Final Fantasy XIII

[Narradisall]

Well I just reached my first tough boss. Was doing well and nearly had him down when a doom counter came on.

The designers of this game need shooting

[Narradisall]

Since I don't need to pay attention to playing. While I grind. Making notes to remind myself tomorrow.

Combat system - ai ok cept positioning, minor

paradigms, atb. Poor combatbalancing? Flawed?

Lack of mana, infinite attack/magic see above? Doom counters?

Auto attack, more speed, less engaging?

[Xydarc]

Originally Posted by Narradisall

Since I don't need to pay attention to playing. While I grind. Making notes to remind myself tomorrow.

Perhaps this is why you lost? I played through the entire game without getting a boss' Doom counter placed on me. If you'd like tips, I'm happy to provide them.

[Narradisall]

Originally Posted by Xydarc

Perhaps this is why you lost? I played through the entire game without getting a boss' Doom counter placed on me. If you'd like tips, I'm happy to provide them.

Not in the slightest.

I was grinding trash and went back and did it second time.

What bothered me was that there was even a doom counter on the thing. I was trying different tactics since it was my first go at the boss bit because that's not how the game wants you to play it ends it for you?

I find the combat system to be rather flawed. It's like they tried to make a fast, action paced system, suceeded, but screwed the balance in the process. So they throw in just plain silly things to balance it out.

For example, out of one of the things I listed. Paradigms. Good system on the surface. Allows you to change your tactics on the fly, but you can breeze through lots of fights with a simple com rav med setup. Not the most efficient way of doing it but it works well. So they throw in atb recharges with a paradigm change? It's silly. As you said before, you can take advantage of this by having 2 same paradigms, but IMO thyself just flawed and broken. If you had an fps where holding two of the same weapons and switching between them reloaded them it wouldn't be right.

The loss of mana is another thing. Now it allows the combat to flow nice, keeps the action running but can turn fights into battles of attrition. As long as you can keep the team up, you win. So to counter this they add doom counters and/or enemy skills that can one shot team members (or an unlucky focus gank of a member, ESP the main char).

It's like in trying the new combat system they realised they made it too easy, an in some cases unengaging. So they've thrown in these weird curve balls to balance it, when all they do is make it seem just weird.

I'm not bad at the combat, I've barely died in 18 hours of play and I've managed up to chapter 10 without a hitch. I just find while the new angle on the combat system is at least trying something different, it just seems.... Off somehow.

[Mike Kelehan]

Hey, I'm up to chapter 10, and I haven't read the rest of this thread for fear of spoilers, so apologies if this has already been asked, but do you ever get the ability to set more than eight paradigms? I'm often frustrated when I want to have three specific skills, but can't because I didn't set up those three as a paradigm beforehand, and then I can't decide which to get rid of.

[Abednigo]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelehan

Hey, I'm up to chapter 10, and I haven't read the rest of this thread for fear of spoilers, so apologies if this has already been asked, but do you ever get the ability to set more than eight paradigms? I'm often frustrated when I want to have three specific skills, but can't because I didn't set up those three as a paradigm beforehand, and then I can't decide which to get rid of.

The max at a time is 6, but you can create any 6 that you want. Either the precreated ones (Relentless Assault, Delta Attack, Combat Clinic, etc.) or design your own which do have names when you choose what role for your characters. I don't think you need to wait until you can choose your party to do that though.

I'm not sure what you mean though. Do you mean more than the precreated ones that you select between Offensive, Defensive and Balanced? As I said above, if you just add a paradigm, then click until the role for a party member is highlighted you can select which role you want for each party member to create your own. The paradigm name will change depending on who's assigned what role. If you wanted paradigms of 3 commandos or 3 ravagers or 3 medics or even 3 sentinels you could do that eventually if you wanted.

[Mike Kelehan]

Originally Posted by Abednigo

The max at a time is 6, but you can create any 6 that you want. Either the precreated ones (Relentless Assault, Delta Attack, Combat Clinic, etc.) or design your own which do have names when you choose what role for your characters. I don't think you need to wait until you can choose your party to do that though.

I'm not sure what you mean though. Do you mean more than the precreated ones that you select between Offensive, Defensive and Balanced? As I said above, if you just add a paradigm, then click until the role for a party member is highlighted you can select which role you want for each party member to create your own. The paradigm name will change depending on who's assigned what role. If you wanted paradigms of 3 commandos or 3 ravagers or 3 medics or even 3 sentinels you could do that eventually if you wanted.

I'm saying I want to be able to define a lot more. As it is, I can only go into battle with so many (I was remembering 8, but you could be right, it could be 6), and I don't have juuuuuuust the right paradigm for EVERY situation available at any given time. Ideally, I'd like to be able to set everyone's job manually during a battle, but failing that, I'd like to be able to define more paradigms and have a wider paradigm deck.

[Chris_D]

I think the FFXIII soundtrack is pretty good on the whole, even the vocalised stuff. Probably my favourite FF soundtrack since FF8. F*** that Cocoon Chocobo theme though. I wanted to shoot someone during that cutscene, urgh.

[Mike Kelehan]

Originally Posted by Chris_D

I think the FFXIII soundtrack is pretty good on the whole, even the vocalised stuff. Probably my favourite FF soundtrack since FF8. F*** that Cocoon Chocobo theme though. I wanted to shoot someone during that cutscene, urgh.

Really? It didn't make you leave your worries be-hiiiiiiiiiiiiiind?

...I hated it too.

[Chris_D]

That "find the baby chocobo" mini-quest was like a needle through my eye. I put the game on ice for a few days after finishing it.

[Abednigo]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelehan

I'd like to be able to define more paradigms and have a wider paradigm deck.

You can do that. I don't know if you have to wait until you can select your party or not but you can change each paradigms to whatever you want by changing the roles of each party member. Surprisingly they have a name for all the possible options. I've manually created a few and a name for it pops up in the list. The big downside to all that effort though is whatever you do won't hold if you swap out your party members. You'd have to do it all over again with each new party you create.

[Superman's Dead]

Just got to Chapter 2!

...woooo!

[Mike Kelehan]

Originally Posted by Abednigo

You can do that. I don't know if you have to wait until you can select your party or not but you can change each paradigms to whatever you want by changing the roles of each party member. Surprisingly they have a name for all the possible options. I've manually created a few and a name for it pops up in the list. The big downside to all that effort though is whatever you do won't hold if you swap out your party members. You'd have to do it all over again with each new party you create.

No, that's not what I mean. I can define six at one time. I can go into battle with six. I want to go into battle with many more at once. I manually create all of them.

[Xydarc]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelehan

No, that's not what I mean. I can define six at one time. I can go into battle with six. I want to go into battle with many more at once. I manually create all of them.

Sorry. You only get 6 Paradigm slots. No more, no less. I understand why you'd want more, but I liked the challenge of coming up with the right combination of 6 for the given situation.

How can you guys not like this?


Sooooooooooooooo cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!

[Paradox Symphony]

*suddenly falls backwards into a vortex and becomes an annoying fat weaboo teenager again*

KAWAAAAAAIIIII

[BlackPete]

God, this game bores me to death. I'm on chapter 8 (I think... in Pampolum looking for Hope's Dad), and I find that it's a struggle to motivate myself into playing some more to reach that magical part of the game where it opens up and finally gives you freedom on doing awesome things like hunts, etc.

I'm generally a forgiving type of guy who can grind through the boring parts of a game to get to the real meat, but this just takes the cake. I'm seriously considering just trading this in and play something else that's actually fun to play from the beginning.

Yeah I suppose I sound kind of bitter... I suppose I feel like a FF fan who finally feels that the series jumped the shark.

Don't get me started on the atrocious art design of this game... it's a very pretty game that's used in a fucking ugly way.

[Narradisall]

Will someone explain to me why Lightning gets loads of love and praise for being such a great heroine?

She has to be the most uninteresting protagonist I've ever played, Ive seen planks of wood with more character. Am I missing something? Does she develop later or just keep up with the same lackluster boring performance.

The snow hate is amusing considering he at least shows some motivation and emotion, unlike robot lightning. Heck fang and vanille seem to have decent stories at least, vanille I actually like and believe a bit. Zasz and hope I even get, but lightning?

[Chris_D]

I probably like her a lot more than you, but also when you compare her to Cloud, Vann, dude from FF9 etc. it's easy to be positive I think.

[Exodus]

Originally Posted by Chris_D

I probably like her a lot more than you, but also when you compare her to Cloud, Vann, dude from FF9 etc. it's easy to be positive I think.

This is definitely a factor. Another factor is hey it's a female cloud whose 80% less emo. Dialog isn't even nearly as stupid as Vaan's. Nor irritating as Zidane's half-assed Balthier.

Yes, I'm convinced. That's why because of what we have to compare her to. Now they just have to do FFXV but give the female protagonist a bit more depth.

[Narradisall]

22 of the most dull gaming hours of my life and I'm at chapter 11!

Walking around doing my first hunt and Lightning said "well it's certainly not going to be boring around here"

I laughed