Chocobo Racing Question

[Talint]

On the free runs, is it possible to actually win any of the races when you're up against the three ubers (InvincibleLeg, StarOnion, and MeteorBrian)?

My chocobo is currently 8/8/4/1, with Gallop and Canter. Even when I use a speed apple and set it to the various racing styles (final spurt, etc...), I'm still unable to beat them. I find it hard to believe that my chocobo can't beat a 8/6/4/4 or even a 8/5/4/4 chocobo. In fact, I find that my chocobo is often nose-to-nose on the second-to-last-leg of the race, and then come the last leg, he's actually farther behind somehow!

I'm wondering if it's hard-wired into the game, or I'm just doing something wrong.

[Thistle]

I raised a bird just for racing. Whenever I was with one of the three ringers, I never ever came in first. Three of them in one face? Fourth place for me!

My bird is first class in both physical traits and knows gallop and canter. While I don't use items, I really don't think they would have helped much.

I don't know if it's possible to beat them, but I was serious about racing for a while (lord knows why) and I was never able to.

[evilpaul]

I did beat StarOnion once. First-class STR/END, A bit deficient DIS, Poor REC, Gallop+Auto Regen. StarOnion got hit by a Gyshal Bomb and Fire Biscuit or something though, and I actually used a Speed Apple which I never usually do.

I was surprised enough to snap a pic
http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/5...5135800cw3.jpg

I think they basically stuck those super Chocobos in as a timesink because I'd win 99% of the time otherwise.

[LD]

The KI chocobo thread has a few people who claim to have a bird that is capable of beating the ringers regularly (with items, but not on a total fluke). They usually have gallop/canter, the usual great physical stats, and a decent amount of Discernment.

[Asherah]

With speed apples, my current bird regularly wins 4 out of the 6 races with the super birds in the Bastok circuit. I can't win the 2 StarOnion races in that circuit because I always get hit with a fire biscuit at the start when I equip a speed apple. >.>

My bird is 8/7/6/1 with Gallop & Canter. Having high DIS seems to help a lot, my bird has never gotten a slow start on a race since it hit Impressive DIS.

[LD]

I thought as much, the release notes said Discernment affects 'pace setting.'
Disc. probably allows you to utilize your stats more efficiently when using any of the three paces. That would explain why I never saw much of a difference between the 3 paces with my High Physical/Low Mental Bird.

[BRP]

If you are only racing against one... a enfeebling item might help more than a Speed Apple.

[Asherah]

If you are only racing against one... a enfeebling item might help more than a Speed Apple.

Yeah, but then I'd have to run around and get ingredients to make another type of item, and I'm lazy. >.>

[Volken]

I forgot this existed until I saw this topic title.

[Talint]

Thanks for the input, everybody.

I just find it incredibly frustrating, on top of being completely unfeasible, that an extra two ranks of endurance is ultimately beaten by three ranks of receptivity. Considering the mechanical and repetitive nature of chocobo racing (or, perhaps FFXI?), I'm shocked.

Looks like I've got to spend that final point into discernment and see what happens.

[Septimus]

I think the more pertinent question is "how did you raise chocobos with awesome physical stats and abilities?" I tried it, and they both turned out to be annoying losers. >_>

[LD]

I was able to raise one that was able to learn Gallop and Canter, ended up 8/6/4/1.
I burned out phys stats until I was first class in both, then did digging for treasure until I was able to learn both abilities.

[evilpaul]

8/8/3/1 Gallop and Auto Regen (no idea what Auto Regen actually does).

Going purely from memory, but you can get the idea:

Take your bird on walks as much as possible to get the stories you want to learn the abilities of. (Somebody said the easiest place was Sandy or Windurst to get gallop+canter, I don't remember and don't want to look at the moment.)

Feed Vomp Carrots after hatching and have it walk around town to build PHY stats. Switch to carry packages and feed Vomp Carrots at adolescents, keep going until day 46 or so when both STR/END are First-class. Switch to dig for treasure once STR hits First-class and feed gyshal greens to recover affection. Keep taking your bird for walks as much as possible. At a bit deficient/average DIS you can get the racing abilities by reading the proper stories. They aren't 100% chances (just like meeting other trainers when you take it for walks), so keep trying.

If you want to do better use the 80 chocobuck training program to raise the stats faster. Which takes hours to do, but is probably what the KI people did. I only used two 80 things on my bird.

[Septimus]

8/8/3/1 Gallop and Auto Regen (no idea what Auto Regen actually does).

Going purely from memory, but you can get the idea:

Take your bird on walks as much as possible to get the stories you want to learn the abilities of. (Somebody said the easiest place was Sandy or Windurst to get gallop+canter, I don't remember and don't want to look at the moment.)

Feed Vomp Carrots after hatching and have it walk around town to build PHY stats. Switch to carry packages and feed Vomp Carrots at adolescents, keep going until day 46 or so when both STR/END are First-class. Switch to dig for treasure once STR hits First-class and feed gyshal greens to recover affection. Keep taking your bird for walks as much as possible. At a bit deficient/average DIS you can get the racing abilities by reading the proper stories. They aren't 100% chances (just like meeting other trainers when you take it for walks), so keep trying.

If you want to do better use the 80 chocobuck training program to raise the stats faster. Which takes hours to do, but is probably what the KI people did. I only used two 80 things on my bird.

Did the 80 chocobuck trainings make a big difference?

Also for anyone in the room, what are the chances of inheriting abilities from a parent?

[Talint]

Did the 80 chocobuck trainings make a big difference?

Yes.

I used Vomp Carrots/Walks/Package Delivery & Treasure Digging to raise my chocobo to 8/8/1/1. Every rankup in discernment is though the intensive training program.

It takes several 80-buck packages to raise a rank, but that's the only way to raise the grades without doing stat tradeoffs. Additionally, from what I've discovered, your chocobo point total can't go past 22 points across all 4 stats, or stats begin to trade-off from each other, implying that there's a ultimate ceiling to your chocobo's stats.

[Septimus]

Did the 80 chocobuck trainings make a big difference?

Yes.

I used Vomp Carrots/Walks/Package Delivery & Treasure Digging to raise my chocobo to 8/8/1/1. Every rankup in discernment is though the intensive training program.

It takes several 80-buck packages to raise a rank, but that's the only way to raise the grades without doing stat tradeoffs. Additionally, from what I've discovered, your chocobo point total can't go past 22 points across all 4 stats, or stats begin to trade-off from each other, implying that there's a ultimate ceiling to your chocobo's stats.

Any idea about how many trainings it took to raise a level?

I was rather annoyed with my last two chocobos, but this is really making me want to get back into it...

[Talint]

Any idea about how many trainings it took to raise a level?

I was rather annoyed with my last two chocobos, but this is really making me want to get back into it...

Erf.

I don't specifically remember - all those days of chocobo racing really kind of mesh together. But it seemed to be that the higher the rank you're getting the stat upgrade for, the more packages it took to get it up to the next rank.

Moreover, I would read to my chocobo every day once he hit 8/8/1/1. It may result in very little stat bumps, but doing so definitely raises discernment.