Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age: Tips and Tricks For Beginners

Choose Your Jobs Very Carefully

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Tips

With the new job system of The Zodiac Age you’ll need to pick one job for each party member once you get them. Unfortunately, you can’t change your job once it’s picked, although you will get to choose a second one later on in the game. Because of this it’s very important you choose these jobs carefully and build a strategy around your choices. If you want, you can get access to every job in the game by having each of the six party members choose two different ones, or you can slant things heavily into magic or anything else you might want.

There are a few mainstays you absolutely should have at the beginning though. You’ll definitely want a White Mage for healing and buffing, and a tank-like job like the Knight is really important for soaking up enemy damage. Just keep these kinds of things in mind as you’re choosing your jobs.

Check Your Accessories

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Tips

Going along with choosing your jobs, make sure to take a look at your accessories on a regular basis. There are accessories that you’ll get in the game that boost the License Points or experience that you gain. This can be a huge help in getting you jobs leveled up and making your characters as strong as possible. At the same time if you notice enemies in a dungeon hitting you with specific status ailments, check if you might have an accessory that prevents those ailments.

Experiment With Gambits

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Tips

Gambits are probably the most unique aspect of Final Fantasy XII’s combat system, letting you customize the tactics of each of your party members. Of course, taking one look at the Gambit system you’ll see there’s a ton of different options you can choose from. Admittedly, this can all be a bit overwhelming at first, but the only way to really get a feel for the Gambit system is by experimenting. Try setting up different options for using healing/buff spells, or casting magic on enemies and just see how they work. Not everything will work the way you want it to, but experimentation can help you find the strategy that’s right for your playstyle. It’s also a good idea to take a look at guest party member’s Gambits, as the game already has them set up. This can be a good guide for the kind of things you should be aiming for with your own Gambits.

Take on Every Hunt

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Tips

Final Fantasy XII has a ton of side content to undertake, most of which take the form of hunts that have your tracking down unique and dangerous monsters. It’s honestly in your best interest to undertake every hunt you can, as they not only contain some of the most challenging and engaging fights in the game, but also give you worthwhile rewards. Hunts can be found at pubs and notice boards throughout the world, or at Clan Centurio. Each one that you complete gives you a nice amount of Gil and some kind of unique reward, while also contributing to your overall clan rank, which can lead to even more bonuses…

Check in At the Clan Centurio Regularly

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Tips

While you’re out completing hunts and the like it’s a good idea to regularly stop in at the Clan Centurio hall in Rabanastre for a variety of reasons. For one you’ll find the most challenging and rewarding hunts in the game offered by Montblanc here. Additionally, as you battle monsters and complete hunts you’ll accrue clan points, which will result in new ranks for you that you can see in your Clan Primer. Each new rank that you get results in a reward from Montblanc, usually including a few Teleport Stones and other items. At the same time, defeating any bosses in the game that are monsters will also unlock a Gil reward from Montblanc. It’s always a good idea to stop in at Clan Centurio when you’ve done anything deserving of a reward. 

Sell Loot and Old Equipment

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Tips

Most monsters in The Zodiac Age will reward you with loot of different types, and you’ll also gain plenty of items from hunts and quests. When you go to the sell tab at merchants you’ll see an entire tab for loot. This is your main way of making money in the game, so you’ll want to make sure to regularly sell the loot you’ve obtained. Of course, be careful what you sell as there are certain items you’ll need for quests. Anything that has low value like a couple hundred Gil is perfectly safe to sell, or you can set up a rule for yourself, like only selling items that you have more than 10 of. When you’ve gotten new equipment for your team as well, you can go ahead and sell anything you don’t need. There’s not really a use for old armor and weapons, and it can help recoup some of your Gil after a big shopping spree.

Make Liberal Use of the Fast Forward Button

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Tips

The single most helpful addition to Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is the fast forward button, a feature that significantly cuts down on the time you spend wandering or grinding. Certain portions of Final Fantasy XII can really drag on with long dungeons, lots of enemy battles, and a fair amount of backtracking. Don’t be afraid to abuse the fast forward button as it can really help streamline things and keep you from getting bored or losing focus on what you were doing. It’s also especially good for grinding, letting you storm through sets of enemies to get experience and LP.

Explore the World of Ivalice

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Tips

Final Fantasy XII is a story about the world of Ivalice, just as much as it’s about the main characters. There’s a ton of lore and story crammed into every corner of the world, something that you can really uncover by exploring. Talking to he various townspeople in each city is a great way to learn about certain politics, organizations, and ideas in Ivalice. In fact, talking to characters spread throughout the world is where the majority of story comes from. At the same time, there’s plenty of secrets to uncover in the game by exploring like optional dungeons and areas, sidequests and weapons, and even additional Espers to summon.