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Overview
Final Fantasy Tactics 1.3 is a difficulty and content modification for Final Fantasy Tactics. The primary goal of the project is to re-balance the original gameplay mechanics while adding difficulty. The project started with the idea that players did not need to impose artificial rules on themselves to make Final Fantasy Tactics challenging if a mod could be created to do it for them. FFT 1.3 alters job, monster, item, and battle statistics to make the entire game provide a challenge that matches the complexity and depth of its customization system. It's been in development since 2008 and is maintained by Archael. Several spin-off versions of 1.3 have been created as a result of demand by fans to experience the mod on other platforms or in other ways. 1.3 does not alter the game's storyline or its characters.
Installation
For more details on 1.3 installation and troubleshooting tips, see the full installation and troubleshooting article
Download a fresh ISO
A lot of the time people rip their own isos from their FFT disc, and it either doesn't rip, or convert correctly, causing errors and crashes. It's just a simple fix.
Make sure you have clean ISO
Re-patching over a previously patched iso (patching 1.3 over another FFT hack) can cause a plethora of problems, ranging from graphic errors, to the enemy doing max damage every hit. Now, aside from those, there's only a couple of issues you may run into, only one of which has a real solution.
How do I patch 1.3?
Things you will need:
A Final Fantasy Tactics ISO
A copy of PPF O Matic
To get the 1.3 changes you need an ISO of Final Fantasy Tactics, If you own a copy of the game, you can extract from a FFT CD using a Trial Version of Alcohol 120 or if you're on a Mac simply use the built in Mac Disk Utility. Once you have the FFT ISO, we will use PPF O Matic to apply the actual 1.3 patch to it. Where PPF O Matic asks for an ISO (or if you're on a Mac, IMG), select your FFT ISO or IMG. Where PPF O Matic asks for a Patch File, select the 1.3 patch. Hit "Apply" and you're done.
Here is a video tutorial showing how to patch the PSX version of 1.3.
How do I play my 1.3 ISO?
You can run an ISO using a Playstation 1 Emulator such as EPSXE or by burning it into a blank CD and playing it on a modded Playstation. Note that to play on an emulator you will need a legal copy of a Playstation BIOS, which we do not provide.
I'm on a Mac. How can I play 1.3 on a Mac?
Check out PCSX Reloaded.
War of The Lions 1.3
War of The Lions 1.3 is a version of the mod that can be applied to Final Fantasy Tactics: War of The Lions for the Playstation Portable. On top of containing all of the original project's changes and content, it has unique features only available for players on the PSP. War of The Lions 1.3 is maintained by kyozo22.
FFT Content 1.3
FFT Content 1.3 is a version of 1.3 with all the content of the full mod but stripped of much of its more difficult aspects. Storyline enemies have fixed levels instead of scaling with the party's level, letting the player power level in order to overcome difficulties. Storyline enemy gear is significantly weaker and Boss-type units are less powerful. This version of 1.3 came about after a large Let's Play FFT 1.3 thread from Something Awful by Declan MacManus revealed that many people desired the changes present in 1.3 but without the difficulty. From that moment on, the Content version of the project has been updated as new releases come out.
Gameplay & Strategies
Due to the changes in gameplay mechanics and overall difficulty made in 1.3, the mod plays differently than the original game. Strategies that rely purely on offense aren't as reliable as they were before, while at the same time playing defensively is much more rewarding. Battles in 1.3 encourage and reward intelligent use of every type of ability in the game, and often go back and forth before one side is eventually worn down. Special Characters, while still diverse and useful in their own ways, are no longer free-wins for the player and must be built to overcome various obstacles just like any other ally unit.
Player and Party Building Strategies
Every time you hit a decent stretch with a certain build/strategy, retire it and figure out a new way to win. This will make you a better player much faster.
Explore the entire job tree. Don't get stuck into a 5 of the same class mentality.
Learn to use Mimes. They are now easier to unlock and are valuable early and late game.
You can expect to lose a lot of battles on your first attempt. That's fine. Treat them as scouting runs.
If you feel you leveled too much, steal some gear. The enemy will level with you and their gear will become more powerful, so keep yours up to par.
Defensive Strategies
Learn to play defensively and let the enemy come to you. Going all-offense in a suicidal rush will often give the other team an easy win.
Sometimes you're better off with a low HP, high evasion tank because it will actually draw the fire from enemies and waste their turns.
Faster and more damage is not always better. Build a slower high defense team that can withstand the first round of attacks. Let the enemy come to your turf.
Make use of resurrection abilities. Wish, Life, Fairy, Revive, Phoenix Down and others can make your party live through tons of damage.
Prioritize reviving your fallen allies when they are about to take a turn (when their CT is close to 100). This way they can act and move out of harm's way.
Offensive Strategies
Silence, Poison, and Berserk do not wear off until cured. Poison really tears away at 999 HP units endgame.
Stealing/Breaking the enemy's Helm/Armor reduces their max HP and thus lowers the benefits of healing and reviving.
Kill enemy units that are about to take turns. This makes them miss their upcoming turn and makes then slower to act if they get revived immediately.
A debilitating negative status effect can be more effective than killing a unit or simply dealing damage to it.
Mind the Unit List, accessible from pausing midbattle. When on identical speeds/CT, the higher numbered (first) unit on that list will act first.
Reflect is a very good spell. It has 1 CT making it possible to interrupt many offensive spells, and can also be used to extend the range of your spells.
Try to have forms of unevadable damage. Jump, Draw Out, Holy/Dark Holy, Elemental, Guns, etc to deal with targets that have high evasion.
Multiple castings of Quick on one unit (or a Mime and 4 bare-fisted units punching the air) can assassinate pretty much anything in the game that isn't ??? stats.
If the enemy is charging a big resurrection spell on a fallen ally, revive that ally with Phoenix Down to make them waste the spell, then kill the unit.
A Wizard with Equip Armor, an Angel Ring, and Meltdown.
Angel Rings can be very effective in assassination missions.
A Thief with Equip Spear and Jump. Not only do you benefit from their amazing speed, allowing your Jumps to land quicker, but all that +PA gear.
Storyline Battles
The first change many people notice when playing 1.3 is that Storyline battles are much more challenging. The enemy units scale their levels and their items based on how powerful the player's party gets, and they will come to the battle with abilities and support skills learned. In the original game, the vast majority of enemies did not have skills learned, and severely lacked combat options. Boss units are now actual threats and require careful thinking (and sometimes planning) to take down.
Items
Items in 1.3 have been rebalanced to be useful in combination with many different jobs. Previously under-powered item types have been given more relevant uses and overpowering items have been toned down relative to where they can be found in the game. For example: Cross Bows now has a chance to perform a Doubleshot, Books have a chance to cast highly damaging magic when they hit, Daggers increase speed, Poles increase Movement, etc etc. Browse each item category to see each item's specific stats.
Recruiting and Poaching Monsters
Poaching and recruiting monsters in 1.3 is much more useful and advantageous than in the original game. Poaching serves three main purposes:
Early access to goods buyable in shops
Access to goods never buyable in shops
Access to goods buyable in shops, but at half price
Check out the 1.3 Poaching Guide for a list of locations to recruit and hunt for monsters and more detailed information about poaching.
Jobs
Every job in 1.3 has been rebalanced with the goal of creating deeper gameplay and rewarding victories. This applies to all generic and special jobs available to the player, monsters, bosses, and allies. Elements of the job system that were useless or under-used have been improved, and things which destroyed choice because they were too effective have been balanced. Enemy-Only and Boss jobs have also been altered, and are now serious threats.
Final Fantasy 1.3.0.8 Jobs (UPDATED)
Zodiac Demons
Zodiac Demons are now very dangerous units. They test your ability to form teams that can support each other and overcome enemies much more powerful than any individual generic unit.
Arena Battles
Arena Battles are special random battles that use a free for all format with 3 teams fighting against each-other. As you progress further in the storyline, more Arena battles will open per map. By the time you reach the end of the game, all Arena fights in all maps will be unlocked. Arena maps contain two enemy teams controlled by the AI, however, these two enemy teams are not friendly with each-other, which opens up interesting situations that the player won't be able to experience in other types of fights. Arena battle strategy is unique since it gives you the option to hang back and let the other teams wear each-other down before you face them. This isn't always an option, though, as some Arena battles have the enemy teams start close to each-other, making sure the chaos starts right away. To trigger an Arena Battle, you must trigger a random battle in one of the four designated Arena maps:
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Random Battles
Final Fantasy Tactics 1.3 adds over 200 new random battle encounters to the world map. Emphasis was put on monster variety, facing more teams of human generics and monster combinations, and even adding special mini-bosses. Random battles scale with the party's level and range from basic fights against teams of Squires, Knighs, Archers, Monks, and Wizards, to more difficult fights against mini bosses such as Warlocks, ??? Hydras, Steel Giants, Assassins, and more.
The Deep Dungeon
Death awaits you.
Patch Notes
Final Fantasy Tactics 1.3 has been in development for many years. For a comprehensive list of the 1.3's patch note history, check out The 1.3 Patch Notes page