Please let us know when there is a mod to turn off XP gain (but keep AP). With all the talk about graphics, my biggest issue with having played the game many times is how easy it is. Rather than a tedious actual low level playthrough, or fan-made artificial hard patches which are full of opinionated arbitrary choices, in my recent playthroughs I much prefer just using gameshark codes to turn off XP and leveling up when I feel I need to. I'm looking for a simple XP on/off toggle for this game. I want to play this version because I can actually use Cyan in my main 12.
This actually doesn't help because at certain points in the game, your characters levels are automatically scaled to a nearest neighbor and are effectively averaged among your party members. Of course having lower levels helps against this, but turning exp off won't avoid the leveling up when the averaging hits when a higher level character joins your party.
This happens at three points in the game.
When you get the airship which averages everyone.
After the banquet based on your current party members
After the Thamasa arc when you first start the World of Ruin.
Level re-averaging is based on the characters in your party at the time. If Gau's on the Veldt, he won't be counted. When starting the WoR, Celes is your only character, so the next character's level is based on hers only. Also, the re-averaged level isn't exactly the average; it's the average +/- a number, the number being dependent on the character (for example, Mog is +5, so he'll join at party average +5)
This works to your benefit doing low level runs sort of, since the averaging kicks in and calculates your highest leveled party member and your lowest and their levels are adjusted automatically into an average without actually needing to battle.
For example having a team of Terra, Sabin, Locke, and Edgar as low as possible actually benefits later on because when the averaging hits.
Also stat gains are minimal for leveling up. You get HP and MP increases, but main stats such as STR, MAG, M.DEF and so forth actually don't improve via level gains. Most stat boosts in FFVI are mainly derived from Espers and the stat bonuses they provide as a level up bonus, as well as equipment.
Using Terra for example
Her base stats at very beginning of the game are as follows
STR 31
SPD 33
STM 28
MAG 39
Terra at level 70 with no armor equipped or any esper bonuses also has the same stats.
The only stats that naturally improve without equipment or Esper bonuses is HP and MP, so preventing level ups won't change anything statististical in the sense of being overpowered since that mainly stems from actual equipment and bonus stat gains via Espers.