=============================================================================== - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * EXCALIBUR II + PERFECT GAME GUIDE * - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - =============================================================================== Welcome to the Final Fantasy IX "Excalibur II + Perfect Game Guide"! I hope you enjoy challenges! . * / \ * * * / \ * * * / \ * * / \ * * / \ * | ! | | !! | | !! | | !! | | !! | | !! | | !! | | !! | | !! | | !! | * |\ ! /| * * |&\ /&| * * .^.&\ /&.^. * /###\& ^*^ &/###\ /###* `. _ .' *###\ /#------.(O).------#\ * |===| * * |-0-| * * |-0-| * |-0-| * * \_ _/ * * O * * Written By: Atomos199 * VERSION 6 * Latest Update: August 11, 2007 Copyright © 2005-2007 Piotr Matl * * * CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, complaints or corrections, feel free to drop me a line at atomos199@o2.pl - I'll be happy to help in any way I can! I would also love to hear from anyone who has completed this challenge with this guide; tell me what you thought about it! * * * VERSION 6 NOTICE: This guide is now supplemented by a set of videos covering every single part of this challenge! See the new section Video Assistance for detailed information. There is now also a method for slim-line PS2 and PS3 users to skip FMVs! Other than that, the only major changes from Version 5 are a bunch of new and improved stat set-ups for some characters, so check them out, too! Version 6, like Version 5, is the final edition of this guide. The perfect save itself remains mostly unchanged, with the exception of improved stat set-ups for some characters, which are published in this version. It would be worth it to check back every once in a while to see if someone hasn't by any chance come up with a better set-up, because statistically this has happened every few months. Check the date of the latest update because the version number will not change only because someone can get an extra stat point. This process will end eventually, but I don't know when. * * * NOTICE TO PAL GAMERS: It is impossible to complete this challenge on the PAL version of the game. Please consult Question 4 in the Frequently Asked Questions section for more detailed information. * * * This guide may only be hosted on www.gamefaqs.com * * * Use the Ctrl-F function to quickly jump to any circuit of the walkthrough by searching for its code! =============================================================================== * TABLE OF CONTENTS: * =============================================================================== . . . . . . . I N T R O D U C T I O N . . . . . . . . . . M A I N G O A L S O F T H I S C H A L L E N G E . . . . . . . T H E P R O B L E M O F M A X S T A T S . . . . . . . . . C H O O S I N G A S T A T P A T H . . . . . . . . . . . . M A K I N G M O N E Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . B E F O R E B E G I N N I N G . . . . . . . . . . . . V I D E O A S S I S T A N C E . . . . . . . . . . . . . T I M E T A B L E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W A L K T H R O U G H . . . . . . . DISC 1: i) NEW GAME - Alexandria Steeple (D1-01) ii) Alexandria Steeple - Alexandria Castle Guardhouse (D1-02) iii) Alexandria Castle Guardhouse - Prima Vista Crash Site (D1-03) iv) Prima Vista Crash Site - Evil Forest Spring (D1-04) v) Evil Forest Spring - Gunitas Basin (D1-05) vi) Gunitas Basin - Ice Cavern (D1-06) vii) Ice Cavern - Dali Storage Area (D1-07) viii) Dali Storage Area - Lindblum Inn (D1-08) ix) Lindblum Inn - Lindblum Castle Guest Room (D1-09) x) Lindblum Castle Guest Room - Lachenta Wetlands (D1-10) xi) Lachenta Wetlands - Eunorus Plains (D1-11) xii) Eunorus Plains - Gizamaluke's Grotto (D1-12) xiii) Gizamaluke's Grotto - Daines-Horse Basin (D1-13) xiv) Daines-Horse Basin - START OF DISC 2 (D1-14) DISC 2: i) START OF DISC 2 - Bentini Heights (D2-01) ii) Bentini Heights - Gargan Roo (D2-02) iii) Gargan Roo - Cleyra's Trunk (D2-03) iv) Cleyra's Trunk - Cleyra's Trunk (D2-04) v) Cleyra's Trunk - Cleyra Inn (D2-05) vi) Cleyra Inn - Cleyra Inn (D2-06) vii) Cleyra Inn - Cleyra Sandpit (D2-07) viii) Cleyra Sandpit - Red Rose (D2-08) ix) Red Rose - Alexandria Chapel (D2-09) x) Alexandria Chapel - Pinnacle Rocks (D2-10) xi) Pinnacle Rocks - Lachenta Wetlands (D2-11) xii) Lachenta Wetlands - Fossil Roo Cavern (D2-12) xiii) Fossil Roo Cavern - Fossil Roo Mining Site (D2-13) xiv) Fossil Roo Mining Site - Magdalene Forest (D2-14) xv) Magdalene Forest - Conde Petie (D2-15) xvi) Conde Petie - Mountain Path (D2-16) xvii) Mountain Path - Lucid Plains (D2-17) xviii) Lucid Plains - Iifa Tree Roots (D2-18) xix) Iifa Tree Roots - Lucid Plains (D2-19) xx) Lucid Plains - Pualei Plains (D2-20) xxi) Pualei Plains - START OF DISC 3 (D2-21) DISC 3: i) START OF DISC 3 - Nolrich Heights (D3-01) ii) Nolrich Heights - Treno Knight's House (D3-02) iii) Treno Knight's House - Lindblum Castle Guest Room (D3-03) iv) Lindblum Castle Guest Room - Kiera Desert (D3-04) v) Kiera Desert - Oeilvert Outside (D3-05) vi) Oeilvert Outside - Oeilvert Star Display (D3-06) vii) Oeilvert Star Display - Desert Palace Rack (D3-07) viii) Desert Palace Rack - Desert Palace Library (D3-08) ix) Desert Palace Library - Esto Gaza (D3-09) x) Esto Gaza - Lindblum Castle Guest Room (D3-10) xi) Lindblum Castle Guest Room - Ipsen's Castle (D3-11) xii) Ipsen's Castle - Blairsurpass Plains (D3-12) xiii) Blairsurpass Plains - Bran Bal Storage (D3-13) xiv) Bran Bal Storage - Pandemonium Maze (D3-14) xv) Pandemonium Maze - START OF DISC 4 (D3-15) DISC 4: i) START OF DISC 4 - Memoria Entrance (D4-01) ii) Memoria Entrance - Memoria The Past (D4-02) iii) Memoria The Past - Memoria Portal (D4-03) iv) Memoria Portal - Memoria Time Warp (D4-04) v) Memoria Time Warp - EXCALIBUR II (D4-05) . . . . . . . L E F T O V E R S . . . . . . . . . . . . . P E R F E C T S T A T S . . . . . . . . . . . T R E A S U R E L O C A T I O N S . . . . . . . . . F R E Q U E N T L Y A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S . . . . . . . . . . . C R E D I T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V E R S I O N H I S T O R Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . C O P Y R I G H T . . . . . . . =============================================================================== * INTRODUCTION * =============================================================================== Being the perfectionist and completionist that I am, I was always very frustrated by the seeming impossibility of creating a truly perfect save for my favorite game, Final Fantasy IX. For years I thought that it really was impossible, although it was never more than an assumption on my part. The reason for this was the not-so-secret Excalibur II, a sword found at the end of Memoria which disappears following 12 hours after the start of the game, without which this challenge would be unbearably boring. Having gotten used to spending ungodly amounts of time on perfect saves for even the simplest of games, getting a perfect save for a game as huge as FFIX in under 12 hours never even crossed my mind... until the winter of 2005, that is; just in time for my annual FFIX binge! And that's how this guide was born. Now let me get straight to the point: this guide is meant to get you from the very beginning of the game all the way to the Excalibur II, without missing any of the missable items, events, side quests, etc. In other words, you will get all the benefits of playing a normal game without sacrificing that lovely sword. The keyword here is "missable". You will skip absolutely everything which can be done on Disc 4, otherwise it is quite impossible to make it in time for the Excalibur II. It seems that the game is very balanced in this respect; there is just barely enough time to complete everything missable and still get that elusive sword. As for what is and is not missable, consult the next section, which explains in detail what you will be doing during this challenge. So, let me say it, once and for all: FACT: It is possible to have a perfect save which includes the Excalibur II. =============================================================================== * MAIN GOALS OF THIS CHALLENGE * =============================================================================== Not everyone has the same conception of a perfect save. Some are satisfied with getting all items, others with learning all abilities and still others with getting max stats, or any combination of these ideas and more. Therefore, this guide includes all possible goals which anyone could possibly want in their perfect save, and all are accounted for simultaneously. This means that you can complete all of the goals below using this walkthrough; compromise was not on my mind when I set about doing this, and it should not be on yours. That said, here is a rundown of the goals which you will be guided toward for a perfect save, with precise explanations: 1) Obtain "perfect" amounts of all missable items (eventually). 2) Obtain maximum amounts of all missable unique items. 3) Open all missable chests. 4) Search all missable field icons. 5) Obtain the Athlete Queen. 6) Complete a Level 1 Game. 7) Deliver all the Moogle Letters. 8) Buy all of Stiltzkin's deals. 9) Complete the Mr. Morrid's Coffee sidequest. 10) Defeat all missable Treno Weapon Shop monsters. 11) Obtain the Moogle Suit and Autograph. ---------------------------------------------------- 1) OBTAIN "PERFECT" AMOUNTS OF ALL MISSABLE ITEMS: ---------------------------------------------------- There are 31 items in the game which can no longer be bought on Disc 4. Furthermore, 9 of these items are used in synthesis, which makes another 8 items potentially missable. 2 of these items are then used in further synthesis combinations, which makes another 2 items potentially missable, for a grand total of 41 missable non-unique items in FFIX. The challenge here rests on having the funds to buy all these items, and in buying them in the correct amounts. Although it may be fine to have only 1 copy left of each of these items at the end after synthesis, I have decided on a different, more "perfect" amount. This guide will have you buy these items in such amounts so that you have enough of each of them to equip everyone who can equip them, plus 1 remaining for your inventory. This also includes the items which are synthesized from these missable items, which is why some of them are bought in larger quantities than one would first think are necessary. In this way, these missable items will never be able to leave your inventory unless you sell them. I said "eventually" earlier because you will not be synthesizing any of the missable items on your way to the Excalibur II. However, you will have the necessary items in the necessary amounts to be able to do so eventually, when you have enough money and time. The following is a list of the 31 basic missable items, with quantities needed, quantities bought and their total cost (in order of availability, though not necessarily purchase): NOTE: Some of these items are found during the game, so the quantities bought and their cost does not include these copies, since you won't miss them with this guide. Also, you will be told exactly how many of these items to buy in the walkthrough itself, so this is just for reference and monetary planning if you decide not to follow the walkthrough exactly. NOTE: Quantities needed are calculated BEFORE synthesis. Once you finish the challenge, you will have to use an appropriate number of some items for synthesis. NOTE: All copies of missable items are mentioned in the guide, except for the Diamond Gloves. 3 are needed but only 2 are bought. That is because 1 copy is obtained from Chocograph Treasure #5 - Abandoned Beach. All other copies of missable items are accounted for. +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ | ITEM | NEEDED | BOUGHT | COST | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Javelin | 3 | 1 | 880 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Silver Gloves | 4 | 3 | 2,160 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Iron Helm | 3 | 2 | 900 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Leather Plate | 3 | 1 | 530 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Air Racket | 6 | 5 | 2,000 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Mythril Sword | 5 | 5 | 6,500 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Bandana | 12 | 9 | 4,500 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Chain Plate | 3 | 2 | 1,620 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Chain Mail | 15 | 14 | 16,800 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Mythril Vest | 10 | 8 | 9,440 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Diamond Sword | 2 | 1 | 4,700 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Trident | 2 | 2 | 7,160 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Mythril Claws | 2 | 2 | 13,000 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Fairy Flute | 2 | 2 | 9,000 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Silver Fork | 2 | 1 | 7,400 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Diamond Gloves | 3 | 2 | 4,000 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Green Beret | 7 | 7 | 15,260 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Judo Uniform | 7 | 7 | 35,000 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Gold Armor | 3 | 3 | 8,850 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Zorlin Shape | 9 | 8 | 48,000 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Flame Saber | 2 | 2 | 10,380 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Heavy Lance | 2 | 2 | 9,400 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Scissor Fangs | 2 | 2 | 16,000 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Asura's Rod | 2 | 2 | 6,360 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Hamelin | 2 | 2 | 11,400 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Octagon Rod | 2 | 2 | 9,000 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Black Hood | 6 | 5 | 12,750 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Rune Blade | 2 | 2 | 17,800 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Obelisk | 2 | 2 | 12,000 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Tiger Fangs | 2 | 2 | 27,000 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+------------------+ |Diamond Armor | 3 | 3 | 26,400 | +------------------+-------------------+------------------+==================+ | 356,190 | +==================+ Although the grand total may seem daunting, it's possible to finance all these purchases with some careful planning. The list below shows how some of the above items are used in synthesis: NOTE: You won't actually be buying any of these synthesized items until after getting the Excalibur II. Javelin -> Save the Queen Silver Gloves -> Save the Queen Air Racket -> Priest's Racket Mythril Sword -> Grand Armor Bandana -> Silk Robe Chain Mail -> Power Belt -> Grand Helm Mythril Vest -> Brave Suit Zorlin Shape -> Sargatanas -> Thief Gloves OR -> Masamune --------------------------------------------------------- 2) OBTAIN MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF ALL MISSABLE UNIQUE ITEMS: --------------------------------------------------------- As you may already know, some items in FFIX are available in finite amounts no matter how long you play and no matter what you do. Therefore, we will be getting each of these items' missable copies on our way to the Excalibur II. The following is a list of all such items in FFIX, with maximum quantities and locations included: NOTE: Only MISSABLE unique items are of importance, so ultimate weapons and some other items such as the Hammer have been omitted (since you can't miss them permanently). NOTE: Some unique items can be synthesized using other unique items. The quantities provided are maximum quantities without synthesis. NOTE: Some of the gems are also temporarily gotten during the Friendly Monsters sidequest, but they cannot be kept without leaving the sidequest incomplete. Those copies are therefore not included here. NOTE: There is only 1 Dragon's Claws in the entire game, so do NOT use the Dragon's Claws in a synthesis combination with Tiger Fangs to get Duel Claws. 1 copy of Duel Claws can be stolen from Deathguise. So, you should have 1 Dragon's Claws and 1 Duel Claws in your perfect save. NOTE: Ozma holds 4 unique items; 2 Dark Matter, 1 Pumice and 1 Pumice Piece. You must steal a Dark Matter and a Pumice Piece, then end the battle and hope that Ozma drops BOTH a Dark Matter and a Pumice. If not, you must reset and try again. 1) Diamond [3] -On the boat in Conde Petie -Included in Stiltzkin's Bran Bal deal -Included in Chocograph Treasure #17 - Sea At Dusk 2) Emerald [2] -Given to you by the Priest of Cleyra while you control Freya -Included in Stiltzkin's Oeilvert deal 3) Ruby [2] -Received when breaking the seal on the Iifa Tree -Included in Stiltzkin's Alexandria deal (Disc 4) 4) Moonstone [3] -Given to Steiner by Queen Brahne after impressing all 100 nobles with the Tantalus performance -Complete the Conde Petie Mountain Path colored stones puzzle -Included in Stiltzkin's Alexandria deal (Disc 4) 5) Ribbon [4] -Given to you by Mog in Mount Gulug -Treno Auction House item -Given to you by Stiltzkin after buying his final deal (Alexandria, Disc 4) -Included in Chocograph Treasure #24 - Forgotten Island 6) Dark Matter [3] -Treno Auction House item -Stolen from Ozma -Dropped by Ozma 7) Running Shoes [4] -Dropped by Tantarian -Won by defeating Amdusias in the Treno Weapon Shop on Disc 3 -Stolen from Hades -Found in the clock in Quan's Dwelling 8) Pumice [1] -Dropped by Ozma 9) Pumice Piece [3] -Dropped by Ark -Stolen from Ozma -Included in Chocograph Treasure #22 - Outer Island 2 10) Rebirth Ring [2] -Awarded for winning the Tetra Master Tournament -Included in Chocograph Treasure #24 - Forgotten Island 11) Blood Sword [2] -Stellazzio reward -Stolen from Tiamat 12) Genji Helmet [2] -Stolen from Kraken -Included in the Chocograph Treasure found in the Mountain Crack on the northeastern part of the Forgotten Continent 13) Genji Gloves [2] -Stolen from Lich -Included in the Chocograph Treasure found in the Foaming Water at the southern tip of the Forgotten Continent 14) Genji Armor [2] -Stolen from Maliris -Included in Chocograph Treasure #21 - Outer Island ------------------------------ 3) OPEN ALL MISSABLE CHESTS: ------------------------------ Since we're going for perfection, we'll want to open all the treasure chests in the game. However, you'll mainly be opening missable chests during the course of the challenge. Furthermore, you'll be able to collect the Rank S Medal if you do this, which is (in my opinion) fundamental for a perfect save. Keep in mind that this isn't really a difficult goal to meet; 99% of the chests in FFIX are completely and comfortably along the way. Then again, 90% of all chests in the game are missable, but don't worry, there's enough time to open them all. Although you shouldn't have any problems with finding all the chests, I have created a treasure list in the event that you do. Check the Treasure Locations section for the locations of all the treasure chests and all the field icons in the game. ------------------------------------- 4) SEARCH ALL MISSABLE FIELD ICONS: ------------------------------------- This is the same thing as the chests, except for field icons. In case you're not familiar with this term, a field icon is the exclamation mark which appears over Zidane's head when he stands near a treasure. Although this icon appears near chests and other places as well, field icons, for the purpose of this guide, will be considered treasures which are not in a chest but lie on the ground, on a shelf, etc. As with chests, many of them are along the way. Unlike chests, however, many of them are not missable, especially the ones later in the game. You can find a complete listing of all the game's field icons, with locations, in the Treasure Locations section. ------------------------------ 5) OBTAIN THE ATHLETE QUEEN: ------------------------------ The Athlete Queen is one of 6 missable key items. The only opportunity to get this key item is at the very beginning of Disc 3, when you control Vivi. You can play a mini-game in which you race a fat boy named Hippaul to help him lose weight. The premise of the game is to alternately press the CIRCLE and SQUARE buttons as fast as possible. You receive a reward for every 10 LVs which Hippaul gains, and you get the Athlete Queen when he reaches LV 80. This is the single most time-consuming event in the entire challenge; if you don't lose a single time it'll take you about 21 minutes, with each loss adding around 20 seconds. For some people this mini-game is a piece of cake, but for others it borders on the impossible to reach LV 80. However, it's a waste if you decide to skip getting the Athlete Queen, since the extra 20 minutes will make this challenge, well, not as challenging, and you won't have a perfect save at the end, either. Thus, I suggest you get this key item, no matter how painful it can get. Eventually, you will get it; it's just a matter of practice and concentration, that's all. ----------------------------- 6) COMPLETE A LEVEL 1 GAME: ----------------------------- Stats pose the biggest problem in this perfect game challenge. This is because in order to obtain perfect stats, you must start working on them from LV 1. Furthermore, you can only work on them after getting the Excalibur II as you are not only limited by the LV at which you begin, but also by the available selection of equipment. Simply put, you do not have access to all of the necessary equipment until after you get the Excalibur II, and if it is available, then you either don't have the time to actually get it or to level up with it to a meaningful degree. What does this mean for you? It means that you will be playing the whole game at LV 1! If the game let you, that is. There are many forced battles in the game and most of them can be won without getting any EXP by using the Stop spell and the Needle Fork's Add Status property, which is Petrify. However, there are 3 battles in which EXP MUST be gained, namely the battles against Amdusias, Abadon and Shell Dragon in Pandemonium. Depending on what your priorities for your perfect save are, you may have to defeat Tantarian and gain his EXP as well. That said, there is an important difference between this challenge's Level 1 Game and the "regular" one: "The characters who gain EXP from Tantarian and the Pandemonium battles are not restricted from being in the active party. The focus here is the benefit of stat gains rather than self-imposed challenge." -1whoistornapart Don't be intimidated by a Level 1 Game; it has its difficult parts, but it's very fun overall. The issue of the Level 1 Game and max stats is covered in detail in the next 2 sections of the guide. I warn you, it is complicated and lengthy, but you must read and understand it if you want a perfect save which you'll be happy with. ------------------------------------ 7) DELIVER ALL THE MOOGLE LETTERS: ------------------------------------ This is a pretty self-explanatory goal. In my opinion, it would not be a perfect save if you missed any of the letters, as they're a part of the story in a way. Moreover, you have to deliver them in order to revive Mognet Central on Disc 4. One more thing: reading and receiving all other mail is also a part of this goal. That means you will receive all letters addressed to Zidane and read all the letters from Stiltzkin and other moogles to each other. The point is to have all the letters accessible at the end of the game under the moogles' Mognet menus. You did say you wanted a complete and perfect save, didn't you? The easiest way to achieve this goal is to simply check the Mognet option every time you meet a moogle, even if it is for the second time in a row. If there is anything to read, receive or deliver you will immediately be prompted to do so. Don't worry, though, as the walkthrough will always mention whether and which letters a moogle has at a particular time, as there are some rare instances when you can miss a letter if you don't purposely backtrack. Here is a list of all the letters which you must deliver during the course of the challenge, in chronological order: Kupo -> Monty Mois -> Gumo Kumop -> Mogki Mogki -> Atla Grimo -> Nazna Atla -> Monev Nazna -> Mochos Mopli -> Serino Serino -> Moodon Mosh -> Monty Moodon -> Moonte Kuppo -> Kupo Mogmatt -> Suzuna Mogryo -> Mocchi Mogki -> Moodon Mimoza -> Mooel Mojito -> Mogsam Mogrika -> Moolan Moolan -> Mogtaka Mogki -> Kumool Moorock -> Mozme ...and here are the letters which you will read, also in chronological order: Kupo -> Mosh Ruby -> Zidane Stiltzkin -> Monty Ruby -> Zidane Stiltzkin -> Moonte Moodon -> Mogmi Stiltzkin -> Mogrich Ruby -> Zidane Monev -> Mopli Kupo -> Mosh Stiltzkin -> Monty Ruby -> Zidane Kuppo -> Monty Stiltzkin -> Mogryo Stiltzkin -> Mocchi Mogrika -> Kupo Stiltzkin -> Kupo Kupo -> Mogrich Artemicion -> Mogrika ---------------------------------- 8) BUY ALL OF STILTZKIN'S DEALS: ---------------------------------- This is an easy goal to accomplish. It is also very profitable, as you actually make a profit from most of his deals, get several copies of unique items, and a Ribbon as a reward for buying all of his offers. They are all listed below in chronological order, with prices: Burmecia : Ether, Hi-Potion, Soft : [333] Cleyra Settlement : Hi-Potion, Ether, Phoenix Pinion : [444] Fossil Roo : Phoenix Pinion, Remedy, Ether : [555] Mountain Path : Magic Tag, Tent, Ether : [666] Alexandria : Phoenix Pinion, Hi-Potion, Elixir : [777] Oeilvert : Hi-Potion, Emerald, Elixir : [888] Bran Bal : Diamond, Ether, Elixir : [2222] Alexandria : Moonstone, Ruby, Elixir : [5555] ------------------------------------------------ 9) COMPLETE THE MR. MORRID'S COFFEE SIDEQUEST: ------------------------------------------------ This is also a pretty self-explanatory goal. The reason you have to do this is that Observatory Mountain, Mr. Morrid's home, is locked off on Disc 4. Don't worry, though, it turns out that all 3 coffees are actually along the way and delivering them is also along the way. The walkthrough will guide you in completing this sidequest. Some people insist on keeping all the coffees, as they are just as unique as the Mini Prima Vista, which appears in the Tantalus hideout. This is true, except that it leaves the side-quest incomplete. However, this is a decision which every player must make for him or herself. You can leave this decision up until the beginning of Disc 3, after getting the Burman Coffee. ----------------------------------------------------- 10) DEFEAT ALL MISSABLE TRENO WEAPON SHOP MONSTERS: ----------------------------------------------------- Well, that's all there is to it; defeat Griffin, Catoblepas and Amdusias. I'm not certain whether the rewards count toward your treasure ranking, but it doesn't really matter. You want to be as complete as possible in this challenge and you would have to defeat Amdusias anyway as the Running Shoes are given as a reward. Thus, you may as well defeat the other 2 monsters for the sake of completion. ------------------------------------------- 11) OBTAIN THE MOOGLE SUIT AND AUTOGRAPH: ------------------------------------------- This goal is really simple, but that doesn't make it less important than the others. How sad would it be if you forgot about these key items? =============================================================================== * THE PROBLEM OF MAX STATS * =============================================================================== Stats are a gray area in FFIX. The problem is that unlike with unique items or side-quests, stat perfection is rather subjective. Due to the way the stat system is designed, it is impossible to max all stats for any character. The max for Speed and Spirit is 50, while the max for Strength and Magic is 99. Everyone is capable of reaching 50 Spirit, but no one can reach the max in the other 3 stats, except Zidane, who can reach 50 Speed. They are all limited by the choice of stat-raising equipment available in the game, which isn't good enough to reach the max in any stat besides Spirit. At this point, you may be wondering whether the unattainability of max stats means that there is no such thing as a perfect save in FFIX. No, it does not. Does the meaningless limit on the amount of obtainable Moonstone or Pumice Piece mean that there is no such thing as a perfect save? It also does not. Stats, and even individual stat points, are unique in exactly the same way as unique items. The perfect result is therefore not the highest possible to be comprehended by the game, which would be 99, but rather the highest attainable in normal gameplay. After all, what is the point of considering 99 to be the maximum amount of Pumice Piece when you can't get any more than 3? Unfortunately, this is not at the heart of the stats dilemma, and not quite the problem with which we are faced. The real issue here is that it is impossible to achieve a character's highest stats SIMULTANEOUSLY. Simply put, you effectively forfeit points in 1 or more stats in order to raise another; you can NEVER raise any stat without not raising another as much as possible. For example, using the Robe of Lords will give each stat 1 bonus point, but that means you forfeit giving Magic 2 points with the White Robe, or Spirit 3 with the Dark Gear, and so on, depending on what equipment a character can use. That is why no character can have their highest rating in all, or even 2, stats at once. This in turn means that there is no universal set of highest stats for any character; each player can distribute stat points differently. However, this does NOT mean that all stat distributions are equally perfect or fitting. Everyone will agree that a stat distribution giving Zidane his highest Magic is inferior "perfection-wise" to a distribution giving him his highest Strength. The opposite can be said for Vivi, for example. It is because stats mean something that we CAN decide on a perfect distribution for each character. If Speed, Strength, Magic and Spirit all did the same thing, it wouldn't matter which was raised and which wasn't, but the fact is that these stats do mean something, and therefore some mean more to certain characters than to others. This is what allows us to come up with a universal set of PRIORITIES for each character. Therefore, perfect stat distributions exist; they are the best simultaneous fulfillments of those priorities for each character. The perfect save with perfect stats does therefore exist. It simply differs from what one would first expect. For a detailed overview of what these perfect distributions are, and why they are the way they are, consult the Perfect Stats section. =============================================================================== * CHOOSING A STAT PATH * =============================================================================== Now that you know what is meant by perfect stats, you must decide whether to acknowledge such a view for your perfect save; believe it or not, there IS an alternative. There are 2 ways of looking at perfect stats in a perfect save. You must choose one or the other, and you can't proceed past Tantarian on Disc 3 without having made this decision. You can, however, play up to that point without having chosen a path, as BOTH of them are identical until you reach Tantarian on Disc 3. The MAX Stats Approach: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the idea that there is a universal set of priorities for each character, and that the perfect stat distribution is the one which fulfills those priorities the best. This has been fully explained in the section above, and is given further attention in the Perfect Stats section. This path should be thought of as the one which yields the highest stats possible under the circumstances created by the game and the stat system. In that sense, this path provides stats which are perfect just like 3 Pumice Piece is a perfect amount of a unique item. No one can dispute 3 Pumice Piece as being the perfect amount, and for the same reason, there is no solid basis for disputing these stats as perfect. If this is the path you wish to follow, then simply follow this guide; it is written with this path in mind. The BASE Stats Approach: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the alternative to the path above. Although it is impossible for any character's stats to reach their highest possible values all at once, it IS possible for them to reach their LOWEST possible values simultaneously. Think of them as being maximized negatively, or being perfectly negative. This solution is unquestionably "perfect" in that all stats reach their negative max, and this requires no fancy theories or proof. This approach requires no assumptions in order to claim perfection, either, but it does require a different idea of perfection itself. Here, perfection is mathematical, not practical. If this is the path you wish to follow, then you can still use this guide. The only difference is that you must NEVER gain any LVs with equipment that boosts Speed, Strength, Magic and/or Spirit. This will guarantee that your stats will be the lowest possible. The Perfect Stats section does not apply to you. Note that you still have to play the Level 1 Game so that everyone joins the party at LV 1. If you get anyone at a higher LV, their stats will be lower than the so-called minimum because they will have missed stat gains from the Level Ups they were given for free; the game awards a set minimum amount of bonus points per Level Up, but you don't get them when a character joins at the party's average LV. This may seem to undermine the sense of this path, but it really doesn't; check out Question 8 in the Frequently Asked Questions for an explanation. (thanks to SteelShades for proposing the BASE Stat idea) (thanks to Cicatriz_ESP for realizing that even BASE Stat-ers must play the Level 1 Game in order to achieve the true minimal stats, and for bringing this to my attention) - - - NOTE: The rest of this section DOES NOT APPLY to you if you chose to follow the BASE Stats path. All you have to do is answer Question 1 below. If your answer is A, let only Zidane gain LVs after getting Amarant. If your answer is B, you can gain LVs in any way you want after getting him. That's all there is to it if you're a BASE Stat-er! The MAX Stats variant splits into 5 possible paths. This is due to the fact that the unavoidable EXP received during the game can be allocated in a number of ways, each yielding different sets of stats, but none being inherently better or worse than another. This whole affair is actually quite complicated and convoluted, but I've simplified it to 3 main factors in the interest of saving you a headache. Answer the 3 questions below and you should be led to the stats path which best suits your perfect game requirements. Please note that you MUST choose a path eventually; you cannot proceed past Tantarian on Disc 3 if you don't. 1. Which of the following parties do you want for your perfect save? A: Party with highest possible number of characters at LV 1 B: Party with everyone at LV 99 NOTE: The most characters you can have at LV 1 by the end of the game is 7. In such a case, Zidane is the one who will be at a higher LV; the minimum is either LV 31 or LV 32, depending on your answer to Question 2. You can let him reach LV 99 as well, but the point is that 7 of 8 characters will remain at LV 1, which is the most possible by the end of the game. 2. Assuming that the choice you don't pick will only be hurt by ~1%, which do you value more as a requirement for a perfect save? A: All unique items in maximum amounts and all optional bosses defeated B: Perfect stats for all characters 3. Assuming they both sacrifice the same amount, which of the following characters' stat potential would you be more willing to sacrifice in order to preserve everyone else's? A: Zidane B: Freya Use the following table to determine which stat path is best for you: +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+------------------+ | QUESTION #1 | QUESTION #2 | QUESTION #3 | YOUR STAT PATH | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+------------------+ | A | A | - | PATH A | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+------------------+ | A | B | - | PATH B | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+------------------+ | B | A | A | PATH C | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+------------------+ | B | A | B | PATH D | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+------------------+ | B | B | - | PATH E | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+------------------+ O----------------------------------------------------------------------------O | PATH A: | O----------------------------------------------------------------------------O This is the simplest and easiest path to follow. Zidane is given all the unavoidable EXP in the game and will end up at LV 32, while everyone else remains at LV 1. However, that is the only advantage this path has over the others. Zidane can obtain better LV 99 stats by letting Garnet and/or Freya gain LVs in Pandemonium, which they can do without sacrificing any stats. The only drawback to this is that they will no longer be at LV 1 at the end of the game. So, following this path you trade 1 or 2 of Zidane's stat points in order to keep everyone else at LV 1 for your perfect save. To conclude, this path is only good if you want your perfect save party to be at LV 1, with Zidane being at least at LV 32. That is the only thing which the other paths cannot do. Therefore, use Path C, Path D or Path E if you're planning on making your party reach LV 99. O----------------------------------------------------------------------------O | PATH B: | O----------------------------------------------------------------------------O This is a minor variation of Path A. The only difference is that by ignoring Tantarian, you get better stats for Zidane and his minimum LV becomes LV 31 instead of LV 32. When comparing the lowest LV Zidane from this path to the one from Path A, this one will have 1 more Strength and Spirit. However, this is only temporary. If you let both of them reach LV 99, then this one will have 1 more Speed and Magic than the other one. Stat-wise, this path is inferior to Path E, which also skips Tantarian, but that one doesn't allow you to have a LV 1 party, which is the only reason you're taking this path into consideration. To conclude, this path is for those who want the LV 1 party with a Zidane at the highest stats possible when having that LV 1 party (remember, he can get better stats by not keeping your party at LV 1 for as long as possible). O----------------------------------------------------------------------------O | PATH C: | O----------------------------------------------------------------------------O This is the most optimal path when you want Zidane to be the one to sacrifice his stat potential for that of the rest of the party and for the rest of the requirements for a perfect save. In this path, Tantarian is defeated and you get the last pair of Running Shoes. Overall, you satisfy all the requirements for a perfect save, except for Zidane being 1 Strength point short of his max. Everyone else attains their highest stat set. This path is for those who want their perfect save party to be at LV 99 with the best stats possible, who want all optional bosses defeated, who want all unique items in maximum amounts, and who prefer to have Zidane be the one to make the stat sacrifice required for defeating Tantarian and getting the last pair of Running Shoes. O----------------------------------------------------------------------------O | PATH D: | O----------------------------------------------------------------------------O This is the most optimal path when you want Freya to be the one to sacrifice her stat potential for that of the rest of the party and for the rest of the requirements for a perfect save. In this path, Tantarian is defeated and you get the last pair of Running Shoes. Overall, you satisfy all the requirements for a perfect save, except for Freya being 2 Magic points short of her max. Everyone else attains their highest stat set. This path is for those who want their perfect save party to be at LV 99 with the best stats possible, who want all optional bosses defeated, who want all unique items in maximum amounts, and who prefer to have Freya be the one to make the stat sacrifice required for defeating Tantarian and getting the last pair of Running Shoes. O----------------------------------------------------------------------------O | PATH E: | O----------------------------------------------------------------------------O This is the only path which allows you to have ALL of your characters reach their full stat-maxing potential. However, this comes at the cost of not having defeated an optional boss and missing 1 copy of a unique item (the Running Shoes). If you feel that that is a fair trade, then this is the path for you. - - - At this point, you may be thinking whether it wouldn't just be best to ignore Tantarian as he really throws a wrench into the whole perfect stats idea. This is a common misconception. You see, the fact is that you neither gain nor lose anything by ignoring or defeating Tantarian. He is simply a mechanic which forces you to choose between 1 or 2 stat points, and the Running Shoes and his defeat. Him being missable is the only reason why you are forced to make a choice between one or the other, and why you can't have both. Neither choice is inherently or objectively better than the other, so it's only a personal matter decided by what one values more in a perfect save. The impact this choice has on your save is microscopic, but since we are dealing with perfect saves, every detail must be taken into account. Finally, since the game FORCES you to make such a choice, it can't be said that Tantarian makes a perfect save impossible. A perfect save in FFIX simply cannot have BOTH all the Running Shoes and everyone at perfect stats, just like you can't have both the Mini Prima Vista and the 3 coffees, or all copies of Moonstone along with all 4 colored stones from the Mountain Path. It's that simple, so don't let it discourage you in the least. - - - Gameplay-wise, which path you choose makes little difference. The game plays out identically for all paths up until Disc 3. After that, there are only minor differences, mostly equipment set-ups, and some boss strategies. Therefore, don't base your decision on any perceived difficulties. If you absolutely cannot decide which path to follow, then check out Question 11 in the Frequently Asked Questions section to find my take on this matter. =============================================================================== * MAKING MONEY * =============================================================================== As shown earlier, you'll need 356,190 gil to buy all the missable items in the game in a "perfect" amount. And this sum does not even take into account any strategic equipment or Stiltzkin's deals. So what can we do? Well, if you check the cost of the synthesized items in the game and their respective resale values, you'll notice that some of them sell for more than they cost. Some even sell for more than the cost of themselves and their component raw materials. This is how you'll make the majority of your money. There are only 3 synthesized items which will net you a profit after all the costs required to produce them: 1) Desert Boots : 30 gil 2) Yellow Scarf : 40 gil 3) Cotton Robe : 610 gil Obviously, the Cotton Robe is the most profitable to produce. As it turns out, it is also the easiest to produce throughout the game, with its raw materials, Wrist and Steepled Hat, being accessible for purchase exactly when necessary. The initial investment is also not large, making it easier and faster to go through with this "trick". We'll be doing the Cotton Robe trick 3 times during this challenge; 2 partial rounds (where some profit is used for further purchases of Cotton Robe) and 1 full round with 99 Cotton Robe at once. Although this trick seems like a godsend, even this won't yield enough gil to make all the purchases necessary. However, the rest is gotten from treasures, selling useless equipment and, most notably, the common Ether and Phoenix Pinion. It's surprising how much you can actually earn by selling all your useless junk. =============================================================================== * BEFORE BEGINNING * =============================================================================== Now that everything else is out of the way, you need to get acquainted with the practices of doing a speed run. Here are the golden rules: 1) Skip ALL dialogue by alternately mashing the X and SQUARE buttons. Using both buttons increases the speed of running through text as opposed to using only 1, sometimes even quite drastically (thanks to Ekke for being the first to bring the use of the SQUARE button to my attention). 2) Skip ALL ATEs unless instructed to do otherwise. 3) Skip ALL FMVs by opening the disc cover on your PS1 or ejecting the disc tray from the PS2 while the FMV is playing. Then, close the disc cover or the disc tray to resume the game. Skipping FMVs on the slim-line PS2 is a bit more involved, but fortunately still possible. This method should also work on the PS3. Here's what you do: (thanks to CrAckLeT for being the first to inform me of this method) a) Once the FMV starts to play, open the lid b) Replace the current disc with another one, possibly another FFIX disc c) Close the disc cover and wait a moment for the console to begin reading the disc d) Open the lid again and put in the proper FFIX disc e) Close the lid and wait for the game to resume This method is very reliable. However, if you would prefer to not swap discs so often, then here is some advice from AtmaChild: "If you got good hearing, you'll notice that there are 3 distinct sounds that your slim-line PS2 makes after closing the lid. The 1st sound is somewhat of a clicking sound, followed by 2 'screech' type sounds in quick succession. The FMV starts to resume at the 3rd sound. It is just after hearing the 2nd sound that you open and close the lid again (exactly 2 seconds after the 1st open/close lid), guaranteeing an FMV skip. Here's step by step: 1. Open, and close lid after disc stops 2. Open and close lid again after hearing the 2nd sound (or open/close lid exactly 2 seconds after Step 1 if you have trouble hearing)" If you are using an emulator, the procedure is a bit more complicated. I have no experience with emulators so I'll quote Stunning SteveAustin on this matter: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Skipping FMVs On An Emulator (ePSXe) First you will either need an alternative disc ISO from the one you are currently using, or in actuality you can just use any old useless file such as a blank text document. Once the FMV starts, press "Esc" then "File>Change Disc>ISO". Select the alternative disc or the blank text document you just made (you will need to select "All files" from the list for it to show up), then click "OK". The moment the game loads back up you need to immediately press "Esc" and change back to the correct disc. If you leave it for literally any more than half a second, the game will hang and you will need to reload. If you are emulating directly off the game CDROM then I haven't tried this method that way so I'm not 100% sure if it will work. NOTE: It might be wise to save state just before each FMV to make sure the game doesn't crash. You can download the latest version of ePSXe here: http://www.epsxe.com/download.php ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you have any other questions regarding emulators, I would suggest posting a message on the FFIX message board; I'm certain that you'll get an answer. Please don't e-mail me asking about this subject; I have no experience with emulators whatsoever. 4) Have at least 1 memory card devoted to this challenge; you need to have at least 5 back-up saves because you can always forget something or want to improve a certain part of the game. I used 2 blank memory cards. If you only have 1 memory card, I suggest you fill up the memory card with saves until there is no more room. Then, if you have a PS2, copy all the files onto the PS2 memory card and clear the PS1 card. Now you have another 15 save files! If you ever want to return to a previous save, you have to copy it onto the PS1 card before you can load it. Also, try not to save on a single file more than twice in a row, especially when having to do with longer and more difficult circuits. This will save you real-life time in the long run as you won't suddenly find yourself having to redo an hour or more of game-time if you make an error and save it. 5) If playing on a PS2, activate the Fast Disc Speed mode of the PlayStation Driver; this will quicken the load times and therefore significantly reduce your game time. In order to activate this mode, turn on the PS2 without a disc in the disc tray. Press TRIANGLE on the screen with the "Browser" and "System Configuration" options to display your PS2's Version Information screen. Here, highlight "PlayStation Driver" and press TRIANGLE once more. You will be shown the PlayStation Driver's Options screen. Set "Disc Speed" to "Fast". While you're there, you may as well set "Texture Mapping" to "Smooth" to improve the game's rendered graphics. Back out of these screens, insert the proper FFIX disc and play as usual. Soft resets will thankfully not reset the PlayStation Driver's settings, but a "hard" reset (i.e., pressing the RESET button or turning the system on and off) will. This means you need to repeat this procedure every time you begin a new session of play. But it is very much worth it, so please make use of this excellent feature. 6) Learn to take advantage of the WAIT ATB mode; it increases your chances of successfully getting past many of the forced battles in the game when playing at LV 1. The WAIT mode allows you to stop ATB time by entering a menu. This is very useful when checking whether a Tent has succeeded, whether your characters have managed to knock themselves out, or when your next actions depend on the effects of an enemy's attack. Simply enter a menu the moment an animation begins, and the enemy can't do a thing. This makes a huge difference, as normally you would waste the time during the animation doing nothing (since you don't know how things will turn out, and even if you did, only 1 target can act at any given time), while your enemy's ATB gauge fills and potentially gives the enemy a turn between your characters. This is especially evident on the fastest ATB setting. In a Level 1 Game, you simply can't afford this; it's usually a matter of life or death whether you or the enemy attacks at a certain time. Furthermore, this does not waste time overall since you can't do anything during animations anyway, so it makes no difference whether you input your commands at the start or end of one. The only difference is that your enemy gets to do the same if the mode is set to ACTIVE. Learn to abuse the WAIT feature, it will serve you well. 7) Play and read each circuit once or twice before attempting it seriously; you need to acquaint yourself with treasure locations, shop lists, menu operations and the overall route through each area. Tilt your analog stick before the screen even loads when entering new areas as this will surely save you time in the end. Also, read a circuit or two ahead so that you have an idea of what you will be preparing for and what is waiting for you. 8) Use the PAUSE button to your advantage; pausing the game also stops the timer so use this when you need a break or need to remember or think about what to do next. 9) Have the minimum amount of enemy encounters possible; try to follow the guidelines provided in the walkthrough. In no case should you ever settle for having more than 1 extra battle in a given circuit. A random battle wastes at least 45 seconds, more if you don't flee immediately. Also, flee from all battles unless instructed to do otherwise, and keep L1 and R1 pressed at all times during a battle in hopes of running away faster. 10) Don't freak out if you are running a few seconds late; every run is different. Minor discrepancies are natural. 11) Be patient and stay calm. During extended reset sessions, I suggest listening to some music. And please, try not to get too pissed off :) 12) Take a break and do something else if you're not having much luck. 13) L1, L2, R1, R2, START, SELECT: 'nuff said. And now to the layout of the walkthrough: This walkthrough is divided into what I like to call "circuits". A circuit is the action which takes place between 2 major save points. These save points are not always consecutive in the game, but that's because not all save points are necessary or profitable to use. Each circuit begins with an item checklist and ends with a target time, a gil check and a battle frequency check, if applicable. Try to keep to the standards provided and you shouldn't come across any problems. a) TARGET TIME: Every circuit in the walkthrough has a target time listed at its end. This is what your timer should read at that point in the game. Of course, this is only an approximation as it would be impossible to have exactly the same times I did. Minor discrepancies are natural and expected, so don't go killing yourself if you make it somewhere 10 or 20 seconds later than listed. Due to the ever-present influence of luck and chance in this challenge, your times should fluctuate around the target times, for up to a maximum difference of about 1 or 2 minutes. However, with some luck and a lot of determination, it's possible to get a lead as large as 32 minutes by the end of the game! Please keep in mind that the target times end with around 10 minutes of play time left to spare before 12 hours. That means you can theoretically accrue a lateness of up to 10 minutes and still complete the challenge. However, the target times are very tight and were gotten with an often exceptional amount of luck. It is in your interest therefore, to have as small a lateness as possible as you never know how future circuits will play out for you, so don't let this flexibility get to your head. Consult Question 14 in the Frequently Asked Questions section for some advice on how to allocate this additional time. But, NEVER spend all of it. After all, you don't want to find yourself having to replay the Lich battle tens of times because of the Excalibur II disappearing the moment you approach it or mere seconds earlier. It's happened, but don't let it happen to you! b) TARGET GIL: The target gil entries are extremely inaccurate. They have been manipulated and adjusted multiple times and across multiple versions. As such, they have become very unreliable. From what readers have been saying, you'll most likely have a deficit during most of the game, but I haven't heard of anyone having to restart due to a lack of gil or something similar. Gil generally doesn't pose a problem. Also, Phoenix Pinions can be sold at any time if you need extra cash as they serve no other purpose but to fill your wallet. c) ENCOUNTERS: The battle frequency check only takes into account RANDOM battles. Forced or otherwise necessary battles are NOT included in this number unless specified. And just to be perfectly clear, the number beside "encounters" is the allowed or suggested number of entered battles, NOT fought battles. That is, if the number is 0, you are not to be taken into a single battle during that circuit, regardless of what you would do in that battle. This means that being pulled into a battle and using Flee right away counts as a battle in the battle frequency check. I realize that almost every circuit has a battle frequency of 0, but that is what I have in my notes for that circuit. The entire walkthrough for that matter is just a collection of my notes from playing this challenge once and then refining it, so none of the instructions are based only on theory. If you try it enough, then it is theoretically possible to have no encounters in EVERY area, as they are random, after all. Of course, this isn't necessary, that's why some circuits have 2 or even 8 encounters allowed. d) OTHER THINGS OF NOTE: ---Stellazzio Coins--- All the Stellazzio Coins are available on Disc 4, so there is no reason to collect them during this challenge. The only thing they are good for is exchanging them for gil, as the item rewards are useless. Since you shouldn't have any major monetary problems if you follow the walkthrough, I don't see any reason why you should waste time collecting them and then waste even more time trading them in. However, if you decide that you want to buy some expensive items not mentioned in the walkthrough, then you will most definitely need additional funds, and you can get them this way. For this reason, I have included the Stellazzio Coins in the walkthrough; collect them if you wish, I didn't. You'll have to take care of all this on your own, though, as the walkthrough will never instruct you to visit Queen Stella. ---Boss Strategies--- All boss strategies are for the Level 1 Game. If you're playing with a higher LV party, you can still use them, though, since anything that works for a LV 1 party will inevitably work for any party. ---Equipment Set-ups--- I suggest you equip your characters as instructed, especially Zidane, who will need to master certain abilities by certain points in the game. There are also a few situations in which you absolutely MUST have your characters equipped as listed due to available abilities, elemental defense, stats and so on. I will not, however, point out when you can and cannot change your equipment as you're using a guide for a reason, so just follow it. If you don't, then don't blame me if you suddenly don't have access to a key ability or something. Well, I guess that's all you need to know. On to the walkthrough! =============================================================================== * VIDEO ASSISTANCE * =============================================================================== Believe it or not, this entire challenge has been recorded for your viewing pleasure! It's all thanks to the skilled, determined and meticulous work of 1whoistornapart, who tore this challenge to shreds! His master run can now serve as your guide throughout this endeavor, from beginning to end. If you need help, assistance, or just plain need to see to believe, look no further! You can find videos of every part of this challenge at the following address: O-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=O http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=7C21A6F5C05D3F2D O-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=O There you will find a playlist with tens of individual videos. Each of them covers a specified section of the game, titled accordingly. You don't have to watch everything from beginning to end, just pick what interests you and you'll be shown exactly how to complete that part of the challenge. However, these vidoes are quite entertaining, so I suggest you watch them all anyway; it will give you a very good idea of what this challenge is like, and what it takes to not only succeed, but to go above and beyond! SOME NOTES ABOUT THE RECORDED RUN: ---------------------------------- The run recorded on the videos is on an expert level; 1whoistornapart had an incredible 32 minutes to spare when he reached the Excalibur II, which speaks for itself. He was also blessed with some remarkable luck on more than 1 occasion. And finally, the videos only show the single most successful runs; some of them took many hours of attempts to get just right. Therefore, do not expect to just turn on the game and "simply do the same thing"; it takes a lot of practice, luck and determination. The purpose of these videos is to show the optimal route through every circuit, including battles, and to prove that it is possible to actually follow it. Remember that there is no need to complete the challenge exactly as depicted in the videos. A 32-minute lead is overkill unless you're bent on setting a record or something, because there is nothing you can use those extra minutes for. However, they prove that time can be made up at pretty much any point in the game, as the lead grows steadily after each circuit. So, if you are having trouble keeping up with the target times, take a look at the videos for some inspiration and try to copy future circuits to make up some time. These videos are extremely helpful and a very valuable resource, so make sure you take full advantage of them! I'm sure they will help you on your way to the Excalibur II in more ways than one! =============================================================================== * TIMETABLE * =============================================================================== ~~~~~~~~~ DISC 1: ~~~~~~~~~ Alexandria Steeple : 00:08:51 Castle Guardhouse : 00:18:21 Crash Site : 00:33:53 Evil Forest Spring : 00:45:24 Gunitas Basin : 00:52:01 Ice Cavern : 00:57:55 Dali Storage Area : 01:18:05 Lindblum Inn : 01:43:51 Lindblum C. Guest Room : 02:00:05 Lachenta Wetlands : 02:14:45 Eunorus Plains : 02:29:05 Gizamaluke's Grotto : 02:37:01 Vube Desert : 02:46:02 Eunorus Plains 2 : 02:50:56 Daines-Horse Basin : 02:54:36 ----------------------------------- START OF DISC 2 : 03:07:35 ----------------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~ DISC 2: ~~~~~~~~~ Bentini Heights : 03:17:15 Gargan Roo : 03:29:29 Cleyra's Trunk : 03:37:49 Cleyra's Trunk 2 : 03:42:27 Cleyra Inn : 03:45:35 Cleyra Inn 2 : 03:55:06 Cleyra Sandpit : 04:02:02 Red Rose Cabin : 04:19:23 Alexandria Chapel : 04:28:00 Alexandria Chapel 2 : 04:50:57 Pinnacle Rocks : 04:59:36 Lachenta Wetlands : 05:10:26 Fossil Roo Cavern : 05:23:11 Fossil Roo Mining Site : 05:30:18 Magdalene Forest : 05:35:14 Conde Petie : 05:44:43 Mountain Path : 05:49:40 Lucid Plains : 05:52:37 Iifa Tree Roots : 06:03:51 Lucid Plains 2 : 06:23:29 Pualei Plains : 06:37:22 ----------------------------------- START OF DISC 3 : 06:53:14 ----------------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~ DISC 3: ~~~~~~~~~ Alexandria Steeple : 07:26:34 Nolrich Heights : 07:38:22 Treno Knight's House : 07:50:18 Castle Guardhouse : 08:06:25 Lindblum C. Guest Room : 08:12:28 Kiera Desert : 08:35:52 Oeilvert Outside : 08:45:46 Oeilvert Star Display : 08:52:41 Desert Palace Rack : 08:59:52 Desert Palace Library : 09:04:24 Esto Gaza : 09:21:11 Mount Gulug : 09:29:48 Lindblum C. Guest Room : 09:41:37 Sacrobless Island : 09:58:44 Ipsen's Castle : 10:04:16 Blairsurpass Plains : 10:22:58 Bran Bal Storage : 10:35:01 Pandemonium Hall : 10:50:01 Pandemonium Maze : 10:57:43 ----------------------------------- START OF DISC 4 : 11:10:54 ----------------------------------- ~~~~~~~~~ DISC 4: ~~~~~~~~~ Memoria Entrance : 11:20:15 Memoria The Past : 11:26:49 Memoria Portal : 11:37:06 Memoria Time Warp : 11:45:20 ----------------------------------- EXCALIBUR II : 11:50:15 ----------------------------------- =============================================================================== * WALKTHROUGH * =============================================================================== ,: ,' : .- - - - - - . ,' : : `. ,' : : : ,' : : _ _ _ : ,' : : : : : ,- - -. ,- - - - -. ,- - - - -. ,' : : : : : :_ _ _; : : : : ,' : : : : : _ _ _ : _ _ _; : _ _; ,' : : :_ _ _; : : : : : : .' :_ _ _ : : : : : `_ _ _ : : `._ _ : : : ,' : : : : : : : : :_ _ _ _ _ _ .' :_ _ _; :_ _ _ _ _; `. _ _ _ _; : : : : :_ _ _ _ _ _; =============================================================================== I) NEW GAME - ALEXANDRIA STEEPLE: (D1-01) =============================================================================== -Potion -Remedy -Fang Card -Sahagin Card -Potion -Tent -Fang Card -9 gil -Potion -Ether -Skeleton Card -33 gil -Potion -Phoenix Pinion -Lizard Man Card -38 gil -Potion -Goblin Card -Zombie Card -47 gil -Potion -Goblin Card -Bomb Card -Immediately configure your settings under the Config menu: MOVEMENT -> RUN BATTLE SPEED -> MAX FIELD MESSAGE -> MAX CURSOR -> MEMORY ATB -> WAIT HERE ICON -> OFF (optional) TARGET WINDOW -> ALWAYS -Pick up the 2 treasures in the back of the room, then light the candle. ----------------- BOSS: Masked Man ----------------- -Have everyone Steal on the first round. -During the second round, have Cinna Steal again and someone attack him to knock him out; make the others Steal as well. -If you don't get the Mage Masher by this time, reset. -Once you get the Mage Masher, simply have everyone attack themselves to end the battle; you won't get a Game Over, so don't worry. (thanks to phileasbu for proposing this idea, and big_kake for refining it) -Reply that you are kidnapping Princess Garnet; it takes quite a bit of time to trigger the secret scene with Ruby. Although if you MUST trigger it, then go ahead; it won't prevent you from successfully completing this challenge. -As Vivi, search the house to the right, then head up the street. -Search the item shop, but skip the pub; you'll search it on Disc 3. -When you arrive at the square, head right and search the shops; do not approach the ticket booth just yet. Also, don't forget the Phoenix Pinion to the left of the main gate. -Leave the square by way of the bottom left exit and head toward the docks; enter the house ONLY if you see a girl run OUT of it, otherwise keep going. There are 2 treasures in this house, but you can pick them up on Disc 3. -Speak with the boy behind the steeple, reply "Yes" and head all the way back to where you first gained control of Vivi. -Head down, search the square and speak to the cat near the bottom of the screen. -Now go to the ticket booth and show the ticketmaster your ticket. -Then, enter the alley once again and choose the first answer to every question asked. -Speak to Tom behind the steeple to claim your reward for finding the cat, a Bomb Card. -Follow the Rat Boy into the steeple, search it and then attempt to climb the ladder. -Pick up Kupo's letter for delivery and save your game. TARGET TIME: 00:08:51 TARGET GIL : 630 NOTE: You can miss a moogle letter depending on your actions in Alexandria. The letter in question is the one Mosh receives from Kupo, about the Jump Rope mini-game. In order to receive it, you must jump at least 100 times, which only takes about a minute. This letter is NOT visible on Disc 4 because Mosh is then found in Mognet Central telling you how many letters you delivered; his dialogue does not allow you to view any letters he may have received in the past. It also does not count in the total quoted by Mosh because only letters delivered by YOU are taken into account. (thanks to AtmaChild for informing me of Mosh's whereabouts on Disc 4) So, should this letter be gotten? It depends. You will eventually have to complete the Jump Rope mini-game and get 1000 jumps in order to obtain the King of Jump Rope key item. You can do so on the first try to have a clean record with 1000 as the first and only entry. The entries are only visible after 3 attempts, but that doesn't mean it isn't possible to prove that you got 1000 jumps on the first attempt by just playing 2 more games with 1 jump each. In this case, getting the letter would mess up your ranking. But, you can also go for a ranking screen with 3 1000's, in which case getting the letter would be fine since it would be removed from the ranking anyway. It depends on what you want your ranking screen to look like, and whether you care about getting a letter not visible on Disc 4 (this and Monty's letter gotten in Pinnacle Rocks are the only letters not viewable on Disc 4). Getting 1000 jumps on Disc 1 would solve all the problems with this letter, but there are better ways to torture yourself and destroy your interest in this overall fun challenge. However, if you feel up to it, then by all means give it a shot. Getting 1000 jumps takes about 8 minutes. (thanks to Non Applicable for this info) =============================================================================== II) ALEXANDRIA STEEPLE - ALEXANDRIA CASTLE GUARDHOUSE: (D1-02) =============================================================================== -Moonstone -29 gil -63 gil -92 gil -Climb the ladder and follow Rat Boy over the rooftops; don't forget to search all the bird nests for gil. ------------------------------- BOSS: King Leo, Benero, Zenero ------------------------------- -Just attack King Leo with everyone and ignore his guards. -If you're lucky, they won't use too much of that fake magic, which takes longer than their physical attacks. -Now comes the first real challenge; impressing all 100 nobles. Here are a few tips: a) Turn off the volume on your TV. b) Accuracy is MUCH more important than speed, but you must be swift if you want to impress 100 nobles instead of 99. c) Stay calm and don't rush yourself. d) Don't anticipate any of the buttons showing up, just take it one at a time. e) If you're still having problems, cover your TV screen so that you only see the button prompts. f) Try your best on the first attempt, reset if you don't get it by the third time. Each attempt takes exactly 1 minute to complete, regardless of whether you make a mistake or not, so take that into consideration. g) DO NOT MASH THE X BUTTON WHEN A SEQUENCE FINISHES!!! The default option is to do the scene over, and you don't want that when you finally impress all 100 nobles. -Breathe a sigh of relief once you're done; this is one of the hardest parts of this challenge. -Please note that you MUST impress 100 nobles here. You will have serious monetary problems which you may not be able to solve without the 10,000 gil you receive here as a reward. Moreover, Black Waltz #2 will be extremely difficult; you must be very lucky to defeat him at LV 1 without access to Shell. And of course, the Moonstone given as a reward is unique. -When you encounter Garnet on the stairs, choose whatever you want. -As Steiner, run up the stairs, through the lower exit and speak to Queen Brahne to claim your well-deserved Moonstone. -Run down the stairs, to the right and save your game with Mosh the moogle. TARGET TIME: 00:18:21 TARGET GIL : 10,814 =============================================================================== III) ALEXANDRIA CASTLE GUARDHOUSE - PRIMA VISTA CRASH SITE: (D1-03) =============================================================================== -Phoenix Down -Phoenix Down -Phoenix Pinion -Elixir -Speak to either of the 2 guards, pick up the Phoenix Down near the door and exit the room. -Enter the door under the walkway and catch the Pluto Knight running on the balcony. -Enter the right chamber on the second floor and speak to the Pluto Knight there. -Go back and down the stairs to the first floor, and then enter the left room to find yet another Pluto Knight. -Exit the library and leave the castle. -Talk to the Pluto Knight by the water, then head left and talk to the Pluto Knight by the tower entrance. -Enter and climb the tower. -Speak with the final Pluto Knight on the stairway to receive an Elixir, then continue to the top of the tower. -As Zidane, follow the princess. -Once in the boiler room, turn the lever both ways to make 2 treasure chests fall from the ceiling; open them and go through the door. -------------- BOSS: Steiner -------------- -Have everyone physically attack while Cinna steals whatever he can. -When Vivi becomes available, use his Fire spell. -Ignore the soldiers during the second battle. -In the battle with the bomb, knock out everyone except Zidane and wait for the battle to end automatically. -At the crash site, watch the ATE and save your game. TARGET TIME: 00:33:53 TARGET GIL : 10,814 =============================================================================== IV) PRIMA VISTA CRASH SITE - EVIL FOREST SPRING: (D1-04) =============================================================================== -Potion -Ether -Rubber Helm -Bronze Gloves -Phoenix Down -Ether -Wrist -116 gil -Ether -Leather Hat -Go through the forest to find Steiner, Vivi and... ------------------ BOSS: Prison Cage ------------------ -During the fight to save Garnet, use Zidane's Free Energy (NOT Tidal Flame) ability and make Steiner attack physically. -During the fight to rescue Vivi, simply attack with both Zidane and Steiner until you win; there's no need to use a Potion on anyone. -Every screen in the Prima Vista has some treasure in it, so search all of them carefully. -Go down the stairs and into the room on the right. -Speak with Vivi, leave the room and choose to go look for Garnet. Choosing the other option initiates an extra scene, but it has absolutely no impact on the game whatsoever and takes an extra minute, so I suggest you skip it. -Now head left, down the stairs and through the bottom exit; pick up the Leather Hat and return to the previous room. -Go through the right door, then backtrack and speak to Baku to initiate combat. ----------- BOSS: Baku ----------- -If you have the Mage Masher, just attack 3 times and you'll win. -If you're still using the Dagger, you'll have to attack 5 times, so you'll need to use a Potion at some point during the battle. -Now go to Steiner's room (don't forget to search it afterwards) and then to Vivi's room. -Exit the Prima Vista and save your game; there's also a letter from Ruby. -Make your way through the forest until you reach the spring. -Deliver Kupo's letter to Monty, read the letter Monty received from Stiltzkin and save your game. TARGET TIME: 00:45:24 TARGET GIL : 11,366 ENCOUNTERS : 0 =============================================================================== V) EVIL FOREST SPRING - GUNITAS BASIN: (D1-05) =============================================================================== -N/A -Head deeper into the forest to find Garnet. ------------------ BOSS: Plant Brain ------------------ -Have Zidane knock himself out on the first turn to make Blank appear and immediately push the battle into the second and last phase. -Vivi and Steiner should have full or nearly full ATB gauges by the time Blank shows up, so use Fire, Fire Sword and Blank's physical attack all at once to finish the battle in a single round. -If you're very lucky, Plant Brain may not even get a single turn. -Don't waste your time stealing anything; it's not worth it at all. -Unequip Blank and revive Zidane before doing anything. -There will be a forced encounter against a party of Plant Spiders. If there are more than 2 Plant Spiders, RESET THE GAME and try again. -Use a spreaded Fire spell against the enemy party to win the battle; make sure everyone survives to keep your party at LV 1. -Do NOT have Blank absorb all the EXP, as that will make Amarant join the party at LV 3. You have been warned. -Skip the tutorial by choosing "Nothing". -On the World Map, head south while the nameplate is displayed to avoid random battles and save right outside Ice Cavern. TARGET TIME: 00:52:01 TARGET GIL : 12,016 ENCOUNTERS : 0 =============================================================================== VI) GUNITAS BASIN - ICE CAVERN: (D1-06) =============================================================================== -Potion -Phoenix Down -Elixir -Mage Masher -Potion -Tent -Ether -Leather Wrist -This is a pretty straightforward area, just search every screen. -NEVER make contact with the white wind as touching it instantly throws you into a random battle. Wait for it to die down or turn dark; that's when it's safe to pass through. -Head LEFT at the fork near the end. -Unequip everyone, then "optimize" Zidane. -Defrost the moogle, skip the tutorial, accept the letter for Gumo and save. TARGET TIME: 00:57:55 TARGET GIL : 11,993 ENCOUNTERS : 2-3 =============================================================================== VII) ICE CAVERN - DALI STORAGE AREA: (D1-07) =============================================================================== -Potion -Eye Drops -Aries S. -156 gil -Potion -Ether -Return to the fork and head right. ------------------------------- BOSS: Black Waltz #1 & Sealion ------------------------------- -Alternate between attacking Black Waltz #1 and using a Potion. -Once Black Waltz #1 is defeated, begin stealing from Sealion. -Use a Potion when needed and wait for the Trance gauge to fill. -Reset if you don't steal the Mythril Dagger; if you steal it and have extra turns left, try to steal his Ether as well. -Once Zidane reaches Trance, use a physical attack followed by Tidal Flame to end the battle. -If you stole the items very quickly and have extra turns, you should attack Sealion once from the back row and once from the front row before entering Trance, and then using Tidal Flame without the physical attack. This will save you some time. -Make your way up the slope by the waterfall and exit the cavern. -Save in the middle of the plains (saving on the World Map requires less time than engaging in a battle, it's convenient and reloading resets the probability of an encounter; use this method whenever traversing the world map). -Enter Dali and deliver Mois's letter to Gumo; save if you didn't do so on Nolrich Heights. -Ignore all chests and field icons above ground. -Leave the inn, head upwards and right to enter a farm plot, then go back and meet up with Vivi by the windmill. -Now enter/exit both the pub and the windmill, then go to the shop across from the inn; Garnet should be there now. -After the conversation, sell all your Phoenix Pinion and Leather Hat. Then, buy the following: > 1 Iron Sword > 99 Wrist > 2 Feather Hat -Now return to your room at the inn and talk to Garnet, then go to where you found Vivi earlier. -Enter the windmill and go down the hatch; the Aries Stellazzio is behind the container if you want to pick it up. -Pick up all the items underground, then find Kumop in the barrel; take his letter to Mogki and save your game. TARGET TIME: 01:18:05 TARGET GIL : 729 ENCOUNTERS : 0 =============================================================================== VIII) DALI STORAGE AREA - LINDBLUM INN: (D1-08) =============================================================================== -Potion -Phoenix Down -Iron Helm -95 gil -Hi-Potion -Phoenix Pinion -Leather Wrist -135 gil -Proceed onward until you find Vivi, looting all the chests along the way. -Equip your characters exactly as follows: > ZIDANE: Mage Masher, Feather Hat, Leather Wrist, Leather Shirt, - > VIVI : Mage Staff, Feather Hat, -, Silk Shirt, - > GARNET: Rod, -, -, -, Moonstone -Examine and choose to open the large door; run from the resulting battle. -Open all 3 chests in the Mist room, then continue to the end of the area, equipping Zidane with the Mythril Dagger at the very end. -Don't bother healing or reviving anyone as you will be fully healed prior to the upcoming boss fight. -As Steiner, equip the Iron Sword, Rubber Helm, Bronze Gloves and Bronze Armor. -Head down the mountain, pick up both treasures at the base, enter Morrid's house and stand still; this sometimes makes him come inside immediately. Talk to Morrid. -Leave Observatory Mountain, then do whatever you like to the barrel :) --------------------- BOSS: Black Waltz #2 --------------------- -Do not use Vivi's spells at all during this battle. -Make Zidane attack physically and use one of Steiner's Sword Magic attacks. -Black Waltz #2 should now target someone with a spell or attack. If he targets: > Zidane or Vivi -> cast Shell on Steiner > Steiner -> cast Shell on Zidane -It's possible that Black Waltz #2 gets a physical attack in before this. If this happens to you, cast Shell on whomever of the two has more HP left after Black Waltz #2's spell. -Now quickly attack physically with both Zidane and Steiner once more, with the one NOT protected by Shell acting first. -If either Steiner or Zidane is knocked out before this, make Vivi use Fire as the first attack of the second round. -Black Waltz #2 will use Fira on everyone besides Garnet after the first attack of the second round, which will knock out anyone not protected by Shell. -Use a Cure spell and attack once or twice more to win the battle. -I have had 1 battle in which he did not use the spreaded Fira spell; Zidane and Steiner made short work of him and the battle ended quicker. But don't count on this because in all the years I've played this game, this only happened to me once. -Choose to depart immediately after Garnet corrects her speech. -On the airship, climb the ladder in the back of the engine room and head into the cockpit. --------------------- BOSS: Black Waltz #3 --------------------- -During the first round, make Zidane attack physically, Steiner use Fire Sword and Vivi Fire x 2, in that order. -Repeat the same process as in round 1 to win the battle, but make Zidane steal instead of attacking. -You should not need to heal or revive anyone during this battle. -In Lindblum, remove everyone's equipment before boarding the lift with Minister Artania. -Once you regain control of Zidane at the inn, skip the last tutorial, enter the neighboring room and read the letter from Ruby; save your game. TARGET TIME: 01:43:51 TARGET GIL : 1,363 ENCOUNTERS : 0 (excludes the forced battle after opening the door) =============================================================================== IX) LINDBLUM INN - LINDBLUM CASTLE GUEST ROOM: (D1-09) =============================================================================== -Hi-Potion -Leather Wrist -Ore -68 gil -Echo Screen -Glass Armlet -Mimic Card -97 gil -Tent -Silver Gloves -Mini-Burmecia -127 gil -Ether -Leather Plate -Moogle Suit -163 gil -Steepled Hat -Bronze Vest -Autograph -282 gil -Head downstairs, pick up the gil near the entrance and exit the building. -Head upwards to the market square, search the left street area and the house between the 2 streets (Card Freak Gon's house). -Go down the right alley and enter Dragoos' Weapon Shop. -Sell ALL your Ether, Phoenix Pinion, Hi-Potion, and Remedy. -If you can afford it, do not sell any of your Tent at the shop. If you have to, leave at least 1 and sell the Rubber Helm and medicinal items instead. In my case, I was forced to sell them because otherwise I would have had to make an extra trip to the shop, which wastes time. -Now buy Steepled Hat so that the number of them in your inventory will equal your gil in thousands after you purchase them. -Run outside and across the square to the synthesis shop; synthesize as many Cotton Robe as you can. -Return to the weapon shop, sell all the Cotton Robe you just bought and repeat the process with the Steepled Hat described earlier. -Keep buying Steepled Hat and synthesizing/selling Cotton Robe until you buy your last batch of Steepled Hat (which should be equal to your remaining Wrists). -At that point, buy the following equipment as well: > 1 Mage Masher (if you didn't get one at the beginning of the game) > 1 Javelin -Now go to the synthesis shop once more and buy the following: > 1 The Ogre > as many Cotton Robe as you can -In case you are a bit confused, here is how I had to do this part: > Bought 12 Steepled Hat, then synthesized/sold 12 Cotton Robe. > Bought 19 Steepled Hat, then synthesized/sold 19 Cotton Robe. > Bought 30 Steepled Hat, then synthesized/sold 30 Cotton Robe. > Bought 38 Steepled Hat along with the equipment listed above. > Synthesized 38 Cotton Robe and 1 The Ogre. -Return to the aircab terminal opposite the Lindblum inn and commute to the Industrial District. -Loot the place, then fly to the Theater District and head to the Tantalus hideout. -Pick up all the treasures in the hideout, then head down the stairs outside. -Speak with the crowd, then follow the "moogle" to Artist Michael's studio. -Take the Moogle Suit, the Autograph and the Ore, then take an aircab to Lindblum Castle. -Enter the guest room, speak with Steiner and then attempt to take the lift. -Speak to the sleeping guard outside the guest room, then take the lift and find Garnet at the overlook. -Find all 6 areas with the telescope. -Back in the guest room, open both chests, deliver Kumop's letter, take the letter for Atla and save your game. TARGET TIME: 02:00:05 TARGET GIL : 19,056 =============================================================================== X) LINDBLUM CASTLE GUEST ROOM - LACHENTA WETLANDS (D1-10) =============================================================================== -Tent -Coral Ring -Wyerd Card NOTE: There are 2 issues to consider with the Festival of the Hunt; who wins, and with how many points. This may be important to you as it is visible on Disc 4 by checking the letter Mogmi in Gizamaluke's Grotto receives from Moodon. Who wins is really just a personal choice. The Coral Ring is certainly more useful than 5,000 gil or the Theater Ship Card, but you can get another one at the beginning of Disc 2 in Treno. It comes in useful for the rest of Disc 1, but it's not essential. As for the amount of points, this is also a personal choice, but one which you unfortunately have no control over. The points received are random, so it's very difficult to get a desired value. The guide assumes you let Freya win, simply because she gets the best reward. If you don't let her win, buy a Rod during your visit to Dali and use it together with the Lightning Rod gotten in Burmecia to synthesize a Coral Ring when you reach Treno. -Take the aircab to the Theater District, then immediately commute to the Business District. -Equip Zidane with The Ogre, Feather Hat, Leather Wrist and Bronze Vest; activate the Beast Killer and Add Status abilities and make sure he's in the front row. -It isn't worth it to equip the Mythril Dagger for the Bandit ability because you can almost always steal the Needle Fork within your first 3 attempts, it isn't rare at all. -Head for the Business District Shopping Area (the screen with Card Freak Gon's house). You'll have to fight a Trick Sparrow and, if you're not fast enough, a Mu before you get there, but there's more than enough time. -Since there's nothing better to do, auto-arrange your items and place the Tent and Cotton Robe at the top of the list. -Oh yes, and don't forget to agonize as you completely and willfully waste 7.5 minutes. -Wait until the clock reads less than 4:30, then go to the square to fight... --------- ZAGHNOL: --------- -Immediately throw a Tent on him and hope that it works; throw another one if it doesn't and if you actually have another one. If it still doesn't succeed, consider resetting. -I completed this battle without any Tent, so don't worry if you don't have any. -Have Freya Defend while Zidane tries to steal the Needle Fork. -Once you've stolen it, have Zidane attack Zaghnol 3 times to do around 1500 damage. -Then, you have to decide who wins the Festival of the Hunt. If you want Zidane to be the winner, have him deal the finishing blow. If you'd rather have Freya be the winner, have her use Jump to deal the final blow. Finally, if you want Vivi to win, knock out both Zidane and Freya. -The battle should end at around 2:30 if you steal the Needle Fork on your first attempt and everything else goes perfectly. -If you decide to have Zidane win the Festival of the Hunt, then you will need to find another battle after defeating Zaghnol in order to knock Zidane out, or just wait until time runs out. (thanks to AtmaChild for pointing this out) -Pay attention to the number of points the victor wins with. Reset if it is less than 100 because otherwise you will miss a moogle letter shortly. -Take the lift to the base level station, ride to and open the chest at the Serpent's Gate and then ride straight to the Dragon's Gate. -Read the letter from Stiltzkin. -Speak to the merchant and sell all the Cotton Robe you have for a huge monetary boost. Then, restock your inventory so that you have 60 Potion, 50 Phoenix Down, 10 Antidote and 10 Tent. -Pick up the Tent behind the platform, then head out into the Mist; save once you reach the marsh area, about halfway to Qu's Marsh. TARGET TIME: 02:14:45 TARGET GIL : 76,056 ENCOUNTERS : 0 =============================================================================== XI) LACHENTA WETLANDS - EUNORUS PLAINS: (D1-11) =============================================================================== -Ether -Moccha Coffee -Enter Qu's Marsh, head to the pond and catch a frog for Quina (the huge one in the top right corner of the marsh is easy to catch). -Leave Qu's Marsh by way of the right path to avoid the frog-catching mini-game and head in the direction of Chocobo's Forest; save once the marshlands end. -Enter Chocobo's Forest, then exit and call Choco; save your game. -Now reset and return to play a game of Chocobo Hot&Cold. If you don't unearth the "Stone with Patterns" during your first game, reset and try again. -The "Stone with Patterns" will always be the "Streamside" Chocograph, so don't bother replaying in hopes of getting anything else. Once you've got it, leave and save again. -Now play another game of Hot&Cold. Reset if you don't unearth a Chocograph. -When you do, quickly check which one it is you received; leave the forest and save if it is either "Healing Shore" or "Small Beach". -Return and play 1 more game in hopes of getting the other one; reset until you do. -This process could take many hours, or it could take 10 minutes (in my case, it was both as I did this twice), but it is possible to get all 3 of these Chocographs in your first 3 games, so don't give up. -If you don't also discover at least 2 Gysahl Greens, buy them from Mene. You only need 2, though, so don't go overboard buying 10 or something. -Leave Chocobo's Forest and dismount between South Gate and the wild forest near the river. -Loot South Gate. -"Optimize" your party, but equip Zidane with the Dagger and place Freya in the front row. -It would be a good idea to save near the wild forest. -Enter the forest and try to encounter a group of Mandragora. -Choose 1 Mandragora and have Freya attack it physically, Vivi use Fire, Quina use Eat on it and Zidane use Flee. This will let Quina learn the overpowered Limit Glove spell. -After the battle, heal the party, equip Quina with the Needle Fork, Feather Hat, Leather Wrist, Bronze Vest and Coral Ring and activate his/her Add Status ability; place him/her in the back row as well. -I'm not sure whether a higher Spirit really does affect the chance of Add Status working, but it won't hurt and this set of equipment gives Quina the highest possible Spirit right now while keeping Strength as low as possible. -Ride Choco to Gizamaluke's Grotto and enter; pick up the soldier's Gizamaluke Bell, then leave. -Make sure you're facing the entrance to the grotto and save your game. NOTE: You should take care of the scenes inside the grotto and get the bell before saving in order to reduce the time it takes to reach the battle against the Type A's. You'll be replaying that battle who knows how many times, so you'll be grateful to have gotten that over with. TARGET TIME: 02:29:05 TARGET GIL : 75,807 ENCOUNTERS : 0 (excludes the Mandragora) =============================================================================== XII) EUNORUS PLAINS - GIZAMALUKE'S GROTTO: (D1-12) =============================================================================== -N/A -If you prepared your party in the previous circuit, then simply enter the main cavern to initiate your first and worst forced EXP encounter :) ------------ TYPE A x 2: ------------ -This is the most annoying and luck-based forced battle in the game, from my experience even the Type C's in Alexandria don't compare. -This is also thankfully the only battle in which you will be completely at the mercy of the Needle Fork, so be happy. In fact, you can ditch that utensil once you get past this. -Have Quina attack 1 of the mages and someone else throw a Tent at the same one right after that. -The third character throws a Tent at the other mage, and the fourth waits to see which mage was inflicted with status and throws an Antidote at that mage. -Repeat the process above until both mages have been inflicted with Darkness and Silence; you can then try to Petrify them safely. -Quina attacks constantly in hopes of Petrification. -Follow up each of Quina's attacks with a Potion when Tents are no longer necessary (Tents also heal so there's no need for Potions until the mage Quina attacks is already under status). -Once your other characters have nothing else to do, steal with Zidane; you might just get your Tents back. -You should aim to finish this battle with around 5 to 7 attacks with the Needle Fork. -After the battle, revive everyone and heal Zidane to full health. -You will now have to enter a random battle before you reach the save point in the cavern with the moogles in order to have Quina knocked out. -Return to the previous screen and check the soldier for another Gizamaluke Bell. -I suggest you exit the grotto once again now and save if you had a very good battle against the Type A's. -Go to the main chamber and run straight for the steps; you should be able to skip the Black Mage in that area by heading for the left railing and then quickly onto the steps. There isn't much strategy to this, just practice a bit if you're having trouble. The most important thing is to not stop before reaching the steps. This is not guaranteed to work every time, though. If it looks like you won't make it, return to the other side of the bridge and wait for the mage to go to the other end of the area, then try again. -At the top, go through the large door. You could go through the left one and get the other Gizamaluke Bell, but only if you saved after the battle with the Type A's. Otherwise, don't as you'll be risking having more than one battle. -Pick up the Gizamaluke Bell from the chest and enter the moogles' room. If you still have not had a battle, run around the door to the moogles' room until you get one, knock out Quina and escape, then enter. -Tell Moguta that you like Kupo Nuts, read the letter Mogmi received from Moodon and save your game. TARGET TIME: 02:37:01 TARGET GIL : 75,690 ENCOUNTERS : 1 =============================================================================== XIII) GIZAMALUKE'S GROTTO - DAINES-HORSE BASIN: (D1-13) =============================================================================== -Potion -Hi-Potion -Tent -Multina Racket -Revive Quina and reset until he/she is revived with EXACTLY 1 HP; revive Vivi and Freya as well. -Exit the room and enter the opposite door to face... ----------------- BOSS: Gizamaluke ----------------- -If Zidane's turn comes up before Quina's, attempt to steal once. -Use Quina's Limit Glove. -As Steiner, speak to the guards by the gate. -Take the Multina Racket from the chest to the left of the gate, then speak to Part-time Worker Mary and choose whichever option you like. -Next speak with the guy "repairing" the left gate and choose what you want here, too. -Finally, talk to the guy on the far right and then make your way to the passageway. -Open the chest for a Potion, take Grimo's letter to Nazna and board the cable car. -Equip Zidane with the Dagger and give Quina the Coral Ring; activate Quina's Insomniac ability. Place Zidane and Freya in the front row. -Run a bit toward Cleyra and save your game. -Make your way to the coast, hugging the mountain range so that you walk on the grassy area; this is where you can encounter Nymph. -Encounter a party of 2 Nymph. Zidane's physical attack does around 40 damage, Freya's does around 180, and Vivi's Fire spell around 80. You'll likely need to improvise during this battle, so use that data to successfully Eat a Nymph. In order to do so, you'll need to inflict about 340 damage; Freya attacking twice is probably the fastest and simplest method. You should be able to do this and flee before they use Night. If they do, have Quina attack and hope for the best. This isn't too tough, and probably easier than doing it in Fossil Roo with Seeker Bat or Abomination. -It is strongly suggested that you DO learn Night here as it will make the forced battles against the upcoming Type A's and Type B's much easier and faster. -Save after the battle and reset. TARGET TIME: 02:46:02 -Call Choco, open the Chocograph menu and select the Healing Shore Chocograph. -Unearth the Healing Shore Chocograph to get the Reef transformation. -After getting the transformation, head back to Gizamaluke's Grotto and save outside. -Go through the grotto, still evading the Black Mage, then run a little in the direction of Chocobo's Forest and save. -Reset and make your way to the Chocobo tracks outside Chocobo's Forest; call Choco. -Unearth the "Streamside" (it's along the way and quite profitable) and the "Small Beach" Chocographs. -Return to the entrance of Gizamaluke's Grotto, equip Vivi with the Oak Staff and Coral Ring and activate his Insomniac ability; save your game. TARGET TIME: 02:50:56 -Enter and engage the enemy. -This battle won't remind you too much of the first one; Stop is far superior to Add Status + Needle Fork. -Use the Night spell to put everyone except Vivi to sleep and then begin comfortably casting Stop. Cast Night again if needed. -Don't waste your time with Tent and Antidote, it's completely unnecessary and time-consuming. -You should be able to finish this battle with as little as 5 castings; Vivi should have enough MP for at least 4. I managed to do it with only 3, and I imagine it should be possible to do it with only 2, but a casting only takes an extra 5 to 10 seconds, so don't kill yourself here :) -After the battle, go get the last Gizamaluke Bell from the soldier, if you didn't get it during your first run through this area. -Leave the grotto and loot North Gate; revive and heal anyone in bad shape and use an Ether on Vivi if he's got less than 16 MP; that is enough for only 2 castings of Stop, though, so you may want to replenish his MP even if he has more. -Save outside Burmecia. TARGET TIME: 02:54:36 TARGET GIL : 76,430 ENCOUNTERS : 1 (if you had to get the soldier's bell, otherwise 0) NOTE: Technically, you could just evade the Black Mage again and forget about this place. However, this will mean that: 1) you won't be able to collect all the treasure here, and 2) the doors will permanently remain unopened If you defeat the Black Mage and pick up the soldier's Gizamaluke Bell, you'll be left with 1 bell and 1 closed door, at which point it will be up to you to decide what to do here on Disc 4. Evading the Black Mage will leave the 2 doors permanently closed because both the Black Mage and the soldier will be gone after Disc 1. The Gizamaluke Bell is just as unique a key item as the Athlete Queen or the coffees, so I don't see a reason why you should be able to just skip it if you want a perfect save. Even if you decide to use it on Disc 4 to open the last door, it will still be visible that you got all of the bells. =============================================================================== XIV) DAINES-HORSE BASIN - START OF DISC 2: (D1-14) =============================================================================== -Ether -Mythril Spear -Germinas Boots -Cancer S. -Lightning Staff -Ignore all chests in Burmecia unless instructed to do otherwise. -The Cancer Stellazzio can be found behind the overturned cart, if you want it. -Handle the pair of Type A's just like those you just defeated in Gizamaluke's Grotto. -Make sure Quina is knocked out during the battle and unequip the Coral Ring from Vivi once it's over. -Head up the stairs to the right and head left until you reach a building with balconies inside. -WALK across the plank to the chest with the Germinas Boots, then RUN back to make the plank fall to the level below. -Return to where you fought the Type A's and go through the door on the left. -Go upstairs, through the door and jump across the balconies on the outside. -Speak to the dying soldier, then pick up the Protection Bell from behind the bed and the Ether from behind the cabinet. -Now make your way back to the terrace with the locked door which you passed going to the Germinas Boots. -Open and go through the door, then go up the stairs. -Enter the doorway below the walkway, then return and take that walkway to the left door after the scene. -Go through the next door to appear in a rainy courtyard; enter the left door. -Exit and enter the right door. -Open the chest in the back of the room, buy Stiltzkin's deal, deliver the letter to Atla, accept the letter to Monev and finally save your game. -Revive Quina and reset until he/she is revived with EXACTLY 1 HP; revive Vivi and Freya as well. -Go outside and up the steps. -Choose to leave Freya alone. -------------- BOSS: Beatrix -------------- -Steal once if Zidane gets a turn before Quina. -Use Quina's Limit Glove. TARGET TIME: 03:07:35 TARGET GIL : 76,097 ENCOUNTERS : 1 =============================================================================== * CONGRATULATIONS! YOU FINISHED DISC 1! * =============================================================================== _ _ _ _ _ ,' `. .' `. .- - - - - - . / \ : `. : : : : : ,-. : : _ _ _ : :_ _ _ _: ; : : : : : ,- - -. ,- - - - -. ,- - - - -. .' : : : : : :_ _ _; : : : : .' .' : : : : _ _ _ : _ _ _; : _ _; .' .' : :_ _ _; : : : : : : .' .' .' : : : : `_ _ _ : : `._ _ .' .' : ,' : : : : : : .' ,'_ _ _ _ :_ _ _ _ _ _ .' :_ _ _; :_ _ _ _ _; `. _ _ _ _; : : : : :_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _; =============================================================================== I) START OF DISC 2 - BENTINI HEIGHTS: (D2-01) =============================================================================== -Phoenix Down -Elixir -1,610 gil -Enter Summit Station, deliver the letter addressed to Nazna and accept the letter to Mochos. -Sell all your Rising Sun and Germinas Boots. Then, buy the following with the money you make: > 3 Silver Gloves > 99 Steepled Hat > 2 Iron Helm -Equip your party as follows: > STEINER: Iron Sword, Iron Helm, Silver Gloves, Linen Cuirass, Coral Ring > GARNET : Multina Racket, -, -, -, - -Activate Steiner's Man Eater ability. -Speak with the attendant between the exits and head outside, picking up the Phoenix Down from the chest. -Re-enter the station after overhearing the conversation and speak to either Marcus or Cinna, and then to Steiner. -Leave the station and board the cable car. ------------------------------- BOSS: Black Waltz #3 (rematch) ------------------------------- -Attack physically with everyone, including Garnet. -Don't heal anyone since he'll damage himself every other turn once Steiner and Marcus are knocked out. -It is literally impossible to lose this battle, unless you attack yourself (Black Waltz #3 will NEVER hurt Garnet). -At the fork, head LEFT, in the direction of Dali. -Save in the middle of Nolrich Heights, then enter Dali. -Buy 99 Wrist from the shop, then go to the farm plot and open the chest for an Elixir. -Buy a Rod as well if you didn't get the Coral Ring as the reward during the Festival of the Hunt in Lindblum. -Leave Dali and return to South Gate, taking the right path at the fork. -Open the chest for 1,610 gil, then make your way out of South Gate. -Save the moment it gets completely dark on Bentini Heights. TARGET TIME: 03:17:15 TARGET GIL : 35,271 ENCOUNTERS : 0 =============================================================================== II) BENTINI HEIGHTS - GARGAN ROO: (D2-02) =============================================================================== -Mythril Dagger -Reflect Ring -Tonberry Card -2,225 gil -Power Belt -Remove Marcus's equipment and enter Treno. This is your first opportunity to grab that missable Leather Plate he's wearing. -Watch the ATE "Treno Tradition" (press X when the ! appears to have him steal only 500 gil as opposed to 1,000)) and go down the left stairway. -Go down the next set of stairs and enter the building across from the cafe. -Speak to the Four-Armed Man to claim your Power Belt, then continue into the synthesis shop and synthesize as many Cotton Robe as you can. -Synthesize a Coral Ring as well if you didn't get one on Disc 1. -Return outside and head past the Card Stadium. -Enter the little tower to make Mogrich appear; run after him and read the letter he received from Stiltzkin, then save your game. -Now go into the weapon shop, sell all the Cotton Robe you just bough and buy the following equipment: > 5 Mythril Sword > 5 Air Racket > 2 Bone Wrist > 1 Mythril Gloves > 1 Magus Hat > 2 Bandana > 2 Barbut > 14 Chain Mail -Next, "optimize" Steiner, place him in the back row and activate HP+10%, MP Attack and Bird Killer. -Challenge Griffin; use a Tent on him and then just attack physically. If the Tent is unsuccessful, reset and try again. -After the battle, return outside and save your game again. -Enter the Auction House to reunite with Garnet, then go back inside. -Make the following bids on the listed items in order to push the auction to its final stages, but with a noble winning it: > Mini-Cid - 2,800 > Griffin's Heart - 5,500 > Doga's Artifact - 7,000 > Une's Mirror - 12,500 > Rat Tail - 18,000 > Fairy Earrings - 7,500 > Madain's Ring - 8,000 -Bid 16,000 gil on the Reflect Ring to win it. -You don't need any of the other items up for auction, so reset if you win anything besides the Reflect Ring. -Please be aware that the mechanics of the Auction House are rather random, so you may sometimes end up having offered too low of a price (which prolongs the auction a bit) or too high of a price (where you win the item). This process may require one or two resets, but nothing major. -Don't leave Treno without the Reflect Ring; it is essential for rescuing Garnet in Alexandria, and very useful in the Iifa Tree. It may also be crucial to getting past Pandemonium, depending on which stat path you choose. -Now head over to the Treno inn and speak with Marcus. -Go down toward the dock and speak to Baku; ignore Steiner completely or you won't make it to the bottom. -After the attempted robbery, go to Doctor Tot's tower and pick up the Mythril Dagger from the chest by the entrance. -Speak with Doctor Tot once Marcus grabs the Supersoft, then climb the ladders and go down the hatch. -Deliver Nazna's letter to Mochos and save your game. TARGET TIME: 03:29:29 TARGET GIL : 41,046 ENCOUNTERS : 0 =============================================================================== III) GARGAN ROO - CLEYRA'S TRUNK: (D2-03) =============================================================================== -Phoenix Down -Tent -Ice Staff -Chain Plate -Phoenix Down -Ether -Needle Fork -Magician Shoes -Go down the left passage, flip the switch and open both chests. Then, return to Mochos and head down the right passage. -Go up, pull the lever and then return to the entrance of the right platform and go near the switch on the wall. -Equip Steiner with the Mythril Sword, Barbut, Silver Gloves, Chain Mail and Power Belt; activate HP+10%, MP Attack and Counter. Finally, put him back in the front row. -Make sure Garnet is equipped with the Multina Racket; leave the other equipment categories empty. -Leave Marcus bare of equipment as well, since he can't survive any of Ralvurahva's attacks at LV 1 anyway. -Press the button once you're ready for the upcoming boss fight. ----------------- BOSS: Ralvurahva ----------------- -This battle is won by strength in numbers; Ralvurahva can only target 1 character per round and you have control of 3 party members. -Simply have either Garnet or Marcus throw Phoenix Downs on whichever of them is knocked out in the given round, or heal Steiner with a Potion if he happens to be the one targeted (Steiner will usually survive the boss's attacks when at full health). -In the meanwhile, have Steiner attack physically every round; the boss should be defeated after 4 or 5 attacks. -Alternatively, you may want to gamble with Garnet's Bl