Insane Difficulty: FFIX Unleashed 2.0.5 playthrough [progress/questions/etc] - Insane Difficulty

Hey all, through a recommendation from other FFVI BNW players I decided to check out this mod. I love FFIX and finding an excuse to run through it again is always nice. I just fired it up this morning and ran through the opening up to Evil Forest. I'll be posting updates here but just in text, and asking questions if anyone knows answers or I need help.

Already noticed the changes in effect, the final Baku fight Zidane could go down to two unlucky strikes, and against Vivi's trapped battle the boss could take out Zidane in two shots as well, very powerful attacks setting the tone early. I've stolen everything so far, and plan to try and do so. I also spent a brain melting 45 minutes or so on the Sword fight off and on, I just can't not get the Moonstone no matter how much I wanna quit every time I play, haha. But I did it, very satisfying.

So I purchased about 40 potions, 15 Phoenix Down, 15 Antidote/Eye Drops and I'm on my way into the real first dungeon. I wanted to at least get past all the intro stuff and into the game proper for my first break. I'm excited to get 'rekt' by the opening enemies and bosses, hah.

I had three question so far - 1) I'm using a walkthrough to not miss anything as I think it'll be extra important I have everything I can at my disposal so with that in mind, have any item locations been changed? I'm guessing that they can't be and those pop up ? bubbles are not easily changed. So far in the first few areas everything lined up and contained the same items listed in the walkthrough. Will I maybe find different things but always in the same locations?

2) Stealing, do all enemies/bosses have the same items and more importantly the same amount of items? I always do a paranoid extra steal to make sure they are empty thinking maybe an extra item was added in from the walkthrough listings. But knowing that this mod will probably be kicking my butt soon for wasting turns I'd like to trust that when a boss has 2 items listed in the walkthrough it will always have 2 items in the mod as well.

3) Are item descriptions up to date? If an item says it has Thunder resistance can I always trust that, will all the elemental/status protection be listed accurately in game with the select button help text?

Glad to hear any other tips for making sure I don't miss anything unless a good walkthrough [using http://www.gamefaqs....-ix/faqs/47344] plus the documentation text file included in the mod for ability/item changes should cover me then I am fine with moving on!

Finally, love the new abilities on items already, Counterattack and Return Magic for Steiner/Vivi early on, things like that are great and should lead to some fun new ways to play! Thanks for the work put into it by the creator and those offering feedback to get us to 2.0.5 and I look forward to posting some updates as I go through

1: The places of loot are the same places. The loot is difference.

2: I'm pretty sure bosses have the same shit to steal. Maybe a few items here and there are different, but for the most part its all the same.

3: I'm pretty sure the tooltips are all accurate, but I don't know for sure.

I have a couple of tips to help you through the hardest parts of the game. The part when you excape from Alexandria while Steiner, Beatrix, and Freya stay behind is fucking brutal. The part with Steiner and Beatrix fighting mistodons is worse. Considering how far back you have to go if you need something else to beat this, make sure you do the following.

Get all the Zodiac Stones. You need the Blood Sword.
Get Steiner to a good level. 16 or 17 or so. The wurm guys in treno underground give really good exp. This is less for the Bandersnatches,and more for the Mistodons.
Learn Insomniac and Steiner. I'm not 100% sure this is possible before disc 3, but when going into the end of disc 2 make damn sure you have an item that teaches it in your inventory. You will need this ability.

^
This, and to add on to that, make a separate save when you first get to Cleyra, and don't save in the original slot until you get BACK to Lindblum. My god is that part a shitfest.

Also, do the chocobo ASAP when you reach it. The magician's robe will make Garnet your strongest party member by far in Disc 2 for team Zidane. She can also use the air racket and do more damage than anyone from s safe distance and with no MP.

Last time I checked, Sleep Sword's description was wrong. It's not "enemies," it's "enemy."

As for descriptions for items? They are correct.

Also, if you can get the reflect ring for a certain asshole boss later. I'm not spoiling that, because it fucking kills everyone their first time.

If you are talking about the one I'm thinking, you can't get auto reflect yet anymore. Auto Reflect was moved to something else, I can't remember what. And it's unavailable until disc 3.

Thanks guys! Augestein, do you confirm/agree that bosses have the same AMOUNT of items to steal? I don't care so much what they have as long as I know how many items they have so I can get right back to kickin' toosh when I steal everything without wasting a turn to try and steal and confirm they are empty. No big deal either way, but hey, if anybody knows for sure I'd take the info

Thanks again for the tips, noted! I'm also playing Mod of Balance for FFI and SMTIV on 3DS so my progress may be slow but I'll be posting in here now and then when the mood strikes.

Kjata, on 13 May 2015 - 05:26 PM, said:

Oh. It probably is. It most definitely is.

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I never remember seeing anything out of the ordinary for steals. Those are all the same from my recollection. Also, don't bother with the Fairy Flute. It's not worth it in vanilla. And it's not worth it in this either.

Nice.

Ew. The Fairy Flute. Yeah. That's the only item I didn't care to steal. I fucking hate that boss in general.

Hilgigars is weird. He isnt that hard, so i get careless, all my floats were off at the wrong time, and he fucking kills everyone with earthquake.

Fought some dudes in the Evil Forest and leveled everybody up to 3, and then headed on. Vivi one shotting errybody. Noticeable how many single attacks like Wind or Pollen can take party members down to single digits [well, Vivi... he's squishy]. Curious to see how the boss goes... my first run to the boss was cut short when I hit a Plant-dude who I figured 'Oh I'll conserve my MP and just physically attack him', 6 attacks later he's still alive, Vivi is dead, Steiner/Zidane are blind, and I just use Heavy Strike to end it. Back to the well I go.

Threw MP Attack on for the boss, Counterattack on Steiner, Vivi can't afford nothin'.

Hit him with a Fire Sword for 360, then Rejuvanated for another. I left Vivi dead after a Thunder/Tentacle and everyone blind while I stole with Zidane and then Blank when he showed up. Grabbed the items, got stuck in a bit of a heal/rez chain for about 3 PDs and 10 Potions in total by the end of it but it only took 2-3Fire Sword, Fire for about 220, and Zidane went into Trance and hit Free Energy for about 240, all in all he went down quick. Seemed like he didn't have much health, 1500 tops I'd say, but it is boss numero uno so I shouldn't expect a huge slog. He hit hard, that was noticeably improved if not his health. Rejuvenation is a neat move letting Steiner keep up his Sword Magic without using Ethers and such. He was the MVP for sure.

After that the escape was on and the forest is left behind. Gave Steiner Bug Killer which I hoped would help against the Plants, I can't remember what enemy classifications are yet. Only fought one battle anyway. Blank ;_;

Checked out north gate after that, then to the Ice Cavern and that is it for today. I expect things to ramp up here as it's a much more thorough dungeon. Everyone is level 5 [Return Magic for Vivi!] aside from Garnet who is level 3. I hit up a Tent before heading in since I was using Vivi to blast everything to hell and am ready to go. I forgot Tents don't fully restore MP either, lame! But man Vivi is powerful early on. Spread/group magic even one shots everything.

Boss enemies don't have much (if any) more hp throughtout the game.

I'm almost positive the HP values for bosses wasn't changed at all. Especially for the Disc 4 bosses.

Good to know! I knew I was seeing a ton of changes and was confident everything was patched properly but did have a niggling thought about that so that puts all my worries to rest.

the way the game is designed would actually make it bad to have any of the enemies life values increased or decreased like that. Granted you may not even realize it because of how low your average damage is gonna be compared to the original game, especially with your regular weapon attacks which are so bad for this hack due to your low weapon damage.

Windviper245, on 16 May 2015 - 07:56 AM, said:

If i recall, the reaspon the damage was lowered because landon couldn't raise the hp very easily.