Tips, Hints, Suggestions--Random Bits of Value

[GranFran]

Also, if you want faster ATB rate, you can combine items like a speed sash+whistlewind(aurora) scarf (i think). This will give you ATB rate +10%, and you can get up to 20% somehow by combining accessories like that on a character. Lightning's ATB gauge on attack weapon and 20% ATB rate accessories make her awesome for building % at ravager.

Oh, excellent! I had no idea you could do that to speed things up.. Time to go to gamefaqs and see if they have a complete list of such items that will do that.. I like that site, though it really is impersonal, if you know what I mean.. It's not like you can talk to them and ask questions, it's 'just the faqs, ma'am, and nothing but the faqs'..

So, another question, if you don't mind.. When you get down to Pulse and you arrive at the big open plains area, do you do any fighting there, aside from the small dog-like creatures? Do you start your missions right away?

I kind of avoided it the first time through.. I think I experienced 'graphic overload' there and just took off for the Northwest.. Got killed by a couple of big dudes on the way, but I think I should have stayed and fought for awhile.. If you should, what's the best team to use? Thanks, hon..

On a side note, what is with the gil and inventory over there on the left?

^ Ah, I never knew that you can boost the rate of the ATB gauge. =S

On the topic of speed, I just equip a pair of Sprint Shoes on all three characters to give them Auto-Haste at the start of battle. Granted, it doesn't last that long, but it's long enough that I can have my buffs on and stagger the enemy; on the lesser monsters I kill them off way before Haste wears off, though. The Sprint Shoes, combined with the Aurora Scarf if you want it, will give you a full ATB gauge from the start that refills in two seconds after you use it.

You got Sprint Shoes!? Wow, you must be pretty darn far along.. I haven't seen anything like those yet.. And what do you mean auto-haste doesn't last long? If it's equipped isn't it permanent? I'm confused on that, always before in FF a piece of equipment worked forever as long as you were wearing it, right?

[Andromeda]

The bulk of the monsters running around the main hub map of Gran Pulse will be too strong for you to deal with at this point. You can certainly give it a try, but if you don't fight them it is not a bad thing. Most of the stuff there is a post-game stuff. You can do some of the missions, but even the missions become too difficult after the first handful.

Sadly, no auto-haste is not the permanent haste that we are all used to. What it basically does is cast a normal haste spell at the start of the battle. So it will run out and it does so a lot sooner than a normal haste spell. All of the auto-whatever gear will expire pretty quickly in battle which is why I don't really bother with them unless the battle is only going to take like 30 seconds.

As for the gil/inventory question, I'm not sure what you're asking.

[GranFran]

The bulk of the monsters running around the main hub map of Gran Pulse will be too strong for you to deal with at this point. You can certainly give it a try, but if you don't fight them it is not a bad thing. Most of the stuff there is a post-game stuff. You can do some of the missions, but even the missions become too difficult after the first handful.

Sadly, no auto-haste is not the permanent haste that we are all used to. What it basically does is cast a normal haste spell at the start of the battle. So it will run out and it does so a lot sooner than a normal haste spell. All of the auto-whatever gear will expire pretty quickly in battle which is why I don't really bother with them unless the battle is only going to take like 30 seconds.

As for the gil/inventory question, I'm not sure what you're asking.

Well now, that's just a sad thing altogether about the 'auto' equipment.. In fact, kinda stinks.. Thanks for the warning about Gran Pulse.. I will try a couple of the first missions but let it go after that..

What I meant about the gil and inventory is on the left, just below your avatar it says gil and inventory.. I notice some people have little icons there and was curious about both.. Thanks again..

[Andromeda]

Are you meaning the clock and coin icons next to the time and gil? Or the passive abilities to the right of that? Apart from that though I can't think of any additional icons near the time and gil. If you find a picture with it circled can I identify it for you.

[GranFran]

Are you meaning the clock and coin icons next to the time and gil? Or the passive abilities to the right of that? Apart from that though I can't think of any additional icons near the time and gil. If you find a picture with it circled can I identify it for you.

Oh no, hon, sorry for the confusion, I meant here in the forum, not in the game.. I was talking about the inventory and gil amounts beneath where it says number of posts..

[bahamuts heir]

Random question
who is Sarah exactly?
I don't have access to the game currently and I really want to know, the question has been bugging me for like 2 weeks

[Andromeda]

Serah is Lightning's little sister and Snow's fiance. She is also a Pulse l'Cie and a few other things that you learn about as the story progresses.

[Sasquatch]

Alright, I've got a question. I'm on Chapter 4 now, as I just got the game two days ago. I just recently came across the ability to upgrade my weapons and accessories.

My question is: Which ones should I upgrade? I mean, take Lightning. Right now she's using a Gladius, but she started off with the Flame Sabre, or whatever it was. The Gladius is better right now, but her original weapon takes half the amount to upgrade a level. So which one do I spend my spoils to upgrade? Which one is a better deal? I don't want to spend a crapload upgrading something only to find out that it would have been much cheaper to upgrade something else to even higher stats.

I appreciate the help.

[GranFran]

Alright, I've got a question. I'm on Chapter 4 now, as I just got the game two days ago. I just recently came across the ability to upgrade my weapons and accessories.

My question is: Which ones should I upgrade? I mean, take Lightning. Right now she's using a Gladius, but she started off with the Flame Sabre, or whatever it was. The Gladius is better right now, but her original weapon takes half the amount to upgrade a level. So which one do I spend my spoils to upgrade? Which one is a better deal? I don't want to spend a crapload upgrading something only to find out that it would have been much cheaper to upgrade something else to even higher stats.

I appreciate the help.

You shouldn't worry about upgrading your weapons until around chapter 10 or 11.. However, it doesn't hurt to upgrade some of your accessories, like the Warriors Wristband (to Power Glove) and the bangles that increase HP.. Also, when you get your first Tetradic Tiara, if you dismantle it, you can get your first Sprint Shoes from it, it adds Haste for awhile during battles.. I don't why Square decided most of their accessories should only give boosts for short periods of time.. I'd like to tell the jerk that came up with that idea what I think of him/her..

When you do start upgrading weapons there is an excellent guide right here in the forum that will show you the best items to use..
Good luck..

[Zargabaath]

Alright, I've got a question. I'm on Chapter 4 now, as I just got the game two days ago. I just recently came across the ability to upgrade my weapons and accessories.

My question is: Which ones should I upgrade? I mean, take Lightning. Right now she's using a Gladius, but she started off with the Flame Sabre, or whatever it was. The Gladius is better right now, but her original weapon takes half the amount to upgrade a level. So which one do I spend my spoils to upgrade? Which one is a better deal? I don't want to spend a crapload upgrading something only to find out that it would have been much cheaper to upgrade something else to even higher stats.

I appreciate the help.

As what Gran Fran was saying it is probably best to hold off on upgrading your weapons till way later, I would say chapter 11. In my current playthrough I haven't upgraded any weapon or accesory yet and am doing quite well. So you could just horde all your components till chapter 11. Another reason why it may be wise to hold off on upgrading your weapons now is because the characters get more weapons and it does take some resources to level up any weapon; you may want to make a later weapon your main weapon for the respective character. The components you may use now could be used for later. Once I got more weapons I was a bit upset because those new weapons I wanted to upgrade and I had wasted components on the earlier stuff.

[TLO]

I don't have a lot of data to back this up yet, but I have noticed after two sets of moves if you switch paradigms your atb gauge is full again right away. So as to get more moves in per fight I end up switching my paradigm after 2 sets just to fill the gauge.

Technically it is 12 seconds, which is about the time you are referring to, but you can just wait and do it with one change or two or three, it is up to you, but it is 12 seconds =]


As for Adamantoise, would it be okay if I put up a thread about how to beat them?

[BregolAlderon]

Ok guys, I'm not on the Cie'th missions yet, but I was wandering....how the heck do you beat Barthandelus. I have tried and Tried, and tried some more. It seems Like the most i can do is get the Right Pauldrons and Right Ailmentsbeat before he amplifies his magic and goes beserk. Please help me.

[Unknown Entity]

Okay, so I was having lucky streaks on getting my Platinum Ingots all last week. I was getting one pretty much every single time I took down the Adamantoise at Eden, with a few blanks between. I noticed that every single time my TP was maxed, I'd get one, so I made sure I had max TP before going into battle.

... I dismissed it as wishful thinking.

Now, I've been farming all day and only got three Ingots. The first two were about two hours apart, and I wasn't bothering to max out my TP before hand. I just now decided to have a go at maxing TP out and see if that makes a difference, and boom - I get one first try.

I highly doubt TP effects drop rates, so don't get me wrong. I just thought it was strange and if anyone else has noticed this (if it's not just me, that is)?

ALSO, any valid/confirmed tips on Ingot/Gil farming would be appreciated. I'm sick to death of this already.

EDIT: Could it be the battles and NOT the TP that increase the chances? I dunno...

EDIT2: Three in a row?! o.O

[jd4]

I don't know if someone has already noticed it but i managed to find an usefull strategy to last longer in combat...

If you use a sentinel to shield your other party members, they get hit also by various spells like tundara and ... but also some debufs if they are to close to the sentinel.

My solution:
Play with a commando, use ruin because each time it start its quene, it wil jump back, this way you distance yourself from the other members.
RESULT: only 2 members get hit, and you can keep staggering/ attacking the enemy.
If your sentinel/other character are taking too much damage, switch your other characters role to medic...

I believe it works also with the ravager.

This way you can last a verry long time in a single battle... but don't forget to switch paradigims reguloary as mentioned before, so you can keep on healing and attacking

I mostly use Lightning/Fang/Vanille with roles:
Commando / sentinel / ravager
commando / sentinel / medic
ravager / sentinel / medic

[leejuhlee]

I note that when you are farming Adamantoises in Eden you dont need to save,quit and then load the game.You just need to go there where are 2 soldier groups and go to near that door behind them (You dont need to open it) and then go back and Adamantoise is back.

Then if you need TP go to opposite direction(To there where are Behemots and Juggernauts). Then return and soldiers are back.

[Benthic]

A pretty good grinding spot I like is located in the "An Asylum From Light" area of Mah'habara Subterra. There are six Cryohedrons that come out of side storage areas with doors and attack your party. At first it was frustrating to try and dispatch them all before one or two self-destructed and killed my leader or another member. But I started using Snow as a Sentinel to shield and reduce the frost damage to the other members and it works quite well. Now that I think about it how ironic is that....Snow shields his friends from the ice bombs.
Anyway, I control Snow using the Sen/Rav/Com paradigm and have him provoke the nasty bombers and then pick steelguard (well, i don't, the autobattle does that) and hold that while the other two party members hack and slash their way through the buggers. Now I dont have to get all frantic, just sit back and collect the valuable components that they drop.

This works well if you are working your way through this area for the first time to get to Oerba. Especially if your party isnt very strong yet.

[chocobo147kupo]

Hey i need help with the boss Odin. I just joined this site and i need help really bad! I did'nt even last 20 seconds with the eidolon.

[Pug]

Very late post but I will confirm the Platinum Ingot theory. I discovered it myself and was the first thing I looked for when joining the forum

If you fight an UNBUFFED adamantoise (before they transform after completing the side missions that are in a circle) and build up your TP so vanille can summon before going into battle with one, do the summon and then kill it with death you seem to have an 80% drop chance on it. Like the above poster said im not sure what the determaning factor is but this does work.