Final Fantasy Hacktics

Cheerfully withdrawn. I'm just never sure what is changed and what is. Wasn't sure I could entirely rely on the BMG.

...So, short of mimes, no self-triggering sunken state.
...Mimes...

As always, thank you very much for the vids!

Actually, I understand what you're saying.

You're right. Absolutely. We need more MA Evade.

Have you considered greatly boosting the MA Evade of Shields and Mantles? Elemental resists are another reason people might skimp on the Evade...

Look, an ability is not junk because it is not useful in 100% of situations. If that is your definition, then most abilities are going to be Junk, including Auto Potion, HP Restore, Holy, Kotetsu, Charm, and Zombie. You would not say all those abilities are useless just because they don't always work.

No, an ability is rated on 1) How often it is used 2) the strength of its use 3) The positive cost of using it and 4) the negative cost of using it.

Let's pretend Projectile Guard actually DID block Grand Cross. Projectile Guard is useful against any physical ranged unit, barring Monks and Lancers. And I'd say running into physical ranged units is about as common as running into Draw Out. But I'll give it a "B" under category 1.

It gets an A under category 2. It shuts down ranged attacks. Not only that, but the AI will still make the attempt, creating wasted actions. The very nature of Ranged Attacks means that multiple units will be in range, and since we know how AI targeting priorities work, it is not too hard to create units that will be frequently shot at. When it comes into play, in comes in HARD.

It gets an A under category 3. All you need is Brave and Faith. You can slap it on ANY unit, it is independent of stats. Further, it even activates when a unit otherwise would not get evasion. Abandon and Awareness require specific equipment builds - Projectile Guard does not.

It gets a B under category 4, but only because I'm being overly critical. To be honest, no reaction is so game breaking that using Projectile Guard instead of it handicaps you. Auto Potion works if you stack Protect and Shell, and/or Defense up, but by no means is it game breaking. HP restore comes up less than you expect, mainly because the very build that makes it useful discourages enemies from attacking! Abandon and Awareness require equipment, and though they tend to be more useful, but there are plenty of attacks that ignore evasion. MA Save / PA Save seldom triggers often enough or for long enough time to affect the outcomes of matches. Counter assumes the attacker is actually in range. Same with Meatbone Slash. Dragon Spirit sounds good, until you realize that the revived unit is still going to run or heal itself (often not enough to escape imminent death). And counter magic takes MP, and since most magic attacks are elemental, you might end up HEALING the attacking unit!

You claim it is Junk because you don't use it. I could understand that if you knew that Grand Cross bypassed it (And I would downgrade category 1 to a D), but you thought you could get the same evasion even against that. If I don't use projectile guard, it is because either A) I know it doesn't work against 1/3 of the Gun threat (Grand Cross) or B) I don't have the job points to spare.

No, Grand Cross ignore Projectile Guard, at least with Elemental Guns. Test it yourself.

For the record, I'd like to add a comment about elemental guns and Kagesougi. In addition to the usual defense of elemental absorbtion, Kagesougi Gunner is vulnerable to Projectile Guard [Hence my Unappreciated team]. If Grand Cross was also vulnerable, you wouldn't have to nerf the elemental guns.

Awesome as always, Barren! Thank you very much!

I think the description for Sunken State needs to be fixed. It says HP damage. This is not so.

I am testing a prototype team that use the Lore skill to deliberately hit its own members in order to trigger reactions. Alas, Sunken State does not trigger [even when brave and faith are set to 100] (although Speed Save, PA Save, and MA Save do). Is this intentional to prevent just such a team concept?

I'm in!

I can also host matches, at least for the forseeable future.

Great vids, Barren!

I think my team is not going to undergo any further revisions. I am happy with its performance.

Here is another video, against CT5holy's team Playing With Fire. This team beat every previous incarnation I tested, and beat them soundly. This is the first test against my revised team. The previous version of my team they beat down was almost identical to this one, with the only difference being the ninja had a brigandine then, and has black costume now.

Distraction II (Fanatic) vs. Playing With Fire (CT5holy)

I revised my team, and I'm challenging formerdeathcorps' team Sniper to a rematch!

(I need to practice my commentary. Hope profanity doesn't offend anyone!)
Here it is!

Distraction II (Fanantic) vs. Sniper (formerdeathcorps)

Upload speeds are a problem for me, but I can host a few battles if you need help. New laptop means I can finally screen capture AND run an emulator! Just don't hate me if you think my commentary stinks!

>Attempts to enter this game as a Zombie FFT Monk (dressed like Michael Jackson in Thriller), and armed with "Secret Zombie Fist," turn random people into dancing zombies!

Congrats to the winner!

As to Kiku debate: The only counter is HP. Most rules don't let you equip your entire team with MDU or damage split, both of which (if used for the whole team) would end the threat. Shell is cast by AI unreliably. You cannot evade Kiku, nor can you block it with elemental defenses... both of which you can do against Earth Slash. Countermagic is no counter, as you invariably hurt your own team as much as the other.

But kiku is not Cid. My proposal is if anyone ever does another tournament like this, limit units with draw out to a movement range of 3. With MAU they can OHKO weaker units, but at least they won't cross the map and do it on the first turn. Part of what makes these moves so deadly is the AI is capable of choosing many spaces from which to use drawout. Limit those spaces by limiting movement, and the ability will keep all of its damage output while becoming less OP.

Darn you, FFMaster.

I went to all the trouble of creating a naked unit with catch to counter throwing ninjas, and you go ahead and don't use throw! Well, maybe I can sucker your knight into running ahead and getting himself killed early.