find myself bored with RPG expositions, but I eagerly anticipated the next big scene in XIII, which is a good sign considering the entire title follows a strict battle following story model.

Working Up a Sweat

I’m having a little bit of difficulty conjuring up words that adequately describe the battling in Final Fantasy XIII; you simply have to play it to really get a grasp of its diversity and jaw dropping entertainment value. It’s fast, very fast, and players have to constantly adapt to the overall situation of the battle or risk a quick death. This is done via changing their party member’s roles and classes, and is the only method venue in which the party leader can control the other fighters on the team. For example, I found myself starting a fight buffing my characters defenses at the start of the battle, changing classes to have them attack, and changing classes again to have them heal up and use magic, all in a fifteen second time span. Despite only controlling one character, I felt more control over my entire party than in any other previous Final Fantasy title. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the breath of the entire battle system: one has to pay attention to chaining attacks, breaking enemies’ weak points, launching them into the air, using summons, correct spells, buffs, and much more.

If this seems a little overwhelming, don’t be alarmed, the game holds your hand every step of the way. In fact, this is the perfect Final Fantasy to introduce new players to the series. I’d even go far as to say that sometimes the game was a little too slow at introducing the full breath of the battling, as it took multiple hours to really get into the meat of the game. Furthermore, the game could have easily benefited from a harder difficulty option, which increased enemy stats. That’s not to say the game is easy – I’ve found myself having to retry on multiple occasions. And when the game does provide a challenge, it really revolutionizes what turn based RPG’s can do – think Final Fantasy Advent Children style action. To top it all off are some of the craziest enemies, both standard and boss fights the series has seen.

Fresh Breath of Air

There will be (actually have been, check out the internet fan reaction, it’s scary!) many players completely put off by what Final Fantasy XIII sacrifices in order for innovation and a streamlined experience, and there’s not much that can be done about it. My best recommendation is to understand why it’s given up what it has and come into this experience with an open mind – I certainly did and found myself pleasantly surprised. The series has always been known to change the formula up every few entries while keeping other elements intact – for me, Final Fantasy XIII truly embodies that spirit, and for the better. I’ll be having a hard time giving it up anytime soon, to the detriment of my school grades!

The Breakdown

Entertainment: There are times when there is a general feeling like something’s missing, but you quickly forget it all as you’re blasting through the next wave of enemies. Although there’s no new game plus, if you find yourself enjoying the battle system (and you likely will!) there are tons of optional enemy’s to encounter and challenge, and it will take quite some time to tackle them all. I definitely want to see this battle system incorporated in future installments.

Score: B+

Presentation: This is top notch perfection, what you’ve come to expect from Final Fantasy. Incredible CG cut scenes and vistas only augmented by my personal favorite Final Fantasy soundtrack.

Score: A

Overall Score: What can I say, I’m a sucker for the series – and this entry is no different, easily the best RPG of the generation.

Final Score: A-

Reviewer’s Notes:

* Due to time constraints, this reviewer has only played for fifteen hours up to the time of this write up. However, players can look forward to upwards forty hours of content.
* It’s a hefty review, but because I don’t want to bore anyone to death and because I’ve found myself sleep deprived, I tried to cut it short (and failed). Regardless, I did not get to say even half of what I wanted to, so if you have any questions regarding the game, feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll do my best to respond.

Edit: Re-reading this, it was a really piss poor write up. Oh well...

 

[Fuu]

So, the first

Spoiler

Falco Velocycle

you encounter in Chapter 7, when you have just

Spoiler

Lightning and Hope

, I assume it's intended to be skipped? I needed 3 tries to barely defeat it (with 5 stars though), and it's just a normal enemy :lol

I decided to skip that first fight as soon as the fucker used the gatling gun attack. Then in the next part

Spoiler

with Snow

it keeps coming in droves. :lol

 

[Mandoric]

Surely I should be given the option to automate this for secondary characters since it takes so long.

Define "secondary character".

 

[zero margin]

Spoiler

Use poison (tideturner) first and stock up on potions cos its more efficient to heal that way till u take out one of them

Re: chapter 6 boss

Really? That seems like an expensive way to do it. I just healed through it and de-buffed (undermine) when needed.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

So I had to write a review for a Muslim youth editorial website. The problem was, the review was due last night, so I only got to play fifteen hours of the game, so I consider it more impressions then a review: http://www.shababulhaq.com/2010/03/review-final-fantasy-xiii-two-thumbs-up/

For those of you against clicking links:



Edit: Re-reading this, it was a really piss poor write up. Oh well...

Id definitely be interested if you do it again or touch it up after finishing the game.

 

[Jeels]

Id definitely be interested if you do it again or touch it up after finishing the game.

Awesome, will do for sure. That'll be my "Gaf Review", haha. Thanks for reading.

 

[Durante]

An update on the linearity "issue": in the

Spoiler

Nurticulture Complex

I just almost missed a platform with 2 treasure spheres, and I consider myself a really meticulous RPG gamer .

I decided to skip that first fight as soon as the fucker used the gatling gun attack. Then in the next part

Spoiler

with Snow

it keeps coming in droves. :lol

It should definitely be easier when you have a character with you that can use sentinel, right? I had to beat it before it managed to use that "gatling gun" skill of doom!

 

[radioheadrule83]

I don't want to make a new thread for this but I found my fellow Brits trying to do cosplay quite amusing:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_10050000/newsid_10059400/10059481.stm

 

[kyo_daikun]

An update on the linearity "issue": in the

Spoiler

Nurticulture Complex

I just almost missed a platform with 2 treasure spheres, and I consider myself a really meticulous RPG gamer .

It should definitely be easier when you have a character with you that can use sentinel, right? I had to beat it before it managed to use that "gatling gun" skill of doom!

How the hell did you get to that? I was looking for ages and gave up, do those chests have anything good in them?

 

[Fuu]

It should definitely be easier when you have a character with you that can use sentinel, right? I had to beat it before it managed to use that "gatling gun" skill of doom!

Yep, gets much more manageable. I still had to resort to summoning in two instances where he came accompanied by other enemies, haha.

 

[Scythesurge]

Got into Chapter 5 last night, back to fighting as

Spoiler

Sazh/Vanille

but now that I'm understanding paradigm shifts better it's not as bad fighting with them. The battle system is making me love it more and more as the game goes on. Summons also seem cool, not sure why people are hatin on them. Can't wait to get back into the game this weekend!

 

[depths20XX]

After reading all the negative stuff about this game I'm actually surprised that I'm enjoying it. I haven't really liked a FF game much since VII. I think I'm actually glad that they took out so much of the fluff in this. Only thing I don't really like that much is the Crystarium system. The combat in this is very fun and looks really good.

Typically I would be pretty dissapointed with no towns/dungeons, but it isn't bothering me yet in this game.

 

[Dynamic3]

Can someone explain the COM/RAV -> RAV/RAV combo?

I was under the impression that a COM was needed for the entirety of the fight as each RAV attack makes a large increase yet quickly depletes, and the COM 'locks' the increases (or at least slows them). Are you guys saying that once an enemy has been attacked by a COM in the beginning, his bar will be slowed for the rest of the fight (almost like a status effect)?

Also, I have asked this a few times, but is there a benefit to mixing up abilities (ie. Water-Thunder-Water as opposed to Water x3) in a chain? I noticed the auto command will sometimes do this, even after Libra.

 

[Durante]

How the hell did you get to that? I was looking for ages and gave up, do those chests have anything good in them?

Some of the moving platforms

Spoiler

have 2 activator beacons, depending on whether you hit one or both of them before taking the platform they move in different directions. The chests had some standard trash and a ring IIRC.

 

[forgrim]

Can someone explain the COM/RAV -> RAV/RAV combo?

I was under the impression that a COM was needed for the entirety of the fight as each RAV attack makes a large increase yet quickly depletes, and the COM 'locks' the increases (or at least slows them). Are you guys saying that once an enemy has been attacked by a COM in the beginning, his bar will be slowed for the rest of the fight (almost like a status effect)?

Also, I have asked this a few times, but is there a benefit to mixing up abilities (ie. Water-Thunder-Water as opposed to Water x3) in a chain? I noticed the auto command will sometimes do this, even after Libra.

The COM slows down the bar, so after say 3 attacks, the bar is moving slow while the RAV is building up. Afterwards, you switch to two RAV's to build the bar faster. The bar will get longer and take longer to deplete to 0, however, it will start moving faster to depletion, but by then, the two RAV's should be near alternating their turns to keep replenishing the bar, and hopefully break it before the bar starts moving too fast.

Just a race against time in the end.

 

[Meier]

Define "secondary character".

Someone who isn't in my active combat party. Where I am now (3rd Chapter), I have Hope and Sazh just kinda tagging along.

 

[Dega]

Can someone explain the COM/RAV -> RAV/RAV combo?

I was under the impression that a COM was needed for the entirety of the fight as each RAV attack makes a large increase yet quickly depletes, and the COM 'locks' the increases (or at least slows them). Are you guys saying that once an enemy has been attacked by a COM in the beginning, his bar will be slowed for the rest of the fight (almost like a status effect)?

Also, I have asked this a few times, but is there a benefit to mixing up abilities (ie. Water-Thunder-Water as opposed to Water x3) in a chain? I noticed the auto command will sometimes do this, even after Libra.

No, not the rest of the fight but for a moment it will go slower. Usually what you can do is use the commando to slow it down in one round then shift to ravagers to make the enemy stagger faster. Keep an eye on the bar though and when it starts to deplete faster switch back to com to slow it down again.

Make use of Saboteurs and Synergist if you can. They can make things a lot easier on tough/high HP enemies.

 

[jorgeton]

Am on Chapter 7, and I'm surprised by

Spoiler

how much Snow really grew on me during his dungeon with Hope. I was really digging the way Snow would call Hope out during battle, stuff like "thanks partner!" or whatnot.. and the whole time you knew Hope wanted to cut him... and the way their sequence ended was pretty moving. I am loving all the cheese this game is throwing at me.

Also, who does Fang's voice? It's great. It sounds like Lucy Lawless. If only it were...

 

[Durante]

Can someone explain the COM/RAV -> RAV/RAV combo?

I was under the impression that a COM was needed for the entirety of the fight as each RAV attack makes a large increase yet quickly depletes, and the COM 'locks' the increases (or at least slows them). Are you guys saying that once an enemy has been attacked by a COM in the beginning, his bar will be slowed for the rest of the fight (almost like a status effect)?

Based on my observation, it's like this:

The slower the decrease already is, the less effect additional commando hits will have (logarithmic decay probably). I'm less sure on whether the speed increases linearly or nonlinearly (with the distance from the top speed) though.

Also, I have asked this a few times, but is there a benefit to mixing up abilities (ie. Water-Thunder-Water as opposed to Water x3) in a chain? I noticed the auto command will sometimes do this, even after Libra.

Well, the delay between the casting of the spell and the time of hit differs, so if you want to fully optimize your stagger impact you should put long-delay skills first and short-delay ones (lightning based) last.

 

[Scythesurge]

That's quite a graph Durante, did you make that?

 

[ElFly]

If you run past it, Hope comments like "that was close" or something.


Press X and you can skip the crystal opening.

Goddamnit, I find myself spamming X when it's not necessary in the battles, but do I press it when it's actually useful in the menus? hell no :lol

 

[DMeisterJ]

Sooooo tired of two person teams.

Soooo tired...

 

[Durante]

That's quite a graph Durante, did you make that?

Yeah, I just made it. I'm not vouching for it accurately depicting the formulas used in the game though, as I said it's just based on my impressions

 

[Dynamic3]

Based on my observation, it's like this:

The slower the decrease already is, the less effect additional commando hits will have (logarithmic decay probably). I'm less sure on whether the speed increases linearly or nonlinearly (with the distance from the top speed) though.

Well, the delay between the casting of the spell and the time of hit differs, so if you want to fully optimize your stagger impact you should put long-delay skills first and short-delay ones (lightning based) last.

Awesome, thank you.

Edit: I was just googling wikis for upgrades and I glanced at a huge spoiler for one of the characters, so pissed.

 

[Dega]

Yeah, I just made it. I'm not vouching for it accurately depicting the formulas used in the game though, as I said it's just based on my impressions

Seems solid enough to me. Good job

 

[Scythesurge]

Yeah, I just made it. I'm not vouching for it accurately depicting the formulas used in the game though, as I said it's just based on my impressions

Yeah pretty good work! My observations are also in line with this graph, which is one of the things I just discovered last night.

 

[Ricker]

Can someone explain the COM/RAV -> RAV/RAV combo?

I was under the impression that a COM was needed for the entirety of the fight as each RAV attack makes a large increase yet quickly depletes, and the COM 'locks' the increases (or at least slows them). Are you guys saying that once an enemy has been attacked by a COM in the beginning, his bar will be slowed for the rest of the fight (almost like a status effect)?

Also, I have asked this a few times, but is there a benefit to mixing up abilities (ie. Water-Thunder-Water as opposed to Water x3) in a chain? I noticed the auto command will sometimes do this, even after Libra.

I`m guessing it`s useful for the weakness of the ennemies...I started hitting R1 more last evening to see the weakness,so if I saw Water as the weakness,I manually selected Water 3 times,instead of the auto that did,for example,Aero,water,spark...maybe this will help in specific fights...

 

[jon bones]

good looks on that graph! interesting stuff and it's helping me create some strategies i want to try:

comm / comm / sab -> slow meter, debuff

shift to

rav/rav/rav -> break++

 

[LiK]

Sooooo tired of two person teams.

Soooo tired...

No kidding, hope to get away from it soon.

 

[jon bones]

can someone clarify:

-everyone has 3 innate roles that are the most effective to level up in

i think these are the roles, can someone fill in the two ???s for me:

lightning - comm / rav / ???

snow - comm / sent / rav

vanille - medi / rav / sab

sazh - medi / syn / rav

hope - syn / rav / ???

 

[LiK]

can someone clarify:

-everyone has 3 innate roles that are the most effective to level up in

i think these are the roles, can someone fill in the two ???s for me:

lightning - comm / rav / ???

snow - comm / sent / rav

vanille - medi / rav / sab

sazh - medi / syn / rav

hope - syn / rav / ???

I just lvl them up equally. helps me thru all situations.

 

[LCfiner]

both ??? are medic

 

[Zoe]

can someone clarify:

-everyone has 3 innate roles that are the most effective to level up in

i think these are the roles, can someone fill in the two ???s for me:

lightning - comm / rav / ???

snow - comm / sent / rav

vanille - medi / rav / sab

sazh - medi / syn / rav

hope - syn / rav / ???

Med for both. Sazh doesn't have medic, he has com.

 

[Mandoric]

i think these are the roles, can someone fill in the two ???s for me:

MED for both. Sazh is com/rav/syn, though.
It's not particularly hidden, if you're worrying about missing things. Each character gets their three main roles first, with the three others coming significantly later and tier-1 abilities being about as expensive as tier 7 or 8 normally are.

Also, I have asked this a few times, but is there a benefit to mixing up abilities (ie. Water-Thunder-Water as opposed to Water x3) in a chain? I noticed the auto command will sometimes do this, even after Libra.

It looks prettier. Also, some enemies can use Barspells or otherwise change resistances, so having a mix in queue helps prevent wasting a whole AT gauge if they buff at an inopportune time.

 

[Tathanen]

can someone clarify:

-everyone has 3 innate roles that are the most effective to level up in

i think these are the roles, can someone fill in the two ???s for me:

lightning - comm / rav / ???

snow - comm / sent / rav

vanille - medi / rav / sab

sazh - medi / syn / rav

hope - syn / rav / ???

Both Medic.

[Edit] Super-beat.

 

[kyo_daikun]

Some of the moving platforms

Spoiler

have 2 activator beacons, depending on whether you hit one or both of them before taking the platform they move in different directions. The chests had some standard trash and a ring IIRC.

Can I go back there later to get it or am I stuffed?