Final Fantasy XII - Must buy?

[John Crichton]

Special Edition has long since been pre-ordered.

I'd expect nothing less from my alt-screen name.

 

[John Crichton]

Ok, so how is the license board system? I'm not really sold on it myself, but I haven't got too much info on it yet. I liked the sphere grid from FFX since I could make any of the heros into what I wanted (mostly making Kimari, Lulu, and Yuna full White + Black Mages). How does the license board stack up? Also how does the leveling system work for people not in the active party? I heard that they get License Points too, but is it the same amount or different?

How about the Gambit system? Is it hard to use? Are there any basic gambit set-ups that pretty much everyone should have?

Haven't played it yet (it's waiting for me @ home, I hope) but the IGN review and Gamespy reviews give a pretty good picture about the meat and potatoes of the combat and character building parts of the game. There is more at Gaming Age, too.

Gamespy - http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/final-fantasy-xii/742679p1.html

Gaming Age - http://www.gaming-age.com/cgi-bin/reviews/review.pl?sys=ps2&game=ffxii&pagenum=1&pages=4

 

[LrdApoc]

Ok, so how is the license board system? I'm not really sold on it myself, but I haven't got too much info on it yet. I liked the sphere grid from FFX since I could make any of the heros into what I wanted (mostly making Kimari, Lulu, and Yuna full White + Black Mages). How does the license board stack up? Also how does the leveling system work for people not in the active party? I heard that they get License Points too, but is it the same amount or different?

How about the Gambit system? Is it hard to use? Are there any basic gambit set-ups that pretty much everyone should have?

Well its growing on me. The idea that you have to buy a license and then in fact buy the ability with Gil is a little frustrating at times - unlike in X where you spent the development points and got the ability here you buy the right to buy the ability or to purchased the armor or weapon type.

It is also far more a general system than the sphere grid - everyone has the same potential - you choose how to customize them.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Of course its a must by, its a Final Fantasy.

 

[Arnwyn]

I'd expect nothing less from my alt-screen name.

 

[DonTadow]

Well its growing on me. The idea that you have to buy a license and then in fact buy the ability with Gil is a little frustrating at times - unlike in X where you spent the development points and got the ability here you buy the right to buy the ability or to purchased the armor or weapon type.

It is also far more a general system than the sphere grid - everyone has the same potential - you choose how to customize them.

Yeah I just realized that you have to buy everything with gil from tactics to spells. I expected spells and waeapons but not tactics, that sucks. Still the story is moving me along and I like this hunt thing though

SPOILER:::



















The wrath is kicking my but right now

 

[John Crichton]

Finally got a chance to pop this one in for a few hours tonight and I am loving it. The whole FF Tactics feel in the menus and style is simply great. The new combat system totally works for me and I can't wait to really start customizing on the license board.

This one is certainly a must-buy for any RPG fan at this point...

 

[Shalimar]

So what is everyone doing with their characters weapon and armor wise?

Right now:
Vaan has Swords + Spears, Light Armor
Balthier has Guns + All White Magic, Heavy Armor
Fran has Bows + Poles, Heavy Armor
Basche has Swords + Axes, Heavy Armor

Its hard to differentiate people in the beginning as they all start in the same general space.

......
Can anyone help me find the cluckotrace I cleared out all of the Giza plains except the werewolfs and I couldn't find it.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Yeah, it's pretty amazing.

As much as it is a Final Fantasy, it definately helps mark a change in feel for the series. It's helmed by Matsuno, which means that instead of anime, you'll be getting a more "european" feel. There's great nations, savage international war, byzantine politics....it's more like World War 2 + War of the Roses in feel. It's far less trapped in the anime archetypes than most other FF's.

The Liscence Board is annoying me a bit, but I'm an archetype kind of player -- the LB means that characters will share many of the most useful abilities, with only a small amount of diversification. I'm still pretty early in the game, though. I'm hoping the quickenings and the espers will give me a better handle on it, and that, as I grab more weapons and armor and spells, I can split the characters' skills a bit more.

One thing I'm really noticing is the difficulty of the game. There's some very hard critters....the level 30+ T-rex wandering around the first zone is proof enough of that! There's a good chance you won't be able to afford the best stuff for your position in the game, either.

 

[DonTadow]

Yeah, it's pretty amazing.



The Liscence Board is annoying me a bit, but I'm an archetype kind of player -- the LB means that characters will share many of the most useful abilities, with only a small amount of diversification. I'm still pretty early in the game, though. I'm hoping the quickenings and the espers will give me a better handle on it, and that, as I grab more weapons and armor and spells, I can split the characters' skills a bit more.

Yeah it is amazing but thelicense thing bothers me a bit too. ONly because I want to get the mists early on so whereas I purchased essentials I've been concentrating on getting everyone a good mist ability early, though i can't say I enjoy the use of all your magic for the one spell, it just means I need to carry a heck of a lot more ethers.

So far Va'an is a dagger/minor white mage specialist, Fran is going bows and all dark magic (black, time, green), Asche is going straight white and maces, I see Basch going with some axes and heavy weapons with a lot of special abilities, Penolope is going to be a backup white mage with a specialization in swords and the gun guy will.. stick with what he knows best, though I'm tempted to give him a tad of dark magic for backup support for fran.

Sadly, I learned about the T-rex the hard way. I applied final fantasy logic.

"hey they will never put anythingi cant kill around chump monsters".

Soon two party members were dead and I was sprinting back to the city as fast as I could.