FFV - Low Level Game Part 1: Wing Raptor, Karlabos, Siren
37Starting the special 15th anniversary celebration with a new challenge run, one I'd imagined myself doing for many a year. On July 10, I started this channel and posted a video I have since deleted announcing I intend to post videos of challenges. I'd edited a still image of Nono from FF12 in WMM, adding text to it, which is how I would communicate with my audience for some time besides posting a bit in the video description, though not as much as later on. Four days later, a recorded playthrough of FFTA bosses followed, documenting my Moogles Only themed run in the game. After it came Chrono Trigger, FF12, FF6, Breath of Fire 2... Evidently, I was enjoying myself a lot to the extent I went on about it for just 15 more years without taking too many breaks that were too long most of the time.
At the time, it was just me and my emulators (oh, I guess, I did use a capture card for PS2 footage); no sign of 3DS Capture or Elgato, or 0 exp Pokemon runs, or Fire Emblem LTCs. During my first year, I also started a level 2 playthrough of FFTA, showing that I had the idea of a base level ("no exp") game at the dawn of this channel's existence. I wouldn't say my tastes have changed since then or that I've discarded interest in the same titles I showed way back, though I must confess it's hard for me to come up with any new challenge ideas for say FF6 after the monster that was LLNENMG, in fact, I would still very much like to do similar things. This month I'll revisit 2007 with some videos that might look like they were made in that year. That is, if you don't account for the fact that I record differently, make different choices and decisions, and even play differently - it has been fifteen years after all.
I never did make any FF5 videos, so this series is actually something new for the channel. It's another Advance port of a classic Final Fantasy with what many of us love about the series, but a different game. Let's quickly go over the rules.
Low Level
The party avoids all non-mandatory experience and finishes the game at levels 2, 2, 2 and 3. 2/1/1/4 would be an ever lower average that results in a stronger Faris but easier playthrough due to the things you can achieve at that level. We miss on a lot of HP and MP that's usually gained levelling up, but our core stats (strength/magic/etc.) remain at base as they always do, damage only being affected by the formulae that do factor in level.
The low level experience has been carried out by many players before, and this is my take on that. I will doubtless draw from others' discoveries and the various FAQs that exist bearing relevance to the run. My approach is likely to be characterised by semi-liberal grinding to get me the items I need by stealing and some ABP grind to add to that to lead to strategies that I find to be rich; similar to what I do in my Pokemon runs for example. Speedrunning isn't a priority.
No Cheese
And that's it really, no other rules. Contemptible, trivial strats like earlygame rod-breaking or instadeath strategies on big bosses will be avoided, and I will generally do my best to have some tactical variety.
Our first boss is...
Wing Raptor
The boss we fight before we can start reclassing into different jobs. Barts has previously faced three parties of Goblins, levelling up to lv. 2. He'll be higher-levelled than Lenna and Galuf for some time until they catch up in level.
Wing Raptor continues Mist Dragon's trend of the FF tutorial boss who is not to be attacked during certain stages. When guarding, he takes less damage, dodging more, and has a vicious counterattack to boot. That, however, doesn't ever happen if you focus on an all-out-assault on the boss from the get-go. Buying a Broadsword in town and finding one in the same dungeon gives everyone equal firepower pretty much.
Karlabos
First boss faced with class options available. Everybody goes Black Mage for that meaty 120 dmg chip with Thunder, even Lenna and Galuf with MP only enough for a single casting (yikes). Faris' 22 MP at lv. 3 really stresses the role she'll be playing in this run. I place everybody in the back row, and that's where my units are all going to stay for a while. The boss can paralyse my folks, reduce their HP to single-digit, which this game likes to do in general, in addition to regular physical attacks. You can guarantee everybody's survival easily enough, or you can ignore anybody who happens to fall and go for the kill. Karlabos falls pretty quickly.
Siren
Bartz being at the same level of two as the boss hits jackpot, increasing Goblin Punch (learnt just in time for the encounter) damage 8x. Bartz defeats the boss alone in 4 turns, and what the rest do matters not. They can't do much anyhow - magic is nullified in the first phase, and physical classes risk being OHKO'd when attacking from the front row.
The boss has an undead phase that gains a weakness to fire and healing, but we skip it entirely thanks to chip damage from the others.
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