What is with Final Fantasy Tactics?

[Smeggs]

You think THAT's hard in FFT? Wait till you get to the bosses! I'm stuck at the second big boss, thanks to the game forcing me into that fight after coming out of a 1-on-1.

You are absolutely right, Final Fantasy Tactics is Nintendo Hard, but that's what I like about it in this age where Ninja Gaiden gets dumbed down. The game will ask for your best thinking to survive, since the AI plays without fault. I can get by by properly zoning their attacks (that's their movement + attack range + 1) and piling enemies.

If you want something more forgiving, FFT Advance is out there, though the Law system in that cheeses me off to no end. At least FFTA2 leaves a reminder on the top screen of the DS.

No, man.

No. Man.

No man.

No.

MAN.

Spoiler: Damnit

So I'm playing the original on the PS1.
I get to the point in the game where Weigraf transforms into that hideous monster, and has those other two monsters flanking him in the boss fight.
My team was NOWHERE NEAR ready for the battle. I got wiped out pathetically each time I reloaded.

You know what the kicker was?

The game had saved when I reached that point.

And.

I.

Couldn't.

Go.

Back.

To.

Grind.

Hours sank in, and there was no way for me to progress XDXDXDROFLROFLROFLLMAOLOLFUCKINGDAMNITSHITFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU- I was so pissed at this design flaw I almost snapped the disc.

 

[JCrichton]

I have no time for a game where you spend effort training and gearing up a unit, to then have it killed for ever.

They only perma-die if you don't get to them in time with a Phoenix Down. You have 3-4 turns before anyone perma-dies.

Also ... reset button. I've used that tactic more than once.

 

[Arsen]

Just level up the job skills, get the appropriate job classes, stand around in a circle, and attack/heal your characters for a few hours.

Instant ease.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Hmm... this thread has me loading up the game again. I'm going to give the 1.3 hack [http://www.insanedifficulty.com/index.php/Final%20Fantasy%20Tactics%201.3/home] a try.

 

[galdon2004]

I was around in the 90s. Those games still had an upwards sloping difficulty curb. This game seems to have a difficulty curb set unusually high, and then goes DOWN as you progress for some weird reason.

Isn't that all RPG's?

I might get this - not played a decent tactics game in ages and I put 100+ hours into the FFTA on the GBA. My team of viera assassins kicked ass.

No, most RPGS start at their individual easiest stage, and while you do unlock new abilities, the enemies, and especially bosses get stronger as the story progresses. It sort of has a difficulty curb that alternates from rises and plateaus. If the game has a game breaker spell, the point you get access to it though the difficulty drops off completely unless you are doing a self imposed challenge to not use it.

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

FFT is a textbook example of schizophrenic difficulty. Some battles are quite simple while some as early as the Slums of Dorter will wear your ass as a hat. That said, it's one of my all-time favourites, practically founding the isometric turn-based strategy genre in North America with its unique style and plot. The original's tutorial was the poorest-translated part of a very poorly-translated game, so count your blessings and try again. I promise it's a great experience once you learn the ropes.

I find it unlikely that random encounter you described had more than 3 Chocobos- some don't even have 5 enemies to match your 5. In that situation among others, the idea is to focus down your targets one by one. Don't chase them, let them come to you. Most monsters have a physical Counter ability to make up for their inferior stats compared to human characters. If you plan things out you can get a surround to stop a Chocobo from escaping. Even better, it may be stupid enough to use Choco Cure to keep itself alive, thus healing all of your characters. Remember you can check an enemy's range by pressing X with the cursor over them, and check the turn order by pressing right while selecting a special attack (at least in the original). It's generally good to have at least one long-range attacker to lure the enemy out of their covered positions, even if at the start you're limited to Throw Stone or Archers.

Also if you feel the need to grind levels, the fastest way I've found is simply to spare one enemy at the end of a random fight and just have everyone spam Accumulate or some other buff. In the case of monsters, they'll usually run cowering to a far corner once they're in critical HP, leaving you to gain as much power as you need.

 

[deleted+75193]

DELETED

 

[bluepotatosack]

Ha, I posted in this thread like 2 and a half years ago. Threadcromancy! But hey, anybody catch that vid Game Historian just put out about FFT? That was some good stuff.

 

[Towowo]

Although I really like the game, I'm not a terrible fan of the Brave/Faith mechanic, expecially Faith. I hated the concept of having beneficial magic have a chance to miss so to speak making playing any sort of mage even more worthless in the later stages of the game.

 

[sky14kemea]

Good night, sweet necro.