Final Fantasy XIII Non-Spoiler Thread

[Strangelove]

http://twitter.com/sem_sep/status/11415769798

That CD they were talking with Hamauzu about is "FINAL FANTASY XIII Original Soundtrack -PLUS-". Has the tracks from the English version (was there any new music in it beyond "My Hands"?), plus new arrangements by Hamauzu.

Edit; Going to be released 26th May, costs 2,500 yen. Those tracks from the English version were ones not included on the original FFXIII soundtrack? Don't quite get what that means.

http://store.jp.square-enix.com/detail/SQEX-10192

 

[Tetsujin]

There are changed lyrics to The Sunleth Waterscape and an English lyrics version of Cocoon de Chocobo. Don't know what else was different.

 

[Strangelove]

I wondered if they'd do something with Cocoon de Chocobo, but I'm not sure why the Sunleth one needed changing.

 

[Cthulhu]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/1569-Final-Fantasy-XIII

Non-spoiler (imo, there's nothing about the story in it, and only two or three generalizations about the characters) review, and of course very negative and cynical. FGJ.

 

[ForceStealer]

:failsafe:

already posted by DanielReturns

 

[Cthulhu]

stfu u, I'm reposting and taking all the credit.

 

[Strangelove]

http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/fabula/ff13/plus/

Website for the Plus soundtrack, though nothing there but a CG image (a new one, though).

http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/fabula/ff13/

Page for the rest of the FFXIII, with two blank spaces for some reason. Don't really see what else they can release for FFXIII, besides another arrangement soundtrack or if those are for Versus and Agito (though that page is all about FFXIII).

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/fabula/ff13/plus/

Website for the Plus soundtrack, though nothing there but a CG image (a new one, though).

Wow. Look at the team having fun in that town where we could have had so much fun if stuff had been programmed into the game.

Oh, right, Plus soundtrack. Thanks, hito.

 

[Bex]

bump.
If you guys are interested, they've put FFXIII avatar outfits on the XBL marketplace.
Sooo buying them.

 

[Vendel]

bump.
If you guys are interested, they've put FFXIII avatar outfits on the XBL marketplace.
Sooo buying them.

They got a naked Vanille?

 

[Strangelove]

Another analogue record for FFXIII getting released, "W/F：Music from FINAL FANTASY XIII -Gentle Reveries-", on 30th June for 2,800 yen. But it's another exclusive to Square Enix's Japanese e-Store.

SIDE-A
1: Prelude to FINAL FANTASY XIII
2: Saber's Edge
3: Serah's Theme / Overseas Version
4: Fighting Fate

SIDE-B
1: March of the Dreadnoughts
2: Sulyya Springs
3: The Yaschas Massif
4: Will to Fight

http://store.jp.square-enix.com/detail/SE-M0002

 

[Strangelove]

Now a Piano Collections CD is going to be released in July (21st), played by Aki Kuroda (who did FFX's Piano Collections).

http://store.jp.square-enix.com/detail/SQEX-10196 (nothing much on that page yet, though)

 

[Strangelove]

http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/fabula/ff13/piano/

There's a sample track playing the background now.

 

[Cthulhu]

Thus, FFXIII. I've mainly heard negative things about it - graphics being nerfed because of the 360's storage, environment being nerfed because they can't render towns in realtime, linear gameplay, etc.

But, ffs, Is It A Good Game? Overall speaking. Is the story good? Are the characters good? Does the Engrish voice acting make you want to hang yourself? Is there actual lesbian sex or at least tasteful groping and making out in it? WHUT.

 

[Max Payne]

But, ffs, Is It A Good Game? Overall speaking. Is the story good? Are the characters good? Does the Engrish voice acting make you want to hang yourself? Is there actual lesbian sex or at least tasteful groping and making out in it? WHUT.

The game is decent, and if you enjoy your typical animu stories you'll like the story.

 

[ForceStealer]

Ass! How does one kill this Adamantortoises/Adamantoises? I'm rather close to maxed out so I thought I'd be able to take them but...damn. I know they're susceptible to Death but I was hoping I could take them out a bit more reliably.

I've seen some strategies online and some have worked better than others but no success yet, if any of you have beaten them, do you have any pointers - or how leveled I need to be? (I've masted 4 roles on each character, halfway through the 5th). I just want to finish the Cie'th missions, basically. And I'm close. I have a decent leveling system going, but the 80,000 CP of the Adamantoises are calling to me Thanks!

NOTICE: Yeah yeah yeah, you hate this game and all it stands for (you know who you are), and there are more than a few threads in which you may express this. I'm only interested in people who have actually played the damn game here.

 

[Strangelove]

I have a decent leveling system going, but the 80,000 CP of the Adamantoises are calling to me Thanks!

What system do you have now?

I picked it up a bit the other week to try and finish stuff off, which I'm levelling up for. But it's been that long now I forgot everything except the Ochu for 13000-odd CP.

 

[Bex]

Vanille.
Party leader.
Malboro wand.
SPAM DEATH

If you think those are hard, wait til you meet my friend the LONG GUI

 

[ForceStealer]

Yeah I know, I almost finished the ring of Cie'th stones. I had one left when I learned that, so I'll hold off on that

Hito, find Cie'th mission 55. It's a Neochu that's vulnerable to Vanille's Death. It will give you the Growth Egg accessory which doubles CP. That Ochu you mentiong is what I've been using to level too, but with the Egg at least you get 26,600

Bex, is Death really the most efficient way to deal with them?

 

[Dana Scully]

Ass! How does one kill this Adamantortoises/Adamantoises?

Been a while, but IIRC I was quite successful using Fang/Lightning/Vanille () and the following strat:

SAB/MED/SYN - get full buffs/debuffs while spamming heals
Bahamut summon once debuffs up, which should stagger it.
COM/RAV/SYN - only if you don't have full offensive buffs yet.
COM/RAV/RAV - to get chain gauge to 999%
COM/COM/RAV - to beat the living shit out of it, hopefully before it stands up again.

Pretty sure I started out with one of the defensive shrouds all the time too. This was all without any ultimate weapons, btw.

 

[ForceStealer]

Well I had to Master Gaian Rings for everyone, but I can kill them now. So I took on mission 63 and got the Genji glove which is mighty handy.

 

[Arianna]

I found that the turtles go down once the final crystarium additions are gotten.

My recipe is this:

Fang as leader
As soon as the battle starts, summon Bahamut.
Keep Bahamut there, fighting, as you debuff the turtle in question.
Go to gestalt mode; fight until you are down to 1 - do the final mega-move.
The party will come back in; you should be able to finish the creature off before it gets to its feet again.

Of course, I realize there are those who don't want to wait for the after-game period.
Using death is actually quite effective; I think that's how I managed to kill a few before I got the final crystarium benefits.

Note: a few.

Hope this helps. Game faqs has two mini-faqs regarding these creatures, high and low level characters, and all fighting techniques known (at least to the authors).

I find Bahamut works best; Vanille's Hecatoncheir second best. I can't say for sure, but I found Alexander to be least effective in terms of damage dealt.

 

[ForceStealer]

Yeah I used Bahamut against the Cie'th mission target as I wanted to be sure I got 5 stars, but given that I'd like to farm them a bit now that I'm so close to mastering everyone, I can't rely on summons because I'd have to keep recharging my Tech points.

So I've got Fang, Lightning, and Vanille. I start the battle applying buffs, then go to Tri-disaster, stagger the left leg, change Fang to commando and use Highwind to kill it. I do the same for the other leg.
Then I debuff it once it falls, Tri-disaster to stagger, and all commandos to wail on it.

Unfortunately, I still have to do 2 cycles of that (it manages to get back up), perhaps because I'm still using 2-tier weapons...

 

[ForceStealer]

Just so that we don't pull the other thread off-topic hito:

Which three?

Still on Siren, but on the side I've been finishing off the missions in FFXIII as well. I finished Titan's trials the other day (didn't have that much trouble but I think I'd skipped over them and over levelled), and finished a few scattered ones I'd missed today. I only have the 64th to do now, but need to level up some more for that.

I have 51 (Attacus), I've beaten the rest of Titan's trials, 62 (Indomitable Will) two of those damn Rakta-whatever-jinos, and 64, last one.

 

[Strangelove]

http://store.jp.square-enix.com/detail/9784757529588

Ultimania Omega for FFXIII. Out at the end of September.
- 512 pages
- Story analysis
- Original short story (by Benny Matsuyama this time, not the game's writers or the novel's)
- Over 400 illustrations, including previously unseen concept art, with comments from the staff
- Voice actor interviews (without a doubt just the Japanese ones)