FF Novice Plays FF IX

[Makoeyes987]

Some important info.

Since you like Quina, I hope you've been getting their Blue Magic. There's a great way to grind and also get your team strong enough to handle what lies ahead.

First Quina needs to have learned Level 5 Death. You can learn it by eating Stropers, Dracozombies, or Whale Zombies.

Once you learn that, you go to Daguerro. Outside that location where you move around the world map are an enemy called Grand Dragons. They're super tough... However their level is divisible by 5. Make sure you have your party equipped with abilities to counter poison since it inflicts Venom status.

Use Quina's Level 5 Death and in a little less than an hour you can grind like 20 levels. But that's not the best part.

Freya has an ability called "Dragon Crest" that deals fixed damage based on the number of dragons you've killed. You learn it from the Holy Lance, which can be stolen from Ark and bought for 11,000 gil from Daguerreo. If you kill 100 dragons, Dragon Crest will deal fixed 9999 damage for just 16 MP. This makes it one of the most efficient damage dealing moves in the whole game. It will help the final boss and any super bosses you face less difficult for sure.

Quina's Blue Magic skill Frog Drop is another great way to deal fixed 9999 damage. Catch 101 frogs in the frog catching mini game with Quina and they will be able to deal 9999 damage as well.

Zidane has a way of dealing fixed 9999 damage... But that requires stealing 625 times and I don't think anyone has the patience for that. You're best bet is just relying on his equipment and Dyne skills.

But those are two ways to get heavy hitters on your team for not too much fuss. My favorite team for FFIX was always Zidane, Eiko, Freya and Quina. Sometimes I'd sub Eiko for Garnet if I wanted more power from her Eidolons but that team can role with the hardest challenges the game throws at you if you build them up properly.

Good luck, cause the game's gonna get serious.

 

[Sephiroth Crescent]

If you've a decent supply of gil, head to Treno also and get some decent items from the Auction, also buy the Rat Tail, Une's Mirror, Griffin's heart and Doga's artifacts

IIRC, Une's and Doga's Key Items would let you listen to a certain FF3 theme at the Black Mages Village if you hand them to some NPC there.

Zidane has a way of dealing fixed 9999 damage... But that requires stealing 625 times and I don't think anyone has the patience for that.

Testing my patience, arent'cha?

@ThatGuyMikey I'm so glad you're liking this game so far.Well, I was almost sure you'd do, but sadly, this game really got some backlash back on it's day.

 

[Sprites]

@Stiggie you can start it now though, you can acquire all the auction items on ahead.

 

[Stiggie]

Some important info.

Since you like Quina, I hope you've been getting their Blue Magic. There's a great way to grind and also get your team strong enough to handle what lies ahead.

First Quina needs to have learned Level 5 Death. You can learn it by eating Stropers, Dracozombies, or Whale Zombies.

Once you learn that, you go to Daguerro. Outside that location where you move around the world map are an enemy called Grand Dragons. They're super tough... However their level is divisible by 5. Make sure you have your party equipped with abilities to counter poison since it inflicts Venom status.

Use Quina's Level 5 Death and in a little less than an hour you can grind like 20 levels. But that's not the best part.

Freya has an ability called "Dragon Crest" that deals fixed damage based on the number of dragons you've killed. You learn it from the Holy Lance, which can be stolen from Ark and bought for 11,000 gil from Daguerreo. If you kill 100 dragons, Dragon Crest will deal fixed 9999 damage for just 16 MP. This makes it one of the most efficient damage dealing moves in the whole game. It will help the final boss and any super bosses you face less difficult for sure.

Quina's Blue Magic skill Frog Drop is another great way to deal fixed 9999 damage. Catch 101 frogs in the frog catching mini game with Quina and they will be able to deal 9999 damage as well.

Zidane has a way of dealing fixed 9999 damage... But that requires stealing 625 times and I don't think anyone has the patience for that. You're best bet is just relying on his equipment and Dyne skills.

But those are two ways to get heavy hitters on your team for not too much fuss. My favorite team for FFIX was always Zidane, Eiko, Freya and Quina. Sometimes I'd sub Eiko for Garnet if I wanted more power from her Eidolons but that team can role with the hardest challenges the game throws at you if you build them up properly.

Good luck, cause the game's gonna get serious.

And I advise not doing that because there is zero fun in destroying everything.
Don't waste your time grinding, waste your time exploring, that's where the magic of this game lies, looking in nooks and crannies for secrets and hidden treasure.

 

[Sephiroth Crescent]

And those are wise words. Pure old-school adventuring. No guides, no nothing. Leave such for a second playthrough.

 

[Makoeyes987]

And I advise not doing that because there is zero fun in destroying everything.
Don't waste your time grinding, waste your time exploring, that's where the magic of this game lies, looking in nooks and crannies for secrets and hidden treasure.

Hey, you may enjoy getting your face ground into the pavement by sheep from hell, the king of the netherworld, The Giant Space Flea From Nowhere and the Nightmare Jawbreaker of Doom but that doesn't mean everyone else does.

My info is purely on an "as needed" basis. Knowledge is power, as the saying goes.

 

[LNK]

Once you learn that, you go to Daguerro. Outside that location where you move around the world map are an enemy called Grand Dragons. They're super tough... However their level is divisible by 5. Make sure you have your party equipped with abilities to counter poison since it inflicts Venom status.

They're also by Daguerro? I always fought them near Burmecia. Where the moogle family tell you "don't go outside."

 

[Stiggie]

They're also by Daguerro? I always fought them near Burmecia. Where the moogle family tell you "don't go outside."

That's the first place you can run into them yeah but they can be found around the islands near the forgotten continent as well.

 

[Makoeyes987]

They're also by Daguerro? I always fought them near Burmecia. Where the moogle family tell you "don't go outside."

Near Burmecia is the earliest you can encounter them but they're also found near Daguerro, which is convenient since you can buy the Holy Lance there.

Edit: Ninja'd

 

[Ite]

sheep from hell

This last playthrough of mine was the first one where I encountered these little fuckers. I was like “awww cute!” They were not cute.

Someone mentioned the hammer, and Steiner’s best armour. That’s true, but if you decide *not* to get Steiner’s best armour, and the hammer is in your inventory at the end, you get an extra little scene during the ending. Steiner’s final weapon is also unavailable to you unless you speedrun the game and get to the final dungeon within 12 hours, making it truly impossible to have a perfect game. I love that, it takes the pressure off.

So just explore and revisit places, investigate each question mark bubble, and enjoy your airship! This is the best time to explore and sidequest, as the plot isn’t urgent and you have all your party members back. Chocographs should get you some of the best gear, and you can finish every side quest.

If you catch frogs with Quina, the bogs will replenish as long as you leave one male and one female frog. I’ve never caught 101 frogs, my record was 50 I think. The golden frog in the first marsh makes the frogs respawn more quickly, iirc...

 

[LNK]

Near Burmecia is the earliest you can encounter them but they're also found near Daguerro, which is convenient since you can buy the Holy Lance there.

Edit: Ninja'd

That is much more convenient. I never walked around Daguerro. Just flew in and flew out

 

[Deleted member 13557]

Chocobo's dream world is certainly something

 

[Sprites]

Hey, you may enjoy getting your face ground into the pavement by sheep from hell, the king of the netherworld, The Giant Space Flea From Nowhere and the Nightmare Jawbreaker of Doom but that doesn't mean everyone else does.

My info is purely on an "as needed" basis. Knowledge is power, as the saying goes.

I'm with you on this one! Plus its not so much I want to plow through content its basically if I feel i'm underlevelled in terms of stuggling to get through an area before I even meet the boss then I know I need to go back and do some levelling, plus those dragons are assholes they deserve a thrashing.

Does add towards Freya's Dragon Crescent ability as you said.

Also lol Space Flea but I know what you mean, given the way Ipsens Castle's mechanic works an underlevelled party can seriously screw things up, as can having an underlevelled party for the shrine.

After playing and repeating these games for so long sometimes I like to go all out and be a bit overlevelled from time to time and you can do both exploring and levelling while at it

I once in a FF12 playthrough spent so much time exploring, doing hunts etc I genuinely forgot where I was up to in game, and had to do some backtracking to figure where storywise I actually had to go.

@Mr. Ite you know thats one playthrough I've never done and its probably easier now with the ability on the updated released to speed up the game as such. I've found it unnecessary with Ragnarok as an option, but you're completely right IX is probably the only FF you legit couldn't do a perfect game for. I do like that the developers have in a way actively encouraged gamers to attempt a speedrun in game to get that Weapon at the cost of bypassing other things.

Me? I'm a bit of a more like to complete all the sidequests etc that are available earlier.

To those asking for clarity, the earliest you can encounter Grand Dragons is Gizamaluke's grotto you can climb up by the moogles and it lead you to Popos Heights, you can also encounter a friendly Garuda there.

Expect to die straight away though at that stage, given how early in game it is and theres no way to learn lvl5 death at that stage.

Its kinda a throw back to the old games Peninsula of Power as they were known, in certain places in the older FFs you could step on a certain tile early in the game on the world map and meet monsters you shouldn't be able to until a lot later and you could attempt to fight then if you wanted to, something about the coding in the old era games made it possible.

@ThatGuyMikey play some more Hot and Cold is all i'm saying if you find dream world interesting!

 

[Deleted member 13557]

One shotting a dragon with lvl 5 death is the most satisfying thing

 

[Sprites]

Ain't it just! Honestly I highly recommend taking a few out, you don't have to do a massive grind but they are probably the cheapest way to get decent exp in the game without battling normally so if you need to get a few characters up to snuff for levels and abilities, as they give 3AP per fight, I would recommend battling a few of them.

Just go use a tent every now and again to replen health and Quina's MP if you don't want to waste ethers.

 

[Stiggie]

I honestly never go through the trouble of using lvl 5 death, they're not exactly difficult by that point anyway as long as you have antibody and some thunder resist/absorb items. And actually fighting them is so much more satisfying, it's not like they have a ton of hp so you can usually get them down in a round or 2 max.

 

[Deleted member 13557]

they're not exactly difficult by that point anyway as long as you have antibody and some thunder resist/absorb items

That may be, but killing big things in one hit makes me happy

 

[Sprites]

@Stiggie thats fine if you like that but even people with decent levels without the right equipment may struggle with them in the earlier stages. They've high speed stats and their regular physical attack can do damage as well so thundaga equipment and antibody won't always save it for you.

Some people might just want a quick level without the hassle for their characters that require it, for people newer to the series and game like Mikey this method is extremely efficient if you need a spot to bring some characters up to speed.

For veterans of the game and series like me, I still highly recommend it particularly as you can go and fight them as early as leaving Lindblum and characters like Freya and Steiner who haven't been used since leaving Alexandria after rescuing Garnet the first time will now be underlevelled both level and ability wise and may need to play a bit of catch up to meet the levels of their team mates. There's not a lot of places in any of the FF games that offer quick and efficient levelling spots if needed, its nice to have one once you have the right spell to do it, its stuff like this the LVL type spells were made for

Considering the next part of the game once you hit Desert Palace requires you to split your characters into two teams, you may want to get those who need it up to scratch with their levelling that haven't been used as often. I'm not disparaging a good old fashioned fight as normal but I wouldn't be so quick to dimiss this as a quick and efficient level to bring your party up to speed to match the rest of your team for balancing.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

First Quina needs to have learned Level 5 Death. You can learn it by eating Stropers, Dracozombies, or Whale Zombies.

Once you learn that, you go to Daguerro. Outside that location where you move around the world map are an enemy called Grand Dragons.

You mean Gizamaluke's Grotto?

EDIT: Nevermind, I see this was addressed.

 

[Stiggie]

Considering the next part of the game once you hit Desert Palace

Speaking of which, I think Mikey was already at the desert palace, otherwise it's good to note that you can't get mythril swords anymore once you've gone to the desert palace, so if Mikey isn't there yet, I'd advise getting some, I always forget, and you need them to synth Grand Armors.

 

[Sprites]

He was unfortunately, Forgot about grand armor Synthesising myself, although you can steal one from the Nova Dragon as well and I THINK a chocograph chest provides mythril equipment too if you miss it.

 

[Stiggie]

Well in that Case Mikey I suggest at the very least that you don't head towards the shimmering isle (which will fast track you to disc 4) without first making sure you have all the items that you can't obtain afterwards.

 

[Deleted member 13557]

How many mythril swords do I need?

 

[Deleted member 13557]

Just got It's All in the Cards III. Wasn't even trying to get it, I just like Tetra Master lol

 

[Deleted member 13557]

I don't think I've said this but FF IX chocobo theme > FF VII chocobo theme