Official Final Fantasy XIII thread

[pathos]

Heh, I actually haven't juggled my paradigms to much. I created Diversity, which is 1 commando, 1 ravager, 1 healer, and just stuck with that. Worked quite well, for boss and normal fights (normal fights I usually get 4-5 stars for a score, boss fights 3-4 stars).

But, then I got stuck with only 2 people in my active party, and it all went to hell

Suddenly I find myself juggling pardigms around, trying to find which one works when, and wishing I'd done this sooner.

Currently using commando/sentinel, and while it works pretty well, fights tend to take a bit. If I can get a few more cp built up with Lightning, I'll pump some points into ravager and see how that goes, I guess.

 

[pathos]

I'm not sure the DVDs made as big of a deal as some people are making it out to be. FFXIII is so linear that you barely swap disks. The majority of the space on the PS3 version is taken up by uncompressed 7.1 audio and pre-rendered 1080p videos. While nice to have that shouldn't result in significant differences when transferred over to the 360 IF done properly.

I bought the ps3 version, so I don't really know, but I would assume if any disc swapping problems actually appear, it would be late game where you can actually revisit old areas/do side quests all over (if that actually exists in this game).

Star Ocean 4 was an extreme example of this. Disc swapping wasn't much of a chore until late game, and then it was quite terrible. I do not, however, expect ff13 will be anything like that myself. But, I guess we'll see.

 

[clok1966]

I'm not sure the DVDs made as big of a deal as some people are making it out to be. FFXIII is so linear that you barely swap disks. The majority of the space on the PS3 version is taken up by uncompressed 7.1 audio and pre-rendered 1080p videos. While nice to have that shouldn't result in significant differences when transferred over to the 360 IF done properly.

Like I said, one of the big mistakes Square made was using the Bink video codec instead of the MS's VC-1 codec which has proven to be capable of producing high quality HD video and audio without taking up much space.

The in-game assets differences sounds more like Square making a hash of porting the game over to the 360 than anything else and not optimizing the Crystal Engine for the 360 as fully as they could because of time constraints.

I do agree with you basicly. I dont theink the DVD drive int eh 360 was a bad choice, really from a pure money standpoint it was basicly the "right" choice. 360 was out earlier (part of the late PS3 launch was attributed to Lasers in the blue ray drive being so hard to make), it was cheaper by a long shot to go DVD, and "big if" MS had really put its shoulders behind HD Optical drives and they failed (which they did) it would have hurt the 360 long run. Of course many will say the simple fact that MS sided with HD but only really in print and never used its real muscle to push it is one of the reasons it failed. The 360 HD addon drive was too little to late (especilly with no enhanced games to take advantage of it).

But most of that (i just posted) isnt related to the Bink/VC-1 codac.

Now correct me if I'm wrong but isnt Bink kinda the standard (right now) for games? I know that doesnt make it the best or anything, just sorta the standard for games. And I know I read MS and the money paid (lets say incentives, not money) to make sure FFXIII wasnt a PS3 exclusive kinda rubbed MS wrong so I heard there was some "problems" with some 360 liceneing between Square and MS. SO I would guess (purely specultive) that Square didnt care to much about useing VC-1. but all that is only guessing. I dont know enough about the different codecs to talk to much about size and which are best. I do know it was (FFXIII) that was reported earlier it was on 5 DVD's, then 4, so getting it to 3 must have been some work. You are probebly right on MC-1 being better, like i say I dont know enouhg about encoding to make a judgment.

I do know the video is nothing short of incredible on the PS3 (havent seen the 360 in cut scenes) on my 56", one of the actual first games (cut scenes only) where that big screen really shines.

But again if you own both systems the PS3 should be the one you get. DIsc swapping while many mention isnt going to be a huge pain in the butt, but much like a remote for your TV, you can get up and change channels or you use the remote, you can get up and change discs or you can use one disc. My guess is about half the people wont even get to changeing a disc on the 360.

360 owners, anybody got enouhg time in game to change a disc? if so, how many hours in (as the story is pretty liner so far). I have about 8 hours in so far, and so many reviews said the game doesnt even get to be hard/fun till about 20-25 hours.... Thats going to burn out most players nowdays... with games like MW2 lasting a grand total of about 3-4 hours in Single play.

great game on both systems I'm sure for the RPG people.

 

[clok1966]

Heh, I actually haven't juggled my paradigms to much. I created Diversity, which is 1 commando, 1 ravager, 1 healer, and just stuck with that. Worked quite well, for boss and normal fights (normal fights I usually get 4-5 stars for a score, boss fights 3-4 stars).

But, then I got stuck with only 2 people in my active party, and it all went to hell

Suddenly I find myself juggling pardigms around, trying to find which one works when, and wishing I'd done this sooner.

Currently using commando/sentinel, and while it works pretty well, fights tend to take a bit. If I can get a few more cp built up with Lightning, I'll pump some points into ravager and see how that goes, I guess.

Well I have noticed there are gold stars and silver stars.. I have had 99% of my battles be 5 gold stars, but on ones where I shifted alot its almost always silver and rarely 4 stars for me. thats part of the whole Paradgram shifting. From my limited guesswork, the faster you win the better, the more you "stun" the big guys the better, the more crit hits the better. So shifitng and doing it slower will reduce the stars. Now is the big question, does silver or lesser star counts matter for your leveling points (cp?)? Since no battles are the same I have yet to really look at the points to much. Useing the ability to "see" enemies weakness so you use the correct attacks may play into it later (right now other then NEX (use defence)) I havent seen any reason not to just go all out, and swap your healer to healing (leaving others to DPS) when really needed. The Stuns (what is the ingame name, i forget) are key to fast battles. I have done alot of battles where the enemy is stunned and I dont want to swap one person to healing as they do so much more Damage when its stunned. SO you run the edge of win or die (so far 2 deaths in 8 hours total, and not cuz game is hard, but I push hard to kill fast so i let characters get in the 10% area alot (on hit they die scenerio)) right now really the only time I swap is the 5-7 on 3 battles (so far just the fish/bass four legged guys). otherwise the one big guy 2-3 small guys, just eliminate the small guys first (most take 1-2 hits max) so one round, maybe 2 they are all gone and just the bad guy left.

to me it seems they use the little guy big damage motto, so taking out the most critters in one round helps the most. So far most bosses (sub bosses or whatever you want to call um) really don do much more dmg then a little guy, they just have craploads of more hitpoints.

o course this all changes in the mob on mob VS you battles..

And so far the junkyard robots seem to be 'slightly" tough, they dont take crap for damage till you stun um.

 

[blurredvision]

I do agree with you basicly. I dont theink the DVD drive int eh 360 was a bad choice, really from a pure money standpoint it was basicly the "right" choice. 360 was out earlier (part of the late PS3 launch was attributed to Lasers in the blue ray drive being so hard to make), it was cheaper by a long shot to go DVD, and "big if" MS had really put its shoulders behind HD Optical drives and they failed (which they did) it would have hurt the 360 long run. Of course many will say the simple fact that MS sided with HD but only really in print and never used its real muscle to push it is one of the reasons it failed. The 360 HD addon drive was too little to late (especilly with no enhanced games to take advantage of it).

We're getting WAY off subject here, but I want to join in . The way I see it, for when the 360 was being designed and built, HD optical media wasn't really an option unless they wanted the console to cost twice what it did, and it was already at $300/$400. With Sony being a large vested partner in blu-ray, it made it easier for them to incorporate it into their console during the design stages, but it obviously cost them in time and a TON of money.

However, I firmly believe that without Sony making the PS3 the best and cheapest blu-ray player on the market, it would've taken much, much longer for the HD format war to play out. Now had Microsoft somehow went with HD-DVD as their primary optical format at launch, it's quite possible the HD landscape would be altered quite considerably. But had they gone with HD-DVD, the cost would've been higher and Microsoft wouldn't have been able to penetrate the market with the 360 like they have.

In the end, I think Microsoft made the absolute correct decision to go with DVD (given the time period, it honestly was probably their only decision if they wanted to beat the PS3 to market), and I think Sony probably made the best decision for themselves by using blu-ray and betting on their Playstation brand to eventually get themselves out of the hole.

Most people don't realize that these two systems, even though just a year apart from release, fell at a very crucial time with emerging next-generation optical formats. Microsoft's hands were most likely tied on going with DVD, and if not for that decision to get it out sooner and cheaper, then maybe console gaming doesn't advance as far as it has in such a short amount of time. We have a very healthy competition in our entertainment industry of choice, which has yielded amazing results over the past 2-3 years.

So, what about that Final Fantasy?

 

[Rage187]

Can we get back to how much the game sucks?

 

[clok1966]

Can we get back to how much the game sucks?

As somebody who has sorta lost interest in the FF series and now getting back into it, can you clarify why you think it sucks? I am enjoying it, yes its to easy just yet (and i keep bringing this up) but reviewers say 20+ hours in it get harder (and since its been out only rouhgly a day and ahlf, not to many people "should" be much more then 20 hours max into it. And so far thats my biggest gripe (and the horrible naming conventions they use).

and peritusONE totally agree. but as you mentioned its for another thread (dang its hard not to spout out my opinions!!!!)

 

[Rage187]

As somebody who has sorta lost interest in the FF series and now getting back into it, can you clarify why you think it sucks? I am enjoying it, yes its to easy just yet (and i keep bringing this up) but reviewers say 20+ hours in it get harder (and since its been out only rouhgly a day and ahlf, not to many people "should" be much more then 20 hours max into it. And so far thats my biggest gripe (and the horrible naming conventions they use).

and peritusONE totally agree. but as you mentioned its for another thread (dang its hard not to spout out my opinions!!!!)

I just hit disc 2 so I'm not that far in but it has been a whole lot of meh. I shouldn't have to get 20 hours in for the game to start getting good.

 

[clok1966]

I just hit disc 2 so I'm not that far in but it has been a whole lot of meh. I shouldn't have to get 20 hours in for the game to start getting good.

RPG's are a dying form, no doubt about it. I couldnt get enough of them for many years, but have grown to dislike the "wack a mole" button pushing games that they include after Guitar hero copied SIMON and timed button pushs became a game. I prefer the more tactical ones. Fire works well on people, but not so well on stone mobs, etc... and the new FFXIII has this a little.

No argument on the 20 hours thing (heck alot of games today dont last 10 hours), FFXIII likes to think the story is so good it keeps you interested (i dont mind it this game, its no deep story, but its ok). While I'm not bored yet (8 hours so far) the to easy combat does bother me slighlty. At 8 hours new enemies/story (done in perfect little snippets instead of 10 minute long cutscenes) has done enough to keep me interested. But hehe, your still not saying why you dont like it, boring combat? bad story? dont like RPG's?

to bad its not for you, nothing wrong with that, not everybody is going to like it. I'm kinda enjoying it. Most of the reviews I have read are pretty mixed just yet.

one question, how many hours to get to disc 2? Some 360 owneres where wondering in another thread.

 

[Queasy]

JRPG's are a dying form, no doubt about it. I couldnt get enough of them for many years, but have grown to dislike the "wack a mole" button pushing games that they include after Guitar hero copied SIMON and timed button pushs became a game. I prefer the more tactical ones. Fire works well on people, but not so well on stone mobs, etc... and the new FFXIII has this a little.

Fixed that for you.

Western RPGs like Mass Effect, Oblivion, Fallout and others seem to be doing just fine.

 

[clok1966]

Fixed that for you.

Western RPGs like Mass Effect, Oblivion, Fallout and others seem to be doing just fine.

All 3 excellent games, but a bit more action based then old school RPG's. Nostalgia maybe has me wearing rose colored glasses when i think about FFIII, Wild Arms, Pantasy Star, Shining Force, heck i know it does as i have fired a few up and all dont live up to those memories. But the more traditional JRPG was based on the standard rock /paper/ scissor model, was not timed in any way, and was about exploration (so much somtimes those little hidey holes "had" to be found). FFXIII is very liner, you branch a little to pick of chests (orbs) but the branchs show on the overhead map, so you really cant miss any unless you just are not trying.

the games you mention, (especially FO3) are 3 of the most enjoyable games I have played in the last few years, no doubt about. FO3 does require the "look in every corner" approch, but its not required. Mass Effect requires some FPS skill (but again, its great) so its more a hybrid IMHO, as is Oblivion, it requires skill with a mouse keyboard.

Its like I'm saying they are bad, I'm not, they have advanced RPG's in a path I like, but somtimes i long for that feeling and gameplay from the early days. I dont question that maybe if i got it, that it wouldnt live up to it.

God Of War (not a RPG) I loved, it was a blast, right up to the first mini boss. hit the circle, trangle, square button when they showed on the screen? WTH am i playing MATCH GAME (old tv game show)? I really dispise the match the button games (strange, those games where originaly put out for young kids, like really young to learn shape matching). I would much rather figure the Boss patern of attack, learn to defend it and work my way through. Not watch the spot on the screen where the nxt button i need to push shows up. Sadly (for me) im in the minority on this.. these games are all the rage now. Demons Soul a game where learning attacks, paying TOTAL attention to the enverment and learning from your mistakes is considered "brutal" by reviews.. I never felt like I had a cheap death in that game ever, and loved every minute of my first journey to the end. So much I did it with almost every class.

Ok sorry, so off track for a FFXIII thread.

 

[gaidensensei]

Just thought I'd join in a bit late into the discussion.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlinear_gameplay

Wiki has a great article on what consists of linear and non-linear in gameplay elements. It's in the first paragraph.

A video game with nonlinear gameplay presents players with challenges that can be completed in a number of different sequences. Whereas a more linear game will confront a player with a fixed sequence of challenges, a less linear game will allow greater player freedom. For example, a nonlinear game may permit multiple sequences to finish the game, a choice between paths to victory, or optional side-quests and subplots. Some games feature both linear and nonlinear elements, and some games offer a sandbox mode that allows players to explore an open world game environment independently from the game's main objectives. The genre may have begun in the 8-bit-era with games like Elite, Mercenary and Cholo. More recent examples would be the Elder Scrolls and Grand Theft Auto series.


I know wiki is wiki but meh.. There is no higher standard of source for gaming psychology, so this is probably going to have to do to solve internet arguments.

But even, take a look at this - one of the team admitted that 13 doesn't consist of the traditional RPG elements.

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3178060

According to producer Yoshinori Kitase, though, that's absolutely what the FFXIII team was aiming for. As far as Kitase is concerned, FFXIII isn't even really a role-playing game.

"We didn't really intend to work within with the RPG template," he says.

"We wanted to create a new game, even a new genre. The way we look at it, there's isn't a certain format that we have to keep to and build a game around. Rather, it goes the other way around. We create a game and, depending on what works or doesn't work within that game, it ends up reflecting different staple elements."


I surely hope this doesn't mean they intend to follow this for the rest of the franchise. Someone else will come out and take their RPG throne . Good things never last..

 

[SandEagle]

loving it so far. got a chance to use my second eidolon, Odin. pretty sweet. game is progressively getting harder, but its all about knowing which paradigm shifts to use and setting them up appropriately. the upgrade feature for weapons and accessories is cool too, no more buying or searching for weapons.

 

[amdhunter]

loving it so far. got a chance to use my second eidolon, Odin. pretty sweet. game is progressively getting harder, but its all about knowing which paradigm shifts to use and setting them up appropriately. the upgrade feature for weapons and accessories is cool too, no more buying or searching for weapons.

I just need to vent here. I gave up completely on the game after trying for hours to beat Odin.

I don't care to play a game that can throw the whole balance off like that. I was REALLY enjoying the game until this part.

Now, as big of a FF fan that I am -- I won't be playing this shit again.

 

[SandEagle]

I just need to vent here. I gave up completely on the game after trying for hours to beat Odin.

I don't care to play a game that can throw the whole balance off like that. I was REALLY enjoying the game until this part.

Now, as big of a FF fan that I am -- I won't be playing this shit again.

i had a tough time with him the first few times. then i figured its easy if you set a paradigm where Lightning is a Ravager (or whatever one you can use Thunder) and set Hope as a Medic. Just kept hitting him with Thunder over and over until the gestalt was full. easy

 

[Numenorean]

loving it so far. got a chance to use my second eidolon, Odin. pretty sweet. game is progressively getting harder, but its all about knowing which paradigm shifts to use and setting them up appropriately. the upgrade feature for weapons and accessories is cool too, no more buying or searching for weapons.

I always liked finding weapons or getting to buy new cool ones. But I guess it's sorta the same. Instead of finding/buying you just upgrade for new stuff.

Anyway I haven't had a chance to play this yet.

 

[EKKC]

guys, does retrying battles make me lose out on some achievements or bonuses? does the game penalize me

 

[hans030390]

I just need to vent here. I gave up completely on the game after trying for hours to beat Odin.

I don't care to play a game that can throw the whole balance off like that. I was REALLY enjoying the game until this part.

Now, as big of a FF fan that I am -- I won't be playing this shit again.

Use your shrouds before battle, and there's some ring to equip that protects against lightning damage. Other than that, you basically switch between healing and attacking pretty quickly.

No offense, but you need to get better at the game. It's a pretty straightforward battle if you know what you're doing. I don't know what else to tell you other than that's a pretty lame reason to give up.

 

[clok1966]

I just need to vent here. I gave up completely on the game after trying for hours to beat Odin.

I don't care to play a game that can throw the whole balance off like that. I was REALLY enjoying the game until this part.

Now, as big of a FF fan that I am -- I won't be playing this shit again.

While i hate to say it, yes i agree... sorta. This game was a complete cake walk, not even slightly hard up to ODIN, the first 'cha (damn names!), the robot in the junkyard, the cycle chicks, didnt really break a sweat. Odin, first time I had him to within 10% of the capture. was hte FIRST battle i lost..5+ hours of gameplay and first lost battle. I reload and he killed both of my characters in the first round... WTH!!!! I didnt even get to shift. Now I'm thinking i need to "look" at his weakness, umm, with this fast gameplay thats not so easy.I think i reloaded 10X and died within my first shifts every time . My stratagey was not even remotly close to working. Up to this point with the "stun" thing, almost all battles have been:

hit hard first few rounds, heal when needed.

this battle isnt to bad if you just rethink (thouhg i admit i felt like person i replied to, after 10-20 tries i was hating it (game) and actually shut it off) my ideas. Switching to healing and buffing before the fight started helped alot. And since you just fill a bar and LIVE
through the fight it can be hard to 'rethink". the first (cycle sisters) was about defence, this one is about healing and dmg it seems. As so many said, just switch to dps and heal and you can do it fairly easy. AND the lighting rings do help too!

But yes, going from simple to impossible pissed me off. Trick was its not impossilbe, it was the fact it had lulled mi into "not thinking" and button mashing that tricked me up.

Frutration was big for awhile thouhg i must admit.

 

[gaidensensei]

What do you guys think about replay value in this game?

 

[clok1966]

What do you guys think about replay value in this game?

with the liner gameplay, not to much, I guess you could swap command to ravager, or medic to synergist (but you get to build all so quickly (at least at so far) you almost have um all maxed anyways. I am assuming later int he game you are going to have to start workingon just one. Doesnt look to good for replay to me. Once I read a book I'm done with it. But I have read a few years later, maybe this game will warrent that (I ddi replay FFIII and FF7 after palying um once throuhg years later).

 

[Saga]

alas.. the game and guide are sitting on my desk at work while I take helpdesk calls..

fail

Buying a guide for this game is only logical if it's free. It's quite literally impossible to miss anything until a good 30 hours into the game.

 

[clok1966]

Buying a guide for this game is only logical if it's free. It's quite literally impossible to miss anything until a good 30 hours into the game.

It was free with some pre-orders, and of course you have the Hardcore FF people (guy at my work paid $50! for a hardcover Guide. Not for me, but then again I have the short and long versions of LOTR on DVD and will probebly buy the Blu-ray... to each his own

 

[oogabooga]

I really want to play this game... but I'm short on cash and my indecision between this, MLB The Show 10, and Heavy Rain leaves me totally gameless.

alas.. the game and guide are sitting on my desk at work while I take helpdesk calls..

fail

"What sir? Yes I do happen to have a copy right here... and can load it up for you to see if this might at all be related to your problem, please hold."

 

[SandEagle]

holy hell, i am having a tough time beating Aster Protoflorian. That thing is crazy. anyone get to it yet and beat it?