The GWJ JRPG Club 2018 - Final Fantasy XII!

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We're kicking off 2018 with Final Fantasy XII!

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Zodiac Age play time:

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Original PS2 play time:

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Some differences in time between the two versions. I assume most of us will be playing on PS4, but it will be interesting to compare if anyone is firing up their older console.

Also, there's clearly plenty of side content to get into if you're so inclined.

I took a look at a few walkthroughs and Let's Plays and came up with the following as potential guideposts for progress:

January: Up to The Tomb of Raithwall
February: Up to Draklor Labratory
March: Finish

But we'll see how we go...

Excited to get started! Let's do our best!

Main Club Thread

I will definitely be in on this one. I played quite a bit of the remastered version last year, but never finished. This club is exactly the motivation I need to get back into it. Restarting again isn’t an option, did that already and I REALLY like how my group is set up, but I’m only about midway through the part after Raithwall so not that far ahead. By mid-February I should be ready to start playing again. In the mean time I will still check the thread every day to see how everyone else is doing.

Sure, I'll give the remastered version a shot, why not? I just bought it, so..

Hurray! I really wanted to play this one!

How many of us are playing this for the first time? I played it way back on the PS2 but it wasn't the International Zodiac version. My main gripe was that every character felt the same. So while the new job system is technically removing options, I'm SO excited to play around with characters who have defined roles.

And speaking of, what combos are you all going for? I found a list if you want to metagame it and go for the most powerful ones.

Starting the game up again tomorrow! Should be fun, revisiting ye olde haunts and seeing just what I can recall from the PS2 days!

I have to finish up Gravity Rush 2 and then I'll fire the fancy Zodiac version up.

I’ve been playing FFXII off and on for a few months anyway, so I’m glad this got the nod. Maybe it will finally give me the push I need to get past Raithwall.

Thank God for the speed-up function in the remaster. Every RPG should inculde this.

heh i just noticed this says quartery

Thank God for the speed-up function in the remaster. Every RPG should inculde this.

Hear hear! Of all the new features, this is what I'm most excited about.

IIRC, don't the new Legend of Heroes Steam releases do this too? Every RPG needs it.

Damnable Bear wrote:

heh i just noticed this says quartery

What? I don’t know what you’re talking about

I'm in for this one. My copy arrives today. It's my first time playing, and if I complete it, the first FF game I would have beaten.

This is my first time playing FFXII. I only know it by reputation, stuff about Yasumi Matsuno, etc., but I’ve long been curious about it. Since I know very little, I’ve got no plans for the jobs, but thanks for the link A_Unicycle. I may make use of it if I feel like I need some guidance.

I’m super notorious for failing jrpg clubs but I will try to keep at it.

This is a perfect excuse for me to jump back in.

I used this guide to pick out jobs when I played last summer. If you don't want to look it up, be aware that job choices are permeant - you cannot repsec. Also, there are areas on the License Board that you will not be able to get.

I hope you all enjoy!

I picked the remaster a few weeks ago on sale, so this will give me a good excuse to play it. Hooray

Aristophan wrote:

I used this guide to pick out jobs when I played last summer. If you don't want to look it up, be aware that job choices are permeant - you cannot repsec. Also, there are areas on the License Board that you will not be able to get.

I hope you all enjoy!

Thanks, Aristophan! I found that the same site also has this related info:

Best jobs for each character
Party composition

Compare/contrast with the link A_Unicycle provided if you so desire.

I may dig in and use these resources myself since I tend not to get too into experimenting with jobs on my own.

In like Flynn. I have no one, but two copies, unopened (I accidentally pre-ordered twice). I need to reclaim my PS4 and start this puppy up!

On a related note: Anyone need a brand new copy of the game?

I might be interested. What's your asking price?

All these party composition options are stressing me out. lol

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I might be interested. What's your asking price?

Cover shipping. Anything else is gravy.

JeremyK wrote:

All these party composition options are stressing me out. lol

I know, right? I haven't started yet because I'm trying to plan out the best team!

(Well, that and I'm 75 hours deep into Persona 5 and am trying desperately to finish it off so I'm not playing two JRPGs at the same time. Send help!)

While I did spend some time myself planning out what I want to do job-wise, in the process I came across a number of statements that you should do fine with whatever you pick so try not to stress.

Just started, about 2 hours in and have a few comments. I've decided to go with the most optimal setup I can come up with, because I've already played the game once and would like to beat the main story as efficiently as possible so I can move onto end-game content I neglected in my first playthrough.

+The game looks gorgeous in HD. The bustling city, interesting colours, varied creature design. Top notch.
+The music is bringing back memories. It's nice to have the re-orchestrated version of the OST.
+Fast-Forward, hoooly crap! This is amazing! Especially with the gambit system. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH.
+I've forgotten a lot, it's surprisingly gripping. Those 2 hours flew by so quickly.

-The voices still sound weird to me. Like they are coming from a radio? Better than the PS2, but still...Odd.
-30FPS is jarring. I understand a lot is tied to the framerate (like a lot of PS2 games), but it sticks out. A shame

And one last thing, it wasn't obvious until I read it on Gamefaqs: You can change the fast-forward multiplier with d-pad right + L1. You don't have to pause every time you want to go faster.

My goal with party composition was to get all the jobs. I basically set up two trios of tank, healer, and dps. It wasn't too overwhelming and it got me though the main game.

I'm glad dee already shipped her copy to me (thanks, dee!) because I'm a little put off that everyone's immediately felt the need to break out character and job guides.

Totally unnecessary to follow any guides or set things up optimally, the game is designed to be played however you like.

Personally, I just really like seeing how high I can push numbers. Min/Maxing is what I find fun, and I love that moment where it feels like you've ripped open the game and broken it to pieces.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I'm glad dee already shipped her copy to me (thanks, dee!) because I'm a little put off that everyone's immediately felt the need to break out character and job guides.

I didn't and still won't. I'm going with what feels right for the characters.

Never been much a fan of min-maxing.

Heh. I’m still trying to decide if I want to play my old copy on the original PS3 or spring for the remake. $50 is a little steep for the new one.

I found my copy on sale for $25 which seemed just around the ballpark I was willing to pay for it. My limit was 20, so 25 wasn't too far off.

For anyone who doesn't want to dig into the job guides, from the FAQ A_Unicycle share earlier:

"Am I screwed if I make sub-optimal job choices?

No way! The game isn't all that hard. Don't stress about optimizing if you don't feel like it. This guide is for people who enjoy this style of JRPG strategizing."

I started it up and played a little over an hour last night. Off to a good start, I think. A lot of story. What I have experienced of combat so far is really simple but I can see the outlines of what will become more complex. I am curious to see how it all operates with more than one character in the party.

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