Installment V
Day 9 After catching a little story break, stocking up on supplies and equipping your characters it’s off to the south as we head through the Giza and the Ozmone Plains. It’s now the rainy season so new paths are open and stronger creatures have emerged. On your way through the south make sure to take advantage and steal off most of the new creatures. Items such as Braided Wool, Metal Carapaces and Chocobo Feathers will score you a decent amount a coin when you get to an item shop and you’ll notice at this point on the prices do indeed start to get steeper. Be wary in this are for elementals though, as you’re still not strong enough to take them on. Your best option is to run and pray they don’t bust out the 700 + damage spells, if you decide to stay and fight do not cast spells on the elemental as it will take on the attribute of what you cast and thus open a can of whoop ass on you. Making your way south you will reach the Jahara Stock up on supplies and get the information you need. This is also a great area to do some power leveling as you will have an easily accessible save crystal and a nice variety of creatures to steal from in order to up your loot count. After you’re done leveling you can choose to get a free chocobo ride or walk east with our next stop being the Golmore Jungle. Once there take your time exploring the cavern, as there are plenty of new enemies and loot to be had. Couerl Pelts stolen and dropped from the Panthers there are worth big money, though be careful around the Hell Hounds. Depending on how much you have leveled up their attacks can be brutal. Making your way through the jungle brings you to the hidden Eruyt Village. Here’s a chance to spend some cash as you begin to get some nice (but pricey) spells. Though even as far as I am now in the game I have yet to feel that spells are worth much time other than for healing and stat boosting. Eruyt Village offers an interesting bit of plot line involving one of your characters. Not only is it substantial but also for the first time in this game I begin to genuinely take more than a passing interest in the characters. After you are done with the plot line you are sent on a quest to seek out a member of the village that will help you make your way through the blocked portions of the jungle. Time to head back the way you came, just remember to steal as you make your way through the jungle since you are going to have to do some fighting anyway you might as well make some cash. At the Jungle entrance next to the save crystal you probably used prior to entering the jungle you will see a wounded soldier. Helping him will get you access to the Henne Mines. Make sure to save before you make you’re way into the mines because getting out is no simple task, especially if you have not been leveling up. Here’s a chance to spend some cash as you begin to get some nice (but pricey) spells. Though even as far as I am now in the game I have yet to feel that spells are worth much time other than for healing and stat boosting. Eruyt Village offers an interesting bit of plot line involving one of your characters. Not only is it substantial but also for the first time in this game I begin to genuinely take more than a passing interest in the characters. After you are done with the plot line you are sent on a quest to seek out a member of the village that will help you make your way through the blocked portions of the jungle. Time to head back the way you came, just remember to steal as you make your way through the jungle since you are going to have to do some fighting anyway you might as well make some cash. At the Jungle entrance next to the save crystal you probably used prior to entering the jungle you will see a wounded soldier. Helping him will get you access to the Henne Mines. Make sure to save before you make you’re way into the mines because getting out is no simple task, especially if you have not been leveling up. The Henne Mines are fairly straightforward. The only wrinkle being that it is up to you to flip alternating red and blue switches (when a red switch is flipped the red doors open, closing the blue and vice-versa) to make your way through. The difficult part of this is that the enemies are pretty relentless in this area not giving you much of a breather. Couple this with a section in which you must battle a whole group of green slime enemies and you have the possibility of being defeated. If your group starts to look as though they may be beat exit the room in which you are battle the slimes revive and restore your party and re-enter the room to finish off the slimes as they will not have regained any of their strength or numbers though they will rush you upon entry repeat this pattern as many times as it takes you to beat them if you are not strong enough. (Having a couple of character equipped with a Flametongue will help speed the battle up.) After pushing your way through the mines you will come upon a save crystal and that only means one thing… Boss time! This boss is pretty feisty though easily beaten as long as you keep your character’s hit points from dropping a little too low. Have one of your characters primarily cast cure spells and protect while the other two hack away. (I found that by having my controlled character repeatedly circle the enemy while attacking, my other party members took minimal damage and I was able to keep my MP refreshed.) The enemy will fall revealing a little bit of story and you will now be able to access the deeper parts of the Golmore Jungle.
Jeremy Mravlja Gamer's Perspective Want to talk about it? Click here to discuss in the Gamers’ Perspective Forums. |
