Support NeoGAF

[jvalioli]

I was wondering why so many people were complaining about having doom cast on them when I have yet to fight an enemy outside of the summons that do this. So it's a time issue? I'm guessing if you go above the target time?

 

[Zoe]

I was wondering why so many people were complaining about having doom cast on them when I have yet to fight an enemy outside of the summons that do this. So it's a time issue? I'm guessing if you go above the target time?

Yeah, I got it on mission 51 once. I had only knocked off about a third of his HP.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

I was wondering why so many people were complaining about having doom cast on them when I have yet to fight an enemy outside of the summons that do this. So it's a time issue? I'm guessing if you go above the target time?

In my experience it usually happened if I reached 15+ minutes in a boss fight.

 

[KZObsessed]

Yeah, I got it on mission 51 once. I had only knocked off about a third of his HP.

Have you killed that guy since? I got him down to half health and he killed Lightning in one hit despite having Fang as a Sentinel -_-

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Yeah, it's best to keep this fight moving quickly, because if you take too much time healing you'll get caught in a slew of attacks and never get a chance to return to attacking. That's what happened to me on my second try. First try I just took too long in general and forgot to redo the stat boosts, and lightning got dead in one shot.

He's really not such a hard boss if you rush him though, so just keep at it.

You were right! Just beat him then with Light/Snow/Vanille.

My issue was that I wasn't attacking at all during his charge up. Once I realised it was actually beneficial, he went down in no time.

 

[Nakazato]

Early Chapter 10 spoilers: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Spoiler

Alexander

 

[Lain]

I thought this game was meant to be a walk in the park, instead I keep getting killed here and there.
The retry option is the best thing ever. Trying to do some stupid thing and being reckless has never been so fun.

 

[eznark]

Half way through chapter VII.

Yep, I officially really, really

Spoiler

LOVE

this game. And it just happened all of a sudden. Weird.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Half way through chapter VII.

Yep, I officially really, really

Spoiler

LOVE

this game. And it just happened all of a sudden. Weird.

welcome to the select few who 'get' this game.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

welcome to the select few who 'get' this game.

I'm still unimpressed unless you also become one of the select, select few who 'get' Vanille! :lol

 

[ZeoVGM]

Half way through chapter VII.

Yep, I officially really, really

Spoiler

LOVE

this game. And it just happened all of a sudden. Weird.

Yep, chapter 7 is one of my favorite sections in any FF. Just awesome.

On that note, no one answered me before: what's the last chapter on disc 2 for the 360 version?

 

[badcrumble]

Fuck Attacus. Fuck him

What's so bad about Attacus? Haven't fought him yet (but the only remaining missions are Attacus, dual-Raktavija, and Vercingetorix, and my attempts at the Raktavija so far have been sorely foiled, so if Attacus is similarly tough I'll probably agree with you).

 

[Styles]

Where do you find mission 55?

Edit: Nevermind.

 

[eznark]

I'm still unimpressed unless you also become one of the select, select few who 'get' Vanille! :lol

I imagine the membership prize is one of those creepy love pillows with a silk screened vanille on it.

no thanks

 

[Dresden]

I'm still unimpressed unless you also become one of the select, select few who 'get' Vanille! :lol

Hey man, I liked Vanille for her design alone. Shallow? Yes. Creepy? Yes. Pretty awesome? Probably not.

I'll just say that when I found out about Vanille's motivations, I was like,

Spoiler

FUCK YES I DON'T HAVE TO HATE HER FOR HER VAPIDITY

.

 

[Zoe]

Have you killed that guy since? I got him down to half health and he killed Lightning in one hit despite having Fang as a Sentinel -_-

Yeah. I had to wait till post-game though. I was able to stay alive before then, but I just didn't have the stats to bring him down.

 

[RPGCrazied]

nice.. I got light's ultimate weapon.. only lvl15 though

I used vanilles death to get passed the turtle.. but now im stuck on

Spoiler

proudclad ver 2

he isnt joking around

 

[7Th]

I'm still unimpressed unless you also become one of the select, select few who 'get' Vanille! :lol

Spoiler

People that played the game in Japanese?

 

[MechaX]

What's so bad about Attacus? Haven't fought him yet (but the only remaining missions are Attacus, dual-Raktavija, and Vercingetorix, and my attempts at the Raktavija so far have been sorely foiled, so if Attacus is similarly tough I'll probably agree with you).

Attacus isn't really that tough, as he can be beaten fairly well with Intermediate Weapons and at least the main three of the post-game cystarium leveled (although, fighting him without the level 9 crystarium is going to be a little rough). The trick is that you'll need a Sentinel up for almost the entire fight at all times, especially for his highly damaging attack in his third phase that normally one-hit kills (but the Sentinel can take the hit).

Attacus is just ungodly long though, with his

Spoiler

9 million

HP.

 

[7Th]

Hey man, I liked Vanille for her design alone. Shallow? Yes. Creepy? Yes. Pretty awesome? Probably not.

I'll just say that when I found out about Vanille's motivations, I was like,

Spoiler

FUCK YES I DON'T HAVE TO HATE HER FOR HER VAPIDITY

.

Wasn't it

Spoiler

really, really, really obvious that she had ulterior motives?

It still surprises me people are surprised at her "sudden" relevancy.

 

[leng jai]

Fucking hell. Still trying to beat the Chapter 9 boss, survived about 4 Destrudos before the last one killed me because he started the move while all my characters were on low hp. It sucks how he can still use the move when he is staggered.

 

[KZObsessed]

Just read up on some strategies for Mission 51 and people seem to be using Snow as Sentinel the whole battle with Fang & Lightning switching from Commandos to Saboteurs... I guess they're maxed out. Looks like I have some grinding to do...

I still need to get some Trapezohedrons for my ultimate weapons. Death spamming Adamantoise until I get one isn't gonna be fun.

Was loving the post game missions but I've hit a wall now and I face a loooong grind. Don't know if I can be bothered to finish it all. Espeically that bullshit Treasure Hunter trophy.

 

[Chris R]

Tripple Bomb packs with Sazh & Vanille :lol :lol :lol Not even close to fair. Yay for shrouds?

 

[Cep]

Wasn't it

Spoiler

really, really, really obvious that she had ulterior motives?

It still surprises me people are surprised at her "sudden" relevancy.

Oh come on now, sure there was obviously something behind all of that, but no one could have predicted that she was to become so prominent.

I think it is rather disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

At most, prior to any reveals, a secondary role for Vanille and Fang closely tying to the story could have been assumed.

 

[KZObsessed]

Yeah. I had to wait till post-game though. I was able to stay alive before then, but I just didn't have the stats to bring him down.

How leveled up were you when you beat him? I have 2/3 Roles Lvl 5. Tier 2 weapons maxed out.

Might try one more time tomorrow and if I fail again I'll just grind my way to max out all the Roles and hope that'll be enough.

 

[7Th]

Oh come on now, sure there was obviously something behind all of that, but no one could have predicted that she was to become so prominent.

I think it is rather disingenuous to suggest otherwise.

At most, prior to any reveals, a secondary role for Vanille and Fang closely tying to the story could have been assumed.

I suppose I can't say anything, because I spoiled myself at every chance I got. I don't think I've ever gone into a game without spoiling myself. I mean, I even know all the plot details of Strange Journey of all things!

 

[jiggle]

still in ch11 after 3 days
having a lot of fun here
why can't all stages be like this?
even the corridor ones are good



a couple questions

1) When is the point of no return to do missions

Spoiler

not counting endgame

2) Is this point before or after the 2nd to last Crystarium unlock ?

 

[User 10639]

Not a big Nomura nut but Fang is easily the best designed female in the entire franchise, IMO. Great, classy design that mixes functionality from the old and new.

Running around with Fang, doing the Pulse sections, exploring and item/monster hunting really redeemed the game in the end for me. Made me want a XIII-2 that focuses way more on Pulse in general and provides that same kind of XII/X-2 fusion the whole way. Best of both worlds.

Agreed all around, except that the game didn't really need to be redeemed for me and I think a prequel would be more appropriate. But yeah, Fang's design is fantastic, everything comes together well visually. It's funny to think that she was initially written as a male; it would have been a shame if they'd gone through with that. I don't like Nomura either, at all really, but on the whole I think this game has probably his best designs yet. Except for Hope... ugh.

I wouldn't call it Vanille's Final Fantasy, but Vanille is still clearly the main character in the sense that

Spoiler

the game is told from her point-of-view and she and Fang are pretty much the only relevant characters in the second half of the game.

Sazh said it best in the cutscene before the final battle,

Spoiler

the Cocoon side of the cast was really just worm bait to lure Vanille and Fang into Orphan's Craddle.

(spoilers people)

Spoiler

But they're also the only relevant characters during the first half of the game, at least as far as plot goes. The game just hides it by putting alot of focus on the stories of Sazh, Lightning, Hope, and Snow for the first half of the game, and in any case everything that happens to them is caused, directly or indirectly, by decisions that Fang and Vanille make (and, well, them "waking up", which I'm not really entirely clear on how/why that happens anyway) and the party's focus is about those two as well. Again, though, the party is well-integrated into all of this, so that I never once thought "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STILL HERE" except maybe with Hope... ugh.

Well... the game hides that stuff and then buries important plot and background info in supplemental material which I had summarized to me by someone else. Which doesn't help matters. :lol Though the storytelling was needlessly convoluted, I did like the ending a lot. It's kind of... bittersweet. Man, this game makes it so hard for me to love :-( WHY GAME WHY

edit: Now it's Platinum time, baby. 50 hours of grinding in Pulse, here I come!

 

[Cep]

I suppose I can't say anything, because I spoiled myself at every chance I got. I don't think I've ever gone into a game without spoiling myself. I mean, I even know all the plot details of Strange Journey of all things!

You do know who you are talking to correct?

I too almost never go into a game without spoiling myself (unless I get it day 1), the last time I was genuinely surprised was Kotor.

And even when watching all those FF13 streams, some of the developments were sort of sudden. I remember being annoyed that SE's marking had again mislead us.

Not that completely mind the approach, certainly much better thought out than the PoV shenanigans they tried with 12.

 

[Zoe]

How leveled up were you when you beat him? I have 2/3 Roles Lvl 5. Tier 2 weapons maxed out.

Might try one more time tomorrow and if I fail again I'll just grind my way to max out all the Roles and hope that'll be enough.

I haven't maxed out anything yet... Just now getting to the point where my grid is up to where the cost goes up.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

still in ch11 after 3 days
having a lot of fun here
why can't all stages be like this?
even the corridor ones are good



a couple questions

1) When is the point of no return to do missions

Spoiler

not counting endgame

2) Is this point before or after the 2nd to last Crystarium unlock ?

I believe its 2 steps away from the last cyrstarium level. You can actually return back to

Spoiler

Vallis Media

at the very beginning of chapter 13...

 

[Nakazato]

Fucking hell. Still trying to beat the Chapter 9 boss, survived about 4 Destrudos before the last one killed me because he started the move while all my characters were on low hp. It sucks how he can still use the move when he is staggered.

you have to keep attacking him while he charges up Destrudos if you do enough damage he'll cringe and do 45% less damage. Also keep up protection and protection. Also use slow.

 

[jiggle]

I believe its 2 steps away from the last cyrstarium level. You can actually return back to

Spoiler

Vallis Media

at the very beginning of chapter 13...

ah
so can't use crystarium 9 and 10 for missions until endgame then ; ;

 

[Community Forum]

ah
so can't use crystarium 9 and 10 for missions until endgame then ; ;

WTF I thought they only went up to 5?

 

[FateBreaker]

Yep, chapter 7 is one of my favorite sections in any FF. Just awesome.

On that note, no one answered me before: what's the last chapter on disc 2 for the 360 version?

ch 9

 

[KZObsessed]

I haven't maxed out anything yet... Just now getting to the point where my grid is up to where the cost goes up.

hmm I guess I just suck then '-_-

I'll try again 2moro.

 

[Replicant]

Hmm, Chapter 8 boss is easy if you GRIND, GRIND, GRIND a lot beforehand. Seriously. I grinded a lot after I failed with him the first time around. At first grinding in that area is a pain because there's a particular enemy which is almost as hard as the boss. But eventually both Sahz and Vanille got really good and before I knew it, I beat the boss without difficulty.

As a result, Chapter 9 has been a fun breeze for me. So much so, I think I'm going to stick a bit longer and grind some more for credit chips and CP. I mean, at this point in the game for me, my characters can handle many things easily so why not grind some more as preparation for future battles? Let's see if this would help with Ch9 boss.

 

[User 10639]

Hey man, I liked Vanille for her design alone. Shallow? Yes. Creepy? Yes. Pretty awesome? Probably not.

I'll just say that when I found out about Vanille's motivations, I was like,

Spoiler

FUCK YES I DON'T HAVE TO HATE HER FOR HER VAPIDITY

.

It's OK, man. I'm so there with ya. I'm so glad that she turned out to be more than just moe girl; even if

Spoiler

she just turned out to be hiding a generic dark past under the cute, it still makes her a much more tolerable character.

Now I just have to decide whether I will bear the shame of a VDF avatar, or just go with Fang. I'm great, you're great, everybody's great. Yelling at it's not gonna work; it's called interference, you know!

Not that completely mind the approach, certainly much better thought out than the PoV shenanigans they tried with 12.

In 12 it felt like they couldn't decide who they wanted the main character to actually be during the development of the game; hence the shoehorning of Vaan into a story that is kind of about Balthier (with Fran tagging along) but mostly about Ashe (with Basche tagging along). Here, it feels like the writers obviously know exactly who the main characters are - they just obscured it, both in the first half of the game and the marketing. But at least 12 had the decency to put an ensemble on the NA box, whereas here it's all Lightning and her ridonkulous giant pocketknife. Oy.

 

[RPGCrazied]

so... chapter 12

how to pass

Spoiler

proudclad 2? It sucks halfway into the battle he regens ALL HP, and puts up every buff on him. ugh

 

[Cep]

In 12 it felt like they couldn't decide who they wanted the main character to actually be during the development of the game; hence the shoehorning of Vaan into a story that is kind of about Balthier (with Fran tagging along) but mostly about Ashe (with Basche tagging along). Here, it feels like the writers obviously know exactly who the main characters are - they just obscured it, both in the first half of the game and the marketing. But at least 12 had the decency to put an ensemble on the NA box, whereas here it's all Lightning and her ridonkulous giant pocketknife. Oy.

Completely agreed.

Also, I suggest you join the Fang fan club. She is the best Nomura has yet to conceive, and would have been the best in XIII if not for Rygdea (though she may win anyway since he really does not have a body).

 

[Magnus]

The trick to Destrudo (Destructo?) is to just spam attacks actually. He even cries out once or twice to confirm that it blunts his attack power... he still launches the attack but it isn't nearly fatal. I tried a lot of Sentinal-play and well timed summons beforehand, but it's much simpler than that.

Wonderful. Wish I figured that out after wiping to this boss twice. :lol

I figured I had to employ all that masterful paradigm switching strategy to overcome the attack, but nope, mashing auto-battle would have brought me out on top.

:lol

In all honesty though, I've been enjoying the game much more since hitting Chapter 9, and certainly since the ability to (finally) change up party members (but not leaders...wtf) was introduced.

All the old complaints still stand, but things definitely get more interesting when they reintroduce three players into battle instead of just two.

XIII just needed to get to this chapter much, much sooner.

I'm alarmed at how much I've grown to like XIII's characters in the last three hours.

 

[Dresden]

Speaking of Fang, her picture in the Status screen is just odd. Her face looks blurred out and she's going a bit there.

Badass to the extreme though. I've always had a weakness for chicks wielding long phallic objects.

 

[FateBreaker]

ah
so can't use crystarium 9 and 10 for missions until endgame then ; ;

9 is accessible after the ch 11 boss (who is a bitch, btw), but yes, 10 is only accessible only after the last boss

WTF I thought they only went up to 5?

5 levels, 2 "layers" each, 10 total

 

[firehawk12]

WTF I thought they only went up to 5?

Role levels go up to 5. Crystarium goes up to 10.

 

[Cep]

I've always had a weakness for chicks wielding long phallic objects.

Who does not?

I am not sure which god inspired Nomura to design her, but I fervently hope the it keeps on doing so post-Vs13.

 

[Community Forum]

5 levels, 2 "layers" each, 10 total

Role levels go up to 5. Crystarium goes up to 10.

ahhhhhh

So I'm on Ch11. Is anyone else using Lightning/Sahz/Hope? I always start the battles with COM/SYN/SYN and bulk up for a few rounds, and then let loose with COM/RAV/RAV. Seems to be working so far, gotten up to mission 11 I think it is with this setup.

 

[Jrmint]

Just finished Chapter 11...

Spoiler

That second fight with Barthandelus was quite possibly the cheapest/hardest FF fight for me since the 4 fiends together the first time in FFIV. Attempt him 3 times using a defensive strategy of keeping Fang in Sentinel most of the fight and just could not beat the fight before the Doom Counter. 4th attempt I go balls to the wall and get the unlucky AoE attack on me (forget the name) during a stagger (which is bullshit). 5th attempt I finally get him, took about 12 minutes iirc. Everytime he went into stagger I used Aggression Paradigm and it seemed the only way to win, fyi I used Light, Fang, Hope.

Damn fight was just so freaking cheap with all the Pain and Fog he was always putting on people right after the AoE attack so I couldn't heal, etc. So glad to be past that.

Question, should I probably stay to grind for a bit in Pulse before continuing with Chapter 12? I have all 3 primary roles maxed for each character.

 

[Threi]

the battle system is so good.


so...fucking...good....

 

[Mileena]

Just finished Chapter 11...

Spoiler

That second fight with Barthandelus was quite possibly the cheapest/hardest FF fight for me since the 4 fiends together the first time in FFIV. Attempt him 3 times using a defensive strategy of keeping Fang in Sentinel most of the fight and just could not beat the fight before the Doom Counter. 4th attempt I go balls to the wall and get the unlucky AoE attack on me (forget the name) during a stagger (which is bullshit). 5th attempt I finally get him, took about 12 minutes iirc. Everytime he went into stagger I used Aggression Paradigm and it seemed the only way to win, fyi I used Light, Fang, Hope.

Damn fight was just so freaking cheap with all the Pain and Fog he was always putting on people right after the AoE attack so I couldn't heal, etc. So glad to be past that.

Question, should I probably stay to grind for a bit in Pulse before continuing with Chapter 12? I have all 3 primary roles maxed for each character.

You shouldn't have to, the game is easy enough without grinding.

 

[ZeoVGM]

ch 9

Thanks.