
Originally Posted by
Julian
Some memory crystals are from story missions, mostly (if not all) elites - these include a lot of story characters: Cloud, Tyro, core classes, etc.
Other memory crystals are awards from limited time events. Some of these are repeats from story characters (like Cloud and Snow will get memory crystals from events, even though you can also obtain them through the story - although the event is usually a lot easier than doing the elite,) while the other characters are only available in that event. (Don't worry - they'll come around again eventually, but it may be a while.)
A memory crystal is an item. Once you reach level 50, you can use that item to unlock record materia, and raise the cap to 65.
When you unlock record materia, you unlock the materia equipment slot for that character, and you also get their first record materia. You can get their second record materia right away, by completing some kind of condition. (Varies from complete elite quest x with y happening, likely the character not dying, randomly awarded after fights in their realm, etc.)
Currently, only Cloud and Squall have a 2nd memory crystal in JP (raises cap to 80). I'm not sure about Squall, but it looks like to obtain Cloud's 3rd record materia, you need to be 65 and have used the crystal, as well as having learned his 2nd record materia. So it looks like eventually, you will need to level your characters up to 65 to obtain their 3rd materia, but that is quite a ways off. For now, just know you can get the first two just by having them at 50 and raising their cap.
Hope this helps.
The format for recent events has been:
Classics - unlock characters, starting out with repeat characters (if you unlock a repeat character you get a 4 star growth egg instead), and the new character(s) last, ending around difficulty lv30~35. The elite version starts around 40, memory crystal for repeat characters is usually around 45~55, and the memory crystal for the new character is usually a lot tougher, around 60-70. Difficulty ramps up pretty quickly, and the last few "EX" challenge fights (I think these may come a few days after the event starts?) are 100+. In the current event, Squall's memory crystal 2 is a level 110 fight. Lol not getting that any time soon...
These events also throw more 3/4 star growth eggs at you than you know what to do with them.