Final Fantasy Tactics A2

[Tehcno]

Well I admit I did really enjoy playing Final Fantasy Tactics Advance but it lacked in many areas such as: Story Line, Dialog, Being confined to a tiny map, Laws.

Well all of that has been fixed in FFTA2.
This game is amazing I can't put it down. There are still a few things that piss me off such as the enemy does not have to abide by the law but if you decide to break the law the only downfall is you don't get the added bonuses suchs as extra items in the end of the fight, you don't get your extra attack bonuses (or they may be other things such as being able to see traps or extra AP) and you cannot revive the dead with a phoenix down. But even if they do die you get them right back after the match is over.
The map in this game is huge and you even get to leave the different contenents via airship.
The story line is much better and well... just overall it's a better game.
They have even tossed in certain elements from FFOnline. And espers!

 

[Gameoz]

Well I admit I did really enjoy playing Final Fantasy Tactics Advance but it lacked in many areas such as: Story Line, Dialog, Being confined to a tiny map, Laws.

Well all of that has been fixed in FFTA2.
This game is amazing I can't put it down. There are still a few things that piss me off such as the enemy does not have to abide by the law but if you decide to break the law the only downfall is you don't get the added bonuses suchs as extra items in the end of the fight, you don't get your extra attack bonuses (or they may be other things such as being able to see traps or extra AP) and you cannot revive the dead with a phoenix down. But even if they do die you get them right back after the match is over.
The map in this game is huge and you even get to leave the different contenents via airship.
The story line is much better and well... just overall it's a better game.
They have even tossed in certain elements from FFOnline. And espers!

I picked this up but haven't started it yet because I am trying to get through Rondo of Swords which is hard as hell.

 

[Ruell]

Ironically, I've picked this up as well. I've not really tried to play it yet. I want to finish WEwY and FFXII:RWs before I even attempt. If you have FFTA already, did you hook it up with A2 for any extra content yet? I was looking through the manual and it hinted something toward a few extras. I really need to cut back on buying games for my DS. I tend to buy games before I finish the other ones I'm on. I've yet to finish any game yet though I'm close on a few.

 

[dark penguin]

I was a big fan of the open-ended campaign approach of the first FFTA. Sure, you could pursue the story arc, or just meander around a bit. I'm 100% sure I'm going to buy this game in the near future.

Looks great, and it appears they have definitely prettied up the graphics.

Now, how does it compare to the PSP FF Tactics?

 

[Mithos]

This game is awesome! I got it when it came out and have been playing it since. The things that truely bug me about this game are the fact that enemies don't have to follow laws, some of the laws imposed are just plain stupid (e.g. Don't be robbed), and some of the battles seem drawn out when compared to the other games. Also the bazaar system kinda gets on my nerves, but I guess that forces you to level more and use more strategy. Oh and having to unlock jobs can be a pain at times, but overall it's still fun.

 

[dark penguin]

some of the laws imposed are just plain stupid

There were some pretty stupid laws in the first one, too. Good to hear you're liking the game though. Now, is it just me, or is there a shitload of FF games on the DS/PSP right now?

 

[Mithos]

There were some pretty stupid laws in the first one, too. Good to hear you're liking the game though. Now, is it just me, or is there a shitload of FF games on the DS/PSP right now?

True, there were some stupid laws in the first tactics advanced, but they upped the ante in this one. And yes! Handheld FF games are Square Enix's bread and butter. They've fallen into that "We're afraid to try something new that could upset our cash flow" category. Because of that they're stuck making a bunch of remakes of their older games, a lot of which are FF games. They won't stop until they stop making money, though I don't know how long they can get away with the Final Fnatasy I and II remakes. Also their FFVII cashcow is running dry. Hey maybe that means they'll release a new Playstation type tactics.

 

[Mithos]

Now, how does it compare to the PSP FF Tactics?

You know, this A2 and the GBA tactics are a different beast all together. Fundamentally they play the same, but there are some differences in classes that are available, races, the ability to recruit animals, and personally I liked the original Tactics' story better. Difficulty wise, they're about the same. The tactics advanced series is more forgiving when it comes to undoing your movements (e.g. if you move in a bad spot for casting spells), and when casting spells (you don't have to wait for them to be fully charged). One of the biggest differences though is that the Tactics Advanced series of FFT games are more quest oriented. Also the Tactics Advanced series is missing the Orlandu god tank, but I suppose that's for the better.

 

[Tehcno]

First off yes I did hook it up to my GBA game it only gives you the ability to see traps early. Which I've only used a couple times.

I was a big fan of the open-ended campaign approach of the first FFTA. Sure, you could pursue the story arc, or just meander around a bit. I'm 100% sure I'm going to buy this game in the near future.

Looks great, and it appears they have definitely prettied up the graphics.

Now, how does it compare to the PSP FF Tactics?

The good news is the game still plays the same as far as that goes. You can take any missions you want or you can take the top mission that brings you through the direct story line.

 

[dark penguin]

OK, just picked this game up today.

So far, I'm pretty happy with the outcome. They really touched the graphics up. The maps look way more organic(less blocky), and the spell FX and sound FX are definitely a step up. I could see myself putting a lot of time into this game...it's basically FFTA on steroids.

Anyone else still playing it?

 

[Mithos]

Anyone else still playing it?

I'm actually on the last story mission. I'm finishing the story today, but I have quite a bit of side missions to go.

 

[dark penguin]

I'm actually on the last story mission. I'm finishing the story today, but I have quite a bit of side missions to go.

Nice...what sort of time investment am I looking at for the main story arc?

Also...I noticed some of my characters got an MVP rating after the battle. I thought that was a pretty cool touch they added. It's been a while since I played the GBA FFTA, but I definitely don't remember that from before.

 

[Mithos]

Nice...what sort of time investment am I looking at for the main story arc?

Also...I noticed some of my characters got an MVP rating after the battle. I thought that was a pretty cool touch they added. It's been a while since I played the GBA FFTA, but I definitely don't remember that from before.

For the main story arc there's 20 or so main missions and you'll get about 10-30hrs. from it if you include leveling and learning abilities. The main story arc isn't all that long but there are a lot of side missions. The first tactics advanced didn't have the MVP identification at all. One tip though, when you get the chance to make sure to win every area in a region in the auction houses. You'll get to get better equipment that way.

 

[dark penguin]

For the main story arc there's 20 or so main missions and you'll get about 10-30hrs. from it if you include leveling and learning abilities. The main story arc isn't all that long but there are a lot of side missions. The first tactics advanced didn't have the MVP identification at all. One tip though, when you get the chance to make sure to win every area in a region in the auction houses. You'll get to get better equipment that way.

Thanks for the tips. I'm really enjoying this game so far. Using the stylus doesn't seem as intuitive as I would have thought with this game...surprising, given how extraordinarily well it worked in Advance Wars.

That's my only gripe so far.

 

[Mithos]

I should mention that when I say to win all the areas in a region, I mean in one auction session. Also if you master the games played in the auction area you'll be able to buy auction tokens using your clan points. The stylus controls were really just tacked on later because IIRC the Japanese version didn't have stylus controls at all.

 

[Tehcno]

Yeah I'm around 50 hrs into the game and I know there are a lot more missions left. It's great how much they packed into this game.

 

[dark penguin]

The stylus controls were really just tacked on later because IIRC the Japanese version didn't have stylus controls at all.

That's too bad...stylus control is a natural fit for a strat RPG. It works amazingly well if done right, ie Advance Wars. The problem I've seen so far in FFTA2 is that while you can use the stylus for some things during the battle, you can't use it for everything(you really NEED to be able to use it for everything). It gets annoying having to switch between stylus and button presses for certain things.

 

[Arcademan]

Also the Tactics Advanced series is missing the Orlandu god tank, but I suppose that's for the better.

Had to LOL at that comment. I've been playing FFT on the PSX lately and man, Orlandu is a wrecking machine. Worse, in the present game I'm playing, he was added to my army with Lightning Stab already as a weapon. That's just plan wrong...for the enemy

 

[bokmeow]

Is the CPU decision process much quicker in A2? The CPU was intolerably sluggish in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. And yeah, the story wasn't much to write home about.

 

[NeoSneth]

yeah couple things..


there are TOO many classes now.

and I am making OP setups at level 10.... the bazaar system doesnt regulate the release of skills well.

the Computer not following the laws is bullshit too.

 

[Mithos]

yeah couple things..


there are TOO many classes now.

and I am making OP setups at level 10.... the bazaar system doesnt regulate the release of skills well.

the Computer not following the laws is bullshit too.

They balance out the bazaar out with Auction houses. I also agree that there are too many classes, but it's more like there are way too many useless classes. The law system in this game is a real joke to me and I honestly don't even bother to follow them most of the time.

 

[Mithos]

Is the CPU decision process much quicker in A2? The CPU was intolerably sluggish in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. And yeah, the story wasn't much to write home about.

The story is still nothing to write home about... Though the CPU decision process is somewhat better than the original FFTA. It still stalls at times, but it is faster than it has been.

 

[NeoSneth]

the majority of my classes were stalled because i was looking all over for another white mage weapon.

The auction house was confusing as hell the first time through. I'm nailing them now.

 

[dark penguin]

The story is still nothing to write home about... Though the CPU decision process is somewhat better than the original FFTA. It still stalls at times, but it is faster than it has been.

Ha, it didn't seem sluggish at all when I bit off more than I could chew on one of the clan trials.

The enemies cast slow on all my characters and then I proceeded to get pummeled by double-cast meteor spells in rapid succession.

Seriously, though...the AI seems pretty sharp to me. It tends to be pretty good at exploiting your weaknesses, flanking you and surrounding your weaker characters if you leave them vulnerable.

 

[Mithos]

Yeah, it's not sluggish most of the time, but it does have points where it'll hang. Though that happens rarely. I was only saying it that way because I haven't had a chance to compare the one from the original FFTA next to the A2 AI. The AI is better I'll admit. Which clan trail where you goin for? I kinda stopped bothering with them after a while....