Entering the Tower
-I can only choose one character to start with going into the tower. Each character is level 1, each their typical class (gunner, thief, or warrior).
-Gonna start with Rikku. Maybe being able to steal items will help get me started faster.
-A quick note to self: this is not X-2. I mean, the characters are the same and the language of “dresspheres” and the like is similar, but I have to approach this as if it’s an entirely new game. New rules.
-In we go.
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Floors 1-5
-Really digging this music. Secret agent mode activated!
-Found a gold nugget that I can hit for gil.
-New item: Yubimello. Take action only once every 2 turns. Like a slow potion.
-Combat and turns are more intuitive than I expected.
-Potions abound!
-Not quite sure how to handle traps – like, am I supposed to dodge them or stomp on them?
-Took a teleporter to a secret room. It is filled with rocks.
-Onto the third floor. This is a lot of fun so far.
-Continuing to climb. The main battle strategy so far seems to be getting the first hit in, not walking onto a tile where the enemy can hit me first.
-The loading screen shows me on a map how far along I am in the tower.
Not very far.
-Used another secret room, and came to a room with three Flame Drakes and an Ahriman. Thankfully, I’m fireproof.
-Lining up these enemies in a row and using a piercing Gunner ability is super satisfying.
-Stole a Gigancannon ability from an Ahriman with my Gunmage.
-Created an “Extinguisher Hood.” That must be my first accessory from leveling up an auto-ability.
-Finished Tower 5.
Got an adorable little vendor dude in a magic pot. Saving.
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Floors 6-10
-My primary dressphere right now is a level 3 thief.
-Trying out a new Level 3 Samurai.
-Found an item called a Restart Guide, that lets me go back to the start with gil, items, and level. Nice “get out of jail free” card.
-OOH!! I can read/use items on the ground without adding them to my inventory! That’s phenomenal. The inventory management in this game has been a major challenge. This helps.
-I’m not sure what to make of the secret rooms I find. They definitely are tougher than the regular levels, but no special loot.
-Very mixed feelings on inventory management so far.
-Alchemist has a really nice ability: Item Esuna. Lets me remove BOOM and Cursed.
-Y’know, I’d play the FUCK out of this as a mobile game.
-Heh. Got an achievement on hitting Tower 10: “Just Starting.” I’ll bet this place is 100 levels.
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Outside
-Moving up from the tenth level, I come out onto a green plateau. A broken sphere reminiscent of a place in FFVIII whose name escapes me.
-Yuna feels a bit out of practice, out of shape.
-Rikku though has been searching for sunken Machina. She’s been helping Shinra out.
-Shinra left to research something with Rin, but she still helps him out.
-She also helps out Cid. Lololol these back
-O’AKA!!!! CID IS WORKING WITH O’AKA! What a callback right there. I’d forgotten about him.
-The storytelling here is AMAZING. It’s so great and hilarious. As she talks, we see exaggerated versions of the conversations she relates in the background while she does voices and impressions. XD
-KINDERGUARDIANS!!
-RIKKU HAS BEEN TAKING VOICE LESSONS FROM BARKEEP TO SING FOR TOBLI and we get a scene of two hypellos in love and it’s amazing.
-BLESS THIS SO MUCH
-Jesus. She’s been doing a lot.
-She offers to let Yuna in on it, but Yuna feels a bit worn out just hearing about it. Me too.
-OH THAT’S SOME BULLSHIT. I opened a treasure chest that was out here, but I was carrying too much and the item disappeared without even being able to see it or adjust my inventory. Really game? REALLY?
-The worst part of this is that in the current zone outdoors, I don’t even have the ability to clear inventory space.
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Floors 11-15
-This reminds me a bit of an old board game I used to play called Hero Quest. The concept of tiles and visibility and all. No idea how popular Hero Quest was so I don’t know if any of y’all have heard of it, but it’s ringing major bells right now.
-I have to be careful of Plummet traps. Those go past my dressphere HP and damage Rikku herself.
-Found a Dressmaker synthesizer. I’m tempted to make a Mascot dressphere since I learned how awesome they are in X-2… or should I build one of my main dresspheres right now, the Thief?
Nah. I’ll try out Mascot.
-oh god. I found one of those Gels. It’s huge. My nemesis from X-2.
-Never mind. Turns out they’re not that bad.
-Cactuars on 15. Hola, GraciaLsgc!
-WTF GRACIALSGC??? This cactuar just one-shot two of my dresspheres, including a level 4 Samurai.
-I was having a really tough time dealing with these Cactuars, but I think I found the answer: Mascot. Mascot has an ability called Pupu Platter, where Rikku summons a pupu UFO to make the cactuar disappear.
-WHAT. THE. FUCK. I just stepped on a trap that destroyed all my dresspheres.
-Whew. Never mind. It just unequipped them, didn’t destroy them. Crisis averted.
-oh my god, this cactuar is destroying everything. I can’t beat it. It destroyed my Mascot, my Level 4 Thief, EVERYTHING. (Pupu Platter missed.)
-Went to the dressphere shop and bought a few things, including Level 2 Berserker. Let’s try that.
-This is pretty frustrating. I feel like I was doing okay, adapting and improving, but I have no answer to these cactuars.
-Back at the cactuars. New strategy. I used Gun Mage to steal the needle ability. Maybe that can put a quick end to them.
-WOOHOO!! Didn’t try needle, but tried Gigancannon and it worked.
The Cactuar Needle works too.
-Dang. The enemy abilities are single-use only.
-Been stuck on floor 15 for a while. Not sure how to unbar the elevator.
-Another 15 minutes later, I’m still stuck, and my dresses are in danger.
-Using my Restart Guide to head back to the start and regroup. I don’t get it. Not sure what I’m doing wrong on this floor, how to get past this elevator.
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Next time: continuing to build up Rikku, back up the tower.
