Tag Archives: dungeon of shiny

FFXII: My Map of The Great Crystal

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“I’ve heard of some people trying to map out the Great Crystal during their XII playthroughs so as not to keep getting lost, but such a task would be long and frustrating and definitely not worth the trouble.”

~ Livvyplaysfinalfantasy during her current insightful FFXII playthrough

The great crystal

Yes, the in-game map is nearly useless. However, notice “A Prama Vikaari” at top. It tells you exactly where you are, if only SOMEONE would make a map…

I love making maps, and I took Livvy’s comment as a challenge. Here’s the fruits of a week’s labor.

I’ve divided my Giruvegan Great Crystal map into two parts, one for the lower levels which you have to traverse for the plot, one for the upper levels that masochists explore for valuable and unique items and prey, including Excalibur, Ultima and Omega (Mark XII). My notes below will help you find all the treasures and understand the naming conventions of the rooms so that they’re not just gibberish.

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Final Fantasy V Recap, Ep. VII: Sidequests Before Saving the World (and Finale)

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Holy Chocobo! We’re in the home stretch of FFV! Let’s pause a moment to ogle the closing FMV from the PS1 version.

It’s a fine recap of some exciting moments in the game: pyromaniac Exdeath setting the Moogle forest on fire around the Guardian Tree, Galuf’s attack on Castle Exdeath thwarted by the barrier and his friends showing up to spoil everything, Krile on her trusty dragon seeking the perpetually lost party, Faris losing her beloved Syldra the Sea Dragon all the way back on Disc One, the shade (?) of King Tycoon playing hide-and-seek with us, the Lonka/Ronka ruins flying up into the sky, and  a couple endgame battles we still have to look forward to (or flee, if we have any sense).

Symbolism ahoy! I’ve totally lost track of which crystal / element / attribute goes with what in this FF installment, and I don’t know why I care, but I’m puzzling over them, particularly hope = fertility? I also marvel at how quickly graphics look dated, and how awesome Faris and Lenna look in trenchcoat and court attire with matching katanas.

All right! Sidequests before saving the world.

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Final Fantasy V Recap, Ep. VI: How to Fail While Succeeding

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Welp! Back in the “Let’s Play Final Fantasy” saddle after a real life “ack, the ‘rents are visiting!” hiatus.

(This chunk will be a bit short. You don’t mind, do you?)

As per Galuf’s last wishes, it’s time for us to launch his long-delayed assault on Castle ExDeath. I would pretend that this is the endgame, except that I’ve played FFV before, and cannot help but be aware that this is really the “Let’s go to Zanarkand / City of the Ancients / Lunatic Pandora / OOPS there’s more plot”  dungeon. Still, here we are.

FFV: Castle Exdeath

Krile, why are you standing in quicksand?
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Final Fantasy IV Recap, Episode III: The Power of Shiny

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Last time on Let’s Play Final Fantasy IV, our Batman angstbucket hero made lots of friends.

Final Fantasy IV: Angst

And lost them.

Let’s review Cecil’s Very Bad Week.

  • slaughtered innocent civilians while stealing their Crystal, feels remorse
  • lost his position as proud leader of the Red Wings air brigade
  • lost faith in / betrayed by the king who raised him as a son
  • too stupid to realize the king was using him again for dastardly deeds
  • accidentally burned a village to the ground and killed a bunch of summoners
  • including the mother of a sweet child he’s now guarding in atonement
  • except now he’s lost the child and she’s probably drowned or dead
  • attacked by an Octomammoth, which means that somewhere, in some fanfic, Cecil is stuck in tentacle!porn hell
  • failed to save the kingdoms of Damcyan and Fabul from assault by the troops he used to command
  • three out of four Crystals now in enemy hands thanks to his failures
  • best friend has betrayed and tried to kill him
  • girlfriend nearly died, then kidnapped by villain just to torment Cecil
  • shipwrecked on the way to rescue said girlfriend
  • as far as Cecil knows, the friends he dragged along on that rescue mission are dead
  • girlfriend is gorgeous and underdressed, yet he’s trapped inside armor that requires Jaws of Life to remove, so they probably haven’t even made it to first base
  • he’s named Cecil Harvey.

Ouch. Surely things can’t get any worse?

Ahahahaha. Let’s go find out.

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Final Fantasy III Recap, Episode III: Ship Happens

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Apologies for repeating this, but my playthrough just caught up with the Final Fantasy III prologue video from the DS version. So let’s review…

The ruined castle is the Tower of Owen, I suppose, while the Impossibly Tall Tower (yet another FF trope) is the endgame’s penultimate dungeon. Aeris Aria hasn’t yet appeared in my playthrough, but we’ll be meeting her shortly. And Refia’s default costume (the blue vest with the poofy poet’s shirt) is still one I covet.

Which reminds me, you have GOT to see Twinklebat’s FF cosplays: Refia, Cloud-in-a-dress, Mjrn, Red XIII, FFI White Mage, and a Moogle wearing Lulu’s dress. (Also Twilight Sparkle. She wins so many internetz, this cosplayer.)

Okay! Enough futzing around. Time to leave the Floating Continent for the greater world beyond!

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