Final Fantasy X

2011-11-04 07:03:32 pm

There is no extra cutscene, the only difference is that Wakka hands the trophy to Datto instead of a blitzball. The Strength Sphere will definitely be worth it for Extractor, because a critical Spiral Cut will take more than half it's HP.

I have no name

2011-11-04 08:33:46 pm

Obscure games ftw

It's been a while, but can't you forfeit the Blitzball match, saving 10 minutes? If so, does the strength sphere really save 10 minutes?
If I'm wrong disregard this post.

Joshkaz

2011-11-04 08:35:22 pm

King Wabasami

I don't think you can Forfeit the mandatory blitzball match.

Caracarn

Edit history:

Caracarn: 2011-11-07 04:05:33 pm

Caracarn: 2011-11-05 06:03:35 am

2011-11-05 04:08:51 am

I finished my first test run, and things are looking pretty good. The BFA strat works like a charm, and it's actually not even random anymore, since Rikku is going to have 23 Agility instead of 16. That will make it much easier to get a good Nucleus run. I probably will do another test run before I actually start working on the real run, just to make sure that everything that I'm planning is going to work, since many plans have changed since I started the first test run.

Heres the next few segments of planning:

Segment 14 – Use Magic Sphere and add +4 Magic on Yuna. Use Strength Sphere and add +4 Strength and +1 Strength on Tidus.
Chocobo Eater: Tidus inflicts Slow, Wakka Dark Attacks, Kimahri Attacks, Lulu Fires, Auron Power Breaks. Summon Valefor and kill it as efficiently as possible. This battle is pretty random so it’s hard to say what the most optimal order of actions is. Also, Slow and Power Break need to land first try and it must not push me back.
After that I need to not get an encounter on the way to the save sphere. Save at Mushroom Rock: Valley

Segment 15 – Change Formation: Replace Auron with Tidus. Along with getting minimum encounters, I need to get the encounter Raptor / Red Element / Funguar. Tidus overkills the Raptor, Yuna summons Valefor, kills the Red Element with Blizzard, kills the Funguar with Fire. It’s Overdrive should be filled.

After that encounter, Move Lulu down and add both +2 Magic nodes. Use HP Sphere on Kimahri and add +300 HP, three +200 HP nodes, and +1 Agility (The +1 Agility is for the Home battles). Add Haste on Tidus. Add +3 Magic, +3 Magic Defense, and +20 MP on Yuna (those last two are part of the plan to get Shiva 40 MP for the Issaru battles). Change Formation: Replace Yuna with Auron. Save at Mushroom Rock: Ridge.

Segment 16 – Sinspawn Gui: Head does Thunder, Tidus casts Haste on Lulu, Gui’s attack must either hit Auron or miss Tidus/Lulu. Lulu hits Head with Thunder, Auron Power Breaks, Lulu hits Head with Thunder. Gui’s second attack again must not kill Tidus or Lulu. Lulu hits Head with Thunder. Summon Valefor; Energy Blast must kill the Head (and arms of course). Gui refills Valefor’s Overdrive, Dismiss, get a Critical Self Destruct (easier said than done). Save at Djose Highroad.

Edit: If I calculated everything correctly, Kimahri will actually be 1 AP short of getting to the last HP node, so I do need to kill one sinscale on the boat for both Tidus and Kimahri.

I finished my first test run, and things are looking pretty good. The BFA strat works like a charm, and it's actually not even random anymore, since Rikku is going to have 23 Agility instead of 16. That will make it much easier to get a good Nucleus run. I probably will do another test run before I actually start working on the real run, just to make sure that everything that I'm planning is going to work, since many plans have changed since I started the first test run.

Heres the next few segments of planning:

[b]Segment 14[/b] – Use Magic Sphere and add +4 Magic on Yuna. Use Strength Sphere and add +4 Strength and +1 Strength on Tidus.
Chocobo Eater: Tidus inflicts Slow, Wakka Dark Attacks, Kimahri Attacks, Lulu Fires, Auron Power Breaks. Summon Valefor and kill it as efficiently as possible. This battle is pretty random so it’s hard to say what the most optimal order of actions is. Also, Slow and Power Break need to land first try and it must not push me back.
After that I need to not get an encounter on the way to the save sphere.  [u]Save at Mushroom Rock: Valley[/u]

[b]Segment 15[/b] – Change Formation: Replace Auron with Tidus.  Along with getting minimum encounters, I need to get the encounter Raptor / Red Element / Funguar. Tidus overkills the Raptor, Yuna summons Valefor, kills the Red Element with Blizzard, kills the Funguar with Fire. It’s Overdrive should be filled.

After that encounter, Move Lulu down and add both +2 Magic nodes. Use HP Sphere on Kimahri and add +300 HP, three +200 HP nodes, and +1 Agility (The +1 Agility is for the Home battles). Add Haste on Tidus. Add +3 Magic, +3 Magic Defense, and +20 MP on Yuna (those last two are part of the plan to get Shiva 40 MP for the Issaru battles).  Change Formation: Replace Yuna with Auron.  [u]Save at Mushroom Rock: Ridge.[/u]

[b]Segment 16[/b] – Sinspawn Gui: Head does Thunder, Tidus casts Haste on Lulu, Gui’s attack must either hit Auron or miss Tidus/Lulu. Lulu hits Head with Thunder, Auron Power Breaks, Lulu hits Head with Thunder. Gui’s second attack again must not kill Tidus or Lulu. Lulu hits Head with Thunder. Summon Valefor; Energy Blast must kill the Head (and arms of course). Gui refills Valefor’s Overdrive, Dismiss, get a Critical Self Destruct (easier said than done). [u]Save at Djose Highroad.[/u]

Edit: If I calculated everything correctly, Kimahri will actually be 1 AP short of getting to the last HP node, so I do need to kill one sinscale on the boat for both Tidus and Kimahri.

Essentia

2011-11-05 10:28:33 am

Everything's better with Magitek

Ooh, good luck getting that critical self-destruct! I think I've only ever seen that happen twice in all my playing.

Nitrodon

2011-11-05 12:19:11 pm

Yuna only needs +200 HP, +80 MP, +24 magic, and +7 agility, so the magic defense node isn't needed. You're probably thinking of the other possibility we discussed (+200 HP, +60 MP, +24 magic, +10 agility, and either +3 mdef or +4 evasion), but that requires more spheres for no real gain.

Also, I didn't think of this at the time, but giving Kimahri +1 agility would adversely affect the battles against Sin's fins. As a result, I'd say the time saved from not letting the Guado Guardians in Home get a turn isn't worth it.

Caracarn

Edit history:

Caracarn: 2011-11-07 04:03:59 pm

2011-11-05 05:26:02 pm

ok, so that means I still need 13 Mana Spheres, but only 5 Speed Spheres. I might still add the +1 Agility on Kimahri on the next test run just to see whether it affects anything else, since I didn't add it until the very end of the last run.

Not much to say about the next two segments:

Segment 17 – Get minimum encounters and get a Basilisk to learn Stone Breath (preferably a Pre-emptive Strike). Don’t screw up the Cloister of Trials. Save at Djose Temple.

Segment 18 – Get minimum encounters and the Magic Defense Sphere. Get the 5000 gil from the chest by the save sphere.Save at Moonflow – South Wharf.

I also am going to want any enemies that get an attack in to hit Yuna on these last two segments to fill her overdrive.

Raelcun

2011-11-06 01:33:13 am

We require more minerals

I take it the stealing of petrify grenades is just assumed there in segment 17?

Axel Ryman

2011-11-06 02:12:06 am

We all scream for Eyes Cream

Quote from Raelcun:

I take it the stealing of petrify grenades is just assumed there in segment 17?

He can get some in the Thunder Plains or Macalania Woods. I don't think Caracarn will need them anytime between Djose Highroad and Thunder Plains.

Caracarn

2011-11-06 03:20:28 am

I won't be stealing Petrify Grenades from Basilisks in this run, because there is no way for me to get Steal this early with the segmented run strategies, and I don't have Rikku yet. Instead I will get a rare steal from the lizards in the Thunder Plains and Macalania Woods. I only need 3 Petrify Grenades in this run, since I can use Stone Breath on the Chimeras, because I don't need Kimahri's Overdrive on Evrae.

stevensda

2011-11-06 04:36:57 pm

harru

whats the chance of a critical self-destruct?

FlamingMage

2011-11-07 12:35:18 am

Casually nonexistent, from my understanding.

I have no name

2011-11-07 02:32:57 am

Obscure games ftw

Pretty much impossible but still technically possible.

Axel Ryman

Edit history:

Axel Ryman: 2011-11-07 03:25:10 am

2011-11-07 03:22:06 am

We all scream for Eyes Cream

Considering Critical Hits rely on the Luck Stat, and ,at that point, Fortune and Luck Spheres are only from chests, it's going to be pretty low. I'm gonna guess around 5%, maybe even lower.

FlamingMage

2011-11-07 10:57:10 am

Essentia had over a hundred unsuccessful attempts to crit it during her segment of the Gui battle. The sample sizes are much to small to make any meaningful inference, but you can safely estimate that you'll be at it for a while, unless you're a lucksack.

Caracarn

Edit history:

Caracarn: 2011-11-08 06:55:46 pm

Caracarn: 2011-11-07 07:57:40 pm

Caracarn: 2011-11-07 07:57:04 pm

Caracarn: 2011-11-07 04:07:46 pm

2011-11-07 04:00:38 pm

I have no doubt that some of these segments are going to take me several hundreds of attempts. I don't expect to finish this run anytime soon.

Segment 19 – Move Tidus to the +2 Strength node under his starting point and add it.
Extractor: Haste Tidus, Tidus attacks, Slow must land. Get a critical Spiral Cut. Should be able to kill it before it moves up. Save at Moonflow – North Wharf.

Segment 20 – Get minimum encounters on the road to Guadosalam ( I think 1 might be possible). Then, after all the cutscenes, I must not get an encounter on the way to the save sphere. Change Formation: Replace Wakka with Rikku. Save at Thunder Plains – South. If this proves to be too difficult, I might accept the encounter in the Thunder Plains if I only get one encounter at the beginning. If I get two encounters at the beginning, I definitely cannot get the encounter in the Thunder Plains.

Segment 21 – Get minimum encounters, don’t get struck by lightning, and steal a Petrify Grenade from a Melusine. Any hits I take should be on Rikku or Yuna to fill their overdrives. Save at Thunder Plains – Agency.

Segment 22 – See Segment 21. Save at Macalania Woods – South.

Segment 23 – See Segment 21, but take out the part about the lightning and change Melusine to Iguion. Save at Macalania Woods – Lake Road.

For the Gui battle, it looks like I am going to need to hit the head three times on Lulu instead of two, to ensure that Energy Blast will kill the head. ~~In this case, I may not even need to add +4 Magic on Lulu. I might need at least +2 though, depending on the damage.~~ I probably will still need to add the +4 Magic, Valefor still has a chance of not killing the head with 3 Thunders at Base, or +2 Magic.

I have no doubt that some of these segments are going to take me several hundreds of attempts. I don't expect to finish this run anytime soon.

[b]Segment 19[/b] – Move Tidus to the +2 Strength node under his starting point and add it.
Extractor: Haste Tidus, Tidus attacks, Slow must land.  Get a critical Spiral Cut. Should be able to kill it before it moves up. [u]Save at Moonflow – North Wharf.[/u]

[b]Segment 20[/b] – Get minimum encounters on the road to Guadosalam ( I think 1 might be possible). Then, after all the cutscenes, I must not get an encounter on the way to the save sphere. Change Formation: Replace Wakka with Rikku. [u]Save at Thunder Plains – South.[/u] If this proves to be too difficult, I [i]might[/i] accept the encounter in the Thunder Plains if I only get one encounter at the beginning. If I get two encounters at the beginning, I definitely cannot get the encounter in the Thunder Plains.

[b]Segment 21[/b] –  Get minimum encounters, don’t get struck by lightning, and steal a Petrify Grenade from a Melusine. Any hits I take should be on Rikku or Yuna to fill their overdrives. [u]Save at Thunder Plains – Agency.[/u]

[b]Segment 22[/b] – See Segment 21. [u]Save at Macalania Woods – South.[/u]

[b]Segment 23[/b] – See Segment 21, but take out the part about the lightning and change Melusine to Iguion. [u]Save at Macalania Woods – Lake Road.[/u]

For the Gui battle, it looks like I am going to need to hit the head three times on Lulu instead of two, to ensure that Energy Blast will kill the head. [s]In this case, I may not even need to add +4 Magic on Lulu. I might need at least +2 though, depending on the damage.[/s] I probably will still need to add the +4 Magic, Valefor still has a chance of not killing the head with 3 Thunders at Base, or +2 Magic.

Caracarn

2011-11-08 06:45:10 am

I finished my 2nd test run, and the run is looking good; there are still a few things I need to figure out though. The inventory rearrangement that I do prior to Defender X is not going to work as well as I thought. I move Underdog's Secrets, Fire Gems, and a Dream Powder to the top of the inventory, expecting the Dream Powder to be eventually replaced by Shining Gems, which I use to mix Trio. However, I forgot about the fact that I am stealing Lightning Gems on the same battle that I am bribing Shining Gems, so the Lightning Gems are always going to go in that empty slot before the Shining Gems. If I get exactly 5 Speed Spheres in the run, the Shining Gems will replace the Speed Sphere slot instead, only 2 spaces down from the Underdog's Secrets, which wouldn't be that bad, but still a bit annoying. I will have to investigate this further, but I should not be too far from being able to start working on the actual run.

Nitrodon

2011-11-08 09:33:26 am

I would assume that Rikku and Tidus steal Fire Gems, Lulu switches in and bribes Shining Gems, and then Rikku steals a Lightning Gem. Did I miss something which makes this unworkable?

Caracarn

2011-11-08 12:01:29 pm

When you Bribe, you get the items after the battle, not immediately; something I wasn't thinking about.

Nitrodon

2011-11-08 01:05:00 pm

Oh, right. I forgot about that too. I suppose that means item management will need to wait until after that battle.

Now that pure SG considerations do not prevent Rikku from having 19 agility for Crawler, I decided to check that possibility. However, it turns out that it will mess up the timing in the current strategy. Specifically, Kimahri no longer acts before Rikku, unless you give him 12+ agility (which is not going to happen). You would probably only lose a second or two, but Rikku has no use for 19 agility until the Wendigo battle anyway.

You also don't strictly need to switch Kimahri back in for Flux. In that case, there is a 53/1536 (3.45%) chance of a successful Flux segment, and a 1/192 (0.52%) chance of a successful Flux segment with no Mortibsorption.

Have you had any more thoughts on what to do with your second Special Sphere?

Caracarn

Edit history:

Caracarn: 2011-11-08 05:29:19 pm

Caracarn: 2011-11-08 05:27:50 pm

2011-11-08 05:27:05 pm

If I'm not going to get Flee on Lulu, I'm not sure what else I would use it for. She could use it on the Grenade/Imp battle, if the Grenade kills Tidus, but she could also just Escape in that case. Same thing on the Defender Z after it kills Rikku. I can't think of any instances where anyone else would need Flee, Steal, or Use either. Maybe Entrust on Kimahri, but I don't think he would have his OD to use it, unless he gets it from Biran/Yenke.

I'm going to study the inventory thing a bit and see if I can come up with a solution.

Nitrodon

2011-11-08 06:54:04 pm

In the Extractor battle, you should make Tidus cast Haste on himself before attacking. This is because Slowtouch (or at least Slowstrike) doesn't affect the time until the target's next turn, but only the turns after it. After Hasting himself, Tidus still has time to act before Extractor's second turn, so there is no difference in how its turns are affected.

Caracarn

Edit history:

Caracarn: 2011-11-08 08:10:36 pm

Caracarn: 2011-11-08 08:07:43 pm

2011-11-08 07:55:55 pm

I just thought of another inventory issue: If I only steal just enough Fire Gems to get through Yunalesca, her Level 3 Key Spheres are going to take that slot. I don't know why I didn't think of this before, because this is kind of the same reason why I steal 5 Fire Gems in the Calm Lands in my SS run, so the slot doesn't get replaced. I actually got a rare steal on one of the Grenades on the last test run, so I still had one left after Yunalesca; that's why it didn't hit me until now. Inventory management is seeming to be one of the biggest headaches in this run now.

Is it at all possible to get Chimera Brains in the Calm Lands on the route that I take, or do they only show up in the northwest where you get the Chocobo? You can steal water gems from them is why I ask. Edit: Nevermind, I think you get Ice Gems from them, this FAQ I read is wrong I'm pretty sure

Rakuen

Edit history:

Rakuen: 2011-11-08 08:32:27 pm

2011-11-08 08:32:00 pm

Weegee Time

The strategy guide says normal steal is Ice Gem x1, and rare steal is Lightning Gem x2. Not that strategy guides are always right though.

Caracarn

Edit history:

Caracarn: 2011-11-08 09:07:56 pm

2011-11-08 08:56:12 pm

it is right, I just confirmed it. Here's an idea: give Rikku 23 Agility before Evrae Altana and steal 2 water gems from it after Tidus evades the counterattack. Then I wouldnt have to steal any Lightning Gems, I would only have to steal 2 Water Gems from the original Evrae, and the inventory wouldn't get screwed up later.

I just confirmed this to work. Stealing from Evrae Altana is a bit slow (like any steals underwater), but it is not that bad; I think it would be worth it overall.