~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _ , FINAL FANTASY VIII ,- - ,, ------------------------- _||_ ' _ || UNOFFICIAL STRATEGY GUIDE ' || \\ \\/\\ < \, || ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || || || || /-|| || Zena's definitive guide |, || || || (( || || for Final Fantasy VIII. _-/ \\ \\ \\ \/\\ \\ In this here guide you _ , will find a wealth of ,- - , information on Final _||_ _ || _ Fantasy VIII, some of ' || < \, \\/\\ =||= < \, _-_, '\\/\\ which you won't find || /-|| || || || /-|| ||_. || ;' anywhere else. |, (( || || || || (( || ~ || ||/ _-/ \/\\ \\ \\ \\, \/\\ ,-_- |/ Disclaimer, health ( warning, credits, feed- _ -_- back rules and frequently - - _- _-_, _-_, _-_, asked questions are in the )- ) // // // bottom chapter. )___) || || || ~)___) ~|| ~|| ~|| See below to see latest up- ) ) || || || dates. The rest of the version /-_/ _-_, _-_, _-_, history can be found in the introduction chapter. -----------OO-----------------------------------------OO---------- || Title: Final Fantasy VIII || || Guide type: Unofficial Strategy Guide || || Author: Zenalasca || || Real Name: Zena Mason || || E-Mail: ze_faq@yahoo.com.au || || Began: 26th December, 2004 || || Last Updated: January, 2007 || || Version: 8.00 || -----------OO-----------------------------------------OO---------- Latest Version Updates ---------------------- 8.00: - Added information about Nida to the Encyclopaedia. - Thanks to a very studious person named Ian (who made a point of my complaints about other guides having bad spelling) I have changed "Librali Fitali" to "Liberi Fatali," which is in fact the spelling that Square uses -- therefore the right one. - Added information about versions 1.00, 2.00 and 3.00 to Version History. - Added the old footer from v3.00 and 4.00. - Changed the profile for elixir in the chapter about items. - Added Refining Tree, an artical that shows you chains of three or more refining operations. - Began magic ratings lists in the Status Junctions chapter. - In an earlier version of the guide I wrote the histories of certain characters, and now I have reinstalled them. - Added a sample chapter of my FF8 novelisation, the first time any of it has appeared on the internet. ------------------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION I00 The name says it all, man ------------ --- -------------------------- Guide Introduction I01 Intro of this epic masterpiece FF8 Introduction I02 Intro of this epic masterpiece BASICS II00 The ABC, 123, doe-re-me of FF8 ------ ---- ------------------------------ Basic Info II01 Things you should know ... Glossary II02 What all the stats, etc. mean Controls II03 Default PS and PC controls Menus II04 Brief summary of the menus Battle Tutorial II05 All the basics of battle Triple Triad II06 TT for beginners and experts too SeeD II07 How to be a good little SeeD ... Transport II08 Planes, trains and automobiles! All About Magic II09 Miscellaneous magical info Junction Tutorial II10 Your step-by-step,in-depth guide PocketStation II11 For Chocobo World (PSX version) GF Management II12 How to make your GFs love you Dialogue Tutorial II13 Deciphering dialogue standards Character Managing II14 Summary of getting the best team FF8 Version Changes II15 ... and differences with FF7 WALKTHROUGH III00 The BEST ... or your money back ----------- ----- ------------------------------- Balamb III01 Beginning-of-walkthru-bonanza Dollet Field Exam III02 The Dollet practical exam Balamb II III03 Surviving post-test Balamb Dream World Prt I III04 Laguna the tall dark stranger Timber III05 A glimpse of what is to come Dream World Prt II III06 Laguna the bumbling fool Galbadia Garden III07 A new mission Deling City III08 Between a rock and a hard place Dream World Prt III III09 Laguna the family man D-District Prison III10 Jailbreak [from the] rock! Missile Base III11 Tactical espionage action! Balamb III III12 Much ado about nothing Fisherman's Horizon III13 The calm before the reel storm Balamb IV III14 Balamb's occupation Trabia Garden III15 Reaching a mutual understanding Centra III16 War of the Gardens Edea's House III17 The Sorceress' stories Dream World Prt IV III18 Laguna the movie star White SeeD Ship III19 A reunion of sorts Great Salt Lake III20 Polluted outskirts of Esthar Dream World Prt V III21 Laguna the Politician Esthar III22 Shopping capital of the world Lunar Base III23 Ground control to Major Tom Ragnarok III24 Resident Evil in Space Lunatic Pandora III25 The Henchman of Ultimecia Ultimecia Castle III26 Final frontiers SECRETS AND SIDE QUESTS IV00 Walkthrough essentials ----------------------- ---- ---------------------- The Magical Lamp IV01 Be bedazzled with GF Diablos Dollet Revisited IV02 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Tomb of da Unknown King IV03 The King of the Thralls Winhill Revisited IV04 Quest of the broken Vase Shumi Village IV05 Learn more about Laguna & NORG Chocobo Catching IV06 Earning chocobos' trust Chocobo World IV07 Adventures of Boco the Chocobo Odin IV08 Another test, another dungeon Tonberry IV09 Earning Tonberries' loyalty The Solomon's Ring IV10 Offerings to a GF demigod Cactuar Island IV11 Cactuar fun under the hot sun! PuPu the Alien IV12 Tear jerking, heart moving ET :P Card Club Group IV13 Climbin' to the top of the Pack! Queen of Cards IV14 Squall's poker-face may help Obel Lake IV15 Black Shadow and Grumpy Monkey Bahamut IV16 King of GFs, and of dragons Ultima Weapon IV17 Have you met your match? Omega Weapon IV18 You're in [bad] Luck!! Challenges IV19 How to waste your time Tips and Hints IV20 How to save your time Glitches IV21 Summary: Loopholes in the system APPENDICES V00 What can't fit anywhere else ---------- --- ---------------------------- Character Info V01 Characters' battle statistics Bestiary V02 Monsters, meet your makers! Cards List V03 Complete card listing Card Players V04 What's hot in the TT world Magic List V05 Where to find and how to use Status Junctions V06 One-stop spot for Elem/ST-J Guardian Forces V07 Each GF has their own run-down GF Abilities V08 Run-down of GF abilities Timber Maniacs V09 Where and when to find them Weapons V10 Weapons and ingredients needed Items V11 Strategies on hard-to-get items Locations Index V12 My version of a world map Game Shark Codes V13 Have your cake and eat it too Refining Tree V14 How the items are related SPECIAL FEATURES VI00 Spoiler alert! Spoiler alert! ---------------- ---- ----------------------------- Common complaints VI01 ... concerning FF8 Character Analyses VI02 Explicit, yet with few spoilers! Song Lyrics VI03 Final Fantasy VIII sing-along? The Dream Saga VI04 A sci-fi, humanistic novel Media references VI05 Other places FF8 made its mark Classic Themes VI06 Classic Final Fantasy concepts All about Moombas VI07 Raise your hand if you know not German Version of FF8 VI08 Names in the German FF8 Real-Life Galbadia VI09 Germany or the USA? Ultimecia theories VI10 Spoiler filled run-down of Ulti Story Analyses VI11 Not yet finished! Game's history VI12 It's all in the past Encyclopaedia VI13 What's in a name? Selphie's parents VI14 Who are they? Selphie's powers VI15 ... But she's not a sorceress! Tonberry King VI16 Where did he come from? European or Japanese? VI17 Is Rinoa meant to be Asian? Party time for Quisty! VI18 Where was she at the SeeD dance? Squall's parents VI19 I can tell you who they are Eden myth busted! VI20 Who or What is Eden? Creepy events VI21 While playing FF8 Survey VI22 What do you think? Xbox 360 review VI23 Love it or hate it Battle advice VI24 From me, you, and whoever else FF8 movie VI25 How would you direct it? Unsolved mysteries VI26 Some of which are partly solved OST list VI27 Official soundtrack list Zena's FF8 Novelisation VI28 A teaser of the full thing ENDING STUFF VII00 Things a guide can't do without ------------ ----- ------------------------------- FAQ VII01 Frequently Asked Questions Feedback VII02 Rules to go by when you e-mail Acknowledgements VII03 Shout-outs to all who helped! Boring Stuff VII04 Disclaimer health warning, etc Ending Words VII05 My conclusion to this affair Note: Most word processors and internet applications have a "Find" system. Using this you can type in the co-ordinates to find their designated destination. "Find" can usually be located in the application's "Edit" menu. There are two different sets of co-ordinates for each chapter. One on the left, and one on the right. Say you wanted to get to the beginning of the walkthrough. You would type in the number on the left, or the code in the right, which is, in this case III19 or III. Include "ff8/" at the beginning of these codes to get to your destination. If somehow it didn't work, check that there are no spaces in the code. ==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--== ==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--== -= INTRODUCTION [ff8/I00] =- ==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--== ==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--==--== ================================================================== Introduction the Guide [ff8/I01] ================================================================== Introduction ------------ Final Fantasy VIII is my favourite game of all time, or certainly my favourite RPG, and defiantly my favourite Final Fantasy. The game has typical RPG elements, yet with a unique bent on how it's done. I have put my whole heart and soul into making a guide for my favourite game of all time. It's a must for any fan of Final Fantasy VIII, whether they be novice or expert! Before I start telling you about Final Fantasy VIII itself there some things I want to get out of the way. This is a complete guide for Final Fantasy VIII; it will give you everything an official strategy guide offers and more. And if it isn't in this guide, there are references to other great Final Fantasy guides on the net. Because this guide is so vast, there'll be loads of mistakes. So I'm counting on you, the reader to point them out! The guide is best suited to the following fonts (in order of personal preference): Monaco, Courier New, Andale Mono, V100. Some of the formatting may be a bit weird but that's because I use an Apple computer. You can fix the problem by choosing a Macintosh Encoding/Character Set. If you don't want to read any spoilers I suggest you steer clear of the section entitled "Special features and other articles of interest". You know, the section with that's riddled with game discussions, shameless plugs and all that nice, creamy spoiler material! You know you want to! (but I'm in no position to be egging you on now, am I?) Other than that, I don't think there's a huge risk of finding any spoilers - the walkthrough is designed to focus strategies rather than how I would like you to play the game (and if I do indicate a preferred style of playing it's easy to skip). The finding system is similar to the Game Genie FAQ by Albert Tran, Final Fantasy VIII FAQs by Scott Ong and the Gran Turismo 3 Cote D'azur FAQ by Conquerer. To use it ... a. Select "Edit" and choose "Find" or press Ctr+F. You should be able to see the "Find" window. b. Say you wanted to get to "Basic Info". The co-ordinates for this section is "VI78", but you'll have to add "ff8/" as a prefix. c. Type it in and press enter/return or choose "Find Next". If this is a new version you're looking at and you're unfamiliar with any changes made, there are version update logs throughout the guide denoted by . There is also a section for general changes to the guide. This is meant first and foremost for the PAL version of Final Fantasy VIII, meaning players for from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. As the PAL version is basically the NTSC version anyway, it doesn't really matter. If there are any differences in the NTSC and JP versions, I'll mention them. These are some good Final Fantasy VIII references. Most of them I have got information from myself to use in this guide, so I swear by them! GameFAQs: o Granny's Hand-Holding Guide to Cards by Sister. o Character Setup Guide by Vice President Treill Hearmiton. o Angel Wing FAQ by Sherry Han. o Angelo Search Limit Break FAQ by DarkLordOfTheSith and Simjam. o Plot Analyses FAQ by falsehead. o Seifer/Edea FAQ by Shadow Flare. o Pocketstation/Chocobo World Technical FAQ by the Saint. o Final Fantasy VIII FAQs by Scott Ong. o Surviving Ultimecia Castle by Ruk Chan. o US/Japanese Differences by Yuzu-chan and Musashi. o Analyses on Ultimecia and Time by Sir Bahamut. o SeeD Rank Guide by The Admiral. o Item/Magic FAQ by Dan Orner. o PocketStation FAQ by Michael Johnson. o GF Allocation Guide by Brandon G. o Enemy controlling FAQ/list by King Edgar. o Power Up Boko Codes by Vilurum. o Monster Encyclopaedia by Split Infinity. o No GF game by Smoking Frog II. o Speed FAQ/Walthrough by Meh1 and Edman. o No Level Up guide by Edman. o No Junction Game challenge FAQ by Hyprophant. o Experience FAQ by Chris Castiglione. o Draw Point FAQ by Buma. o Boss FAQ by iDragon. o FAQs by Yee Seng Fu. Neoseeker only: o Game Script by Shotgunnova. Here are some abbreviations which will appear in this guide: Final Fantasy: FF Final Fantasy VII: FF7 Final Fantasy I: FF1 Final Fantasy VIII: FF8 Final Fantasy II: FF2 Final Fantasy IX: FF9 Final Fantasy III: FF3 Final Fantasy X: FF10 Final Fantasy IV: FF4 Final Fantasy X-2: FF10/2 Final Fantasy V: FF5 Final Fantasy XI: FF11 Final Fantasy VI: FF6 Lastly, if you want to publish part/all of this guide on your web site or magazine or whatever e-mail me first! The following web sites can host this guide: o Game FAQs - www.gamefaqs.com o Super Cheats - www.supercheats.com o Neoseeker - www.neoseeker.com o 1up - 1up.com 0 FANTASYSQUARE - www.fantasysquare.com That's it ... for now. Tell me if there's anything that needs correcting/adding, and enjoy the game! [Zena Mason, a.k.a. Zenalasca] ------------------------------------------------------------------ About the Authoress ------------------------------------------------------------------ I come from a whole family of writers (my grandfather, uncle and father have all written books), so writing is well and truly in the blood for me. The following are some of their published works. Colin Mason: Hostage, Short History of Asia, Short History of the Future, and more, mostly about Asia. Mark Mason: In Search of the Loving God. Matthew Mason: Dream Saga (Dream Master, Dream Nemesis). The story of how I got Final Fantasy VIII is rather interesting. When my dad bought our first PlayStation we got a demo disc as well which included the beginning movie of Final Fantasy VIII. I liked it so much that I probably said something like "now I know what to tell mum what I want for my ninth birthday". Mum was none too pleased about what I had chosen but got it for me anyway. I was then persuaded by her partner to trade it for 3D Pacman and Monster Truck Racing, which were traded for Pitfall 3D because they were so bad. Mum persuaded me four years later to ask for it back, and that's where my addiction to Final Fantasy VIII began ... Alex owned an official strategy guide, so I wondered if I could get some information for Final Fantasy VIII on the internet. I did find one guide via Google search but it wasn't all that good. I thought I could definitely do a better job. I found out about Game FAQs from a magazine, and despite finding some very good guides there I continued writing my own. It wasn't all that special, because I had only taken stuff from other guides. It helped me learn how to do it. I finished the guide in one year and it was another year before I finally managed to submit it to Game FAQs. When I did most of my e-mails consisted of web sites asking to have it as well! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Version History ------------------------------------------------------------------ I know in the past I've put down people who've done version histories and it's hypocritical of me to do it considering I've said that ... but over the years I've realised the use of the version history. Look here if you have a version earlier than 8.00 and are unsure about downloading this massive file. 1.00: - My FF8 files were originally ClarisWorks documents translated to AppleWorks, but I decided to forget them and do my work on TextEdit. By the time the guide reached "version 1.00" I had formatted the guide in the GameFAQs approved way and already finished the walkthrough, but there was still much work to be done. 2.00: - Worked on the basic format, style, information and so on of the guide. Even the simplest things were of great consternation to me, and I was constantly changing things. - Finished a shell of the walkthrough and many other things. 3.00: - This version released in 2005 and ONLY 868 KB. A lot has changed since v1.00. Like v2.00 I only changed small things. - The beta version of Dad's book, The Dream Nemesis was released and I added an article about it. - Added information to "About the Authoress." 4.00: - Added submitted contribution from Ninjatsu about the PC version of FF8 (memory card and PocketStation details). - Added submitted contribution from Ninjatsu about the PC version of FF8 (soft reset). - Edited "How to get Magic", adding a contribution from Ninjatsu. - Added more contributions from Ninjatsu to "Fast Facts about levelling up and learning abilities - Added Ninjatsu contribution to "Tips and Tactics". - Ninjatsu pointed out some MAJOR mistakes, so I basically tried to sort things out. I had to totally rewrite the SAME, SAME WALL, PLUS, and COMBO tutorials, as well as the guide on how to manipulate rules. - Added "Getting Paid" and "Getting to Level A in disc 1." - Added contribution from Ninjatsu to "How GF learn abilities." - Added "Types of Fighters" and sorted the section out. - Added contributions from Ninjatsu to "For the Perfectionists." - Modified "Map of the Scenario," and added a contribution from Ninjatsu. - Added contributions from Ninjatsu to the sections about giving the passphrase and getting Angelo's card. - Added contribution from Phuc Bach to "Kashkabald Desert (s)". He has found a way to get to Cactuar Island in disc two ... without going to Cactuar Island ... - Added contribution from Ninjastu about being able to draw Triple from Odin. - Totally rewrote some sections. - Added more characters and manual's introduction for Squall. - Gave the section a table of contents and organised it a bit. - Added the "Glitches" section. - I got rid of the index at the back and change the order of things a little. 5.00: - Got rid of Differences/Simularities Final Fantasy VIII has with Final Fantasy VII. - Got rid of "Changes from the Japanese version to the US version" and integrated them into a new chapter "Changes in FF8." - Added "Scanning equivalents of stats." - Added "What each spell does." - Added "How to get to Trabia Garden." - Added Andrew Noteling's tactics for defeating Adel. - Added to "The CC Members in Disc 4." - Added multiple player challenge. - Added NTSC Game Shark codes for Brothers, Cactaur, Alexander and Bahamut. - Added codes I got from ffnet.org and Final Fantasy Extreme. - Sorted the characters in chronological order and added a few things about some of the GFs (not all). - Since I last updated this section was entitled "The Dream Nemesis" because that was what the book was called. Because it was so long it was divided into two sections, "The Dream Master" and "The Dream Nemesis"; the book was given an overall title; "The Dream Saga". - Changed format and added a few references. - Added info on Ribbon and Dark Matter. - Added mystery about Card King in disc 4. - Added this section after getting (somewhat shoddy FF8 music downloads). Have vowed to get real OST when I can. Added more game and story questions. - As a result of the dissolving of the chapters "Interesting Points and Misc." and "Discussions", instead of getting rid of the contents altogether I made new sections for them. I have also relocated already existing sections to "Special Features". I moved "Similarities between FF8 and other games" from "FF8 version changes" to "Media References". 6.00: - Details for Job Class game refined on the request of Ninjatsu and someone else (can't remember). - Changed the format of this section to make it easy to understand. - Added some things to Characters. - Improvised the Final Fantasy VIII review and had to relocate "Common complaints concerning Final Fantasy VIII" because my computer froze the first time (its got only 400 MHz, and I'm working on a file over 1,000 KB that's on my iPod Shuffle!). - Added "Updates Overall", which are a summary of recent changes to the guide as a whole. - Added the section "German Version of FF8" to Special Features. 7.00: - Improved the information in this section. - Added a Diablos strategy from Trev. - Totally changed the whole list; totally rewrote it to make it easier to understand and more useful. - Traditionalised the history update system. - Improved the cards list. - Changed some formatting in the guide. - Wrote a list of SeeD questions and answers at the bequest of a reader who noted that my previous SeeD test answers were wrong. - Added a submission from Ann concerning playing against the Card King in disc 4. - Added summary of player stats and improved the section on character management. - Updated info about FF12 and the latest gaming consoles in frequently asked questions. - I finally sorted out the mess with the table of contents and now all the co-ordinates are correct. ================================================================== Introduction Final Fantasy VIII [ff8/I02] ================================================================== Final Fantasy VIII Review ------------------------- Final Fantasy VIII is unique; controversial. You love it or you hate it. If you play it, you soon realise what kind of games you like. The story of Final Fantasy VIII has many aspects to it, so it is difficult to know there to begin. Like all of the other Final Fantasies, magic, friendship, tyrannical rulers and the battle of good and evil play a large role in the story. All of the main characters are introduced in the first disc (yes -- the game has four discs!). The main character is Squall Leonhart who lives at Balamb Garden, a military facility which is designed to train SeeDs, elite mercenaries who use the amazing power of the GFs. Galbadia has its sights on conquering the world, and SeeDs are deployed all over the world to fight against the Galbadian invasions. Yet there is more to it than there seems. Behind Deling there looms an even greater threat to not only to the world as it stands, but time itself. Everything is not what it seems at first glance. What's more, Squall and the others have been brought together to fight evil by more potent forces than simple chance (although the game would have you believe other- wise). When I say "Squall and the others have been brought together together," I do not mean it in the really corny way where a group of people join forces to take on their challenges in a perfect, flawless way; and have big arguments over unlikely things. Every person has their good points and bad points, and the game deals with it in a realistic way. In games it's so unusual to find characters who are truly real in this way -- they may have "problems", but they are minor compared to what people suffer in their everyday lives. The characters in Final Fantasy VIII are not perfect. They are teenagers, and the game does not try to hide that fact. Is this a bad thing? No way! The majority of people who play Final Fantasy the most are probably in this age group. Therefore, I believe this element of the story has some value. The characters have great responsibilities placed on them but because they are not perfect they end up making terrible mistakes. That's character building stuff. There are various undercurrents in the story that seem to carry you away before you even realise it. Things don't make sense at first, then after a while, one by one, they click into place. Like Harry Potter, there are some seemingly "throw away" comments, which turn out to be clues to the story ahead. Out of all the Final Fantasies, Final Fantasy VIII is the most philosophical. If there were ever classics in games as there are in movies, Final Fantasy VIII is a gaming classic. Out of all the games I have seen, the music seems to be the most popular in the non-gaming community. It's the kind of game where you'll be sitting brooding over some puzzle or theory, contemplating the actions of a certain character, and even philosophising things that may have never crossed your mind before! Perhaps that is the reason Final Fantasy VIII is described as the "black sheep" of the series. Story and characters are the prominent aspects of Final Fantasy VIII, but the story is not without it's faults. It's like a rough diamond -- beautiful, but not quite refined. There isn't much of a "fun factor," so I wouldn't suggest playing this game if you were feeling like you just wanted to get your mind off things. Without exploring other possibilities in gaming, the later Final Fantasies would get repetitive. Square keeps the gaming purists happy for a while with the tried and true, but every now and then, a totally revolutionary game is made. People accept some of the aspects of the game, which are instituted in the later Final Fantasies. The graphics are fantastic for their time and console. I prefer them to Metal Gear Solid, which technically has better graphics, because Final Fantasy VIII is more artistic. The CGIs, in my opinion are even better than the CGIs in Final Fantasy X, because the characters in them are more expressive. The world map and character graphics look grainy in Final Fantasy VIII, but that's nothing to jump up and down about (it just looks bad when you have a large TV screen ^_^). Overall....................................................(10/10) Pros: - An excellently designed plot. - One of the few games that has been publicly appreciated for its music (namely Liberi Fatali and Eyes On Me). - Innovative junction system allows you to customise benefits otherwise received by armour and weapons. - You get a good mental challenge while playing. - Timeless graphics. - Triple Triad. - You don't have to level up for bosses. - It's really cool how you can make new items and magic from other items and cards. Cons: - It it isn't a game you can just play then automatically repeat (then again that could be a good thing). - All that time spent on drawing magic. - The battle theme doesn't have much variation. - Battle sequences (including GF attacks) get annoying. - There aren't any light hearted mini-games like chocobo racing. ________________________________________________________________ | Game Information | |________________________________________________________________| Title: Final Fantasy VIII Series: Final Fantasies I to XII, and spinoffs Developer: Squaresoft Genre: RPG Players: 1 Difficulty: It depends, I think on how hard you find the Junction system. I don't think being a hardened RPG player would help much, either. Age Group: MA 15+ (Australian regulations, means Mature Audiences over 15) Australian gaming regulations are regarded as the toughest in the world (over here we have to order some games from New Zealand. I myself had to get my father to buy Final Fantasy X for me because I wasn't 15 yet). You could hardly call any of the Final Fantasies violent or even sexually explicit. The only things that come close to this that I have encountered are a few uncensored comments and and dancer stripping to her underwear in Final Fantasy IV, Seifer giving Squall that scar, Seifer's Bloodfest move (just looks like raining red paint -- who cares?), and a few scantily clad big- busted women in Final Fantasy X. I'd say Final Fantasy VIII should have a 11+ rating, because it is a bit old for 9 and 10 year olds. Come to think of it, I don't know any 9 or 10 year olds that are even interested in playing it. So I say if you want to play it there's a good chance you're mature enough to do so. If you're the type of person who gets afraid easily play the game with a responsible adult. Platform: Sony PlayStation Size: 4 discs, 2359.5 MB in total (608.1, 575.5, 599.1 and 576.8 MB for discs 1 to 4 respectively) or 2.3 GB, which is a bit over half the size of FFX Memory Card: 15 blocks per card Analogue: Yes Vibration: Yes PocketStation: Yes Platform: Windows PC Size (approx.): 5 discs (2.4 GB) Memory Card: Not Applicable, game gives 2 slots with 30 saves each Analogue: Not Applicable Vibration: Not Applicable PocketStation: Not Applicable, Chocobo World game comes with FF8 for PC, nothing required to play it Prices ------ Japan: 7800 Yen Australia: $30 USA: $20 Release dates (PSX) ------------------- Japan: February 2nd, 1999 USA: August 31st, 1999 Europe/Aus/NZ: October 27th, 1999 Release dates (PC) ------------------ Japan: N/A USA: December 31st, 1999. Europe/Aus/NZ: Somewhere in the year 2000. ________________________________________________________________ | Extracts taken from the back and the manual of the game | |________________________________________________________________| | Final Fantasy VIII - The journey of a lifetime | | | | The member of an elite military team, Squall is forced into a | | conflict beyond imagination.To survive, he must contend with a | | desperate rival, a powerful sorceress and his own mysterious | | dreams. Realistic, detailed characters and background graphics | | enhanced by a breaktaking musical score. An epic story of | | love, hate, war and peace, set in a massive new world. New | | Junction System allows characters to be customised with | | awesome magic spells drawn from enemies. Stunning motion- | | captured CG cinema segments seamlessly integrated into | | gameplay. | | | | In FINAL FANTASY VIII, the player will assume the role of | | Squall and Laguna to advance in the story. At times, Squall is | | known to fall into a "dreamlike" state. It is during these | | periods that he encounters Laguna. | | | | Squall Leonhart | | | | Laguna Loire | | | | What destiny awaits these two characters? | | | | At what point does the story between the two cross? | | | | Who is Laguna...? | |________________________________________________________________| .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. /============================================================\ | THE BASICS [ff8/II00] | \============================================================/ .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. .~~. I have found that when playing a game you want to spend as little time as possible reading the basics, therefore, having a manual that is an inch thick can be daunting. Luckily, no manual or inst- ruction book for FF8 is THAT long! If you don't have a memory like an elephant, leave tracks like one. Taking notes will reduce the amount of times you have to spend here. O================================================================O | Basic Info [ff8/II01] | O================================================================O __________________________________________________________________ How to use your PlayStation: for Dummies ---------------------------------------- 1) Look at the instruction manual of your PlayStation 1 or 2. It is usually to be found in the box which your PlayStation 1 or 2 came in. I'm a nice person, so I'll give you a short overview of what you need to do. It's pretty damn easy. All you need is any type of screen which has AV in; you should have an audio/ video cable which connects from the PlayStation to the audio/ video inputs. The yellow cable is the video and the red/white cables are audio. You also need a power cord so the console will actually play (duh). You might also need adapters of sorts to adjust to your particular system, etc. 2) Make sure all 4 discs are intact. You can only play an NTSC game on a PAL PlayStation) if you own a Mod-Chipped Play- Station. There are people who advertise themselves as being able to put mod chips in PlayStations and XBOXs. Always play the game on the right side. The picture on the disc should be facing you. Whenever handling the disc hold it by the edges and middle. If you have to put it down be careful of the sensitive side (the one with the picture). While the dark side can be rubbed of scratches, the side with the paint cannot be repaired if scratched. Keep the game in a cool dry place. Not directly in the sun or near a raging fire ;). Do not use the disc if it has been cracked, warped or cleaned with adhesives. 3) Make sure you have a memory card with enough memory on it. You can delete unwanted save games from the PlayStation browser. 4) Insert the disc that your FF8 save is in. If you have no FF8 data insert disc 1. If by chance you get sick of FF8 and want to play a different game, press the Reset button and change the discs - do not turn the console on and off. __________________________________________________________________ How to begin ------------ After the official logos you will come to the credits screen. If you are playing a copy of FF8 which has not been pirated then you will not see the credits screen, so you won't have to worry about pressing X or O to skip it. The credits is quite nice, with black and white pictures of the cast and scenes in FF8 and reasonable music. At the end of the credits there'll be a screen saying "FINAL FANTASY VIII". Press Start to come up to the title screen (it has the following options): New Game: Start from the beginning of the game. Continue: Continue from a Final Fantasy VIII save file. Choose a memory card slot which has FF8 data in it and continue where you/or someone else left off. The only way you can continue from a save file is if you make that save file on the memory card (you do not need one if it is the PC version). You could never complete Final Fantasy VIII in one sitting. __________________________________________________________________ Saving ------ To save, step on one of those flying ring thingies, and enter the main menu with the X or O button. The save command is there. You will have to choose a memory card slot and make a new file or save over an old one. You will need to make sure there is enough room in your memory card before playing. By the way, you can also do this on the world map. TIP: Save whenever you can! Save before playing a card game! Save whenever entering a different place! Save, Save, Save! __________________________________________________________________ Continuing from Save Files -------------------------- After starting your adventure and saving your data, when you turn off the game and play it again, the saved data will exist (unless you've deleted it of course). After choosing "Continue" from the title menu you will get a choice of memory card slots. Choose the slot with the memory card that has the save file you want to load. After the loading bar fills up, you will see a list of save games you have made and a little information about that save game (your party, no. of hours spent playing the game, location, etc - don't let a parent / partner see it ! ^_^). Press X/O on the save file you wish to open, and continue where you left off! __________________________________________________________________ Memory Card Icons ----------------- Once you have made a saved game, if you view that saved game from your console browser the save will show a different picture depending on what memory block it was saved on. This list of the block numbers and their corresponding pictures was copied from Part I of Scott Ong's FAQ. 1: Squall 4: Quistis 7: Seifer 10: Kiros 13: Fujin 2: Zell 5: Rinoa 8: Edea 11: Ward 14: Cid 3: Irvine 6: Selphie 9: Laguna 12: Raijin 15: Angelo __________________________________________________________________ The debate rages on: What kind of memory card should you use? ------------------------------------------------------------- Reportedly Sony is the best--any other memory card has the chance of being corrupted. Aha ... well I happen to have one Sony memory card and one Futuronics memory card. The Sony one is a little old and corrupted Alex's game while he was in disc 3, but the new Futuronics still works perfectly on FF8 to this day. __________________________________________________________________ Minimum system requirements for PC ---------------------------------- Windows 95 or higher, 32~64 MB RAM, 8~16 MB 3D Accelerator Graph- ics Card, 8x CD ROM, DirectSound, and DirectMusic Compatible Sound Card. __________________________________________________________________ All about Selecting Names: A Diagram and other useful advice ------------------------------------------------------------ _______ .-Help------------------------. This is a diagram of the | | | Name the character | name selecting screen. | | '-----------------------------' Characters can have up | | .-Name------------------------. to 7 letters while GFs | | | _ _ _ _ _ _ _ | can have 10. By select- |_______| '-----------------------------' ing "English" you see .---------------------------------------. the top section of the | English | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N | diagram. By selecting | Symbols | O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | "Symbols" the middle | Space | | part is displayed. The | Confirm | a b c d e f g h i j k l m n | bottom part can be seen | Delete | o p q r s t u v w x y z | always. Press the | Default |-----------------------------| confirm button on any | | Ø 8 Æ Ö • ô ˜ ¯ v Ì ¬ ? € | character and it will | | œ " Œ Ú ? | become part off the | | | name. By pressing the | | ï ' ´ Ç ? ø ™ í  ? v Ó Î Ï | cancel button or | | / ƒ ¸ á | choosing "Delete" you | |-----------------------------| go back a space. | | . , - : ? ! _ - ( ) | "Default" changes the | | 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 | name back to its |_________|_____________________________| default. By the way, if you press Start, the If you want to rename a GF you will have cursor will go directly to use a Rename Tag on them. If you wish to the Confirm option. to rename Angelo, use a Pet Nametag. You can only rename Squall or Rinoa if you You can choose the names have a game enhancer. of Squall, Rinoa, Angelo, and the junction -able GFs. Note however, that their card's names will remain default. __________________________________________________________________ RPGs: The General Idea ---------------------- Being and RPG, Final Fantasy requires you to go around talking to people, getting items, exploring, and fighting battles. FF8 is a tough, hardcore RPG with side quests requiring the mental dexterity and curiosity of a magician (which is why most of us look to the on-line guides ^_^). The tough things about this game are: Finding what you need to do next, the junction system, how to play Triple Triad, battles, side quests, and the shear complexity of it all ... No need to fear, the hero's here! __________________________________________________________________ Examining Things ---------------- At times in the game you may need to examine switches or ladders. You can also pick up items or get the opportunity to draw magic from draw points by examining things that seem out of place. You can check things like radios or maps too. It can be an intuitive process ... __________________________________________________________________ Climbing Ladders and Opening Doors ---------------------------------- Examine to ladders to start climbing. If you're having trouble climbing ladders which can happen) go directly UP or DOWN. You don't need to examine doors to open them. Just walk through them. Of course, there are some doors you cannot access (like a fridge door ;)). __________________________________________________________________ Shops and Services ------------------ The world of FF8 is one where there are people hurrying about doing things for you for your money (well it's not quite like that ... you have to go to those people ...). Hotel: A place where you can pay money to have a rest. Most hotels have a Save Point and Timber Maniacs magazine. Rent-A-Car: Here you can pay 3, 500 to rent a car. When in a car you encounter no enemies! But beware, once you enter a town or city the rent is terminated. Train Station: Pay 3, 000 gil to go to a designated destination. Timber has about 4 stations all up! Item Shop: Buy essential items like potions and phoenix downs here. Produce varies. Junk Shop: Here you can upgrade your weapons (if you have the right items and enough gil). Pet Shop: GF items are bought here. There are pet shops in Timber and Esthar only. Book Shop: A magazine retailer. There's only 1 in the world. __________________________________________________________________ Using Items ----------- During battle:- Outside of battle:- Save Points:- The character must have Use from the 'Item' Items that can the "Item" command menu. You cannot use only be used at equipped. Items that items that would save points or on can be used in battle give you a greater the world map are medicinal things advantage during such as Tents, such as potions or battle, but you can Pet Houses, things that will give use medicinal items and Cottages. you a greater advantage for humans and GFs, in battle such as Hero compatibility items, or Protect Stone. ability items, etc. __________________________________________________________________ Upgrading Weapons ----------------- In FF8 you cannot have armours and have to upgrade your weapons at Junk Shops. What you need to upgrade your weapons are: - Items required for the weapon. Get them from various enemies. - The cash to pay a Junk shop to put all the pieces together. - Weapons Monthly magazine. It is possible to upgrade to a weapon without a Weapons Monthly Mag though. Unlike normal items, weapons cannot be sold, and are displayed in the Status menu rather than the Item menu or a Weapons menu. As your characters modify their weapons, their Attack and Hit rate increase. __________________________________________________________________ General Tips ------------ - Pay attention to detail. If you see something odd or out of place, press the action button on it to investigate. In fact try looking for things that look odd or out of place. My father gave up on FF7 and traded it for another game cos he didn't examine something in a room. - Prepare before entering a different area. It's quite easy really; just make sure you save before going into an establishment on the world map and change your elemental attack and defence to suit the area you're in. You don't want to be entering a region inhabited by Malboros, without anything to protect you against their Bad Breath. - Save whenever you can. As you're never really sure of what is going to happen. In fact, while I didn't have the Move-find ability at the beginning of disc 2, I forgot to save just before calapsing into bed as Laguna, and just as I was nearing the end of the jail nightmare I had to stop for a while, returning to find that my younger had sister turned off the PlayStation while I was away! So I had to repeat all of disc 2 up to that point. So try not to get yourself into a similar situation! - Explore your surroundings thoroughly. By running around early on in the game, returning to areas several times, you can gain quite a bit of background information, some of which can be quite interesting if you've played through much of the game already. - Think of the consequences of your actions. It's so annoying doing things over and over because you made a bad mistake. __________________________________________________________________ Miscellaneous character information ----------------------------------- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Name Age Height DOB BT Weapon - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Squall Leonhart 17 5'8" (176 cm) 23-08 AB Gunblade Rinoa Heartilly 17 5'3, 1/2" (163 cm) 03-03 ? Pinwheel Quistis Trepe 18 5'6" (170 cm) 04-10 A Whip Selphie Tilmitt 17 5'1, 1/2" (156 cm) 16-07 B Flail Zell Dincht 17 5'5" (167 cm) 17-03 B Gloves Irvine Kinneas 17 6'0" (182 cm) 24-11 O Rifle Laguna Loire 27 5'9" (179 cm) 03-01 B Machine Gun Ward Zabac 25 7'0" (213 cm) 25-02 A Harpoon Kiros Seagill 23 6'2" (191 cm) 16-07 O Hand knives Seifer Almasy 18 6'2" (188 cm) 22-12 A Gunblade O================================================================O | Glossary [ff8/II02] | O================================================================O Ability ------- "Abilities" are not "Limit Breaks, as they are a special power given by GFs (if the GF knows the ability, in which case if it does not have a certain ability it can learn it by gaining AP or using an item that teaches the ability). The abilities come in different types, some that act passively and some that are used actively, and a character can only benefit by an ability by junctioning GF who has that ability. Ability Point (AP) ------------------ These are required for GFs to learn abilities. At the end of every battle (even bosses) the GFs junctioned will all learn a certain amount of AP each. Say the game says something like "GFs got 20 AP", all of the GFs get 20 AP each. Active Time Bar (ATB) --------------------- All battle participants have an ATB. They cannot do anything until it fills up. The Speed stat influences how fast the ATB fills up for each fighter. GFs also have ATBs in a way, except the ATB has to empty from full before the GF will come; affinity with the character who junctions the GF will determin how fast the GF arrives. Draw ---- An ability given by GFs. You can steal magic from enemies or obtain magic from draw points. To be able to draw from draw points at least one character will have to have the Draw ability equipped. To see more info about the Draw ability, go to the GF abilities section. Evade (Eva) ----------- How often a character evades enemy attacks. Can counteract a good Hit stat. Even a seemingly low Evade stat can make a character dodge attacks (especially from heavyweights like Omega Weapon). Kiros is good example, as he has the best evasion out of all the playable characters. Experience (EXP) ---------------- After gathering experience from damaging enemies, a character gains levels. To learn more about experience and levels, see the battle tutorial. Guardian Force (GF) ------------------- Powerful creatures who give your characters the ability to use magic and other commands including one that summons them into battle for their signature attack. They learn abilities with AP and earn their own EXP. More information about GFs can be found in the GF management section and appendices. Hit Rate (Hit %) ---------------- Accuracy of physical attacks. Also depends on the enemies' Evade Rate. If the hit rate is at 255% the character will hit every time even while under Blind status. Hit Rate largely depends on the character's weapon. Hit Points (HP) --------------- How many times a character can be hit (their life force). A character cannot participate in battle when their HP is at zero. Novice RPG players can make the mistake that HP is the most impor- tant stat, but what really counts is your fighting style; you must adjust your battle statistics according to battle strategies -- and most importantly, actually have battle strategies! This is a strategy guide, so naturally it is filled with strategies. Junction (suffix, -J) --------------------- A system of equipping GFs, magic and abilities. To learn about using the junction system, go to the section on that subject. Limit Break ----------- When in a dire situation where death is imminent (or in other words, only 10% of total HP left), a character can draw on a super human reserve of personal power. Limit Breaks are easy to use, as all you have to do is press to the right on the "Attack" command when the arrow appears (you sometimes have to press Circle repeti- tively to get the arrow). Luck ---- Luck ... is this a physical attribute? No! Having a high Luck stat will give you the upper hand in battle, increasing the chance of unusually good things happening, like when the enemy does something stupid, or some force nature comes and blows the opponent of its feet, or if you get a critical hit, or if a rare item is obtained; things like that. Quite amazing and strange things can happen when you have the luck. Magic (Mag) ----------- The Magic stat effects any "magic" orientated activity. I'm not sure if it effects magical limit breaks or not, but it effects abilities like Magic, Draw and Devour. The effect of any magic, even healing magic such as Cure will increase depending on your Mag. Magical Attacks --------------- Attacks used with magical force. Magical attacks can be protected against with Shell, Reflect and the Spirit stat. Physical Attacks ---------------- Attacks used with a weapon, claws or fists. Protected against with Protect and the Vitality stat. Some spells can be protected against with Protect magic as well. Speed (Spd) ----------- How fast a character's ATB fills. Haste can make the ATB flow even faster. Bear in mind that a character may not be needing more speed than they have. Like in FF6, you can actually have such a high Speed stat that it is too fast for the game itself. My Squall for instance has an ATB that will fill in two seconds at most. He is not the speediest he can possibly be, but fast enough. In fact, when afflicted with Slow, Squall's ATB fills at a normal rate. Spirit (Spr) ------------ A lesson in Spiritual Awareness: the more Spirit your character has, the more he or she will be able to stand against magical attacks. However, there are some spells that don't actually cause magical damage, like Meteor and Quake. Statistics (stats) ------------------ Basic attributes in a fighter. Hit Points, Strength, Vitality, Magical Power, Spirit, Speed, Luckiness, Hit Rate, Evasion, Experience and levels are all stats a character can have. Stock ----- A Draw command which allows you to store magic to use later. The more you draw, the more spells you will get. Strength (Str) -------------- Power of physical attacks. Strength can be increased temporarily by casting Berserk or Mad Rush (the recipient will not be able to control their actions). Weapons effect Str a great deal. Vitality (Vit) -------------- Defence against physical attacks. Vitality can be raised temporarily by casting Protect or equipping Auto-Protect. Scanning equivalents of stats ----------------------------- Intelligence (Int): Magic (Mag) Dexterity (Dex): Hit Defence (Def): Vitality (Vit) Everything else: The same ------------------------------------------------------------------ Symbols ------------------------------------------------------------------ Term Note Symbol ----------------------------------------------------------------- Berserk Status (purple) "" bubble Darkness Status (purple) Eye Death Status (purple) Coffin Curse Status (purple) Unhappy face Fire Elemental (green) Flame Earth Elemental (green) Rock or stone Holy Elemental (green) Light Ice Elemental (green) Ice crystal Petrify Status (purple) Diamond shape Poison Elemental (green) Bubbles Poison Status (purple) Bubbles Silence Status (purple) "" bubble Slow Status (purple) Clock Stop Status (purple) Hand Thunder Elemental (green) Lightning bolt Wind Elemental (green) Tornado Zombie Status (green) Human skull o================================================================o | Controls [ff8/II03] | o================================================================o Field Screen ------------------------------------------------------------------ Directional buttons:- Move south, north, east or west Left Analogue Stick:- Move around in any way you like Square button: - Talk/challenge character to a game of cards. X button - Examine / talk / confirm. Circle button - Enter the menu screen (see below). Triangle button - (While moving around) you go into walk mode. Start button - Pause (vibration can be turned on/off here). Menu Screen ------------------------------------------------------------------ Directional buttons - Move cursor up, down, left or right. Left Analogue Stick - Move cursor. Square button - Assorted functions (see Menus section). X button - Confirm selection. Circle button - Exit menu screen (if at main menu). Triangle button - Cancel selection. L1 button - Scroll character/GF screens to the left. L2 button - Scroll character/GF screens to the left. R1 button - Scroll character/GF screens to the right. R2 button - Scroll character/GF screens to the right. Battle Screen ------------------------------------------------------------------ Directional buttons - Move cursor left, right, up or down. Left Analogue Stick - Move cursor. X button - Confirm selection. Circle button - Switch to next available party member. Triangle button - Cancel selection. Start button - Pause (you can toggle vibration function). Select button - Hide command menu. L1 button - (While choosing target) see in list form. L2 button - (With R2) escape the battle. R1 button - Gunblade trigger (while the gunblade hits). R2 button - (With L2) escape the battle. Whilst using Scan Magic ------------------------------------------------------------------ L1 button - (while going up) Zoom in. L1 button - (while going down) Zoom out. L1 button - (with left/right) Move target around screen. R2 button - (with L1) Make target run. Enemies cannot. World Map (walking) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Directional buttons - Move south, west, north, or east. Left analogue stick - Move around. Right analogue stick - Move camera angle. Triangle button - (Press down) walk mode. X button - Confirm action. Circle button - Enter menu screen. Start button - Pause (change vibration settings here). Select button - View maps (there are three in total. L1/L2 buttons - Move camera angle. R2 button - Change POV (Point Of View). Travelling in a Car ------------------------------------------------------------------ Directional buttons - Turn around. Left analogue stick - Turn around. Right analogue stick - Accelerate forwards/reverse vehicle. Square button - Accelerate forwards. Triangle button - Reverse. X button - Get out of vehicle. Flying the a Ship ------------------------------------------------------------------ Directional buttons - Turn around. Left analogue stick - Turn around. Right analogue stick - Accelerate forwards/reverse. Square button - Accelerate forwards. Triangle button - Reverse. X button - Get off. Circle button - Enter cockpit. The Ragnarok's Auto-Pilot Function ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can get the Ragnarok to go to any destination as quickly as possible simply by choosing your destination from one of the maps (press Select two times). Soft Reset ------------------------------------------------------------------ Soft reset. As you'll be resetting a lot, prolong your Reset button's life by performing the soft reset. Press Start + Select + R1 + R2 + L1 + L2 all at once. Default PC Controls ------------------------------------------------------------------ X: Talk, examine, or confirm a selection. W: Cancel selection or return to field screen. A: Challenge a person to cards. D: Bring up the menu screen. C: Scroll to the right. Z: Scroll to the right. F: Toggle maps on the over world. E: Gunblade trigger for Squall and Seifer. S: Pause game. You cannot pause during some scenes or while in the main menu. Ctr + R: Soft Reset. o================================================================o | Menus [ff8/II04] | o================================================================o Introduction ------------ The main menu can be accessed by pressing Circle outside of cut scenes and battles. Below is a representation of the main menu. Current party members are listed in the 'STATUS' screen, while inactive characters are listed below. To change battle formation move the cursor to the active party and switch your party members round with the X button. The maximum party members are three; in battle, the top party member will be on the right side, while the bottom one will be on the left side, and it's pretty obvious where the middle one will be. You will be able to navigate the character screens in most of the menus with the L1/R1 buttons. _____________________ Help-----------------------------------| Status | |_______________________________________| Junction [1] | |STATUS [14] | | | | Item [2] | | Zell Lv 13 HP 335/ 750 | | | | Magic [3] | | Squall Lv 18 HP 740/ 959 | | | | Status [4] | | Selphie Lv 10 HP 201/ 559 | | | | GF [5] | |______________________________________| | | | Ability [6] | | Quistis Rinoa | | | Lv 15 HP 201 Lv 13 HP 246 | Switch [7] | | ===----- ====---- | | | | Cards [8] | | | | | | Config [9] | | | | | | Tutorial [10] | | | | | | Save [11] | |______________________________________|_____________________| _____________________________________ | PLAY 4:15 | | | | [12] SeeD 10 | | Timber Hotel [13] | | Gil 5000 | |_____________________________________| |_____________________| NOTE: Commands you cannot use at the present time are displayed in darkened fonts. Reserve party members have red gauges depicting their current health. I've found that these gauges can fill up by themselves. ------------------------------------------------------------------ [1] JUNCTION ------------ This game is made heaps easier with the junction system. It enabl- es characters to power up and use abilities. To learn how to use the junction menu, refer to the Junction Tutorial. To learn all the terms used, refer to the Glossary section of this guide. [2] ITEM -------- When "Item" is selected in the main menu, the cursor automatically switches to "Use". Press Triangle to make the other sub-commands available to you. Explanations of all the items are provided in the "HELP" window. The maximum amount of each kind of item you can have is 100. Any items more than that will be discarded, which you should keep in mind when battling or refining. Use: Use the items in your inventory, like Potions, and read magazines. Some items cannot be used; this is because they are junk items that can only be used for upgrading and refining or because they can only be used during battle. Rearrange: Organise items. Pick up an item you want to move elsewhere, then press X again to drop it where you want it! Sort: Automatically arranges all items in order of potion- type items, battle items, save point items, GF medicine, ammunition, junk items and magazines. Battle: Organise the items you can use in battle. Pick up an item you want to move elsewhere, then press X again to drop it where you want it! In battle the Item command needs to be equipped before an individual can use items. How to get items: Defeat or Mug enemies, and refine abilities such as 'Card Mod', and 'ST Med-RF'. _________ | TIP |____________________________________________________ |--------------------------------------------------------------| | Stock up on items every time you can, just in case you run | | out of Magic. | |______________________________________________________________| __________________________________________________________________ A KEY OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ITEMS IN FF8 __________________________________________________________________ __ || Potion type items. They can be used to heal HPs or status /__\ ailments and can be used inside or outside of battle. _/\ Items that can only be used in battle, or, if they can be /__/ used only in the item menu they have a special purpose. Magical Lamp, Solomon's Ring, Rename Card and Pet Nametag are good examples. __ Save point items. Items that can only be used while on the /\ \ world map or while standing on a save point. The only /__\_\ items that fall into this category are Tents, Pet Houses, and Cottages. __ GF related items that heal a guardian force or teach it an || ability. You can even make it forget an ability with /_GF Amnesia Greens. _____ Ammo needed for Irvine's Shot limit break. The types of '---.| ammunition are: Normal, Shotgun, Dark, Fire, Demolition, || Fast, AP, and Pulse. They can be bought or made using Ammo-RF. _ Items that serve virtually no purpose except to get other, / \ more valuable items/cards/weapons. They are generally | | useful for (1) refining into better items, (2) upgrading \_/ weapons, (3) teaching Quistis Blue Magic abilities. ___ Magazines. What are they useful for? Well, for one thing, |---| you can read them! These are the magazines that are |___| available (they each come in a series): Weapons Monthly, Combat King, Pet Pals, and Occult Fan. There's also Girl Next Door (a naughty mag which you're not allowed to read) which there's only one of. Combat King and Pet Pals will teach Zell and Rinoa new limit breaks respectively, but there's a catch - they only "learn" these limit breaks AFTER you look at the specific magazine. Same goes for the Weapons Monthlies. You won't see a particular weapon at a junk shop unless you have the ingredients for it already or have "read about it" in a magazine. [3] MAGIC --------- Magic does not consume MP, but like items, magic is a one-use thing, so when you use up all your magic, you have get more again using the 'Draw' command on enemies or draw points (purple wisps of liquid streaming from points in the ground). There are about 50 spells all up. It is a form of energy called "para-magic" to be exact, and can be used to your advantage through the Junction system. Find out how to use magic in the Battle Tutorial (BF104). Before you can cast magic, you need to get it with the draw command (again, head to BF104 for info on how to draw). To find out about all the different types of magic, and what they all do, see the section "All About Magic". Use: Use magic possessed by a party member. Only Cure, Cura, Curaga, Life, Full-Life and Esuna can be used outside of battle. Reserve characters (those not in the main party) cannot use any of their magic. Plus, a GF must be junctioned to the character in question. The Magic command does not need to be equipped. Exchange: Swap magic between characters. A character can give all of their stock of a certain spell, or split it up between them and the other person. All: Swap whole sets of magic with other characters. Rearrange: Organise magic manually or automatically. To discard magic, press Square on the magic you want to get rid of and a message will pop up asking if you want to discard all of that magic. [4] STATUS ---------- View up-to-date character information including how much experien- ce the character has, how much they need to level up, how many levels they have, current statistics, junction information and limit break settings. Hit X once to bring up the status / elemental defense / atk screen. Hit it again to view compatibility between the character and GFs. Hit X a third time to see the list of GFs and which ones are junctioned by the character (a symbol next to the name) and compatibility ratings. Hit the X the fourth and last time to see the characters' limit break screen. You can also bring it up quickly by just pressing Square. With Squall and Zell you can set their limit breaks to "Auto", where the computer puts in the commands for you, but not perfectly every time. See the Glossary for information about what certain terms mean. [5] GF ------ Use this menu to view your GF's status and abilities. You can choose an ability you want your GF to learn, and once it has earned the required amount of APs (Ability Points), you will be able to use the ability. [6] ABILITY ------------ Most abilities have to be activated in the Junction menu to be used, but GF and Menu abilities start coming into effect as soon as they have been learned. In the 'Ability' menu you get to use Menu abilities. TIP Update your magic often. With Mid Mag-RF or High Mag-RF you can replace your pesky low level spells such as Fire into Fira, then Fira to Firaga. Especially useful for obtaining magic like Triple, which is rare, but need only be refined from Double with High Mag-RF. [7] SWITCH ---------- Because you can only have three party members, the rest of the available party members are in the sub-party. While you are on the world map or a save point you can choose your party here. Press Square on the characters to see what you have junctioned to them. Switch: Choose three characters who will be in your party. Junction Exchange: Switch the junction details of one character with another. Magic is also exchanged. [8] CARDS --------- View the cards you possess by pressing the directional buttons. After losing a card, it will be displayed in darkened fonts, showing where you lost the card (location of card player you lost it to, where you can get it again or 'Squall', confirming that you refined the card). To get cards you can: Card a monster in battle, defeat it (occasionally), or defeat other card players in a card game. If you want to find out how to play the game there is a tutorial in this guide. [9] CONFIG ---------- Customise your preferred game settings here. Sound: Stereo or Mono. Controller: Default or Customise. To customise controller settings select "Customise" with the confirm button. In the PC version configure the controls by opening FFVIII Config from the windows Start menu or FFVIII dir (file). Cursor: In battle, when set on Memory, the cursor goes back to the option you last used until the battle ends. Battle Mode: In Active, the ATB continues filling when commands are being chosen. In Wait, the ATB stops filling while commands are being chosen. Scan: Initial only gives detailed enemy information when casting scan once. Choose Always to view detailed info every time you Scan. Camera Movement: 0% to 100%. Battle Speed: Slow to fast. Battle Message: How long it takes for a battle message. Analogue Input: Sensitivity of the analogue sticks on a Dual Shock controller. Vibration Function: Turn ON or OFF. [10] TUTORIAL ------------- Basic Operation - Default button configurations for the field, battle, world map and menu screens. Battle Operation - About fighting in Final Fantasy VIII. Card Game Rules - How to play Triple Triad. If you find this tutorial confusing, there's another one in this guide. Online Help - Hand-holding tutorials about junctioning and using characters' status screens. TEST - Once you've become a SeeD you can take tests where you will be asked YES or NO questions about the game. If Squall's level isn't the same or higher than the test level, you cannot take the test. If you get 100% in a test, your SeeD level will rise, meaning more pay. Review - You can take SeeD tests again here. Your SeeD level isn't affected be test reviews. Icon Explanation - Explains all the status and element icons. Information - Miscellaneous information. Game basics, GF and magic lists, as well as background info concerning the game's places and characters can be found here. There are also some things that can only be unlocked by doing certain things. Information: Places/people - Information about places is only available after you have visited them or if they've been mention in conversation, so if you see a character mention a person or place you aren't familiar with, it should be in the tutorial. Battle Metre - Talk to Cid again at the SeeD inauguration ceremony. He'll give a device that can record information. Character Report - While you're in the D-District Prison, there's a prisoner who will give you a Battle Metre upgrade if you defeat him in a game of cards (he won't talk to you if you haven't already got the Battle Report though). GF Report - From disc two onwards you can get this from a man in Balamb Garden. He appears randomly in the Training Centre and sells items. You can get the GF Report from him by defeating him in a game of cards. Proof of Omega - Obtained only by defeating Omega Weapon. It's nothing special really, just something to show your friends when they don't believe you've defeated the toughest monster in Final Fantasy VIII. [11] SAVE --------- Record your progress. Final Fantasy VIII requires a PlayStation Memory card, and at least a block of memory. The save option can only be accessed when on the world map or standing on a save point (they look like floating rings). Up to 15 save files can be made. You might need to delete save files from other games if your memory card is full. [12] TIME AND MONEY ------------------- How much time you've been playing from the beginning of the game, and how much gil you possess. These come hand-in-hand, so to speak. When you have played over 100 hours, the timer will start back at 00:00, but this time in red. [13] LOCATION WINDOW -------------------- Tells you where you are at the moment. Great for when you're on the world map. [14] STATUS ----------- This window shows your active party. To change the order of party members simply place the cursor on a party member and use the confirm button to rearrange your party as you please! O================================================================O | Battle Tutorial [ff8/II05] | O================================================================O Introduction: What is a battle? ------------------------------- Battles are rather unique in Final Fantasy. Instead of seeing an enemy and bashing at it with your weapon, you choose from a list of commands. Health is identified by Hit Points (HP), and there are various attributes that define what kind of fighter you/the enemy is. Each battle participant has to wait for their turn in battle, and have a range of attacks they can use. Much of the game revolves around battle, as you're always trying to find items items and magic that will give you a greater advantage in battle. Random Battles -------------- You don't "see" random battles. Most of the time, it's an invisible enemy. You're just walking along and suddenly you enter a battle! You can use Enc Half or Enc None to block out a lot of random battles, but they can be useful; by fighting randomly encountered monsters on a regular basis you can: - - Get rare items (the more levels your party has, the better a chance you will have of getting rare items). - Get LOTS of magic. Monsters will be your main source of getting the stuff, especially early in the game when you don't have so many refine abilities. - Get useful cards REALLY EARLY in the game. - Get your GFs to learn those abilities. - Increase GF compatibility. - Get a better SeeD level. - Get experience. Boss battles only provide you with AP. In short, by fighting many random battles you can make all the non-random battles very easy. Some times you will be forced into a non-random battle where you fight a normal enemy, but they are usually very easy. Of course, if you dislike battles, but don't mind cards, you can get around that problem. Avoiding Random Battles ----------------------- - Drive a car. - Ride a chocobo. - Catch a train. - Walk on tar sealed roads. - Equip Diablos' Enc None or Enc Half abilities. - Use a GameShark. - If you do get into one you can escape. Non-Random Battles (or bosses) ------------------------------ You cannot avoid bosses. They are just part of the game. Some bosses are optional. Most bosses are immune to 99% of all status ailments. Active Time Battle (ATB) ------------------------ ________________________ | Zell 544 --------- | A status window showing the | Squall 486 --------- | character health, and ATB is | Selphie 489 --------- | displayed on the battle screen. |________________________| A party member can execute an action only when their ATB has ___________ filled up. When it fills up and the character is |COMMAND | ready for action you will see a list of equipped | Attack | commands they can choose from. Refer to the | Magic | Junction tutorial ([1]) how to junction abilities. | GF | | Item | Sometimes when you enter a battle you will see |___________| 'First Strike' or 'Back Attack' in which you or your enemies will get the first strike in battle respectively. 'Initiative' and 'Alert' are both good in giving you an advantage where this is concerned. Enemy statistics ---------------- Enemies level up with you, meaning, that the enemy party will have the same levels as your party!! As your enemies level up, becoming more intelligent, they acquire new abilities, items, magic and battle strategies just as you do. Damaging to your enemy ---------------------- The damage you cause to your enemies with your attacks depend on the opposing stats. For instance, the damage your character causes to the enemy with their attack depends on their Vitality and your Strength. Str (physical damage you inflict) - Vit Mag (potency of the magic you cast) - Spr Hit (accuracy of physical attacks) - Eva ST Atk (status ailment caused when you attack) - ST Def Elem Atk (elemental bonus caused by attack) - Elem Def One of the best ways of exploiting your enemies weaknesses is elementary. There are total of eight elemental attributes: earth, wind, water, fire, ice, thunder, holy and poison. Each element has its own strengths and weaknesses. Enemies can be strong or weak against certain element/s, and most of the magic spells affiliated with one or more of the elements. One of those types of magic can be used with junction abilities such as Elem Def-J or Elem Atk-J. The more the magical strain, the more effective that magic will be (100x Firaga would provide over 100% defence against fire attacks, meaning you would absorb the damage). ________________________________________________________________ | Elemental Chart | |________________________________________________________________| | Types of enemies Weaknesses Examples | |----------------------------------------------------------------| | All | Non-elemental | Laser Eye, Ultima | |--------------------+------------------+------------------------| | Fire | Ice | Diamond Dust, Blizzard | |--------------------+------------------+------------------------| | Ice | Fire | Hell Fire, Fire Breath | |--------------------+------------------+------------------------| | Water | Thunder | Thundara, Eletrocute | |--------------------+------------------+------------------------| | Thunder | Water | Tsunami, Water | |--------------------+------------------+------------------------| | Desert | Water | See other Water entries| |--------------------+------------------+------------------------| | Human | Poison | Pain, Bio, Bad Breath | |--------------------+------------------+------------------------| | Zombie | Holy | Holy Judgement, Cure | |--------------------+------------------+------------------------| | Machine | Thunder | Thunder Storm, Thunder | | | Water | Water Breath | |--------------------+------------------+------------------------| | Oil | Fire | Flame Shot, Firaga | |--------------------+------------------+------------------------| | Flying | Wind | Aero, Tornado | |____________________|__________________|________________________| Statuses -------- In battle there are many kinds of statuses, both bad and good, that change the way your characters fight. In short, Elixirs, Megalixirs, ST Defence and the Treatment command cure any status ailment. Remedy+ not only cures negative status change, but gets rid of good ones too. Mighty Guard bestows nearly all positive status changes except Reflect while Runaway Train (Doomtrain) and Bad Breath inflict every status ailment. Dispel gets rid of any positive statuses. ______________________________________________________________ | Status Symptoms - Cause * Cure | |--------------------------------------------------------------| | Aura | - Limit Breaks are easier | - Aura. | | | to get. | - Aura Stone. | | | | - Mighty Guard. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Berserk | - Strength is raised. | * Esuna. | | | - The victim attacks the | * Remedy. | | | enemy in a fit of rage. | * End battle. | | | you lose control of it. | - Berserk. | | | | - Mad Rush. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Confusion | - Victim makes completely | * Esuna. | | | random actions in a | * Remedy. | | | dizzied state of | * Physical hit. | | | confusion. | * Time Lapse. | | | | * End battle. | | | | - Confuse. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Curse | - Blackish tinge to skin. | * Remedy. | | | - Inability to use limit | * Esuna. | | | breaks even with Aura or | * Holy Water. | | | low HP. | | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Defend | - Attacks do not damage. | - Defend. | | | | * Confirm action| |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Darkness | - Attack accuracy is | * Eye Drops. | | | considerably dropped. | * Remedy. | | | - Black cloud over head. | * Esuna. | | | | * 255% Hit rate | | | | nullifies the | | | | effect of | | | | darkness. | | | | - Blind. | | | | - Acid. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Doom | - Victim is 'executed' | * End battle. | | | when the counter reaches | * Remedy+. | | | zero. | * Elixir. | | | | * Treatment. | | | | - Doom. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Double | - Cast one or two spells | - Double. | | | at once. | - CounterRockets| |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Haste | - ATB fills quicker. | * Time interval.| | | | - Haste. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Invincible | - Impervious to any attack.| - Hero-Trial. | | | | - Hero. | | | | - Holy War-Trial| | | | - Holy War. | | | | - InvincibleMoon| |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | KO, death | - KO stands for Knocked | * Life. | | | The victim will be lying | * Full-Life. | | | on the ground. If your | * Phoenix Down. | | | whole party gets knocked | * Revive. | | | out it's Game Over. | * Mega Phoenix. | | | - KO'd characters miss out | - Death. | | | on experience. | - Doom. | | | | - Zantetsuken. | | | | - Degenerator. | | | | - LV? Death. | | | | - Rapture. | | | | - The End. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Petrification | - The victim is turned | * Soft. | | | stone. They can't do | * Remedy. | | | anything. | * Esuna. | | | - If your whole party gets | * Treatment. | | | petrified it's Game Over.| - Break. | | | - Petrified party members | | | | miss out on experience. | | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Poison | - Victim slowly dies from | * Antidote. | | | damage caused when they | * Esuna. | | | take action. | * Remedy. | | | | - Bio. | | | | - Acid. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Protect | - Reduces the damage of | * Dispel. | | | physical attacks by 1/4. | - Protect. | | | | - Protect Stone.| |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Reflect | - Reflect most magic onto | - Reflect. | | | enemy party. Ultima and | * Dispel. | | | Meteor cannot be | | | | reflected. | | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Regen | - Small amounts of healing | - Regen. | | | at set time intervals. | * Dispel. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Shell | - Reduce the impact of | - Shell. | | | magical attacks by 1/4. | - Shell Stone. | | | | * Dispel. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Silence | - Cannot do anything that | * Echo Screen. | | | involves using your | * Esuna. | | | voice, like cast magic | * Remedy. | | | or summon GFs. | - Silence. | | | - "...." bubble. | - Silent Voice. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Sleep | - Victim goes to sleep. | * Esuna. | | | You cannot use them. | * Remedy. | | | - Magic will not wake them | * Physical hit. | | | up. | * Time lapse. | | | | - Sleep. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Slow | - ATB slows down. | * Esuna. | | | | * Remedy. | | | | - Slow. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Stop | - ATB stops flowing. | * Esuna. | | | | * Remedy. | | | | - Stop. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Triple | - Cast two or three spells | - Triple. | | | at once. | - CounterRockets| | | | * Dispel. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Vit 0 | - Skin turns a pinkish | * Remedy. | | | colour. | * Esuna. | | | - No defence against | - Meltdown. | | | physical attacks. | - Acid. | |---------------+----------------------------+-----------------| | Zombie | - Skin turns green. | * Remedy. | | | - Victim is damaged by | * Esuna. | | | curative items/magic. | * Holy Water. | | | | - Zombie. | |--------------------------------------------------------------| |______________________________________________________________| Using Magic ----------- Magic is an ability all GF have, and before you can use it you have to draw it from an enemy or draw point (equip the "Draw" command). To use it in battle, the character in question has to have the 'Magic' command equipped. _______________________ |MAGIC P.1 NUM. | To use Magic, select one spell and | Fire 50 | choose your target. | Thunder 50 | The number next to the stock is | Blizzard ï 50 | indicated next to the magic spell's | Cure 50 | name. |_______________________| The ï indicates that the magic is junction to a character's stats. Drawing Magic ------------- ___________ |COMMAND | 'Draw' extracts magic from enemies. | Attack | _________ _________ | Magic | |CHOICE | |CHOICE | Choose a target, and | Draw |>| Fire |>| Stock | magic, then Stock or Cast. | Item | | Thunder |>| Cast | |___________| |_________| |_________| The success rate of your draw depends on how often Stock stores the magic for future you draw. Meaning, the use while Cast automatically casts more you stock magic, the the magic without having to store it better your chances are of in your inventory (only one spell at getting 9 spells in one at time though, and in a less potent stock! version). There is no limit to how much magic you stock from an enemy You can stock up to 100 of but each character can only carry 32 types of magic. The maximum amount of magic for each draw is 9. Some magic cannot be drawn unless a enemy is at a certain level or above. Enemies carry different magic as they level up. Some magic will become unavailable as an enemy levels up. To learn what you can draw from each monster at each level, refer to the Bestiary. If you want to change the enemies' level use Tonberry's LV Up/Down abilities. According to Ninjatsu: "The success rate of your draw depends on your Magic Stat. The higher your characters stat the more chance they have of drawing a magic, and the more chance they have to draw 9 spells at once." Using items ----------- _______________________ "Item" is also an ability all GF have, |ITEM P. 1 NUM. | and items are won from enemies, bought, | Potion 10 | or refined from other items. To use | Phoenix Down 10 | items in battle, the character in | Remedy 10 | battle, the character in question has | Potion+ 10 | to have the "Item" Command Ability. |_______________________| Summoning guardian forces ------------------------- _______________________ 'GF' summons a guardian force junction |GF HP | to that particular character. Select a | Quezacotl 600 | guardian force and it's target. | Shiva 596 | | Ifrit 610 | The number next to the guardian | Leviathan 2698 | force's name shows it's health. GFs |_______________________| can be cured by resting (you need to walk around) or with special GF curing items. GFs can only be cured in battle with the 'MiniMog' command (you need a PocketStation for that). Using limit breaks ------------------ ___________ |COMMAND | ____________ When running low on health, an | Attack |>| Combo | arrow may appear next the 'Attack' | Magic | | Angel Wing | command. Press the right | Draw | '------------' directional button on it to reveal | Item | a character's limit break. |___________| Limit breaks are even more Each character has the own powerful than the average attack. individual limit breaks. Each character has their own unique limit breaks. The Luck stat NOTE: Limit breaks are more is important for success with common when under Aura status limit breaks. (your HP doesn't have to be at critical to be able to use a limit break). Overview of Limit Breaks ------------------------ Squall There is a gauge with flashes going through. If you [Renzokuken] press the R1 button when the flashes go over a certain point, Squall will inflict more damage with each blow. When this is finished, a random finishing move may be executed. New finishing moves are learnt by upgrading Squall's gunblade. Seifer "No Mercy": Seifer casts Fire on his opponent and [Fire Cross] hits him with the whirlwind affect of his gun blade. Zell There are a list of moves on the screen which you [Duel] must press the right combination of buttons for (like a dancing game - or Xenosaga) the attacks. If you chain the right moves together before the timer runs out, you can use damaging finishing moves. Zell will learn new moves after looking at Combat King magazines in the item menu. Quistis When Quistis has learnt a type of Blue Magic she can [Blue Magic] use it whenever her limit break it activated. She can learn abilities by using certain items on her. Selphie Choose "Do Over" and you will get a random spell. [Slot] If you find a spell you want to cast, choose "Cast". There are some spells only Selphie can cast. Once Selphie has cast a special magic ability or reached certain levels, she be able to access it more easily. Irvine Choose the type of ammo you want Irvine to use and [Shot] R1 to shoot the rounds. Be quick as there is a time limit! It's like the Trigger Happy ability in FF10/2. Rinoa This limit break involves Rinoa's dog, Angelo. He [Combine] choose a random ability out of the ones he knows, so if you don't want him to use a certain ability, don't teach it to him! You have to look at a Pet Pals magazine from the item menu and activate it from Rinoa's status menu if you want him to learn it though. Stealing items -------------- After learning Diablos' or Bahamut's 'Mug' ability, you can steal items from your enemies while attacking them too. Unlike with dropped items that the enemies give you when you defeat them, stolen items do not vary with the level of the monster. So if you want to get an item dropped by a specific enemy do not mug it. Receiving items --------------- Items are usually dropped enemies. Enemies drop different items depending on their levels, but Tonberry has abilities that can temporarily change the level of (though not on bosses, as they do not drop different items at varying levels)! Later on in the game GFs Eden and Bahamut will have the 'Rare Item' ability, which increases the chances of getting items such as Bomb Spirit. If your level is low and you're not getting very good items from your enemies, you can try carding them, then turning the cards into items with 'Card Mod'. Ending a battle --------------- A battle can end in a variety of different ways: - You lose (all your party being Petrified or KO'd). You'll see a Game Over screen and have to continue from your last save. - You win (deplete all of the enemies' remaining HPs). You will receive items/EXP/AP. - You escape the battle (see controls section). EXP is determined by how much you damage the enemy. Fast Facts about levelling up and learning abilities ---------------------------------------------------- - A character doesn't earn experience if: (1) They didn't take any action in battle, (2) are knocked out or petrified when the battle is over, (3) if the last enemy was Carded or Petrified, (4) the enemy is a boss. - Experience points are gained even if you escape, as long as you attacked the enemy. - The party members/guardian forces who dealt the finishing blow get the most experience. - You get different EXP from every enemy as you level up (and they level up). - Whoever deals the finishing blow gets the most EXP, but if all the party members had equal blows, equal EXP is shared. - After earning 1000 EXP points from damaging enemies (none is earned from bosses), a character levels up, their stats may increase as a result. - All enemies (including bosses) give AP to the junctioned GFs, but if a character takes no action in battle their GF receives no AP! But I'm not entirely sure ... - The level of your enemies depend on the average level of your party, therefore their stats are different all the time. From Ninjatsu:" - Unlike FF7 characters not participating in the battle will not gain exp. - Characters in battle will gain experience even if they did nothing. Unless they are k.o or petrified, or all the monsters got carded/petrified. - Killing 1 monster then carding the second in a battle vs 2 monsters will give you exp for the first monster. - Whoever deals the finishing blow per monster will get more exp for that monster, different level monsters give different finishing blow experience. - The more damage done to enemies increases exp gain. Killing a 70hp monster with a 9999 blow will give you the exp for the 70hp monster. Hitting the 70hp monster for 60hp then curing it to full health then killing it gives more exp. - All enemies give AP, including carded enemies(not sure about break). All Gf's currently alive and junctioned to the characters in the battle will gain exp and AP, even if the character they are junctioned to is k.o(not sure about break). - Enemies levels are "roughly" the same as your average party(The 3 characters currently in battle) level. When there are more than 1 enemies in a battle they may have different levels, use different magic, and give different exp, while allowing you to draw different magic too." Tips and Tactics ---------------- - Time is of the essence. Abilities such as "Auto-Haste" and "Initiative" will ensure you get the advantage over an enemy. Or you can totally thrash your enemies by having these abilities AND casting Slow or Stop on your enemies. They won't know what hit em'! - Meltdown is fantastic because it decreases the victims' Vit to 0, ensuring physical blows will deal maximum damage. Physical limit breaks such as Shot, Renzokuken, Duel, Blue Magic, and Combine are greatly enhanced by the Vit 0 status ailment. - Later on in the game Mighty Guard will be invaluable, as it casts a whole bunch of protective spells onto your party such as Protect, Shell, Haste, Float, and even Aura! Although they don't sound much, protective spells such as Shell and Protect are very useful. - Take advantage of your characters strong points by focusing on their kind of attack. For instance, as Squall has a physical limit break, you don't want his magic junctioned to Magic. Or, like with Selphie, who is weak physically, but is a skilled magician. You want to take advantage of good magic rather than having average attacks, right? - If you have the time, draw as much magic as you can from as many different enemies. Not only does it help you raise your stats through junctioning, it provides you with loads of cool stuff to use against your enemies, making battles easier. From Ninjatsu: "Always draw when fighting a new enemy to see what magic they have, and especially bosses." - Use enemy weaknesses to your benefit. For instance, an enemy might have very high Spirit, but low defence, and have a weakness against: Thunder, earth, water. So, you would avoid magic, and instead go for GF attacks or limit breaks such as Thunder Storm, Electrocute, Brotherly Love, Tsunami or Water Breath. - To increase the power of your GFs, learn abilities such as Boost, SumMag+10%, SumMag+20% and SumMag+30%. - When you get a GF such as Siren or Carbuncle, who carries a additional spell/s with their attacks or you have status attack, casting status magic becomes pretty wasteful. - Quezacotl's 'Mid Mag-RF' is good for raising stats early in the game. - Whenever you see new magic, draw as much of it as you can. In some boss battles, you will not be able to get that kind of magic again until you get a few more GFs! - If you're doing a no level up game "Card" is a good attack to use to make sure your party gets no EXP and the chance of getting a semi-rare card. I found that if you card a certain kind of enemy too many times you will get EXP when you defeat one again. - Team work is the key to easy success. Keeping all characters' experience points level with each other throughout the game will make it easier to defeat the final boss. - Fight many battles. To gain a small advantage over bosses and gain rare items, more magic, and abilities. In fact, monsters will give you better items depending on their level, and you will be paid better as a SeeD. - If you have a high compatibility rating with your GFs, you can summon them very quickly in battle, giving you an enormous advantage. In my first game where I had 1000 compatibility (I can only guess that, a I was summoning them 99% of the time). I found the battle with Edea at the end of disc 2 really easy. In my next game, where I had well and truly become very tired of the GF sequences, therefore not summoning them as much, I found Edea very hard. At that point I actually discovered she had an attack called "Maelstrom" ^_^. So, in conclusion, I suggest you take another look at the "GF Management" section. - If you want a random event, wait. Not doing anything for a period of time (which can be 20 seconds to 7 minutes). After a period of time has elapsed, something MIGHT happen depending how high your luck stats are or whether Angelo or Gilgamesh are with you ... - Having trouble getting that item? Can't seem to be able to get a Dragon Fang even with 'Rare Item'? - Don't mug all your enemies. Some items can only be obtained if you DON'T mug the enemy. - Some items can only be got when the enemy is at a certain level. This level depends on the average level of your party so therefore varies. But this is really annoying if your party's level isn't very high, so use 'LV Up' or 'LV Down' to manipulate the enemies' level anyway you want! - Maybe it's 'Rare Item' that's keeping you from getting a Dragon Fang! The ability tends to lower the chance of receiving junk items. - Use any item you have nearly 100 of. Otherwise you'll ?nd yourself discarding some of it. The refining lists in "GF Abilities" help. - Use Carbuncle to your advantage. I know Carbuncle, and Reflect are possibly the most annoying things in the game, this is how to use them to your best advantage. 1. Summon Carbuncle. 2. Cast Reflect on the enemy. 3. If you want to cast a spell on an ally, cast it on the enemy instead. Use potions if you want to cure. 4. Summon Carbuncle once every turn if the enemy has Dispel. That way they'll only use that on you instead of their offensive attacks! Heheheheh ... - Know the character's weapons and limit breaks. Information can be found in the characters section. - Know an enemies' element. By knowing an enemies' element, you can determine their weakness. You can usually tell by the magic you draw from them, or what they use to attack you. You can also get great info with Scan. See above if you would like to view an elemental chart. - If you're having trouble carding a powerful enemy such as Snow Lion, use Demi, then card it! - Junctioning is vital to playing the game easily, so take the time to learn it, and spend far less time later on defeating hard bosses. - Whenever you enter a new region check out all the enemies who inhabit there and experiment with what they can give you. - Make short work of your enemies by junctioning Break, Death, Pain, or Zombie to your status attack. In battle, your enemies will be pretty much open to defeat (unless, of course, they're immune to those maladies). You'll also need 100 of those spells for it to work every time. - The more items and magic the better! Whenever you enter a different region stock up on items and spells. I know 100 Confuses may seem pretty useless, but it can be junctioned to your status attack for great results, and 100 Curse Spikes can be refined into a very rare Dark Matter. It's far better to do this than go trekking all over the world looking for the same stuff you took for granted earlier on. Levelling up early will avoid backtracking too. - Cast Double or Triple on your characters to get the most out of your magic. A character with Double or Triple status can cast more than one spell at a time. The same thing can be done by equipping the character abilities 'Expend x2-1', and 'Expend x3-1'. - Silence or summon Siren for enemies that use magic. It's surprising who's weak to this magic. - The more enemies you kill, the more items you get. - Always make sure you have plenty of Phoenix Downs and later on -- Mega Phoenixes. Potions and that kind of thing are also important. Although they don't sound like much, the Recover and Revive commands will prove invaluable. - In some boss battles there are enemies who are helping the boss. It is generally a good idea to kill them off first, but you only have to kill the boss to win the battle (like in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance). - Use limit breaks whenever you can. They can potentially be the most powerful attacks in the whole game. O================================================================O | Triple Triad [ff8/II06] | O================================================================O Introduction: What is Triple Triad? ----------------------------------- Triple Triad is the mini-game of Final Fantasy VIII. Did you know they had a whole team working on this thing? Like most Final Fantasy mini-games, Triple Triad is similar to battles, it involves non player characters, can get you great items. It is frustrating at first, but pretty fun once you the hang of it. ------------------------------------------------------------------ When to begin playing ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can start playing right at the beginning of the game. Talk to the man near the elevator in floor 2 of Balamb Garden. He gives you 7 starter cards and shows you how to challenge players. But you can only challenge him in the CC Group side quest. From Ninjatsu: "Not after you get the first 7 cards.... they suck (If you are really good at cards it is possible). Beat Ifrit to get his card, and beat Diablos to get his card. With 2 good cards you can start beating most people in Balamb Garden." Yes, I did fail to note that. I found that Bomb cards are good starter cards (you can card them in the Fire Cavern). Now try challenging the boy who wears blue and runs around the Garden. He's easy to defeat and holds the MiniMog card. If you're feeling lucky you can try getting Quistis' card from a Trepe Groupie, or Seifer's card from Cid, or Zell's card from Ma Dincht. They'll be a bit tougher to get but you'll have a good hand to start the game with. ------------------------------------------------------------------ How to read the cards ------------------------------------------------------------------ Triple Triad cards are like normal cards in the way that they have numbers ranging from 1 to A (ace). Only they have 4 numbers instead of 1. The statistics of a card are directional: 3 7 2 1 Each has their own direction; in this example 3 signifies north, 7 signifies west, 2 signifies east, and 1 signifies south. N W E S ------------------------------------------------------------------ How to cards work in relation to each other ------------------------------------------------------------------ __________________________________ | | | | | 5 | 8 | 2 | | 3 9--WIN->4 4<-WIN--A 6 | | 8 | A | 9 | |___________|___________|__________| These are three cards that have been lined up against each other. See how each card has four numbers? The cards on the left and the right have both one over the card in middle, because A and 9 are both higher than 4. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Upon Winning a Game of Cards ------------------------------------------------------------------ When you win a game of cards, depending on what trading rule is in play, the winner will select what cards they want. The names of the cards are displayed in colours, telling you their status: * White. The card is currently in your hand. * Blue. You've haven't had the card in this current game. * Yellow. It's a card you've had once but lost all of. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Where to view your cards ------------------------------------------------------------------ To see the strengths and weaknesses of your cards go to the Card menu. It shows all the cards you have, and even the location of cards you've lost in card game with other people. Even cards that you have lost or refined will be there, but it'll tell you, that you have none of that card ... and if you refined the card you cannot retrieve it. There are 10 pages devoted to the cards. Once there are no more cards to know of, you'll see a star beside the Card heading in the main menu. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Aim of the game ------------------------------------------------------------------ The game is set on a 3x3 grid, where nine cards can be placed. Each card has 4 numbers. When a card is placed next to another card, the adjoining numbers effect each other. If the numbers are right, it will turn the other card over, resulting in a 1 point gain, which may be lost if the other player gets their card back. At the end of the game, when nine cards are placed on the board, the person with the most points wins. That a basic outline of how to play the game. Additional rules can change how the game is played. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Card Layout Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------ These rules affect the way your hand is laid out the most. * OPEN: is the easiest rule to understand and involves no complications. * SUDDEN DEATH: "Fight to the death". The game doesn't allow a draw, and when it happens, a new game is started. Note that if you converted a the other player's card in the last game, you'll have it in your deck in this one. The same goes if the enemy managed to convert your cards. * RANDOM: The computer shuffles the cards and randomly selects deck for you. It's quite good if additional rules such as SAME or PLUS are active. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Additional Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------ These affect how you play your actual game. SAME ---- .------------.------------.-----------. Mesmerize has 3 on E and | 5 | 8 | 3 | Sphinxara has 3 on W and 5 | 3 3 SAME! 3 5 SAME! 5 5 | on E. Tri-Face has 5 on | 4 | 8 | 5 | W. The numbers that "meet" | Mesmerize | Sphinxara | Tri-Face | each and are the same set '------------'------------'-----------' the SAME rule in play. SAME WALL --------- It's basically the same as SAME, only the numbers don't have to be adjacent for the rule to work. The numbers just have to be facing the edges of the board. So, Sphinxara wouldn't be placed on the left side of Mesmerize, but on any of the spaces above Mesmerize! PLUS ---- .------------. Okay, so C3 has [2] and [1]. When you | 2 | add [2] to [4] it makes 6. [1] and [5] | 6 2 | also make 6. So when C3 is placed on |C1 [5] | the board PLUS comes into play. .------------|----PLUS!---| | 4 | [1] | | 2 [4] PLUS! [2] 6 | |C2 7 |C3 3 | '------------'------------' COMBO ----- I don't understand the COMBO rule very well, but I will try to interpret it. When the SAME, SAME WALL or PLUS rules are in play, COMBO effects how you use them. Here's an example; the Eden card gets flipped via SAME, SAME WALL or PLUS. If the Eden card happens to be in a position where it can flip a card; with the COMBO rule, it will. Then the game will do the same with all your other cards that are on the board. ELEMENTAL --------- ELEMENTAL happens when you see a symbol that represents an element. OK, say an elemental rule, for example, Wind was in the middle of the board. If you put the Pandemona or some other wind elemental card there the A north, 7 west, 1 east and 7 south would all rise one up by 1 (A cannot be raised because it is the highest). But if you put a card that was a different element there or had no element at all, it's stats would decrease by 1. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Trading Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------ * ALL: The winner gets all the cards the loser dealt out. Good if you're trying to expand your card collection. * DIFF: Say your winning score was 6 and the loser's score was 2. What's the difference between 6 and 2? Take 2 from 6, you have 4. You get to choose 4 cards. * DIRECT allows you to play the cards you've converted in the heat of the game. This rule can be found when playing against the Card King. (Ninjatsu: "Whatever cards you flipped are yours, whatever cards your opponent flips are his. VERY DANGEROUS RULE!!!") ------------------------------------------------------------------ Changing Trading Rules Easily ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Card Queen also plays a major role where card rules are concerned. Win a card game with her with certain rules, then play with another person using the same area rules; they will have the same rules as the Card Queen. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Manipulating rules ------------------------------------------------------------------ Sometimes when you go to a different region they will have rules you are unfamiliar with, like Plus or Random. Now here are the steps: a) You need to find a place where the rules suit you. If you're trying to get rid of Random in Dollet, choose a place where Random does not apply. b) At the beginning of the game Balamb and Galbadia do not have the Random rule. c) Challenge a player to a game of cards. d) If the last game of cards you played was in a different region to where you're playing now, the player will say something like "would you like to play a game of cards using rules from Dollet and Galbadia?". DO NOT say "yes" because Random may be added to the Galbadian rules. e) Tell them "no". Don't worry if nothing happens, just say "no" and eventually they'll just ask you for a normal game of cards. f) Play with them with you want. g) Go back to Dollet and save your game now! h) Challenge the first person you meet. i) They'll say pretty much the same thing as the person you met in Galbadia. Only this time say "yes", because Random may be abolished. j) This is all random, of course (ha). When you say "yes" the list of rules will appear. Sometimes Random will be included while at other times it will not be there. k) Whether you choose to play or not the outcome will be determined. Reset and try again from step g) if nothing happens. l) If Random is abolished the player will stop using Random, and everyone else using Dollet rules will follow suit. Here's another way; just play an ordinary game of cards. Depending on your actions, rules may be abolished (but it will take longer). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rules in all the Regions ------------------------------------------------------------------ Balamb - Open. Dollet - Random, Elemental. Galbadia - Same. FH - Elemental, Sudden Death. Trabia - Random, Plus. Centra - Random, Plus, Same. Esthar - Elemental. Lunar Gate - Open, Random, Plus, Same, Same Wall, Elemental, Sudden Death. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Tips ------------------------------------------------------------------ - As with all mini-games, you should practice Triple Triad until you get the hang of it. It's like fighting battles, actually, except with numbers. You defeat another's card by having a bigger number, the player who finishes with the most cards wins, get it? Learn Triple Triad at the beginning of the game for an easier time. If you're not too familiar with Triple Triad, ?re Cavern is a good place to get reasonable cards. Also challenge everyone you see. You never know what cards someone has. - If you can understand what the numbers on the cards mean, you can play Triple Triad. There is nothing particularly hard or difficult about the game once you learn to play it. - Build up your collection of cards and play with everyone you can. You can also get cards by carding enemies. Some monsters can be occasionally carded for powerful cards! - If you are starting to play cards late in the game, defeat Brothers in Tomb of the Unknown King (they are easy if you cast Float on them) and/or Diablos from the Magical Lamp. These cards are very good defensively speaking. If you are in disc 3, the Squall and PuPu are also very easy to get! - Perfect your playing style by playing lots of games. You can develop winning strategies that will help you win against the Card Queen in disc 4. - Be careful when getting rare cards in the GF and character ranks. If you already have a rare card but are getting another one of the same type, you'll still only have one card! I know this because Alex managed to get the Eden card in disc four, then he defeated Ultima Weapon, which you get Eden's card from too, but he still only had one Eden card! The same happened with the Shiva card when he had one it more than two times. - Save before playing a card game. You never know what will happen in the world of Triple Triad! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rare Cards obtained in Ways that do not involve Card Playing ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ifrit........The battle with him is compulsory. Diablos......Get the Magical Lamp from Cid and go fight the devil. Sacred.......Won from GF Brothers in Tomb of the Unknown King. Minotaur.....Won from GF Brothers in Tomb of the Unknown King. Odin.........Defeat Odin at Centra Ruins. Cerberus.....Defeat Cerberus in Galbadia Garden. PuPu.........UFO Quest. Shiva........Give Zone Girl Next Door. Bahamut......Defeat Bahamut at the Deep Sea Research Centre. o================================================================o | SeeD [ff8/II07] | o================================================================o ------------------------------------------------------------------ Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------ What do mercenaries, assassins, politicians, lawyers and prostitutes all have in common? They all get paid to do other people's dirty work for them! SeeDs are mercenaries who are employed by Garden. Most of the characters are SeeDs. In Final Fantasy VIII Garden will prove to be a main source of income. After walking a certain distance (on foot or on a Chocobo) a SeeD will get their salary depending on what rank they are. Your actions will effect whether your SeeD rank is lowered or raised. Here's your guide to becoming the perfect seed: stay in the ground, don't sprout in winter ... ah, only joking! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting Paid ------------------------------------------------------------------ Once you become a SeeD you will be paid your SeeD salary (in accordance with your SeeD level) every 24,575 steps. Trivia: If you're really bad and keep on getting demoted you can actually lose your SeeD level altogether! This doesn't mean anything other than salary gets changed. You just have SeeD level 0 and whenever the salary thing comes up you don't get any money at all! More steps are covered on the world map, especially if you're travelling on a chocobo. I don't know if any "steps" are covered when travelling in a car or train ... No steps are "covered" when the computer is controlling the character directly. The steps you take before you become a SeeD, and during Laguna dreams do not count. ------------------------------------------------------------------ General things to keep in mind ------------------------------------------------------------------ - According to The Admiral, who has written an excellent SeeD Rank Guide which can be found at www.gamefaqs.com, the SeeD ranks are built up by "SeeD experience", just in the way battle levels are built up by battle experience. So even if you don't think you've done something wrong, you are slowly moving towards getting demoted. Every level is worth 1000 points of experience, except for rank A, which is only worth 110. Each time you get promoted, the experience rounds up to the next rank. - The Admiral also says that each kill made by a character is worth 1 SeeD experience (but not if the character kills the enemy using Doom, Break, poison, Regen, the GF command, confuse or reflect). Defeats by GFs do not count, the exceptions being GFs like Odin, Gilgamesh and Phoenix ... Kills by them are accredited to the first party member. - Escaping battles does not effect your SeeD experience (it does effect your SeeD score badly early in the game though). - Every time you have your salary paid, you lose 10 experience points. - There are some fixed events in the game which can also effect your SeeD standing, and I will point them out during the walkthrough. - When you become a SeeD, taking SeeD Tests will also increase your SeeD level. There are up to thirty tests you can take and you can only take a test to increase SeeD rank once. After that it's merely a test revision. Before you can take a test, Squall's level has to be the same as the test number. For instance, if his level was 25, he could take tests 1 to 25, but not tests 26 to 30. You can access the tests once Squall has become a SeeD. More about SeeD Tests can be found later in this chapter. - Think you can let your hair down in the Laguna dreams? No, you can't! Laguna, Kiros and Ward will have the same experience (in battle or SeeD terms) as the normal characters. Squall always plays as Laguna. The steps you take in Laguna dreams do not count, though. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Before you become a SeeD ------------------------------------------------------------------ - In the beginning of the game enemies defeated by GFs do not count on your SeeD report. - Do not to escape from any battles. Before becoming a SeeD you will be rather severely punished for such an act of cowardice, and when you do become a SeeD, payments are temporarily lowered. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rules (any time) ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Be courteous and friendly to every one you meet. Although it may or may not actually contribute to getting a good rank, you might as well. - Don't use magic or weapons in the 2F hallways of the Garden unless you're fighting a monster (no doubt you will be asked to cast a spell or flash your weapon at some point!) - Be perfectionist and do every mission perfectly. This is what maketh a perfect little SeeD! It's a proven fact. If you do every mission to the best of your ability (missions concerning the Sorceress' assassination don't matter), your rank will actually rise! - Be sure to fight many battles, especially at SeeD level A (the highest). It is generally not a good idea to use Enc None too much. If you're not moving along in the story quickly make sure you kill at least 10 monsters before each SeeD payment (look at your battle report). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Seed Test Questions & Answers ------------------------------------------------------------------ ________________________________________________________________ | Test 1 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | The Draw command extracts magic from enemies. | YES | | 2 | GF stands for Garden Fighter. | NO | | 3 | There are a total of 8 elemental attributes. | YES | | 4 | In battle, a higher Strength Stat causes more | | | | physical damage. | YES | | 5 | HP-J is a junction ability. | YES | | 6 | You can't assign specific abilities for your GF to | | | | learn. | NO | | 7 | Magic uses MP. | NO | | 8 | You can name your GF. | YES | | 9 | You can wear protective gear. | NO | | 10 | GF level up with AP. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 2 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | You can raise your Vitality by junctioning magic. | YES | | 2 | Squall's weapon is the Gauntlet. | NO | | 3 | You can stock drawn magic. | YES | | 4 | Any action taken while poisoned causes damage. | | | | There is no damage if you take no action. | YES | | 5 | Being hit by a physical attack removes Confuse. | YES | | 6 | Squall's Limit Break is Kenzokuken. | NO | | 7 | To junction magic, you need the junction ability | | | | for the stat you want to junction. | YES | | 8 | signifies Junction ability. | YES | | 9 | The 8 elements are Fire, Ice, Thunder, Poison, | | | | Earth, Sorcery, Wind, and Holy. | NO | | 10 | There is a limit to how much magic you can draw | | | | from monsters. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 3 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Potions can restore a GF's HP. | NO | | 2 | Magic can only be acquired by drawing from enemies. | NO | | 3 | Selphie's weapon is the nunchaku. | YES | | 4 | You only need money to remodel your weapon. | NO | | 5 | Whoever strikes the finishing blow in battle | | | | receives the most EXP. | YES | | 6 | GF also have levels; the higher their levels, the | | | | stronger their attacks. | YES | | 7 | signifies Command Ability. | YES | | 8 | Each party member can have up to 5 Character and | | | | Party Abilities. | NO | | 9 | Command Abilities must be set to be used in battle. | YES | | 10 | AP means Action Point. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 4 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Only Squall can use a Gunblade. | NO | | 2 | Attack magic can be used against party members. | YES | | 3 | There is an ability that allows you to make magic | YES | | | from items. | YES | | 4 | Higher Vitality reduces physical damage. | YES | | 5 | Blue Magic is learned by being attacked by a | | | | monster. | NO | | 6 | The magic Dispel cures Poison. | NO | | 7 | If you are KO'd with status change, but are revived | | | | after battle, the status change is removed. | YES | | 8 | T-Rexaur is a monster that lives in Balamb Garden's | | | | Training Centre. | YES | | 9 | Squall's gunblade causes more damage by pressing L2 | | | | at the right time. | NO | | 10 | You can stock up to 255 of each magic. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 5 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | signifies party ability. | NO | | 2 | You can Draw from party members. | NO | | 3 | You can save the game anywhere. | NO | | 4 | When a GF learns a new ability, some new abilities | | | | may appear. | YES | | 5 | A Character Ability must be set; other wise it will | | | | be useless. | YES | | 6 | The higher the Speed stat the better your chances | | | | of using a limit break. | NO | | 7 | An ability is something you earn by gaining EXP. | NO | | 8 | Under Zombie, you succumb more easily to Holy | | | | attacks. | YES | | 9 | "Physical Attack" means harm caused by the use of | | | | swords and guns. | YES | | 10 | You can steal Steel Pipe from a Wendigo. | YES | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 6 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Zell's weapons are gloves. | YES | | 2 | You can summon a GF when Silenced. | NO | | 3 | Ifrit can learn the F Mag-RF ability. | YES | | 4 | If more than one GF with the same junction ability | | | | is junctioned to a character, the effect of those | | | | abilities remain the same. | YES | | 5 | All status changes return to normal after battle. | NO | | 6 | You can use the Attack and Draw commands without | | | | junctioning a GF. | NO | | 7 | When you set Squall's gunblade on auto, there is no | | | | need to press [R1]. | YES | | 8 | The Mag stat determines the strength and effective- | | | | ness of magic. | YES | | 9 | When using Auto to junction, you can only choose | | | | from Atk or Def. | NO | | 10 | A Grat uses Sleep attacks. | YES | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 7 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Evade indicates how well you can evade physical | | | | attacks. Higher Eva stat reduces hits from | | | | physical attacks. | YES | | 2 | Using Fire against enemies that absorb Fire raises | | | | their HP. | YES | | 3 | Squall's finishing blow is different depending on | | | | the type of gunblade he uses. | YES | | 4 | By using F Mag-RF, you can refine 5 Fires from 1 M- | | | | Stone Piece. | YES | | 5 | Only 1 rare card exists in the whole world. | YES | | 6 | A Buel sometimes uses Fire. | YES | | 7 | Spirit only relates to using Confuse. Higher Spr | | | | increases the likelihood of success using Confuse.| NO | | 8 | A Geezard drops many Screws. | YES | | 9 | Enemies level up as you do. | YES | | 10 | You encounter fewer enemies on the world map if you | | | | walk instead of run. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 8 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Galbadian Soldiers don't use magic. | NO | | 2 | Weapons can be remodelled into more powerful weapons| | | | at the Junk Shop. | YES | | 3 | signifies Character Ability. | NO | | 4 | Casting Slow over Haste will cancel Haste and | | | | return the targets' status back to normal. | NO | | 5 | You encounter more enemies in the forest than on | | | | the plains in the world map. | YES | | 6 | When Elem Def goes over 100%, that element's damage | | | | will be absorbed. | YES | | 7 | The Garden exists only in Balamb. | NO | | 8 | There are no Bombs in the Fire Cavern. | NO | | 9 | Each GF can learn different abilities. | YES | | 10 | Junk Shops sell weapons. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 9 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | You can Cast the GF you drew instead of Stock. | NO | | 2 | signifies Menu Ability. | YES | | 3 | Magic listed in Selphie's limit break is magic she | | | | owns. | NO | | 4 | If a GF is hardly used, or has low compatibility | | | | with party members, it may leave your party. | NO | | 5 | Party Abilities can be used without setting them as | | | | abilities. | NO | | 6 | GF left KO'd too long perish and cannot be revived. | NO | | 7 | 1 Sharp Spike refines into 5 AP Ammo. | NO | | 8 | Defeating the enemy who caused a status change | | | | returns status to normal. | NO | | 9 | Enemies change attack patterns as you level up. | YES | | 10 | When Poisoned, every action you take damages you. | YES | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 10 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Use the magic Confuse to inflict confuse status on | | | | your enemy. | YES | | 2 | A Potion restores 100 HP. | NO | | 3 | Quistis' weapon is a magic sword. | NO | | 4 | ATB stands for Ability Tone Black. | NO | | 5 | You are more susceptible to fire under Zombie. | NO | | 6 | You can refine 1 Tent from 1 Healing water using | | | | the Menu Ability Tool-RF. | NO | | 7 | EXP are divided equally among all characters part- | | | | icipating in battle. | NO | | 8 | Blind sucks out an enemy's brain to prevent them | | | | from attacking. | NO | | 9 | Esuna or Soft removes Petrify. | YES | | 10 | Nothing removes Sleep. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 11 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | GF can regain HP while walking. | YES | | 2 | The Draw command must be set in order to use a Draw | | | | Point. | YES | | 3 | Limit Breaks always kill enemies. | NO | | 4 | Siren can learn the ability Treatment. | YES | | 5 | You can junction more than 1 GF. | YES | | 6 | Adamantine is an item dropped by level 10 | | | | Adamantoise. | NO | | 7 | You can rearrange the magic and items while | | | | displayed during battle. | YES | | 8 | Shiva can learn Doom right after becoming an ally. | NO | | 9 | Drain absorbs HP from enemies, but can't be used to | | | | absorb from party members. | NO | | 10 | Recovery magic damages Undead monsters. | YES | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 12 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Armadodo absorbs Earth attacks. | NO | | 2 | You can refine 20 Curas from 1 Healing Water by | | | | using L Mag-RF. | YES | | 3 | You receive EXP after the battle is won even when | | | | KO'd. | NO | | 4 | You can only draw GF from an enemy or defeat a GF | | | | to make them yours. | NO | | 5 | The maximum number of magic that can be drawn from | | | | an enemy in 1 turn is 9. | YES | | 6 | You can't steal a Sharp Spike from a Grand Mantis. | NO | | 7 | Press [Select] to hide battle commands temporarily | | | | in battle. | YES | | 8 | Magic and GF commands are the only commands dis- | | | | abled by Silence. | NO | | 9 | You can use Scan on party members. | YES | | 10 | If you set Poison magic (100%) to ST Def-J, you | | | | don't receive damage from poisonous physical | | | | attacks. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 13 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | You gain EXP for the damage you inflict on enemies, | | | | even if you run away. | YES | | 2 | You can mug Blue Spikes from a Chimera. | NO | | 3 | GF abilities must be set to a party member for use, | | | | or it is ineffective. | NO | | 4 | You can only Draw twice from any Draw Point. | NO | | 5 | GF Quezacotl can learn the Card Mod ability without | | | | using an item. | YES | | 6 | When you fail to Draw a number of times, you can't | | | | use the Draw ability for a while. | NO | | 7 | When a GF is KO'd, its compatibility does down with | | | | the junctioned party member. | NO | | 8 | You can run away from an enemy if you take enough | | | | time. | NO | | 9 | You must have ammo to pull Squall's gunblade | | | | trigger. | NO | | 10 | When you attacka Fire monster, you always receive | | | | Fire damage. | NO | |________________________________________________________________| | Test 14 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | You can draw some GF from enemies. | YES | | 2 | In critical situations, Squall can use Renzokuken | | | | more often. | YES | | 3 | Higher the Hit stat, higher the accuracy of physical| | | | attacks, but if the enemies' Evade is high, you | | | | may still miss. | YES | | 4 | Some items effect the compatibility value between | | | | GF and party members. | YES | | 5 | Under Shell, magic damage is reduced to 1/4 of its | | | | usual amount. | NO | | 6 | There is a monster called Belhelmel. | YES | | 7 | You can only use the Attack command in battle if no | | | | GF is junctioned, or command abilities aren't set.| YES | | 8 | Defeating enemies by physical attacks rather than | | | | magical attacks gives you more EXP. | NO | | 9 | Cover only protects a party member standing next to | | | | you. | YES | | 10 | Pressing [Square] continuously is the best way to | | | | use Boost. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 15 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Compatibility with GFs increases as you summon | | | | them. | YES | | 2 | It is not possible for one member to hold all types | | | | of magic. | YES | | 3 | Fastitocalon's Sand Storm is a Wind attack. | NO | | 4 | You can use Reflect to reflect magic that has al- | | | | ready been reflected. | NO | | 5 | Confuse doesn't make you attack yourself. | NO | | 6 | You can refine Arctic Wind into Blizzard by using | | | | an ability. | NO | | 7 | GF Cerberus can learn the Spd Bonus ability. | NO | | 8 | Party members under Silence can't use magic, even | | | | in the menu. | YES | | 9 | Echo Screen cures Petrify. | NO | | 10 | When afflicted with Silence while summoning a GF, | | | | the summoning stops. | YES | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 16 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | You can use limit breaks more often if your HP is | | | | low. | YES | | 2 | When you junction with a GF who learned Elem Def-J | | | | and Elem Def-J x2, you can junction magic to 3 | | | | Elem Def slots. | NO | | 3 | There is a command to remove GF without losing | | | | magic on the menu junction screen. | NO | | 4 | There are enemies whose status doesn't change, even | | | | if your ST Atk-J is set at 100%. | YES | | 5 | Draw means drawing magic stocked by a monster. When | | | | it runs out of stock, it can no longer use magic. | NO | | 6 | Low level Bite Bugs drop M-Stone Pieces. | YES | | 7 | G Mega-Potion revives a KO'd GF. | NO | | 8 | The game is over when all party members are | | | | afflicted with Death, Zombie or Petrify. | NO | | 9 | Hi-Potion restores 1,000 HP. | YES | | 10 | Walk-Gil is an ability to acquire gil by walking on | | | | the field. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 17 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | You can use limit breaks more frequently under Aura.| YES | | 2 | G-Potion, which restores GF's HP, can be used in | | | | battle. | NO | | 3 | The Med Data ability makes use of 2 Potions in 1 | | | | turn. | NO | | 4 | Finishing blows come out more often if you time the | | | | trigger for Squall's Renzokuken correctly. | NO | | 5 | Set the ability Alert to avoid back attacks. | YES | | 6 | Limit breaks activate when Berserked. | NO | | 7 | You can use Potions to cure a zombied party member | | | | in the menu. | NO | | 8 | GF Alexander's attacks are Holy attacks. | YES | | 9 | T-Rexaur sometimes drops Dinosaur Fangs. | NO | | 10 | Under Darkness, you are blinded, and may attack | | | | party members. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 18 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | You can't junction without a GF, no matter high | | | | your level. | YES | | 2 | Reflect can turn away any magic. | NO | | 3 | There are a total of 30 different statuses. | NO | | 4 | There us no magic that cures Zombie. | NO | | 5 | When choosing a target in battle, press [L1] to | | | | choose your target from a window. | YES | | 6 | There is 1 ability you can learn by yourself. | NO | | 7 | After receiving magic damage, Wendigo lands to | | | | shoot Pulse Ammo from its mouth. | NO | | 8 | HP is restored slowly in sleep. | NO | | 9 | GF Carbuncle casts Shell and Protect on all party | | | | members. | NO | | 10 | Confuse takes precedence over Berserk when they are | | | | cast simultaneously. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 19 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Defence against Death is determined by Death % stat | | | | in ST Def-J. | YES | | 2 | Zombied party members take damage if they use Drain | | | | on a Zombie enemy. | NO | | 3 | Cockatrice bites can sometimes be poisonous. | NO | | 4 | Invincible status returns to normal after battle. | YES | | 5 | The Chimera has dragon, frog, goat, and wild boar | | | | heads. | NO | | 6 | Protect is not effective untill Vitality is zero. | NO | | 7 | You float higher each time you cast Float. | NO | | 8 | You must run from X-ATM092, as it is invincible. | NO | | 9 | Break turns an enemy's Spirit to zero, so it has no | | | | effect on enemies with zero Sprit. | NO | | 10 | With weapons learned from Weapons Monthly, the Junk | | | | Shop tells you which items you need in grey. | YES | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 20 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | You don't encounter enemies while in a car. | YES | | 2 | 1 Inferno Fang refines into 20 Flares. | YES | | 3 | A Gayla is about 12 metres tall. | NO | | 4 | There are some non-elemental monsters that have no | | | | elemental attributes. | YES | | 5 | When your SeeD level goes up, your Magic power and | | | | Draw success rates go up. | NO | | 6 | The damage you inflict on enemies doesn't change | | | | even if your HP is running low. | YES | | 7 | High compatibility with GF assures a shorter summon-| | | | ing time. | YES | | 8 | A Caterchipillar sometimes drops Spider Webs. | YES | | 9 | Setting Str+20% and Str+40% is more effective than | | | | setting Str+60% alone. | NO | | 10 | GF Siren's attack is physical damage plus Confusion.| NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 21 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Bombs sometimes self-detonate. | YES | | 2 | Malboros lurk in north Esthar. | YES | | 3 | Combat King is a magazine that introduces combat | | | | skills. | YES | | 4 | You can draw a GF from Elvoret on the communication | | | | tower. | YES | | 5 | Even if afflicted with Stop while summoning a GF, | | | | summoning continues because the GF is not | | | | affected by stop. | NO | | 6 | Defend protects you from all physical attacks, but | | | | magical attacks can still inflict damage. | NO | | 7 | Junction Life to raise defence against all | | | | elemental attributes. | YES | | 8 | There is a library in Balamb Garden. | YES | | 9 | Mega Phoenix is an item that casts Phoenix Down on | | | | all party members. | YES | | 10 | You can refine 1 Bomb Spirit from 1 Bomb Card. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 22 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Casting Protect over Shell cancels Shell, leaving | | | | the party member with only Protect. | NO | | 2 | You may drop gil and items if your Luck stat is low.| NO | | 3 | To defend against Fire attacks, Junction Ice magic | | | | to Elem Def-J. | NO | | 4 | Junctioning Reflect to ST Def-J raises your defence | | | | stat in 9 slots. | YES | | 5 | Zombie and Pain are Sorcery elemental magic. | NO | | 6 | There is an item called Hi-Potion+, that restores | | | | 3,000 HP. | NO | | 7 | When your SeeD level goes up, shops give you a | | | | discount. | NO | | 8 | If you use the same elemental magic used in a GF's | | | | attack, your compatibility goes up. | YES | | 9 | When new info is acquired, more explanations may be | | | | added to the Help menu. | YES | | 10 | A higher Hit stat effects the success rate of Draw. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 23 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | You can make Remedy+ from Remedy. | YES | | 2 | Hold down [R1] [R2] simultaneously to escape from | | | | battle (but sometimes you can't run). | NO | | 3 | The command ability Recover can revive party | | | | members from KO. | NO | | 4 | Esuna removes status changes, and Dispel removes | | | | elemental changes. | NO | | 5 | Under Regen, HP is restored regularly, even if you | | | | are afflicted with Stop. | NO | | 6 | You can't use any limit breaks when Cursed. | YES | | 7 | Berserk raises attack power, but the only command | | | | activated is Attack. | YES | | 8 | There is an ability to make Remedy from Malboro | | | | Tentacles. | YES | | 9 | Float expires after a certain time. | YES | | 10 | Protect reduces physical damage by 1/2. | YES | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 24 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Use Esuna to cure Slow. | YES | | 2 | Setting Float to Elem Def raises defence against | | | | Earth elemental attacks. | YES | | 3 | The ATB runs even while a GF is appearing. | NO | | 4 | Auto Reflect casts Reflect on you as long as you | | | | don't fall under KO. | NO | | 5 | [GF Ability Icon] signifies GF ability. | YES | | 6 | There are a limited number of abilities a GF can | | | | learn. | YES | | 7 | Protect keeps reducing damage with each use. | NO | | 8 | You get Poison along with HP when using Drain | | | | against a poisoned target. | NO | | 9 | A weapon can break after multiple battles. | NO | | 10 | If you are Silenced while you are afflicted with | | | | Confuse, you cannot use magic. | YES | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 25 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | You can mug a Laser Cannon from Elastoid. | YES | | 2 | GF Leviathan's skill Tsunami causes a forest fire. | NO | | 3 | Use Amnesia Greens to a GF forget an ability. | YES | | 4 | There is an ability to see Save Points and Draw | | | | Points you can't usually see. | YES | | 5 | GF gains more EXP if only 1 GF is junctioned to a | | | | party member. | YES | | 6 | It is good to return to Balamb Garden once in a | | | | while to collect your SeeD salary. | NO | | 7 | The magic Watera and Waterga are more powerful than | | | | magic Water. | NO | | 8 | Counter doesn't react to attacks which affect all | | | | party members. | YES | | 9 | GF can learn an ability to succeed in every Mug by | | | | using an item called Bandit's Hand. | NO | | 10 | You can draw magic that causes Curse. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 26 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Using Drain on the undead damages you. | YES | | 2 | The Character Ability Initiative enables you to | | | | begin battle with a full ATB gauge, even while | | | | you are back-attacked. | YES | | 3 | The Command Ability, Darkside, inflicts Darkness on | | | | a target when you make a physical attack. | NO | | 4 | Holy is the only Holy elemental magic. | YES | | 5 | Even GFs that are not junctioned gain EXP and AP. | NO | | 6 | Shell reduces the effectiveness of recovery magic | | | | by half. | YES | | 7 | With the high Evade stat, you sometimes evade | | | | attacks even when under Sleep. | NO | | 8 | You can make a GF forget an ability. | YES | | 9 | Doom continues counting down in the field after you | | | | have escaped from battle. | NO | | 10 | Attack magic is more effective if your Strength, | | | | rather than Magic stat is high. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 27 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Haste reduces Draw's success rate. | NO | | 2 | Your SeeD salary relates to how many enemies you | | | | have defeated. | YES | | 3 | The Double GF ability summons multiple GF simultan- | | | | eously. | NO | | 4 | Choose Rearrange in the menu to rearrange items | | | | items automatically. | NO | | 5 | Every monster has a weakness. | NO | | 6 | Bio weakens the target's cell structure to make the | | | | body more vulnerable. | NO | | 7 | It's harder to run when back-attacked. | YES | | 8 | Flare is a Fire elemental magic. | YES | | 9 | You can find out how many monsters you've defeated. | YES | | 10 | Party members not participating in battle also | | | | receive a small amount of EXP. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 28 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | A higher Speed stat fills the ATB gauge faster. | YES | | 2 | You can remove Doom with Esuna. | NO | | 3 | Magic attack means attacking with any type of magic,| | | | except Holy magic. | NO | | 4 | No magic removes Doom. | YES | | 5 | Pain inflicts Poison, Silence and Darkness on | | | | enemies, but sometimes not all 3 status changes | | | | will occur. | YES | | 6 | Staying at a hotel removes status changes and | | | | restores all HP. | YES | | 7 | You can stop Squall's Renzokuken by pressing [X]. | NO | | 8 | Double of Triple lets you use the same magic | | | | multiple times. | YES | | 9 | Petrify wears off after time passes. | NO | | 10 | Using Soft while Petrifying won't stop countdown. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 29 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | Phoenix restores your party members from KO. | NO | | 2 | A GF in KO is revived in the next battle, even if | | | | you don't revive it. | NO | | 3 | Casting Double while under Double turns the status | | | | into Triple. | NO | | 4 | Mag Up raises Mag stat by 1. | YES | | 5 | The ability Rare Item changes the probability of | | | | enemies dropping items. | YES | | 6 | The Galbadian soldier Biggs, who was on the commun- | | | | ication tower, is a colonel. | NO | | 7 | You need at least 3x magic in stock to use Triple. | NO | | 8 | If 2 party members are under Zombie and you become | | | | afflicted by Confuse, the game is over. | NO | | 9 | Meteor chooses targets randomly from the enemy | | | | group. | YES | | 10 | Meltdown is a magic attack that melts enemies. | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| | Test 30 | |________________________________________________________________| | 1 | It is good to use Float when fighting Thrustaevis, | | | | who uses Earthquakes. | NO | | 2 | There is no point using Life or Full-Life on party | | | | members who haven't been KO'd. | YES | | 3 | If you receive 800 HP damage while summoning a GF | | | | with 500 HP, the differences of 300 are received | | | | by the summoner. | NO | | 4 | Torama sometimes drops an item called Torama's Beard| NO | | 5 | Casting Aura under Curse will bring your status | | | | back to normal. | NO | | 6 | There is a monster called GraBia on the Galbadia | | | | continent. | NO | | 7 | Silence is not removed, even after battle. | YES | | 8 | Reflect always returns magic to the own who cast it.| NO | | 9 | Status can change while under Petrify. | NO | | 10 | The only way for GF ti learn abilities is to gain | | | | AP (Ability Points). | NO | |____|_____________________________________________________|_____| ------------------------------------------------------------------ Flout the rules ... yet avoid getting Demoted! ------------------------------------------------------------------ While I was doing a Speed Game of FF8 I noticed that if you don't do any SeeD tests and try to get further in the story line in as little time as possible it doesn't matter if you run away from every battle and use Enc None! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting to Level A in disc 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------ When I was doing a joint game with my brother I really focused hard on getting a good SeeD level. Alex was pretty annoyed at my fussiness early in the game but by the time we where in Timber our SeeD level was pretty good. Because we were trying to get Squall's Lionheart weapon in disc 1 Alex was levelling up like crazy (while also trying to level Siren up for her to make Dark Matters) to be at a high enough level to mug Laser Cannons from Elastoids in the next Laguna dream. He was also doing all the SeeD tests. I was worried that because he was wondering around a lot and doing all the SeeD tests it would all be a big waste, but the fact that he was fighting so much over rided that, and next thing I know he's up to SeeD level A with 10 SeeD tests to spare! In disc three we had about three million gil (which I spent all on stat increasing drugs). Trivia: If the SeeD payments are given each week that's over two years worth of pay!! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Keeping at Rank A (the highest) ------------------------------------------------------------------ My only word of advise for this is ... fight lots! Don't use Enc None or Half as it would be too risky. I don't know how many battles you should fight before you get your next payment, but it's around 5 to 10. All the other rules also apply. To see more info about being a SeeD, see the SeeD ranking guide at Game FAQs. It is very comprehensive. I will help you get up to rank A and keep there. o================================================================o | Transport [ff8/II08] | o================================================================o ------------------------------------------------------------------ Renting a Car ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can find car rental shops in most cities and towns. They are easy to find, as they can all be accessed after entering the towns from the world map. It costs 3500 and you can get different types of cars depending on the place. No monsters are encountered while travelling in a car but you cannot enter forests or any dwelling that does not have a car rental. The lease on the car ends when you enter a city with a rental shop. Free fuel is provided with each car, but you have to have enough Fuel in your inventory or it will run out. When it runs out it will become slower than walking speed (the characters are trying to push the car?). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Catching a Train ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can catch a train if you are at a train station. The stations are found in these locations around the world. Balamb - Near the gift and junk shop. Timber - Train stations leading different places are found all over the city. Dollet - On the world map, when you enter Dollet country. Deling City - See L4F10G for the map of Deling City. FH and Esthar - Abandoned. Galbadia Garden - Near the Garden, on the world map. It costs only 3000 gil to rent a room in train and you don't have to bring a fuel with you. SeeD get special compartments. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Riding a Chocobo ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can ride a chocobo after completing at least one Chocobo Forest. After doing a Chocobo Forest properly the chocobos at that forest will always be ready for you when you come in. With a chocobo, you can go through shallow waters and forests. They are your only way of getting to the Chocobo Sancuary. O================================================================O | All About Magic [ff8/II09] | O================================================================O ------------------------------------------------------------------ How to use magic ------------------------------------------------------------------ You cannot cast magic without a GF (unless of course, it's a limit break). You also need to have at least one of that kind of magic - as, unlike in all the other Final Fantasies, magic is more like an item in FF8. In battle the character needs to have 'Magic' equipped. ------------------------------------------------------------------ How to obtain magic ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Draw it from enemies. - Draw it from draw points. - Refine it from items. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Drawing Magic ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can stock and/or use magic from enemies and draw points if one or more of your characters have the Draw ability equipped. Most draw points re-stock themselves every time you leave the area. In fact, they have colours showing their status. They are: - Purple : You can draw magic from this. Blue : You can no longer draw magic from this. Clear : You can draw magic from this if you come back later. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Magic levelling up ------------------------------------------------------------------ Some magic have three levels as shown by this chart: FIRE THUNDER ICE CURE WIND POISON LIFE Lv1 Fire Thunder Blizzard Cure Aero Bio Life Lv2 Fira Thundara Blizzara Cura - - Full-Life Lv3 Firaga Thundaga Blizzaga Curaga Tornado Pain - It shows that some level 2 and 3 magic both have suffixes replacing the last few letters, but level 1 has none. Final Fantasy VIII is the first game other than Chocobo Racingto call level 3 magic Blizzaga / Firaga / Thundaga, and not Ice3 / Fire3 / Bolt3. However, they still keep their traditionalnames in the Japanese versions. Earth and Water magic do not level up, despite the fact that they are elements. ------------------------------------------------------------------ What each spell does ------------------------------------------------------------------ Type | Magic | Its effect ----------------+-------------+----------------------------------- Holy magic | Cure | Recover a little HP | Cura | Recover more HP | Curaga | Recover a lot of HP | Life | Revive from KO | Full-Life | Revive from KO and heal all HP | Holy | Holy elemental damage | Death | KO * | Zombie | Turn into zombie * ----------------+-------------+----------------------------------- Support magic | Protect | Halve physical damage | Shell | Halve magical damage | Reflect | Reflect magical damage | Esuna | Remove most status ailments | Dispel | Remove artificial positive status | Regen | Slowly regenerate (opposite: Bio) | Aura | Get limit breaks more easily ----------------+-------------+----------------------------------- Time magic | Haste | ATB fills faster | Quake | Earth elemental damage | Slow | ATB fills slower * | Stop | ATB stops altogether * | Demi | Remove 1/4 of full HP | Double | Two spells can be cast at once | Triple | Three spells can be cast at once ----------------+-------------+----------------------------------- Status magic | Break | Petrify * | Silence | Some commands cannot be used * | Sleep | Inactivity for a short while * | Blind | 0% Hit * | Confuse | Victim will commit random acts * | Bio | Damage caused when action taken * | Berserk | Makes victim only attack * | Meltdown | Reduces Vitality to 0 * | Pain | Combination of Bio and Blind * | Drain | Absorb HP ----------------+-------------+----------------------------------- Fire magic | Fire | Low fire damage | Fira | Moderate fire damage | Firaga | Reasonable fire damage | Flare | Fire, ice and thunder damage ----------------+-------------+----------------------------------- Thunder magic | Thunder | Low thunder damage | Thundara | Moderate thunder damage | Thundaga | Reasonable thunder damage ----------------+-------------+----------------------------------- Ice magic | Blizzard | Low ice damage | Blizzara | Moderate ice damage | Blizzaga | Reasonable ice damage ----------------+-------------+----------------------------------- Wind magic | Aero | Normal wind damage | Tornado | Gale-force wind damage ----------------+-------------+----------------------------------- Forbidden magic | Meteor | Random physical damage | Ultima | Powerful magical attack ----------------+-------------+----------------------------------- Misc (can't | Scan | Learn about the one scanned be refined) | Float | Rise above the ground | Apocalypse | The most devastating magic * This spell causes a status ailment. Some enemies may be immune to it. To see more about status ailments, see the battle tutorial. o================================================================o | Junction Tutorial [ff8/II10] | o================================================================o ------------------------------------------------------------------ Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------ "The newly created Junction System makes its debut in FINAL FANTASY (R) VIII. Its purpose is to enable the player to freely customise their characters. How will the player combine the GF necessary for character development, and how will the player junction abilities and magic stats? How will the player distribute the magic that is obtained during battle? Will the player use magic during battle, or will the player stock magic to increase the character's power? Perhaps the player will distribute them evenly. Success and failure depend on the player's judgement, their ability to manipulate the different variables of the Junction System will determine how well their characters accomplish their goals in the game." - Game Manual The Junction Menu is like your control panel in Final Fantasy VIII. Here you can equip GFs and abilities, and junction magic to your characters for various affects, like immunising characters against certain kinds of attacks or enhancing their own attacks to inflict more damage to enemies. Junctioning is essential to finishing the game (unless of course you want to do a no-Junction game, then you will have to rely soley on your limit breaks and attacks). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Explanation of the Commands in the Junction menu ------------------------------------------------------------------ ______________________________________ ____________________ | Junction Off Auto Ability | | Junction | '--------------------------------------' |____________________| >>Junction -------- GF Equip GF/s. Magic Equip magic to stats or weapons. A GF that knows junction abilities needs to be equipped beforehand. >>Off --- GF Un-junction all GFs. All Un-junction everything. >>Auto ---- Strength Junction the best magic to Strength. Magic Junction the best magic to Magic. Defence Junction the best magic to HP. >>Ability ------- Abilities You can set abilities that the GF junctioned have learnt. ------------------------------------------------------------------ How to Junction Step-By-Step ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. GET A GF - A GF must be junctioned in order to use the Junction menu. Get your first two GFs in Squall's study panel at the beginning of the game. 2. CHOOSE ABILITIES FOR THE GF TO LEARN - From the GF menu. 3. EQUIP THE GF. Commands in grey cannot be selected until, as there is a GF junctioned. Once Junction is selected, the GF and Magic Commands appear. Magic is displayed in grey since a GF is not junctioned. By selecting GF, a GF list appears. Press square to see abilities possessed by the GF and X to equip it. When a GF is selected, it's junction abilities make the adjoining stats appear in white, meaning magic can be junctioned to them to power them up, therefore making your character stronger. If you don't have any magic, you will have to choose 'Ability', then set 'Draw' so you can get some magic. 4. JUNCTION ABILITIES YOUR CHARACTERS CAN USE - Choose Ability. Only a certain number of abilities can be junctioned. 5. JUNCTION MAGIC - Every kind of magic has its own unique properties for junctioning. You can increase your battle power and gain a major advantage over your adversaries by equipping magic. If a GF is equipped with the Draw command, the character it is junctioned to can draw magic from Draw Points and enemies. To junction magic, you need: [] A GF. [] The GF must know a junction ability (If you want to power up HP, a character must be junctioned to a GF who knows 'HP-J'. [] Magic to junction. To junction magic, choose 'Junction' in the Junction menu, then 'Magic'. Go to the left to see status/elemental defence/ attack screens. Equip magic with with X and de-equip it with Square. To de-equip all the characters' magic or everything at once, choose 'All' from the Junction menu. The more magic you have and the better it is, the greater effect it will have when it's junctioned. If you want to make the process of junctioning magic quicker, choose 'Auto' and you will see three options which automatically junction magic, favouring Str, Mag, or Def (HP). You may want to change elem atk/def, status atk/def manually though. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting the Junctionable GFs: An Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------ Quezacotl: Choose "Tutorial" on Squall's study panel. If you and Shiva haven't done so by the time you meet Quistis, she gives them to you (I don't know if it effects test score). Ifrit : Defeat in the Fire Cavern. See walkthrough for boss strategy. Siren : Draw from Elvoret or disc four boss. See walkthrough for strategy. Brothers : Defeat Sacred and Minotaur in Tomb of the Unknown King. See the Tomb of the Unknown section in Secrets and Side Quests. Diablos : Use the item Magical Lamp and defeat Diablos. See the Diablos section in Secrets and Side Quests. Carbuncle: Draw from Iguion or disc four boss. Check the walkthrough for more details. Leviathan: Draw from NORG (pod broken) or disc four boss. Check the walkthrough for more details. Pandemona: Draw from Fujin (disc two) or disc four boss. Check the walkthrough for more details. Cerberus : Defeat in Galbadia Garden (disc two) or disc four boss. Check the walkthrough for more details. Alexander: Draw from Edea (disc two) or disc four boss. Check the walkthrough for more details. Doomtrain: Use the Solomon's Ring (with 6 Steel Pipes, 6 Remedy+s and 6 Malboro Tentacles in possession). Check the walkthrough, Doomtrain section (Secrets and Side Quests), and item list for more details. Bahamut : Defeat in Deep Sea Research Centre. Check the walkthrough for more details. Tonberry : Defeat the Tonberry King in Centra Ruins after defeating Odin and 21+ normal Tonberries. Check the Centra Ruins section in Secrets and Side Quests for more details. Eden : Draw from Ultima Weapon or disc four boss. Check the walkthrough or Secrets and Side Quests for more info. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Junctioning Commands ------------------------------------------------------------------ Certain abilities, like Command, Character and Party abilities need to be equipped in the Junction menu. The character also needs to have a GF junctioned that has the ability you want to junction. Here's the procedure: a) Choose Junction -> GF from the Junction menu. b) Choose GF/s to be junctioned (press Square to see its abilities). c) As you are exiting the GF select screen you will come across the Abilities screen where you can junction various command/character/party abilities that the GFs happen to have. d) If you missed the Abilities screen this way, choose Abilities from the Junction menu. Simple huh? ------------------------------------------------------------------ Introduction to the Concept of Magic Effecting your Performance ------------------------------------------------------------------ In other Final Fantasies characters protect themselves against elements and status ailments with armour or accessories. They also attack with weapons that inflict an element or status ailment. In Final Fantasy VIII, you have to do this manually using the junction system. When junctioning magic, press left two times to see the status /elemental screens. First, the GF needs to know stuff like ST Atk- J or Elem Def-J, and when you junction a 100 of certain status or elemental magic when your characters hit, they will have that effect. Status/elemental defence is set up slightly differently. When you junction 100 of a certain magic to elemental defence, there will be a percentage of defence against that element. A green star next to the percentage indicates that you will not be damaged by it, or if the percentage is 100%, absorb it. That system is much the same with status defence, except you can only nullify status ailments, not absorb them. To see all the effects of each kind of magic when junctioned, check the appendices "Status junctions". Elemental and status magic may be junctioned to your characters weapon, so when they attack, the magic will take effect depending on how much magic was put into the weapon. Elemental and status magic can also guard your character against the elements that they represent. In effect, a fighter endowed with the essence of a certain element or status magic for defence, he/she will withstand that element or status attack depending on how much was put into protecting them, and the strength of the magic. If their Elem Def goes over 100% they will actually absorb the element making something elemental like Ruby Dragon easy as proverbial pie. Some magic is more powerful than others, and quantity helps too, as 60 Blizzagas will be more effective than 20 Blizzagas. In defence, if you see a green star next to the element or status the character will not be effected by it. In elemental defence, 100% defence ensures that you will be able to absorb the element. O================================================================O | PocketStation [ff8/II11] | O================================================================O ------------------------------------------------------------------ What is the Pocketstation? ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Sony SCPH~4000 PocketStation is an optical communication module (IRDA). A memory card device that can hold units of data just like any other memory card, the PocketStation was first on the market in Japan in 1998, but not released anywhere else due to technical problems. The screen has 32 x 32 pixels in all and has it's own little strap. The battery's a typical Cr2032 watch battery. You need 7 blocks of available memory to play Chocobo World. ------------------------------------------------------------------ How to get a PocketStation ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can only get one from Japan, by going there or buying it over the internet. It it available in two colours: white or clear, and usually costs around $50. Here are a few web sites where you can buy it from: eBay: www.ebay.com National Console Support: www.ncsx.com ------------------------------------------------------------------ Other games you can use the Pocketstation ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Street Fighter Alpha Zero. - Street Fighter Alpha 3 (you need a GameShark too). - Ridge Racer Type 4. - Metal Gear Solid: Integral (Japan only). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Controls ------------------------------------------------------------------ ______________________________________________________________ | Field Screen Menu Screen Battle Screen | |--------------------------------------------------------------| | Up button | Go north. | Move cursor.| N/A. | |----------------+--------------+-------------+----------------| | Down button | Go south. | Move cursor.| N/A. | |----------------+--------------+-------------+----------------| | Left button | Go west. | Scroll | Use the left | |----------------+--------------| through | or right | | Right button | Go west. | status | buttons to | | | | screens. | have the ATB | | | | | reach 0 sooner.| |----------------+--------------|-------------|----------------| | Enter button | Bring up | Confirm. | Switch to | | | menu screen | | nearest active | |________________|______________|_____________|________________| ------------------------------------------------------------------ Aims of Chocobo World ------------------------------------------------------------------ - This is the only place you will be able to raise your Chicobo so that when you used Gysahl Greens its attack will be more powerful. - Finding Mog. - Collecting items, some of which cannot be obtained in FF8 itself. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Menus ------------------------------------------------------------------ World : Send Boco into the Chocobo World. Home : Go back to FF8, and choose to transfer any items acquired while in the Chocobo World. Do Over : Go to another Pocketstation (it has to be in the other slot). How to Play: A tutorial on how to play Chocobo World. ------------------------------------------------------------------ In-Game Menus ------------------------------------------------------------------ Map : The flashing dot is Boco, and all the other dots signify an encounter. Status : Shows Boco's attack power. Out of all the numbers there is a 25% chance of hitting that amount of damage. Treasure : Shows what items Boco has acquired, but only item classes, varying in value from A (the most valuable) to D. IR Link : Here you can battle with another persons Boco. After the battle you can raise Boco's attack stat. Event Wait : With event wait activated the PocketStation wait for you whenever an important event occurs. MiniMog Status : Make MiniMog Standby. While MiniMog is on Standby he will try to defeat any enemy who was too tough for Boco. If MiniMog is defeated he will be lost and you'll have to find him all over again. Move : Configure Boco's moving set-up. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Battle ------------------------------------------------------------------ When Boco encounters an enemy, he will be taken to the battle screen, which looks like this: __________ | | On the right side is displayed Boco's HP. On the | | left, the enemies'. After the ATB reaches 0 Boco |__________| will make his attack. The same applies with his |0|8||0|2|0| enemy. When a battle participants HP reaches 0 they lose the battle and the other person wins. If Boco wins a battle he is rewarded with magic stones and items. After receiving a certain amount of magic stones, Boco's level will increase. When Boco loses a battle he goes into hibernation for a while in order to recuperate. While it is possible to wake him up during recovery mode, his HP will not be fully restored. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting Items ------------------------------------------------------------------ Cactuar occasionally shows up to give you a few treasures he's found. Depending on your ID#, Boco gets better items. The lower the number, the more chances of you getting great items, but the only way you can do this is by linking with another PocketStation. When you get these items the game does not tell you what exactly they are. Just an item class. Item classes range from A (the rarest) to D (the most common). To find out about all the items to be found, refer to the chocobo world section in Secrets and Side Quests. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Events ------------------------------------------------------------------ As Boco levels up random events may occur. I've read you have to set the game on "event wait", but I'm not sure as I don't have access to Chocobo World. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Weapons ------------------------------------------------------------------ Every now and then Mog may appear and give you a weapon. Now 'weapons' are a series of numbers like this: 8347. The numbers show how much damage the weapon will do. To find this out, add up the four numbers (8 + 3 + 4 + 7 = 22), then divide the answer by 4 (22 / 4 = 5.5). O================================================================O | GF Management [ff8/II12] | O================================================================O ------------------------------------------------------------------ Introduction: My Wacky Interpretation of what a GF is ------------------------------------------------------------------ What is the GF? Well, firstly, GF stands for Guardian Force. I guess you could say it's a kind of demi-god that can inhabit other people's minds, guiding their thoughts and helping them do things they would not otherwise be able to do (kinda like the The Force in Star Wars). Guardian Forces are usually individuals with extraordinary powers, who live in symbiosis with the person they are junctioned to, thus implying that "GFs" are only really "GFs" if they can be equipped via the Junction system. That would mean anyone with "extraordinary" powers could justifiably become a GF. *Mild Spoiler* One of the characters are junctioned to a boss without their consent later on in the game, so technically they could be a GF. That person does happen to have "extraordinary" powers *End of Mild Spoiler*. What about so called GFs like Boco, Angelo, Odin and Gilgamesh who cannot be equipped, let-alone by the Junction system? They're still GFs of a kind. Only, they often are the kind that appear in battle randomly. Some require you to have certain items, etc., so they will help you. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting a GF ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Your first two guardian forces; Shiva and Quezacotl can be got by choosing 'Tutorial' in Squall's study panel. They are junctionable GFs. - Junctionable GFs can also be got by drawing from certain bosses like any magic. - You can also defeat a GF in their own in environment and they will join your party (whether junctionable or not). - GFs that are summoned using items do not need to be made to join the party (except Boco - you have to catch a chicobo first). There's only one junctionable GF you can obtain by directly using items. ------------------------------------------------------------------ How many Guardian Forces are there? ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you want to find out how to get all the GFs, go to the Appendices. There are 16 junctionable GFs who level up and earn AP, and plenty of other ones as well. If you're playing late on in the game and have missed out on the GFs earlier on, in most cases you don't need to worry, as most are available throughout the game. Disc 1: [Quezacotl], [Shiva], [Ifrit], Siren, Diablos, Brothers, Carbuncle. Disc 2: Brothers, Leviathan, Phoenix, Boco, MiniMog, Moomba, Odin, Tonberry, Pandemona, Cerberus, Alexander, Brothers. Disc 3: Doomtrain, Cactuar, Bahamut, Eden, Gilgamesh, Odin, Boco Phoenix, MiniMog, Moomba, Brothers. Disc 4: Siren, Brothers, Carbuncle, Leviathan, Phoenix, Boco, Mini Mog, Moomba, Odin, Tonberry, Pandemona, Cerberus, Alexander, Doomtrain, Cactuar, Bahamut, Eden, Gilgamesh, Boco, Phoenix, MiniMog, Moomba. GFs surrounded by [ ] are GFs that you get in the course of the game (you don't have to go "out of your way" to get them). You can retrieve every GF in disc 4 except Diablos and Odin, but you will only get Gilgamesh if you got Odin first in discs 2 or 3. If you didn't get Siren, Carbuncle, Leviathan, Pandemona, Cerberus, Alexander, or Eden by disc 4 they can be drawn from Ultimecia's servants at the end of the game. If you sold the Magical there's not much hope of getting Diablos. All the other GFs are accessible from non-town areas. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Different ways of Summoning a GF ------------------------------------------------------------------ - GFs that equipped via the Junction System can be summoned with the GF Command Ability. - Equip the GF command. You will be able to summon that GF. - Use an item such as Gysahl Greens, Phoenix Pinion, Friendship. - Limit Break. Angelo could be classed as a GF and Quistis' Shockwave Pulsar is a GF attack. - Random occurrence. Odin, Gilgamesh and Angelo (if Rinoa is in the party) show up in battle randomly. ------------------------------------------------------------------ How GF level up ------------------------------------------------------------------ GF gain experience and level up just like any character. They do not even have to participate, they just need to be junctioned to the characters who are in the battle (they don't get AP either), which is a good reason not to spread your GFs throughout all the characters. ------------------------------------------------------------------ How GF learn abilities ------------------------------------------------------------------ GFs learn abilities by gaining AP from battles. You know how a character can only gain EXP by actually acting in the battle? If the character doesn't act in battle and gets no EXP, any GF who is junction to he/her will not get AP either. Each GF gets a standard amount of AP from each enemy (it is never divided up), so bring all your GFs into battle! Some abilities may only be learnt in the first place if the GF is above a certain level, or if other abilities have been learnt beforehand. For instance, you are not going to be able to learn "Enc None" if you haven't learnt "Enc Half" first. Shiva has to reach level 10 before she can learn "Doom." Sometimes when learning an ability another completely new one will emerge. If you teach an ability to a GF that they are not programmed to know initially (like using a Steel Pipe on Diablos, who doesn't have "SumMag+10%" initially) the GF will learn all their abilities as normal. But if you teach the GF an ability which it is not meant to learn (in this case Diablos learning Card), an ability may become missing (because a GF can only know 22 abilities at a time) and you may miss out on abilities exclusive to them. From Ninjatsu: "The missing ability will come back if you use amnesia greens on one of the Gf's other abilities. Unless you already used amnesia greens on the ability that was not yet learnt before adding the other. " E.G : Diablos can learn HP+80% after HP+40%. So you learnt the 40% and used amnesia greens on 80%, then added SumMag+10%, you will not be able to get the 80% back even though you never learnt it. NEVER EVER EVER USE AMNESIA GREENS ON HIT-J!! Most of these abilities have to be activated in the Junction to be used, but GF and Menu abilities start coming into effect as soon as they have been learned. All the guardian forces have a set list of abilities they learn, but if you use items that teach them abilities they weren't meant to learn initially, you may miss out on abilities exclusive to them. Each guardian force can hold up to 22 abilities. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Types of Abilities ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Junction Abilities Boost up stats and add elements/status to attacks or defend against them. Helps a lot in the Junction menu. Abilities ending with -J are junction abilities. - Command Abilities Lets your characters do things in battle such as use magic, draw, etc. Equip these abilities in the Junction menu. - Character Abilities Helps to enhance character statistics and allow them to use abilities such as Mug and Move-Find that are not necessarily command abilities. Equip these in the Junction menu under Command Abilities. - GF Abilities Enhance GFs HP and attack power. They take effect once they are learnt. - Menu Abilities Take effect once they are learnt. Abilities that can be accessed from the Abilities menu. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Conditions in Battle ------------------------------------------------------------------ Most guardian force must be equipped to a character and the GF command must be equipped. Guardian forces can be summoned as many times as you like, and take the brunt of enemy attacks while you are waiting for them to show up, unless the GF is knocked out or the enemy executes an attack that disallows summoning GFs. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Compatibility Ratings: Make your GFs Love You! ------------------------------------------------------------------ GFs come into battle more willingly the more they like their summoner (compatibility rating). Some pointers on compatibility: - Summoning the GF will increase their compatibility, but compatibility with other junctioned GFs, especially ones of opposing elements will decrease). - If the summoning bar stops because the battle ends or the GF is knocked out. - Using magic of the same element as the GF will increase compatibility with it, but using an opposing element will decrease compatibility. - Some items raise compatibility with a GF, but decrease it with others. LuvLuvG does not do this though. GF ITEM/S COMPAT + Quezacotl Dynamo Stone 3 Shiva Arctic Wind 1 North Wind 3 Ifrit Bomb Fragment 1 Red Fang 3 Siren Silence Powder 3 Brothers Dino Bone 3 Diablos Steel Orb 3 Carbuncle Dragon Skin 3 Leviathan Fish Fin 2 Pandemona Shear Feather 1 Windmill 3 Cerberus Dragon Fin 3 Alexander Moon Stone 3 Doomtrain Poison Powder 1 Venom Fang 3 Bahamut Shaman Stone 3 Cactaur Cactus Thorn 3 Tonberry Chef's Knife 3 All LuvLuvG 20 * The maximum amount of compatibility a GF and character can have with each other is 1000. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Levelling Up GFs ------------------------------------------------------------------ As GFs all learn the same amount of EXP and AP individually for each battle it is recommendable to junction all your GFs to your three party members, making learning abilities not take so long! If you are in the habit of changing characters a lot, Junction Exchange in the Switch menu is invaluable. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boost GF Ability ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boost is a great ability. It boosts your GFs' attack (hence the name) and only costs 10 AP! To use boost, press down the the select button and press square simultaneously. Watch out for a red "X" appearing over Square, as the Boost effect is decreased if you keep pressing square. __________ | TIPS |___________________________________________________ |--------------------------------------------------------------| | | | - Organise your GFs in a careful way to make sure no | | abilities are overlapping each other. | | | | - Take advantage of battles with high AP such as boss | | battles and use them to take good chunks out of those | | abilities that cost a lot of AP, like Mug. | | | | - To increase compatibility with a summoner and GF, have the | | summoner summon their GF regularly. Incidentally, it is | | best way of raising compatibility. | | | | - Learn Boost as soon as you get a new guardian force. Boost | | costs a mere 10 ability points and can increase the damage | | that a guardian force causes by twice! | | | | - Be balanced in your approach to organising characters. | | Keep in mind the stats of that character. Say Squall's hit | | points were 9999, you wouldn't need to junction him a GF | | that had HP-J. | | | | - GF Compatibility is important. This will improve the speed | | at which the GF is summoned and it's power. Having a | | character use elemental magic opposed to their GF, | | junctioning two elementally opposed GF to one character, | | and cancelling a GF attack mid summon (finishing the | | battle, being knocked out, etc.) all decrease | | compatibility. | | | | - Don't rely on guardian forces too much. Although it may | | seem tempting to just use your guardian forces all the | | time, the sequences are sure to get HELL boring after a | | while and you'll suddenly ?nd your characters are too weak | | to fend off normal enemies with their attacks or magic. | | | | - Only teach an ability (with an item) to a guardian force | | you have learnt all 22 initial abilities. It'd be a real | | bummer if Shiva couldn't learn something because you | | taught her something with an item! | | | | - Only use Amesia Greens on useless abilities. To learn more | | important abilities such as 'Devour' or 'MiniMog', you | | might want to get rid of other abilities that make this | | impossible. Always have a good supply of Amesia Greens | | just in case and remember, you only ever delete abilities | | such as 'HP+10%' and only teach a guardian force an | | ability artificially after deleting one with an Amnesia | | Greens, to avoid it not learning hidden abilities later on.| | Abilities you NEVER erase unless you definatley have a | | really good reason to. Only delete abilities no longer | | needed. | | | |______________________________________________________________| See Menus and Battle Tutorial for more info on GFs. O================================================================O | Dialogue Tutorial [ff8/II13] | O================================================================O The dialogue in FF8 can be pretty hard to understand at times. I will give you all the examples of dialogue. - "How are you feeling?" - A normal piece of dialogue spoken by a character on the screen. - "That Seifer... Won't listen to anyone. Why don't you ignore him?" - The "..." indicates that there is a short pause in the sentence. - " ...Not really" - The character talking is hesitant at first. - "It's none of your... " - A character is talking, but someone else cuts in. - "Say... (would you like to talk somewhere private? I have a room here...)" - The dialogue surrounded by parenthesis is whispered. - ("Am I dreaming?") - The character's thoughts. - [ "Whatever." ] - Dialogue for anyone from Squall's party in the Laguna dreams. Laguna, Ward or Kiros can hear the thoughts from any person Ellone junctions to them (that's why Laguna responds to some of Squall's thoughts - the difference is he doesn't know it's someone else). - Background dialogue - This happens when a someone is talking about a past event. - Blue or yellow writing - Highlights the locations you have to go in order to advance in the story line. Quistis might say "the test is located at the [Fire Cavern]". - Flashing red writing - The person talking has a threatening voice. - Flashing yellow writing - The person talking has a mocking tone in their voice. - Lastly, some of you may not know how to pronounce some of the names. Edea: ehd-ee-ah Renzokuken: ren-zo-kook-en. Ellone: ehl-own Leviathan: levi-at-thaan. Leonhart: lee-on-haart Quezacotl: quehz-a-cott-ell. Selphie: sell-fee Xu: shju * * This pronunciation may seem weird, but Xu is a Chinese name and it makes sense to pronounce it in a Chinese way. In the Japanese version her name is directly translated as Sue (acc- ording to Scott Ong anyway). That got me thinking, because in the Japanese version they would only have to have one kana for "xu," but because it's a Chinese name they have used different kana to show the true pronunciation. Occasionally you see a Chinese name in Japanese video games, like Xiao from Dark Cloud. Like most Asian names I've seen, they're unisex. O================================================================O | Character Management [ff8/II14] | O================================================================O Other References on Character Maintenance ----------------------------------------- - Glossary. - Battle Tutorial. - Character Info. Types of Fighters ----------------- To build a good strategy plan, it is a good idea to have "roles" for party members. A certain character who is set up the right way can provide backup and support for the other two. Physical Fighter The offensive mover-and-shaker of the party. Obviously you'll want to bless him with god-like strength, so early in the game choose someone who will be your primary warrior, and junction Str Bonus til he reaches level 100. Speed should also be a high priority. The Defender and Physical Fighter roles could be combined. In any case, Ifrit, Pandemona, Bahamat and Eden are able GF candidates for this role. Squall, Seifer, Rinoa, Zell and Irvine would make sufficient physical fighters. Wizard This type of character is like the physical fighter, except everything is focused on the wizard's ability to cast magic, mostly the offensive kind. The best GF for any would-be wizard is Siren. With her you can junction Mag Bonus until the chosen wizard is at level 100. Rinoa, Squall, Laguna, Quistis, Selphie and Quistis will make the best magicians. Medic As I mentioned before, the medic's job is to provide backup and support. Medics would require decent Magic and Spirit. Good GFs for medics are Siren, Diablos, Leviathan, and Alexander. Rinoa, Squall, Laguna, Selphie, Quistis and Edea are the best candidates for the role as a medic. Defender The defender's main responsibility is to defend the party! High HP and high defensive stats to bring the party out of trouble when the other two party members are knocked out, and preferably, sufficient Strength too. Good GFs for Defenders are Shiva, Brothers and Carbuncle. Squall, Laguna, Seifer, Rinoa, Edea and Zell are preferable defenders. Tank Basically an fighter who can fill the requirements of any role. Try to keep stats balanced as your tank character levels up. Decide whether you want to make your tank character primarily offensive or defensive and base your junctioning decisions on that. The most balanced characters are Seifer, Quistis, Zell and Rinoa. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Characters' Individual Attacks ------------------------------------------------------------------ When fighting a battle you may notice that whenever one of your characters attack you see some flame or ice. Each character has their own colour for their weapon. I still don't know if these mean anything. =-RED--===-Blue--= Squall | Quistis Selphie | Seifer Irvine | Edea Zell | Rinoa | ------------------------------------------------------------------ Building up your Characters Stats ------------------------------------------------------------------ ~ JUNCTION MAGIC ONTO YOUR STATS. Stats can be increased greatly with this method. All you need is some decent magic and a GF who knows abilities like HP-J and Str-J. ~ USE STAT INCREASING ITEMS. These rare items are exactly that - rare. You can get quite a few in the walkthrough. In disc three they are easier to get (but it costs a lot of gil!). ~ USE ABILITIES LIKE MAG BONUS. Okay, this is the main reason for a low level game, because some GFs have abilities that will give your stats an additional boost every time you level up. ~ USE THE DEVOUR COMMAND. Some monsters can be devoured for a stat boost. However, this is rather tedious, as it is difficult to find and devour the "nutritious" monsters. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Using the Bonus abilities: Advice ------------------------------------------------------------------ ~ DON'T LEVEL UP TOO MUCH EARLY IN THE GAME...until you have everyone taking advantage of the Bonuses. ~ THE GFS WHO CARRY THESE BONUSES ARE...Ifrit, Siren, Brothers, Leviathan, Carbuncle, Cactuar. See the GF section to learn what you need to learn first (with all GFs except Cactuar the Bonus ability will not initially be available). ~ THE CHARACTER INFO SECTION HAS TELLS YOU ABOUT WHAT STATS ARE INCREASED EVERY TIME A CHARACTER LEVELS UP. Refer to it when wondering what character should receive what stat increase. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Overview of the Bonus abilities ------------------------------------------------------------------ HP Brothers +10 So, if Irvine at level 13, 699 base HP Cactuar +10 levels up with Brothers and HP Bonus ------------------------ equipped, instead of ending up with Strength Ifrit +1 739 (40 HP acquired by levelling up), Cactuar +1 he ends up with 749 instead. If you ------------------------ chose to junction Ifrit and Str Bonus Magic Siren +1 to him, when he levelled up to 14, Cactuar +1 instead of his Strength not changing ------------------------ at all (as it does when Irvine reaches Vitality Carbuncle +1 level 14), the loss would be evened Cactuar +1 out. The individual stat bonuses for ------------------------ each character when levelling up are Spirit Leviathan +1 listed in Character Info. Cactuar +1 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Overall Items to get for characters (see Item List) ------------------------------------------------------------------ o 17 M-Stone Pieces o 78 Screws o 4 Steel Pipes o 2 Magic Stones o 11 Sharp Spikes o 2 Ochu Tentacles o 2 Mesmerize Blades o 1 Betrayal Sword o 2 Turtle Shells o 3 Dino Bones o 2 Red Fangs o 1 Chef's Knife o 2 Star Fragments o 4 Adamantines o 4 Dragon Fangs o 12+ Pulse Ammo o 1 Fish Fin o 1 Dragon Fin o 3 Spider Webs o 7 Dragon Skins o 2 Fury Fragments o 3 Malboro Tentacles o 6 Energy Crystals o 2 Bomb Fragments o 1 Steel Orb o 2 Inferno Fangs o 1 Life Ring o 3 Curse Spikes o 5 Star Fragments o 1 Shear Feather o 1 Saw Blade o 2 Windmills o 2 Regen Rings o 1 Cockatrice Pinion o 1 Force Armlet o 4 Dynamo Stones o 1 Moon Stone o Combat King 001 o 1 Coral Fragment o 1 Black Hole o Combat King 002 o 1 Water Crystal o 1 Missile o Combat King 003 o 1 Laser Cannon o 1 Mystery Fluid o Combat King 004 o 1 Barrier o 1 Running Fire o Combat King 005 o 1 Dark Matter o 1 Power Generator o Pet Pals Vol. 1 o Normal Ammo o Shotgun Ammo o Pet Pals Vol. 2 o AP Ammo Dark Ammo o Pet Pals Vol. 3 o Fire Ammo o Pet Pals Vol. 4 o Demolition Ammo o Pet Pals Vol. 5 o Fast Ammo o Pet Pals Vol. 6 _________ | TIP |____________________________________________________ |--------------------------------------------------------------| | o The best places to level up are the Islands Closest to | | Heaven and Hell. | |______________________________________________________________| O================================================================O | FF8 Version Changes [ff8/II15] | O================================================================O Credit: Information on the differences and similarities of Final Fantasies VII and VIII sourced through many other Final Fantasy VIII guides, namely the ones by Scott Ong and Yuzi-Chan. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Story ------------------------------------------------------------------ Each Final Fantasy has it's own unique story and set of characters (with a couple of reoccurring ones such as Cid, Biggs and Wedge). The Final Fantasies take story elements from each other. Final Fantasy VIII's story is very unusual for the series, however, as it combines a modern world setting and focuses a lot on relation- ships (platonic and otherwise). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Mini-Games ------------------------------------------------------------------ The main (and pretty much only) mini-game is Triple Triad. It's a card game; which might be slightly disturbing to those who are used to playing Final Fantasy VII (which apparently has mini- games galore but nothing like Triple Triad). Refer to the Triple Triad section to learn how to play it. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Discs ------------------------------------------------------------------ The only other PSX Final Fantasy to have 4 discs is Final Fantasy IX. The PC version of FF8 has 5 discs (one for installation). Surprisingly enough, this is not the most discs for any Final Fantasy! It's Final Fantasy XI, which has about 10 discs! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Graphics ------------------------------------------------------------------ I personally think FF8 has the nicest graphics out of any PSX game I've played, possibly the nicest out of all the Final Fantasies. Why? After Final Fantasy VIII I felt some of the artistry was lost in the making of FMVs and things become ancy-fancy in a rather-too-girly way. The thing I love about Final Fantasy VIII is that it's subtly intricate in every way. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Limit Breaks ------------------------------------------------------------------ Limit Breaks began in Final Fantasy VI as Desperation attacks. If your party member was in low HP and you were really lucky, you could perform the character's Desperation move by choosing Attack. In Final Fantasy VII characters built up limit gauges and learnt the abilities that way (instead of having to use certain items, etc. to get them). ------------------------------------------------------------------ O - X button switch ------------------------------------------------------------------ When FF8 was translated to English the default action button was changed from O (the normal Japanese default) to X (the normal western default). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Why the Japanese version is harder ------------------------------------------------------------------ - GFs cannot be drawn from bosses in Ultimecia Castle if you missed them earlier on. - In the Fire Cavern test at the beginning of the game the timer stops not right after defeating Ifrit, but after defeating Ifrit and exiting the Fire Cavern. - There is a Junction glitch in the Japanese version which allows you to junction the same magic to more then one stat. - The game will crash if you try to defeat Odin in disc 3. - You cannot discard unwanted spells. - In the Switch menu there is no "Junction Exchange". - Characters don't give you tutorials on how to do things like use their status screen, or the Junction menu, etc. ------------------------------------------------------------------ From bread to hot dogs? ------------------------------------------------------------------ In the Japanese version, instead of selling hot dogs at the Garden Cafeteria, it's bread, so why did they change it to hot dogs? In one of the FMVs you see Zell scoffing down a hot dog, so it can't just be a tasteless alternative used by translators... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Miscellaneous differences between the Japanese and US/PAL versions ------------------------------------------------------------------ - In the Armoury of Ultimecia Castle the blood is coloured red instead of green. - In the Japanese trial version the music for the opening scene of Dollet is different. Also, X-ATM092 is called X-ATM082. - You can change the names of not only Squall, Rinoa, Angelo, the junctionable GFs and Chicobo, but Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine as well. - Gerogero is blue in colour, instead of red. - Some of the spells drawn from draw points are different. ------------------------------------------------------------------ MP and armour ------------------------------------------------------------------ FF8 is the only Final Fantasy not to have MP in some form or other or armour that you can equip. I mean, it does have items from previous Final Fantasies that were in the armour form, but not any more. ===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~== -~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~ WALKTHROUGH [ff8/III00] -~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~+-~ ===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~===~== ------------------------------------------------------------------ Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------ This section will point out a few things about the format of the walkthrough, etc. 1) The walkthrough basically takes you through the game, giving strategies, tips and advice on how to beat the game in the most advantageous way. I'm no gaming puritan either, so don't expect me to come up with lines like "the method is too cheap", or "Why would ya wanna read Girl Next Door, anyway?". 2) When playing a game people tend to (well, at least I did) not take much notice of where you're supposed to be heading, so more often than not I ended up not knowing what to do even though everyone was just talking about it. The great thing about this guide is to find out where you have to go, you don't have to wade through a whole lot of crap. Plus, the paragraphs are titled, making for easy reading. 3) If you want to get to a boss strategy quickly, find "Boss!". If you want to find strategies for optional bosses look in the "Secrets and Side Quests" section. 4) There are maps in the walkthrough, but if you want a more detailed description of the world of Final Fantasy VIII, see the section entitled "Locations Index" in the Appendices. 5) Optional Side Quests are in the section "Secrets and Side Quests, however, I will remind you of these side quests through out the walkthrough. 6) A note for new travelers: Always refer to the basics section when you need to. 7) If there's something that's really tough or time consuming, I'll add game enhancer codes as well. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Misc. Game Enhancer Codes ------------------------------------------------------------------ Infinite Gil : 80076BA4 0FFF 80066BA6 5F5E Save anywhere : 8006F372 0100 Lv.100 after one battle: 80022752 34A2 GF MAX after one battle: D002276C 000C 8002276E AE30 Unlimited magic stones : D01E6986 0066 081E6986 0060 ------------------------------------------------------------------ How long it takes to finish Final Fantasy VIII ------------------------------------------------------------------ It depends on how you play it. I have a game that is clocked at around 160 hours, but that's because I did all the side quests and optional stuff, but if you were to play the game with the sole purpose of finishing it as quickly as possible you could have a total clock time of 20 hours (you'd need to be fairly experienced at it as well). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Introduction to Disc One ------------------------------------------------------------------ This disc is basically an introduction to the game and characters, although, it can be a pain. Don't worry, if you make a few spare save games I don't think you'll be faring too badly. But don't assume there will be no optional side quests for you to do! Most side quests can be started in disc one, if you know where to look. Now, let's cut to the chase, shall we? O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Balamb [ff8/III01] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Choose your main characters' name. | | 2. Walk with Quistis. | | 3. Meet Quistis at the front gate. | | 4. Defeat Ifrit in the Fire Cavern. | | 5. Change into your uniform. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting a Good SeeD Recommendation (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Well, you're going to become a SeeD however you play the game, but you may not get paid as much gil for being a SeeD. So, here's an overview of how you should *behave*:) - If you defeat 75 enemies or over by the time you because, your Attack score will be 100. - Do not to escape from any battles. Before becoming a SeeD you will be rather severely punished for such an act of cowardice, and when you do become a SeeD, payments are temporarily lowered. - In the beginning of the game enemies defeated by GFs do not count on your SeeD report. - Be courteous and friendly to every one you meet. Although it may or may not actually contribute to getting a good rank, you might as well. - Don't use magic or weapons in the 2F hallways of the Garden unless you're fighting a monster (no doubt you will be asked to cast a spell or flash your weapon at some point!) ------------------------------------------------------------------ "Why try hard to get a good SeeD rank?" ------------------------------------------------------------------ You'll get more money later on. As a result, in disc four you'll get stat bonus items more easily. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Other Names to Call Squall (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ In my games I've called him Remus, Leon, Alex and James. I've also heard other people call him after themselves (not girls!) or after a hero figure in their life (which may also be them selves). Or a creative writer might call him after a character in one of his stories. One of the guide writers at GameFAQs call him Jackass (because he dislikes FF8). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Squall's Study Panel (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Gather as much info as you can. Squall's study panel in Balamb Garden tells you all the basics of the game, a bit of a magic list and even some stuff other game guide writers on this site have neglected to mention. Also remember those cryptic things you'll see about magic and weapons not being allowed in corridors for future reference as you'll be needing it. To get your first two GFs, Shiva and Quezacotl choose "Tutorial" on Squall's panel in the 2F classroom. It's at the back of the left row. Once you've levelled Shiva up to 10 you can learn Doom and the fights with the T-Rexaurs (found mostly in the Training Centre) will be a lot easier. Plus, you get 10 AP from each T-Rexaur killed. I'm not sure, but I think it effects your SeeD score badly if you get the GFs from Quistis instead of Squall's study panel. ------------------------------------------------------------------ First Pack of Cards (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you are interested in learning Triple Triad, talk to the man standing near the elevator on the second floor of the Garden. He will give you seven cards ("the worst cards" - Alex). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Stuff to do in the Garden before visiting the Fire Cavern (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dormitory [D] Cafeteria [C] | Car Park \ | / \____|____/ / \ [Q] Quad ______/ \______ Training Centre [T] \ [Lift] / \____|____/ / | \ / | \ [I] Infirmary | Library [L] Lobby Main gate Quad: Nothing special. Just a girl pestering you about joining some Garden Festival Committee. You couldn't really get to help it even if you wanted to anyway. If you don't talk to her now, she'll ask you later on. _____________ _______________ Cafeteria: | |__| |__| | | C | The Disciplinary Committee | | | | | | | !C | can be found in fig. [C], | |__| |__| |C / | the Cafeteria. If you | | | |_/ | lend an ear to the | S| | ___________/ Cafeteria Lady you'll get |__________ | | | to meet her son in disc 2. The card | | [C] player on the right may have Quistis' [D] | | card. You might want to wait till | | you've got a better hand. A hand which | | includes MiniMog's card (won from the | C C | boy in light blue who runs around the main | C | hallways). NOTE: You cannot view the scene the the Disciplinary Committee after defeating Ifrit in the Fire Cavern. ____________________________ Library: |___| DP C| | | In the Library (fig. [L]), [L] C | | | examine the bookcase to find an ________ C T_| | Occult Fan I. There's also a |Desk \ _ | girl in there who likes Zell... |________/____________|_|____| Training Centre & Car Park: _______|__|________________________ In the Training Centre | | | S| | ___ _ | (fig. [T]), you encounter | |_| |_| / \_| \ | Grats and T-Rexaurs. | _____DP_/ | | | ______/ / | The Car Park is a mega | / / | boring place only worth | | | | mentioning for the fact it | | | | serves no purpose but to | | / | totally waste your time. \ \___________________/ | \ | Note: When I first got FF8 \__________ _______________| in 2000, the first enemy I ever | | encountered was a T-Rexaur, and [T] my hands were sweating like crazy! I didn't know what was going on at NOTE: If you level up HEAPS all! Keep on your toes, newbies, and HEAPS (level 30 at the and check out the strategy for least) you can get one of T-Rexaurs in L4F01 (no 'F'). the ingredients for Squall's best weapon. Second Floor: Squall's study panel is at the back of the classroom on the ________________________<>_ right side in the left seat. | _ _ _ _ | The card players in the | | | | | | | | | !C _ | | classroom may possess | |_| |_| |_| |_| | | | | Quistis' card. | _ _ _ _ !C |_| | | | | | | | | | | | | | Outside the classroom there | |_| |_| |_| |_| | | are random people, most of |__________________________| | whom you can play cards | | with. <> A random rule put up by | |___________________ the Disciplinary | Committee. | [LIFT] |___________________________ In the classroom there are students who give battle reports for Quistis and Squall. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Map of Balamb (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ r_________^ *** ^ rr ****** ______ B- ^ r _______ ** / ** ^ rDP==========|Balamb |___________/ ********^ r |Town | ******** ^ \___________________| ******* ****** ^ \ **** /\ / \ __________/ \.............../ _____ | KEY |_____________________________________________ | * Forest (Caterchipillars, Bite Bugs, T-Rexaurs) | | ^ Mountain (Glacial Eyes) | | Acauld Plains (Bite Bugs, Glacial Eyes) | | . Beach (Fastitocalon-F) | | /\ Fire Cavern (Bombs, Red Bats, Buels, Ifrit) | | {} Balamb Garden (Grats, T-Rexaurs) | |___________________________________________________| At some point, get all the magic the monsters in the area have to offer. It'll help you a lot, and that's speaking from personal experience. Nearly all the enemies in Balamb are occasionally carded for semi-powerful cards. So keep this in mind when beefing up your hand to win the MiniMog and Quistis cards. Getting the most out of your battles: 1. Encounter an enemy. 2. Draw all its magic. 3. Draw/cast a spell on it or hit it. 4. Card it. 5. Refine the card with Card Mod. 6. Encounter an enemy again. 7. Follow steps 2 and 3. Don't card it. 8. If you're getting an excess of items which you can't use to refine anymore (i.e. Quistis and Squall have 100x Water magic each and you keep getting Fish Fins), sell them at one of the shops in Balamb. Water is good for junctioning early in the game, and is easily obtained with I Mag-RF, with the Fish Fins commonly dropped by Fastitocalon-F. At some point later in the game you will be given a report of your conduct, and the better your score, the better you'll be paid as a SeeD. For the moment, make sure you've defeated over 75 enemies. To see how many enemies Squall and Quistis have defeated so far talk to one of the girls in the 2F classroom of Balamb. If you follow my advice, you will get 100 points for Attack. Also, I'd advise to never, EVER run away from any battle, as it takes a whopping 20 points out of your score for each escape. X-ATM092 is an exception... The Fastitocalon-Fs found on the Rinaul Shore are your best source of APs at the moment. For a quick battle, cast thunder magic on them (it causes a LOT more damage than attacking!). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Map of Balamb town (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ BALAMB TOWN EXIT _______________ | C | | | | |- Car | C | | | Rental| | | |------| | | | / | |___________ | | |------|------| | | | |!C | | | | | / C| | | Item Junk | |------|------| | | Shop Shop | | | | __C_____________|______|________| | There are more | | C C | card players in | | <- Train Station | the dock throughout| | _________________________DP__ | the course of the | | | | game. | | | | | | | - Hotel | | | | | | | | | | | C | | | | | / / | \_________________/ / | / \________________________/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ For the Perfectionists (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Do all this after getting Ifrit if you want. - Get 100 of each magic for all your characters from each fiend. - Card every monster. If you're lucky, you might get a semi- rare card to give your deck that extra flare it needs. I have occasionally obtained Shumi Tribe and Elvoret cards from Grats and Bite Bugs respectively by carding them. It's not worth trying to card Fastitocalon-Fs, though, as you will never get a semi-rare card from them. As for Ifrit, he gives you his card when you defeat him. Even if you're not a perfectionist the Ifrit and Bomb cards are good for a starting deck. - Level Squall and Quistis up to 100, or level 30. Make the most of what the local monsters have to offer at each level if possible. From Ninjatsu: "Leveling to 100 is boring at this point, and dangerous. Certain monsters at level 100 can be really annoying if you happen to run into them : T-Rexaurs, Glacial Eyes(Petrify), Bombs(Suicide). The Glacial Eyes can kill you if they petrify both Squall and Quistis. But on the other hand, all bosses on disc1 are really easy(Not optional bosses like Diablos and Brothers)." Ze: "Yes, I think I agree with you. It's only 'perfectionist' anyway depending on what type of game you're playing. I only included this so this player might get all the magic/items available in the area. As I was focusing a lot on this section of the walkthrough I didn't stop to consider it might be better to do this kind of thing later, when you've got the Mug ability." - Learn all your GFs' abilities. The best place to do that at this point is the beach (Fastitocalon-Fs will give you 6 AP per battle). How to destroy Fastitocalon-Fs quickly? Simple! Stock up on thunder magic from the Caterchipillars inhabiting the forests and cast that on them. - Teach your GFs all their abilities. Well, maybe not all. Card, Card Mod, Boost, SumMag+10%, I Mag-RF and T Mag-RF are musts for an perfectionist though. - Teach Quistis as much Blue Magic as possible. This means getting a lot of items! Refer to the character info and items section for more inspiration. - Try to get items needed for upgrading Squall and Quistis' weapons. Try getting items needed for Ultimate Weapons if possible! - (Contributed by Ninjatsu) "Squall can get his 2nd best weapon here if you spend time leveling up and getting a few abilities from the 2 GFs, namely Card-Mod. Items Needed : 1 Tonberry Card, 8 Iron Giant Cards, 2 Adamantoise Cards, some Geezard Cards." - (Contributed by Ninjatsu) "Get Dragon Fangs from T-Rexaurs, and 20 Elnoyle cards before leaving for timber if you want Lionheart on Disc 1." Ze: "You don't have to get 20 Elnoyle Cards. Instead, get some Laser Cannons from high level Elastoids in the second Laguna dream." - (Contributed by Ninjatsu) "You can get all Lvl1-5 cards, Quistis and Minimog before Ifrit (Only for crazy TT fans). Ze: "I guess that makes me an INSANELY obsessed TT fan. :) Come on, it's not that hard. Especially after you've got a few Elvoret, Elnoyle and Shumi Tribe cards." ------------------------------------------------------------------ Card Players (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can only play against Ma Dincht if you have Zell in your party. She has Zell's card. The owner of the Hotel is only available to play with once you have fought Raijin and Fujin in disc 2. If you left town during the Galbadian Army incident with the help of the Big Bad Rascal, you will have to play with the Hotel Owner's daughter. Either person will have Pandemona's card. In disc 2 there is a man near the docks who you can play cards with to abolish every rule in Balamb. Do this only if you've totally messed up the rules here. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Timber Maniacs (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Find one at the Train Station or the Hotel. The "Timber Maniacs" in at the Dincht's is a fake. The dream in the train depends on where / when you find a Timber Maniacs magazine. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Side Quests (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Queen of Cards Quest - IV58. Introduction to the Queen of Cards Quest: what are the rewards? If you start the quest now, you can get the Kiros card in Deling City later on. After that you will get the Irvine Card, Chubby Chocobo Card, Doomtrain Card and Phoenix Cards. You will have to deal with the Card Queen's royal antics of course... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Fire Cavern ------------------------------------------------------------------ Before you can get Ifrit, and consequently become a SeeD, you will have to head to its residence to kill it.. with a SeeD backup of course. The Fire Cavern in just behind a forest near the Garden. The Garden Faculties at the entrance give you a time limit to go by. Choose any limit you like, as long as it's under 30 minutes. Rush to the end of the path. Fire Cavern is very strait- forward, but don't take any detours for now. Check the bestiary (L4F03) to see how to defeat every enemy in the Fire Cavern, except Ifrit, (his strategy below) who is waiting at the end of the tunnel for you. ---------------------------------------------------,---------,---- Ifrit / BOSS! / GF! -------------------------------------------------'---------'------ Boss: Ifrit Location: Fire Cavern Absorbs: Fire, Water Weakness against: Ice Weaknesses: Int, Dex. AP: 20 Drop: G-Returners Card: Ifrit Draw: Fire, Cure, Scan - This is an easy boss. You can summon Shiva if you want but he can be defeated simply with physical attacks. - Actually physical attacks are probably the best option if you want a perfect Judgement score. You see, if you choose 10 minutes and the execute final blow with -40 seconds to spare, you will almost certainly get a Judgement score of 100 in section W2F03. I noticed when doing my speed/low level game that after continually attacking for about 7 minutes Ifrit's HPs were down to about 68! Even though I hadn't powered up my party's Strength stat in any conceivable way! I did draw/cast Scan occasionally though. - Draw/cast cure magic if your HPs get low. - He is weak to ice, but I think he can absorb fire and water. - If you defeat him with 30 seconds or left you will get 100 points for Judgement in your SeeD report. Your party members do not need to level up. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Dollet Field Exam [ff8/III02] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | | | BRIEFING | | | | As Zell rightly says, this mission is important! So before ya | | blunder off on the way to your first real battle take the time | | to read this: | | | | DO | | -- | | . Obey your Squad leader, Seifer, at all times. Even on the | | way to Dollet. | | . Defeat every enemy you come across. | | . Be kind to the dog (talk to it all the time!). | | | | DON'T | | ----- | | . Follow orders from anyone else. | | . Talk to anyone unless it's Seifer, Zell or Selphie. THIS | | STARTS IN BALAMB AND ENDS WHEN THE X-ATM092 IS DESTROYED. DO | | NOT FORGET THIS EVEN AFTER DEFEATING ELVORET. | | . Summon guardian forces to finish of all your battles - most | | enemies can be defeated just by attacking. | | . Go anywhere without being told. | | | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dollet Dukedom ------------------------------------------------------------------ It used to be a huge empire, which stretched over the whole continent, but now, even the tomb of their last emporer is in Galbadian hands. Dollet is also notorious for having a lousy army, and the only reason the country is independant is because of the SeeD. ------------------------------------------------------------------ What to Draw (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dollet is a fantastic drawing spot. Anacondaur : Bio. Elite Soldier: Dispel (if you're high levelled enough). G-Soldier : Cure magic. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Make the Battle with Seifer at the end of Disc 1 Easier ------------------------------------------------------------------ After the Dollet assignment Seifer will not join your party again, so don't bother equipping any GFs to him. When you fight him he will only know how to attack (I tried it myself - he doesn't even do his limit break!) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Limit Breaks ------------------------------------------------------------------ > Seifer's Fire Cross. > Squall's Renzokuken. > Zell's Duel. > Selphie's Slot. -----------------------------------------------------------,------ Biggs & Wedge / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- | FIRST FORM! `------------ Name: Biggs Draw: Fire, Esuna, Blizzard, Thunder Name: Wedge Draw: Fire, Cure, Thunder, Blizzard No effect: Bio - If you have time take the opportunity to draw some Esuna magic from Biggs. - You don't actually have to attack either of them! The battle with them will end after a certain amount of time (you'll have to fight Elvoret). ---------------------------------------------------,---------,---- Elvoret / BOSS! / GF! -------------------------------------------------'---------'------ Name: Elvoret Draw: Thunder, Cure, Double, Siren AP: 18 No effect: Poison Mug: (Elixir, but you need GameShark) - Make sure at least one character has the Draw command for GF Siren. - Elvoret will use Storm Breath on every third turn, and it does around 100+ HP damage to your party. - Have the character with the draw command get GF Siren and draw/cast cure magic onto the party members. - If you have trained your GFs you can summon them constantly. Elvoret won't even get a chance to hit your party members! - Limit Breaks are useful in this fight. Squall could do Renzokuken while Zell does Duel and Selphie does Slot. Or you could have Selphie constantly draw/casting cure magic onto the party. - Draw some Double magic. It'll be useful at this point in the game. - If you have a high level Elvoret's Mist Breath will not affect you very much. -----------------------------------------------------------,------ X-ATM092 / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- Name: X-ATM092, a.k.a. The Black Widow Location: Com. Tower to Lapin Beach Weak: Thunder AP: 50 Draw: Fire, Blizzard, Cure, Protect No effect: Poison Drops: Orihalcon, Power Wrist, Hypno Crown, or Force Armlet Before the battle have Quezacotl learn Boost, SumMag+10%, SumMag+20%, SumMag+30%, and Boost, as he will be a primary factor in defeating the "Black Widow". It will also be a good idea to get the compatibility between Quezacotl and the person he's junctioned to 1000. The first time you fight the X-ATM092 you will never be able to defeat it--instead the party takes turns at expressing their exasperation. So, summon Quezacotl and after a short period of time you'll get the opportunity to run from the battle. This does not affect your SeeD record. If you cause enough damage to the X-ATM092 you can get 50 AP every time! This can be done as many times as you like (until Quistis destroys it). However, your SeeD report will not get as good a score. ____________ If you manage to / [LIFT] \ encounter the X-ATM092 | DP S | only once and get down |____ _____| to the bay within 10 | | ______ minutes, you will get \ 1 \ / ____ \ 100 points for Conduct \ \__________/ / \ \ in your report. \______________/ / / __________________________/ / / 2 / / ________________________/ / 3 / Avoiding the X-ATM092... | | 1 Run, run, run! | | 2 Hug to the inner side. | | 3 Walk with ?. | | 4 Run along the bridge till \ \ you hear the X-ATM092 jump \ \ then quickly head in the | | opposite direction. Go | | Back just before it jumps | 4 | again. | | 5 Run like crazy! You can ___| |___ hide in the Shining Bomber Lapin ______________| | on the way out, but they Beach 5 | will take a lot of points \______________ | off your SeeD report and |___________| you don't get to see inside the pub anyway. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Balamb II [ff8/III03] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Meet with Cid and Xu in the lobby. | | 2. Talk to Seifer, who is on the way to the library. | | 3. Head to the 2F hall, then back after the inauguration | | ceremony (where are the crowds? ^_^). | | 4. Get changed into your new SeeD uniform! Quick! | | 5. After the ball, change back into your normal gear. | | 6. Meet Quistis the training centre. | | 7. Help "Quisty" Save a girl from *killer insects*. | | 8. Go to bed...NOW! ;) | | 9. Meet Cid at the front gate. | | 10. Catch the train to Timber. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Balamb Town Update (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ As Balamb is Zell's hometown, you can get different responses from the residants, and even a few extra things you would normally get. For now, just after getting back from Dollet exit and re-enter Balamb town; you will now be able to challenge Ma Dincht in cards. She has Zell's card by the way. If you've been collecting cards and have 'Card Mod' you will be able to upgrade your weapons. Do it to gain a better advantage in battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Battle Metre (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ After the SeeD inauguration ceremony to Cid again to recieve a little device called the battle metre, which records the steps you have taken so for, the battles you've won, and run away from. Access it from 'Information' in the Tutorial. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Training Centre ------------------------------------------------------------------ After the Garden Festival Quistis will ask you to come to the hidden part of the training centre with her. See the path just near the save point? Unfortunately this will be the only time in the whole game you can go there. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Squall's New Room ------------------------------------------------------------------ ______ All SeeD get a dormitory room to themselves. Although |__| | it's a bit smaller than the dormitory double, it's more | | T| private. There's also a Weapons Monthly April on the |__| | desk (maybe a gift from the girl you saved in the | S| Training Centre...?) |___ | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------ Diablos (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ The next day Cid sees you off on your first mission. Talk to him again and he'll give you a Magical Lamp, which you can use to fight GF Diablos with (save beforehand though). Guardian Forces are like Genies, are they not? So Diablos must have been trapped in the Magical Lamp... In FF5 there is an item called 'Magic Lamp', which summons random summon creatures for unlimited times. -----------------------------------------------------------,------ Granaldo and its Raldo cronies / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- Name: Raldo Draw: Fire, Thunder, Protect Quantity: 4 Raldos Name: Granaldo Mug: 8 Wizard Stones Draw: Sleep, Blind, Shell Weak: Wind AP: 10 Drop: 8 Wizard Stones Location: Balamb - Another easy boss. - It has three cronies called Raldos, which it uses to kick at Quistis and Squall. - Don't worry about thes guys. Why not build up some compatibility with your GFs? - While you're at it, take the time to stock up on Protect and Shell, as not only can they decrease the amount of damage your enemies cause on you, they junction pretty well to magic too. ------------------------------------------------------------------ A Final Flippancy before Bed (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ After or before defeating the Granaldo and its cronies you can attempt to leave the Garden? The receptionist won't let you through, though, and your SeeD level will be decreased. ------------------------------------------------------------------ L Mag-RF (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Siren's Life Magic Refinement takes 30 AP to learn (approximately 3 T-Rexaur battles, 6 Fastitocalon-F battles, or 12 battles of pretty much anything else). The following items which refine into Life magic can all be modded from cards. ITEM REFINE WHAT'S IT GOOD FOR? Zombie Powder Zombie Junction 100 Zombies to ST Atk, so when you attack and the enemy is inflicted with Zombie, you can use curative items/ magic to kill it off! Sawblade Death Similar to the above, but the attack causes Death instead. Tent Curaga Great for junctioning to HP especially. The great thing about this is Tents are easily bought from any item shop. Just make sure there's 3,000 gil left for the train ride to Timber though! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Balamb Garden...One More time (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ There's still more to do in the Garden even when you're supposed to be catching the train to Timber! Cid is in 3F, and he's got the Seifer card. It's a really good card, and next time you'll have the opportunity to get it, it'll be in disc 3 with harder rules. Someone who has a crush on Zell is in the library. Zell is looking for a book called 'Goodbye Pupurin', but if you bothered to look through Squall's study panel you'll know Raijin's borrowing it. =D Check out 'Garden Festival Committee' in Squall's study panel. Selphie's diary is there. It is rather interesting to hear the story from a perspective other than Squall's. ------------------------------------------------------------------ What to do if you can't afford a train ticket... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Fight battles or play cards to get items which you can sell or wander around until you get your next SeeD payment. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Dream World Part I [ff8/III04] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Head to the Galbadia Hotel. | | 2. Go down into the bar and choose your usual table. | | 3. Attempt to approach Julia. | | 4. Go back to Kiros and Ward for 'moral support'. | | 5. Ask for Julia's room at the counter. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Laguna Dreams ------------------------------------------------------------------ Your party falls asleep. Why, you ask? Good question. This is merely the beginning of a series of dreams involving Laguna, Kiros and Ward. ------------------------------------------------------------------ About Laguna Dreams ------------------------------------------------------------------ In the duration of each Laguna dream certain party members of Squall's team will be junction exchanged with the members of Laguna's team. All GFs will be available (Laguna calls these the 'faeries'. The most cash Laguna will have is 3000. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Junction exchange between parties... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Squall - Laguna Selphie - Ward Zell - Kiros ------------------------------------------------------------------ Map of the Scenario ------------------------------------------------------------------ (This is where you start) | |- Hotel | | | |- Shopping Arcade | | | Arch of Triumph (entrance to sewers) | | | | |_________________________|_________________________ From Ninjatsu: "Also, you should go to the sewers and draw Life magic from Creeps." From Ryu Kaiser: "Ninjatsu said to draw "Life" from Creeps in the first Laguna dream. First, I believe the map is wrong if the Arch of Triumph is the thing with the door on the side to get into the sewers. Second, when you enter the sewers that way, you can't get into a fight that all. I have the PC version, so that maybe the reason why, but I just wanted to double check." I'm not sure whether you can fight in the sewers during the Laguna dream, or if the map is wrong. =( ------------------------------------------------------------------ Diablos (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you didn't defeat Diablos earlier on this may be a good time. If you did, this would be a good time to level him up. Have Diablos learn 'Time Mag-RF', and 'ST Mag-RF'. With these, refine your items into Demi, Quake, Slow, Haste, Pain, Meltdown, Confuse, Berserk and Bio. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dialogue in the Laguna Dreams ------------------------------------------------------------------ Some of the dialogue in the Laguna dreams is different depending on where and when you look at issues of Timber Maniacs. I have actually managed to have it so that Laguna leaves Julia of his own accord rather than being ordered to go (I don't remember how I did it though). * At the train station, before going into the Fire Cavern. * At the train station, after going to the Fire Cavern. * At the train station, after the Dollet assignment. * At the train station, before catching the train to timber. * At the hotel, before going into the Fire Cavern. * At the hotel, after going to the Fire Cavern. * At the hotel, after the Dollet assignment. * At the hotel, before catching the train to timber. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Timber [ff8/III05] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O Deling: "Why should a soldier be ready to die for his country?" Soldier: "You're damned right, sir. Why should he?" .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Give Watts your pass-phrase. | | 2. Follow Watts into the train. | | 3. Wake up 'the Princess', errand boy! | | 4. Enter strategy room and listen to the plan. | | 5. Talk to Watts and tell him you're ready. | | 6. Complete the mini-game. | | 7. Talk to Rinoa and tell her you're ready. | | 8. Assassinate the President. | | 9. Talk to Watts and tell him you're ready to leave the train.| | 10. Make your way to the TV Station. | | 11. Find refuge in the Forest Fox HQ. | | 12. Talk to Quistis twice (everyone else says the same thing). | | 13. Attempt to leave the building (you don't need to talk to | | anyone). | | 13. Head to the Dollet/East Academy Station and take the next | | train out of town. | | 14. Talk to everyone in the train, then talk to Zell and choose| | to leave him alone. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Passphrase... ------------------------------------------------------------------ When Watts tells you,"Timber sure has changed!" Answer: "But the Owls are still around." If you do not answer correctly, Watts will show you the base anyway. I am not sure, but Rinoa may be available in your party when you fight Gerogero. From Ninjatsu: "This (whether you can the passphrase right or not) does nothing. Giving the wrong one is more amusing. Rinoa is never in the fight against Gerogero." ------------------------------------------------------------------ Angelo Card (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Challenge Watts for cards. He says "Mr. SeeD, you seem to know rules unfamiliar with this region. Let's play a game with Balamb's rules and ours, sir." If you like the rules in Balamb what rules are in Galbadia?. When you see the rules, DON'T play, quit. Keep on doing this until you get a message saying the 'Same' rule has spread in this region. Go save, then come back for his Angelo's card. But if he starts asking to mix the rules again, soft reset, and try again. By the way, once you tell Watts you want to leave the train after defeating Gerogero, the next chance you'll get of playing with him will be in disc three. I don't know if you can play with him while he's dressed in Galbadian soldier uniform... From Ninjatsu: "Watts already has the Same rule. What you want to happen when you come from Balamb is for the Open rule to spread. I usually leave Same for the sake of removing rules in other areas later in the game." ------------------------------------------------------------------ Finding "The Princess" ------------------------------------------------------------------ She's at the end of the hall and it turns out she was that girl from the party! Man, it's a small world. She's the only character other than Squall you can name. My favourite name to call Rinoa is Sasha, as it reflects her lively personality. I've also called her Rose, after my little sister. But don't be too influenced by that. Call her whatever you like; after you (if you're a girl you could call her after yourself - if, of course you didn't call Squall after a family member. THAT would be too weird...) You can also name her pet dog, whose default name is Angelo. You can change the latter's name later, with a Pet Name-tag... but not with "The Princess", as she's not technically a pet or a GF... After the "Strategy meeting" examine Rinoa's dressing table to get a Pet Pals Vol 2 for Angelo or whatever you decide to call him. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Anarchist Monthly (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can also look at the Anarchist Monthly clipping on the wall of the strategy room which says how Vinzer became president. There's also a dummy of Vinzer Deling (Rinoa's target practice...? ^_^) in the control room. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Hijack Mission ------------------------------------------------------------------ Talk to Watts when you're ready. This mini-game is easy. You don't even have to remember the instructions! What you basically need to do is jump down while the guards aren't looking and punch in the random codes Rinoa gives you, and if you're not caught once, your SeeD rank goes up by one. Afterwards ready your party for combat (see BOSSES). -----------------------------------------------------------,------ Gerogero / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- - At first you will fight Fake President, who is technically a boss, but easy to defeat just by attacking it. - When the Fake President morphs into Gerogero throw a Phoenix Down, X-Potion or Elixir on it. It will die instantly. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Map of Timber ------------------------------------------------------------------ Balamb Train | | Pet | | Shop | | Souvenir _| |____| | C Shop | | _________ _________| | | D-City | | | ___________| Timber/ TV Station | Maniacs | | | | | | | |--------------| | _\ \_ | | | | | | | | | Forest | | | | | Fox HQ | | | | | | | | | | | C| |-----| | - Junk Shop | |Item / | | | | |Shop /Aphora | | | | | Pub | | - Hotel | _ DP________| | | | | | | | | | | Desert | | -------------- | | | | | | ----| |----- | | C | | | | | | | | | Exit ____| |_________| East Academy/ | Dollet S | Platform | __________________| ------------------------------------------------------------------ Pet Store (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Buy Pet Pals Vol 3 & 4 if you'd like to teach Angelo some new abilities. If you've got 'Tool-RF' you can refine the Scrolls (Magic, Draw Scrolls, etc.) into Wizard Stones, which you can, in turn, refine into powerful magic. Also grab an Amnesia Greens just in case you want to get rid of a useless ability. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Souvenir shop (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Owls Tears' : The basin at the old man's house has these. Revitalise your party at the old man's basin. You can steal the old man's money when it stops working, but it's only 500 g. Map of Timber : This is the only time you get to view this monstrosity. Mine is far better. Naughty magazine: In the magazine stacks in the entrance of Timber Maniacs. Train models : Timber Hotel. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Timber Maniacs (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Look for a hidden Blizzaga draw point and a Timber Maniacs magazine in the office. There's also a Girl Next Door magazine in one of the stacks of magazines in the foyer. You can't read it but you can give it to Watts in disc 3 for a few items (Shiva card, Rename Card). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Other stuff (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Level up Rinoa a bit and take her past the hotel to where the guards are. Here you can protect them from a couple of G-Soldiers. ^_^ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Unlimited Potions (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Talk to the man on the bridge leading towards the junk shop and hotel. If you have Quistis and/or Rinoa in your party there will be a man there who gives either one of them a potion. Whether or not you have both girls in your party or not does not matter. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting to the TV Station ------------------------------------------------------------------ On your way to the TV Station you'll encounter a few soldiers who give you a Buel card. In the pub there's a drunkard blocking the other way out. You can buy him some drinks, but he won't give anything in return, so tell him about the Buel card. He'll not only let you keep it, but give you a Tonberry card as well and move out of the way. ------------------------------------------------------------------ UFO Sidequest (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Once you are out of Timber go to Mandy Beach, which is southeast of Timber, north of the transcontinental bridge. Wander around until you encounter a UFO. If you encounter UFOs in all the locations in the world you can get a very rare card. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Get a Free Pet Nametag! (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ You'll notice a man pacing up and down in front of Timber Maniacs HQ. After you escape the place via train, he will start talking about getting into journalism. If you're always tell him he should become a journalist he will give you a Pet Nametag in disc 3. ------------------------------------------------------------------ For the Perfectionists (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Go to the beaches of Dollet and find Adamanoise. They are great because (1) Reflect can be drawn from them, (2) if you have a high enough level you can mug Whispers and Orihalcons from them, (3) if you do not mug the Adamantoise they will almost certainly give you Adamantine, which is a main ingredient in characters' ultimate weapons. Get 1+ Whisper and 8+ Adamantines. - Wendigos can be found in the forests around Timber. Steel Pipes can be mugged from them. Get 10+ Steel Pipes, as they will be needed to upgrade weapons and get GF Doomtrain. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Dream World Part II [ff8/III06] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Run to the end of the path, confronting all enemies in your | | way. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Junction exchange between parties... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Squall - Laguna Selphie - Ward Quistis - Kiros ------------------------------------------------------------------ Setting up for later (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ By doing certain things in Laguna's time, in the future (disc three) Squall and co. will be find a Power Generator, Phoenix Pinion, and Silence draw point (the Power Generator is really rare!) 1) After defeating the Esthar Soldiers turn at the first right and climb down the ladder. 2) Continue until you see some debris which you should examine. 3) Go to the left. You'll find three hatches in the ground. Tamper with the middle hatch. As you leave a stubborn Esthar Soldier will fall for Laguna's ingenious trick! 4) Head back where you fought the soldiers and take the forward route instead of going right. At the bottom of the ladder there will be more debris. Examine them to find and lose yet another key (no wonder Laguna never has much money ^_^). 5) Continue along the path and examine the left hatch. 6) Go right back to your original path. 7) Examine the right hatch. 8) Go back a few screens then go up until you find a bomb detonator. 9) Press the red switch (furthest away). The left hatch will open itself. 0) Now choose the blue fuse. The right hatch opens. Done! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rare Items (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Meanwhile you might encounter Gespers and Elastoids. They are occasionally carded for Igion's and Ultima Weapon's cards respectively. Ultima Weapon's card refines into an Ultima Stone, which casts the most powerful magic in the game. Unfortunately you can't convert it to magic at this point. If you have a fairly high level Elastoids can be mugged for Laser Cannons, which are great because they: - Teach Quistis Homing Laser. - Can be refined into Pulse Ammo (the most powerful ammo). Pulse Ammo can be used to obtain Squall's Lionheart, which is by far the best weapon in the whole game. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Hidden Cure Draw Point ------------------------------------------------------------------ After the bomb detonator, there's a boulder on the left side of the path. If you push it it will roll away, revealing a hidden draw point. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Galbadia Garden [ff8/III07] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Enter the Garden, then make your way to the Waiting Room. | | 2. Talk to Zell last. | | 3. Talk to Rinoa last. | | 4. Talk to everyone (Zell last?), then walk around a bit. | | 5. Find Raijin and Fujin. You'll meet them as you go into the | | main hall. | | 6. Talk to Quistis in the lobby and follow her to the front | | gate. | | 7. Talk to Rinoa last. | | 8. Exit the Garden. | | 9. Catch a train to Deling City. | | 11. Attempt to go back onto the train platform. | | 12. Check on Selphie. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ For the Perfectionists (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Go to where Squall, Selphie and Quistis dreamed about Laguna,co. Wander about it (it's called Roshfall Forest) until you encounter an Ochu. Draw Pain magic from the Ochu and mug Ochu Tentacles from it. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Galbadia Garden Map ------------------------------------------------------------------ | DP | | ^ | | | | | |__________ ____| | | | | \ Waiting | | | | Room | | | | |__________| | |____| | | | | | __________ ___| |___ [LIFT] | | / \ | C | / \ |_ ____| ______________/ \__________________| |______ DP ______________ ________________ _________ \ / |DP / C \ / | | Skating Rink \___ ___/ | C| | Lobby | |_____| | | Front gate ------------------------------------------------------------------ Abolishing the rules of Trabia (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ In the Ice Rink Clubroom of this Garden there is an exchange student who uses Trabian rules. Although Trabia is much further on at this stage, if you want to get the Selphie card you will have to deal with the Random and Plus rules. It will rather annoying to attempt abolishing/introducing rules then. 1) Ask to play cards with the person from Trabia. 2) They will ask if you can mix rules with Trabia and Galbadia. Say yes. 3) Check the rules. If there are rules you don't know how to use or don't like choose 'Quit'. 4) You may have to keep on asking and playing with other people before anything happens. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemies in Galbadia (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Go north-west of Deling City to a desert. Here you enemies such as Chimeras, and Vysages. Chimera can be mugged for Red Fangs, which 2 will be needed for Squall's Twin Lance. They can also increase compatibility with Ifrit by 3, and can be refined into Firaga magic with 'F Mag-RF', naturally. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Deling City Item Shop (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Buy 50 Normal Ammo and 10 Fuel from the shops. Refine them into Fast Ammo, and fire Ammo with Ammo-RF. Also refine your Poison Powder, Venom Fangs, Missiles, Sharp Spikes, Chef's Knives, Running fires, and Cactus Thorns into Demolition Ammo. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Deling City [ff8/III08] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Exit the train station and talk to one of your party | | members | | 2. Talk to the soldier outside Caraway's mansion and give him | | the password, which is found in the Tomb of the Unknown | | King. | | 3. Enter Caraway's mansion | | 4. Talk to Rinoa last, and walk around a bit. | | 5. Follow Caraway around until he reaches the gateway. | | 6. Talk to Caraway. | | 7. Return to Caraway's mansion when you're ready. | | 8. As Quistis, try to leave the room. | | 9. Follow Caraway to the gateway. | | 10. Talk to Caraway. | | 11. Leave and follow Caraway to the Presidential Residence. | | 12. As Quistis, go back to Caraway's mansion. | | 13. As Rinoa, climb up the crates, leap onto the building, and | | climb to the top. | | 14. Attempt to talk to Sorceress Edea. | | 15. As Quistis, take a goblet out of the cabinet and place it | | in the statue's hand. | | 16. Go down to where there's a ladder and climb down it. | | Examine the waterwheel to go up. Walk down the path. | | 17. As Squall and Irvine, run to the right and sneak into the | | Presidential Residence. Go the same way Rinoa did. | | 18. Rescue Rinoa from the Iguions. | | 19. Examine a hatch in the hallway. | | 20. Examine the rifle on the ground. | | 21. Talk to Irvine last. | | 22. Find your way out of the sewers. | | 23. Go up the ladder of the gateway and examine the switch. | | 24. Talk to Zell. | | 25. Defeat Seifer. | | 26. Fight Edea (it doesn't matter if you lose). | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Deling City full Map ------------------------------------------------------------------ Exit | | Car Train station | Rental _________________________|_________________|_______ | | | | | | | | Hotel -| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Shopping | Caraway's -|-------------------------| Arcade | Mansion | \ | | | \ Arch of Triumph (entrance to sewers) | | \______________Park___| | | | | |_________________________|_________________________| | Presidential residence ------------------------------------------------------------------ Tomb of the Unknown King ------------------------------------------------------------------ Located to the east of Deling City. It's on the edge of a long peninsular. Rent a car if you like. Check the gunblade and write down the number (this is the only thing you need to do if you don't want to fight the Brothers yet). The code changes depending on your progress in the game (thanks to Scott Ong for this piece of info). Refer to Secrets and Side Quests for a guide on how to get the Brothers. ------------------------------------------------------------------ For the Perfectionists (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ - You know the area where there are canyons? Go there and you will find Vysages to fight. The have Haste magic to draw, which can be junctioned to Speed very effectively. - If your level is high enough you can draw Tornado magic from Thrustaevis and refine it from the Windmills they drop. Speaking of which, Winmills are one of the ingredients for Rinoa's best weapon. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Caraway's Guard ------------------------------------------------------------------ How do you enter the code? Well, if it's 045, you enter in from digits to tens to hundreds (5 - 4 - 0). There are some theories on how this number is chosen, because it is only different every time you play a different game, therefore it may depend on how well you did any any particular game. Here are a few numbers I got: 52: In my speed game. SeeD rank 6. Sorry, I don't remember any others. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Transport in Deling City ------------------------------------------------------------------ Deling City has a good transport system. The buses go all over town so you can jump off at designated bus stops. When you see the bus conductors waiting at the bus stops they will ask if you want to go to the next bus stop in the schedule. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Card Players (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Go to the shopping arcade. There's only one person who play cards here, and he has the Kiros card, so swipe that up. After getting the Kiros card, save at the hotel (get the Timber Maniacs in the Hotel Room while you're at it). Across the street from the hotel is a woman dressed in green. Spread the 'Open' rule with her. Deling City has some more cards to offer, including Grendel, which you can refine into good items. Dragon fins are used to upgrade Zell's weapon. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Item Shop (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ While you're there, why not stock up? For the cost of a train ticket, buy 300 Antidotes (can only carry 100 at a time) and refine them into Bio magic, which I suggest you give to the character with status attack. Antidotes can also be refined from Poison Powders and Venom Fangs using 'ST Med-RF'. Buy some Softs, as the Iguions (boss) can petrify your party members. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Weapons Mon Mar (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ While you are Rinoa, examine a hatch in the ground to get into the sewers. You can't open any doors, but there is a Weapons Mon Mar at the end of the path. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Escaping Caraway's Mansion ------------------------------------------------------------------ You'll have to get out of this mess. You can get a clue by looking at what looks like a portrait of Julia holding a wooden cup. Then there is what looks like a statue of Julia standing there without anything in her hand. Take a wooden cup from the cabinet, place it in the statue's hand. The statue will turn into the wall, revealing a secret passageway. ----------------------------------------------,--------,---------- Iguions / BOSS! / GF ALERT! --------------------------------------------'--------'------------ - The GF Carbuncle can be drawn from either Iguion. If you don't get Carbuncle now you will have to wait until disc four (and in the Japanese version of the game you won't get another chance at all). - Weak to earth. Absorb fire. - "Magma Breath" places Squall or Irvine into a petrifying status, where they will become petrified when the counter reaches zero. To stop this draw/cast Esuna while the counter is still going. - Use your limit breaks if you like. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting out of the sewers ------------------------------------------------------------------ When you are controlling Quistis and co. you will have to go to the exit that leads to the gateway. This time you will be able to open gates and climb waterways. In the map [W] stands for water- wheels. By examining these you can go to a path you wouldn't otherwise be able to. When you get up to the [*] mark, the path is pretty linear and heads towards where you began. Only now, you can go strait to your destination (to the right). ________________ ___________________|______________ W | _______________ W | | | | | | | | _____| |_______________| |____ ______| | |_____ | | _____|____________________ | | ______| | | | | | | | | | | | | * | | | | ___ ___| | | | |_ ||_____| | |______________ ___| | | |___ | W |_________.____ ||_____| |_____|_ | | | | W W | | |___________________|____| |______ _____| | |__________________________|______ | | _____| | | | | | | | | | | | | ___ ___| | | |___ _ ||_____| |_____|_ | W W | -----------------------------------------------------------,------ Seifer vs. Squall / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- - Draw some Life magic and if you have the Mug command see if you can get a Hero or Holy War from Seifer. - Seifer is pretty weak at this point. Even if you are not the physical type of fighter he can still be defeated soundly with attacks. - Use GFs if you like. Diablos actually works on Seifer. Unless you've made a GF learn SumMag+10% or higher it will do about the same damage as if you were attacking normally. - Before the battle junction 100 Bios to Status Attack and 100x Fire magic to Elemental Defence, as Seifer attacks are mainly fire-based. -----------------------------------------------------------,------ Edea / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- - Squall, Irvine, and Rinoa are compulsory party members, so make sure they are equipped beforehand. - Edea has some great magic and items to draw/mug, so make the most of it! - In my first battle with Edea I discovered a sneaky little trick! If you summon Carbuncle she will waste all her turns casting Dispel on your party, allowing you to attack her without being harmed. - Cast Sleep on her and if it works, continually summon Brothers. - By the way, it is impossible to "win" this battle. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Introduction to Disc Two ------------------------------------------------------------------ Disc two is where Final Fantasy VIII gets less linear. There are all sorts of side quests you can do, or even start off. If you've been working hard at building up your characters and GFs, the battles will also get REALLY easy at this point. Oh, and by the way - disc two goes by very quickly if you don't do any of the side quests. Have fun! O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Dream World Part III [ff8/III09] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Make sure disc two is in the PlayStation. | | 2. Go downstairs and talk to the young Ellone. | | 3. Go to Raine's pub. | | 4. Have a chat with Kiros. To end the conversation say "let's | | talk later". | | 3. Walk to the other side of town, then back. | | 4. Go to Raine's pub, and walk/run upstairs. | | 5. Talk to Raine. | | 6. Take a nap. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Junction exchange between parties... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Squall - Laguna (star of the show!). Irvine - Kiros (joins Laguna later in the dream). Zell - Ward (Ward is at the D-District Prison). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Map of Winhill ------------------------------------------------------------------ Mansion (can't enter) [DP] _______| |_______ Spare house__ __Exit (can't exit) __| Town | Raine's pub__ Square | | _________DP | | | | __| | Old lady's __ |___________ house |DP_________ DP | | | Truck | | | | Chocobo Crossing | | | | | | | |_________| | House -| ___________| | | | |- Hotel | | Item Shop ___| | |_____| Exit (can't exit) ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Object of this Place is to... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Explore the village right back to the end of the path (take the first right, as you can't go back that way) and back to Raine's pub. Killing more monsters could trigger a different remark from Raine. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Item Shop (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Spend all Laguna's cash on items you think you'll need. 3000 gil in total which you'll be able to spend at your leisure, as it's not Squall's money! Potion 100 G 30x Not useful for refining at this point. Hi-Potion 500 G 6x Not useful for refining at this point. Phoenix Down 500 G 6x Not useful for refining at this point. Antidote 100 G 30x 30x Bio magic with ST Mag-RF. Eye Drops 100 G 30x 30x Blind magic with ST Mag-RF. Soft 100 G 30x 30x Break magic with ST Mag-RF. Echo Screen 100 G 30x 30x Silence magic with ST Mag-RF. Holy Water 100 G 30x 30x Zombie magic with ST Mag-RF. Remedy 1000 G 3x Not useful for refining at this point. Tent 1000 G 3x 30x Curaga magic with L Mag-RF. Fuel 3000 G 1x 10x Fire Ammo with Ammo-RF. Normal Ammo 20 G 150x 150x Fast Ammo with Ammo-RF. Shotgun Ammo 40 G 75x 150x Fast Ammo with Ammo-RF. G-Potion 200 G 15x Not useful for refining at this point. G-Returner 500 G 6x Not useful for refining at this point. I personally suggest buying Tents, as Curaga will be the best to Junction at this point. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Oh, and don't forget... Save before Venturing to the next Section! ------------------------------------------------------------------ After you fight a few monsters and Raine tells you to have a rest, save before going to bed. You never know, you could get killed in your dreams! O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | D-District Prison [ff8/III10] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O Prisoner: "Women were my downfall." Zell: "What kind of women?" Prisoner: "Those who carry handbags." .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Talk to Rinoa, Quistis and Selphie, then Rinoa again. | | 2. Recover the weapons in floor 8. | | 3. Show Biggs and Wedge who's boss. | | 4. Get Squall from the Torture Chamber. | | 5. At the very bottom of the place examine the door to have | | the pathway cave in. | | 6. Choose a party member to accompany Squall and Rinoa. | | 7. Head to floor 13. | | 8. Take Irvine down to floor 3. | | 6. Get to the top of the Prison. | | 7. Defeat the Elite Soldier and GIM52A. | | 8. Get on the other side of the bridge as much as possible. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' -----------------------------------------------------------,------ Biggs, Wedge / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- - They have valuable magic for you to draw and rare items to mug. - Both Biggs and Wedge are weak to Confuse, so cast Bad Breath or Confuse on them for an easy win. ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Prison ------------------------------------------------------------------ I suggest you explore the place after defeating Biggs and Wedge. Before you do though, you can go to level 6 and use the save point there. Floor 1 Combat King 001, Save Point. Floor 2 Cottage, Str Up. Floor 3 Pet House. Floor 4 Tent. Floor 5 A prisoner who charges 500g for a game of cards. He gives you an item if you win. Floor 6 Save Point. Floor 7 Zell, Quistis, Selphie, Rinoa's cell. Floor 8 A man who sells items. Floor 9 Berserk draw point. Floor 10 Player on the tenth floor who charges 300 g for a game of cards. When you win against him he gives you the Character Report, which can be found in the same place as the Battle Report (Note: If you haven't already got the Battle Report from Cid this guy won't even talk to you). There's also a save point on this level. Floor 11 The guy on the eleventh floor charges 200 g per game. When you win against him, he'll randomly give you items such as Eye Drops, Potions, and the odd Rosetta Stone or Holy Stone (it is all random). There is also a hidden Thundaga Draw Point. Floor 12 Nothing here. :C Floor 13 Torture Chamber. You can get a Pet Nametag and Cottage from the Moombas if: When the warden is questioning Squall don't lie to him. Give Up. Floor 14 Here you fight the GIM52As and Elite Soldier. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Gifts from the Moombas (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ - If you give up, you'll receive a Cottage and Rename Card from the Moomba and receive some evidence of who Squall's father is. - I you want to avoid a few fights defend them from the Mean Guys--they'll give you a key to the torture chamber. -----------------------------------------------------------,------ GIM52A and Elite Soldiers / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- - The Elite Soldiers know cure magic, so kill them off first. - Bio, Bad Breath, and Acid are particularly affective against the Elite Soldiers. - Quezacotl, Brothers, Electrocute, and Water Breath against the GIM52A. _______________________ | ORGANISING CHARACTERS |______________________________________ | You have to choose who will go on each party. Seeing as | | nothing different (save a bit of dialogue, but who cares) | | happens no matter which characters you choose for Selphie's | | party. | |--------------------------------------------------------------| | | | Best choices for Selphie's team: | | _ Selphie, Rinoa, Irvine. _ Selphie, Rinoa, Zell. | | _ Selphie, Quistis, Irvine. _ Selphie, Quistis, Zell. | | _ Selphie, Irvine, Zell. | | | | Squall's team: | | Zell : Asks if you Squall have a walk with him. Take him | | to the libaray and he asks Girl with Pigtail if she | | has 'Goodbye Pupurin'. If Rinoa is in the party | | will not happen. | | Rinoa : Asks if Squall can take her on a tour of the Garden.| | You get to see an additional cut-scene of Rinoa | | the Garden becomes mobile. | | Irvine : Lectures about elemental attack. * | | Quistis: Lectures about elemental attack. * | | | | * On this note it's much better for the story line if Zell | | and Rinoa come on Squall's team, because if you haven't | | got Irvine or Quistis there to lecture you about elemental | | attack (if you've got both of them Quistis will lecture | | you), Zell or Rinoa don't that kind of thing, so Squall | | does. He gives an unusual perspective on the matter, | | actually. This set-up is also good because you can enjoy | | the added scenes with Rinoa, but if you want to see Zell's | | additional scene you can't have Rinoa in the party, | | otherwise Zell will have no reason to ask Squall for a | | walk. | |______________________________________________________________| ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rinoa's Card (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can win Rinoa's card from Caraway, but before he deals it, you'll have to play a game with him to sacrifice your Ifrit's card. Ifrit's card will be won again from Garden Master Martine, who you will see in FH. Don't worry, when you drive in using the army vehicle you can go out anytime you want and you'll be back in your car. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Galbadia Missile Base [ff8/III11] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Enter the Missile Base driving the army truck. | | 2. Examine the ID identifier to the right of the door on the | | left. Choose to walk by quietly. | | 3. Continue along the path until you reach a save point. | | 4. Talk to the soldiers inside the room south of the save. | | 5. Tell to the soldiers in the Launcher Room to "Go ahead". | | 6. Talk to the soldiers mentioned in step 4. | | 7. Make your way to the Circuit Room. | | 8. Go toward the control panels and do whatever. | | 9. Tell the Soldiers "We were just about to call on you." | | 10. At the entrance of the Launcher Room there is a guard who | | asks a few questions. Choose the first option 2 times. | | 11. Help the soldiers push the launchers into place. | | 12. Set the error ratio to maximum and upload data. | | 13. Make your way up to the console room. | | 14. Fight the guards. | | 15. Look for the Selph...ah...Self-Destruct Panel. You have to | | check every control panels in both rooms. | | 16. Set the self destruct time limit. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Comments ------------------------------------------------------------------ I can see a whole Metal Gear Solid-type game based on this section! "Agent Selphie: Revenge against Galbadia"! This Missile Base thing is pretty pathetic in my opinion. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Circuit Room ------------------------------------------------------------------ Choose "Just hit whatever!" to have Selphie tamper with the controls automatically. Choose the other option ("Bang it hard!") to do it yourself manually. Remember, if you choose the manual option you will have to press Square simultaneously. I don't know if it makes any difference what you choose. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Cheat (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ On the computer choose 'Equipment'. Push Square + ? + Up or Down to see a dancing Galbadian soldier. There are two types to look at. ------------------------------------------------------------------ When Self-Destruct is Activated... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Operate the controls to start the self-destruct sequence. If you chose 20 minutes the side door exit will be available. -----------------------------------------------------------,------ BGH251F2 / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- ~ If you feel apprehensive draw/cast Protect and Shell onto the party. ~ Use Blind, thunder magic, Water, Quake, Quezacotl, and Brothers. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Balamb III [ff8/III12] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O "I can't go to school today. I don't feel like it. I just don't have it in me anymore." "I know school can be tough but, at 47 years of age and as the principle of this school you have to go." .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Talk to the Garden Faculty at the entrance. | | 2. Go to all the different sections of the Garden (even the | | Parking Lot!). See strategies. | | 3. Take the elevator to the second level and go to the end of | | the passage where you'll meet Xu. | | 4. Follow her to floor three. | | 5. Speak with Cid. After some chit chat you can save by | | talking to him again. | | 6. In the elevator, after talking to your party, examine the | | controls and the hatch in the floor in that order. | | 7. At the end of the path you will find a wheel, which you | | will need to turn three times. | | 8. Head back out to find a ladder leading down! | | 9. Examine a ladder at the bottom, which Squall can go up. | | 10. Muck with the control panels a bit, then head back down | | via the broken window. | | 11. Climb down a nearby ladder via a gate (hard to see). | | 12. Pull a lever just near the save point. | | 13. Defend yourself against the slug-type creatures that come | | in your way. | | 14. Tamper with the control panel. | | 15. You know the door that was formerly unavailable at the end | | of the 2nd floor hall? Go there, then leave. | | 16. Make your way to the lobby where you will be told to go to | | the Master's room. Obey his order. | | 17. Walk to the left. | | 18. Talk to Cid. | | 19. Over to the left you will meet Master NORG, who tries to | | kill you. Defeat him. | | 20. Head to the Infirmary and talk to Dr. Kadawaki. Ask Cid | | what will be happening next. | | 21. Go to the lobby. | | 22. Go to the end of the second floor hallway. | | 23. Find Ellone, she's in the library. | | 24. As you walk out of the dormitory Cid will call for you. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Party Differences ------------------------------------------------------------------ It seems Quistis and Irvine remind you of how to use ST Atk-J. However, without them in your party Squall will explain how to do it instead, which is quite interesting, as he will give you a very quick explanation of his own as well as an option to overlook it in the tutorial. When the Garden becomes mobile, if you have Rinoa in your party you see a cut scene of her. The next morning she asks Squall for a personal tour of the Garden. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Obel Lake Quest (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you exit the Garden, you will be able to visit the rest of Balamb. Examine Rinaul Coast until you find a rock. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Garden Tour... ------------------------------------------------------------------ When you first enter the Garden everyone is looking for Cid. Before you can leave the first floor though you have to check all the compartments the level has to offer. Front Gate : Where you first meet the Garden Faculties. Do anything other than saying you're with the Garden Master and he will unleash a Grat and Caterchipillar onto your party. Talk with the wounded SeeD Cadet afterwardsto get a Mega Potion. Infirmary : This is where you fight a Granaldo. You can play cards and/or get an Elixir from Dr. Kadawaki. Quad : If you don't talk to the Faculty as he rushes out of the compound you won't have to fight a Glacial Eye and Bomb. But if you do, you meet some SeeD near the stage, one of whom give give you an X-Potion! Cafeteria : The Bomb you're forced to battle before entering the Cafeteria has Meltdown for you to draw, so get a much of it as you can. After the battle, speak to the girl in the Cafeteria twice and she will give you a Gysahl Greens. Dorms : Caterchipillar. After defeating it, have a nap, and save. Car Park : Kill the Grendel here. If you are having difficulty, junction Death, Petrify, or Zombie to status attack. Get a Tent from the people. Training Centre: T-Rexaur. The same tactics you did with the Grendel should work fine here. You'll get a Remedy from the boy for defeating this fearsome creature. Library : Face the wrath of... the Grat....! Honestly... where have their faculties gone ?! Afterwards, get a Mega-Potion from Girl with Pigtail. ------------------------------------------------------------,----- Oilboyle 2x / BOSS! ----------------------------------------------------------'------- ~ Use Slow magic, Ifrit, and Fire Breath against them. ~ If a party member gets a status ailment draw/cast Esuna. ----------------------------------------------,--------,---------- NORG / BOSS! / GF ALERT! --------------------------------------------'--------'------------ ~ Use Tornado, Aero, and Demi. Note: You can't attack NORG until you have broken his pod, which you can only attack if the orbs on the left and right of NORG are not red. You should draw Leviathan from the pod at your first opportunity. Stats for NORG's Pod: A lot of Hit Points. High Defence, Spirit, and Dexterity. Low Strength, Intelligence, and Evasion. Unaffected against Thunder and Poison. Stats for Orbs: Very high Hit Points, Defence, and Spirit. Low Strength, Intelligence, Evasion and Dexterity. Not affected by any element or status ailment. Warning: The fight with NORG is notorious for stuffing up in one way or another. Even in the PAL version, because once when I summoned Shiva while fighting NORG, I over-boosted her attack right at the end, and something weird happened. All of a certain shade of grey in the menus and dialogue boxes were for some reason converted to a very ugly orange..... Glitch? If both Orbs are red, any attack, including GF attacks only cause 0 HP damage to NORG. What I did in the past when fighting NORG is I constantly summoned GFs (being a huge GF fan). Despite the fact that they were doing 0 damage to NORG I defeated him anyway. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Card Club Group (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ After the Garden becomes mobile is the perfect time to start off the CC Group quest. These are the first 4 members: - Jack is near the directory in front of the elevator. You don't need to worry if you are being asked to go somewhere. Challenge Jack twice. Jack will only play with you if you've won 15 card games in the Garden, and about 20 games outside the Garden. - Joker is selling items in the Training Centre. He has Leviathan's card and will give you a Guardian Force Report, which is similar the Character and Battle Reports. - Club has black hair and can be found by walking between the Cafeteria, Dormitory, and Car Park. - Diamond are the twins who stand in front of the directory in the lobby. Stock up on level 7 cards from them. Remember, if you ever had any second thoughts when naming your guardian forces, Catoblepas' card can be refined into a Rename Card... - Spade is the guy who gives you a starter deck on the second floor. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Fisherman's Horizon [ff8/III13] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Visit Mayor Dobe. | | 2. Try going back to the Garden. | | 3. Head to the train station--on the way you will have to | | fight BGH251F2 again. | | 4. Talk to Rinoa to leave. | | 5. Go back to the Garden. | | 6. Comfort Selphie in the Quad. | | 7. Choose the instruments. | | 8. At the concert, speak to Irvine twice. | | 9. Examine for a book lying on the ground (past the stage). | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ How to get to FH (Fisherman's Horizon) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Remember the lookout point just past the 2F classroom? Go there to enter Fisherman's Horizon, otherwise known as FH. Oh, and those without Leviathan or Quezacotl, junction Thundaga to their elemental attack, for there will be mechanical foes about. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Map of FH ------------------------------------------------------------------ | |_ Grease Monkey >> | _ _________ __________________| | _______ | | Train _ | | |__________|v|__________ | Station | | | |______________________ Elevator |______________ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | __________/ | | | | | | | / / | | | | | |____________/ Mayor's / | | | | | ____________ House / | | | | | | \__________/ | | | | | | | | << Leads to | | | | Hotel | | Master ______| | | |____| |______________________| | Fisherman ________| |_________________ _____________| | | | | | | | | Junk Shop ------------------------------------------------------------------ FH Sidequest (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Climb down the ladder (±) and continue till you reach the master fisherman. Apologise to him and you will get an Occult Fan III. 2. Talk to him again. Now he thinks about it, he would like Squall to do him a favour. 3. Visit the junk shop for a funny scene. =) 4. Talk to the Master Fisherman again, and he will ask you to meet at the hotel. 5. After going to the hotel, go to where the Master Fisherman once was to get a Full-Life draw point, so make full use of it! 6. After the concert talk to the Grease Monkey. 7. Head for the area in front of the train station where you fought BGH251F2. You should see a chap in a blue shirt, and white trousers. Say to him, "Isn't he the cafeteria lady's son?" (note: he will not be here if you did not listen to all of what Cafeteria Lady had to say in disc 1). 8. Visit Grease Monkey again for a Mega Phoenix. 9. Go to level 2 of the repair shack, and choose to accompany the Master Fisherman a bit longer. Talk to him again and choose the second option to receive a Megalixer. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Timber Maniacs (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Hotel room. - Grease Monk's place. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rare Cards (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Go to the Mayor's house in the middle of the city. Mayor Dobe has the Quezacotl card to win. If you gave Sacred to the Queen of Cards Flo has Irvine's card. Outside their house, to the right, is Martine, who has all the level 6 and 7 boss cards for you to win, and Ifrit's card if you lost it to Caraway earlier on. -----------------------------------------------------------,------ BGH251F2 / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- ~ Like last time, cast Blind. ~ Draw/cast Protect onto the party, as well as Double or Triple. ~ Cast Water and Thunder magic onto the enemy. ~ Summon Leviathan, Quezacotl and Brothers. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Card Club Group Quest (...continued) (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ a. Go to the Bridge to challenge CC Group Heart (Xu). She has Carbuncle's card by the way. Speak to Nida, who realises Xu is a club member. 8) b. Challenge Dr. Kadawaki to a game. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Choosing Instruments ------------------------------------------------------------------ Tune A (folk song): Guitar, violin, flute, tap dance. Tune B (ballad): Electric guitar, bass guitar, saxophone, piano. Note: If you would like an additional piece to try out check out KatanaSoul's walkthrough at GameFAQs. It's like a mix of tune A and B. While you're choosing the instruments as Irvine, you can head up to the save point making it easier to see all the tunes, play cards with Dobe and Flo, and explore the rest of FH. =] ------------------------------------------------------------------ Exploring FH as Irvine (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you visit the Grease Monkey, a soldier is there. Exit and re-enter to find the Grease Monkey defeated the soldier! Talk to the Grease Monkey and he will give you a Phoenix Down, then examine the soldier repeatedly to find some of the best ammo in the game! You can also explore Balamb Garden as Irvine. Squall is in the dormitory, sleeping. Also note that Irvine will play cards with males and females (unlike what he claims ^_^). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kaskabald Desert (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ In Kashkabald Desert you will encounter a UFO. Make sure you do, as it's part of the 'Extra Terrestrial' side quest in which you will get the rarest card in the world--the PuPu card! Check out Secrets/Sidequests for a full walkthrough for the quest. Check "Locations Index" in the appendices if you do not know where Kashkabald Desert is. On the way to Kashkabald Desert on the plains you will battle encounter Blitzs, and if you've defeated 30 enemies over level 30, will VERY occasionally drop Power Generators, which teach Quistis Ray-Bomb and refine into Irvine's best ammo, but you'd be very lucky to get one. I'd be glad to know anyone who got one just to congratulate them on it! Phuc Bach: "I found a way to fight Cactuars(20 AP each! Yay!) right at disc 2 (after getting the flying garden): Land the garden near Kashkabald Desert than have Squall (equip Encounter- None if needed) run to the direction where Cactuar Island is. Run until Squall can't run in that direction anymore. Open the menu and it will say the current location is Kashkabald Desert- Cactuar Island. Now de-equip Encount None and go crazy fighting Cactuars ^_^ (as long as you get close enough to Cactuar Island)." ------------------------------------------------------------------ Long Horn Island (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Fly to Long Horn Island. It's north west of Dollet town, and is the only place in the world (at this point) to Adamantoise. These creatures (I really did think they were just rocks ^_^) drop Adamantine - a dead useful item which you can use to upgrade into the best weapons and it teaches Vit+60%, an ability not GF has! That's to name a few. You can also find Whispers, which teach Quistis White Wind. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Obel Lake Quest pt.II (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ ______________________________________________________________ | Clue Where to go | |--------------------------------------------------------------| | "You'll find something on an | The island just north of the| | island east of Timber, too." | transcontinental bridge | | | south-east of Timber. | |--------------------------------+-----------------------------| | "Take time off at Eldbeak | Eldbeak Peninsular is | | Peninsular." | directly north of Balamb. | |--------------------------------+-----------------------------| | "Back in my day, south of here,| In the forests north of | | there used to be a small, but | Edea's house. You won't find| | beautiful village surrounded by| any rocks, but the remains | | deep forests. Everybody lived a| of an abandoned village. | | happy life there." | | |________________________________|_____________________________| O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Balamb IV [ff8/III14] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Whatever happens Zell will be in your party, so you might | | as well have him to avoid Rinoa, Quistis or Irvine being | | taken out of the party. | | 2. Speak to the guard. If nothing different happens the | | second time exit and re-enter the town. | | 3. Try to enter the Hotel. | | 4. Talk to Ma Dincht and while you're at it you can rest in | | Zell's room. ^_^ | | 5. Speak with all the soldiers in town. | | 7. Talk to Ma Dincht. There is a foul stench in the air... | | 8. Talk to the dog at the docks. | | 9. Follow it to the train station. | | 10. Meet Raijin at the hotel for a bash-up! | | 11. Defeat Raijin again this time with his lil' sis. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Before Entering Balamb... (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Now you've levelled up since the beginning of the game, you might as well check out the Fire Cavern again. Get a few Bomb Fragments for weapon upgrading and maybe even a Bomb Spirit! ------------------------------------------------------------------ How to leave Balamb during this section (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1) Talk to the girl in the house next to the Dincht's. 2) Talk to Big Bad Rascal (how threatening..) in the Dincht's twice. 3) Return to the other house, and talk to the everyone in there. 4) Talk to the sentry guarding the exit. DON'T close his message screen, and wait until Big Bad Rascal comes. Talk to him now. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Zell's Room ------------------------------------------------------------------ When Zell allows you to go in his room, a variety of different things happen depending on who your third party member is. Rinoa : She comments on Zell's father, and they talk about him, and why Zell aspires to him so much. Quistis: Notices Zell's spare T-Board. She reminisces about an embarrassing moment of Zell's. Irvine : Notices Zell's grandfather's rifle and how great it is. He tries to give it a go, causing havoc! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Improve Squall's Martial Arts! (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Also, if you want to improve Squall's punching technique, keep on punching Zell's punch bag (by examining it) and measure how much time it takes between punching the bag, then punching it again. Depending on his strength, Squall will eventually get tired and take longer to give the back another punch. At first, you'll notice he is really slow, but after about a hundred or so punches he'll get faster. Mind you, he stops improving after punching the bag repetitively about 100 times. Do 110 just to make sure. This helps later on, when Squall has to struggle with a Galbadian Paratrooper. After punching Zell's punch bag a hundred or so times you will be able to out-punch the Paratrooper! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Tabloid Guy (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can buy info from the Tabloid guy from behind the truck, but it'll lower your SeeD rank. You don't need him if you've got this guide anyway. -----------------------------------------------------------,------ Rajiin (with 2 Galbadian Soldiers) / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- Stats: High Hit Points. Moderate Strength and Defence. Low Intelligence, Spirit, Evasion, and Dexterity. Absorbs Thunder. Weak to Poison. Preparation: Junction 100x Blind to status attack. It will inflict the blind ailment on the soldiers and Raijin. Equip Draw to at least one party member as well, because in the battle right after this you can draw a GF! ~ Summon a GF to kill off the Galbadian cronies. ~ If Raijin's attacks are a little too much for you to handle, draw/cast Protect onto your party. ~ Cast Meltdown on Raijin and use your physical attacks against him for the rest of the battle. I'm telling you to use normal attacks because with 100x Blinds junctioned to status attack and Mug equipped, you'll get as much out of the battle as possible (draw some magic too!). ----------------------------------------------,--------,---------- Raijin and Fujin / BOSS! / GF ALERT! --------------------------------------------'--------'------------ To see Raijin's stats, look above. Fujin's stats are the same as Raijin's, except she absorbs Wind instead. Mug: Str Ups (Raijin), Megalixirs (Fujin). Booty: 22 AP, Combat King 002. Draw (Fujin): Aero, Cure, Life, Pandemona . Strategies: ~ For Raijin follow the same battle strategies as before, but this time draw/cast Protect from him onto your party. ~ Cast Meltdown on them both and pummel them with your attacks and limit breaks. Darkside is useful, as it causes quite a bit of damage to the enemy and decreases your HPs so limit breaks can be used. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Combat King 002 ------------------------------------------------------------------ At the end of the fight you get a Combat King 002. It teaches Zell Meteor Strike, and you'll be able to upgrade Burning Rave to a more powerful combination of attacks; instead of doing Heel Drop, do Meteor Strike OR you could do a chain of attacks: Booya, Heel Drop, Meteor Strike, Booya, Burning Rave. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rare Card: Pandemona (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Pandemona's Card can be won from two different people. The hotel owner, OR the hotel owner's daughter. If you got out of town during this section with the Big Bad Rascal's help, you get the card from the girl. If you didn't it'll be the father. ------------------------------------------------------------------ A New Card Player in Balamb (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ A high-class chef from Dollet has come into Balamb because of its world famous fish! Also note that he will say different things if you have Selphie in your party. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Errands in Timber (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ In Timber you can get a free night's stay at the hotel. Here's how; Go to the station that goes to Dollet in Timber. There's a little kid playing there. Wait until the train comes. Squall will rescue the kid. You'll get to have a night in the Timber Hotel free of charge. Get the Timber Maniacs while you're there and examine the model train on the wall to see "Timber News" ^_^. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Trabia Garden [ff8/III15] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Talk to Selphie near the fountain when she's up with her | | friend. | | 2. Talk to Selphie near the stage. | | 3. Go into the room with the computer in it, when you leave it | | Selphie will be there talking to two kids. | | 4. Meet up with Selphie in the basketball court (at this | | moment she's currently in the graveyard mourning the loss | | of a friend). | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ How to get to Trabia Garden ------------------------------------------------------------------ I found Trabia Garden difficult to get to, but a found a way of getting there easily. Trabia Garden is surrounded by very tall mountain ranges, so you know when you're in front of a really tall mountain range Trabia Garden is probably on the other side. These mountain ranges are very long. On the western side of Trabia where there's a Chocobo forest follow the mountains to the south-east until you reach a huge crater. When you reach this crater you will know that Trabia Garden is to the the north-west. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Weapons Monthly magazine (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ There's a student who mentions treasure 5 steps from the statue. If you look closely you will find a magazine in the proximity of the fountain area where Selphie's friend is. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Selphie's Card (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ After leaving Trabia Garden you can return and play cards with Selphie's friend. She has Selphie's card. If you haven't already tampered with the rules in Trabia via the exchange student in Galbadia Garden you can do it now if you find getting Selphie's Card a bit hard. Refer to the card tutorial on how to change rules in a certain region. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Timber Maniacs (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ There's an issue of Timber Maniacs in the cemetery, and a draw point. I'm not sure but I might have encountered a Forbidden here once... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Local Bestiary (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Mesmerizes are very common in the Trabia area, and you'll be wondering what to do with those Blades of theirs even after giving each character 100 Regens each and acquiring 100 Mega-Potions using L Mag-RF and Recov Med-RF respectively. Draw Meltdown from the Gaylas in the Bika Snowfields. KatanaSoul is quoted as saying "The Spell Meltdown and the GF Doomtrain are your best friends in Final Fantasy VIII". Indeed they are, coz they drops the victim's vitality to 0, virtually "melting" off their outside defences, therefore physical attacks do loads more damage. In the forests, you encounter Blue Dragons, which you can mug for Fury Fragments. They occasionally drop Dragon Fangs, too. Make sure you get 4 Dragon Fangs. They're easily killed with Death. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Centra [ff8/III16] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Pilot the Garden towards the forest closest to Edea's | | house. Remember, this is a point of no return until disc | | three. | | 2. Give the orders to Nida. | | 3. Get everyone into their positions on the second floor. | | 4. Head down to the Quad. | | 5. After talking to everyone, leave. | | 6. As Zell, go down to the southern edge of the Quad. Rinoa | | falls over the edge as part of the Garden is torn off! | | 7. Run to the front gate to tell Squall the bad news. | | 8. Rescue the junior classmen in the second floor classroom. | | 9. Talk to Dr. Kadawaki at the bridge. | | 10. Return to the second floor. A young lass is having a wee | | bit o' trouble finding the little boy she's looking after. | | He's at the end of the hall. | | 11. The junior classmen is at the end of the hall. Talk to him | | and just after he leaves a paratrooper will come after you.| | 12. Press the examine button and look for another option. | | 13. Press examine again and open the emergency exit. | | 14. Kick and punch the paratrooper off his flying craft. | | 15. Exit the battlefield by going to the left. | | 16. Name Squall's ring. | | 17. Enter Galbadia Garden. | | 18. Choose a party who can deal with the moderately tough | | enemies in Galbadia Garden. | | 19. Get all the keycards from students throughout the Garden. | | 10. Defeat Seifer in the Master Room. | | 11. Finish off Seifer and defeat Edea in the Auditorium. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Where is Edea's House? ------------------------------------------------------------------ It's on the east side of the continent to the far south of the world. Edea's house should be easy to recognise as it's the only establishment apart from Centra Ruins. Getting too close to the forest means entering a whole lot palava, so make another save game just in case, by making sure you land the Garden just near Edea's house, but not too far away. To ensure you don't accidentally get too close to Galbadia Garden, fly to the region (Cape of Good Hope) from the south and try to keep as close to Edea's House as you can once on land. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Fighting with the Paratrooper ------------------------------------------------------------------ This is not like an ordinary battle because you press certain buttons to kick, punch and defend. If Squall did his punching practice in Zell's room his punches will be more swift and consistant. ------------------------------------------------------------------ A tip on navigating Galbadia Garden ------------------------------------------------------------------ I found Galbadia Garden easier to navigate by drawing a map as I went along. -------------------------------------------,-----------------,---- Cerberus (s) / OPTIONAL BOSS! / GF! -----------------------------------------'-----------------'------ Mug: Spd-J Scroll. Draw: Quake, Double, Triple. Booty: 20 AP, Cerberus Card, G-Returners, Cerberus . Stats: High Hit Points, Strength, Intelligence, Spirit. Moderate Evasion and Dexterity. Low Defence. Absorbs Thunder. Wind has no affect. ~ Draw/cast Triple onto your party. ~ If you have the time cast Float, Shell and Protect on your party or Quistis' Mighty Guard. ~ If Cerberus Casts Triple on himself immediately cast Dispel on him, as as he will start to barrage your party with a lot of magic (which can be devastating and gives you no time to do anything. ~ Have your tripled party members cast Demi on him. -----------------------------------------------------------,------ Seifer / BOSS! ---------------------------------------------------------'-------- Drop: HP...H Weak: Poison Mega-Potion Str..M Def..M Summon Cerberus and cast Protect Mug: Int..M on your party. Draw/cast Haste Hero Spr..VH onto as many party members as Eva..L you can. Cast Meltdown onto Drawing list: Dex..H Seifer, then have your fighter Fire, Thunder, types use their limit breaks on Dispel, Haste. Seifer while your medic types AP: 20 keep up Protect and Haste. ----------------------------------------------------,--------,---- Edea / BOSS! / GF! --------------------------------------------------'--------'------ Drop: Force Armlet Mug: Royal Crown Draw: Blizzard, Demi, Esuna, Alexander. - I would suggest having Irvine (choose Zell if he doesn't have enough ammo) and Selphie to come along and help Squall. This way it's funny at the end of the battle when Rinoa shows up to help Squall but she ends up doing the opposite. :) - The first thing you need to do is summon Alexander and mug a Royal Crown. - Summon Cerberus and cast Meltdown onto Edea to lower her defences. - Cast Shell and Aura onto your party, then pummel her with your limit breaks. - Edea has a nasty habit of casting Maelstrom, which inflicts curse on your party (can't use limit breaks). Fortunately it can be cured by Holy Water, Esuna, Remedy, or Treatment. - Tornado, Quake, and Diablos also work on her. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Introduction to Disc Three ------------------------------------------------------------------ Disc three is much the same as disc two in the ways that there are more side quests, more abilities, and more plot twists! Yay! Plus, you get to go to Esthar, and obtain the spaceship Ragnarok! O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Edea's House [ff8/III17] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Go to the bridge. | | 2. Visit Edea at her house. | | 3. Check on Rinoa, who's in the infirmary of the Garden. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Get a Weapons Monthly July (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ There's a Weapons Mon Jul in the Training Centre for you to bag. It's hard to see. Go in the left entrance it it will be lying on the ground in front of a boulder. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Get your Pet Nametag! (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ You know the aspiring journalist in Timber ? If you encouraged him to become a journalist is discs 1 and 2 he will now give you a Pet Nametag. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Goodies at Edea's House (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Grab the Timber Maniacs and take advantage of the Curaga draw point while you're there. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Sidequest Reminders (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Magical Lamp IV01 Be bedazzled with GF Diablos Dollet Revisited IV02 Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em Tomb of t.Unknown King IV03 The King of the Thralls Winhill Revisited IV04 Quest of the broken Vase Shumi Village IV05 Learn more about Laguna & NORG Chocobo Catching IV06 Earning chocobos' trust Chocobo World IV07 Adventures of Boco the Chocobo Odin IV08 Another test, another dungeon Tonberry IV09 Earning Tonberries' loyalty The Solomon's Ring IV10 Offerings to a GF demigod Cactuar Island IV11 Cactuar fun under the hot sun! PuPu the Alien IV12 Tear jerking, heart moving ET :P Card Club Group IV13 Climbin' to the top of the Pack! Queen of Cards IV14 Squall's poker-face may help Obel Lake IV15 Black Shadow and Grumpy Monkey Challenges IV19 How to waste your time Tips and Hints IV20 How to save your time Glitches IV21 Summary: Loopholes in the system O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Dream World Part IV [ff8/III18] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Escape the dragon. You can fight it if you want. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Kiros the "Dragon" ------------------------------------------------------------------ When Laguna and his Co-Star are acting for "Scene 12: Death of the Sorceress" Kiros comes down in his dragon costume. Only, it's not Kiros--it's a real dragon! This is much like the fight with the Paratrooper in disc two, only you have no chances (that I know of) of how to improve fighting style. Use Triangle to attack and Square to defend. Attacking is a better idea because it can prevent the dragon from hurting Laguna as well as hitting it at the same time. You can't predict when the dragon is about to attack because it moves swiftly, but it should be easy enough to defeat. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ruby Dragon (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ After trying pathetically to fend the evil dragon away with a cheap movie-set gunblade you can choose to defeat the dragon in head-on combat or run away. I leave this entirely up to you, I do suggest facing the dragon for the items and stuff you can get from it. __________ | SUB-BOSS |___________________________________________________ |--------------------------------------------------------------| | Ruby Dragon AP: ? | |--------------------------------------------------------------| | HP... | Weak: | Strategy: | | Str.. | Ice | This Ruby Dragon is much easier | | Def.. | Holy | than the ones you will be facing on | | Spr.. | | the Islands Closest to Hell/Heaven | | Int.. | Absorb: | or Deep Sea Research Centre and | | Eva.. | Fire | the yields are just as good. Summon | | Dex.. | | Shiva and Alexander while any | | | Drop: | inactive party members draw the | | | InfernoFng | ultra valuable Meteor. | | | /Red Fang | | | | | | | | Mug: | | | | InfernoFng | | | | | | | | Draw: | | | | Aero | | | | Fire | | | | Meteor | | |--------------------------------------------------------------| |______________________________________________________________| O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | White SeeD Ship [ff8/III19] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Visit Edea. | | 2. Board the White SeeD Ship. | | 3. Talk with the captain of the White SeeD Ship. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Location of the White SeeD Ship ------------------------------------------------------------------ It's somewhere in the shallow waters of centra hidden in a small harbour. Go north of Edea's house an you will find a region full of hidden inlets. The White SeeD ship is in one of these inlets. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Other things to do on the ship (s) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Before leaving the ship talk to Zone in the upstairs compartment of the ship three times. If you have The Girl Next Door (got from Timber Maniacs HQ in Timber), he will give you a Rename Card and Shiva's card IF you give Girl Next Door to him for FREE. Take the opportunity to win the Angelo card from Watts if you didn't do it in disc 1. There's also a Timber Maniacs magazine close to where Watts is standing. On the stern of the ship you'll be able to hear about Sorceress Hyne, and there's kid you can talk with to get off the ship without talking to the captain (in case you need to grab Girl Next Door). Take note that if you leave after talking to the captain you will go back to the same inlet the ship was in before to discover it's not there anymore. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Garden Festival Committee ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you have got all the Timber Maniacs up until now you have all the Timber Maniacs, so view them on Squall's study panel in the second floor of the Garden (or at least, Selphie's comments on them...). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Preparations for getting Doomtrain ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Take Cerberus to Kashkabald Desert. Have him learn ST Def-J x2. - Also have Alexander learn 'Med LV Up'. - Get 100 Bios for all your characters with ST Def. To do this, you can refine Wizard Stones or Antidotes with ST Mag-RF. - Get 100 Confuses for all your characters by refining Betrayal Blades (got from Forbiddens, who can be found on the upper levels of Centra Ruins). - Get 6 Steel Pipes from defeating/mugging a Wendigo or refining an Elastoid card. - Get 6 Malboro Tentacles by refining Malboro cards or defeating Malboros. At this point Malboros can only be occassionally encountered in Grandidi Forest, which you need a chocobo to get to, but you can wait till you get to Esthar, where there are occasional Malboros. - Get 6 Remedies+, by refining normal Remedies using Med LV Up. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Great Salt Lake [ff8/III20] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Pilot the Garden to FH. There will be an automatic long | | scene as soon as the Garden reaches dock, so beware! | | 2. Choose your party. | | 3. Walk to the end of the path. Go in an opposite direction | | when you think you can't go anywhere else. | | 4. Tackle the Abadon creature on the way. | | 5. You should see an area that looks sort of static. Examine | | the air to find a hole in mid-air! | | 6. There's an invisible ladder to the hole. Go up it. | | 7. Go on the elevator to Esthar! | | 8. Choose party members who will participate in the final | | Laguna dream (Edea cannot participate). | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Enemies in the Great Salt Lake ------------------------------------------------------------------ The enemies in this region; Vysages, Lefties and Righties tend to rely on magic and are weak to Silence, so summon Siren to render them virtually helpless. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Draw Points ------------------------------------------------------------------ See the huge skull on the side on the path when you enter the Great Salt Lake? By walking up its head and on its spine you can access a rare draw point (with the Move-Find ability, of course). ------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Abadon ------------------------------------------------------------------ ______________________________________________________________ | Abadon AP: 40 | |--------------------------------------------------------------| | HP...H | Weak: | Strategy: | | Str..H | Water | This guy is easy AS. Firstly, mug | | Def..VH | Holy | the Power Wrist, then use Recover | | Spr..H | | to instantly kill it. Har. | | Int..VH | Drop: | Don't worry if you don't have | | Eva..H | FlareStone | Recover. X-Potions, Elixirs, and | | Dex..M | | other curatives work well. But do | | | Mug: | not try to use life magic or items | | Undead | PowerWrist | on it, as they will miss. | | | | | | | Draw: | Location: | | | Cure | Great Salt Lake. | | | Esuna | | | | Dispel | | | | Flare | | |_________|_____________|______________________________________| ------------------------------------------------------------------ Esthar's Camouflage System ------------------------------------------------------------------ A series of panels allow Esthar to remain hidden from the out side world (talk about xenophobia..). To see how this works, examine the console found when first entering Esthar from the Great Salt Lake. [OCS Display Test Menu] [Colour check]--> Show colours. [Camouflage]----> Show how the panels camouflage. [Random]--------> [Colour check] and [Camouflage]. [Exit Test]-----> Stop viewing console. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Dream World Part V [ff8/III21] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Talk to the soldier on the right. | | 2. Talk to the soldier on the left. | | 3. Talk to the Moomba. | | 4. Defeat incoming Esthar soldiers! | | 5. Defeat those Estharians with Kiros and Ward (beware of | | Gesper, as it's more than willing to kill off your party | | members with Degenorator--you can't even revive them until | | after the battle! | | 6. Defeat the Elastoid and Esthar soldiers. | | 7. Catch the elevator up to the top. | | 8. Go outside. | | 9. Head back down to where you started in step 1. | | 10. At Odine's lab defeat the Esthar soldiers. | | 11. Configure the control panel. This will unlock the door to | | Ellone. | | 12. Take the elevator back down and enter the room just in | | front of you to rescue Ellone. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' _________ | TIP |____________________________________________________ |--------------------------------------------------------------| | - Before you fight, junction Death to status defence so you | | will be able to defeat your enemies quickly. If you don't | | have sufficient amounts of the magic or not enough GFs | | who've learnt ST Atk for this the actual magic will do. | |______________________________________________________________| ------------------------------------------------------------------ Elevators in Odine's Laboratory ------------------------------------------------------------------ Odine's new invention is an elevator which only requires you to sit down on it! They look like circular couches which you you will have examine to use. You'll be using more of these elevators in Squall's time. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Esthar [ff8/III22] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Leave the city and head to Lunar Gate. | | 2. Choose your parties (Zell and Edea can't be placed in | | Squall's party). | | 3. As Zell, head to Odine's Lab in the city. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Map of Esthar ------------------------------------------------------------------ Presidential Palace | _________________________|____________ | | | | | | GI | | | |--------------|------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (GI) | | |-----------------\ | --| Air -| | | | | Station | | |_______| | | | | | | | | Shopping | | |(Left) (Right)| Arcade | |__________|______________|______|_____| | | Odine's lab Car rental ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting the Ward card and Changing Estharian Triple Triad Rules ------------------------------------------------------------------ Visit Odine's Laboratory. Challenge him for Ward's card, as well as other level 6 and 7 cards. If you wants to mix Balamb's rules with Esthar's, go ahead, and mix to spread 'Open'. If not, say no until he stops. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Taking Advantage of the Local Monsters ------------------------------------------------------------------ You'll notice that there are a lot of Mesmerizes in the highways of Esthar, and on the outskirts of the city. Before long you will have accumulated many of their Blades. Refine these into Regen magic with Supt Mag-RF and Mega-Potions with Recov Med-RF. Chances are you'll give each character 100 Regens each AND 100 Mega Potions in your inventory. Mega-Potions can be sold for 7500 gil each! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Phoenix Pinions Galore ------------------------------------------------------------------ Do you want heaps of Phoenix Pinions? Here's the drill; buy Mega Phoenixes from Johnny's Shop (use Call Shop) and refine them into Phoenix Pinions with Tool-RF or Med LV Up. You can also refine 20 Phoenix Pinions into a Phoenix Spirit, which teaches a guardian force Recover. You can also get Mega Phoenixs by using Med LV Up on Phoenix Downs. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting Megalixirs Easily ------------------------------------------------------------------ You'll need 500 000 g for this; buy 10 Elixirs and convert them to 10 Megalixers. They'll become very helpful in the battle against Omega Weapon. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Tricks for Angelo to Learn ------------------------------------------------------------------ You can buy a Pet Pals Vol 5 there which teaches Angelo the very useful 'Angelo Search'. You can get many rare items using it, such as Hungry Cookpot (which you can use to teach Devour to a guardian force), Hero, Aegis Amulet (which, as you know teaches a guardian force Eva-J! With this item you can make sure every character has a high evade rate putting you at a major advantage to your foes) etc. Refer to the hints section of this guide for how to increase the chance of random events. However, you'll have to wait until Angelo and Rinoa reunite after getting the Ragnarok. Pet Pals Vol 6 teaches Wishing Star. Angelo's most powerful offensive ability. ------------------------------------------------------------------ GF Doomtrain ------------------------------------------------------------------ Doomtrain will join your party when you use an item called Solomon's Ring (you can see what it looks like in one of the Occult Fans). This ring is found at Tears' Point. It's the gold object near the statues toe. Before you can successfully get Doomtrain you will have to have certain items in your inventory. They are: - 6 Steel Pipes. Refine Elastoid cards. If you can't do this and don't have enough Steel Pipes, you will have to wait until you get the Ragnarok. - 6 Malboro Tentacles. Malboros can be occasionally found in the Esthar area. See L4F01 for a strategy. - 6 Remedies+. You need Alexander for this. With his Med LV Up you can refine 10 Remedies into 1 Remedy+. I bought my Remedies using Call Shop. If you don't/can't have that ability, however, you will have to go into the city again. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Combat King 004 ------------------------------------------------------------------ When you first enter Esthar as Squall, talk to the Esthar Soldier, marked by the "GI" on the map. He's the guy who says "Oh, that's right." When you're Zell, talk to the man again, and he'll give you a Combat King 004!! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Meeting up with the Lunatic Pandora ------------------------------------------------------------------ Dr. Odine gives you mission, and that is to get onto the Lunatic Pandora, which is making its way through the heart of the city. You can get onto it by going to specific meeting points at specific times. The first meeting point is right of where I told you to go to to the soldier marked "GI" on the map. You should see a car, so just wait there till the Pandora comes. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunatic Pandora ------------------------------------------------------------------ Lunatic Pandora is full of rare items and draw points. Don't worry if you don't get into it now, as you will be able to return to it at Tears' Point. Tip 1# Leave the 01 elevator last. Tip 2# Examine every nook and cranny. Tip 3# Equip Move-Find if you have it. Just in case you feel unsure I have compiled a list of items and draw points found in Lunatic Pandora. {Entrance} {Elevator 02/03} {Elevator 01} - Meteor draw point - Power Generator* - Spd-J Scroll - Pheonix Pinion* - Silence draw point* - LuvLuv G - Combat King 005 * You can only get these items if you solved the puzzle in the Laguna dream at "Excavation Site". O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Lunar Base [ff8/III23] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Talk to the man in the white coat (Piet). | | 2. Examine Rinoa. She's next to the guy who comments on how | | young she is ^_^. | | 3. Go into the Medical Room. | | 4. Talk to Ellone. She's in the Residential Zone. | | 5. Go to where Rinoa is. Ellone will tag along. | | 6. Follow Rinoa to the Control Room. | | 7. Try and touch Rinoa. | | 8. Step on the right side of Irvine to see a movie. | | 9. Rinoa is in the room where all the space suits are stored | | (it's on the way to the residential zone to the right). Go | | there. | | 10. Rinoa has dressed into a space suit already. Examine the | | glass in front of her. | | 11. Enter one of the modules in the room (they look like | | changing compartments) to change into a space suit. | | 12. Go outside via the air chamber. | | 13. You should be in space now. Go all the way to the bottom | | by pressing up. When the "Panicky Gentleman" and his | | assistants have left and Squall says "I guess I should go | | back now", you can float upwards by pressing down. | | Eventually when Squall has floated over the top of the | | screen, you'll be back inside and your business here will | | be finished. | | 14. Talk to Piet in the Control Room. | | 15. Talk to Ellone. | | 16. Go to the escape pod, which is to the right. | | 17. Talk to Ellone again after going down on the elevator. | | 18. Enter your own escape pod. | | 19. Talk to Ellone again when you can. | | 20. Save Rinoa! | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rare Cards: Alexander and Laguna ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ellone has Laguna's card and Piet has Alexander's card. Lunar Base can be a hard place to obtain rare cards due to the fact that the region has every rule you could possibly have in a card game. Yet I have managed to abolish rules without even being able to go anywhere else, as although you can get Alexander's card later on, the same cannot be done with Laguna's card. You will have to wait until disc four for that, and even then you're not likely to get it. I have managed to abolish rules without even needing to leave the Lunar Base. Here's how: 1) Challenge Piet or Ellone to card battle. 2) Quit instead of Playing. You'll need a lot of patience, but after doing this A LOT of times a random rule will be abolished. For a novice player I would recommend getting rid of Plus and Random, as they seem to be the rules that cause the most trouble. However, for a more advanced player the Plus / Same / Same Wall combination serves as a nice challenge. In any case, getting rid of Random might well be at the top of your priority list. The Laguna card is possibly the hardest card to get in the game, but the frustrating reality is it was first ever rare card I won in a card game. If you give up, don't worry, you can get the Laguna card from the CC Group's Diamond Duo in disc four. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Glitch: The Transparent Side of Rinoa ------------------------------------------------------------------ You know when Rinoa is staggering along and there are about three transparent versions of her walking along? You can stop any one of these "versions" just by standing in front of it. It will just stay there while the other Rinoas continue walking! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Saving the Princess...in Space! ------------------------------------------------------------------ The only way you can rescue Rinoa is keeping her in the middle of the screen so she doesn't "get lost forever". You can move quickly by pressing Triangle (X for Japanese version), but it will use up your fuel faster. If you fail, you can always try again. It doesn't effect anything to my knowledge. Tip: The first time you try this mini-game tends to be the hardest, so just use the action button to make sure Rinoa is in the middle of the screen and try to keep her there. It can catch you out because you don't realise the white dot on the screen is Rinoa until it's too late! Comment: I can't see why you wouldn't be able to use Squall's gunblade to use the repulse of the bullet in order to go in a certain direction faster. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Ragnarok [ff8/III24] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Defeat all Propagators in this order: purple, red, yellow, | | green. | | 2. Head to the cockpit. | | 3. After listening to Eyes On Me and giving Rinoa over to the | | Esthar officials, head to the passenger's cabin of Ragnarok,| | then the cockpit. | | 4. Retrieve Rinoa from the Sorceress Memorial in Esthar. | | 5. Go to Edea's House. | | 6. Visit Laguna in the Presidential Residence of Esthar. | | 7. Fly the Ragnarok to Lunatic Pandora,which is at Tears' Point| '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Ragnarok ------------------------------------------------------------------ This ship has been lost in space for 17 years. Why? A "resident evil" lurks on this vessel, and it's your job to try to exterminate those critters. You could hardly call them "proper gaters" :). You have to fight the Propagators in a certain order of colour or they will keep on reviving each other. So, if you defeat a green monster, then a purple one, the green one is revived. This is the order in which you must defeat them: purple, red, yellow, green. You only fight them when they touch you. In Some cases they will lunge at you as soon as you enter the room, so be careful. 1) You start in the Air Room. You should save before venturing into the rest of the ship. 2) Go down the stairs and there will be a purple Propagator to fight. 3) Enter the big door on the left. 4) Enter the next door to the left while trying to avoid the red Propagator, then fight the next purple Propagator you see. 6) The next room should have a green Propagator in it, but don't worry about it for now. Instead, enter the door to the south. In there you'll find a red Propagator. You can also go back to the red Propagator you avoided on step 4. 7) The next colour code is yellow. The yellow Propagators are: a. In the Air Room where you began. b. Go to the room with the green Propagator mentioned in step six. The next yellow Propagator in in the room to the left. 8) Go to the place where you fought your first Propagator. Enter the small door on the right side under the stairs. A green Propagator will be there for you to fight. 9) The final Propagator guards the elevator that goes to the cockpit. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Cactuar Island ------------------------------------------------------------------ Fly the Ragnarok to a near-by island. This is Cactuar Island, and it has a huge cactuar on it! Try to avoid it for now, as it is a GF. Instead, take advantage of the great AP and learn a few abilities. If you want, you can learn Doomtrain's Forbid Med-RF and refine X-Potions got from Raijin, Fujin cards into Elixirs. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Rescuing Rinoa Again... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Using the Ragnarok's auto-pilot feature (Access the large world map, then select your destination) go to the Esthar Sorceress Memorial. Get in there to take her out! Take the Ragnarok to Edea's house. Just off to the ?rst right there is a flower field. The dialogue will no doubt resolve your burning questions of what the hell was happening in the beginning movie. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Angelo Search ------------------------------------------------------------------ I've heard you can get some great items with Angelo Search! Although it's never worked out for me, YOU might as well check out the Angelo Search Limit Break FAQ at GameFAQs. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Card Queen Quest Segment ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you've been following this guide the next card to give to the Card Queen is Alexander. If you didn't get it while in the Lunar Base, do not worry, as you can challenge Piet for it again at the escape pod crash site. Go past Tears' Point. It is somewhere on the peninsular. Go to Dollet and give the Card Queen her desired card (Alexander). See where she's going and get Alexander back from her son. Now you can win Doomtrain's Card from the pub owner in Timber. Now give the Doomtrain card to the Card Queen and make sure she's going to Dollet. Get it back from her son. You can now get the last card in the Card Queen Quest; Phoenix, which is one from one of the guards in the Presidential Residence. While you're at it, see the paragraph below entitled "Elnoyle Heaven". ------------------------------------------------------------------ Elnoyle Heaven ------------------------------------------------------------------ Elnoyles are relatives of Elvoret. They are harder, but give much better items. Esthar city now has tough enemies like Elnoyles and Behemoths, but they are occasionally found. However, by talking to an Esthar Soldier (the vicinity is marked "GI" on my map of the city for General Insanity :) you get to fight an Elnoyle. You can do this as many times as you like, just exit the screen and re-enter. The man will be back where he was. Elnoyles have many useful and rare items such as Moon Stones and Energy Crystals which will help you get all the ultimate weapons for your characters as well as powerful magic and items. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Best Weapons ------------------------------------------------------------------ Note: Bahamut's Junk Shop ability is very useful. 1: Fight Adamantoise on the beaches of Dollet (islands off the coast of Long Horn Island are a good bet). Fight them until you get 3+ Adamantines. They teach your GFs Vit+60%! 2: Fight high level Thrustaevis until you get 2 Windmills. 3: Fight Anacondaurs until you find 4 Dragon Skins. 4: Fight Grendels on Island Closest to Hell until you get a a few Fury Fragments (you only need one for Zell's best weapon but it is good for refining into Aura). 5: Fight Malboros on Island Closest to Heaven (sometimes Hell) until you get 2 Malboro Tentacles. 6: You need 4 Sharp Spikes. They can be won from Death Grand Mantis'. 7: You can get Regen Rings from Toramas, Chimeras and Mesmerizes. Get 2. 8: Go to the Training Centre in Balamb or the Island Closest to Hell and fight mid level T-Rexaurs until you get 4 Dragon Fangs. Other enemies on Island Closest to Hell give you them too. While you're at it get 2 Dino Bones for Irvine's Exeter. 9: Make sure you have 18 Screws. If you don't have any win them from Geezards, who chiefly live on the plains of Dollet. 10: Get 2 Curse Spikes from a Creeps, Forbidden or Malboro. 11: Get 8 Energy Crystals from Elnoyles and refine 2 of them into 20x Pulse Ammo. While you're at mug a Moon Stone from them as well. 12: Iron Giants can be fount at Tears' Point. Get 5 Star Fragments from them. 13: Buy a Force Armlet from Esthar Pet Shop. Dragon Fangs can be got from T-Rexaurs levels 20 to 29. Don't mug them. Acquire at least 4 of them. Use LV Down/Up for easier results. If you're good at playing cards quite a few ingredients can be got from refining them. For instance: Item AN* Cards Needed - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Adamantine 3 1 Minotaur Windmill 2 2 Abyss Worm Regen Ring 2 20 Chimeras Energy Crystal 8 80 Elnoyles Malboro Tentacle 2 8 Malboros Sharp Spike 4 4 Death Claw / Grand Mantis Fury Fragment 1 4 Blue Dragons Star Fragment 5 15 Iron Giants Curse Spike 2 2 Tri-Faces Dino Bone 2 4 T-Rexaurs Screw 18 4 Geezards * Amount Needed ------------------------------------------------------------------ Meeting Laguna ------------------------------------------------------------------ Take the Ragnarok to the Esthar Airstation and go to the Presidential Palace. Ask Laguna what he's doing here, first to find out what he's been doing the past few years. You can also challenge Laguna for Squall's card. I personally think he's giving the card to you. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting Edea's Card ------------------------------------------------------------------ In disc three you can win Edea's card from Edea herself, but seeing as Centra rules are difficult, you might want to do a bit of rule manipulation first. Edea will only mix with rules she knows. i.e, Esthar rules. So, in a nutshell: i. Play cards in Esthar. Do not mix rules. Save the game. ii. Challenge Edea. Say "Yes" to mixing with Esthar's rules. iii. Quit from the game instead of playing. Hopefully Random or Same or Plus will be abolished. iv. If nothing happened challenge her again. Sometimes this happens and the card player doesn't suggest to mix rules anymore you can go back to step ii and try again. v. If a rule was a abolished or spread that you'd rather not you will have to go back to step ii and try again. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Pointing the Bone Sidequest ------------------------------------------------------------------ While you're in Dollet keep on talking to the dog outside the artist's house, then going back in to receive some items. Can be done in the earlier discs for not as good profit. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Shumi Tribe Sidequest Pt II ------------------------------------------------------------------ Laguna's statue should be complete by now. On the way in, get the Ultima draw point, then visit the workshop, followed by the Elder. You'll notice they're playing the music Selphie, and the others wrote. For such a retiring community, these Shumis travel more than anyone else in the world... ------------------------------------------------------------------ EXP by the Bucketful! ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Island Closest to Heaven and the Island Closest to Hell are EXP havens, they can only be accessed with the Ragnarok. First, go to the Island Closest to Hell. See the pointy looking island right on the Southwest edge of Galbadia? It's there. You should save after each ?ght and be immune to Berserk, Confuse and Petrify. Limit breaks such as Renzokuken, Degenorator (Blue Magic), and Rapture work well here. You could also junction 100 Deaths or Zombies to elemental attack! The Island Closest to Heaven is one of the islands close to Grandidi Forest north of Esthar. There are more Malboros here, and even Ochus, so have those with ST Def-J x4 and ST Def-J x2. Junction Pain, Confuse, Sleep, and Break to the character with ST Atk-J x4. While the character with ST Atk-J x2 only gets Confuse, and Pain. Also equip Auto-Haste and Initiative. Make sure all your characters' defences to Berserk and Confuse are up to max before even stepping outside or prepare to be thrashed without any hope of escape. Lastly, there's heaps of rare magic for you to draw on both of the islands. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Side-Quests Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------ 45..Diablos.................................................[IV45] 46..Dollet Revisited........................................[IV46] 47..Tomb of the Unknown King................................[IV47] 48..Winhill Revisited.......................................[IV48] 49..Shumi Village...........................................[IV49] 50..Chocobo Catching........................................[IV50] 51..Chocobo World...........................................[IV51] 52..Odin....................................................[IV52] 53..Tonberry................................................[IV53] 54..Doomtrain...............................................[IV54] 55..Cactuar Island..........................................[IV55] 56..PuPu the Alien..........................................[IV56] 57..CC Group Quest..........................................[IV57] 58..Queen of Cards..........................................[IV58] 59..Obel Lake Quest.........................................[IV59] 60..Bahamut.................................................[IV60] 61..Ultima Weapon...........................................[IV61] 62..Omega Weapon............................................[IV62] O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Lunatic Pandora [ff8/III25] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O Laguna: "Believe in your friend's existence and, they'll believe in yours." .----------------------------------------------------------------. | 1. Pilot the Ragnarok to Tears' Point. | | 2. Talk to whoever is piloting the ship to get into Lunatic | | Pandora. | | 3. Fight Raijin and Fujin in Lunatic Pandora. | | 4. Ride on the 01 elevator in the lobby and fight what ever | | comes in your way (including Mobile Type 8!). | | 5. Defeat Seifer. | | 6. Rescue Rinoa from Adel. | '----------------------------------------------------------------' ------------------------------------------------------------------ Preparations ------------------------------------------------------------------ A lot of people have trouble with the battle against Adel. If you are one of those people learn the Junction system now! The moment I started drawing loads of magic, upgrading my weapons (in other words, fighting a lot), all my enemies were defeated in under five minutes! Even bosses I thought were hard! Later on in the game it's easier to get a lot of magic without fighting too many battles, and LV Up / Down make it easier to get certain items needed for upgrading weapons. Another excellent tip to try is: you'll fight many Mesmerizes in Trabia and Esthar. So many you'll keep discarding Mesmerize Blades! Using Carbuncle's Recov Med-RF you can refine those Mesmerize Blades into Mega-Potions, which heals 2000 HP to all party members! ------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Raijin and Fujin ------------------------------------------------------------------ - As with last time, stay away from anything thunder or wind elemental because Raijin and Fujin can absorb them respectively. - Mug a Str Up from Raijin and a Megalixir from Fujin. - Raijin knows magic now, and he'll use it too. - Summon Cerberus and Doomtrain. Cast Double and Triple on your party imbue them with Haste, Protect and Shell. - If you cast Reflect on both Raijin and Fujin, when they try to heal themselves with magic it'll bounce onto you. ------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Mobile Type 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Before the battle junction Thundaga to elemental attack. - The Mobile Type 8 has two different modes: Mobile Weaponry Attack mode and Support Weaponry Attack mode. Basically when it is in Mobile Mode it is weak to magic, so summon Cerberus, then cast Haste and Protect on your party. Summon Eden and Quezacotl, then cast Thundaga a few times. When it switches to Support Mode it will be weak to physical attacks, so cast Meltdown and/or summon Doomtrain, then cast Aura on your party. - If Corona is used against you (reduces party's HP to 1), you can use Quistis' White Wind, Selphie's Full-Cure (perhaps a little risky...), cast Curaga on the party, or use a Mega-Potion. It should be easily defeated with Renzokuken, Shot, Duel, Blue Magic, Combine, or Angel Wing. You could even do Selphie's Slot trick and get The End. It's all up to you. ------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Seifer ------------------------------------------------------------------ - If Odin has joined you he will enter the battle and get a taste of his own medicine from Seifer. Awww..... - Don't let that put you off though, as after an interval of time Odin's brother Gilgamesh will avenge his death. During that interval you will need to keep alive though! Mug an invincibility item from Seifer and draw some Aura magic. - For those without Odin I highly suggest you get him now, as this will be your only chance to get Gilgamesh (unless, of course, you intentionally don't want to have Gilgamesh). - Anyway, watch out for Seifer's Bloodfest attack! It's nasty! _________ | TIP |____________________________________________________ |--------------------------------------------------------------| | - After the ?ght with Seifer disc 3, keep in mind that this | | is a point of no return -- you will never be able to | | return to any town again, so do all side quests involving | | towns while you can! It's also a good idea to have another | | save game kept before defeating Seifer in disc 3. Don't | | say I didn't warn you! | |______________________________________________________________| ------------------------------------------------------------------ Introduction to Disc Four ------------------------------------------------------------------ Phew! Three fourths of the game are already over. Congratulations on defeating the fearsome Adel! In disc four, towns and cities cannot be accessed. The places you can go to in disc four are the fire cavern, tomb of the unknown king, chocobo forests, the Ragnarok, Centra ruins, deep sea research centre and other places like that. Just not towns or cities! Instead, you can explore the feature exclusive to disc four -- Ultimecia castle! ------------------------------------------------------------------ BOSS: Adel ------------------------------------------------------------------ *Shivers rush down spine* uh, again, it all depends on your style of playing Final Fantasy VIII. I used to find Adel tough before I started drawing magic and junctioning it all the time, so I got Selphie to cast The End. Maybe it'll work for you, too. Otherwise I suggest taking the following steps: - 1) Get out of Lunatic Pandora. If you haven't got a spare save game outside that place I guess you'll have to start the game again. 2) Go around drawing the best magic. Ultima, Meteor, Full-Life, Triple, Meltdown, Reflect, Haste, Tornado, Aura, and Pain. 3) Learn all junction abilities and distribute your GFs evenly. 4) Develop some real strategies for the actual battle. You're ready to go! Strategy: - Before battle junction your best magic to Attack (preferably Ultima, if you don't have enough to give to all your party members give it to those with already powerful attacks). - This battle is quite difficult because if Rinoa dies it's over, so you can't use attacks that damage all "enemies". Though, if you do an attack that will kill all enemies at once such as The End or possibly Renzokuken. - Draw Regen from Rinoa and cast it back onto her. Cast Curaga or use Recover on her occasionally to keep her health up. - Also, before destroying Adel make sure you mug both her and Rinoa (cure Rinoa afterwards). - You can defeat Adel most easily using the Vit 0/limit break combo. Andrew Noteling's tactics: - Need Quistis in party. - Junction best magic to HP. - Junction best magic to Attack. - Use Meltdown on Adel. - Cast Aura on ur party, most importantly to Quistis. - Get Quistis to use Homing Laser which could be taught to Quistis before Seifer in the last disc. Did 8000-9999 damage to Adel for me. - Cure Rinoa from time to time. ------------------------------------------------------------------ First Save Point in Disc Four ------------------------------------------------------------------ Head back to the first right. If you don't have 'Move-Find' I recommend you go back to save before doing this. If you have Move-Find you'll also find a draw point on the highest platform on the way to Adel's chamber. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ultimecia's New World ------------------------------------------------------------------ Just before Ultimecia Castle there are four portals which all lead to the over world. Door 1 - (Closest to castle) Leads to Grandidi Forest. Door 2 - (The next one to the south) Leads to Centra, Northwest of Centra Ruins. Door 3 - (The next one to the south) Leads to Galbadia. Door 4 - (The next one to the south) Leads to Centra (near where the Ragnarok is found. O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O | | Ultimecia Castle [ff8/III26] | | O-O=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~O-O ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Optimum Party for Ultimecia Castle ------------------------------------------------------------------ In Ultimecia Castle my party choices are very flexible, but the golden rule is that Selphie and Quistis should never be in the same party. Get the party that Selphie is in to defeat the harder bosses, while the party Quistis is in fights the easier bosses and explore the castle. I recommend having Squall, Quistis and Zell in party A and Rinoa, Selphie and Irvine in party B. This party is also optimised to the puzzle where you have to have a heavy and light party. Party B is the light party. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Preparations ------------------------------------------------------------------ Whether you choose to fight anyone other than Ultimecia or not, you'll have to make preparations before even entering the castle. 1. Get Meltdown, Ultima, Meteor, Aura and Drain magic. 2. Get all the rare items (see item list). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Tips ------------------------------------------------------------------ - If you junciton 100 Drains to status attack, you can cure your- self by attacking the enemy, even if nothing as been unsealed. - Every time you change your party, do Junction Exchange between the party members. - Some of the bosses in Ultimecia Castle have assistants that they call along. Mostly, it's best that you just leave them alone and focus on the main foe. ------------------------------------------------------------------ The aim of this section ------------------------------------------------------------------ The only thing you need to do here is go to Ultimecia's private quarters and defeat her there. Easy huh? but there's a catch. When you enter the castle every ability is sealed, so you can't use your any of your use items, magic, limit breaks, draw points, save points or any other ability without defeating each of Ultimecia's servants to unlock them progressively. Another point I want to make clear is that using the switch points (flashing green circles) located throughout the castle you can change set up your parties and even switch to your sub-party. You can only change the party set ups while both are on the same switch point. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Facilities in Ultimecia Castle ------------------------------------------------------------------ Save Points - There are two save points in Ultimecia Castle, but you will need to unseal the Save function before you can use them. Switch Points - Green circles on the ground where you can switch a different party. If both parties are on the same Switch Point you can change the party members. Levers/Locks - Some places in Ultimecia Castle can only be accessed using a lever or key. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Exploring Ultimecia Castle ------------------------------------------------------------------ Attempts at drawing maps of Ultimecia Castle in ASCII have proven too difficult, so I will give you a walkthrough of the castle from where you first enter, detailing all locations of interest. If you want to go strait to Ultimecia remember the path to her is unguarded because of all your abilities being sealed up. Main Hall (when you first enter): There's a Switch Point, door, and stairs leading up. The door leads to the Dining Room, and the stairs lead to Sphinxaur. Main Hall (stairs): Sphinxaur is blocking the passage. You will have to defeat him if you want to continue along that passage. The passages to the left and right join up to each other, but on the left you will find the Treasure Room (if you have the right key), while on the right you will find the art gallery, dungeon, and a Save Point. Just ahead of Sphinxaur you can cross the Dining Room chandelier to get to Krysta (see section on Krysta if you want to see how to get there). Treasure Room (left passage of Main Hall stairs): See section on Catoblepas to find how to get here. Storage Room (elevator): See section entitled "Getting a Rosetta Stone". Art Gallery (right passage of Main Hall stairs): See section on Trauma. Dungeon: See sections entitled "Boss: Red Giant" and "Get a Rosetta Stone. Dining Room: There is a Switch Point, trapdoor, and main door here. See section on Tri-Point to find out how to open the trap door. The main door opens out to the Courtyard. Courtyard: Fountain - There's a key to be found next to the fountain. Draw Point - If you have Draw unsealed. Passage leading right - See section entitled "Getting a Rosetta Stone" to find out about how to get into the hidden passage. Chapel - Fight Omega Weapon and play the organ here. See section on Gargantua (there's a key on the bridge - it'll fall off if you run and end up in the gutter or the dungeon where you'll have to retrieve it - you won't be going out of your way if you know what you're doing to don't worry). There's a ladder which leads down, but goes nowhere. You can climb the clock tower here. Clock Tower: See Section on Tiamat if you want to fight him. Once you get to the top of the tower, you can go through the engine room and down the clock face. This path leads to Ultimecia's personal chambers where the final battle will take place. Don't worry if you stumble into her chambers accidentally because Squall will give you an option not to go in. There's a Save Point just outside her personal chambers. Finally, monsters that were once bosses can be encountered in this area (Oilboyles and Granaldos). ------------------------------------------------------------------ What to Unseal and When ------------------------------------------------------------------ It all depends on how you want to fight the bosses. These the seals you might want to have unsealed for each battle:- Sphinxaur: Command Abilities (Mug, Auto-Reflect). Tri-Point: Draw, GF, Limit Break (Angelo Search). Krysta: Draw, GF. Trauma: Command Abilities (Mug). Red Giant: Magic / Draw / Limit Break. Gargantua: Nothing. Catoblepas: Nothing. Tiamat: Nothing. Depending on whether you've missed some GFs or not, you may have to get them from any boss other than Sphinxaur (unless you're playing the Jap version). Tri-Point: Siren. Krysta: Carbuncle. Trauma: Leviathan. Red Giant: Pandemona. Gargantua: Cerberus. Catablepas: Alexander. Tiamat: Eden. This is assuming you don't need to draw the GFs: 1. Defeat Gargantua. Unseal Command Abilities. 2. Defeat Trauma or Sphinxaur. You could unseal Limit Break, Draw or GF. 3. Defeat Red Giant. Unseal Limit Break, Draw or GF. 4. Defeat Tiamat or Catoblepas. Unseal Limit Break, Draw or GF. 5. Defeat Krysta once you have Draw and GF. 6. Defeat Tri-Point. 7. Defeat whoever. This is assuming you do need to draw GFs: 1. Defeat Sphinxaur. Unseal Draw immediately. 2. Defeat Trauma or Sphinxaur. You could unseal Limit Break, GF, or Command Abilities. 3. Defeat Red Giant. Unseal Limit Break, GF, or Command Abilities. 4. Defeat Tiamat or Catoblepas. Unseal Limit Break, GF, or Command Abilities. 5. Defeat Krysta once you have GF. 6. Defeat Tri-Point. 7. Defeat whoever. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boss: Sphinxaur ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Most people tend to go for this guy first. Although it may seem daunting to fight a boss battle with only the Attack command, but remember, you can still junction magic! - Mug an Elixir from Sphinxaur if you can. - When Sphinxaur is defeated it'll morph into Sphinxara, which will summon Jelleye. If you kill the Jelleye off it'll summon a Forbiddens, then Tri-Faces. - You don't need to kill the monsters summoned by Sphinxara. - If you fight another servant and unlock the Command Ability seal and equip Mug. You can mug Curse Spikes from the Tri-Points if you defeated Ultima Weapon before without making use of the Tri-Points in the Deep Sea Research Centre. You'll also get more AP. - Sphinxara also casts Doom and level 3 elemental magic. You can avoid Doom by putting Zombie on your party members. Reflect the magic onto it with Auto-Reflect. - Physical attacks are enough. If you focus on attacking Sphinxaur/Sphinxara, you will win eventually. - You could junction Drain to status attack so that when you hit the enemy the character absorbs some of their HPs. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boss: Tri-Point ------------------------------------------------------------------ In the dining hall there is a trapdoor which has become rusted, therefore the only way you can open it is by breaking through the rust. Do this by walking on the chandelier on the second level (lever cannot be depressed!). Strategies: - You can draw Siren if you haven't got her already. - Tri-Point's main attack is Mega Spark, which is thunder elemental. You can absorb it by junctioning 100 Thundagas to your elemental defence. - Summon Ifrit, Shiva, Leviathan, Pandemona, Alexander, Diablos, Cactuar and Doomtrain. - Tri-Point says: "WHATEVER I DON'T USE I DON'T LIKE". - Stay away from thunder or earth attacks. - Apparently this is the best boss to use Angelo Search with. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boss: Krysta ------------------------------------------------------------------ Location: Ultimecia Castle- Balcony. You can only get here by walking over the chandelier, but if you try doing it your party will simply fall to the next floor, so have your sub-party stand on the switch point there to depress the lever and you can get Across! Strategies: - Krysta is fairly easy. Stay away from ice attacks and beware of Ultima. - Junction heavily on Spirit to reduce the impact of Ultima. - Draw some Holy magic. - Draw Carbuncle if you haven't already. - Summon Eden, Cactuar, Cerberus and Diablos. - Keep away from ice or earth elemental attacks. ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Gallery Puzzle ------------------------------------------------------------------ All the paintings in the gallery are: - IGNUS (Fire) - On the north-western corner of the room. - INANDANTIA (Flood) - On the other side of INANDANTIA. - JUDICIUM (Judgement) - Next painting to the right. - INTERVIGILIUM (Sleep) - On the other side of the room. - VIVIDARIUM (Garden) - Top of the stairs on far left. - VIGIL (Watchman) - Next to the right from VIVIDARIUM. - VIATOR (Messenger) - Next to the right from VIGIL. - XIPHIAS (Swordfish) - Next to the right from VIATOR. - XERAMPELINAE (Red Clothes) - Next to the right. - VENUS (Love) - Next to the right from XERAMPELINAE. - XYSTUS (Tree-Lined Road) - At the top of the stairs. - INAUDUX (Cowardice) - Top of the stairs to the right. At the top of the stairs, to the far right you will see a giant picture of a clock face on the below floor. The hands are pointing to VIII, IIII and VI. This makes sense, because each "Roman numeral" indicates that you should choose, in order, names that have the same letters. If the code has a letter at the beginning of it, you should use the same letter in your answer. I'll give you an example: - VIII: Choose a word that starts with "V" and has three "I"s in it. Get it now? ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boss: Trauma ------------------------------------------------------------------ Location: Ultimecia Castle- Gallery. Examine all the pictures in the gallery. When you have done so go to the main painting and show the answer. Strategies: - Trauma will summon two Dromas which you can mug some Meteor Stones from. - The Dromas use Mini Pulse Cannon, but if they are destroyed Trauma will use Mega Pulse Cannon, which is obviously more powerful, so don't bother killing the Dromas. - Use you best defeating tactic (i.e. GFs, limit breaks... man! use your imagination here!). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boss: Red Giant ------------------------------------------------------------------ Location: Ultimecia Castle- Prison Cell. Once you enter the door will be shut and you can only open it again by using the Prison Key, which is clutched in the hand of a skeleton. When you get it you will be forced into a battle with the Red Giant. Strategies: - You'll get 30 APs and one Diamond Armour. - Draw Pandemona if you missed it in disc two. - Red Giant is very strong against physical attacks, which will be annoying if you haven't unlocked any of your abilities. But time magic seems to work very well on it. - You can draw/cast Demi, summon Diablos or use Zell's Meteor Barret limit break. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boss: Gargantua ------------------------------------------------------------------ Location: Ultimecia Castle- Armoury. You'll need the Armoury Key to get in here. It is located on a small rickety bridge past the chapel. It's the small shiny object. If you run on the bridge it will fall down near the armoury. Walk to prevent this from happening. Strategies: - You have to fight a Vysage, Lefty and Righty first. - Some of Gargantua's status attacks are quite nasty, so junction Ultima or Aura+Berserk+Bio before heading into the armoury. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boss: Catoblepas ------------------------------------------------------------------ Location: Ultimecia Castle- Treasure Room. You need the Treasure Room key is located near the fountain in the courtyard. Use it on the passageway on the way to the Storage Room. There are four boxes which you will need to open all at once. Examine the 1st to the left, the 4th, 2nd, then 3rd. Strategies: - Like, Tri-Point, Catoblepas has thunder attacks. Junction Earth or Water to Attack and Thundaga to Defence. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boss: Tiamat ------------------------------------------------------------------ I've had the pleasure of knowing Tiamat in Final Fantasies I and II...now he's harder... Location: Ultimecia Castle- Clocktower. See the large bell? Climb on it to get to a hidden chamber (which has been mostly destroyed.) Strategies: - To decrease the damage caused by Dark Flare (a stronger version of Mega Flare which is counted down by Tiamat spelling it out like this: D - A - R - K - F - L - A - R - E) junction fire to elemental defence. Not so hard now, is he? ------------------------------------------------------------------ Getting a Rosetta Stone ------------------------------------------------------------------ You know the door in the prison that can only be open from the other side? I will tell you how to get on the other side, where a Rosetta Stone lies! 1) At the moment there will be water on the other side of the door... So... you need to get rid of the water. To do this, you'll need to push a lever in the dungeon, which has to be unlocked by the Watergate Key. 2) To get the Watergate Key, you need to get to the Storage Room, which is located down the hall from the Treasure Vault, but you can only get up there by using the giant scales. Arrange your parties so that one is heavy and one is light. These following combinations of parties will work:- Light Party | Heavy Party ----------------------------------------------------- Quistis, Selphie, Irvine | Squall, Rinoa, Zell Quistis, Selphie, Rinoa | Squall, Irvine, Zell Squall, Rinoa, Quistis | Selphie, Irvine, Zell Squall, Rinoa, Selphie | Quistis, Irvine, Zell Quistis, Selphie, Zell | Squall, Irvine, Rinoa * Squall, Quistis, Selphie | Rinoa, Irvine, Zell Irvine, Selphie, Rinoa | Squall, Quistis, Zell * Zell, Selphie, Rinoa | Squall, Quistis, Irvine * Irvine, Quistis, Rinoa | Squall, Selphie, Zell * Zell, Quistis, Rinoa | Squall, Selphie, Irvine * * Denotes a commonly chosen party. From the main hall, take the light party up the stairs and turn at the first left. Switch to the heavy party on the left side of the scales. Take the heavy party up the stairs of the main hall, this time going to the right and standing on the right side of the scales, lifting the light party up. Examine the shiny object to receive a Watergate Key. 3) Now you have the Watergate key you can use it to unlock the lever in the dungeon. Use the lever to stop water flow. 4) Now the water is cleared you can take the path leading to the right in the courtyard to get to the Rosetta Stone. The only thing stopping you, however, are bars in the middle of the the passageway. To get rid of these you need examine the organ in the chapel and press every button except Select and Start (yes, I did all the buttons at once, it reset my game...). NOW press Start. If there are still a few bars left in the passage try again. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Boss: Omega Weapon ------------------------------------------------------------------ The most powerful monster in the game. See how to find and defeat it/him in S3F18. But before you do, keep in mind you'll have to have totally maxed out stats unless you want to be blown away by Omega's shear power... ------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanna start a new game? ------------------------------------------------------------------ If you want to begin a new game and have a Game Shark, why not do New Game+? Here are the steps... 1) You must have a Game Shark. 2) Enter the debug codes: (US) (Japanese) D00705E8 010F D006F308 000F 800704A8 0001 8006F1C8 0001 D00705E8 010F D006F308 000F 800704AA 0049 8006F1CA 0049 3) Boot the game up and enter your save game. Press Select + L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 at the same time. Don't include Select if it is the Japanese version. 4) If all went well you should be in debug mode now. Talk to the man who is not standing on a tile with Japanese writing. 5) Choose "Save Menu", then "Disc 1". Save your game. 6) Reload the disc one file and talk to the same guy again. Choose "To main", then "From the beginning". You will start a new game, only now you'll have everything you had in your previous game! ------------------------------------------------------------------ Preparation for the Final Boss ------------------------------------------------------------------ In this fight three party members are chosen randomly out of all your characters, and not long after they are KO'd Ultimecia uses her Angel spell to absorb them into time. Another random character will then show up. There are 3 ways to deal with this problem: (1) kill off three characters you aren't planning to use, (2) reset until Ultimecia has chose your preferred party, (3) disperse all the GFs amongst every character and have them all your party members participate. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Party Set-Up ------------------------------------------------------------------ Instead of giving you party recommendations I will give you a list of all the GFs and the abilities from them that will be useful. If you have to learn an ability from an item, refer to the items list for help. Suggestions for party set-ups can be found in the sub-section below. Quezacotl: HP-J, Vit-J, Mag-J, Elem Atk-J, Elem Def-J x2, Mag+40% Shiva : Str-J, Vit-J, Spr-J, Elem Atk-J, Elem Def-J x2, Vit+40%, Spr+40% Ifrit : HP-J, Str-J, Elem Atk-J, Elem Def-J x2, Str+40% Siren : Treatment, Mag-J, Mag+40%, ST Def-J x2 Brothers : HP-J, Str-J, Spr-J, Elem Atk-J, Elem Def-J, HP+80% Diablos : Darkside, HP-J, HP+80%, Mag-J, Mag+40%, Hit-J, Ability x3 Carbuncle: HP-J, HP+80%, Vit-J, Vit+40%, Mag-J, ST Def-J x2, Auto Reflect Leviathan: Recover, Mag-J, Spr-J, Spr+40%, Auto-Potion, Elem Atk-J, Elem Def-Jx2 Pandemona: Str-J, Spd-J, Spd+40%, Elem Atk-J, Elem Def-J x2 Cerberus : Str-J, Mag-J, Spr-J, Spd-J, Spd+40%, Hit-J, Ability x3, ST Def-J x4, Auto-Haste Alexander: Revive, Spr-J, Ability x3, Elem Def-J x4, Med Data. Doomtrain: Darkside, Elem Def-J x4, ST Def-J x4, Auto Shell. Bahamut : Ability x4, Str+60%, Mag+60%, Auto-Protect. Cactuar : Kamiaze, Eva-J, Luck-J, Auto Potion, Expend x2-1, Eva+30%, Luck+50%. Tonberry : Auto Potion, Luck+50%, Eva+30%. Eden : Darkside, Spd-J, Eva-J, Hit-J, Luck+50%. ------------------------------------------------------------------ All Party Set-Up (by Zenalasca) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Squall Ifrit Magic ST Def-J x4 * Pandemona Item Elem Def-J x2 Diablos Darkside HP+80% Str+40% / Str+60% * Spr+60% * Have Squall use Darkside until his HPs get low, then use his limit break until you need to cure him again, then start the process over. I find it preferable to have him during the final stages of the battle. Rinoa Brothers GF Ability x3 Eden Darkside Elem Def-J x4 Siren Defend ST Def-J x2 Auto-Shell HP+80% / Luck+50% Mag+xx / Str+xx Get her to use Darkside until her HPs are at critical so you can use her limit breaks. If you'll be using Combine, I suggest junctioning Str+40/60*% and Luck+50%. If you want to use Angel Wing instead, junction Mag+40/60*% and HP+80%, and remove all magic that can be used against the enemy except Meteor. Zell Shiva Magic Elem Def-J x2 Bahamut Item ST Def-J x4 * Kamikaze / Draw Ability x4 Expend x2-1 Str+60% / HP+80% * Mag+60% / Str+40% * Auto-Protect Zell as he is set-up here is a very flexible character. If you want him to use Kamikaze, you will have to focus more on the HP stat though. If he's got a high enough basic Str stat he won't even need Str+40%, so you can give more to his Mag stat. Quistis Doomtrain GF ST Def-J x4 Leviathan Recover Elem Def-J x2 Tonberry Magic Eva+30% Luck+50% Ability x3 HP+80% * Quistis can summon Doomtrain and use her Blue Magic. She will be a good healer as well. Make sure she knows Mighty Guard, White Wind, Ray Bomb, and Shockwave Pulsar (optional). Irvine Quezacotl Magic ST Def-J x4 Cerberus GF Elem Def-J x2 Cactuar Item Ability x3 Expend x2-1 Spd+40% Auto Haste Irvine will have plenty of time to pick the Shots and summon Cerberus with this set-up. Selphie Alexander Item Elem Def-J x4 Carbuncle Revive ST Def-J x2 Draw Ability x3 Expend x3-1 * Med Data HP+80% * Counter Vit+40% / Spr+60% * Selphie's The End attack may or may not work, but she'll be a great healer anyway. Have her Draw/Cast Apocalypse magic and Full-Cure in the final round. * The GFs the character has do not know this ability initially. You will have to get rid of a useless ability and use an item to teach them the ability you want. If a character does not have an essential ability such as Mag-J or Vit-J teach it to their GFs with ability Scrolls bought from pet shops (Tonberry's Familiar and Call Shop are helpful). ------------------------------------------------------------------ Limited Party Set-Up (by Split Infinity) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Character: Squall. GFs: Quezacotl, Siren, and any other GF you want. Junction Abilities: HP-J, Str-J, Vit-J, Mag-J, Spr-J, Spd-J, Eva-J, Luck-J, Elem Atk-J, Elem Atk-J x2, Elem Atk-J x4, ST Atk-J, ST Def-J, ST Def-J x2, ST Def-J x4. Command Abilities: Item, Recover, Revive. Character Abilities: Auto-Haste, Str+60%, Auto Shell, Spr+60%. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Character: Quistis. GFs: Shiva, Cerberus, and any other GF you want. Junction Abilities: HP-J, Str-J, Vit-J, Mag-J, Spr-J, Spd-J, Eva-J, Luck-J, Elem Atk-J, Elem Atk-J x2, Elem Atk-J x4, ST Atk-J, ST Def-J, ST Def-J x2, ST Def-J x4. Command Abilities: Magic, Treatment, Revive. Character Abilities: Auto-Haste, Str+60%, Auto Shell, Spr+60%. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Character: Zell / Irvine. GFs: Ifrit, Diablos, and any other GF you want. Junction Abilities: HP-J, Str-J, Vit-J, Mag-J, Spr-J, Spd-J, Eva-J, Luck-J, Elem Atk-J, Elem Atk-J x2, Elem Atk-J x4, ST Atk-J, ST Def-J, ST Def-J x2, ST Def-J x4. Command Abilities: Item, Recover, Treatment. Character Abilities: Auto-Haste, Str+60%, Auto Shell, Spr+60%. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Limited Party Set-Up (from Brandon g's GF set-up guide) ------------------------------------------------------------------ Character: Squall. GFs: Shiva, Diablos, Pandemona, Doomtrain, Bahamut. Junction Abilities: HP-J, Str-J, Vit-J, Mag-J, Spr-J, Spd-J, Elem Atk-J, Elem Atk-J x2, Elem Atk-J x4, ST Atk-J, ST Def-J, ST Def-J x4, Ability x3, Ability x4. Command Abilities: Darkside, Absorb. Character Abilities: HP+80%, Str+40%, Str+60%, Vit+40%, Mag+40%, Mag+60%, Spr+40%, Spd+40%, Mug, Expend x2-1, Auto Shell, Auto Protect, Initiative. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Character: Fighter. GFs: Quezacotl, Ifrit, Cerberus, Alexander, Cactuar. Junction Abilities: HP-J, Str-J, Vit-J, Mag-J, Spr-J, Spd-J, Eva-J, Luck-J, Elem Atk-J, Elem Atk-J x2, Elem Atk-J x4, ST Atk-J, ST Def-J, ST Def-J x2, ST Def-J x4, Ability x3. Command Abilities: Defend, Revive. Character Abilities: Str+40%, Mag+40%, Spr+40%, Spd+40%, Eva+30%, Luck+50%, Med Data, Expend x2-1, Auto Haste, Auto Potion, Initiative. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Character: Healer. GFs: Siren, Brothers, Carbuncle, Leviathan, Tonberry, Eden. Junction Abilities: HP-J, Str-J, Vit-J, Mag-J, Spr-J, Spd-J, Eva-J, Elem Atk-J, Elem Atk-J x2, ST Atk-J, ST Def-J, ST Def-J x2, Ability x3. Command Abilities: Recover, Treatment, Darkside, Defend. Character Abilities: HP+80%, Vit+40%, Mag+40%, Spr+40%, Eva+30%, Luck+50%, Counter, Expend x3-1, Auto Reflect. ------------------------------------------------------------------ How to utilise each character ------------------------------------------------------------------ Squall: Renzokuken will be critical in this battle. Especially if he uses Lionheart. I generally like have him in the final round. Rinoa: Keep her as a healer, but if you have no need for that (you may have Selphie and/or Quistis) put her on Angel Wing. You can't control her, she tends to use magic from her own inventory and it will be A LOT more powerful. Zell: Use My Final Heaven and other powerful combos. In my game, Zell has the best Str, Vit and Mag. Quistis: Quistis should be a semi-support character. Her White Wind doesn't cure status ailments like Selphie's does but I defiantly prefer Mighty Guard to Wall. Also have her cast the powerfully damaging blue magic spells like Ray-Bomb and Shockwave Pulsar. Irvine: AP Ammo, Demolition Ammo, Fast Ammo and Pulse Ammo are all great. In the past I have defeated many bosses prematurely simply by being trigger-happy... Selphie: Full-Cure works like a Megalixir and appears on the slot quite frequently (if it takes you a while to do things in battle you can always try the Slot trick). Wall, which is slightly rarer and is okay if you don't have Quistis. I don't think Rapture or The End will work but you can always try... - You should also have a reasonable supply of items including: Elixirs and Megalixirs, Remedies+, Phoenix Pinions, Heroes and Gyshal Greens (if you have levelled up Boco). - Make sure all your characters have learnt decent limit breaks. Quistis: Mighty Guard, White Wind, Acid and Ray-Bomb. Squall: It doesn't matter as long as he has high Strength. Rinoa: Wishing Star, Invincible Moon. Zell: My Final Heaven and other combos. Irvine: Pulse, Demolition and Fast Ammo. Selphie: Full-Cure and Wall at the least. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ultimecia ------------------------------------------------------------------ - To Status Defence junction Auras and Slows. These will relieve the status impact of Maelstrom. Ultimecia is weak to Bio but Griever absorbs it, so it would be risky to junction it to Status Attack. - Other magic you should get include: Triple, Protect, Shell, Haste, Regen, Demi, Ultima, Meteor, Flare, Water, Meltdown. To see how to get all this magic refer to L4F05 (Magic List). Don't worry about getting rid of your crap magic unless you have to, because it's more likely that your worst magic will be stolen first. If you want to make the most of Rinoa's Angel Wing you will have to get rid of the crap magic, though. - Use Rinoa's Angel Wing to its best effect (see Character Info). - The first form of Ultimecia is the easiest and reminds me of the last battle with Edea. Take the opportunity to set up for the harder forms of this battle by: - Casting Triple on your party (you can summon Cerberus to do this). - Casting Aura, Protect, Shell, Haste and Regen on the party (you can also have Quistis use Mighty Guard. Protect and Shell can be cast with Selphie's Wall as well. - Use Doomtrain, Acid or Bad Breath take advantage of Ultimecia's weaknesses, or cast Meltdown. - Demi apparently works on the first form of Ultimecia. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Griever ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Griever has an annoying habit (like Vysages) of stealing your magic. Not just 15 or 4 spells here and there, though, but entire stocks of magic! The good news, however, is that like Rinoa when she's in Angel Wing, Griever tends to start from the weakest magic, then go up (Scan always ends up being stolen...), so if you have lousy magic lying about it will be more likely that Griever will take that. - Griever will also cast Doom on a party member occasionally. You can stop the timer by casting Treatment or using a Elixir or Megalixir. - Like in the last battle with Ultimecia, if Giever tries to cast any supportive spell on himself promptly cast Dispel or use a Remedy+ on him. - Re-fuel Shell and Triple when they go out. - Cast Meltdown or Acid on Griever then use your limit breaks to give his buttocks a good whipping / slashing / beating. - If you get desperate instead of using a Mega Phoenix use a Phoenix Pinion. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ultimecia (second form - with Griever) ------------------------------------------------------------------ - The first things you need to do in this form are make sure Protect is refuelled and prevent Ultimecia from summoning too many Helixes. If there are two of them there not is Ultimecia's power amplified to nearly twice her usual strength (added with the extra power Griever gives her), she and Griever can execute a team move called "Great Attractor", a visually stunning but nevertheless damaging attack. Helixes don't have a lot of HPs, but are tough-as-nails. Throw your limit breaks at them to blow the little twerps away. - Cast Meltdown and use your limit breaks. Cast Triple on your more magically adept players, then have them cast Meteor, Flare, Ultima and Water. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ultimecia (her true form) ------------------------------------------------------------------ - This is my favourite part of this whole end battle charade... Not just because it's nearly the end of the game, but also because... when Ultimecia uses Hell's Judgement to decrease the party's HP down to 1, I automatically use a Holy War and use everyone's limit breaks. It's the end of the game, so why not? If you don't have any Holy Wars. Or Heroes even. You can use a Megalixir or cast Full-Cure / White Wind and Recover if you want. - It shouldn't take too long to defeat the "True" Ultimecia with your limit breaks. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Ultimecia-Generator ------------------------------------------------------------------ - The bottom half of Ultimecia not only uses Hell's Judgement, but an ultra powerful hidden spell called Apocalypse which you can draw yourself. Keep on your toes or you may find your 1 HP party being blown away by the unexpected blast of an Apocalypse... By the way, it won't work if you cast it through the draw menu. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Conclusion to the Walkthrough ------------------------------------------------------------------ The ending FMV is very generous, so it's worth defeating Ultimecia and her cronies. I hope I helped you with your epic journey through the world of Final Fantasy VIII...). Read the special features chapter of this guide if you were interested in the story of this game. Congratulations on finishing Final Fantasy VIII! ==- : --== : ==-- : --== : ==-- : --== : ==-- : --== : ==-- : --== o=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~o | IV. SECRETS AND SIDE QUESTS [ff8/IV00] | o=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~o ==- : --== : ==-- : --== : ==-- : --== : ==-- : --== : ==-- : --== ================================================================== Diablos [ff8/IV01] ================================================================== Rewards ------- The rewards are great, especially if you defeat Diablos as soon as possible. Not only do you get a very advanced GF for this point in the game, you get a fantastic rare card (Diablos) as well. How to find him --------------- Use a Magical Lamp and defeat Diablos. Unfortunately, the only other way of getting the Magical Lamp other than the PocketStation (even then, don't count on it) is getting it from Cid before your first SeeD mission. You have to talk to him after his briefing. You can battle Diablos any time you want by using the Magical Lamp. When you defeat him, he will join your party and give you his Diablos card, maybe something else. How to defeat him ----------------- - Draw/cast Demi onto Diablos until it doesn't cause much damage (meaning, he hasn't got much HP left). Then you can finish him off with limit breaks and GFs - Diablos will drop Hero item/s at high levels!! Plus, you can draw Holy and Flare, some of the best junction magic in the whole game! From Trev: "It might not be good enough to worth a mention but there is a super-easy way to beat Diablos at early levels. Everyone knows if you stock his Demi and cast it back on to him, he'll cast Curaga. If you have one character cast Double (stocked from Elvoret) onto Squall after Squall has stocked some Demi - you can get Diablos' HP down much faster." ================================================================== Dollet Revisited [ff8/IV02] ================================================================== Rewards from this Side Quest ---------------------------- You get all sorts of items and cards (including the Siren card). The people in Dollet are also quite funny, and I like the theme music. Dollet reminds me of what a northern/eastern European city such as St. Petersburg or Prague, but it also reminds me of Sydney in a lot of ways! Abolishing Card Rules in Dollet ------------------------------- To abolish Random and any other Dollet rule you may not like take the following steps: - 1) Play a game of cards in an area that does not have the rule you would like to get rid of in Dollet. 2) Save before going in Dollet. 3) Challenge a player (Sister suggests the girl at the Rent-A-Car). Instead of playing, Quit until your hated rule is abolished! A Few Laughs at the Shining Bomber ---------------------------------- The Shining bomber is a pub found in the main street of Dollet. You'll find a 'woman' on one end of the bar. He is hilarious (yes, I did say he -- he he he!) Master Card Player ------------------ Talk to the man near the gambling table, and play cards with him (don't forget the Timber Maniacs on the gambling table!). When you win against him he'll invite you to his private gambling room. Play with him again, as he has Siren's card. Search the piles of magazines scattered over the room. One of them says "Nothing of interest here." but keep examining it until you don't get any more items. When you exit and re-enter the room you'll be able to get items again. It's endless! Eventually you'll get an Occult Fan II from this pile. The other piles of magazines hold notes that the gambler has scrawled down, which are quite interesting. Bone Side Quest --------------- You can do this quest in any disc, but you get better items in disc 3, so I advise you do it then. 1) Enter the Artist's House. 2) Look at the picture. 3) Talk to the boy. 4) Go to the fountain area. 5) Pat the dog to get an item. 6) Go back to the Artist's House. 7) Examine the new painting and talk to the boy again. 8) Go north and examine the dog to get an item. 9) Repeat steps 7 to 8. Other Things to Do ------------------ - Get the Timber Maniacs at the hotel. - Encourage the young man outside Timber Maniacs HQ to become a journalist. In disc three you can collect your prize. ================================================================== Tomb of the Unknown King [ff8/IV03] ================================================================== Rewards of this Side Quest -------------------------- There are some draw points in this dungeon and apparently you can find out how well you've done so far by looking at a student ID number here. After defeating Sacred and Minotaur, you get the GF "Brothers" and two cards. Location -------- The Tomb of the Unknown King is on Gotland peninsular south-east of Deling City. Map (and locations to go to solve the puzzle) --------------------------------------------- N E) Fight Sacred here. | N) Examine a lever. .----+----. W) Pull the lever. | | | *) Fight Sacred and Minoatur. .---+----+----+---. | | | | W----+---+- * -+---+----E | | | | | '---+----+----+---' | | | '----+----' | | ENTRANCE This dungeon is rather hard to navigate due to the camera angle, and all the corridors look the same. You can go to W and E easily by going on all the right or left turns. Tales of the lost SeeD Cadet ---------------------------- W) "It feels like I've been here forever. I still can't find what they asked me to find. I can't take it anymore, physically or mentally. I'm not qualified to be a SeeD. For those of you reading this, follow these directions to get to the exit. Back, forward, right, left, right, forward." N) "This place of a big maze full of danger. The directions to the exit are as follows: Back, forward, left twice, forward twice, right twice, forward twice." Another Test... --------------- When you enter you will be able to access a map. Go forward until you see a gunblade on the ground. Examine it to get a serial number which is the code you'll need to get into Caraway's mansion. The Map ------- While in the tomb, press the map button (the same one you use on the overworld to bring up the map) to see a layout of the tomb. To get a marker for what location your party is at, pay Caraway's Guard 5000 gil (though you won't be able to do that once you give him the code). You can escape the tomb if you are lost, but your SeeD rank will decrease by one. Fighting Sacred alone --------------------- - Draw/cast Protect onto your party members to reduce the impact of physical attacks. - Stock up on some Life magic as it junctions well. - If you cast Float on Sacred he will not be constantly curing his HPs. Another way to do this is summon Siren or cast Silence. - Keep away from any earth elemental attacks. Fighting Sacred and Minotaur together ------------------------------------- - The same applies to Minotaur as Sacred. - Watch out for Sacred and Minotaur's team moves. They are deadly. - Cast Float on them. Their HPs will stop curing themselves. - Cast Float on your party to avoid "Mad Cow Special", which is rather nasty. - When I was doing my speed game of FF8 Sacred and Minotaur got my party with Mad Cow Special when my guard was down. Luckily for me, Irvine was in the process of summoning Quezacotl, and although the poor GF died Irvine had about 119 HPs left. I used his Shot (with Normal Ammo) to finish them off. Other Enemies ------------- The monsters in Tomb of the Unknown King have a lot of protective magic such as Shell and Protect. Weapon Upgrading ---------------- You see the brown regions near Delling City? Here you can fight with Wendigos, which you should mug Steel Pipes from especially if you couldn't earlier. Continue on to Dollet. You should be able to upgrade Squall and Irvine's weapons at a junk shop. Card Queen Quest ---------------- Remember how the Card Queen said she wanted Sacred's card? Lose it to her (should know how to do this by now). The ideal thing to happen would be if she went to Balamb. You will be able to win Irvine's Card from Flo in FH later in the game. ================================================================== Winhill Revisited [ff8/IV04] ================================================================== Vase Fragment Side Quest ------------------------ The only item you get for this side quest is single Holy Stone and Phoenix Pinion. Go ahead if you want to do it. To start the side quest, talk to the owner of the town mansion. Oh no! His valuable family vase is missing! It's now up to you to recover all the missing pieces before it's too late! Here are all the locations of the vase fragments: - - The suit of armour in the mansion. In disc 2 you need Irvine in your party to do this, but you don't need him in disc 3. - At Raine's house talk to the new owner and examine her cat until she starts repeating herself. Descend to the lower level, then examine one of the tables to the far right. You should see Raine, but it's actually a cat! Pat it. - After talking to the old lady at the flower shop examine the bunches of white flowers there. - At the Chocobo Crossing, catch the chicobo multiple times to receive various items (they drop to the ground), including a vase piece, and a Phoenix Pinion. Take all the vase pieces back to the rich man to receive your miserable reward. (ONE HOLY STONE! HOLY COW!? ONLY ONE HOLY STONE? THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR YOUR EFFORTS??) Man, that sucks big time. Other things to Do ------------------ - Outside Winhill are those pesky Vysages. They are good with magic, but don't let that bother you! They're weak against Silence, so Siren will render them helpless (Mwahahahah!!). They drop Lightweights, which refine into 20 Hastes. Good magic for junctioning to Speed. Leftys also drop Life Rings, which you can refine into Life magic with L Mag-RF. A Lefty, Righty and Vysage will give you 12 AP. - While you're at it do part of the UFO side quest by encountering a UFO at Winhill Bluffs. ================================================================== Shumi Village [ff8/IV05] ================================================================== Rewards of this Side Quest -------------------------- There is an Ultima draw point here. If you complete the Shumi Tribe quest completely you will get (in total): Phoenix Pinion, Status Guard, Blizzaga and Ultima magic. Location -------- The Shumi Tribe is located north of Trabia Garden on Winter Island. The Ultimate Magic ------------------ Enter the village and you will see three Shumis standing side by side. Speak with the middle one twice and pay 5 000 g for the Ultima draw point. Have the person with the highest magic rating draw from it. It's well worth it, as Ultima is the "ultimate", magic overall in the whole game. Timber Maniacs -------------- Stay at the hotel to obtain an issue of Timber Maniacs and hear "familiar" music. It's Julia's "Roses and Wine". There's some sort of switch which you can press to change the music to "Dance with the Balamb-Fish" theme. If you didn't get the Timber Maniacs here, it'll be in the artisan's hut. The Artisan ---------- Talk with the artisan to view some of his creations, all of which are some of the vehicles you may have already seen. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Shumi Tribe Side Quest Walkthrough ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Enter the workshop and talk | The Shumis there are making a to the Shumis at the back. | statue of Laguna. Naturally they | want you to help them. - Tell them you will help them | The Elder's house is second to and go to the Elder's house. | the right from the workshop. - Say "alright" to the Elder | when he asks for help. | - Return to the workshop. | You'll be asked to gather | materials for Laguna's statue. | Clues can be found from the | Shumi sitting in front of the | hotel. After getting each stone | you need to report back and see | what you need to get next. .-------------.------------------.-------------------------------. | Stone | Clue | Location | |-------------+------------------+-------------------------------' | Blue Stone | In the workshop. | Right next to the statue. | | Wind Stone | Where wind | Among the boulders to the | | | blows. | left of the inn. | | Life Stone | Where life | Examine the tree to the right | | | grows. | of the Elder's Hut. | | Water Stone | Where there is | Sink of the Artisan's House. | | | water. | The stone on the pond is a | | | | fake. | '-------------'------------------'-------------------------------' - Visit the Elder | He will give you your reward, | but it is rather disappointing, | but you will recieve a Phoenix | Pinion as well. When you exit | the hut if you choose "explain | what it all meant..... " to | get some interesting dialogue. - Exit the the establishment. | The reason is because nothing | will happen unless you exit and | re-enter. To make the trip up to | the surface and back down you | can do a side quest if you like | (the first Chocobo Forest is not | far from the Shumi Village). - Visit the Elder, then follow | Keep going between the Elder and the Moomba back to the | the workshop until they start workshop. | repeating themselves, then chat | with the Artisan, then back to | the Elder. - Fly the Garden to FH, and | He will give you a toy Moomba visit Grease Monkey. | which you can take back to the | Shumi Village. - Go back to the Elder, then to | You will get a Status Guard. the Artisan. Have another | conversation with the Elder. | Completion of Laguna's statue ----------------------------- Visit the Shumi tribe in disc three and you will get a surprise! As a celebration, the music performed by Selphie, Irvine, Quistis and Zell in disc two will be played. ================================================================== Chocobo Catching [ff8/IV06] ================================================================== Introduction ------------ There are forests all over the world where chocobos reside. If you manage to earn the trust of chocobos in all forests you can get the valuable Chicobo card, which will enable you to continue the Card Queen quest. You can only complete a forest if you have obtained the magic Stones in that forest. You will know you've completed a forest when, if you return to it, the chocobo will waiting there for you to ride. You cannot do this sidequest in disc 4. When you enter a Chocobo Forest for the first time (or one that you have not completed) the ChocoBoy will ask you if you want some info, but you don't need his stupid tutorial when you've got my guide! Rewards of this Side Quest -------------------------- You can get the Chicobo card this way. Other than than, it's just magic stones and frustration... Duties of the ChocoBoy ---------------------- Speak to the ChocoBoy and you will be confronted with the preceding options: ChocoWhis Buy Chocobo catching device. Hint Buy the clue for the forest for 100 gil. Gysahl Greens Buy an item that will summon Boco into battle. Question Ask a question for 10 gil. Help Me! Pay the ChocoBoy to catch one for you for 1200 g. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Overview of the Forests ------------------------------------------------------------------ What you basically need to do in each forest, is search for a chocobo signal with the ChocoSonar, then catch with the ChocoZiner. However, only chicobos come when you use the Ziner. Seeing as you can only ride chocobos, you need to lure out a chocobo. How you do this is trick the chicobos into not coming out in twos or threes, because the mother chocobo will come out when she sees a single chicibo alone! Now the mother chocobo is out, you can ride out or search the forest for magic stones. If you just ride out though, the forest will be not completed and you'll have to start over again if you want a chocobo from that forest. Use the ChocoSonar and ChocoZiner to find the stones. Beginner's Forest ----------------- Location: Near the Shumi Village on Winter Island. Clue: "Try to find a spot where only one falls down." 1) Use the ChocoSonar in the upper left hand of the forest, then ChocoZiner where the ChocoSonar beeped the most. 2) Talk to the cute little chicobo to bring out the mother. 3) Use the ChocoSonar/Ziner to get an Aura Stone. Basics Forest ------------ Location: West of Trabia Garden Clue: "You only need to blow the whistle twice." 1) Use the ChocoSonar/Ziner in the middle. Three chicobos fall. 2) Use ChocoSonar/Ziner on the far left of where you last were. Two chicobos will scurry off, leaving a lone one. Talk to it. 3) Use the ChocoSonar/Ziner to get a Flare Stone. Roaming Forest -------------- Location: Directly north of Trabia Garden. Clue: "Be careful where the sonar reacts." 1) When you enter the forest there will be chicobos already there. Use the ChocoSonar/Ziner on the one to the right. Two chicobos should leave. 2) Use ChocoSonar/Ziner in the middle of the forest. Three chicobos should drop down. 3) Head to the exit of the forest and use ChocoSonar/Ziner there. A cute little chicobo will fall down. 4) Use ChocoSonar/Ziner on the chicobo on the far left. The three chicobos will, fly off, leaving the chicobo near the exit alone. 5) After examining the lone chicobo its mother will come out. 6) ChocoSonar/Ziner to get Shell and Holy Stones. Forest of Solitude ------------------ Location: North-west of Centra Ruins. Clue: "Search carefully where the sonar reacts." 1) This forest is tricky, because you need to use the ChocoSonar/Ziner in a particular place. To see a map of where you should use ChocoSonar/Ziner, go to Game FAQs (www.gamefaqs). If, though, for some reason you can't get the internet I shall have to tell you the hard way: use ChocoSonar/Ziner slightly north-east of the ChocoBoy. The clue is very important concerning this part. 2) Once you have got the mother chocobo out ask the ChocoBoy for a game of cards. Tell him to move. Next, examine the spot where he was to get Protect and Meteor Stones. Forest of Fun ------------- Location: Near Edea's House. Clue: "ChocoBowling with 4 bottles and 1 ball." 1) ChocoSonar / Ziner to the right of where the ChocoBoy stands. It will bring down three chicobos. 2) ChocoSonar / Ziner a little closer to the ChocoBoy. One more chicobo will drop down. 3) ChocoSonar / Ziner behind the chicobo to the far right. This will bring down a chicobo near the ChocoBoy. 4) ChocoSonar / Ziner on top of the chicobo near the ChocoBoy (all the other chicobos need to be out) to see a Chocobo version of bowling. 5) ChocoSonar / Ziner to obtain Meteor, Flare and Ultima Stones. Enclosed Forest --------------- Location: West of Kashkabald Desert. Clue: "Collect on outer side, then go in." 1) ChocoSonar / Ziner in the upper left area to bring down 2 chicobos. 2) This part is tricky. ChocoSonar / Ziner in area to the the upper left of where the chicobo to the right is standing, but not too close to the other chicobo. If you've done it correctly one chicobo will go up and one come down. 3) ChocoSonar / Ziner on the bottom right side of the large rock. Another chicobo comes down. 4) ChocoSonar / Ziner on upper right hand corner of the forest. Another chicobo comes down. 5) ChocoSonar / Ziner in the centre of where all the chicobos are standing. The mother chocobo comes out. 6) ChocoSonar / Ziner to get Meteor, Holy and Ultima Stones. Chocobo Sanctuary ----------------- After finishing all the chocobo forest puzzles the chocobos will do a little chocobo dance for you and give you the Chicobo card. If you do not know how to get there, take a chocobo from Trabia to Grandidi Forest in Esthar. The sanctuary is somewhere there. It is a round part sticking above the rest of the forest. The Chicobo card is essential to completing the Card Queen Side Quest. ================================================================== Chocobo World [ff8/IV07] ================================================================== Introduction ------------ You basically go around fighting random battles and levelling up. At certain levels parts of the Chocobo World story line unfold Rewards of this Side Quest -------------------------- If you can play Chocobo World the proceeds are defiantly worth all the time and effort spent. See the PocketStation section in basics for more information. Boosts ------ You can boost Boco's attack (when you use Gysahl Greens) in the Chocobo World. The boosts are a follows: 1) ChocoFlare, 2) ChocoMeteor, and 3) ChocoBuckle. Events Walkthrough ------------------ 1. Level up to 20. 2. Level up to 25. 3. Level up to 50. Warning: If you don't have Event Wait on you can't get Boco's first power-up, and it is possible that if Boco doesn't get his first power-up, he will not get any others! 4. Level up to 75. 5. Level up to 100. 6. Encounter and beat the Demon King. Mog --- After meeting Mog, you can find him in on of the menus of Chocobo World. If you have him on standby, he will serve as a battle backup to Boco... If Mog loses, too, you'll have to find him all over again. Items List ---------- A Class - Monk's Code, Moon Curtain, Aegis Amulet, Hundred Needles, Steel Curtain, Rocket Engine, Friendship, Elem Atk, Elem Guard, Status Atk, Status Guard, Bomb Spirit, Hungry Cookpot, Three Stars, Ribbon, Dark Matter, Shaman Stone, Bomb Spirit. B Class - Friendship, HP Up, Str Up, Mag Up, Spd Up, Vit Up, Spr Up, Luck Up, Aegis Amulet, Hero, Ultima Stone, Gysahl Greens, Tent, Cottage, G-Hi-Potion, G-Returner, Str-J Scroll, Mag-J Scroll, Spd-J Scroll, Elem Atk, Elem Guard, Status Atk, Status Guard, Rosetta Stone, Magic Scroll, Draw Scroll, Gambler Spirit, Phoenix Spirit, Hungry Cookpot, Mog's Amulet, Star Fragment, Samantha Soul, Silver Mail, Diamond Armour, Giant's Ring, Power Wrist, Orihalcon, Force Armlet, Hypno Crown, Jet Engine, Rocket Engine, Steel Curtain, Accelerator, Hundred Needles, Ribbon, Girl Next Door, Pet Nametag, Magical Lamp, LuvLuv G. C Class - Rename Card, Chocobo's Tag, Potion, Hi-Potion, X-Potion, Mega-Potion, Phoenix Down, Mega Phoenix, Elixir, Megalixir, Remedy, Remedy+, Shell Stone, Protect Stone, Death Stone, Holy Stone, Meteor Stone, Regen Ring, Turtle Shell, Doc's Code, Ochu Tentacle, Cockatrice Pinion, Zombie Powder, Lightweight, Sharp Spike, Curse Spike, Screw, Mesmerize Blade, Fury Fragment, Betrayal Sword, Sleep Powder, Life Ring, Dragon Fang, Spider Web, Coral Fragment, Black Hole, Water Crystal, Missile, Mystery Fluid, Running Fire, Inferno Fang, Red Fang, Malboro Tentacle, Whisper, Laser Canon, Barrier, Arctic Wind, North Wind, Dynamo Stone, Shear Feather, Venom Fang, Steel Orb, Moon Stone, Dino Bone, Windmill, Dragon Skin, Dragon Fin, Poison Powder, Dead Spirit, Chef's Knife, Cactus Thorn, Pet Nametag. D Class - M-Stone Piece, Magic Stone, Wizard Stone, Normal Ammo, Dark Ammo, Demolition Ammo, AP Ammo, Antidote, Soft, Eye Drops, Echo Screen, Holy War, Screw, Mesmerize Blade, Coral Fragment, Arctic Wind, Dragon Skin, Poison Powder. Mini-Bestiary ------------- As Boco levels up he will encounter more and more monsters. None of them actually have names, but they do look like monsters from the main game itself. _____________________________________________________________ | Name Statistics Levels | |-------------------------------------------------------------| | Creeps | The easiest enemy in Chocobo World. | 1~100. | | Red Bat | Slightly harder than the creeps. | 10~100. | | Blobra | Like the red bat, but quicker. | 30~100. | | Wendigo | Boasts power AND speed. | 70~100. | | Demon King | Has the highest HP (99). | 100. | |_____________________________________________________________| Boco's Hobbies (and yours too if you get bored) ----------------------------------------------- . Sleeping . Eating . Fishing . Sitting near a campfire with Moomba . Looking at the night sky with Cactuar . Playing in the sand . Watching TV . Listening to the radio ================================================================== Odin [ff8/IV08] ================================================================== Where is Odin? -------------- Fly the Garden to Centra. Find a tower, but before you enter, engage in a few battles until your characters are in limit break status. Card the Jelleyes you encounter while you're at it. You occasionally get a Raijin, Fujin's card. Centra Ruins: How to get to Odin -------------------------------- 1] Go upwards until you reach a stone platform. 2] Examine to make it go up like a lift. 3] Take the left ladder, then press the switch at the top. 4] Climb back down. 5] Take the path to the right. 6] When you reach a platform with a ladder, climb up it. 7] Take the ruby eye out of the stone gargoyle. 8] Continue along the winding path until the top. 9] Put the ruby in where the other eye should be, and you'll see a random password. Write it down for future reference. Take out both of its eyes, and place them in the other gargoyle. It will ask you for the random password. When you answer correctly, the door will open. Boss: Odin ---------- - Make sure the first thing you do is Mug a Spd-J Scroll. Just don't kill him yet, OK? You want to get that item. - Draw Triple and Death until the timer reaches 3:00 then show Odin your might with powerful limit breaks. _________ | TIP |______________________________________________________ |----------------------------------------------------------------| | Put your characters into critical status and equip Enc None | | before entering Centra Ruins. This is great because Odin does | | not attack your party until the timer reaches zero (it is a | | killing attack). In that time your characters can beat him up | | with their limit breaks! Seeing as they won't be needing any | | thing like HP, Vit and Spr defences you can focus on the | | offensive powers; Str and Mag. Also, equip Bio to ST Atk. | |________________________________________________________________| The optimum party for Centra Ruins ---------------------------------- I would suggest Zell and Quistis as supplementary party members, as both their limit breaks are effective against Tonberries. ================================================================== Tonberry [ff8/IV09] ================================================================== Getting GF Tonberry ------------------ After defeating Odin, re-enter Centra Ruins, but do not heal your party! This is why; in Centra Ruins dwell Tonberries. After killing about 20 Tonberries you will encounter the Tonberry King. The Tonberry King becomes your guardian force if you defeat him. Tonberries are vicious creatures with a lot of health. Degenerator doesn't work on them either, so let your limit breaks loose on them as soon as you face one of them, or die a horrible death. Quistis' Micro Missiles, and Diablos seem to work well. By the way you can refine the Chef's Knives into Armour Piercing (AP) Ammo. Boss: Tonberry King ------------------------------- - It took me only one try to defeat this beggar when I first faced, although I have heard he's quite hard. - Have a character to cast protective and curative spells while the other characters use their limit breaks. - I strongly advise that you draw a bit of life magic and mug a Royal Crown. ================================================================== Doomtrain [ff8/IV10] ================================================================== How to get GF Doomtrain ----------------------- You can summon him by using the Solomon's Ring found at Tears' Point. You'll also need these other items in your inventory: - - 6 Remedies+. - 6 Steel Pipes. - 6 Malboro Tentacles. 6 Remedies+ ----------- - Use Alexander's Med LV Up (you'll need 60 Remedies). - Get from the Chocobo World. - Use the game enhancer code 80077F82 647D. 6 Steel Pipes ------------- - Mug from Wendigos (those gorillas who like to play basketball in the forests around Timber). You can also find them in certain parts of Galbadia depending on what disc it is (in the brown areas). - Get from GM47N (those machines who you have to fight in the Galbadian prison. - Get from Elastoid (the enemies which can only be fought in Laguna dreams). - Or you could refine them from Elastoid cards (1 card for 1 pipe). - Use the game enhancer code 80077F82 64AE. - Steel Pipes are also used quite a bit in remodelling weapons. 6 Malboro Tentacles ------------------- - Refine 4 Malboro cards. Malboro cards aren't the most common in the world, but you'll get quite a few tentacles this way. - Defeat or mug a Malboro (see Bestiary for more info about them). - Use the game enhancer code 80077F82 6488. - Malboro Tentacles are also used in remodelling weapons. ================================================================== Cactuar Island [ff8/IV11] ================================================================== Pins n' Needles --------------- Take the Ragnarok to the island east of Kashkabald Desert (it's on the far east of the map just south of the Esthar continent. You'll see what looks like a gigantic Cactuar playing in the sand. It's a Jumbo Cactuar who will join you if you defeat it. Let's leave the big moving cactus alone for now; Cactuar Island is the best place in the world to earn AP, as each Cactuar yields 20 AP when defeated! Now, that's better than most bosses. Better yet, if you're worried about levelling up too much, Cactuars don't give too much EXP. Cactuars are weak, but they have an annoying tendency of running away before your characters get a chance to attack them. Plus, they are nimble, so even if your characters get a chance they'll need a high Hit Rate. The best characters to have are Squall, Irvine and Selphie (if she has her Strange Vision, other- wise, Rinoa is your best bet). Focus junctions on Hit and Spd. Junction Water to elemental attack. That should take care of those pesky Cactuars. There's a 2% chance of getting a Jet Engine and 0.10% likelihood of getting a Rocket Engine when you defeat a Cactuar, so the chance is there ... Vice President Triell Hearmiton says in his character set-up guide that there's a 10% chance of getting Jet & 1% chance of getting Rocket, and that a 10% chance is virtually no chance at all. Well, what I'm saying is the percentage is actually far less than what Triell says, but IT CAN BE DONE! All you need is another reason to spend your whole afternoon figthing Cactuars. So why not Cactus Thorns? When you get 100 Cactus Thorns, you can refine them into a Hundred Needles using Eden's Abil Med-RF, then into a Spd Up, if you like, with Doomtrain's Forbid Med-RF. Me and Alex took turns in fighting Cactuars for 100 Cactus Thorns. I think we each did it once. The largest amount of Jet Engines I got in 50 or so battles was 3, and out of 100 or so battles we got 1 or 2 Rocket Engines. Even if you don't get any Jet or Rocket Engines, it's still very useful to have 100 Cactus Thorns which you can refine into a Hundred Needles and Demolition Ammo for Irvine's limit break. Boss: Jumbo Cactuar ------------------------------- - Jumbo Cactuar is the green cactus like creature wandering around Cactuar Island. It's HUGE! - 10 000 Needles cause 10 000 units of damage to one party member, making it an instant death attack. This shouldn't cause you to much grief if you have the Revive ability. - Draw/Cast Meltdown or summon Doomtrain. From now on, if any of your offensive party members are pelted with 10 000 needles just use a Phoenix Down on them and take advantage of their limit breaks (although you should probably have at least one person with full HP). If you don't feel too comfortable with this set- up, you can cast Slow or summon Doomtrain Jumbo Cactuar so it will not attack so often. - Use your magically powerful characters to cast Water (summon Cerberus to make the effect three fold). - If he hesitates it means you've nearly defeated him. If you refrain from finishing him off there and then he will run off like a big fat Cactuar and you'll have to start over again. To prevent this from happening summon Leviathan for a pretty much guaranteed 9999 attack. ================================================================== PuPu the Alien [ff8/IV12] ================================================================== The Point of this Side Quest ---------------------------- You only get one thing from this side quest. It is a monster card, but a very rare monster card. Actually, it's the rarest card in the whole game (as well as being quite a decent playing card). And the best thing about this quest is that you can start or stop it any time in the game you like. Locations of all the UFOs ------------------------- - Winhill Bluffs (just outside Winhill). - Mandy Beach (south of Timber, on the shore). - Kashkabald Desert (where the Ragnarok landed, west of Cactuar Island). - One of the islands off Heath Peninsular (east of Trabia Garden). You need the Ragnarok for this. "I've Encountered All the UFO's. What now?" ------------------------------------------- When you have encountered UFOs in all 4 described locations. fly too the mountain range north of where the chocobo forest in Grandidi Forest is. There you will encounter a UFO. You get an Aegis Armlet for defeating it. Now make sure you have 'Item' equipped to at least on of your party members and 5 Elixirs (bought from Johnny's shop in Esthar). Take the your ship to Acauld Plains in Balamb. Just outside the town you will encounter an alien who asks for Elixir. You can: - Give it 5 Elixirs. The friendly alien will thank you by giving you its card--the PuPu card, which is so rare you won't find it any other way (unless you have a GameShark, of course). It's a monster card by the way. But one of it's stats are A. - Devour it. You can teach one of your GFs devour with an item called Hungry Cookpot, which can apparently be found with Angelo Search (see Angelo Search FAQ). It will increase the devourer's Spd stat by one, which is rather pitiful considering you're sacrificing a really FANTASTIC card. - Kill it. You'll get an Accelerator, which you can get by other means, so I don't suggest it. Anyway, PuPu's too cute to kill =). Getting Elixirs --------------- - Various bosses (you should already have quite a few Elixirs unless you've used them already). - Refine Angelo card. - Dollet Revisited side quest. - Use Forbid Med-RF to refine Elem Atk/Guard, Mega-Potion, X-Potion, Status Atk/Guard. - Use Med LV to refine Remedy+. - Angelo Search (very small chance). - Johnny's Shop in Esthar. ================================================================== CC Group Quest [ff8/IV13] ================================================================== Introduction: What are the rewards? ----------------------------------- - Leviathan Card --> Refines into 3 Doc's Codes. - Carbuncle Card --> Refines into 3 Glow Curtains. - Gilgamesh Card --> Refines into 10 Holy Wars. - GF Report Card --> Seen in Tutorial menu. Note About the CC Group ----------------------- You have to defeat the club members in order unless otherwise stated. You have to defeat a certain amount of players inside the Garden and a certain amount outside before members will even admit to being part of the group. The CC Members -------------- Jack -| He is that guy loitering around the lobby of the | Garden. Joker -| You can play with him any time after defeating Jack. | You can find him selling items in the Training Centre | (random). He also upgrades your battle metre if you win | against him and owns the Leviathan card. Club -| Appears randomly near the Cafteteria in the main hall. Diamond -| The Diamond Duo are in the same area as CC Group Jack. Spade -| Second floor near the elevator. He's that guy who gave | you cards at the beginning of the game. He also said he | didn't play, the liar. Heart -| It's Xu! Play with her on the bridge. She has | Carbuncle. King -| Talk to Dr. Kadawaki in the infirmary, then have rest | alone at the dormitory. The CC Group King (or Quistis) | will come in and challenge you to a game. You can | challenge her afterwards again at the bridge. The CC Members in Disc 4 ------------------------ In disc 4 you can challenge the CC Group Members in the Ragnarok. I don't know whether you have to defeat them in the previous discs before you can meet them in this disc, though. They all use rules from all the different regions. The set of rules that each player uses is random. They may use rules from Balamb, Galbadia, Dollet, Trabia, FH, Centra, Esthar or Lunar Base. Here is a list of the CC members' initial rules: Jack -| Balamb. Joker -| Centra. Club -| Dollet. Diamond -| Trabia. Spade -| Esthar. Heart -| FH. King -| Lunar Base. A member may add or abolish a rule depending on what you do, just like in the former discs (only that do it a lot more often now). If you're having troubles manipulating the rules on the Ragnarok in disc to I suggest you save, then play a game of cards; if you like the result, save again, but if you don't, reset. Do this and ALWAYS say NO immediately when a play suggests mixing rules. At first they'll say something like "Let's combine Balamb's rules with Dollet's. Do you wanna play?", but after one, or perhaps ten tries it will be "Do you wanna play?" You can also make it easier by manipulating the rules earlier on using a similar method. Then when the Diamond Duo offer to "Mix Centra's rules with Trabia's rules" you won't feel so annoyed. How to play with the King in disc 4 ----------------------------------- Ann has kindly submitted information on how to play against the King in disc 4 and this is what she said: "Have her IN your party, cross the bridge at the top of the stairs into the airlock area, turn around and talk to her. Guess I was just lucky she was in my party as I was wandering around and I gave talking to her a try though I didn't expect it to actually WORK." ================================================================== Queen of Cards [ff8/IV14] ================================================================== The rewards of this Side Quest ------------------------------ - Kiros Card --> 3 Accelerators - Irvine Card --> 3 Rocket Engines. - Chubby Chocobo Card --> 100 LuvLuvGs. - Doomtrain Card --> 3 Status Guards. - Phoenix Card --> 3 Phoenix Spirits. Where the Card Queen can be found --------------------------------- Galbadia: Galbadia Hotel in Deling City. Dollet: Shining Bomber pub 2F. Balamb: in front of the train station. Trabia: Shumi Village hotel. FH: the abandoned train station. Centra: the Winhill hotel. Esthar: Presidential Palace. Lunar Base: (random). A few Quirks of the Card Queen... --------------------------------- When you play against the Card Queen she has her own rules, and it has an affect on what everyone else uses, so never play with her using rules you don't like! You can also play money to have rules in the region changed, but you don't get to choose. Instead it goes automatically one rung up. When you lose to her, she goes to a different region. If you lose the right card to her, when she ends up in Dollet she will get her artist father to create a new one. Current Region | Regions she may go to - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Balamb | Galbadia or Dollet. Dollet | Galbadia or Balamb. Galbadia | Balamb, Dollet, Centra or FH. FH | Esthar, Centra, or Dollet. Trabia | Dollet, Balamb, Lunar Base. Centra | Galbadia, Dollet or FH. Esthar | Trabia, Dollet or Lunar Base. Lunar Base | Random (she doesn't say). How to Play ----------- In the Card Queen quest you can get loads of rare cards by losing certain cards to the Card Queen. 1) Challenge the Queen. Remember, the trading rule has to be what you want it to be, or you might not ever have the chance to change it back, so Quit until your rules come up. 2) Choose the card that the Card Queen wants and 4 other cards you don't mind losing. Lose to the Queen and make sure she gets the card. 3) Talk to her again. If she says she's going to Dollet you'll be able to go to Dollet and get your MiniMog card back from her son and continue the quest. 4) Play with another person to make sure the rules you want still exist in the area - you don't want to have to deal with bad rules when the Queen's not there! 5) Create separate save file just in case things don't work out. Mini-Walkthrough ---------------- 1. Get MiniMog from the running boy in Balamb Garden. 2. Sacrifice it to the Card Queen. Make sure she goes to Dollet. 3. Meet up with her in Dollet and get MiniMog back. 4. Get the Kiros card from the man in the Shopping Arcade of Deling City. 5. Defeat Sacred and Minotaur in Tomb of the Unknown King. 6. Sacrifice Sacred to the Queen. 7. Get Sacred back from the Queen's son. 8. Win Irvine's card from Flo in FH. 9. Solve all the Chocobo Forest puzzles, and go to the Chocobo Sanctuary to get the Chicobo card. 10. Sacrifice your newly won Chicobo card to the Queen, and make sure she's going to Dollet. 11. Talk to her in Dollet, and re-win Chicobo from her son. 12. Get a brand new Chubby Chocobo card from someone in Balamb Garden (on the bench opposite the library). 13. Win Alexander from Piett in the Lunar Base or crash site. 14. Sacrifice it to the Card Queen. 15. Get Alexander back. 15. Win Doomtrain from the pub owner in Timber. 16. Get back to the Card Queen and sacrifice Doomtrain. Make sure she gets to Dollet. 17. Win Doomtrain back from Card Queen's son. 18. The Presidential Official in Esthar has the Phoenix card now. 19. Hurrah! The quest is finally over! it's over! it's over! ================================================================== Obel Lake Quest [ff8/IV15] ================================================================== Introduction: What's in it for me? --------------------------------- By doing this quest, you can waste your time finding clues all over the world which lead to two rare-as items. Luck-J Scroll allows you to junction magic to your Luck stat, meaning GFs like Odin, Gilgamesh or Phoenix will visit you more often to help in battle, you'll get more critical hits in battle, there will be a higher rate of success using limit breaks like Renzokuken, Duel, Slot, and Combine, and you'll encounter more rare/high level monsters. Three Stars is also a great item if you like to use 3 times in a row all the time; and this is certainly a better way of getting it than refining your Squall card or defeating Omega Weapon. Obel Lake is a huge lake north-west of Timber. You'll see a small round peninsular jutting into it. Press the action button on the shore until you get a message saying, "This must be Obel Lake." Try humming. Hum again and a black shadow appears. What you need to do now is find all the rocks scattered all over the world after talking to the black shadow. Not all of them are rocks, though ... Clues and Where to Look ----------------------- _______________________________________________________________ | Clue Where to look | |---------------------------------------------------------------| | "Hello! Can you do me a favour | You'll find Mr Monkey in | | please? It's my friend, Mr | Dollet's only forest. He | | Monkey. Can you find him for | tends to travel in a north- | | me? Mr Monkey should be in the | east direction, so tilt a | | forest somewhere. Keep walking | little that way. You can | | around and you're sure to find | sing or throw a rock at | | him." | him. | |---------------------------------+-----------------------------| | "At the beach in Balamb, | Rinaul Cost. Can't go there | | something special washes ashore | at the moment, as it's in | | at times." | Balamb. | |---------------------------------+-----------------------------| | "Mr. Monkey had a rock like | Throw rocks until you come | | this I think..." | up with a message saying the| | | rock skipped many times. Go | | | back to the monkey, and | | | throw a rock at it. | |---------------------------------+-----------------------------| | "Take a break at railroad | This doesn't actually take | | bridge." | you to a rock, but it refers| | | to the draw points found on | | | bridges the trains go over. | |---------------------------------+-----------------------------| | "You'll find something on an | The island just north of the| | island east of Timber, too." | transcontinental bridge | | | south-east of Timber. | |---------------------------------+-----------------------------| | "Take time off at Eldbeak | Eldbeak Peninsular is | | Peninsular." | directly north of Balamb. | |---------------------------------+-----------------------------| | "Back in my day, south of here, | In the forests north of | | there used to be a small, but | Edea's house. You won't find| | beautiful village surrounded by | any rocks, but the remains | | deep forests. Everybody lived a | of an abandoned village. | | happy life there." | | |---------------------------------+-----------------------------| | "There's also something on top | The mountains overlooking | | of a mountain with a lake and | where Galbadia Garden once | | cavern." | was. You will find a bird | | | warming it's egg. Check it | | | out. | |_________________________________|_____________________________| Treasure on Minde Isle ---------------------- There's a Luck-J Scroll to be found in Minde Isle (courtesy of going to Eldbeak Peninsular), which is a small island directly south of Esthar city. Mordred Plains -------------- Apparently, after you have got all the rocks, you can find Moais here, but despite the fact I HAVE got all the rocks I have never been able to find any of those Moais. However, from reading various other guides I do know that all of them give you unreliable directions. The red Moai's directions are the easiest to understand because he only says what is the opposite of the truth. When he says "the treasure is not here" search for it in that general area. Eventually you will get Three Stars. On a side note, you can visit Trabia Canyon where scene 12 of "The Sorceress and the Knight" was filmed. ================================================================== Bahamut [ff8/IV16] ================================================================== Introduction ------------ For all of you people who are not familiar with the Final Fantasy series, Bahamut has been a summoned monster ever since FF3j; call it an FF tradition. Bahamut can be found in the Deep Sea Research Centre, which is in the middle of the ocean and can only be boarded using the Ragnarok. It's in the south-west corner of the world map. It's not right down to the south, and it's not right over to the west. Turn around completely every now and then to make sure it isn't right behind you (surprisingly, you can turn around and find it was behind you all along even though you knew you must be in the right place. How to get to Bahamut to Fight ------------------------------ Once you get inside, you'll see a huge orb with flashing blue lights. When the blue light flashes you'll encounter an enemy if you are moving and not be able to make any progress. Examine the big orb and you'll be asked a question. If you answer incorrectly a Ruby Dragon will appear. If you answer correctly a Ruby Dragon will appear anyway but you'll be asked a different question. After fighting two Ruby Dragons you will have to fight Bahamut. The questions are: 1st question: "It's not our will to fight." 2nd question: "Never." 3rd question: "None of your business." (Hidden third option). Boss: Bahamut ------------- - You can mug a Hyper Wrist, which isn't very rare, but will save you money. - My suggested party for this battle would be Squall, Zell or Irvine and Quistis. Quistis can serve as a supportive character with her White Wind and Mighty Guard. - Equip Auto-Haste to the character who has Cerberus and focus a lot on Str. This will be your key to defeating Bahamut. - Junction Thundaga, Tornado and Stop to ST/Elem Def. Bahamut is weak to Blind, so junction that to ST Atk. - Have Quistis draw/cast Curaga and Full-Life onto the party when needed. - Cast Meltdown and Blind on Bahamut. Doomtrain cures Bahamut, but it hardly matters if Bahamut's HP is already full, right? - Summon your other GFs (except Quezacotl, Pandemona and Brothers) to take the full brunt of Mega Flare. - After summoning Cerberus, triple Aura onto the party. Have the guys do their limit breaks while Quistis casts Mighty Guard and White Wind. She should also make sure the party is at full HP, make sure they have Aura, Shell, etc. on them and draw some of the powerful magic Bahamut has to offer in her spare time. Ahh, I work that lady too hard... ------------------------------------------------------------------ It shouldn't be too long before Bahamut is defeated. Y'know, I always thought Bahamut had a voice like Sean Connery... ^_^ ================================================================== Ultima Weapon [ff8/IV17] ================================================================== Location of the Ultima Weapon ----------------------------- Ultima Weapon lies in the depths of the Deep Sea Research Centre. After defeating Bahamut, if you want trek down to the Deep Sea Deposit you will not be able to until you enter the cockpit of the Ragnarok and tell the co-pilot (Selphie, Zell or Irvine) you're ready to go. Getting Down to it ------------------ Climb down the thick vine. On the next floor you'll find a steam pressure machine. You need steam pressure to open all the doors in the floors below. The Levels ---------- B1: Save and climb down the vine. B2: See the marine life ? Other than that, nothing special. B3: Examine the steam pressure machine to get 20 units. If you run out of steam units later down the track you can come back here to reset it. Put 4 units in, for now. B4: Use 2 units. B5: Use 2 units. Also, by examining the machine on the left, if you use 4 units you can get 7 back. There is also an Esuna draw point in there. B6: Use 1 unit. B7: Use 1 unit. B8: If you have Zell in your party you can have him use the machine free of cost (hit the damn thing!). if you don't have Zell you will have to use 4. Tips on Traversing the Deep Sea Research Centre ----------------------------------------------- - After defeating Ultima Weapon there will be no monsters left in the Deep Sea Research Centre, so make sure you make full use of what you can get from them until then. - There are random and fixed encounters. Equipping Enc None or Enc Half only stops the random encounters. The fixed encounters run in this order: Tri-Face, Grendel & Imp, Behemoth, Ruby Dragon, 2 Iron Giants. - You can mug Curse Spikes from the Tri-Faces. I suggest fighting them until you get 100 of these. Refine them into a Dark Matter using Siren's 'Tool-RF' (Siren must be level 100). If you like you can repeat the process until you have as many Dark Matters as you want. - The Imps in the higher levels drop Dead Spirits, so get 100! This way there'll be a 99% chance of Odin or Gilgamesh coming to your rescue (in theory..) ! For an added safety, junction Sleep to your status attack, use Tonberry's LV Down, and Selphie's Rapture (which, by the way, rids all enemies). - Quistis' Degenerator can be useful if you don't like Selphie much or wouldn't bother looking for Rapture in her Slot ... The Depths of the Ocean ----------------------- When you're at the bottom, put 10 units in the steam pressure machine to summon Ultima Weapon. If you want to save you'll have to use Move-Find. Boss: Ultima Weapon ------------------------------- - When the battle begins, draw Eden immediately. If you have other chances during the battle make sure you draw some Ultima magic. I don't know if you should bother mugging the Three Stars, because in my experience, when I did that I did not get the 100 Ultima Stones at the end of the battle... - It doesn't matter what party you have as long as you have a a supportive character like Quistis or Selphie to cast White Wind/Full-Cure and Mighty Guard/Wall, although I find Quistis more practical in this fight. I would also suggest that you try to make Squall and any other non-supportive party member have as high Str as possible while the supportive party member focuses more on Vit and Spr. - The Revive ability is a must. You can also have Recover if you like. - Ultima Weapon also sports a rather annoying habit of casting Quake on your party, so instead of casting Float like you might, junction 100 Quakes to elemental defence. This will make Ultima Weapon heal your party. It will help a lot, plus you don't need Quistis to cast Mighty Guard. - Cast Meltdown or summon Doomtrain (if you can). This is a must. It will help you win quicker. - Cast Triple on the person who has Aura magic or summon Cerberus and cast Aura on your party or cast Mighty Guard and unleash the powerful physical limit breaks. - If Ultima Weapon uses Light Pillar, use Revive. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I've heard Cloud's sword, the Ultima Weapon was purple and very big (like all of Cloud's other weapons). Does Ultima Weapon carry the same sword? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Quistis' Best Attack -------------------- Refine 100 Curse Spikes (Doomtrain must be at level 100) or 1 Hungry Cookpot into Dark Matter, which teaches Quistis Shockwave Pulsar. A large supply of Curse Spikes can be found from Tri-Faces in the Deep Sea Research Centre. ================================================================== Omega Weapon [ff8/IV18] ================================================================== Introduction ------------ You wanna live forever? Wanna prove you're the finest fighter in the world? Think you're ready for the ultimate battle?? Meet Omega Weapon! How to Face Omega Weapon ------------------------ Omega Weapon resides in Ultimecia castle. He is described as the strongest monster in the world of FF8. Omega Weapon inhabits the chapel of Ultimecia Castle, but he does not come out until called by a certain bell found within the castle. Where is this bell, you ask ? It is in the room south of the gallery. So I'll explain the procedure in brief: - 1] Take your preferred party to the switch point in the courtyard. 2] Take the other party to the bell and pull it. 3] Enter the chapel and encounter Omega in under 30 seconds. It can be hard sometimes to get him to fight you. It also can be hard because you'll get random battles if you don't have Enc None. What I did to defeat Omega Weapon --------------------------------- Man, this monster is tough. When I first faced him he blew my characters right off their feet in one single attack when their HP was all at 9999! In short, you'll need the ultimate party to even stand up to this beast. I found it pretty difficult to get to him in time let alone fight him. I got frustrated eventually and decided to put up with the fact one of my characters' Party / Character ability slots were taken up by Enc-None. At first, I chose Squall, Quistis and Rinoa for my ultimate party. I figured Squall and Rinoa could hit Omega with their offensive limit breaks (see Angel Wing FAQ for more info about Rinoa), while Quistis would cast the invaluable White Wind and Mighty Guard (by the time my Siren was up to level 100 I had used half of my Curse Spikes and couldn't fight Tri-Faces in the Deep Sea Research Centre anymore). It didn't work out too well, as I had lousy timing where fighting Omega was concerned. Plus, I realised that Magic hadn't been unlocked yet. You see, I had got sick of the game and hadn't played it for about three months. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - | White Mage Quezacotl Defend Mag+40% | ...Right... Shiva Revive Vit+40% If any of | Leviathan Recover Spr+40% | the party Alexander members do | Cactuar | not know - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - vital things | Black Mage Siren Defend Mag+40% | such as Str- Brothers Darkside HP+80% J and Vit-J | Carbuncle Draw | make one of Doomtrain their GFs | Tonberry | learnt it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The White | Warrior Ifrit Draw Str+60% | Mage does Diablos Item HP+80% not have | Pandemona Darkside Auto-Protect | HP+80% so Cerberus Auto-Haste you will | Eden | have to make Bahamut up for it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Make sure each character has Death junctioned to their status defence if their level is a multiple of 5. If you have to switch GFs because one party member doesn't have a very important ability keep note that Str-J, Mag-J, Spr-J, Vit-J and Spr-J Scrolls can be bought. After attempting fight Omega a couple of times I opted for the The End tactic. I made it so Selphie had a 91 Luck stat an had her summon a GF in case Omega used one of his powerful attacks. He did, leaving Selphie the only party member standing up. Omega used Gravija, but I was not quick enough to do her Slot trick. Omega's next attack was Terra Break. I didn't get revived by Phoenix, either. In the end I chose to refine all my cards and make a separate save file. The winnings aren't all that great anyway; just 250 AP, Three Stars, and the Proof of Omega option in the Tutorial (which doesn't give you any relevant info). I replaced Selphie with Irvine, because, like Squall and Rinoa, Irvine is capable of bombarding the enemy with attack after attack. I didn't hold back in using any item either, so I ended up with a party that had +60% abilities, Ability x4, Auto-Haste, Holy Wars, and a few spare Heroes. I defeated Omega with resounding success, and only used 3 Holy Wars! This is basically what I did: - * Summoned Doomtrain to inflict Vit 0. Didn't matter that it healed a bit of HP because I hadn't taken any away. * Used an Aura Stone on Rinoa before using a Holy War (had already learnt the hard way that Aura has no affect while under the Invincible status). Tried getting her onto Angel Wing mode, but didn't work because of her Invincible status. * The Holy War lasted only one or two turns. * Used Aura Stone on Rinoa again, and this time made sure I got her to use Angel Wing before I used a Holy War. * Got Irvine to attack while Squall used Darkside. The thing about Darkside is that it takes HP away from the person using it even if they are invincible, so I gradually got down to a point where he could use his limit breaks. Meanwhile Rinoa was constantly casting Meteor on Omega. The Holy War was lasting an unusually long amount of time even though my party had Auto-Haste, but it stopped when I used Renzokuken for the second time, and his finishing move was Lionheart. * Used yet another Holy War just in time for Omega to use Megido Flame. Even got Irvine to summon Tonberry, just in case it didn't work out (yeah, Holy War actually missed once). Everything worked out fine. I got Squall to use Renzokuken two more times. Each time he executed the Lionheart finishing move. I must have done 160,000 HPs worth of damage! You must not forget Rinoa has been on Angel Wing for most of the battle as well. * The second time Squall did his Lionheart attack Omega stopped. ...The battle was won! Yay! Gold medals to Squall and Rinoa for their amazing work! Good luck with your attempt at Omega Weapon. Hopefully you'll be less lazy then I was and take the time to give everyone all the best magic, unseal ALL the abilities in Ultimecia Castle and not sleep too much -_~. By the way, you can Holy, Flare, Meteor and Ultima from Omega Weapon. Tips for Defeating the Weapon ----------------------------- ~ Develop a good sense of timing. ~ Omega is quite slow, so when done the right way, your characters can pull in ten or more attacks before he does. Especially good if Omega is inflicted with Vit 0! Have Auto-Haste on everyone. You can refine Kiros' card for 3 Accelerators. ~ +60% and %80 abilities are a must. ~ Holy Wars, all the way! ~ Darkside is invaluable, especially if the character is invincible and their HP cannot be decreased any other way. ~ Have some way of inflicting Vit 0 on the beast. GF (Doomtrain), Magic (Meltdown) or Quistis (Acid). ~ Keep your wits about you. Consequences of actions made when fighting Omega ------------------------------------------------ Summon GF Doomtrain: Heal 3000 HPs and inflicts Vit 0. Use a Holy War: May fail. Lasts longer the second time it works. Come to think of it, I have a minor suspicion that your Luck is TEMPORARILY DECREASED when you fight Omega ... Cast Meltdown: Inflict Vit 0 and a little damage. Cast Acid: May inflict Meltdown. Elemental attack: Omega Weapon absorbs it. Status attack: Misses. Vitality 0 works though. Cast The End: The battle is won. ================================================================== Miscellaneous Challenges [ff8/IV19] ================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------ No Level Game ------------------------------------------------------------------ The objective is to play Final Fantasy VIII whilst levelling up as little as possible. The great thing about this challenge is you can take advantage of all the Bonus abilities (Str Bonus, Mag Bonus, etc.). So the aim again is... To gain experience as little as possible and never level up. Don't use a game enhancer to make it easier because that's not the point of this. Tips on how not to level up: + Normal monsters and enemies give you EXP (experience), which eventually amounts to a level. The only battles where you receive do not EXP are bosses (which are listed in the walkthrough). Try to avoid random battles as much as possible. + Seifer and Edea are non-permanent characters, so if they are in your party you can kill off your permanent characters and take an opportunity to learn GF abilities via random battles. + You will not gain EXP if you use the Card command, although, after carding many of one type of monster you will begin to get EXP. + You will also not earn any EXP if the enemy is petrified (though I've never tried that). Junction 100 Breaks to your status attack. When your characters use their weapons they can defeat their enemies instantly. I've heard you don't get APs either. + Characters who are KO'd (Knocked Out) or petrified do not get any EXP. + If you escape a battle before executing any actions no EXP will be given. + Don't get Odin as he appears randomly, consequently getting you unwanted EXP. + Junction 100 Breaks to your status attack. If it works and you win the battle, you will not get any EXP or AP! + By using LV Down until the monster is at level 1, you will get much less EXP from the battle (virtually none). I've read it effects your SeeD level though... + Remember, when you're in Laguna dreams your party gets EXP from the battles that Laguna, Kiros and Ward fight. + Yes, you can get EXP from non-random battles. + See the battle tutorial for information on avoiding battles. About SeeD levels: + SeeD levels are different to normal levels because instead of effecting statistics in battle it effects how much you get paid by Garden. It's difficult to have a high SeeD level in a low level game. I suppose you could use Card on all your enemies, but there's a limit to what can be achieved with that... + Early in the game it's impossible to get a good mark in the SeeD assessment because you can't get Break magic until it's too late. + You can't do many written tests, because the number of the tests that you can do depends on Squall's normal level (if Squall's level was 8, you could only do the tests up to 8). So it can inhibit your ability to get money via Garden. Learning Abilities: + Early on it's difficult to learn abilities because of the reason explained above. You'll have to largely rely on bosses. + You can spend the first part of the game using Card on random enemies so you don't get any EXP and building Quezacotl up. During the Dollet Field Assignment you can get 50+ APs from X-ATM092. + The high priority abilities are as follows: Mag Bonus, Str Bonus, Vit Bonus, Spr Bonus, Mug, Enc None, and any of their predecessors. Tips: + Most of the bosses are pretty easy. You don't need to have a high level to defeat your enemies, you generally only need a good strategy. + Always have your draw command handy, and get as much magic as possible from every available opportunity. If you do this and take advantage of the junction system you will be in a better position than someone who's always levelling up but never taking the time to draw much magic or junction. Conclusion... This is not really a challenge at all! It allows you to get the most out of the Bonus abilities and demonstrates a mode of play where you don't fight so many battles. ------------------------------------------------------------------ No Weapon Upgrades ------------------------------------------------------------------ Beat the game with your characters' beginning weapons. This can be hard especially if you tend to rely on limit breaks such as Renzokuken, Shot and Duel. ------------------------------------------------------------------ No GF Challenge ------------------------------------------------------------------ You'll have to complete the game without anything that even resembles magic. This includes GF attacks, magic, magical limit breaks such as Angel Wing. In fact the only things allowed are: - o Item * o Mug o Absorb o Mad Rush o Darkside o Kamikaze o Med Data o Cover o Auto-Reflect o Damage Return o Tool-RF o Card Mod o Ammo-RF o Ability x3 o Ability x4 o Med LV Up * o Draw * o Defend o Auto-Potion o Full-Cure o Rapture o Percent o Catastrophe o Renzokuken o Shot o Duel o Blue Magic o The End * Invincibility items are not allowed. You can only use Med LV Up and Draw to get GFs. Move-Find is only allowed for hidden Save Points. This challenge was taken from the No GF FAQ at GameFAQs. Check it out if you are interested. ------------------------------------------------------------------ No Junction Challenge ------------------------------------------------------------------ Play through the game without touching the junction menu. You'll rely on normal physical attacks and limit breaks to suceed in the game. Tips: - Since the Attack command will be a main staple in battle, remodelling weapons is obviously on of the most important things in the entire game, especially for Squall. - Rinoa's Combine limit break is really useful in this challenge. Only learn the abilities you need, though, as Angelo does not forget abilities. - Quistis' Mighty Guard, White Wind, Homing Laser and Shockwave Pulsar will indeed prove themselves extremely useful. - Zell's Duel and Irvine's Shot limit breaks can cause large amounts of damage. - Selphie's Slot will be your only source of magic. You will only be able to use the Slot trick when an enemy casts magic or Rinoa casts it under the influence of Angel Wing. - As you won't be able to use LV Up/Down, get certain items from enemies whenever you can! - Negative statuses like Silence increase the chance of getting a rare limit break. - Create an extra save file before going into somewhere like Missile Base, Galbadia Garden or Lunatic Pandora. ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Ultimate Challenge ------------------------------------------------------------------ This challenge is crazy. It is a hybrid of the no level up, no weapon upgrades, no GF and no junction challenges. You will have to rely on: - o Auto-Potion o Full-Cure o Rapture o Percent o Catastrophe o Rough Divide o Shot o Duel o Blue Magic o The End Anyone who has completed the game please tell me so I can berate you over how much time you've wasted. I'd also like to know how long it took. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Speed Game ------------------------------------------------------------------ Try to complete the game in as little time as possible. Only do side-quest type activities if they are essential to completing the game. Hence, you will need some clever strategies to deal with the bosses. You can add the rules for a No Level game to increase the difficulty. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Job Class Game ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Job Class game, has been more popular than I imagined it would be. It was just an idea I had to make FF8 more like a traditional RPG, or Dungeons and Dragons. In FFTA there is a "Job Class" system whereby there are different classes of warrior, who have certain strengths and can use certain abilities. Players of FF1 will know you have to choose four job classes at the beginning of the game which can only be upgraded later on. Each character can only choose certain job classes; with that, they can only use certain magic and abilities (whether you want to restrict the junctioning of magic or not is entirely up to you). Keeping with Final Fantasy tradition, you are a allowed to get your classes levelled up by defeating Bahamut. Classes that can be levelled up yet again can only be obtained by defeating Ultima Weapon. Level 4 classes are obtained by defeating Omega Weapon. The classes I chose are the ones that are best suited to the characters' roles in the game, but don't stop there! I certainly don't mind creative input of any kind. Here is a summary of of the rules in this challenge: Each time you get a new character (Squall, Quistis, Zell, Seifer, Selphie, Laguna, Kiros, Ward, Rinoa, Irvine, then Edea), you must choose a job class for them. Here is the list of classes and what each class is allowed to use: * * Note: Every job class can use the escape function, Item, and Attack. Anyone who can use magic can use Draw. Only Trainers may use items like Gysahl Greens or Friendship. Any of the Bonus abilities (Mag Bonus, Spr Bonus, etc.) can be used by all classes. ------------------- Overview of Classes ------------------- Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Optional level ------- ------- ------- ------- -------------- Alchemist - - - - Bard - - - - Berserker - - - - Black Mage Black Wizard Warlock - Sorceress Blue Mage Blue Wizard Gun Mage - - Caller Summoner - - - Dragoon Lancer Gambler Lady Luck - - - Gunner Sniper Assassin - - Red Mage Red Wizard Sage M. Warrior* - Mime - - - - Monk Master W.Monk* Priest - Samurai Ronin - - - Scholar Viking Engineer - - Time Mage Time Wizard - - - Trainer Beastmaster Animist - - Thief Ninja - - - Warrior Squire D.Knight* Paladin Sorceress' Knight White Mage White Wizard Shaman -