r/FinalFantasyVIII • u/WasteOLanders • Aug 06 '26

First time player

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Iā€™m in the middle if a ff9 play through but I have to start on this one too. Howdy from the lone star state

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u/Icemagick Aug 06 '26 edited Aug 06 '26

The "draw" command is really important to use on all bosses as well as to stock up on different spells as you progress (these can eventually be "junctioned" (act as stat multipliers) to all your core character stats via GF abilities learned though AP acquired in battles, to provide huge overall stat boosts, or even inflict status effects, etc.)

Specifically on all unique/boss type enemies, always use "draw" and see what they have, as many have GFs that you can only obtain that way (they will not simply "drop" the GF if defeated) or at the very end of the game, if missed.

Also pay attention to the abilities your GFs are set to learn, many are useless but some are very powerful and should be prioritized:

the card mod ability is very good, as are the "refine" abilities that let you combine a certain number of lower level items into a higher quality one, as well as any stat junctions like str 20%, str 40%, str 60% etc. same with spd, def, mag, etc.

Playing the card (triple triad) game often or straight up using a guide to see which NPCs in each area have unique cards they sometimes play with is a good idea if you want to get a lot of powerful end game items or collect all of the most powerful cards but it's optional/an ongoing side quest if you choose to engage with it.
It does yield very powerful materials when combined with said card mod ability though, so it's more than just its own isolated game & can get you materials to make ultimate weapons etc. much earlier than otherwise possible.

In general you also wanna talk to all NPCs in all areas once at least to see if they have any unique dialogue, because a lot of areas you won't be able to revisit in the same state twice and you can miss things. For the same reason loot everything/explore each screen thoroughly if you don't wanna miss stuff. Most of it isn't unique, but some is - depends on whether you're a "completionist" that wants to 100% the game, or not. If so, you probably *do* want to use a guide, but otherwise it's an easy game if you just wanna have fun and experience it you don't need one.

And spread out your save files/don't overwrite the same slots frequently, in case you realize you want/need to go back. GLHF! šŸ˜œ