How Many Hours were you at When you left Rabanastre

[Locke4God]

I'm spending a ton of time in this game. Most FF games I finish at about the 90 hour mark. The first time I played 7 I did it in 75 hours, and 85 hours the first time I played through 8. Both 9 & 10 took me 95 hours. I just played through 10 a second time and it was the first time I went over 100, and my total was 103 after the final boss there.

BUT in 12, I'm still in Bujara and I'm already at 24 hours. I didn't leave Rabanastre until the 17 hour mark. I was caught up in earning money, finding weapons, completing hunts, and just exploring the land and the battle system.

So I was curious how long some of you took before leaving Rabanatre.

[Josh_R]

I spent three hours in rabanastre...

The first time I played 7 I did it in 75 hours, .

Come on 75 my first time I racked in at least 200 hours of play

[Che]

I like to explore, and see new things in games. I left as soon as it was possible to.

[Dodie16]

Technically, it doesn't take that long to actually leave Rabanastre. You have to hunt a mark for Tomaj by going to the Estersand, which means leaving Rabanastre. That happens pretty early in the game, I'd say an hour to 1 1/2 hours at most (for me).

If your talking about leaving Dalmasca, then that's a different story. It still didn't take me long because I also like to see what happens next in the story. I'd say 4 hours, tops.

[Belugn]

I spend TONS of time around rabanastre before I finally left for Bhujerba. At around 15 hours maybe? The estersand is so pleasant to run around in, and looting wolves in the area near the water by that little tiny ferry outpost bordering to the westersand.

Whoa Kisuke, 200 hours! I think I played FF7 out in...52 hours or something, and still I did pretty much everything there was to do, except beating the Weapons. FF6 took about 50 hours too, and FFX the first time I played it took me 62 hours I think. (Later playthroughs have taken MUCH longer.) I have wasted most time on FFXII though, my first playthrough were around 80 hours, and the one I've actually spent time on now is up in 124 hours +!

[Megidolaon]

The first time I spent like 3-4 hours before leaving Dalmasca.
This time I spent some time grinding (exp is shared between all party members like in old FFs, making it faster to grind with a single party member) and spent like 5-6 hours before leaving Dalmasca.

[Locke4God]

Wow so I'm spending a bunch of time. Maybe I've gotten more patient with these games. Interesting Belugn that you spent 15 hours in Rabanastre before leaving for Bhujerba, and yet you finished the whole game in just 80? I'm at 40 hours now since the start of this post and I'm just now getting past the Giza plains during their first rain season. I really this game is going to head above 200 hours for me. I've only got one summon so far!!!

@ Megidolaon - Is it experienced shared? I don't think it is, or at least not equally. My characters I'm using in battle level up far faster than those I don't. Somebody help me out if you know for sure.

[Belugn]

Haha, when I got out of Rabanastre I just rushed really. And I never did any major leveling. I think the only part I was sort of stuck on, on my first play through, was before Raithwalls Tomb, on that freaking boss right before you enter...you've come that far into the game yet?

Man all these FFXII conversations makes me wanna play again, it's been a while now.

Oh and as far as I'm concerned, EXP is NOT shared amongst the party members. The ones that are out, yes. But not the ones that are inactive. They do however, earn LP from battles equally to the active party members. Twice if they have a golden amulet attached, even if they're in the inactive part of the party.

[Locke4God]

@ Belugn - Yeah I'm through Raithwall's Tomb already. In fact I'm already through the Sword of Kings and Mateus as well. In fact for a few hours I've been doing some side quests including getting the key for the exit to that Dungeon that comes out in the Estersands. I'm about ready to move North past Nalbina and towards Archadia, but I'm currently at 65 Hours. Maybe I'm halfway through the game right now? That puts me at 130 hours for the game. That's by far and away the longest I've ever spent on any one game.

[Belugn]

@Locke4God: Ahhh you really make me want to replay this game again, I really enjoyed the quest for the Barheim Passage key for some reason. It's the one with the part with the cactite family, is it not? And the tomb and the stilshrine I also found quite fun to explore. Well you still have some of my favourite parts of the game left however!

And yeah you're probably half way the game now, but the last parts are pretty time consuming. And you've got some major fields and other areas left, yet to see. I love FFXII and it's huuuuge world. If you could jump around and climb around like in Shadow of The Colossus, I'd consider it's world like...perfect.

[Locke4God]

Funny you mentioned shadow, because I kept wishing each of the areas were as expansive as the area in Shadow. That was an absolutely outstanding game. Can't wait for the upcoming 3rd Team ICO game.

I'm sort of at a standstill right now. I did the Barheim passage key quest, but the path towards the newly opened area is a little tough for my level and equipment right now. So I've gone back and I'm trying to get the Esper from Zaternin Caverns, which I think I can do if I stratagize right, and then I've got a hunt or 2 I need to do. Then I'm going back to Barheim before I move on towards Archadia. It is a fun world. Perhaps the most interactive of an FF title. They really moved in the right direction with this game.

You know on the downside though, I don't enjoy the dungeons so much. I tend to pass up as many battles as possible, because I do my leveling in areas I can get easy high chain counts. In fact I find myself avoiding any battles I can unless they result in chains, so I'm split on the whole chain concept. I liked it, but I think it just encourages you to avoid all other fights.

[Belugn]

I just started playing SoTC this weekend, a friend of mine randomly dumped it in my lap last friday, telling me to play it. And well, I've really had to put a restriction on myself when it comes to playing it, since I have so much unfinished art and school work to finish, haha. Marvelous game, and I liked ICO too, even if I just played it some on a friend's page ages ago. The upcoming one? Would that be The Last Guardian or something along those lines? It really resembles the style of Team ICO, but I haven't actually thought about it until I started playing Shadow now too. I'll have to check that out.

Obtaining Zalera is extemly fun! But then again I found all esper hunts interesting for some reason, even though they're really just traveling through areas like any others.
Yeah it's a really visually appealing world, though I do however, somewhat agree with you about the dungeons. But not so much because I didn't enjoy them that much, more because of the NUMBER of them. It really surprised me how many they were, considering it being a game that at least was said to be about sky pirates and the like in trailers etc. "Pirates without a sky..." At least Balthier was being honest.

[Toines]

*rushes to PS2 to re-play FFXII*
Indeed a beautiful and exiting world, i miss it now, reading your posts.

I think i'm usually at 15 hour mark before leaving Dalmasca.

[Locke4God]

@ Toines - Glad we could inspire you. And yeah, I was about at 15 hours as well. Although in a replay I probably wouldn't take so long. I spent a lot of time running around the plains and sands just exploring, but now that I know what's out there, I don't think I would make as much of an adventure out of it as I did. Before I left Rabanastre for Bhujerba the first time, I'd already been to the Zertanin Caverns and the exit for Barheim in the Westersands.

By the way, I'm now at about 75 hours, and just now making it to Salikawoods. Does that strike anybody else as a lot of time? I imagine I've got several more hours to go until I even get to Archadia and I can't imagine what gigantic plot twist awaits that will require at least 20-30 more hours after that, not counting explore time. This game is great!!!!

[Joe]

I'm not sure how long I spent before leaving Rabanastre. I wanna say about 3-5 hours or so, because I wanted to be able to be leveled enough to handle things while I got the hang of stuff, and enjoy the story.

Currently I'm clocked in at 100 hours and 37 minutes. I still have 11 hunts to do, as well as hunt down Hell Wyrm, Omega Mark XII and Yiazmat, not to mention collect some weapons, and raise enough money to buy my tournesol (already unlocked in Bazaar), and possibly bring Basch, Balthier, and Penelo to respectable levels, as they are only at level 17-30. My main party just hit lvl 72.

Also, Locke4God, 20-30 more hours sounds right at your playing pace, especially if you are doing a lot of exploring and loot gathering.

[Belugn]

Aah Salika Woods. I love the sort of freedom you have to go and travel different places in that area when you get to that point in the game. However the first time I played it I for some reason started to rush a lot at that point, so when I replayed it later, everything like Nabudis, the deadlands and the Cerobi Steppe (later on) were still fresh! All this FFXII talk is really making me wanna replay this game again, or complete out my current file at least. One more Esper, three more marks and then perhaps I could do some weapon "hunting" but I'm not sure.

The only area I haven't really explored now is the Henna Mines.

I know you've got some areas (well actually quite some areas - good for you!) left Locke, but which place has been your favourite so far? Either because of what you got to do there, or just visually. Or any other reason.

[ffking997]

i left rabanastre at the 3 hour mark... as alot of people do.. 17 hours in rabanastre?? non-sense...

[Toxo]

I spent roughly 20 hours with Vaan and Penelo before I continued to the Royal Palace and to the dungeon in Nalbina.

[supershiva11]

24 hours!? i spent like 5 hours tops haha

[kupo]

only a couple hours for me. i left as soon as i could because i like to go around the other areas and explore. iv'e only gone back to talk to mountblanc and do a couple side quest.

*edit*....and to complete hunts in lowtown/garamsythe waterway

[Cruel Misery]

I'm spending a ton of time in this game. Most FF games I finish at about the 90 hour mark. The first time I played 7 I did it in 75 hours, and 85 hours the first time I played through 8. Both 9 & 10 took me 95 hours. I just played through 10 a second time and it was the first time I went over 100, and my total was 103 after the final boss there.

BUT in 12, I'm still in Bujara and I'm already at 24 hours. I didn't leave Rabanastre until the 17 hour mark. I was caught up in earning money, finding weapons, completing hunts, and just exploring the land and the battle system.

So I was curious how long some of you took before leaving Rabanatre.

Im shocked at your times lol only took me 39 to finish ff10

err not sure how long Rabanastre took me think it was about 7 hours im not sure, but ive completed 12 and it took me about 102 hours, im now on 127 hours but thats just me getting all the hunts done and exploring the places i was too low of a level earlier.... i need ribbons lol

[Jonathanx221]

I never beat the game, I forget where I was, some area with colors, bridges that appear out of no where, green ones and blue ones, I couldn't beat the boss so I quit. I had 57 hours in it. That was a long time ago, if it was now, I would grind my ass off and destroy that boss. =]

[Nightmare Cloud]

How many hours was I at when I left Rabanastre?

Too many.

And some of those dungeons were even worse for hours spent in there xD

[Choco_Lover]

The very first time that I played I maybe spent like and hour or 2 in the Rabanastre and then I moved on because I wanted to see what happened next in the story line, but on my second play through I spend a lot more time exploring and checking for side quests and things like that. This time around I actually spent 10hrs training around rabanastre before I went into the palace basement.

[Cloudsnakeskin]

8 hours, i did a bit of grinding before i left.