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Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age |OT| You Had One Job!

Zesh

Member
The class choices are giving me anxiety. :/

Been debating back and forth for literally 3 hours and haven't made any progress.

Crippling.

I've been wrestling with job choices for a week. Still only have one thing I'm doing for sure (Balthier as Shikari/Foebreaker).
 

Akai XIII

Member
Did you guys check out the guide at the bottom of the OP? Might help u decide.

From OP:

These two Gfaq Threads were very useful to me when I was theory crafting by teams (first one is optimized, and second one is lore friendly):

https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/1912...c-age/75477310
https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/1912...c-age/75403072

The first thread is really nice, and covers how to take advantage of the best spells in the game (Holy with Black mage staff, Ardor & Burning Bow, Ninja Blade / Katanas with genji gloves)
Yeah I saw it, thanks. I need a straightforward Vaan is X/Y, Penelo is A/C style list. The open ended guides just make me question my choices even more.
 

SilverArrow20XX

Walks in the Light of the Crystal
That cool ass opening movie leading into the title screen is now gone...

Hmmm. Maybe I should return both copies.....

Kidding. But seriously. The whole opening with the Uematsu composed FF main theme? What the hell.

Yeah I saw it, thanks. I need a straightforward Vaan is X/Y, Penelo is A/C style list. The open ended guides just make me question my choices even more.

https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/191202-final-fantasy-xii-the-zodiac-age/75403072

This one gives exact jobs and espers per character. It's what I'm gonna use. I'd never decide otherwise.

Vaan: Shikari / Time Battlemage [Fortune Hunter]
Emulates the classic job class: Thief > Ninja
Adrammelech [Shades of Black + Cura/Raise]
Zalera [435HP + Ether Lore]

Penelo: Monk / Uhlan [Pole Dancer]
Emulates the classic job class: Monk > Grand Master
Chaos [Holy/Esunaga/Protectga/Shellga + Aeroga/Bio/Blindga/Silencega]
(Free Swiftness x2 from Ultima Island on Monk)

Balthier: Machinist / White Mage [Virtuous Pirate]
Emulates the classic job class: White Mage > White Wizard
Famfrit [Slowga/Reflectga/Hastega/Graviga/Warp/Vanishga + Daggers 5]
Zodiark [390HP + Greatswords 1]
(Free Greatswords 2 from Chaos Island on White Mage)

Fran: Archer / Black Mage [Arcane Ranger]
Emulates the classic job class: Black Mage > Black Wizard
Shemhazai [Heavy Armours 10, 11 & 12 + Heavy Armours 7]
(Free +435HP from Famfrit island on Archer)

Ashe: Knight / Foebreaker [Divine Knight]
Emulates the classic job class: Fighter > Knight
Belias [Potion Lore + Horology]
Mateus [Esuna/Cleanse/Curaga/Regen + Nothing]
Hashmal [Confuse/Faith/Curaja/Bravery + Swiftness]
Ultima [Redundant Battle Lore and Telekinesis + Swiftness]
(Early Telekinesis from Ultima Island on Knight)

Basch: Bushi / Red Battlemage [Mystic Knight]
Emulates the classic job class: Red Mage > Red Wizard
Cuchulainn [Stamp + Firaga/Blizzaga/Thundaga/Sleepga]
Exodus [500HP + Heavy Armours 8, 9 & 10]
Zeromus [Magic Lores + Channelling]
(Free Heavy Armours 11 from Zodiark Island on Bushi)
 
Is there a really good text and/or video guide to explain how exactly the job system and the newly balanced license board work and how they differ from the original release's?

I've got about an hour and a half after work before I get home to kill lol
 

RPGCrazied

Member
Got it. Played for an hour. I downloaded the background music that came with the steelbook. So there are 3 choices, but they don't really sound different from each other. Maybe I'm just not listening hard enough. Can you switch them on the fly or can you only change it at the title screen for it to work?

I wish the cutscenes either were full screen or 2:41 aspect ratio. Turning off subtitles and having one blank/black bar on the bottom is kinda distracting. Don't remember the original being this way.
 

Mathrin

Member
Got this in the post today - and I don't know if it's because I'm insanely tired but the whole game looks massively blurry to me at 1440p/whatever my TV is displaying it at.

There seems to be some large input lag too - nothing too distracting but you can definitely notice it.

Wish you could turn off the blur :/
 

Saven

Banned
Oh no! How does it load up now?

It just goes straight into the title screen from the original, no build up at all. The FF theme still plays thankfully. Pretty disappointing that they got rid of it though.

With that being said though, just got to Vaan and so far the game plays great. It's going to be fun playing this again. :D
 
How does the open world hold up given that this game came out two gens ago?

As someone who played it to 100% completion on my PS2 5 years ago (forever in gaming years), I remember still thinking it was pretty damn great. I don't remember running into a ton of invisible walls, for one.
 
DOPE.

Question, does the Steelbook include the theme? Is it bundled with the same code as the original soundtrack? Not sure if I wanna use the OST code just yet, but def wanna see the theme if separate.

theme? I'm sorry I don't know what you mean, the steelbook does come with a separate CD of the original soundtrack if thats what you mean:


excuse for more pics:

DEfGwNKXcAAJSxf.jpg



 
Vaan is so in to Basch. When they first meet him and he's shirtless the conflicted looks he gives him are a dead giveaway!

My jobs so far:
Vaan - Monk
Balthier - Foebreaker
Fran - Black Mage

It made sense at the time...
 

kromeo

Member
Not too bothered about optimal choices but it there anything obviously wrong with:

Vaan - Shikari/Machinist
Panelo - Archer/Time mage
Basche - Foebreaker/Uhlan
Balthier - Knight/Monk
Ashe - Bushi/Red mage
Fran - White mage/black mage?


Ive gone with Fran as the mages as she's the character I least like to control
 

Dawg

Member
I'm still very early game with Vaan as Shikari and Penelo as BM but all I'm basically doing is auto-attack with both since Penelo AI doesn't cast magic.

Is this because I don't have any gambits yet. All Penelo does is attack with a dagger (haven't got a staff yet) and the only skill Vaan has is Steal & First Aid.
 

kromeo

Member
I'm still very early game with Vaan as Shikari and Penelo as BM but all I'm basically doing is auto-attack with both since Penelo AI doesn't cast magic.

Is this because I don't have any gambits yet. All Penelo does is attack with a dagger (haven't got a staff yet) and the only skill Vaan has is Steal & First Aid.

Black magic for the most part isn't all that great unless the enemy is weak to an element, in which case i would just cast it from the menu. This is based on vanilla game though, it might be more useful in this
 

AndersK

Member
Not too bothered about optimal choices but it there anything obviously wrong with:

Vaan - Shikari/Machinist
Panelo - Archer/Time mage
Basche - Foebreaker/Uhlan
Balthier - Knight/Monk
Ashe - Bushi/Red mage
Fran - White mage/black mage?


Ive gone with Fran as the mages as she's the character I least like to control

The only one i think you'd really regret is White mage/Black mage. In theory it makes sense: You combine two straight mage classes to be great at casting magic. Buuut...suddenly you hit situations quite often where you'd want your black mage to nuke enemies while a white mage heals your party. Except Fran can't do both at once. Thus never really taking advangtage of the two classes in a pairing.

I cant remember the specifics, but Uhlan/Foe overlaps quite a bit. Not a worthwhile combo, not horrible tho.
 

Nohar

Member
I'm still very early game with Vaan as Shikari and Penelo as BM but all I'm basically doing is auto-attack with both since Penelo AI doesn't cast magic.

Is this because I don't have any gambits yet. All Penelo does is attack with a dagger (haven't got a staff yet) and the only skill Vaan has is Steal & First Aid.

You can't set gambits yet, thus why she doesn't cast magic (at this point of the game, turning on "Gambit" pretty much allows her to auto-attack monsters you target, nothing else). You will unlock gambit settings once your recruit Balthier and Fran (this will also unlock Gambit shops).
 

Kin5290

Member
Out of curiosity, as someone very unfamiliar with JRPGs, whose last Final Fantasy that I played a decent amount of was FF10 (I tried FF13, but I thought the combat was a little too simplistic and the story was going nowhere fast), and who is more used to western RPGs like Divinity OS and Pillars of Eternity, should I get this game or Persona 5?
 

Nohar

Member
Out of curiosity, as someone very unfamiliar with JRPGs, whose last Final Fantasy that I played a decent amount of was FF10 (I tried FF12, but I thought the combat was a little too simplistic and the story was going nowhere fast), and who is more used to western RPGs like Divinity OS and Pillars of Eternity, should I get this game or Persona 5?

Both games are good. It all comes down to tastes, really. If you already played FF12 a bit, nothing substantial changed regarding the gameplay (aside from the job system) and the scenario. If you didn't like it then, chances are you won't like it now either. You may be better off trying Persona 5.
 

Kin5290

Member
Both games are good. It all comes down to tastes, really. If you already played FF12 a bit, nothing substantial changed regarding the gameplay (aside from the job system) and the scenario. You may be better off trying Persona 5.

Ah, I meant FF13. The one with Lightning and the jive sounding black dude.
 

JudgeN

Member
Hmm can you still get that really strong super sword at the start of the game , can't remember but i think it was called deathbringer or something. Wonder if the moved that as well.
 

Godcannon

Member
theme? I'm sorry I don't know what you mean, the steelbook does come with a separate CD of the original soundtrack if thats what you mean:


excuse for more pics:


I thought there was a ps4 theme included. Maybe digital pre-order only?

LMAO sick dude. The first time I beat XII was when a friend let me borrow the CE for ps2 with the crazy awesome artbook/guide. I bought the guide again actually, because it made the whole experience much better my first playthrough.

You get the judge busts?
 
Out of curiosity, as someone very unfamiliar with JRPGs, whose last Final Fantasy that I played a decent amount of was FF10 (I tried FF12, but I thought the combat was a little too simplistic and the story was going nowhere fast), and who is more used to western RPGs like Divinity OS and Pillars of Eternity, should I get this game or Persona 5?
This game is closer to a WRPG than you may think. It plays pretty similar to KoTor
 

kromeo

Member
Hmm can you still get that really strong super sword at the start of the game , can't remember but i think it was called deathbringer or something. Wonder if the moved that as well.

Deathbringer I think you steal from a mimic in the mines, don't remember how early you can get to that section though
 

aravuus

Member
Alright, Ashe's got the most HP now and over 60 Evasion, she's pretty much a permanent party member now. Healing and tanking, she can do it all.

Just wish Lure lasted longer. I tried setting Penelo to cast Decoy on Ashe, but she burned through all of her MP right away.
 

Xaero Gravity

NEXT LEVEL lame™
The class choices are giving me anxiety. :/

Been debating back and forth for literally 3 hours and haven't made any progress.

Crippling.
That's how I feel. I could follow a guide but that's no fun to me, so I have no idea what I'm going to do lol. Definitely regretting my purchase right now.
 

Deacan

9/10 NeoGAFfers don't understand statistics. The other 3/10 don't care.
This is my class selection -

Vaan: Shikari/Foebreaker:
Belias (Horology)
Cuchulainn (WM 12, Shades of Black)

Balthier:Machanist/WhiteMage
Famfrit (Time 8,9,10)
Adrammelech (Battle Lore 7 and Souleater)

Basch:Knight/Bushi:
Mateus (WM6&7)
Ultima (Battle Lore 12, Telekinesis, Stamp)

Ashe:Monk/Blackmage:
Chaos (WM11&12)
Exodus (Souleater and Heavy Armour 8)
Zalera (Traveller, Steal, and Poach)

Penelo:Uhlan/Time Mage:
Hashmal (Channelling 3 and Bonecrusher)

Fran:Red Mage/Archer:
Zeromus (Chanelling 3)
Shemhazai (Heavy Armours 10-12, WM 7)
Zodiark (Infuse, 1000 Needles, Greatswords 4)

The only thing I am not sure on is what class to pick first for Ashe, Monk first or blackmage.

Oh and feel free to change the characters to any class combo, this was just my preference.
 

Pantz

Member
Double Double Dip Baby!

Gotta say, the BradyGames PS2 Guide was superior. Although it was a paperback inside the slip cover, it included a poster and a full artbook. The Zodiac Age guide only includes a forward from Hiroaki Kato as a bonus.

Gonna start playing after posting this with my randomized jobs selections.

Ashe - White Mage/Archer
Balthier - Time Battlemage/Red Battlemage
Basch - Bushi/Monk
Fran - Uhlan/Shikari
Penelo - Black Mage/Knight
Vaan - Foebreaker/Machinist

I used randomizer.org to randomize a set of 12 numbers and locked them in yesterday. Nobody else wanna try too?
 

Squire

Banned
Finally got my copy. The steelbook is nicer than P5s and the original one for FFXII, too.

Here's what I'm thinking for my classes:

Basch: Archer/Uhlan
Ashe: Knight/Time Mage
Penelo: Black Mage/Monk
Balthier: White Mage/Foebreaker
Vaan: Shikari/Red Mage
Fran: Samurai/Machinist

I'm pretty comfortable with everything here except for Fran. Not sure what to do with her as she has know real strengths to lean into apart from vitality, kinda? What should I do with her? I'm actually not determined to have all the jobs in play, but I'd rather not just repeat one of the combos on the other characters either. Suggestions?
 

CSX

Member
Just got my copy from amazon. Time to give this game a second chance after a power outage ten years ago corrupted my ps2 save.

I'm reading all this stuff about selecting jobs and im already getting anxious if im going to do that stuff correctly once im out of the tutorial lol

Also, any old walkthrough covering the original game will serve well for the remaster im assuming? I just want to use one to make sure i dont miss any miscellanous stuff i might be interested in
 

Lucentto

Banned
Fuck these stupid ass shipping companies and Best Buy. I spent money to get this shit on release and it's coming Wednesday. I was looking forward to playing this shit today, on my birthday no less, and these fucks can't even get an item to me on time.

Fucking worthless pieces of shit. This is what I get for not choosing store pickup this one fucking time, they fuck it up. I don't give a fuck if it's coming tomorrow, I paid for this shit to get here today. Someone is getting fucking yelled at.
 

kromeo

Member
I've decided for good this time

Vaan - Archer/Uhlan
Panelo - Red Mage/Machinist
Basche - Foebreaker/Shikari
Balthier - Knight/Time mage
Fran - White mage/monk
Ashe - Bushi/black mage

Can't see anything wrong with that
 

Jolkien

Member
Does anybody has a list of the rare game enemies and spawn condition in the order we can meet them ? I found a couple of complete list but it's a pain to browse each time I reach a new zone.

Why must every ff begin in a way that leaves me lost
Opening scene looked good I have no idea what and why

Play for like 10-15 mins and you'll get the gist of it.
 
Fuck these stupid ass shipping companies and Best Buy. I spent money to get this shit on release and it's coming Wednesday. I was looking forward to playing this shit today, on my birthday no less, and these fucks can't even get an item to me on time.

Fucking worthless pieces of shit. This is what I get for not choosing store pickup this one fucking time, they fuck it up. I don't give a fuck if it's coming tomorrow, I paid for this shit to get here today. Someone is getting fucking yelled at.

if it makes you feel better (it won't), I ordered the steelbook via store pickup and got notified today that if I wanted the steelbook, I would have to wait until Friday or drive to a very out-of-the-way location to find it at another store.

I decided to just cancel and get the regular version instead.
 

aravuus

Member
Holy shit, I can't believe what a difference a tank Ashe with constant Protect, Regen and Lure can make in the Trials. Even Tiamat is nothing right now, before this setup I had to Quickening his ass to hell and back if I wanted to win.

Kinda fun to be like 3 bosses further in the Trials than in the main game lol.
 

Aeana

Member
Got it. Played for an hour. I downloaded the background music that came with the steelbook. So there are 3 choices, but they don't really sound different from each other. Maybe I'm just not listening hard enough. Can you switch them on the fly or can you only change it at the title screen for it to work?

I wish the cutscenes either were full screen or 2:41 aspect ratio. Turning off subtitles and having one blank/black bar on the bottom is kinda distracting. Don't remember the original being this way.

You may not be hearing a difference because you're not waiting long enough? There seems to be a delay and a fade which switching soundtracks.
 
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