Final Fantasy X HD

Retr0gamer

Got to disagree on a few points you make. I like the art direction of the world. Having a world that's influenced by the South Pacific islands makes a welcome change from the usual boring sci-fi or fantasy worlds that final fantasy is in.

As for the story I think it's the most mature final fantasy has ever been. It really manages to give a great sense of place to Spira and highlights the people's struggles. I really like the character arcs as well. Yuma really grows up over the course of the adventure, wakka overcoming his racism through his friendship with Rikku, there's some really great low key character arcs throughout the game. It makes a big difference compared to something like ffvii with its overblown melodrama, the characters here are far more believable.

As for why did they break something that worked since FF1, you don't really understand the FF series if you say something like that. Final Fantasy has always had drastic changes between iterations with the games and their systems are completely different from each other. Only ffvii really felt like it didn't change with a system feeling dumbed down from ff6 but the change to a 3D CD based system was drastic enough. Unlike other series final fantasy doesn't so much evolve as throw the entire rule book out the window with each iteration and for that I commend it.

There are a few problems. The character art is almost uniformly terrible. I've never been a fan of nomura's art and there's only a few designs in this game that I like. I've no problems with the voice acting in this game, the script is the problem. You've got some of the best voice actors in the business doing the best they can with some poorly written lines.

I think you're giving ff7 and 8 too much credit. Ff8's story is god awful and so are it's characters. Ff7 on the other hand is a mash up of Chrono trigger and phantasy star 4 with lots of cliche anime melodrama thrown into the mix.

snausages

I always hated it when time ran out seconds before you scored a goal. Blitzball is such sh*t.

MitchKoobski

snausages wrote: »

I always hated it when time ran out seconds before you scored a goal. Blitzball is such sh*t.

Blitzball, the game where if you have the ball 30 seconds before the half ends, it's already too late to score.

Randomfriend

MitchKoobski wrote: »

Blitzball, the game where if you have the ball 30 seconds before the half ends, it's already too late to score.

Took a shot with 45 odd seconds to go before, from a bit of a way out. Ball swerve thing, plus that gk tech and all the animation involved in taking the shot/ball traveling to the goals meant time ran out. Tis madness Ted.

megaten

Started playing it on my vita yesterday evening and oh boy I do not remember the voice acting being so terribly stilted.

Adamcp898

Ok so I gave into temptation and bought this even though I'll only be able to play it every few weekends.

Maybe nostalgia had elevated it somewhat in my head from when I played it first ~12 years ago and I do remember people giving out about Tidus' moaning at the time but I never realised just how whiney he was. The game also feels somewhat easier in that I definitely used to die more but that could just be me playing it now with an extra 10 years under my belt. Oh and Wakka also annoys the shìt out of me now and I'm using Kimahri just as little as I did first time around.

Aurongroove

I missed an Al Bhed book, the one in Beville.
****.

Started a new game, used the Expert gird for a laugh, it's actually laid out in a cool way, you can really chop and change skills, Kimahri for one will be less dependent on friend spheres and such to get around.
Anyways, I just need to race to the wedding scene get the primer, then back to end game stuff.



I have max mag defence and Yuna/Lulus magic is aprx 200. (I want to max magic first, because once Wakka starts going with his attack reels, max magic is basically redundant)

I got the Mag def. first, it's definitely the easiest to get, those Evil Eyes go down it two hits (of 99999).

Anyways once you have 255 Mag def. anything that use ultima or any black magic on you is basically wasting a turn.


To overkill the Jumbo flans, Anima's Pain, or Bahamut's Mega flair makes sure of the 99999,
for damage per turn, Shiva, Anima, Lulu or Yuna using (reflected) doublecast flairs or Doublecast Ultimas (Ultimas is only a little stronger, but the animation takes aaaages)
Yuna has higher magic, but Lulu's is the only celestial weapon with Magic booster.
Eventually the girls had high enough magic for Yuna's Holy to do 99999, and Lulu's Doublecast Ultimas to do 99999 x 2. Eventually Lulu's Doublecast flairs will do 99999 as well and going from 220 to 255 will be the work of 10 minutes.

imitation

I'm really enjoying it on vita, hand held is so suited to these kind of games, want to play for 5 minutes ? No problem.

Even though its my first time the story and the setting have grabbed me. I'll enjoy reading this thread after I'm done, I can already sense some spoilers ! The only downsides so far is that its a bit of a chore swapping characters to get slvl, and the sphere grid is a pain to figure out which direction your actually going in.

In fairness they really did a good job remastering the graphics after watching a few videos. The vitas screen helps a lot considering how bright the game always was.

Littlefinger

Aurongroove wrote: »

I missed an Al Bhed book, the one in Beville.
****.

Started a new game, used the Expert gird for a laugh, it's actually laid out in a cool way, you can really chop and change skills, Kimahri for one will be less dependent on friend spheres and such to get around.
Anyways, I just need to race to the wedding scene get the primer, then back to end game stuff.



I have max mag defence and Yuna/Lulus magic is aprx 200. (I want to max magic first, because once Wakka starts going with his attack reels, max magic is basically redundant)

I got the Mag def. first, it's definitely the easiest to get, those Evil Eyes go down it two hits (of 99999).

Anyways once you have 255 Mag def. anything that use ultima or any black magic on you is basically wasting a turn.


To overkill the Jumbo flans, Anima's Pain, or Bahamut's Mega flair makes sure of the 99999,
for damage per turn, Shiva, Anima, Lulu or Yuna using (reflected) doublecast flairs or Doublecast Ultimas (Ultimas is only a little stronger, but the animation takes aaaages)
Yuna has higher magic, but Lulu's is the only celestial weapon with Magic booster.
Eventually the girls had high enough magic for Yuna's Holy to do 99999, and Lulu's Doublecast Ultimas to do 99999 x 2. Eventually Lulu's Doublecast flairs will do 99999 as well and going from 220 to 255 will be the work of 10 minutes.

Very nice, its a killer that some of the primers can only be gotten at the time you are levelling. I only have one left to get now, the one in the omega dungeons so it may be a while before I'm high enough to level there. Can only kill one or two lots of mobs before they kill me.
Currently I'm working on getting all the celestial weapons. The butterfly game is even more irratating than the chocobo racing was!

Aurongroove

Littlefinger wrote: »

Very nice, its a killer that some of the primers can only be gotten at the time you are levelling. I only have one left to get now, the one in the omega dungeons so it may be a while before I'm high enough to level there. Can only kill one or two lots of mobs before they kill me.
Currently I'm working on getting all the celestial weapons. The butterfly game is even more irratating than the chocobo racing was!

Check your inventory for an armor that has "no encounters".
If you fought the big fish monster at baaj then i think you more then likely will have one.


Handy tips for surviving Omega dungeon when you don't have Damage break weapons and you don't have status defense and you're not very powerful:

you need any character who has the weapon skill 'First strike'.

In general never have Yuna on your team; she and her summons are the only refuge from some of the vicious status attacks from marlboros and demonliths and so forth that can ambush you, as well as when **** starts going down hill and you need to nuke a group of monsters with an Aeon.

As insurance, you could also never have Tidus on your team, if you need to tag him in and use flee. or teach someone else flee for the same purpose.

Once you finish each fight go into the menu and take Yuna/Tidus/whoever 'fled' back off your team, replaced with the guy with first strike again: the next fight could be Ambush, Bad Breath, game over.

???(Treasure chests/mimics):
Use mug, if it's a treasure you'll get the item, if its a mimic, you'll destroy the chest without letting the mimic materialize.


Demonoliths:
Tag in Yuna, Summon Valefor.
They can't reach Valefor with any of their commands so they just stand there helpless. They'll try breath the odd time, but she's immune so just sit back and watch her slowly tear them to pieces.
(When the fight is over take Yuna off your team and put back on whoever has first strike.)

Great Marlboros:
Tag in Yuna, Bahamut or

Anima

(The destruction sphere Aeon) is a good choice, they can both break the damage limit without celestial weapons.
If you're using Bahamut use Firaga, Marlboros are weak against fire, if

Anima,

use plain attacks.
If you want some insurance teach Shiva Blizzaga and Firaga; Her magic stat will be high, and her Firagas will decimate the marlboros while her agility she should be high enough to have a turns to heal herself with Blizzagas when she needs to.
again, when the fight is over take Yuna off your team and put the person with first strike back on.

Bomb things x3 ( I forget their name) :
They don't grow larger if you use magic, and all their physical attacks are as fire based as their magic; Nulblaze.
Demis or blizzagas work well.
Ifrit can attack them to death while they sit there healing him.


Spirit,+ Dark elements x2:

This is such a game over waiting to happen, Spirits will counter any magic attack with confuse/poison all.
Dark elements will try berserk your team mates and cast reflect on themselves.
You can kill the spirits with physical attacts; despite the fact they fly, Tidus and Auron can reliably hit them (in other words you'd think they have high evasion but they don't) and they have no more then 9999 x 2 HP.
The dark elements will **** your life up if they berserk too many team mates, I tackled this fight by attacking the spirits until they die then using Ultimas (Ultimas don't reflect) demis as well as **** Rikku might have lying around like shadow gems (which take 50% HP)

I think the few times I summoned I use Ixion, becasue, he's expendable enough in the dungeon. (and can heal himself with thunder magic)

Master Tonberry:
Hes voodoo command will destroy anything you summon.
The one hit killers on your team, typically Wakka, Lulu, and Auron, will get ****ed by his counter attack "grudge"(which does more damage the more enemies that character has killed).

Use the characters on your team that have killed the least amount of enemies, or basically the ones you use the least; Typically Yuna is great because she will have high enough stats, becasue of summoning, but almost no KO count personally. Rikku if you've spent the game using her to steal then speed swapping in Lulu/Auron/Wakka to Overkill, and Kimarhi if like 95% of people who play FFX, has been completely ignored as a team mate.
Demi does hit, (and is not dependent of magic state to be high damage, only the enemies HP, thus is a great skill to teach anyone via a Blk magic sphere)

Aurongroove

In my own game I've just hit 255 mag and mag defense with Lulu and Yuna.

Lulu with her Onion Knight is by far my best attacker. She hitting 99999 Ultimas x 2 per turn, costing 4 mp.

I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts, technically 99999 x 16 is the most damage any character can do in FFX, and Lulu is the only character capable of it with her limit break (albeit you'd have to do it against an enemy with crap Mag Defense)

Adamcp898

Oh and in the PS2 version, did every single NPC have an item to give you? I don't remember that being the case but I'll never have to buy a potion in this version.

Tazzimus

Adamcp898 wrote: »

Oh and in the PS2 version, did every single NPC have an item to give you? I don't remember that being the case but I'll never have to buy a potion in this version.

I'm just about to fight Seymour for the second time and have been grinding in the highbridge area just before him. I think i've gotten about 70 hi-potions just from running up and down that stretch alone. Same with Phoenix Downs, I'll be well stocked.

Sephiroth_dude

How do you compare weapons stats?to see if one sword is better than another?

snausages

I don't remember. Most FFX weapons are identical to each other in terms of stats, they just get minor bonuses like 'Strength +10' or whatever, or they might break the damage limit.

I didn't really like X's equipment system to be honest. I get what they were trying to do but I much prefer how XIII did it, minus that game's grindyness.

Oh, and I really hated the Aeon ability learning system. What was up with it? It was so crap. Even when I spent 200 hours grinding the sphere grid I hardly had any abilities learned for my Aeons, it just took way too long.

Gbear

Aurongroove wrote: »

In my own game I've just hit 255 mag and mag defense with Lulu and Yuna.

Lulu with her Onion Knight is by far my best attacker. She hitting 99999 Ultimas x 2 per turn, costing 4 mp.

I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts, technically 99999 x 16 is the most damage any character can do in FFX, and Lulu is the only character capable of it with her limit break (albeit you'd have to do it against an enemy with crap Mag Defense)

The only problem is that Ultima's animation takes ages.

At a certain point, when everyone has 255 stats in everything and damage break, quick hit is probably the best bet with everyone.

Littlefinger

Aurongroove wrote: »

Check your inventory for an armor that has "no encounters".
If you fought the big fish monster at baaj then i think you more then likely will have one.


Handy tips for surviving Omega dungeon when you don't have Damage break weapons and you don't have status defense and you're not very powerful:

you need any character who has the weapon skill 'First strike'.

In general never have Yuna on your team; she and her summons are the only refuge from some of the vicious status attacks from marlboros and demonliths and so forth that can ambush you, as well as when **** starts going down hill and you need to nuke a group of monsters with an Aeon.

As insurance, you could also never have Tidus on your team, if you need to tag him in and use flee. or teach someone else flee for the same purpose.

Once you finish each fight go into the menu and take Yuna/Tidus/whoever 'fled' back off your team, replaced with the guy with first strike again: the next fight could be Ambush, Bad Breath, game over.

???(Treasure chests/mimics):
Use mug, if it's a treasure you'll get the item, if its a mimic, you'll destroy the chest without letting the mimic materialize.


Demonoliths:
Tag in Yuna, Summon Valefor.
They can't reach Valefor with any of their commands so they just stand there helpless. They'll try breath the odd time, but she's immune so just sit back and watch her slowly tear them to pieces.
(When the fight is over take Yuna off your team and put back on whoever has first strike.)

Great Marlboros:
Tag in Yuna, Bahamut or

Anima

(The destruction sphere Aeon) is a good choice, they can both break the damage limit without celestial weapons.
If you're using Bahamut use Firaga, Marlboros are weak against fire, if

Anima,

use plain attacks.
If you want some insurance teach Shiva Blizzaga and Firaga; Her magic stat will be high, and her Firagas will decimate the marlboros while her agility she should be high enough to have a turns to heal herself with Blizzagas when she needs to.
again, when the fight is over take Yuna off your team and put the person with first strike back on.

Bomb things x3 ( I forget their name) :
They don't grow larger if you use magic, and all their physical attacks are as fire based as their magic; Nulblaze.
Demis or blizzagas work well.
Ifrit can attack them to death while they sit there healing him.


Spirit,+ Dark elements x2:

This is such a game over waiting to happen, Spirits will counter any magic attack with confuse/poison all.
Dark elements will try berserk your team mates and cast reflect on themselves.
You can kill the spirits with physical attacts; despite the fact they fly, Tidus and Auron can reliably hit them (in other words you'd think they have high evasion but they don't) and they have no more then 9999 x 2 HP.
The dark elements will **** your life up if they berserk too many team mates, I tackled this fight by attacking the spirits until they die then using Ultimas (Ultimas don't reflect) demis as well as **** Rikku might have lying around like shadow gems (which take 50% HP)

I think the few times I summoned I use Ixion, becasue, he's expendable enough in the dungeon. (and can heal himself with thunder magic)

Master Tonberry:
Hes voodoo command will destroy anything you summon.
The one hit killers on your team, typically Wakka, Lulu, and Auron, will get ****ed by his counter attack "grudge"(which does more damage the more enemies that character has killed).

Use the characters on your team that have killed the least amount of enemies, or basically the ones you use the least; Typically Yuna is great because she will have high enough stats, becasue of summoning, but almost no KO count personally. Rikku if you've spent the game using her to steal then speed swapping in Lulu/Auron/Wakka to Overkill, and Kimarhi if like 95% of people who play FFX, has been completely ignored as a team mate.
Demi does hit, (and is not dependent of magic state to be high damage, only the enemies HP, thus is a great skill to teach anyone via a Blk magic sphere)

Holy cow you are knowledgeable!!! I will try this although correct me if I'm wrong but don't you have to capture 10 of every fiend here and every other zone to unlock nemesis?

Aurongroove

Littlefinger wrote: »

Holy cow you are knowledgeable!!! I will try this although correct me if I'm wrong but don't you have to capture 10 of every fiend here and every other zone to unlock nemesis?

you also need to kill all other original Monsters, which, if Omega dungeon is a challenge, you're no where near doing yet.

It's best to first tackle Omega as a dungeon only: Just wear your best gear and try get through it and Kill Ultima and Omega.


Capturing is too much of a drain on rescourses the first time you arrive because the monsters are too powerful to be faffing around with weak capture weapons and not risking Magic and Aeon kills.

You'll be far more powerful by the time it comes round to filling your capture Rota.

Plus it's actually easier to capture 10 of each monster after you beat Omega and leave; This is because the second area, where on first playthrough there is one scripted battle on each pavillion, there is now random encounters.

The random encounters there favor some of the harder to find Omega monsters and FAR MORE importantly don't give you those stupid Lizard + treasure/??? encounters like 6 fights out of 11 (seriously I once fought them 5 times in a row!!!)
I only wish there was an area in Stolen Faith cave where those bastard Magic pots wouldn't show up, I once got one 7 times in a row!!

When you reach the second section of the ruins for the second time, go right to the back where you fight Omega; There's a chest with some magic spheres (if I remember correctly)

Don't kill yourself in either the final dungeon (of the story) or Omega looking for Marlboros, Demonliths, Adamantoises or Wraiths; A lot of them appear in both dungeons and capturing them in either will help reach your quota, i.e., if your stuck needing nothing but 2 Adamantoise and 2 Marlboro, move to the other dungeon and begin capturing there, they'll show up there too.

Aurongroove

snausages wrote: »

I don't remember. Most FFX weapons are identical to each other in terms of stats, they just get minor bonuses like 'Strength +10' or whatever, or they might break the damage limit.

I didn't really like X's equipment system to be honest. I get what they were trying to do but I much prefer how XIII did it, minus that game's grindyness.

Oh, and I really hated the Aeon ability learning system. What was up with it? It was so crap. Even when I spent 200 hours grinding the sphere grid I hardly had any abilities learned for my Aeons, it just took way too long.

The trouble I have with the Ultimate weapons is the added AP bonuses
Who needs AP when you've the sphere grid all but finished?
waste of a slot.

I liked the idea of the Aeons learning system, it reminded me of FFVIII, Unfortunatly some of the "prices" of the skills were crazy, and some of the skill you could and couldn't learn didn't make sense.
You can practically shower your aeons with some of the best skills in the game (Doublecast and Haste spring to mind) no problem.
If you're stealin' **** with Rikku you'll have plenty of gems to teach all the "aga"s to everyone, but then some other spells are like, 40 or 60 rare items to learn, or one or two really valuable Items. You'd probably get half the celestial weapons and have you team dishing out 99999s in less time then teaching Ultima, Holy or Drain to more then one Aeon.

WTF would an Aeon, a solitary fighter, want to learn Hastaga (aka haste all) ? or Life or full life? or scan (it has auto sensor) I mean fair enough maybe for zombies, with the life spells, but Hastaga? where these team mates at?
and what you goin' be healing with Esuna? all the status that the only ally on screen is immune too?
Why Does Ifrit have nul blaze as an initial equip? he ABSORBS fire, casting null blaze on him self he's loses out on HP, Like wise Shiva, nulfrost and Ixion nulshock.
I wonder if in an earlier beta you could summon more then one Aeon or they werent immue to status?


I wish they let you teach your aeon a few weapon and defense skills , counter attack, or Magic booster HP + and such.

Littlefinger

Aurongroove wrote: »

you also need to kill all other original Monsters, which, if Omega dungeon is a challenge, you're no where near doing yet.

It's best to first tackle Omega as a dungeon only: Just wear your best gear and try get through it and Kill Ultima and Omega.


Capturing is too much of a drain on rescourses the first time you arrive because the monsters are too powerful to be faffing around with weak capture weapons and not risking Magic and Aeon kills.

You'll be far more powerful by the time it comes round to filling your capture Rota.

Plus it's actually easier to capture 10 of each monster after you beat Omega and leave; This is because the second area, where on first playthrough there is one scripted battle on each pavillion, there is now random encounters.

The random encounters there favor some of the harder to find Omega monsters and FAR MORE importantly don't give you those stupid Lizard + treasure/??? encounters like 6 fights out of 11 (seriously I once fought them 5 times in a row!!!)
I only wish there was an area in Stolen Faith cave where those bastard Magic pots wouldn't show up, I once got one 7 times in a row!!

When you reach the second section of the ruins for the second time, go right to the back where you fight Omega; There's a chest with some magic spheres (if I remember correctly)

Don't kill yourself in either the final dungeon (of the story) or Omega looking for Marlboros, Demonliths, Adamantoises or Wraiths; A lot of them appear in both dungeons and capturing them in either will help reach your quota, i.e., if your stuck needing nothing but 2 Adamantoise and 2 Marlboro, move to the other dungeon and begin capturing there, they'll show up there too.

Nifty I'll finish out capturing the other zones and get the celestial weapons then go back there all guns blazing so to speak. Tyvm for all your help. One more question if you don't mind. Is there a point of no return? Storywise atm I'm supposed to fly to Sin. Will it tell me at some point if you go through this door there is no turning back or something to that effect?

Randomfriend

Littlefinger wrote: »

Nifty I'll finish out capturing the other zones and get the celestial weapons then go back there all guns blazing so to speak. Tyvm for all your help. One more question if you don't mind. Is there a point of no return? Storywise atm I'm supposed to fly to Sin. Will it tell me at some point if you go through this door there is no turning back or something to that effect?

You can fly into sin, after that there is one more boss battle once you're inside him. There should be another save point further down the dungeon then. Which is the point of no return if I remember correctly

There's no warning sign from what I remember. So just be wary of passing any save point beyond the first boss battle within sin. When I mean within, I mean actually in him. There's a few small boss battles to get inside.

Tazzimus

Finally got to the calm lands after grinding for ages on highbridge, able to one shot most of the smaller enemies with ease and two shot the tougher ones.

Until I came upon a Malboro...
Hit him with two overdrives, both doing 9999 damage, decided to use Fireaga then to hopefully finish him as Lulu's magic stat is fairly high and is regularly doing between 6-8000 damage with the aga spells.

Fireaga done 6000 odd damage so didn't kill him, Malboros next move, bad breath, everyone gets hit with poison, darkness and beserk. Lulu kills Auron with her death mog, Wakka kills himself and poison kills Lulu eventually.

Sonovabitch..

Noxin

Anyone wanna recommend a grinding spot before heading inside sin please?
Omega is a bit tough still and the ruins are just crap imo (feck all AP for killing Defender Z which is not difficult but takes a while).
Are they the only choices? I've not stepped foot inside sin so is it a little easier than Omega and better AP than the ruins?
Characters have all finished their "personal" areas on the grid and working into others.

snausages

There used to be some trick involving tonberrys, but I think you need one of those 'overdrive-ap' abilities.

Retr0gamer

Go capture enemies in different areas and then fight the new bosses in the arena.

Klair88

Just fully completed the sphere grid with all Stat's enhancements from the Monster arena. Have 3 characters fully completed the entire sphere grid and all have maxed out, 255 Defence,Agility,MD,Magic,Evasion & accuracy. Luck is at about 60 and total HP is 35,000.

My trio of Tidus, Wakka & Yuna all do 99,999 damage attack with fully upgraded celestial weapons. I have defeated all the Dark Aeons ( Except Yojimbo) & have beaten Nemesis. Basically have 4 completed maxed out characters that do crazy damage! Penance & Completing Kimahri's/Lulu's/Auron's Sphere grids are all that is left for me to get the Platinum!

Tip for those asking for Farm Spots. Complete the Monster Arena

Seriously. Get some weapons to capture & go to other area's & start the long process of capturing 10 t of each enemy in the Game. Not only will you get the Awesome rewards from the Arena guy for completing the task's.. you gotta do it anyway to get strong.. & it will level you up.

I actually used Yojimbo to Zanmato 2 Dark aeons when i was at a low level, and 1 drop from the fight was a armour for Tidus with Ribbon on it.
Once i got that i headed for Omega & spent 4+ hours there Capturing & Grinding which really helped me level up early on.


Triple AP weapons.

Easiest way to get these to to fight One-eye in the Monster Arena - 2 Smacks at 99,999 & he's down but a powerful Aeon at low levels will do it.
This guys always drops Triple AP weapons ( Sold for Good Money too) So keep fighting until you get the right ones for your characters - Try to get one with 2 customizable spaces.

Next, - Assuming you have completed a lot of the Monster arena, and received the rewards needed to customize the Armour - Add the abilities Overdrive -> AP ( Which instead of charging overdrive it converts to AP) & Triple Overdrive ( to Boost OD Power)

So you should have weapons like this -
Triple AP
Triple Overdrive
Overdrive -> AP.

Once you have that on 3 characters, Fight a Tonberry from the MA - Don Tonberry is the one you want as he can damage you for up to 99,999 damage giving crazy AP but he's only available after collecting 10 of each Tonberry in the world. So a lesser Tonberry will do but not for long.

Time to configure the overdrives!

This is Key:
Whoever of your party has finished off the most enemies, will receive the greatest damage from Tonberry's Counter-Attack "Karma". Whoever that is in your party - Tidus in mine - Leave him on Stoic As he'll need to charge from receiving damage.

The other 2 party members must have their overdrives set to Comrade

Then, Start the Battle and get your stoic character to constantly attack Tonberry & a comrade character to revive him! ( I had Auto-Phoenix on)

You do not need to win or finish, you can simply Flee the battle & keep the AP.

Fighting Don Tonberry with that set-up, & him hitting me 10+ times at 99,999 each gives out about 50 Sphere grid moves for only a 5 minutes battle!

Moving every character around the grid is easy when you can do that! The hardest part is collecting the Stat enhancments & upgrade spheres to fill em all in!

Other tips i found are:

lvl 4 unlock spheres can be brided from Chimera, who hangs out right above the inn at the Calm Lands, for about 180,000 Gil. I Fought One-eyes for 3xAP weapons to sell to make up the money & bought 15+ spheres from them. Very handy.

Use a distil Mana/power etc on Kottos from the Monster Arena to receive 40 of whatever distilled sphere you used. Very handy when completing the Sphere Grid.

snausages

I wish I knew about the Tonberry trick when I was 14. Would have saved several hundred hours of time.

tonydude

Tazzimus wrote: »

Finally got to the calm lands after grinding for ages on highbridge, able to one shot most of the smaller enemies with ease and two shot the tougher ones.

Until I came upon a Malboro...
Hit him with two overdrives, both doing 9999 damage, decided to use Fireaga then to hopefully finish him as Lulu's magic stat is fairly high and is regularly doing between 6-8000 damage with the aga spells.

Fireaga done 6000 odd damage so didn't kill him, Malboros next move, bad breath, everyone gets hit with poison, darkness and beserk. Lulu kills Auron with her death mog, Wakka kills himself and poison kills Lulu eventually.

Sonovabitch..

Always loved malboro, going back to ffviii it was always a challenge.. having ribbons equiped is a good way to sort him out

Noxin

Cheers,

The monster arena mobs seem to hand me my a$$ as the moment. Well.. the two I have fought do at least. Jormungand and Chimerageist.
Gits. I'll continue unlocking and get the rest of my aeons. Still need to get Yoj and the sisters.

Tazzimus

tonydude wrote: »

Always loved malboro, going back to ffviii it was always a challenge.. having ribbons equiped is a good way to sort him out

Not far enough into the game to get the ribbon equipped armour yet.
Taking my time going through it this time, spending a while grinding certain areas etc so I'm not underpowered going into some of the fights.

What makes it worse is I had gone through about 20 fights heading for the save sphere at Rin's and I was almost at it. Sickened.