Starting FF8
 

Well, I was in my room, bored, and kicked off the computer, so I decided I would start FF8. Im like 30 minutes into the game, I just beat fire cavern and Im on the world map right now. I plan on getting a strat guide and I hope to beat the game in a 3 or so weeks (with moderate, daily playing).

Are there any tips for me that you think I should know? Or stop me from playing?

Well, I suggest you right now train your guys abit, like Squall to lvl 15, and whatever Quistis's lvl is when Squall is 15, its fine. Then, after the SeeD exam, I suggest you start training Zell and Selphie too... not to mention Squall to lvl 20-25. When you are lvl 30 or over in the SeeD field exam, you get a rank of an 'A'. But you can always get an 'A' without getting to lvl 30, but it makes the game easier if you lvl.

uh pheonix, your level doesn't matter for the field exam. What determines it is...

Monsters killed (100 or more=A)

How many times you ran away (less times equal more points)

Time remaining after running from the tower (more time left equals more points).

How many times you talked to people not in your squad (you lose points if you talk to them)

BTW, theres a hidden bonus if you manage to kill the X-ATM, an extra 100 points, not to mention each time you kill it, you gain 50 AP, which you can get several times. However you must have leveled up your GF's to lvl 100 (using the seifer trick, which you shouldnt use unless your in a rush to beat the game).

How to defeat X-ATM:

If quezacotl is over lvl 50, you can do it easy. Start off the round with it by summoning him until X-ATM falls over, then when its trying to repair, summon him again. If it didnt get to repair fully, but yet still stands up, you've earned the 50 AP, so you gotta knock it down again and run for it. Repeat the process a couple more times until you get to the bridge area. Once there, fight the X-ATM. Keep summoning Quezacotl until it falls down. Once its down, keep summoning Quezacotl. Eventually the robot will explode, earning you the bonus 100 points for the exam and the standard 50 ap for killing it, however random battles will start, which will still affect part of the exam score.

Last thing, I think I forgot one factor for the exam score, but oh well.

uh... actually lvl counts... a high lvl Quezecotl makes the fight against the spider robot easier but if you are lvl 30 or over(Squall) you can get a rank of 'A'. I've actually tried it and I also read it in the strategy guide...(yes, I actually bought it.)

FF8 was never as good as FF7 story wise... I would never buy the strat guide for it...

Just stop playing. Before you regret it.

Ah screw it. If you want to know some very good reason's to play it, go ask at www.gamefaqs.com on the FF8 board.

Wow. An oxymoron capable of blinding human eyes.

Taco heres a list of the answers for the SeeD tests.

Level 1: Y N Y Y Y N N Y N N
Level 2: Y N Y Y Y N Y Y N N
Level 3: N N Y N Y Y Y N Y N
Level 4: N Y Y Y N N Y Y N N
Level 5: N N N Y Y N N Y Y Y
Level 6: Y N Y Y N N Y Y N Y
Level 7: Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y N
Level 8: N Y N N Y Y N N Y N
Level 9: N Y N N N N N N Y Y
Level 10: Y N N N N N N N Y N
Level 11: Y Y N Y Y N Y N N Y
Level 12: N Y N N Y N Y N Y N
Level 13: Y N N N Y N N N N N
Level 14: Y Y Y Y N Y Y N Y N
Level 15: Y Y N N N N N Y N Y
Level 16: Y N N Y N Y N N Y N
Level 17: Y N N N Y N N Y N N
Level 18: Y N N N Y N N N N N
Level 19: Y N N Y N N N N N Y
Level 20: Y Y N Y N Y Y Y N N
Level 21: Y Y Y Y N N Y Y Y N
Level 22: N N N Y N N N Y Y N
Level 23: Y N N N N Y Y Y Y Y
Level 24: Y Y N N Y Y N N N Y
Level 25: Y N Y Y Y N N Y N N
Level 26: Y Y N Y N Y N Y N N
Level 27: N Y N N N N Y N Y N
Level 28: Y N N Y Y Y N Y N N
Level 29: N N N Y Y N N N Y N
Level 30: N Y N N N N Y N N N

I suggest you master the junctioning stuff. If you know how to junction, you can beat the game.

I've killed the spider. It's fun :D

Junctioning Is easy, its like equiping a character on Diablo II, you choose the best possible combination for each character.

When I first played the game... i didnt know a thing about Junctioning system... but when I kept dieing and stuff even though i was like lvl 50 then... I realized you can boost up your stats using magic lol... I felt really stupid but I figured it out. Taco, if you want to play the game... and need help, go look on GameFAQs or go into Gamespot.com to get some help.
Its all up to you on whether you play or not... because it could be an awesome game for you unlike anyone else.

I personally loved FF8.... :noid: *stashes himself in his stash*

i thought ff8 was great

sounds good

FF8 was great, but I did like 7 and 9 better.

FF6 and 4 are the best of the series, though.

ff9 was my favorite out of them all then came ff8

Okay, why are you playing this game!? And um... don't use a strategy guide on an RPG, where's the fun in that?

uh... are you insulting FF8? Its not that bad at all actually... if you don't like it... give us a freaking reason instead of asking ppl why are they playing it as if its an obvious fact.

"and um..." I realized that it does take the fun outta me so I stopped after I got FF8 guide :P you DONT have to remind me.

Again, "uh..." (and I'm using this word out of spite) why are you playing this game!? There are so many RPGs that are far more superior. This game has zero character development, the story line sucks, and the game is very boring overall, with the exception of the last few hours of each disc. The characters were drawn and created by some goof, that square hired because the original artist from all games Final Fantasy was still livin' it up from his work on Final Fantasy Tactics. The music, was done by some other goof, that was horribly rushed. The theme song sucked. And don't let me start talking about what poor character development Squall had. And he's the main character. Squall was a straight up pussy. How can someone like him, compete with the likes of Kain, or Cecil from Final Fantasy II, or Shadow and Locke from Final Fantasy III, or even Barrett and Cloud from Final Fantasy VII? And Cloud was a bitch. These characters actually had development that went along with the 30 plus hours of gameplay. When Aeris died, we cared, because she had story development. From the beginning Squall appeared to be a bitch ass pussy to me, right from the introduction when Seifer put a gash in his face. Oh, and let's not forget about Rydia from Final Fantasy II, you know, the girl with the green hair that pretty much fucked up the world. Or did you even play that game? Are you just one of those trending gamers that only plays games that have great graphics, lots of cut scenes and an awesome commercial? The truth is you don't know, you're just an average, moderate gamer, that played and enjoyed Final Fantasy VIII because it carried the Final Fantasy title. This game was trash, and for many very good reasons.

Further more, I can't believe anyone would use a strategy guide for any game. Unless you are extremely stuck, strategy guides are for loser, and pussies. A real gamer definitely would not use a guide to "help" them through the game. If anything they're good for showing you what goodies you missed the first time you played the game.

The music was done by the same guy that did all of the other Final Fantasy's music, Nobuo Uematsu, and he is far from a goof. Oh yeah and Faye Wong sang "Eyes on Me"(the song at the end).

Amazon is correct...

The music was the only worthwhile aspect of FF8.

My mistake. Honestly I didn't enjoy the music. Either way, I've proved many other points. I'll admit, I made a mistake. But I was told to at say why the game sucks, and there you have it.

Well, hey, it was my first FF game... and if it sucked so much... then I wouldnt have started to play ANY of the other FF games... Not trying to argue with ya there but I wouldnt be here talking about FF series if I didnt actually see FF8 and played. Hey, you say its bad, I dont care, thats your problem, I say that its not a complete garbage work by Square, for ONE reason... it drew me into the whole RPG gaming not just Final Fantasy... but any RPG's throughout the world. Same ppl made it... same person wrote the songs...(except the Eyes on Me which really gave me the goosebumps)I dont see why you ppl hate it so much. Okay, storyline, characters... I understand because I didnt like Squall from the first place anyways... and the story I didnt understand how it went until the second time I played the game and whoa junction system.. I was stuck on this for A while. Yeah, Jin, you say that Strategy guides are for pussies but I was there CLUELESS, buying my first FF game ever with the book in my hand and on the other hand holding my daddy's hands... I WAS A GRADE 4! I don't even know why I bought it even though a magazine I bought had a strat guide for the game... heh, heck, I didn't even know how to speak english nor know how to read back then :) Let me finish off here with a final conclusion...

I do not think this game was a total failure for Squaresoft.

~END OF DISCUSSION~

/agrees with dark

ff8 was also my first ff game, and it drew me into the series
so obviously i thought it was a great game

All in all, FF8 does not compare to the many greater RPG's out there. After playing all these other great RPG's, you play FF8 and your wondering what the hell is this supposed to be? Am Is this supposed to keep me playing for longer than 15 hours? I could name countless RPG's that look down on FF8, although I have a feeling no one has played them if FF8 was the first RPG many of you have played.

First Final Fantasy game. I would not have even admitted to that. The fact of the matter is, the game is good to you because you do not know the quality of Square with their Final Fantasy games. And that is obvious because it was your first Final Fantasy game.
If you were to give someone from a third world country a hamburger made from grade F ground beef, they would think it taste like the best thing in the world. Why? Because they've never had anything better. You've been starved of good RPGs, and the first one that you did play was grade F garbage. As with the people that thought Phantom Menance was golden. Of course they did, they never saw Episodes 4, 5, and 6. Now, it's the...

"~END OF DISCUSSION~" (And yes, I used that out of spite)

yes it was my first ff game i played, but does that mean i have not found the time to play the other ff games or any other rpgs?????

Don't worry about it Radzkull. Jin finds it necessary to take a very "Dark Dragoon" approach to his opinions and not let anyone else have theirs. He's a very bitter fanboy.

That's actually incorrect. I)ark_"Pheonix" (nice spelling) said "uh... are you insulting FF8? Its not that bad at all actually... if you don't like it... give us a freaking reason instead of asking ppl why are they playing it as if its an obvious fact."
He told me to give a "freaking" reason. So I gave my reasons. Every reply that my post receive prior to that, I will reply to and support what I have said. What am I supposed to do? Not give my reasons. Sit here and go "man, I wish I could reply". Nah, it doesn't work like that. What is a "Pheonix" anyway? Is it the same as "Phoenix" from Final Fantasy II?

FF8 was not my first. I loved it when I played it. I thought the phantom menace was great, I had seen 4, 5, and 6, a few times each. Your little analogy thingies make no sense.

Phantom Menance definitely was not on the same level as Episodes 4, 5, and 6.

Jin, your need to constsntly reiterate your "spite" for other people and their opinions is what I'm getting at. You have every right to disagree with others. But, tagging your posts with "I used that out of spite" is just childish and stupid.

Well I like it, and now that I know it bothers you, I will continue to quote you, out of spite. Haha, don't expose your weakness. Just argue your point and be done with it. You "constsntly" (and I'm using that out of spite) just arguing my point, which is what I was told to do.

omfg, what are you, a spelling freak... not to mention all the quotes. And yea, my name was supposed to be I)ark_Phoenix, but I spelt it wrong and pressed enter which made me just sign up as I)ark_Pheonix. It wasn't a MAJOR spelling error, so I didn't bother asking Chruser to change it for me. You think it's major, that's your problem...

ANNOUNCMENT... WE HAVE ANOTHER DARK DRAGOON ON BOARD!

Jin, it doesn't particularly bother me. In fact, I find it laughable that you feel the need to hunt down other people's "weaknesses" to use on a gaming forum. It just makes you look like a moron.

!!!, my name has been officially fixed:) sorry about that lol, back on topic.

Yeah, I noticed that earlier. Hurrah!