FFT - Starting 5 and challenges

[Kononeko]

So I play Final Fantasy Tactics a lot, I would be willing to say that it's one of my favorite games. Well, I was wondering what everyone's starting 5 characters and Job classes where when end game comes around. I don't really have one, but I know that a friend of mine swares by his Lancer Dancer squad, (Ramza Monk/Squire, Agrias Holy Knight/Monk, 2 Lancers/Dancer, and a White Mage/Bard.) Also, if anyone has any fun challenges that I can try out like limiting your self to Chemist only party or something like that.

[Charismatic]

I don't really have any set ways to play.

The only challenge I can think of is limiting your number of random encounters.
I went through one save where I let one of my party members solo all random encounters (let me tell you, that shit was hard as hell sometimes, especially at the beginning and I had a number of restarts due to dying).

The game is pretty tough until near the end (since you can get so much/many omgwtfbbq gear and party members) when you don't abuse tricks to gain exp/jp and don't get in many/any random encounters.

Also, when playing the game in that way I have to say Mustadio is a fucking godsend.

[Woozie]

I love dragoons and samaruis. I almost always make my main character a samarui.

[Turambar]

There's an FAQ dedicated to a list of challenges and their rules on gamefaqs.com.

The most popular is the SCC (Single Class Challenge) or SSCC (Solo Single Class Challenge). Basically, in an SCC Ramza and 4 generics must all use the same job for the entire game. There are also level restrictions for each chapter (20 for Ch1 is the only one I remember offhand). Basically, you can do whatever you want for the initial battles at Gariland Magic City and Mandalia Plains, then you have to grind your chosen party to unlock whatever job you're doing the SCC for. Then, from the point you approach Igros Castle until the end of the game you can only use the selected job and abilities from that job (i.e. if you're doing Knights, you can only use Weapon Guard as your reaction, and no support or movement abilities). SSCC is basically the same thing, except you can only use Ramza instead of a full party (obviously).

Some SCCs are a lot easier than others, and playing through a lot of them really gives an idea of which classes are better than which others. For example, Monk SCCs are quite easy, since they have several long-range attacks, excellent physical attacking power, and healing and reviving abilities innately. On the other side of things the Bard SCC is extraordinarly hard, since they have low stats and little in the way of damage capability. You'll have to retry many battles multiple times in several SCCs, because sometimes being able to win a battle comes down to dodging two consecutive attacks with only your base character evasion (someone did the math on it and found it's like a 1 in 10,000 chance of dodging both to be able to win this particular fight).

Also, in most cases you'll have to be careful about your Zodiac selection for Ramza, and more importantly for your party. It's suggested in all SCCs to strip all starting generics of their gear and dismiss them, and hire a new team with the highest possible Bravery (for reaction abilities, since you won't be able to boost it with Ramza's Cheer Up) and good Zodiac compability between party members (especially important for healing and status abilities).

[Beckwin]

oh lord, FFT SCC nostalgia <3 <3 <3

You really need to head over to gfaqs for FFT challenge stuff. I was pretty active there when it starting picking up and have loosely followed it since then. In addition to the main FFT board there, check out http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/gentop ... ard=584617 for a "secret" board for challenges.

[Kaelan]

Man I haven't played in a couple months and this thread makes me want to go back already. I love using dragoons and black mages, but last time I played I really got into using rafa and malak (which I previously thought sucked donkey balls). I also totally got into using Balthier once I found out just how far you could push magic gun damage to go.

On my latest save, my team (a combination which I happen to really really like) looks like: Ramza (Squire/Samurai), Rafa (White Mage/ Skyseer), Malak (Geomancer / Netherseer), Balthier (Sky Pirate/ Chemist) and Reis (Dark Knight / Monk)

[Charismatic]

Skyseer, Netherseer, Sky Pirate, Dark Knight...

Jeez, how much stuff did they change in the PSP version?

[Kononeko]

Skyseer, Netherseer, Sky Pirate, Dark Knight...

Jeez, how much stuff did they change in the PSP version?

Skyseer, Netherseer and Sky Pirate are just the respective Squire classes of special characters. I think that Dark Knight and Onion Knight where the only two changes but I play the PS1 version so I don't know.

BTW thanks for all the stuff on SCC and SSCC, I'm really thinking that I'm going to have to try it out. Also a question because I don't usually keep the monsters around for parties, don't know I just sort of felt like they where worthless, but can you attack while mounted on a chocobo?

[Turambar]

The PSP version drastically improves the Skyseer and Netherseer classes. Their spells now activate a maximum of 10 times, rather than 6. They also tend to target the center panel more than they used to, which lowers the randomness.

Of course, I'd still just rather Lighting Stab some bitches and be done with it...

Oh yeah, Divine Knight is improved in the PSP version also. In the PS1 version her skills were 0% if the target didn't have the appropriate gear, or was a monster. In the PSP version though, it actually does more damage if the target doesn't have the appropriate gear equipped. She's nearly tied with Orlandu in brokenness now.

EDIT: In regards to Chocobo usage. The character mounted on the chocobo acts as normal, except that the bird's movement is substituted for your normal Move and movement ability. Thus, riding a yellow or red chocobo is like having a Move stat of 6, with Ignore Height, or Fly in the case of black chocobos. It does deactivate your movement ability though, so you can't e.g. pick up treasures while you're mounted.

[Yuri-G]

The PSP version drastically improves the Skyseer and Netherseer classes. Their spells now activate a maximum of 10 times, rather than 6. They also tend to target the center panel more than they used to, which lowers the randomness.

Serious? That's great, I used to love using Rafa and Malak. Although those changes almost make them seem too good... I found that part of the fun in using them was using topography to limit the AoE, which makes their attacks a lot more consistent.

[Kaelan]

Of course, I'd still just rather Lighting Stab some bitches and be done with it...

The biggest reason I have for using them is to counter faith based teams on pvp. Malak stomps low (0-20) faith units, while Balthier takes out high(80+) faith units. Protect and/or Defense Up can stop stab from hitting that hard (assuming you don't cheat for ridiculous amounts of PA). Ofc, if you're just playing the regular game and don't care about pvp, you can take out the NPC units just fine with almost anything you want.

And yeah most of the changes are just new translations and balancing. Heaven Knight turned into Skyseer, Hell Knight turned into Netherseer, Truth turned into Sky Mantra, Untruth turned into Nether Mantra. The only real new generic classes are Dark Knight (which is awesome) and Onion Knight (which is worthless). Sky Pirate is basically Thief commands + a better version of Mustadio + Ninja speed + extremely good equipment selection (almost as good as Ramza). It's not really new, but it's a very good combination of things that were already there before, just not all in the same place.

[Turambar]

Sky Pirate is basically Thief commands + a better version of Mustadio + Ninja speed + extremely good equipment selection (almost as good as Ramza). It's not really new, but it's a very good combination of things that were already there before, just not all in the same place.

Actually, Sky Pirate can equip everything that Ramza can, plus polearms, guns, and I think crossbows. His speed is godlike (80 growth and 120 multiplier) and his HP is fairly high, but his MP, PA, and MA are just average. Also, his Plunder abilities have significantly higher K-values than the Thief Steal abilities. It's not uncommon to see 70-80% rates on a neutral-Zodiac target.

Also, he has Barrage -- 4 hits with 100% accuracy, each at 50% of what a normal hit would be. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the hits are therefore capped at 499 damage (50% rounded down of 999). However, the 999 "max" damage is actually hard-capped down from the "real" damage inflicted by an attack, so if you can push Balthier's PA high enough and give him a good enough weapon (o hai thar Chaos Blade), it's possible to hit 999 on all 4 attacks.

[Niiro]

Was anyone else surprised to find Ramza was voiced by.....Phil LaMarr?

[Turambar]

Was anyone else surprised to find Ramza was voiced by.....Phil LaMarr?

Not really =\ He does a lot of video game voiceover work.

[Niiro]

I know but when you think of his voice you think of Reddas, not some skinny white guy XD

[SamanosukeShiva]

mnk, earth slash ftw

[Xajii]

I made everyone master monk before going on, chakra and some of the other moves like ranged Shockwave/etc too useful to pass up. (Before Orlandeau) I had mostly dual-wielding knights for melees and a mystic as well as an archer. After Orlandeau, I had Orlandeau, and no one else mattered. Hi2u overpowered.

[Turambar]

I made everyone master monk before going on, chakra and some of the other moves like ranged Shockwave/etc too useful to pass up. (Before Orlandeau) I had mostly dual-wielding knights for melees and a mystic as well as an archer. After Orlandeau, I had Orlandeau, and no one else mattered. Hi2u overpowered.

Yeah, Punch Art makes a good secondary for any melee job, if only for Chakra and Revive. I personally just get those two, Earth Slash, and Stigma Magic if the character happens to have enough JP leftover, and then turn them into Geomancers.

[Kononeko]

I have found it the revenge of the SSC

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...neko/MONKS.jpg

yes that's 11 monks, it was really cool though at the beginning of the fight they where all in one line across the map. They are all level 37-46 and my party is consisting of level 41 Sam, 26 Nin, 27 Geo, 26 Blm, and 25 Whm. I don't know if I am going to win but I'll try. I do have a few more pics and a little bit of video, but the video is really blurry ><

[Charismatic]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I can't help but laugh at that... only battle I got that was worse was a shit ton of Red and Yellow chocobos.
I think it was 11 or 12 total... but fuck, that was hard.