======================================================================== An Unofficial Final Fantasy VIII Walkthrough Version 1.9 ======================================================================== System: Sony PlayStation Author: Cephiroth (cephiroth@yahoo.com) Author's Notes: Hello, and welcome to version 1.9 of "An Unofficial Final Fantasy VIII Walkthrough". As of current writing, I'm still undecided whether to base this FAQ solely on the U.S version, or both the U.S and Japanese versions simultaneously (there are subtle differences between both releases). Let me know what you think; for now, I'm sticking to the latter option. Btw, this FAQ contains spoilers (mainly meant for those playing the Japanese version), so watch out for the *warnings*. I recommend that you view this document in a font with a fixed width such as courier, as the layout for this FAQ has been optimized in using the courier font. ================ Revision History ================ - Version 0.1 (24th July, 1998) Wrote a mini-walkthrough for the trial edition of ff 8. - Version 0.2 (31st July, 1998) Corrected some mistranslations thanks to Jon Chang's guide. - Version 0.3 (16th April, 1999) Updated the walkthrough up to the end of Disc One. - Version 0.4 (13th June, 1999) Updated the walkthrough up to the end of Disc Two and fixed some errors from the earlier v 0.3. - Version 1.0 (23rd June, 1999) Completed the walkthrough, added a SeeD Ranking section, a few new names to the Credits section and corrected some mistakes from the earlier v 0.4. - Version 1.1 (26th June, 1999) Fixed some errors from the earlier v 1.0, and tidied up the format of the walkthrough. - Version 1.2 (3rd July, 1999) Added Cast and Card Battle sections, plus corrected a few typos in the guide. - Version 1.3 (10th July, 1999) Re-arranged and corrected some parts of the guide, but nothing too major. - Version 1.4 (24th July, 1999) Revamped the format of the guide, updated both the Basic System and Battle Tutorial section. - Version 1.5 (30th July, 1999) Updated the Menu Tutorial section and made a few touch-ups. - Version 1.6 (8th August, 1999) Corrected some typos and tweaked a few ambiguous portions. - Version 1.7 (15th August, 1999) Rectified some errors in the FAQ. - Version 1.8 (22nd August, 1999) Minor update, corrections made to a few sections. - Version 1.9 (12th September, 1999) Updated the FAQ (partially!) with the U.S translations, added more area maps and created a Miscellaneous section. I'm not through yet with updating my FAQ, but due to time constraints, I won't be updating again for a while. As such, I won't be entertaining any gameplay questions, at least until October. The newest revision of this FAQ can be found at www.gamefaqs.com. Disclaimer: This FAQ is intended for private and personal use, and can only be re -produced electronically if you contact me via e-mail and receive my permission to do so. This FAQ cannot be used for profitable purposes. All copyrights and trademarks that are not specifically mentioned in this FAQ are acknowledged. No parts of this FAQ may be altered in any way; please give credit where it is due. "Final Fantasy VIII" (c) 1999 Squaresoft "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "An Unofficial Final Fantasy VIII Walkthrough" (c) Cephiroth 1998-1999. ================= Table of Contents ================= I. Cast II. Basic System III. Battle Tutorial IV. Menu Tutorial V. Card Battle VI. SeeD Ranking VII. Full Walkthrough - SeeD - Assassination - Edea the Sorceress - Esthar - Lovers - Time Compression VIII. Miscellaneous IX. Credits If you want a list of items, spells, G.Fs, abilities, cards and whatnot, I suggest you check out Part II of Scott Ong's Final Fantasy VIII FAQ instead, at www.gamefaqs.com. ======================================================================== I. CAST ======================================================================== [Introduction] A graduate from the world famous military school, Garden, Squall meets a mysterious young girl at a campus party. Her carefree nature gradually influences Squall, a cold-hearted young man who rejects the presence of others. In a sudden twist of fate, the nation of Galbadia declares war on the entire world... standing by the Galbadian President as he makes his speech is a sorceress, a symbol long forgotten from the memories of the people... [Characters] Final Fantasy VIII offers a wide cast of characters who play various roles in this epic saga. Appearing in no particular order: Squall Leonhart Age: 17 Sex: Male Height: 177 cm (5'10") Blood type: AB Birthdate: August 23rd Weapon: Gun Blade The main character of ff 8, Squall is a short-spoken and emotionless young man. A student of Balamb Garden, he's an introvert with little concern for his comrades; few can actually claim to understand him. A cool and mysterious guy. Limit Break: Renzokuken (Sequential Blade) Squall launches into an array of slashes, and sometimes finishes off his 'Renzokuken' with a spectacular blow, which varies accordingly to the type of Gun Blade he's carrying. Damage is increased by timing R1 with the cuts. Rinoa Heartilly Age: 17 Sex: Female Height: 163 cm (5'4") Blood type: Unknown Birthdate: March 3rd Weapon: Blaster Edge Final Fantasy 8's female lead, Rinoa, is both angelic and bubbly. She loves to speak her mind, and has the habit of acting on impulse. Rinoa and Squall met during one of SeeD's inauguration parties. Limit Breaks: Combine / Varly Rinoa summons Angelo, her pet dog. She's capable of dealing out several unique attacks. Angelo learns new tricks when Rinoa reads 'Pet Pals'. The respective skill then appears in Rinoa's 'Specials' window. Learning a new skill is done by highlighting it with the arrow; the more steps Rinoa takes, the more the bar fills up. A trick is considered to be learnt when the bar is fully filled. Varly will only become available in the later stages of the game; in this mode Rinoa is controlled by the computer and can only cast random spells, all of which hit for maximum results. Seifer Almasy Age: 18 Sex: Male Height: 188 cm (6'11") Blood type: O Birthdate: December 22nd Weapon: Cross Sword Seifer is gifted with natural fighting abilities, but his eagerness for victory and impatience makes him one of Balamb Garden's problematic students. He is aware of Squall's capability, and views him fiercely as a rival. Limit Break: No Mercy (Japanese version: Shimatsusuken) Seifer casts a spell on the enemy, then gathers energy upon his Cross Sword before unleashing multiple energy arcs which home in on their targets, leaving spectacular green trails behind them. Zell Dincht Age: 17 Sex: Male Height: 168 cm (5'6") Blood type: B Birthdate: March 17th Weapon: Gloves Young and brash Zell aspires to be just like his grandfather, a famous military figure. His ambitions made him enter Balamb Garden at the age of 13. Zell doesn't give in without a fight, however his actions make him appear somewhat immature and rash. Limit Break: Duel Zell displays his hand-to-hand prowess with a dazzling combo of skills. All of them are performed SF-style under a timer. Zell gains new skills via collecting issues of 'Combat King'. When the window appears, enter the commands quickly in the given time period and a new one should appear. Trigger those as well, and keep at it until you see his finishing move command appear in the window. Perform that to end a successful 'Duel'. Quistis Trepe Age: 18 Sex: Female Height: 172 cm (5'7") Blood type: A Birthdate: October 4th Weapon: Chain Whip Orphaned at the age of 5, Quistis joined Garden at 10 and officially became a member of SeeD when she reached 15. She's a good mentor towards Squall. Quistis is one who's not used to setbacks, and demands only the best from herself. Limit Break: Blue Magic (Enemy Skills) Quistis draws from her massive collection of enemy skills to unleash upon her opponents. Unlike the rest, Quistis learns new skills via special items dropped by (or stolen from) her defeated opponents. Irvine Kinneas Age: 17 Sex: Male Height: 185 cm (6'0") Blood type: A Birthdate: November 24th Weapon: Shot Gun Irvine is full of confidence of himself and his shooting skills are unmatched by none. He hails from Galbadia Garden, and calls himself 'Garden's Elite Sharpshooter'. Easy-going and humourous, Irvine's also a big flirt. Limit Break: Shot Irvine selects from his collection of special ammo and unleashes it upon his opponents. Hit R1 repeatedly to fire his gun. Bullets are purchased from stores, obtained from enemies or received via 'Ammo Refinement' and 'Card Mod.' menu abilities. Each type of ammunition has its own unique element. Selphie Tilmitt Age: 17 Sex: Female Height: 157 cm (5'1") Blood type: B Birthdate: July 16th Weapon: Nunchaku A student of Trabia Garden, Selphie is known to be responsible yet naive in her thinking. She's playful and child-like, but overall Selphie's comfortable to be with. Limit Break: Slot Selphie casts a random spell from her slot machine. When this window appears, the 1st option lets you scroll through the spells randomly; the 2nd makes Selphie cast it, often with doubled or tripled results. Remember that time runs while you're selecting spells, so be quick. Fuujin Age: 17 Sex: Female Height: Unknown Blood type: Unknown Birthdate: Unknown Weapon: Pin Wheel Tomboyish, emotionless and quiet, Fuujin exhibits a tough demeanour equalling that of any man. She also has a habit of speaking entirely in short, curt sentences. Raijin Age: 18 Sex: Male Height: Unknown Blood type: Unknown Birthdate: Unknown Weapon: Staff Loud-spoken, rash and unrefined (?), Raijin is the exact opposite of his sister. Both of them work under Seifer in Balamb Garden in the Disciplinary Committee. Laguna Loire Age: 27 Sex: Male Height: 181 cm (5'11") Blood type: B Birthdate: March 1st Weapon: Machine Gun A man with a strong sense of justice, Laguna believes in protecting the weak. Formerly a soldier, he's now a journalist with Timber Maniacs, having decided to trade in his sword for a pen. Optimistic and cheerful, Laguna is very much a people's person. Limit Break: Desperado Laguna hurls a grenade at the enemy, leaps and latches onto a rope while opening continuous fire with his Machine Gun, and ends his Limit Break with the detonation of the grenade, throwing the enemy sky-high. Ward Zarback Sex: Male Age: 25 Height: 217 cm (7'1") Blood type: A Birthdate: February 25th Weapon: Harpoon Tough-talking and ominous, Ward sports a scar (which seems to be all the rage nowadays in ff 8) and a big, mean harpoon. Not someone you'll want to agitate. He's pretty at ease with his pals, Laguna and Kiros though. Limit Break: Massive Anchor Ward throws his harpoon into the air, leaps up to retrieve it, then pierces the enemies with a downward thrust, causing a massive explosion. Kiros Seagul Age: 23 Sex: Male Height: 191 cm (6'3") Blood type: O Birthdate: July 6th Weapon: Katals Looking much more refined than his fellow counterpart Ward, Kiros formerly served in the Galbadian army, with katals as his weapon. Both Ward and him have a very good working relationship with Laguna. Limit Break: Blood Pain Kiros goes into a slashing frenzy with his katals, approximately cutting the enemy 7 to 8 times. Critical hits appear at random. Edea Age: Unknown Sex: Female Height: Unknown Blood type: Unknown Birthdate: Unknown Weapon: Magic Not much is known about her, but supposedly she's a sorceress bent on creating trouble. Edea is said to be the mastermind behind Galbadia's world domination plans, and has shocked the world with her return... sorceresses were thought to be extinct previously. Cid Kramer Age: Unknown Sex: Male Height: Unknown Blood type: Unknown Birthdate: Unknown This lovable character once again makes an appearence, this time as the headmaster of Balamb Garden! He's well-liked by students for his kindly nature and friendly student policies. Cid tends to be a little long-winded this time round, and contrary to previous Cids, he has trouble dealing with mechanics initially. ======================================================================== II. BASIC SYSTEM ======================================================================== [Controller Operations] Under the default settings in the U.S. version, the controls are as follows: All of the pre-rendered areas in ff 8 are considered field screens. D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the party around and highlights choices Start: Brings up the bar that toggles the rumble feature on/off and pauses the game X: Opens up conversations, picks up items, activate switches, examine ladders (press Up or Down on the d-pad to climb), confirms choices Triangle: Cancel. Press together with the d-pad to WALK / Displays Rules screen in Card Battle Square: Opens up conversations or initiates a Card Battle game - more on that later Circle: Displays the menu screen The Overworld is the huge 3D polygonal map you use to travel between towns and dungeons. D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the party or vehicle around and highlights choices Right Analog-Stick: Moves vehicle forward or backward Start: Brings up the bar that toggles the rumble feature on/off and pauses the game Select: Toggles the World Sphere/Map on/off X: Search locations, mount/dismount vehicle Triangle: Reverses vehicle Square: Accelerates vehicle Circle: Displays the menu screen R1: Rotates the camera clockwise L1: Rotates the camera anti-clockwise R2: Switches between view points D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Highlights commands Start: Pauses the game and brings up the help window, along with the rumble feature window Select: Hides all windows when held down X: Confirms selected command Triangle: Cancels and closes windows Square: When a G.F. has learnt 'Boost' G.F. ability, hold down Select during the summoning sequence; tap repeatedly when the finger icon appears, and stop when a red cross appears over the finger. You can increase your G.F.'s power if you do it right / Press to scroll in the Status window if a character is affected by multiple conditions Circle: Hit to switch to another character who has a full time bar R1: Trigger. When timed in conjunction with Squall's Gunblade, this will allow for double damage / Press repeatedly during Irvine's desperation sequence to fire his gun L1: Toggles the target window on/off R2+L2: Press together to escape. Does not work on bosses R1+R2+L1+L2+Select+Start: Resets the game. Works only in battle D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the cursor / Moves scroll bar left or right in the Junction, Item, Magic, G.F, Abilities and Card screens X: Confirms the selected command / Brings up the Element, Status, G.F. and Specials chart in the Status screens / Brings up the Abilities list in the G.F. screens Triangle: Cancels the selected command and closes the menu screen Square: Displays character's Specials chart in their respective status screens / Removes junctioned magic spell R1/L1: Switches between characters or G.Fs in their respective status screens Which gets kind of confusing, especially if you're used to the controls in the previous Final Fantasies. Try customizing the controls in the Config. command in the menu screen to the Japanese version: D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the party around and highlights choices Start: Brings up the bar that toggles the rumble feature on/off and pauses the game Circle: Opens up conversations, picks up items, activate switches, examine ladders (press Up or Down on the d-pad to climb), confirms choices X: Cancel. Press together with the d-pad to WALK Square: Opens up conversations or initiates a Card Battle game - more on that later Triangle: Displays the menu screen / Displays Rules screen in Card Battle D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the party or vehicle around and highlights choices Right Analog-Stick: Moves vehicle forward or backward Start: Brings up the bar that toggles the rumble feature on/off and pauses the game Select: Toggles the World Sphere/Map on/off Circle: Search locations, mount/dismount vehicle X: Reverses vehicle Square: Accelerates vehicle Triangle: Displays the menu screen R1: Rotates the camera clockwise L1: Rotates the camera anti-clockwise R2: Switches between view points D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Highlights commands Start: Pauses the game and brings up the help window, along with the rumble feature window Select: Hides all windows when held down Circle: Confirms selected command X: Cancels and closes windows Square: When a G.F. has learnt 'Boost' G.F. ability, hold down Select during the summoning sequence; tap repeatedly when the finger icon appears, and stop when a red cross appears over the finger. You can increase your G.F.'s power if you do it right / Press to scroll in the Status window if a character is affected by multiple conditions Triangle: Hit to switch to another character who has a full time bar R1: Trigger. When timed in conjunction with Squall's Gunblade, this will allow for double damage / Press repeatedly during Irvine's desperation sequence to fire his gun L1: Toggles the target window on/off R2+L2: Press together to escape. Does not work on bosses R1+R2+L1+L2+Select+Start: Resets the game. Works only in battle D-pad/Left Analog-Stick: Moves the cursor / Moves scroll bar left or right in the Junction, Item, Magic, G.F, Abilities and Card screens Circle: Confirms the selected command / Brings up the Element, Status G.F. and Specials chart in the Status screens / Brings up the Abilities list in the G.F. screens X: Cancels the selected command and closes the menu screen Square: Displays character's Specials chart in their respective status screens / Removes junctioned magic spell R1/L1: Switches between characters or G.Fs in their respective status screens [Getting Started] The 2 choices that appear when you start up the game are 'New Game' and 'Continue' respectively. If you're continuing a game from saved data, take the 2nd option. Otherwise, move the cursor to 'New Game' and hit 'Circle' to proceed. [Changing Discs] The game will prompt you when you need to insert a new disc. Do this by opening the CD cover (there's no need to switch off the power) of the PlayStation, replacing the disc inside with the required one, and closing the cover. [Gameplay Basics] Below are some of the basic systems and events in the world of ff 8. Save often; this enables you to resume play at an earlier point should you fail in battle or in certain game events. The Save command (found in the Menu screen) is used to record a position on the Overworld or on a Save Point. The latter are found as blue and orange bands of light orbiting around a black orb. You need a Memory Card peripheral, which is sold separately, to save your game. A reduced world map/sphere (press 'Select' to switch between them) is shown in the bottom-right corner of the Overworld. In this map, the direction Squall is facing will be represented by a cone-shaped yellow beam. The red dot shows Squall's current location. There're various establishments in the world of ff 8. The following are some of them: HOTELS Spend a night here to recover the HPs of your party members and G.Fs. Characters affected by abnormal status are also cured. Hotels usually house Save Points. CAR RENTAL SHOPS Cars can be rented for 3,500 gil here. They allow you to travel on the Overworld quickly while keeping enemy encounters non-existent. Note that you'll need fuel to actually drive one properly. TRAIN STATIONS Trains provide a convenient way of shuttling between major cities. A ticket costs 3,000 gil. SHOPS You can pick various restorative items, fuel, ammunition and the occasional book from them. They'll also offer to buy any excess items you have in your inventory list. JUNK STORES They specialise in remodeling your weapons. PET STORES You'll find a wide assortment of items for your G.Fs and issues of Pet Pals here. In ff 8, Square has done away with armours completely, leaving only weapons which can be remodeled. This is done via collecting raw materials such as Screws and Steel Pipes by defeating (or stealing from) enemies, then visiting Junk Stores -- they specialise in upgrading your weapons. Throughout the course of the game you will come across Weapon Monthly magazines; these detail the specific raw materials needed to remodel a particular weapon. The MP (Magic Points) system which has graced the Final Fantasy series for so long has all but disappeared in ff 8. Rather, spells behave more like items now, with limited usage of each spell, i.e. Laguna may have only 20 'Fire' spells in his magic list, which means he can only cast 'Fire' 20 times before it runs out. To replenish this stock of spells, you must draw them either from enemies in combat via the 'Draw' command, or depend on... Treasure chests are non-existent in ff 8; they've been replaced by Draw Points, special locations from where you can gain magic spells for free from. Draw Points recover after a certain period of time has elapsed. They're found as purple bands bonded together to form a sphere. Some Draw Points never recover themselves; you can identify them when they turn blue after they've been drawn from. However, a new system has been created in ff 8: the Junction System. This will be your main source of powering up your party members. Refer to the Menu Tutorial section below for more details. ======================================================================== III. BATTLE TUTORIAL ======================================================================== [Battle Basics] At anytime on the Overworld (with the exception of paved roads and railway tracks) or in a dungeon field screen, you run the risk of encountering enemies. It's essential you master the Battle System in ff 8; I'll start by giving a diagram of the battle layout, and explaining some of the more basic features. Here's what you usually see at the bottom of a battle screen: -COMMAND------------------------- |Attack/Mug --> Limit Break | NAMES HP ACTIVE |Magic (or any other command) | OF VALUES TIME |Draw/G.F (or any other command)| PARTY BARS |Item (or any other command) | MEMBERS --------------------------------- The Active Time Battle System in ff 8 is based on the recognition that time does not stop for a party member to enter his or her commands; the enemy is likely to attack without conveniently waiting for you to make your decision. The Active Time Bars you see in the lower-right of the battle screen indicate the period of time left before a member has a chance to act. A yellowish pyramid mark over a character's head signals that it is his or her turn to act. During battles, numbers will pop out of your characters and enemies. White numbers indicate damage, while green numbers indicate recovered HP (Health or Hit Points). The HP values represent a particular character's health; once this number reaches zero, that party member is considered to be 'disabled' (or KO'ed) and can no longer take part in battle. This condition can be remedied by a variety of spells and items. In ff 8, the enemies increase their levels in tandem with yours. This applies to both normal opponents and bosses. Thus, when I list down a boss's statistics later on in the Walkthrough section, it's only a rough estimate of what to expect. The first command lets you attack (duh) and when a party member takes a set amount of damage (having roughly 3/4 of their HPs depleted), they will have an alternate way of attacking. This is indicated by a tiny arrow by the side of the 'Attack' command. To access it, hit and hold right on the d-pad, and following that, their respective Limit Break will appear. Also, by switching to another character, the Limit Break icon is lost. New or improved Limit Breaks are learnt via magazines. These can be found in pet stores or on book shelves. Not all characters require such a method though; Squall's finishing blow to his Renzokuken is determined by the type of Gunblade he's carrying. I've listed the way each character receives new Limit Breaks below, and how the more tricky ones work: Squall: By upgrading his Gunblade. Apart from this, Squall's desperation move, the Renzokuken, also causes a Limit gauge to appear; hit R1 when the moving yellowish light fills the 2nd to left bracket for double damage. His finishing blow appears at RANDOM, so don't worry too much about it. Squall acquires up to 4 finishing blows in the entire game. Literally translated, Renzokuken means Sequential Blade. -LIMIT-------------------------------------------------- | | Press | # Moving # | | | 'R1' | <--- # yellow # | | | here | # beacon # | -------------------------------------------------------- Rinoa: By reading Pet Pals, and walking around. The red bars you see in her 'Specials' list on the menu screen are filled via this way. When a bar is full, that particular skill is considered to be mastered. You can set the type of trick you want her dog, Angelo, to learn. Angelo can gain up to 8 skills. The type of trick which appears in battle is totally randomised. Whenever Angelo masters a new trick, a ring will sound to indicate this. Zell: By reading Combat King. His Duel has a timer at the bottom-right corner of the screen, which indicates how much time Zell has left to input the pad motions for his special moves. Certain strings of special moves eventually link up to lead to a finishing blow. Zell can perform a total of 10 special moves. Quistis: Enemies sometimes give up special items, i.e. Spider Webs or Laser Cannons. These when used on Quistis allow her to learn new Blue Magic (a.k.a Enemy Skills). She can acquire a total of 16 different Blue Magics. Irvine: You can purchase bullets from stores, or use Ifrit's 'Refine Ammo' (and sometimes Quezacotl's 'Card Mod.') menu ability to create bullets. Some of the more special bullets can only be obtained through refinement. R1 comes into play during Irvine's special; press it to fire his shotgun until the blue time bar in the bottom-right corner expires. There're a total 7 sets of unique ammunition. Selphie: Her Limit Break allows her to randomly cast spells multiple times, free of charge. Selphie's special also gives her access to four rare spells not found in the duration of the game; can you view them all? Seifer, Laguna, Kiros, Ward: These 4 have their own set Limit Break which cannot be varied. The magnitude (and sometimes length) of Limit Breaks are also dependent on factors such as the character's current HP (i.e. Zell would have more time to input his pad motions if his condition is critical, and lesser time if you simply cast an 'Aura' spell on a healthy Zell for him to use his 'Duel') and Luck parameter (i.e. Squall seems to perform a finishing blow more regularly with a higher Luck rating). The R1 button is used to activate double damage for Squall's Gunblade. The best time to do this is when Squall dashes across to the enemy, lifts his sword, and you hear the swish of his blade. Press R1 immediately and Squall should connect for 2x damage. Magic is a simple click-and-use procedure, and the amount of a particular magic you can cast is limited by the number appearing beside it. Press left or right on the d-pad to scroll if the character has additional spells. MP (Magic Points) values are non-existent in ff 8. The 'Draw' command is available to all junctioned characters. Clicking on it, then an enemy will produce a sub-window showing the enemy's magic list. Select the magic you want, and another sub-window appears. The 1st is 'Stock', whereby the member absorbs that particular spell from the enemy for later use. The absorbed spell, if any, will then be usable in the character's magic list. The 2nd option is 'Cast', which allows you to use the chosen spell on anyone. The magnitude of the spell, plus the amount you get when you try to stock a spell is determined by your character's 'Magic' parameter as well as 'Luck'. Both options may sometimes result in failure; you can try as many times as you wish, though. 'Guardian Force' is an ability that summons G.Fs under your command. Surprisingly enough, there is no limit to its usage; just note that whenever this command is used, the caster's HP will be converted to that of the summon monster, and any attacks on him or her during this period will be absorbed by the G.F. When this number falls to zero, the character loses the ability to summon the G.F. for that particular fight. And as any summoner would tell you, G.Fs don't appear immediately when they're called; the time it takes for them to come is shown by a blue bar, which replaces the summoner's active time bar. G.Fs regain lost HP via walking around or using G.F. items. Such items can be purchased from shops. Items are pretty basic. Select an item and decide whom to use it on. (note: Important!) In addition to the above battle commands, others are made available as you train up more Guardian Forces. I'll like to highlight 'Mug' here, which allows you to attack, then steal from the enemy. Enemies carry and drop (there IS a difference between these 2 terms) different items at different levels. So, say if I steal from a Wendigo, I might receive a Steel Pipe, but if I defeat it (without stealing from it previously!), it might drop a Steel Orb instead. Also note that once you've successfully stolen something from an enemy, don't expect it to drop anymore items when you do defeat it, except for cards. Another thing: what an enemy might drop can also be determined by G.F. Bahamut's 'Rare Item' party ability. So if an enemy isn't dropping what you're looking for, try equipping that ability if you have it. Likewise, if you've 'Rare Item' equipped but the enemy doesn't give up the item you want, try de-equipping that ability instead. If you still have trouble acquiring the items you want, I suggest using G.F. Quezacotl's 'Card' command ability on the enemy, followed by 'Card Mod.' menu ability to get the items. However, this tactic might not work on all enemies. Escaping is done by holding down R2 and L2. You cannot run away from boss encounters. The easiest method to escape is to start pressing down the buttons as soon as the battle begins, since you can often take advantage of the enemies' unpreparedness. Just note that you will be penalised for running away; refer to the SeeD Ranking section below for more details. In a normal encounter, your party members start off with their Active Time Bars partially filled. However, there exists 2 special battle situations in ff 8: First Strike -- Either the party or your enemies begin the fight with full time bars. Back Attack -- Similar to 1st Strike attacks in the sense that either the party or your enemies begin the fight with full time bars. In addition, the side caught by surprise will start with their backs turned. Both your party members and enemies take twice as much damage if attacked while their backs are turned. Your party's combined 'Luck' parameter seems to determine the frequency of such special battle situations. The battle ends when all of the members on either side are killed or petrified, or if the enemy or your party runs away. You receive EXP (Experience Points), AP (Ability Points) and Items from defeated opponents. For methods to obtain Gil, the form of currency in ff 8, refer to the SeeD Ranking section below. Incidentally, you need only 1,000 EXP to go up a level in ff 8. Unlike ff 7, characters not in your fighting party gain zero EXP... I'll advise you practise rotating your squad members to make sure nobody's too far ahead (or behind) in terms of levels. [Battle Tips] A majority of the enemies in ff 8 are weak against status ailments attacks such as Sleep, Stop or even Death. This becomes all the more apparent when you get to junction spells to Status Attack, so try experimenting on enemies with different maladies -- some of them can even work on bosses! A lot of people don't seem to realise they can switch between characters (provided their active time bars are full) using 'Circle' for the U.S version, and 'Triangle' for the Japanese version. This comes in handy when you want to use a specific party member either to heal or to attack. Using the target window in battle (hit L1) lets you accurately select which enemy to attack; it's also a great way to check the name of a particular monster. A hit in the back results in double damage; this applies to both your party members and enemies for physical attacks. In ff 8, you actually gain EXP when you flee from battle, depending on the amount of damage you did to your opponents. Any character that finishes off an enemy gets more EXP as well, so be sure to let Squall give up his easier kills to a weaker member. This situation also applies to G.Fs. Incidentally, if you think Squall is too far ahead in his levels, I suggest petrifying him for a few battles, since characters affected by petrifaction receive zero EXP and AP ^_^ Make sure to switch Squall's junctioned G.Fs (if any) over beforehand! They won't receive any EXP nor AP if Squall's petrified. Towards the end of the game, you'll come to rely heavily on Squall's Renzokuken to dish out the heavy damage. I've included a way to exploit this to your maximum advantage: 1. Junction Ultima x 100 to Attack, and learn Strength +60% character ability. This should raise Squall's offense to 255. Learn Auto Haste party ability from G.F. Cerebrus. 2. Obtain Aura magic (drawable from Heaven/Hell Islands and Seifer at the end), or Aura Stones via G.F Siren's Tools Refinement menu ability (each Power Wrist gives you 10 Aura Stones; they can be bought from the Pet Store in Esthar). Also draw Meltdown (U.S) or Merton (Japanese) magic from high level Gaylas (white flying creatures with black stripes on the Trabia continent) and Bombs (in a forest near to Sabotender Desert, or in the Fire Caverns). You might want to have a few Haste spells on hand too. 3. During confrontation, cast Haste on Squall (optional, especially if he has Auto Haste on already). Follow this up with Meltdown (Merton) on the enemy; this reduces its defense rating to zero. Finally, use Aura (Stones) on Squall. 4. Repeatedly tap Circle (U.S) or Triangle (Japanese) for Squall's Limit Break to appear. Each cut, coupled with the R1 Trigger, should do over 9,000 damage. If Squall finishes with 'End of Heart' (equip his 'Lionheart' gunblade first), you should be able to do damage amounting to something like 234,000 in one Renzokuken. [List of Elements] Final Fantasy's VIII battle system does somewhat rely on other external factors (apart from the Strength and Magic ratings of a character, anyway) to calculate damage. Some enemies carry weaknesses against a certain type of element; others may be protected from them instead. Here's a list detailing the 11 types of elements found in ff 8: TYPE-LESS Type-less attacks ignore the magical defense values (and sometimes defense values) of an opponent; they'll be your most common form of offense in ff 8. Sources: All non-Elemental Attack junctioned weapon strikes, Flare, Meteor, Meltdown (Merton), Ultima spells, G.F Siren, G.F. Tonberi, G.F. Sabotender, G.F. Bahamut, G.F. Eden, Gatling Gun E. Skill, Ray Bomb E. Skill, Shockwave Pulser E. Skill, etc. GRAVITY Suprisingly, Gravity-typed attacks work well against a notable percentage of opponents. Just take note that it's still useless on mechanical monsters. Sources: Demi (Gravite) spell, G.F. Diablos, Micro Missile E. Skill, etc. HEAL Most players will use heal-typed spells simply to recover their party's HPs... unless they know undeads are weak against the healing elements as well. Sources: Cure spells, heal-typed items, Recover command ability, etc. FIRE Fire works best against ice, undeads, aquatic creatures, beasts and vegetation. Sources: Fire spells, G.F. Ifrit, G.F Phoenix, Fire Breath E. Skill, etc. ICE Use against fire-based creatures (i.e. Bombs). Sources: Blizzard spells, G.F. Shiva, etc. THUNDER Mechanical and aquatic beasts are susceptible to lightning. Sources: Thunder spells, G.F. Quezacotl, Electrocute E. Skill, etc. EARTH Earth-typed attacks are limited in their effectiveness. Never use them on flying creatures. Sources: Quake spell, G.F. Brothers, etc. POISON Human opponents are weak against Poison; useless against mechanical beasts. Sources: Bio spell, G.F. Ghoulish, etc. WIND Flying creatures are at the mercy of wind-typed attacks. Sources: Aero spell, Tornado spell, G.F. Pandemona (Pandemonium), etc. WATER Only a handful of fire-based enemies have a weakness to Water. Sources: Water spell, G.F. Leviathan, Aqua Breath E. Skill, etc. HOLY Try using Holy-typed attacks on undeads. Sources: Holy spell, G.F. Alexander, etc. Enemies assaulted by an element they're weak against take twice as much damage. On the other hand, if the enemy is resistant to an element, it means that the damage they take from that element can either be halved, void or even absorbed instead as HP. [List of Status Conditions] Status changes can occur both in and out of battle, and can affect both your party members and enemies. A few disappear after battle or after a set period of time, but most carry over their effects to the next fight unless you remedy them. The various conditions include: DISABLED (KO'ed) Effect Character lies on the ground, unable to take any further part in battle Remedy Life-typed magic, Phoenix-typed items, Revive command ability, spending the night at a Hotel (note: disabled characters at the end of a fight gain zero EXP and AP) DOOM Effect Character dies after red timer above his or her head expires Remedy Elixir-typed items, Remedy Plus, Treatment (Chiryou) command ability CRITICAL Effect Character falls to his or her knees, HP value turns yellow and rate of Specials being made available increases Remedy Cure-typed magic and items, White Wind E. Skill POISON Effect Green bubbles appear over a character; he or she takes a small amount of damage for every turn in battle Remedy Esuna magic, White Wind E. Skill, Antidote, Remedy-typed items, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability PETRIFY Effect Character becomes cast in stone, unable to take any further part in battle Remedy Esuna magic, White Wind E. Skill, Soft (Gold Needle), Remedy -typed items, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability (note: petrified characters at the end of a fight gain zero EXP and AP) PETRIFYING Effect Character becomes cast in stone after white timer above his or her head expires Remedy Esuna magic, White Wind E. Skill, Soft (Gold Needle), Remedy -typed items, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability DARKNESS Effect A cloud of smoke covers the character's eyes; Hit parameter is halved Remedy Esuna magic, White Wind E. Skill, Eye Drops, Remedy-typed items, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability SILENCE Effect A "...." bubble appears over the character's head; Magic, Draw and G.F. command abilities are sealed off Remedy Esuna magic, White Wind E. Skill, Echo Screen, Remedy-typed items, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability BERSERK Effect Character turns fuming-red; Attack power is raised, but character automatically attacks for every turn Remedy Esuna magic, White Wind E. Skill, Remedy-typed items, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability ZOMBIE Effect Character takes on a greyish-green shade of colour; Attack power is raised, but character is now susceptible to Heal -typed spells and items; a single Phoenix Down instantly kills the affected character. Using Drain magic or an Absorb command ability on a zombified character results in damage to the caster instead Remedy Esuna magic, White Wind E. Skill, Holy Water, Remedy-typed items, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability SLEEP Effect A "Zzzz" sign appears over the character's head; unable to enter any command abilities Remedy Physical attacks, Esuna magic, White Wind E. Skill, Remedy -typed items, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability CONFUSE Effect Character spins around in circles; attacks both ally and enemy randomly Remedy Physical attacks, Esuna magic, White Wind E. Skill, Remedy -typed items, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability VITALITY ZERO Effect Character takes on a shade of purple and Vitality parameter drops to zero; caused only by Meltdown (Merton) spell Remedy Esuna magic, Remedy Plus, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability SLOW Effect Character's Active Time Bar turns blue and fills slower Remedy Dispell magic, Haste magic, Esuna magic, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability STOP Effect Character's Active Time Bar stops filling; unable to act Remedy Dispell magic, Haste magic, Esuna magic, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability HASTE Effect Character's Active Time Bar turns red and fills faster Remedy Dispell magic REGEN Effect Character gradually recovers HP during the course of the fight Remedy Dispell magic FLOAT Effect Character floats in mid-air; invulnerable to all Earth-typed attacks Remedy Dispell magic PROTECT Effect A blue shield parries any physical attack on the character, reducing damage taken by half Remedy Dispell magic SHELL Effect A purple shield parries any magical attack on the character, reducing damage taken by half Remedy Dispell magic REFLECT Effect A yellowish-green shield reflects most magical spells cast on the character back to the caster; useless for some of the more powerful spells such as Meteor, Ultima and G.Fs Remedy Dispell magic CURSE Effect Character falls to his or her knees and takes on a shade of black; unable to use Limit Breaks Remedy Esuna magic, White Wind E. Skill, Holy Water, Remedy-typed items, Elixir-typed items, Treatment command ability AURA Effect Character takes on a shade of gold; rate of Limit Breaks being made available increases Remedy Dispell magic DEFEND Effect Character assumes a defensive stance; invulnerable to all physical attacks and reduces all magical attacks by half Remedy Disappears after one active turn DOUBLE, TRIPLE Effect Character has the ability to cast 2 or 3 spells of the same type in a single turn Remedy Dispell magic INVINCIBLE Effect Character becomes translucent; all physical and magical attacks are useless on him or her Remedy None Well, that's all for the battle tutorial. ======================================================================== IV. MENU TUTORIAL ======================================================================== [The Menu Screen] Pushing the 'Circle' (U.S) or 'Triangle' (Japanese) button out of battle brings up the menu screen. Twelve commands can be issued from here. In addition, the menu screen also provides gameplay information such as your current location (check the bottom-left window) and your playing time, SeeD rank, plus total amount of Gil (the form of currency in ff 8) in the bottom-right window. The window in the upper-right consists of 11 commands. Reading from top to bottom, they're: Junction, Item, Magic, Status, G.F., Abilities, Switch, Cards, Configuration, Tutorial and finally Save. [Junction] The Junction system combines both the Materia and Job system together, enabling you to build the kind of character you want. It does this by allowing spells themselves to double as character-building elements. I'll give a brief diagram of how the Junction Screen looks like: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |Notice JUNCTION OFF AUTO ABILITIES | JUNCTION | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |Help Window | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (Portrait) (Magic/Equipped G.Fs List) (Equipped Commands/G.Fs List) (Current EXP) (Required EXP for Next Level) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |HP Attached Spell (CHANGE) S Attack S Def. E Attack E Def. | |Strength -- Speed -- | |Vitality -- Evasion -- | |Magic -- Hit% -- | |Spirit -- Luck -- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *S Attack and S Def.: Status Attack and Status Defense E Attack and E Def.: Elemental Attack and Elemental Defense (they'll be highlighted if junctioning spells to them is possible) In a nutshell, here's how the whole thing works (to the best of my knowledge anyway): 1. Gain G.Fs through drawing from bosses, receiving as gifts or defeating the G.Fs themselves. 2. Junction a G.F (a character can have multiple G.Fs junctioned) to a party member by selecting 'Junction', and then 'G.F.'. Press 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) to equip a G.F. G.Fs already junctioned will be indicated by a symbol next to their names. Hit 'Triangle' (U.S) or 'X' (Japanese) when you're done equipping. If you already have a stock of spells in that particular character's spells list, jump straight to point 4. Otherwise, ignore the 'Auto' window which pops up, equip the 'Draw' command ability under the 'Abilities' window, then proceed onto point 3. 3. Draw spells for junctioning from enemies or Draw Points. Different spells have varying effects on the same parameter. You can have a maximum of 100 for each type of spell. Once you've amassed enough spells, select the 'Auto' command in the Junction sub-screen. 4. Choose to optimize your character, based either on 'Attack', 'Magic' or 'Defense': Attack: Places emphasis on 'Strength' parameter Magic: Places emphasis on 'Magic' parameter Defense: Places emphasis on 'HP' parameter (not Vitality rating!) 5. Select the abilities you want available to your character. 6. If you're not happy with the junctioned magic spells, choose 'Junction' again, and then 'Magic'. Change the spells if you want, or remove them with 'Square'. Alternatively, the 'Off' command works well if you wish to de-equip all junctioned spells (select 'Magic') or all G.Fs, spells and abilities (select 'All'). If you character has the ability to junction spells to Elemental Attack/Defense or Status Attack/Defense, use the d-pad to scroll the junction screen left. The higher the amount of spells (max. 100) junctioned to a parameter, the better the effect. 7. From the menu screen, select G.F. Tap 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) at a G.F's status window, and select the ability you want it to learn. Abilities are divided into six different types: Junction, Command, Character, Party, G.F. and Menu. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Junction: Allows a character to attach spells to his or her | | parameters, thus increasing their overall fighting | | capabilities. | |e.g. 'HP J' lets one junction spells to his or her HP parameter. | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |!Command: Gives a character commands which are usable in battle. | |e.g. 'Magic' allows a party member to cast spells. | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Character: Modifies or adds special conditions to a character while in| | battle. | |e.g. 'Mug' replaces the 'Attack' command in battle, thus allowing | | one to plunder items from the enemy. | |e.g. 'Auto Protect' puts a character in 'Protect' status immediately | | at the start of each fight. | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Party: Adds certain helpful abilities to the entire party, be it in | | combat or outside of it. | |e.g. 'Alert' prevents pre-emptive attacks from enemies. | |e.g. 'Move-Find' reveals hidden Draw and Save Points. | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |G.F.: Raises a G.F's capability in battle. | |e.g. 'Summon Magic +40%' increases the magnitude of a G.F. by 40%. | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Menu: Provides the party with handy abilities via the menu screen. | |e.g. 'Ice Magic Refinement' allows the creation of 'Blizzard' spells | | from certain special items. | |e.g. 'Call Shop' lets you access any shop you've come across before at| | anytime, anyplace. | | | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ [Item] This command is primarily used for curing your party, and tinkering with the abilities of your G.Fs. You have access to a total of 4 choices. Reading from left to right, they're: Use: Select this to use the items present in your inventory list. Items which are unusable will be displayed in grey. Press left or right on the d-pad to scroll through the list of items. There're a variety of items in ff 8; you can only carry 100 of each type. Rearrange: Lets you arrange your items in the order you prefer. Sort: The computer arranges your items for you automatically. Battle: Arranges the lineup of items when the 'Item' command is used in battle. Un-wanted items cannot be discarded; either use them in battle to get rid of them, or sell them (more practical) to shops. [Magic] The Magic command allows you to cure your party (provided you have the correct type of spells) as well as to arrange and swap spells among the party members. Reading from left to right, the 4 choices here are: Use: Lets you cast a particular heal-typed spell. In ff 8, you cannot target multiple members with a single spell, so you'll have to cure each character separately. There're a variety of spells in ff 8; you can only carry 100 of each type in a character's spells list. Exchange: Allows you to manually swap spells between party members. - 'Give All' transfers an entire spell type to the member in the lower row. - 'Take All' transfers an entire spell type to the member in the upper row. - 'Split' enables you to specify the amount of spells to be swapped. All: Swaps an entire set of spells list between party members. Rearrange: Lets you determine the placement of spells when the 'Magic' command is used in battle. There's really no easy way to discard un-wanted spells in the Japanese version. You can either cast them in battle (summon G.F Cerebrus beforehand for an easier time), or use menu abilities such as G.F. Quezacotl's Mid. Order Magic Refinement to get rid of some of the weaker variations of magics. In the U.S version, spells can be discarded by placing the cursor over them and pressing 'Square'. [Status] Execute this command to learn about a character's current condition. Apart from his or her name, current level (a yellowish insignia beside this indicates that the particular member is in your main party), HP (Health or Hit Points) values, current Experience and the amount of Experience Points required to advance to the next level, equipped abilities and weapon, the Status sub-menu also displays the party member's status values: (note: You can switch between characters using R1 or L1) Strength: Capability to do Speed: Rate at which ATB fills damage. during battle. Vitality: Resistance to physical Luck: Deciding factor for speed of attacks. escaping, items dropped, no. of spells drawn, etc. Magic: Determines the Evasion: Ability to avoid attacks magnitude of spells. completely. Spirit: Resistance to magical Hit%: Hit rate for current weapon attacks. Pressing the 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) button brings up the Elemental Attack, Elemental Defense, Status Attack and Status Defense ratings of that character. Hitting the button another time brings up the G.F. affiliation chart for that party member. Refer to the G.F. sub-section below for details as to what this chart means. Finally, tapping the same button again displays the Limit Breaks list of that character. Alternatively, this list can also be displayed by simply pressing 'Square'. For Squall and Zell, you can set their Limit Breaks on auto (the computer takes care of the button pressing), but I advise you ignore this feature, seeing how the computer misses the timings so often. Besides, it's more fun to do it by yourself ^_^ [G.F.] The G.F. screen shows the stats of your acquired summon monsters. Hit R1 or L1 to scroll between G.Fs. Pressing 'X' (U.S) or 'Circle' (Japanese) at a G.F's status screen brings up its abilities list. G.Fs learn abilities by gaining AP (Ability Points) or using items. They can also raise their HP and power via levelling up or certain abilities. However, unlike AP, G.Fs in battle SHARE the EXP the character which they've been junctioned to receives, i.e. if Squall has both Quezacotl and Shiva junctioned, and receives 300 EXP plus 8 AP at the end of a fight, each of the 2 G.Fs gain 150 EXP and 8 AP. You might want to de-equip the stronger G.Fs for a while if you want to build up weaker ones. And mind you, new G.Fs often start off pathetically weak. Every G.F. takes 500 EXP to gain a level, with the exception of the 16th and final G.F, Eden (1,000 EXP). G.Fs also have different mindsets towards each character (the red bar along with the numbers in the G.F. screen indicate how much they like each member). The higher the value, the lesser the time it takes to summon them. This value is increased by summoning them, or casting spells of the same element as the G.F, i.e. Fire spells raise Ifrit's opinion of the character. Likewise, if you use Blizzard spells, you'll lower Ifrit's rating towards the member but raise Shiva's affection. Another ability I'll like to highlight here is the 'Boost' G.F. ability, or 'Ouen'. As mentioned in the Basic System section, this comes into play during the summoning sequences (hold Select, then tap Square at the correct times) for certain G.Fs. Normally, G.Fs use only 75% of their strength; the 'Boost' ability can raise it to 250% if you're a quick tapper, or have a turbo controller on hand. Try to learn this first whenever you acquire a new G.F. (it takes only 10 AP anyway). [Abilities] Allows usage of learnt menu abilities such as 'Fire Magic Refinement' or 'Junk Store'. Tap left or right on the d-pad to scroll. [Switch] Once your party exceeds three members, you must select 2 characters to accompany Squall. This command is only available on the Overworld and on Save Points in the field screens for the Japanese version. In the U.S version, an additional command, 'Junction Exchange', enables you to easily transfer a set of equipped G.Fs, abilities and spell lists between characters. Convenient for those scenes in which you have to guide two different parties. Inactive party members gain zero EXP from battles fought by the main party. [Card] Displays the cards that you've acquired so far. Hit left or right on the d-pad to scroll through the 10 levels of cards. Refer to the Card Battle section below for more information concerning this mini-game. [Configuration] A set of customization controls are available here. (note: The last two options are for those playing with a Sony Dual Shock Analog Controller) Sound: Change between Stereo or Mono. Controller: Change the controller settings to Normal (Default) or Customize. Push the 'X' or 'Circle' button at the Customize option to bring up the controller configuration screen. Cursor: The Memorize option here lets you store the last position of the finger cursor even after the window is closed. ATB: Set the flow of time in battles. -- For skilled players. Time flows even when commands, spells and items are being selected. -- For beginners. Time stops when spells and items are being selected. Scan: The detailed analysis of an enemy will only appear the 1st time you cast 'Scan' (Japanese version: Libra) on an enemy under the default Initial settings. Camera Movement: The higher the percentage, the more frequently the camera angle changes in battle. Battle Speed: Adjust the speed of time flow during battles. Battle Message: Adjust the message speed in battles. Field Message: Adjust the message speed in the field screens. Analog Input: Change the sensitivity of the analog sticks. Vibration Function: Turn rumble feature ON/OFF. [Tutorial] Lets you learn more about ff 8's systems and world. The SeeD Tests are also accessed via this command. If my guide hasn't been too precise in explaining the various systems Final Fantasy VIII has to offer, this is where you should refer to ^_^ [Save] Final Fantasy VIII takes up one block of space on a Memory Card. The Save command can only be used to record a position on the Overworld and on Save Points in field screens. [Order] Push left on the d-pad in the main menu screen, and a cursor will appear, allowing you to re-shuffle your main party's lineup in battle. There's no real reason for you to do this though. Btw, there're no more 'front' or 'back' rows in ff 8. And that's all for the Menu Tutorial. ======================================================================== V. CARD BATTLE ======================================================================== [Card Battle System] When walking around town, you can engage other NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) in card battles via the 'Square' button. Cards are obtained through victories, special events or enemies, and some are very difficult to find. Either way, here's the entire playing procedure: 1. Win a card, or turn an enemy into one via Quezacotl's 'Card' command ability. Look for a card player, and talk to him or her using 'Square'. 2. Select 5 cards from your deck (not applicable for Random rule). 3. The computer will randomly decide who gets to start first. 4. The game is played on a 3 by 3 tiled board, with the blue cards belonging to you; the pink ones, your opponent. ---------------- | | | | | | | | ---------------- PINK | | | | BLUE DECK | | | | DECK ---------------- | | | | | | | | ---------------- 5. You'll notice 4 sets of numbers on each card, the center row having 2 numbers side by side. The maximum value for each side is A (equals 10). 6. When 2 opposing cards are placed adjacent to each other, 'Card Battle' commences. 7. The computer will compare these 4 sets of values, and victory is allotted to the card with the higher value. Here's an example, assuming the pink card is the attacking card. --------- --------- | 8 | | 2 | |9 2| |3 1| | 7 | | 4 | --------- --------- (Blue) (Pink) The values represent the attack power of the card on each of the 4 sides. In the above diagram, the blue card (which has been placed on the left of the pink one) seems to have the upper hand, but the value on its right (2) is lower than the value on the left of the pink card (3). Thus, the winner here is the pink card (3>2), and the losing blue card is flipped to show a pink one. 8. Press 'Triangle' to view the Rules if you've forgotten what they were. 9. When all 9 tiles are filled, the player with the majority of the cards in their respective colour wins. [Rules Details] Rules vary from region to region, although you can abolish some of the more troublesome ones via winning a game in that territory or paying the Card Queen at Balamb City's train station 30,000 Gil. Special rules include: (Important: In all cases assume the blue card is the attacking card!) SAME: When a card is placed adjacent to 2 or more cards, and the values on the sides of that particular card facing the rest are equal, the attacking card wins. --------- --------- | 5 | | 8 | |1 3| |3 4| | 7 | | 9 | --------- --------- (Blue) (Pink) --------- | 7 | |6 A| | A | --------- (Pink) Look at the right and bottom values of the blue card, which are identical to the values of the pink cards directly facing them (3 & 3, 7 & 7). In this case both the pink cards are flipped. PLUS: When a card is placed adjacent to 2 or more cards, and the values on 2 or more of the sides in contact add up to the same figure, the attacking card wins. --------- --------- | 5 | | 2 | |1 4| |5 A| | 1 | | 4 | --------- --------- (Blue) (Pink) --------- | 8 | |9 3| | 7 | --------- (Pink) Take note of the right and bottom values of the blue one. When you add the values of the pink cards directly facing them, the numbers calculated are the same, i.e. 4+5=9 and 1+8=9. In this case both the pink cards are flipped. SAME WALL: The vertical and horizontal sides of the playing field are taken as having a value of 'A'. The Same Wall is extremely rare, and usually occurs in conjunction with the Same rule. | --------- | | 7 | A| |1 6| | | 1 | | --------- | (Pink) | | --------- | | 1 | A| |A 3| | | 5 | | --------- | (Blue) | | --------- | | 5 | A| |7 4| | | 7 | | --------- | (Pink) Look at the left, upper and bottom values of the blue card. Under the 'Same Wall and 'Same' rule, the value of the playing field directly facing the blue card, bottom value of the pink card above the blue card and upper value of the pink card below the blue card are identical (A & A, 1 & 1, 5 & 5 respectively). Both pink cards are thus flipped. COMBO: When a card changes colour under the Same, Plus or Same Wall rules, its values now affect the cards with the opposing colour. Thus, one can actually set a card, flip the opponent's, and the flipped card will also act against those around it, flipping them as well within a single turn. You can set up multiple chains in this way. --------- --------- | 8 | | 2 | |9 3| |3 1| | 7 | | 4 | --------- --------- (Blue) (Pink) --------- --------- | 7 | | 2 | |1 4| |5 A| | A | | 4 | --------- --------- (Pink) (Pink) --------- | 8 | |9 3| | 7 | --------- (Pink) Under the Same rule, the blue card in the upper-left should flip both the pink cards to the right and bottom of it. Now look at the bottom value of the card to the right of the blue card. Having been flipped, the now blue card should act upon the pink card directly beneath it, flipping it in the process (4>2). The same also applies to the (now blue) card to the bottom of the initial attacking blue card, thus the pink card in the lower-left is flipped (A>8). Chains are set up in this way, and can often turn near-defeats into victories in Card Battles. ELEMENTAL: Some cards such as Ifrit's have an elemental to them (in this case Fire). When placed on a tile with the 'Fire' element symbol on it, the values of the card increase by 1 on all 4 sides. Other than that, if the element symbol on the tile does not correspond to the card's elemental, the values of the card on all 4 sides will decrease by 1 instead. However, the Same, Plus and Same Wall rules ignore the added or decreased (if any) values of a card; keep that in mind the next time you want to activate such rules. Open: All cards can be seen. Random: All cards are randomly picked. Sudden Death: The game goes on in the event of a Draw. Players retain only the cards in their respective colour from the end of the previous Card Battle. Trade Rules: These range from being able to pick and keep zero to all cards from the loser. Cards are useful via Quezacotl's 'Card Mod.' menu ability; many of them grant the items required to upgrade your weapons, characters or G.Fs. There's a total of 110 different cards to collect, btw. If you've completed your collection of cards, a star will appear next to the Card command in the menu screen. And even if you destroy one of your cards using 'Card Mod.', the star will still remain there. ======================================================================== VI. SeeD RANKING ======================================================================== In ff 8, your party receives payment from SeeD on a timely basis. This sum is determined by your SeeD ranking, which is assigned to you right after the events at Dollet in Disc One. Also, the SeeD Tests become available in the Tutorial on the menu screen. The actual number of papers Squall can sit for depends on his level, i.e. a lv. 15 Squall has access to only 15 out of the 30 tests. Below are the answers: (Yes=Y / No=N) Test 1 : Y N Y Y Y N N Y N N Test 2 : Y N Y Y Y N Y Y N N Test 3 : N N Y N Y Y Y N Y N Test 4 : N Y Y Y N N Y Y N N Test 5 : N N N Y Y N N Y Y Y Test 6 : Y N Y Y N N Y Y N Y Test 7 : Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y N Test 8 : N Y N N Y Y N N Y N Test 9 : N Y N N N N N N Y Y Test 10: Y N N N N N N N Y N Test 11: Y Y N Y Y N Y N N Y Test 12: N Y N N Y N Y N Y N Test 13: Y N N N Y N N N N N Test 14: Y Y Y Y N Y Y N Y N Test 15: Y Y N N N N N Y N Y Test 16: Y N N Y N Y N N Y N Test 17: Y N N N Y N N Y N N Test 18: Y N N N Y N N N N N Test 19: Y N N Y N N N N N Y Test 20: Y Y N Y N Y Y Y N N Test 21: Y Y Y Y N N Y Y Y N Test 22: N N N Y N N N Y Y N Test 23: Y N N N N Y Y Y Y Y Test 24: Y Y N N Y Y N N N Y Test 25: Y N Y Y Y N N Y N N Test 26: Y Y N Y N Y N Y N N Test 27: N Y N N N N Y N Y N Test 28: Y N N Y Y Y N Y N N Test 29: N N N Y Y N N N Y N Test 30: N Y N N N N Y N N N If Squall scores a perfect 100 marks in a test paper, his SeeD ranking is raised by one. The highest rank Squall can attain is A (otherwise known as rank 31), which pays 30,000 Gil. Each payment occurs after Squall takes about 24,300 steps or so. Increasing your rank can also involve other methods, such as success at certain game events, or living dangerously in battle. By that I mean combating enemies with your characters at critical status (you could always blow your opponents away with Limit Breaks). To make your rank stay constant, just fight battles normally, using physical, magical or G.F. attacks. Decreasing your rank is done by escaping from battles too often and not engaging enemies in combat frequently enough. I think the above section needs some(more) confirmation though. E-mail me if I'm wrong. ======================================================================== VII. FULL WALKTHROUGH ======================================================================== [Gameplay Tips] Before you delve into the walkthrough below, why not stop to pick up a few tips on ff 8? I'm sure the below hints will prove helpful, especially if this is your first time through the game. Seeing how the levelling up system has been all but replaced by the Junction System (which is why you need only 1,000 EXP to gain a level in ff 8), there's really no need for you to specifically go level up your characters. Just fight whatever battles that may come your way, making sure you stop to draw a few spells for junctioning later. This brings me to my next point, which is... You don't really need to have every single spell in your magic list. Try sticking to the more common (and useful) spells such as Cure, and ignore the lame ones such as Drain. Each character can only carry 32 out of the 50 spells ff 8 has to offer. Also, whenever possible, I suggest making use of menu abilities to refine items to spells instead; it's much more convenient that way. Since both the armour and accessories systems have been removed, the only stuff you'll spend money on are items and weapon remodeling. Do feel free to blow your cash on items. Still, I'll like to caution that in the early stages of the game, the party gets around on a train a lot, so make sure you always have enough money left to afford a 3,000 Gil ticket. [How to use this guide] You will be presented with choices at certain points in the game; I've taken the liberty of indicating the best option with an asterisk (*). Also, the 'Side Events' and portions that occasionally pop up really are optional, meaning you don't have to do them to advance the storyline; they're usually an opportunity for you to obtain a special artefact or two, plus to give guidelines on weapon upgrading. Happy travels!