Support NeoGAF

[ULTROS!]

Hmmm.... Also I suggest you equip defensive rings such as the Wind Ring (something that reduces the wind damage) and a few level 1 entite rings/general belts.

 

[rocksolidaudio]

so, this may be an idiotic question but i figure it's easier to ask you guys than dig around elsewhere...

so i've been running around gran pulse, the central expanse and surrounding areas, doing the waystone missions. i finished the first batch, and have done the first two "C" missions. i'm mostly enjoying it, and it's somewhat addicting, but i don't have a good sense of when i should just get on with the rest of the game. it's my understanding that i can come back and continue them after i beat the game, but also knowing myself the chances of that happening are slim (once i'm done i'm done, and i'm having a hard enough time getting through this). so should i get on with it?

also, how the hell do i warp between waystones? the game told me that certain waystones could do it, but i can't seem to figure out which or how. or maybe i'm just being an idiot.

thanks for any help!

 

[desverger]

Hmmm.... Also I suggest you equip defensive rings such as the Wind Ring (something that reduces the wind damage) and a few level 1 entite rings/general belts.

I have a starred Witch Ring (25% mag resist), starred General's Belt (25% phys resist) and a starred Gale Ring (40% wind resist) on each char, and on Vanille I have that 15% resist all accessory as well.

So total 33% phys/melee and 40% wind. Guess I'll go grind some CP so I can get Vanille to 20k hp, or something.

Well, one theory for my defeat is that I switch to a MED/SEN/SEN after I get hit by Wicked Whirl, which leaves Vanille quite vulnerable, since he's usually spamming other crap as well, and I don't think you can even taunt the boss?

Either I need to go full out with the healing with MED/MED/MED or have a SEN/MED/MED paradigm so I can sit in Mediguard like a little girl

also, how the hell do i warp between waystones? the game told me that certain waystones could do it, but i can't seem to figure out which or how. or maybe i'm just being an idiot.

thanks for any help!

You can warp between the stones marked in orange, AFTER you complete the stone's mission.

Oh and it's up to you if you want to continue the missions or return to them later. If you'll be 5-starring the missions I recommend you do so after the final boss, just because it'll be easier with a full crystarium.

 

[ULTROS!]

Yeah, if your HP is half way gone, go MED/MED/MED then quickly go back to SEN/SEN/SEN.

Vanille needs the SEN! Just remember do MED/MED/MED when the boss is in

Spoiler

Impenetrable Aura mode

 

[firehawk12]

I have a starred Witch Ring (25% mag resist), starred General's Belt (25% phys resist) and a starred Gale Ring (40% wind resist) on each char, and on Vanille I have that 15% resist all accessory as well.

So total 33% phys/melee and 40% wind. Guess I'll go grind some CP so I can get Vanille to 20k hp, or something.

Well, one theory for my defeat is that I switch to a MED/SEN/SEN after I get hit by Wicked Whirl, which leaves Vanille quite vulnerable, since he's usually spamming other crap as well, and I don't think you can even taunt the boss?

Either I need to go full out with the healing with MED/MED/MED or have a SEN/MED/MED paradigm so I can sit in Mediguard like a little girl

Just spend the points to make Vanille a SEN and have the turtoise/all SEN paradigm.

 

[rocksolidaudio]

If you'll be 5-starring the missions I recommend you do so after the final boss, just because it'll be easier with a full crystarium.

what's the benefit to 5-starring them? different drops? i've been kind of all over the place so far in terms of stars (on the missions).

 

[desverger]

Thanks guys. I'll try it again tonight. With a shot of whisky in front of me, swearing like a sailor

I've 5-starred every other mission, I really want to complete this one too :lol

edit: I actually had Vanille as a SEN when WW hit, I think my problem was just not healing up fast enough.

hijack again:

what's the benefit to 5-starring them? different drops? i've been kind of all over the place so far in terms of stars (on the missions).

5-starring only matters if you're going for the achievement/trophy of 5-starring every mission. Otherwise the rewards are same.

 

[Arjen]

This game is such goddamn bulshit sometimes.
Mission 55, Neochu.
Rolled with my usual team, came close to defeat a lot of times, but then he did his fuckin scream and i was a goner. 5 tries, it didn't work..
So i pick vanille, spam death for a couple of minutes..BINGO.
What a load of crap.

 

[Hung Wei Lo]

Just spend the points to make Vanille a SEN and have the turtoise/all SEN paradigm.

was just gunna post that, since getting Vanille up to 20k hp is essentially maxing out her entire Crystarium w/o accessories

 

[BJK]

so, this may be an idiotic question but i figure it's easier to ask you guys than dig around elsewhere...

so i've been running around gran pulse, the central expanse and surrounding areas, doing the waystone missions. i finished the first batch, and have done the first two "C" missions. i'm mostly enjoying it, and it's somewhat addicting, but i don't have a good sense of when i should just get on with the rest of the game. it's my understanding that i can come back and continue them after i beat the game, but also knowing myself the chances of that happening are slim (once i'm done i'm done, and i'm having a hard enough time getting through this). so should i get on with it?

also, how the hell do i warp between waystones? the game told me that certain waystones could do it, but i can't seem to figure out which or how. or maybe i'm just being an idiot.

thanks for any help!

I'm in about the same spot, and share your questions....except for the one. Cie'th Waystones are marked in red on the map screen, rather than blue; once you beat the mission associated with the stone, you can use it to teleport from waystone to waystone (assuming you have more than one completed).


In addition to not knowing when to break off from missions and go back to the story, I was wondering if there is any way to find out which Cie'th stone gives which mission? I know about the mission list on the map screen, but that only tells you about the stones you've been to already. I somehow jumped from missions 10-11 to 16-17, and just found #32 during my last play session. This marks the first time while playing XIII that I wished I had the strategy guide -- just because Square didn't do a good job pointing the player in the right direction(s).

 

[Yoshichan]

Shiiit! My Snow now has 42k health and nothing deals more than 1000 on him :lol (Ultima does like 950)

4x maxed out Wurtzite Bangle + maxed out health

 

[astroturfing]

Shiiit! My Snow now has 42k health and nothing deals more than 1000 on him :lol (Ultima does like 950)

4x maxed out Wurtzite Bangle + maxed out health

wow awesome, i didnt know that much HP is possible i think i gotta bring Snow in for some action when i start 5-starring the hunts. he's been on the bench for most of the game..

 

[Yoshichan]

wow awesome, i didnt know that much HP is possible i think i gotta bring Snow in for some action when i start 5-starring the hunts. he's been on the bench for most of the game..

Yeah I didn't touch Snow until late end game when he become an insane tank. On single and 3-4 target mobs, you couldn't die. Nothing could kill him unless enemies were attacking him for 2 minutes straight :lol

 

[desverger]

Ugh, can't beat Mission 64. I'm always on the ropes when caught into a Wicked Whirl WITHOUT defending. What are you supposed to do in this case? I can't top myself fast enough.

I'm trying Vanille/Fang/Snow.

Is his WW attack physical or magical? I even tried going 65% physical resist on Vanille, I didn't really notice a big difference in survivability.

Top 3 ways of dying:

1. Caught into WW without defending. HP in red, I switch to MED/MED/MED, but boss keeps wailing on Vanille and I can't heal myself. Fang and Snow being level 1 medics can't keep me up at all.

2. Poison doesn't stick, so I'm forced to sit in SEN/SEN/SEN while my hp slowly drains from his attacks, I try to heal but WW gets me since I can't top to full health with him attacking me. Again, level 1 medics aren't helping.

3. ATB bar running out in Tortoise and WHILE defending, so I'm just eating the WW. Again, in the red.

All the strategies don't really seem that complex, it just seems like there's something fundamentally wrong in my version of it. Or it's just dumb luck if poison sticks and you can switch to SEN/SEN/SEN before WW.

 

[Sacha]

All the strategies don't really seem that complex, it just seems like there's something fundamentally wrong in my version of it.

You have to grind. If you can't heal and poison efficiently, you just can't win this. I beat him with everyone's Cristarium maxed out and he turned out to be fairly easy (won on my 3rd try and 5-starred him).

 

[Yoshichan]

Are you going SEN/SEN/SEN when he does that move? It's very important.

Are you going SYN/SYN/MED for buffing and completely healing yourself when he's in shield mode?

Are you going SAB/SAB/SAB so that you can stick deprotect, deshell and poison on him immediately after the shield is gone?

 

[CruxisMana]

End of Chapter 12:

Spoiler

Screw Yaag and his stupid Retaliatory Strike.

 

[desverger]

Are you going SEN/SEN/SEN when he does that move? It's very important.

Are you going SYN/SYN/MED for buffing and completely healing yourself when he's in shield mode?

Are you going SAB/SAB/SAB so that you can stick deprotect, deshell and poison on him immediately after the shield is gone?

Well, everything except SYN/SYN/MED. Fang only has one SYN level on her. I guess I do NEED a Synergist with at least Protect/Shell on this?

 

[Yoshichan]

Well, everything except SYN/SYN/MED. Fang only has one SYN level on her. I guess I do NEED a Synergist with at least Protect/Shell on this?

If you don't have protect (I'm pretty sure that AoE is physical damage) on any of your characters, it's going to be a pain.

But really, if you just want to win the battle and don't care about star-rankings, just

Spoiler

poison him and stay sen/sen/med and then switch to sen/sen/sen when he does his AoE. Repeat process until poison kills him, it won't take a long time actually, probably around 8-9 minutes.

 

[gutterboy44]

I am really not looking forward to farming all of this Dark Matter. Any tips or tricks?

 

[Synless]

What does dark matter even do?

 

[RoodyPooUS]

Ugh, can't beat Mission 64. I'm always on the ropes when caught into a Wicked Whirl WITHOUT defending. What are you supposed to do in this case? I can't top myself fast enough.

I'm trying Vanille/Fang/Snow.

Is his WW attack physical or magical? I even tried going 65% physical resist on Vanille, I didn't really notice a big difference in survivability.

Top 3 ways of dying:

1. Caught into WW without defending. HP in red, I switch to MED/MED/MED, but boss keeps wailing on Vanille and I can't heal myself. Fang and Snow being level 1 medics can't keep me up at all.

2. Poison doesn't stick, so I'm forced to sit in SEN/SEN/SEN while my hp slowly drains from his attacks, I try to heal but WW gets me since I can't top to full health with him attacking me. Again, level 1 medics aren't helping.

3. ATB bar running out in Tortoise and WHILE defending, so I'm just eating the WW. Again, in the red.

All the strategies don't really seem that complex, it just seems like there's something fundamentally wrong in my version of it. Or it's just dumb luck if poison sticks and you can switch to SEN/SEN/SEN before WW.

Oh you don't have everyone's crystals maxed? That just makes it much harder.

I took me I think 3 tries to 5 star, never died, just didn't kill him fast enough. Gold Watch after the first time helped a lot. Once I got the hang of it, it wasn't hard.

 

[C.T.]

What does dark matter even do?

You need it to upgrade strong equipment.

 

[RoodyPooUS]

Dark Matters are pretty easy to farm. I went to the NW steep portal, ran to the place where the Adamanchield (They are now Guis) was guarding a chest in the NW part of the map along the north wall. Killed him, then ran east to where there is another one. They respawn immediately when you run far enough away.

Equip one earth resist accessory on each char if you want, you will be able to survive the two stomps it may get off before you get all the debuffs on. You start with the debuffs, casting daze last. Then buff up with SYN SYN MED, especially Enfire, also Faith, Bravery (no attacking since it is Dazed). Switch to Rav Rav Rav until 900+% and then switch to COM COM COM. Switch to SEN SEN SEN if he casts Bay/Ultima and switch right back after. Highwind when its at low health (not really necessary if you have maxed weapons and crystarium). Thats it. You might screw up once or twice but no biggie.

 

[sam27368]

I am really not looking forward to farming all of this Dark Matter. Any tips or tricks?

Easy answer, then don't. This game is not worth the hours put in to platinum.

 

[DigitalDevil]

so, I beat the game on Saturday and really enjoyed it, overall. I did about 30 missions before I finished the game, and was excited to get back into it and do the rest of the missions.

I load up Gran Pulse, and..... completely lose all desire to play any more.

I really think the whole

Spoiler

beat the game and then you can really enjoy Gran Pulse

bit was a big design mistake. After I beat the game it just didn't make SENSE that I was back on

Spoiler

Gran Pulse

. I mean, I've already conquered the game, the story has concluded, and as great as the battle system WAS after 65 hours I just didn't have the will to keep going.

I'm pretty upset about it, but if I'm not feelin' it any more I'm not feelin' it. On to Nocturne!

 

[jiggle]

I am really not looking forward to farming all of this Dark Matter. Any tips or tricks?

dark matter drop rate is really high
you'll need 5 total to get the the trophy
one tip on saving 3 dark matter is to upgrade/get every items first
then create Kaiser Gloves, and Magister Crest
save
make your Urshite Bangle, Super Ribbon, Betelgeuse

talk to

Spoiler

Bhakti

to get your Treasure Hunter trophy
reset the game

this way you won't waste 3 dark matters on useless things and can save them for more kaiser gloves and magister crests

Ugh, can't beat Mission 64. I'm always on the ropes when caught into a Wicked Whirl WITHOUT defending. What are you supposed to do in this case? I can't top myself fast enough.

I'm trying Vanille/Fang/Snow.
Or it's just dumb luck if poison sticks and you can switch to SEN/SEN/SEN before WW.

IMO, Van/Fang/Hope is a better team
his attacks are both magic (wind based) and physical
so stack on the damage resist belts and gale rings

poison has high chance of sticking, not luck

sounds like your main problem is not switching to SEN/SEN/SEN fast enough
might want to just have paradigm shift open with sen/sen/sen highlighted even when he's not using WW yet

 

[Dries]

On chapter 7 or so now. Really enjoying it. Lovely visuals on the 360!

 

[gutterboy44]

Coo, thanks for the Dark Matter tips. I have too much time invested not to go the extra mile and get the platinum at this point. I must!

 

[Oyashiro]

*Help*

Thanks a lot, man! I was finally able to beat him once I switched out Hope for Vanille. It took me 2 tries, but only like 20 mins or so. Now I'm wondering if I should just keep my party like it is with Vanille in it. She seems to be a better Med and Sab than Hope, but I imagine Hope is a better Rav?

 

[Tabris]

Alright, I believe I'm at the end of the game. I'm at

Spoiler

Orphan's Cradle

So before I finish the game, I want to post my opinion, to see if it changes when I finish the game (like FFX did for me as the ending was so good).

Here's my issue with the game so far...

Spoiler

When you reach Gran Pulse, the game completely opens up to you. You have options to explore a bunch of different places. I was enjoying the game up to this point. My issue with this is it completely disconnects you from the story. Recent FF games have done this, they open up the game before the last 5 hours. So naturally you go do a bunch of missions and farm items, before you realize you are disconnected with the story. They need to open up the game before then, somewhere in the middle.

Second, when you reach Gran Pulse, you realize it's a dead world. No one is alive anymore. It almost makes you feel lonely. Same kind of emotion I felt playing SOTC. Now the issue is they did not capitalize on this potential "story goldmine". The fact that Fang and Vanille showed almost no emotion to this, instead of it potentially being heart breaking to learn the story of a world's demise. I still don't know what killed everybody. Now with SOTC, you had that feeling from the beginning and it also capitalized on feeling's of guilt. This story hasn't capitalized on the potential it could envoke. So shame on the creators.

Otherwise, the gameplay is fun, music is great, visuals are jaw dropping and story was interesting (not great but interesting) up to that point.

 

[Max Million]

Playing on PS3, really hated the battle system at first but it's opened up a bit, on chapter 3 now. It's growing on me, I'm starting to like how slick and polished everything feels. I hope there's more strategy involved than simply casting libra and switching paradigms coming up though. One thing that disturbs me is Lightning's character model. She has 10 year old boy legs and no ass. Can I get a squats mini-game?

Graphics are stunning, playing it on a 120" screen (HD projector) and it's probably the most gorgeous game I've played this gen. The faces are incredible. I'm also digging the music so far, not the most memorable soundtrack but it's very slick and crisp, pleasing to the ears.

 

[hypostatic]

Spoiler

I really think the whole beat the game and then you can really enjoy Gran Pulse bit was a big design mistake. After I beat the game it just didn't make SENSE that I was back on Gran Pulse. I mean, I've already conquered the game, the story has concluded, and as great as the battle system WAS after 65 hours I just didn't have the will to keep going.

I totally agree. The game is fundamentally flawed, despite doing nearly everything else so damn well. It's a very bittersweet experience, beginning to end. It's a shame, really.

 

[Footos22]

Coo, thanks for the Dark Matter tips. I have too much time invested not to go the extra mile and get the platinum at this point. I must!

I was in the same boat last night.

I couldnt be bothered to go farming dark matters

went to the NE part where theres 2 long guis guarding the passages and 3 shaolong guis
behind them. You can run past the long guis and on way back to save point there is 2 more.

i only killed 7 got 5 dark matter and 2 gold nuggets

maybe i got lucky

but the drop rate seemed really high
all i've gotta do now is go get some more ingots to upgrade another 20 or so weapons (need so many perovskites) will just trade in an ingot for 3 ultracompacts i think as only need 1 at a x3 to upgrade 1st tier weapons to a star. once i upgraded i tick off of list then sell them as i have all the weapons i want them to have equipped.
i just hope my trophy isn't glitched, at 83 hours now.


should be done by friday

 

[lupin23rd]

I'm at the very end-game (ie. 4 trophies left), and have a few questions:

- Should I be farming the Long Gui's (if I could kill them, ugh) or the Adamantoises for ingots and traps? Is there a difference in drop rate?

- Can I 5 star mission 64 with just poison (using the gold watch)? Or do I need to actually try? :lol

Hoping to plat this soon, although I'm really starting to think I need to jump on my recent backlog and get those done with first...

 

[Yoshichan]

- Can I 5 star mission 64 with just poison (using the gold watch)? Or do I need to actually try? :lol

No, you need much more dps than what poison provides.

 

[ULTROS!]

- Can I 5 star mission 64 with just poison (using the gold watch)? Or do I need to actually try? :lol

You can actually but equip crappy stuff (no gold watch, all equips should be level 1) and just poison/defend/heal.

That's how I got my 5-star in Mission 64 under 12 mins over 18. :lol

 

[Choopy]

You can actually but equip crappy stuff (no gold watch, all equips should be level 1) and just poison/defend/heal.

That's how I got my 5-star in Mission 64 under 12 mins over 18. :lol

How?? Everytime I poison him he

Spoiler

does that stupid immunity barrier thing, then he's back to near full health

=/

 

[djtiesto]

I'm about ready to max out my Crystarium, I have about 3 million gil in the bank... what I'm planning on doing is this:

1) 3 Genji Gloves -> dismantle for Traps
2) use one of those Traps on the Marlboro wand, then level up Nirvana -> dismantle for 3 more Traps
3) use those traps to upgrade to every other character's max weapon
4) sell all the accessories that I don't need to level up
5) buy Dark Matters (possibly farming a few from Long Guis)
6) upgrade the rest of the accessories, selling them as I finished upgrading this
7) level up the rest of weapons
8) talk to Bhakti, get my trophy, then reset

All I need to do is this, beat a Long Gui, and 5 star mission 64 and the end... and then I get a Platinum. I have about 79 hours into this, it's not worth it to quit now. Anticipating my first ever Platinum.

 

[ULTROS!]

How?? Everytime I poison him he

Spoiler

does that stupid immunity barrier thing, then he's back to near full health

=/

Spoiler

You have to poison him right after the impenetrable aura ends, you can also attack him if you want. It's not that fast but it should do the trick.

 

[KZObsessed]

I'm about ready to max out my Crystarium, I have about 3 million gil in the bank... what I'm planning on doing is this:

1) 3 Genji Gloves -> dismantle for Traps
2) use one of those Traps on the Marlboro wand, then level up Nirvana -> dismantle for 3 more Traps
3) use those traps to upgrade to every other character's max weapon
4) sell all the accessories that I don't need to level up
5) buy Dark Matters (possibly farming a few from Long Guis)
6) upgrade the rest of the accessories, selling them as I finished upgrading this
7) level up the rest of weapons
8) talk to Bhakti, get my trophy, then reset

All I need to do is this, beat a Long Gui, and 5 star mission 64 and the end... and then I get a Platinum. I have about 79 hours into this, it's not worth it to quit now. Anticipating my first ever Platinum.

You actually get Dark Matters from the Shaolong Guis, which are the smaller ones. The Long Guis just drop Plats and Traps like the Adamantoises. One of the reasons Dark Matters are quite easy to farm, the other is the relatively high drop rate. I got at least 1 every 3 Guis. Better off farming them so you can save your money for upgrading. I didn't keep track of how much it cost me but it ended up being a lot more than I expected, glad it's over

 

[Yoshichan]

I'm about ready to max out my Crystarium, I have about 3 million gil in the bank... what I'm planning on doing is this:

1) 3 Genji Gloves -> dismantle for Traps

Ugh. I couldn't read any more of this. Why would you dismantle such rare items? Is platinum really that much worth it?

 

[eznark]

Man

Spoiler

Nautilus

is like the biggest wasted potential ever. I thought of the Gold Saucer when I entered, just a pile of nothing.

I thought the exact opposite. I was like "FUCK, Gold Saucer" then I was stoked when it was just another corridor.

Beat the tower boss in 11. Thanks for the awesome grinding spot, might have set the game aside were it not for that. Do I ever get to go back to that field at the start of 11? I assume you must, but is it not til after you beat the game?

 

[Lince]

Ugh. I couldn't read any more of this. Why would you dismantle such rare items? Is platinum really that much worth it?

you can make a different save just for the trophy... that's what I did and saved me from unnecessary grinding.

 

[Choopy]

Ugh. I couldn't read any more of this. Why would you dismantle such rare items? Is platinum really that much worth it?

If you continued reading he said he would reset after he gets the trophy

 

[ULTROS!]

Ugh. I couldn't read any more of this. Why would you dismantle such rare items? Is platinum really that much worth it?

Well, he is get trophy-quitting anyway.

I dismantled one Genji glove though but not regrets.

 

[Yoshichan]

Oh, I actually read his whole post but didn't catch that last part for some reason :lol

 

[Brazil]

I thought the exact opposite. I was like "FUCK, Gold Saucer" then I was stoked when it was just another corridor.

Beat the tower boss in 11. Thanks for the awesome grinding spot, might have set the game aside were it not for that. Do I ever get to go back to that field at the start of 11? I assume you must, but is it not til after you beat the game?

Exactly.

 

[Scythian Empire]

Question regarding Chapter 11.

Spoiler

Just beat the boss and am about to board the ship to Cocoon, but was wondering if it's still possible to return to Pulse later on in the game to finish off those missions?

 

[Choopy]

Question regarding Chapter 11.

Spoiler

Just beat the boss and am about to board the ship to Cocoon, but was wondering if it's still possible to return to Pulse later on in the game to finish off those missions?

You can return once you reach Chapter 13. There are

Spoiler

portals that can take you back and forth