Do I play FF4: The After Years?

>>377160945
nah play ff5 instead

>>377160945
Well, I don't know, do you?

>>377160945
Don't, it's trash that's barely fanfiction tier. Play FFV or VI. Remember, release order is important to consider - most FF spinoffs are not worth playing.

>>377160996
>>377161210
Cool that's what i thought. I've played 1-3 so far. Working my way through the series. Planning on playing 4-10, 10-2, tactics somewhere in there, then 12. Good or nah? Drop one or am I missing any?

File: random (129).gif (32KB, 650x422px) Image search: [Google]

32KB, 650x422px

>>377162272
I've beaten 1-10, 12, and 15; finished a few spinoffs, too.

You could've skipped 2 and maybe even 3; 3 is good, though. You shouldn't skip 8, even though someone else might suggest that. It's a good game that gets too much shit from people that didn't get it. It's also my favorite FF.
The battle system in 10-2 is fun as hell, but the story is garbage; you can skip it if you like.

DEFINITELY play Tactics, Tactics Advance, and then 12, in that order. You can skip Revenant Wings, unless you REALLY like Vaan and Penelo.

What's a good strategy to get through 2 as pain-free and quickly as possible? I tried an all monk run with specialized magic once and that seemed to carry me pretty far before I went do something else.

>>377163520
>Pain free.

This is going to sound kind of ironic, but fight weak enemies and let them hit you a shit ton of times before you kill them to gain HP. You can attack yourself, too. This should also boost your strength IIRC. Steal your own MP to boost it.
There's an area south of the starting point with strong enemies. Look there.

>>377162272
By the time you start moving through the PSX games, also be willing to play stuff like Xenogears, Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. That whole period for Square was like a creative renaissance, and many of their games sorta carry similar feelings.

>>377160945
No

I whould like to take the oportunity and ask:
Aside from the the broken original version of FF1, which is the best version of that game?

>>377164381

PSP version. GBA and mobile versions are basically the same, but PSP version looks better.

I had fun with it. The final dungeon was fun as hell.

>>377164192
>That whole period for Square was like a creative renaissance, and many of their games sorta carry similar feelings.

Don't forget Parasite Eve 1 & 2, Brave Fencer Musashi, Threads of Fate, and Vagrant Story.

Oh, fuck, I take back what I said earlier.
Play Tactics, Vagrant Story, then Tactics Advance, and FF12. Vagrant Story is a great game, and it takes place in Ivalice, also. If you like FF7, Crisis Core is worth a shot, too. I liked it.

>>377164381
PSP

>>377160945
You can. It's not bad, certainly. However, if you are looking for something better than FFIV (or even just more of the same) then you will likely be disappointed.

The chapter system is quite interesting, and being able to play in any order is fun. Some of the chapters have a lot of variety, like Edge's where you select four apprentices for four missions and can do any one with any apprentice. But most are going to be fairly linear, and the bonus dungeon at the end of each chapter is just there for grinding purposes.

>>377162272
>Working my way through the series.
Then you might as well just play only the main games, and come back to play the sequels and spinoffs later if interested.

3D FF4 or PSP version? I know PSP version is a little easier, but I'm really not into the look of the chibi 3D games. Worked for 3, but it clashes with the tone of FF4 for me.

>>377163520
>What's a good strategy to get through 2 as pain-free and quickly as possible?
Do some grinding.

The easiest method I found was that, around the time you get Minwu, get Cure on everyone and pay a visit to Fynn (the city with enemy soldiers) and intentionally pick a fight with the fight one. He's tough as shit, so you might need to run after the fight, but your characters who survived a few hits will be tougher with more HP. Have one person in front defend each round, while the others fling magic and heal the front row person. Keep going until characters have over 1000 HP, then actually try killing the soldier. (keeping one person in front and healing them each turn is probably for the best) Actually killing them will drop a really good bow, which allows killing the soldiers to be much easier. After that, you can pretty easily grind up your stats (attack, defense, HP, dodge, white magic) to the point where the soldiers aren't a concern.

Continue on with the game from there, stomping everything up until close to the end of the game. From there, you'll want to abuse dodge chances until everyone has 99% evade, at which point you can't really be hit. Also abuse Poison Axes and any other poison weapons, since they will auto-kill nearly everything and make blowing through areas much easier.

>>377164795
I personally prefer the PSP version because of the sprites, also. The difficulty in the DS version is artificial. DS only allows 4 party members in battle, while all versions with sprites allow for 5.

>>377164795
PSP version. Comes complete with After Years and an original scenario that bridges the original with TAY, and it's got all of the GBA perks (ability to take anyone you want all the way to the endgame, bonus dungeons for all characters, extra boss fights, etc.).

Edward becomes hideously broken in the GBA version. No, I kid you not.

>>377164795
DS version if you want a challenge.The only drawback is the low fps.

>>377164926
> DS only allows 4 party members in battle, while all versions with sprites allow for 5.

But that is not true....

>>377164381
PS1 if you want the most classic experience, PSP if you want modernized. The PS1 version retains all the stats and systems of the NES original, but fixes almost all of the glitches.

>>377160945
i picked it up years ago because ff4 was my first final fantasy game, i still havent finished it i only remember being bored by trivial mediocre story

>>377165127
I haven't played the DS version in a long time. Does it have 5 member parties?

>>377165212
Nice, I remeber playing a bit of gba version but it was waaaay too easy compared to the OG.

File: 48566-Final_Fantasy_IV_(U)(Independent)-7.jpg (24KB, 256x384px) Image search: [Google]

24KB, 256x384px

>>377165416
Yes

>>377164795
FF4PSP is basically the "best" version of the traditional FF4. It has the same basic gameplay that the original had, it gives you the option to swap characters and the additional GBA dungeons. It has Interlude and a full version of After Years. The sprites look fairly nice as well, none of that blurry crap from FF5iOS or FF6iOS. If you want a traditional experience, then the PSP title is going to be your best bet.

FF4DS is harder, with better enemy AI and new combat mechanics (basically, auto-counters against specific attacks). It has the Whyt mini-games, if you care. The game keeps the standard 5-person party that the original game did, none of that character swapping and additional dungeons that the GBA game added. On the other hand, the DS game uses augments to give characters additional abilities and so you can mess around with the game that way - and augments can be hard to choose from without a guide. It also features NG+, although with optional superbosses on your third playthrough.

The Steam version is basically FF4DS but without the Whyt stuff, looks terrible at 1080p fullscreen, and has some seriously ugly menu buttons from the iOS port. Also, it doesn't support mouse controls, despite being the iOS port. Steam does also have FF4: After Years as well, which actually seems to include Interlude from what I understand. Although the Steam version of After Years seems to be almost identical to the other versions, without all the changes that FF4DS went through.

File: 1393365983964.gif (358KB, 300x169px) Image search: [Google]

358KB, 300x169px

>>377165547
I looked it up after you corrected me.
My bad. I hate giving false info, but it's been almost a decade since I played it on DS.

>>377164558
This. The individual "tales" parts are forgettable as hell but the final dungeon is god tier.

>>377165708
>looks terrible at 1080p fullscreen
Still loads better than the alias-ridden mess that is the DS version. The port, while shoddy at best, is still leagues better than the DS version if not for the framerate alone.

>>377160945
supposedly it was almost as bad as ff x-3 in the story sense

File: Balthier-balthier-from-final-fantasy-xii-13546477-455-503.jpg (41KB, 455x503px) Image search: [Google]

41KB, 455x503px

>>377163130
There are people that like Vaan and Penelo? 12 is a masterpiece but fuck those waste of space characters. My man Balthier is the real hero.

>>377160945

After Years adds almost nothing to the story. A little extra Kain stuff and that's about it.
Otherwise it's almost shot for shot the same game as IV, but with all of the characters being self aware of the fact that they're in a rehashed sequel that treads no new ground.

>>377163520
The blood sword will make short work of bosses, even the last one

slightly related, why do I feel stupidly underleveled in FF4 even just in random encounters? feels like I have to cast life every other turn

>>377170447
Tower of Zot, Sealed Cave, and your first encounter on the Moon are going to be quite difficult. You might need some leveling up to get through some tough fights, especially on the Moon were you can't just push through as easily.

>>377170631

Im talking early game, like right before the Baigan fight

>>377170679
>right before the Baigan
The waterway can be a bit tough, especially if you didn't level up Cecil on Mt. Ordeals. However, Tellah and Palom can take advantage of elemental weaknesses, and Yang can as well with the appropriate claw equips. It isn't too hard and you get a resting point before Baigan to heal, so take advantage of that.

Stocking up on ethers isn't a terrible idea, either.

>>377171151

I cant buy ethers anywhere. and I tried every town I was in

>>377171232
>>377170679

ff4 has a lot of bad combat design, half the time you will feel underleveled always using heals and revive after a fight and other half you will be fine and win matches by only clicking attack.

ethers you cant buy till like end game.