T w e n t y S i d e d

The sun-scorched Giza Plain has entered its rainy season, transforming it for a time into a swampy network of rushing wadis. Just beyond it lies the Ozmone Plain, a rather pretty area dotted here and there by derelict airships from a battle long, long ago. Both areas can be jogged through easily and nothing of import occurs therein; Jahara, settlement of the garif, lies upon the western edge of Ozmone.

However, the game opens up a great deal at this point, and canny players can test their mettle against areas they really aren’t supposed to be in to grab tons of equipment they’re not supposed to have. So it was that by the time I had crossed the two small areas between Rabanastre and Jahara, I had packed on over a dozen levels and adorned myself with some very high-tier equipment. But the greatest allure of these areas is the severed limbs of greasy monsters.

See, as in most RPG’s, the player can always go spelunking in some haunted ruin and rummage through random hope chests and clay pots inexplicably containing plate armor and magic staves of calamitous power, but FFXII has something else up its sleeve, too: the bazaar.

Allow me a tangent here. Er, again. Just.. just go with it.

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “A Travelog of Ivalice, Part 8: It Would Be So Nice”

The Rocketeer —PLEASE—STAND—BY—

The captured party is brought aboard the Dreadnought Leviathan, flagship of Archadia’s 8th Fleet, and presented before the commander: it’s Judge Ghis! I missed him; now that he doesn’t wear the helmet anymore, we can admire that great Archadian hair. Grand Moff Ghis greets Ashe glibly, and demands that they hand over the nethicite. Penelo is reluctant, clutching Larsa’s gift in her hand… but Ghis protests, and clarifies that he wants the deifacted nethicite. He asks his lackey, Captain Vossler Azelas, to clarify for him.

Yep, Vossler’s gone all Lando on us. At some point it struck him that there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of driving the Empire out of Dalmasca through force of arms, and the best plan now is to regain whatever primacy they can for Ashe by cooperating with the Empire, after the model of Ondore in Bhujerba. To this end, they will restore the sovereignty of the Dalmascan line if they but hand over the Dawn Shard, which they reveal is a shard of unthinkably powerful nethicite. Ashe hesitates, struggling to come to terms with the sudden developments, so Ghis makes it simple for her: consent and become their pet queen, or vacillate and he starts lopping off party members’ heads. With a sword at Balthier’s throat, she hands the Dawn Shard over.

Continue reading ⟩⟩ “A Travelog of Ivalice, Part 7: Two Suns in the Sunset”

The Rocketeer —PLEASE—STAND—BY—