Current Events > Official Final Fanraay XII Zodiac Age release topic *spoilers*

(+) Yeah! (+)

On the 11th of July (aka next Tuesday) the long awaited remaster of FFXII will be released. In addition to all the added content from the International Zodiac Job System release that was never made available in America, it has many more upgrades. Not the least of which include having the ability to control and have guest members level up, changed hunt rewards and a special mode where you never level up by default. Plus no more having random treasure chests lock you out from being the zodiac spear. (Not that it was ever the best weapon even in the US version of the game, just the most powerful in raw stats and required no gear optimizing in order to pull out the max potential like the danjuro or masamune). It's also not even the strongest in raw stats anymore! :)

What I'm looking forward to most of all is the job system. Rather than every character having the entire board available, you can choose from 12 jobs for each character to use and grow from. In addition, with certain requirements met you are able to unlock a second job for each character, effectively allowing you access to all of the jobs across your party. As a result, even min/ maxing isn't so straight forward because you might have the best two roles for a given character but the two lack synergy that works with the other roles of characters with their best roles as well.

Let's use this topic to discuss our anticipation and progress as we go through the game, as well as anything that might happen which we think is exciting such as new or changed enemies and areas.
---

I'm excited. Have had the Steelbook version pre-ordered for a while now. I played the Zodiac version years ago with the patch for it, but it just wasn't the same as sitting on my couch with controller in hand.
---

I've avoided hearing the remaster ost. The x one was not all by the original composer but this one was overseen by the composer for original xii and that makes me optimistic it'll be truer to their original vision.

I can't afford a special edition so no original ost option unless it's a dlc option one day.
---

there aren't many times I regret giving up on console gaming. but this is one of those times. one of the last RPGs I put serious time into.
---

I hate FFXII. I preorded the remake in the hopes the new additions and rebalance changes my mind.
---

Yass, I didn't realize the release date was so soon. I never played the Zodiac version.

LordFarquad1312 posted...

I hate FFXII. I preorded the remake in the hopes the new additions and rebalance changes my mind.

A lot of people did. This is one of those games where there were very few people that were in the middle about it. It was very much a love it or hate it game within the FF community.

I wonder if all the compression audio errors will be fixed.

I appreciate the story but most scenes between just party members if balthier was not involved seemed to fall flat when I played a few years ago
---

I just noticed the typo in the title. Yay for mobile posting and auto correct being the greatest mistake known to man.
---

The twelve jobs and their Zodiac sign are:

Aries - White Mage - Focused on Rods and White Magick.
Taurus - Uhlan - Focused on Spears.
Gemini - Machinist - Focused on Guns and Measures.
Cancer - Red Battlemage - Focused on Maces, and various Magick types, with exclusive access to Arcane Magicks.
Leo - Knight - Focused on Swords and Greatswords.
Virgo - Monk - Focused on Poles and capable of barehanded combat.
Libra - Time Battlemage - Focused on Crossbows and Time Magicks.
Scorpio - Foebreaker - Focused on Axes, Hammers and Hand-bombs.
Sagittarius - Archer - Focused on Bows and Technicks.
Capricorn - Black Mage - Focused on Staves and Black Magicks.
Aquarius - Bushi - Focused on Katana.
Pisces - Shikari - Focused on Daggers and Ninja Swords.
---

Bump
---

I'm also holding out for a steam release. Same with 15.

I do have a PS4 though.
---

It sounds great actually, and I loved the original, despite its flaws.

I'll probably wait for it to drop in price and/or be released on Steam though. My backlog is too large at the moment.

I'll probably pick it up around Xmas time.
---

I remember back in the day someone found a glitch to farm for zodiac spears even after the chest lockout. That was pretty cool
---

I too am delaying getting it in anticipation of a Steam release
---

RE_expert44 posted...

I remember back in the day someone found a glitch to farm for zodiac spears even after the chest lockout. That was pretty cool

I think that happened a good few years after release. It used something called a Cure List IIRC, to abuse the RNG.

There always was another way to obtain Zodiac Spears, but with a 1/1000 chance I think. I remember a French guy farmed loads of them. He must have wondered why he went to all that hassle when the RNG trick was discovered.

Can't wait :)
---

luigi13579 posted...

RE_expert44 posted...

I remember back in the day someone found a glitch to farm for zodiac spears even after the chest lockout. That was pretty cool

I think that happened a good few years after release. It used something called a Cure List IIRC, to abuse the RNG.

There always was another way to obtain Zodiac Spears, but with a 1/1000 chance I think. I remember a French guy farmed loads of them. He must have wondered why he went to all that hassle when the RNG trick was discovered.

Didn't it have something to do with getting a high chain kill on a specific enemy or something?
---

My body is so god damn ready.
---

RE_expert44 posted...

Didn't it have something to do with getting a high chain kill on a specific enemy or something?

Hmm, maybe that's different from what I was talking about.

The extra spears came from a 1% spawn rate chest and if you had the armlet item that changes the loot tables, you had a 1% chance of it having the zodiac spear.

Otherwise? It had some other item that wasn't nearly as good. Probably those rust knots. Asides from one exploit to destroy yiazmat, you never really had a reason for those items.
---

Didn't rust knots power up the dark matter throwing items as well?
---

RE_expert44 posted...

Didn't rust knots power up the dark matter throwing items as well?

That's the exploit in question. Though it might have been the other way round. :)
---

Undying posted...

. I never played the Zodiac version.

It wasn't released in English so that's not surprising.

That's an exploit? I thought it was a game mechanic
---

Is it still FFXI Lite as far as combat goes?
---

Dammit V, now I've spent all day talking myself into getting a PS4.
---

My copy comes in Tuesday :)
---

I did a digital preorder. Might need an ssd for extra space at this rate, had to remove a few games for space.

It's kind of funny that ps2 super long games can have an HD remaster take up as much space as a ps4 generic Tetris title. Like, what even is that?
---

If you digitally pre-ordered, the pre install and patch for the game are already available. :3
---

gunplagirl posted...

The twelve jobs and their Zodiac sign are:

Aries - White Mage - Focused on Rods and White Magick.
Taurus - Uhlan - Focused on Spears.
Gemini - Machinist - Focused on Guns and Measures.
Cancer - Red Battlemage - Focused on Maces, and various Magick types, with exclusive access to Arcane Magicks.
Leo - Knight - Focused on Swords and Greatswords.
Virgo - Monk - Focused on Poles and capable of barehanded combat.
Libra - Time Battlemage - Focused on Crossbows and Time Magicks.
Scorpio - Foebreaker - Focused on Axes, Hammers and Hand-bombs.
Sagittarius - Archer - Focused on Bows and Technicks.
Capricorn - Black Mage - Focused on Staves and Black Magicks.
Aquarius - Bushi - Focused on Katana.
Pisces - Shikari - Focused on Daggers and Ninja Swords.

Looking at this list, this is what I'm projecting my job classes to be:

Vaan: Bushi/Shikari
Penelo: White Mage/Black Mage
Balthier: Foebreaker/Machinist
Fran: Archer/Monk
Ashe: Red Battlemage/Time Battlemage
Basch: Knight/Uhlan

I won't know how well these jobs synergize with each other until I get a look at the license boards themselves. I imagine they will have a significant amount of synergy, though. Plus, these are the jobs I feel best reflect the characters themselves.
---

I want but no ps4
I'll replay vanilla instead :D
---

Part of me wants to get this...but then the other part tells me to wake up and remember how I wasn't able to get into XII the 3 or 4 times I tried playing it on my PS2 back in the day. I just could not get into that combat system. (._.)

...then there's another part of me that reminds me about how I skipped P3/P4 because I thought I couldn't get into the life sim stuff. Tried 3, never gave it a fair shot...and now Persona 5 is my favorite game this year so far. Who knows, maybe I'd like XII now.
---

I need this game. I tried the English patch of Zodiac Job System and it was so good, especially the speed boost, this one apparently has even faster speed boost. I never beaten the game tho.
---

Alucard188 posted...

gunplagirl posted...

The twelve jobs and their Zodiac sign are:

Aries - White Mage - Focused on Rods and White Magick.
Taurus - Uhlan - Focused on Spears.
Gemini - Machinist - Focused on Guns and Measures.
Cancer - Red Battlemage - Focused on Maces, and various Magick types, with exclusive access to Arcane Magicks.
Leo - Knight - Focused on Swords and Greatswords.
Virgo - Monk - Focused on Poles and capable of barehanded combat.
Libra - Time Battlemage - Focused on Crossbows and Time Magicks.
Scorpio - Foebreaker - Focused on Axes, Hammers and Hand-bombs.
Sagittarius - Archer - Focused on Bows and Technicks.
Capricorn - Black Mage - Focused on Staves and Black Magicks.
Aquarius - Bushi - Focused on Katana.
Pisces - Shikari - Focused on Daggers and Ninja Swords.

Looking at this list, this is what I'm projecting my job classes to be:

Vaan: Bushi/Shikari
Penelo: White Mage/Black Mage
Balthier: Foebreaker/Machinist
Fran: Archer/Monk
Ashe: Red Battlemage/Time Battlemage
Basch: Knight/Uhlan

I won't know how well these jobs synergize with each other until I get a look at the license boards themselves. I imagine they will have a significant amount of synergy, though. Plus, these are the jobs I feel best reflect the characters themselves.

You might want to put white mage with knight to boost Excalibur. Knight plus any mage works wonders though. :)

Remember that quickenings and espers can unlock new abilities on certain job boards.
---

Let me guess - Excalibur's damage is based on your mind stat?
---

No, there's a piece of armor that white mage can equip which boosts holy damage. Excalibur is a holy based weapon. And most late and end game enemies are undead or at least don't resist it. Yiazmat absorbs holy btw. Only a genji glove... One handed version of masamune (changed the name in this version) can out dps it, with the exception of enemies that absorb dark. And yes, yiazmat is weak to dark. Males have faster animations with katanas BTW. And penelo and balthier have a 1.6 second animation to shoot a gun, while everyone else is 1.4 seconds so ironically he's a bad candidate with his default gear line.
---

Fanraay?
---

gunplagirl posted...

And penelo and balthier have a 1.6 second animation to shoot a gun, while everyone else is 1.4 seconds so ironically he's a bad candidate with his default gear line.

Are guns dependent on any stat, or is just their base damage with no additional calculations? I'm not too invested in serious optimization of DPS; I'm more interested in how each character is presented thematically in the game. Balthier just screams "must use gun" to me.
---

They ignore defense but benefit a tiny bit from strength but it's so little that it means nothing compared to the animations.
---

Irony posted...

Fanraay?

Auto correct can be a pain on my phone.
---

gunplagirl posted...

They ignore defense but benefit a tiny bit from strength but it's so little that it means nothing compared to the animations.

So in that case, perhaps I'll switch jobs around.

Vaan: Bushi/Shikari
Penelo: Black Mage/Uhlan
Balthier: Foebreaker/Time Battlemage
Fran: Archer/Monk
Ashe: Red Battlemage/Machinist
Basch: Knight/White Mage

That way, at least my mages will have the benefit of having heavier armaments to protect themselves with.
Having Basch as Knight/Whm allows me to envision a paladin, which I like to spec him towards anyways. Also, Ashe seems like the one who would be better suited to using a gun than any of the other people not Balthier. Plus, crossbow is kind of a roguish weapon.


THEMES
---

Yeah the knight white mage is a sturdy build for sure. Everything else looks good or viable. Though usually mystic armor is what I'll end up using because those resistances and other nice effects that aren't merely for survival.
---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dR0I3LgKVU

A look at the collector's edition. That box is massive and sexy.

@Leanaunfurled
@ArthasReborn
---

I only played an hour or two of FF12 back in the day, so I'll be purchasing this along with a new PS4. Can't wait :D

How long until game breaking bugs that will never be patched are found?
---

Are the load times still shit?
---