>best version of the game from a mechanical perspective >2

So it's still worth emulating the PS2 game? This remaster isn't a total upgrade?

>>386588352
It's finally at a respectable level of difficulty, though. Nobody enjoyed playing endlessly revive the party members: the game.

>>386588471
zodiac job system and zodiac age have entirely different "meta" if you will. Most of the jobs that you can min/max for each party member in the original ZJS version aren't their preferred roles in the zodiac age version.

Like instead of making Vaan a hunter or monk, since those have the most synergy with his stats in the original ZJS, he is probably best as a samurai/knight in zodiac age.

The 2 job thing makes it almost a completely different game from IZJS. I thought it would be like "oh just make vaan a hunter/monk", nope.

That said the difficulty drop is not that huge of a deal, i'd call zodiac age the best version of the game generally speaking, I'm just a bit salty that they would drop the general difficulty despite this version having the most min/max power spiking potential of all the versions, it makes it seem even easier than the game already was. That said though the endgame content is still the endgame content, its still aight.

>>386588510
>respectable level of difficulty
the game was never hard though? the only time it became a revive simulator was if you had garbage gambits and were trying to do shit like yiazmat without reverse

>>386588991
>the game was never hard though?
It was pretty fucking hard, I remember it being so on ps2. Non-job system version. Couldn't do half the endgame stuff without getting stuck in an endless revival loop, magic had a damage cap of 9999 and had to be queued, meaning anytime a mark did the "immune to physical" phase you were fucked and playing the waiting game.
I beat Yiazmat without reverse though, all 51 of his shitty fucking health bars. You can have perfect gambits and never be prepared to take on unexpected challenges unless you're a guide reading cunt and know what you're up against.
If something unexpected happened, you had to quickly open your gambits and change shit ASAP or you'd be instantly fucked.

>>386589782
The original was harder than most of the other FF games, but like any RPG its all about prep, there was some bullshit here or there but I don't remember anything explicitly standing out to me that really pissed me off. I think I always stayed ahead of the level curve though cause I had so much fun killing shit. All my characters were level 90+ by the time I started doing any of the harder side quests kek.

I think the job system versions are a bit harder though, in the sense that every character can't do everything, so status effect causing enemies are more of an issue since everyone can't just esuna effortlessly. Somewhat offset by the balance changes and some of the gear getting buffed in those versions, though, I suppose.

I honestly think they just reduced the difficulty in zodiac age to keep you from being able to fuck yourself with bad job selection, though the dual job thing ended up being way more powerful than they anticipated perhaps, you can honestly get through the game without needing some jobs that most might consider essential.

>>386588352
I'm enjoying the game. I just did the giant crystal. My main 4 are at 45-50 level wise thanks to Tippets. How much longer do I got in the game? I'm trying to find a good spot to finish up the rank 5+ hunts and do the Phon coasts hunts. And of course gotta get the additional Espers.

>>386590850
you are pretty far in the game, I'd prob start grinding if you want to hit those side quests, not real sure in hours, it depends on your general pace, but you are entering the final leg of the game. Pharos is probably the last big dungeon you have.

>>386590850
One more big dungeon, then a tiny """dungeon""" and then the final boss.

>>386588991
I feel the same way
at least there's weak mode

>>386588471
Pros
>character shadows
>remastered OST
>alleged CD quality original OST
>no spell queue

Cons:
>no Sky Pirate's Den
>No esper summoning screen
>no save screen
>inferior graphics(bloom and blur and more blur)
>dramatically easier gameplay(4x speed and dual jobs)
>no new content
>cutscene letterbox
>cropped FMVs
>ugly font
>voices haven't been improved
>new and improved input lag

>>386588352

It's 2017. They can patch a hard mode if people are vocal enough.
Also, I think it was a missed opportunity not making the Ophiucus board be the vanilla one.

You guys know there's a level one challenge mode unlocked by completing Trial, right?

>>386594571
Seriously, why the PS4 save screen?

>>386594571
The removal of the sky pirate's den really fucks with me. Why?

>>386596543

It's a PS2 game. How much effort did you think SE put into this?

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78KB, 1280x720px

>>386594571
>no Sky Pirate's Den
>No esper summoning screen
>no save screen
>no new content
>cutscene letterbox
>cropped FMVs
>voices haven't been improved
>new and improved input lag
These do suck

>inferior graphics
>ugly font
These are subjective. I think they look fine and most of the graphical updates are good.

>dramatically easier gameplay(4x speed and dual jobs)
4x speed doesn't make the game easier, just less time consuming. I only use it when grinding or doing lots of backtracking.

>>386597504
>I only use it when grinding or doing lots of backtracking.
This, otherwise I just go normal speed and enjoy the view. The entrance to Giruvegan is still gorgeous.

File: FF Zodiac Age.jpg (3MB, 3760x5336px) Image search: [Google]

3MB, 3760x5336px

>>386597504
>These are subjective.
Not really...

>>386596582
because they replaced it with trophies since it was just a trophy collection anyway, though I agree they should have kept it in anyway

>>386597504
fixing vaans abs almost makes this the superior version alone, that shit was so fucking bizarre, despite being ignorable to some extent, damn near could ruin immersion

>>386588352
This game is begging for a PC release. Someone needs to mod a hard mode into this game.

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59KB, 480x480px

>>386598124
If all games had a neat little block full of your trophies like the sky pirate's den, I'd be more of a collector.

>>386588352
>>due to said synergies can get way more powerful than in the other 2 versions of the game
Fucking how is it more powerful than being able to do anything in FFXII?

>>386599597
Damage caps removed and various skill re-balancing due to the 2 job limit.

>>386599597
because they updated items in the game to be stronger and have different / improved effects in the job system version.

do some basic research, the job system is not the only thing they changed about the original game. Even if you took out the jobs, it would still be far superior to the original from the changes alone

>>386599151
Just play weak mode. As for PC, it'll be out around Christmas, I guarantee it.

>>386599597
The game was made easier in the job system version because it limits each character so much, but they didn't increase the difficulty at all in Zodiac Age while giving you back a lot of versatility by letting you have 2 jobs instead of just one.

The original FF12 remains the hardest by far because of damage caps and enemy stats, but it's also the worst version because it's so anti-fun and expects you to have certain skills on every single character.

>>386598025
The real issue isn't the graphical updates, but the letterboxing.

>>386588352
Isn't there a PS2 version with the whole Zodiac thingy? is it good?

>>386600354
There's a ps2 version with "zodiac job system" and basically it just restricts your giant "learn everything" licenseboard into jobs so you have less freedom. Apparently this was a better choice.
Zodiac age for ps4 lets you have 2 jobs per character.

>>386599984
I never found FF12 to be hard on any version, the original had a different difficulty curve, though this is alleviated by the fact that everyone could do everything all the time, I kept all my characters up in levels by alternating the groups every 5 levels or so, and everyone had everything they needed, i had almost no issue with anything in the game, despite people saying its hard. Those people probably stopped levelling certain characters and instead just took 3 up to 99 and when they died you were fucked.

The job system version added more than just the jobs, this is why the game becomes easier, in the original IZJS you were mostly limited by having to make hard choices on some characters being useless except in specific situations, but in zodiac age, with the dual job system, and all the new synergizes created due to that, the game can be steam rolled again, but this is compounded on because of the game still having all the updated balance changes and gear changes, thus making some class combos absolute wrecking machines. Hunter/samurai with dark +50% gear and dark blade or samurai/knight with holy+50% gear and excalibur come to mind

>>386600526
>>386600354
PS2 versions have a save editor, you can have 2 jobs using it.

>>386597504
>Sky Pirate's Den

I need reminding. What was this again? It has been awhile.

>>386601039
it was basically a trophy system, it added little sprites to a little diorama room when you achieved certain things, like x enemies killed or x attacks executed

>>386601259
Why would they remove that?

>>386601446
they added an actual trophy system, that mostly uses the same stuff for its trophies, though it was still an odd decision to remove it.

>>386601547
>they added an actual trophy system,
No they added autism and removed the actual trophies.

>>386594571
>No esper summoning screen
>no save screen
Explain please

Also you forgot to mention how Bestiary images are removed now.

Seriously this "HD" collection is just cancer garbage, just like FF10 HD.
It's also by the same farmed out lowest bottom trash chink dev as FF10 HD, namely done by Virtuous which is literally a borderline no-name Chinese developer.
They also made those awful PS4 ports of Arkham Asylum/City and Asscreed Ezio Trilogy.