Queen's Blood (Final Fantasy Thread)

[stokeriño]

Sorcery? I dunno. I always assumed that an understanding of football (and years of FM!) helped. It just seemed rather intuitive. The tutorials in the game are really good for the basics of course.

Part of it's squad-building, but you can't do much of that until the mid-game because there aren't enough available blitzball players around initially. Most of your original Auroch team is okay though...although I immediately ditched Botta for Ropp (who you can find in Rin's Travel Agency on the Mi'ihen Highroad). He's a good player in defensive stats (passing, attack, etc.) and Botta seemed the weakest link.

Otherwise it's just maths of Endurance vs. Attack and Pass/Shot vs. Block/Catch, and using that maths to know what is or isn't likely to succeed. Fancy techniques like Venom Pass etc. will up your chances in these.

Plus the importance of passing to teammates who are in space, rather than already surrounded. This will usually require you to swim off to the side before you pass to your forwards, because that will draw opposition defenders towards you. If you just charge straight through the middle, every time you'll find three defenders blocking your path.

Speaking of which: for the love of God, switch your team's movement off "Auto" to "Manual A" so that your players will go where you tell them (except in defence, which is all automated either way).

Finally, if you do find yourself leading against a tough team, there's no harm in a bit of keep-ball. In my most recent tournament, I trounced the Ronso 5-2 but the Al Bhed in the final were much tougher for some reason. Their stats would make it virtually impossible to get the ball off them, so once I went 1-0 up (Jecht shot ), I just passed the ball back and forth between my rear three players for the rest of the game - always making sure to move in such a way that I didn't get cornered and robbed of possession.

[Benji]

It's not the best squad (you can't get best players until late game) but if you pick up Zev Ronso from Luca Dock 4, Wedge from Luca Blitz stadium entrance, Miyu from north Moonflow and Kyou from Djose Temple (post-trials), you have a pretty solid squad to start with (all are free agents, so don't play any games until you can get them). Miyu is you goalie, Kyou is a defender, Wedge is a striker and Zev is your midfielder. Don't let the Aurochs sentimentality get in the way - they don't get much better and the benefits of keeping them for the Aurochs Reels is outweighed by how good attack reels is. Ditch Keepa and co and make your own team.

Later in the game you can pick up Wakka and Brother, as well as the Al Bhed goalie Nimrook (best in the game) once his contract expires.

[stokeriño]

I have a vague recollection that I played Kyou as a keeper the last time I played this... Have just completed Djose Temple so will pick him up on the way out.

I had already left Luca behind before I started thinking about blitzball players, so no Wedge etc. for me. Could rather do with a better striker than Datto, sadly. :/

[Benji]

I have a vague recollection that I played Kyou as a keeper the last time I played this... Have just completed Djose Temple so will pick him up on the way out.

I had already left Luca behind before I started thinking about blitzball players, so no Wedge etc. for me. Could rather do with a better striker than Datto, sadly. :/

You can pick up someone in Guadosalam. Can't remember which one it is, but there's a free agent there who's not going to set the blitz pool on fire, but is better than Datto.

Ignore that, the person I'm thinking of is a goalie. Linna at Macalania Temple is your next half decent free agent striker.

Oh, and I think I remembered when the earliest you can go back for Auron's Spheres for his limit is - just after the Spherimorph fight. If you want his ultimate limits BEFORE the dark aeon fights, head all the way back to Besaid after that fight.

[tenaciousg]

That's kinda dumb. I guess I'll just go without Tornado on this playthrough then, because I'm not fighting a superboss just to get a sphere. At least not right now.

[Schlitzbrille]

My sole memory of Blitzball was hiding behind my goalie like a little bitch the moment I took the lead in a game.

[Sousa]

I can sum up my winning blitzball strategy in two words of stok's long-ass post:

Jecht shot

[stokeriño]

Only had that one team where the Jecht shot has been necessary though. Beat the Guado 6-0 yesterday with normal shots only...they are just that terrible.

[hugobomb]

It was the Ronso I always found a piece of piss to beat. Take advantage of their slowness to get the defence bunched up chasing you then pass to Tidus and score.

The Al Bhed were fuckers to beat. Too damn fast

[stokeriño]

Fast *and* competant, that's the problem. The Guado are also fast but shit at everything else except passing, so you can just brush their challenges aside.

[Benji]

Literally the only problem I ever have is the Al Bhed because of their goalie. Even then they're not hard so long as you get close.

[stokeriño]

Just remembered that Stokerina is having work friends over tonight so I shall be denied access to the PS3.

OUTRAGEOUS. :@

[TKz]

I must have sacrificed to the right diety today, because I somehow won the tournament game!

[Robsturgh]

That opening cutscene. Still those chills.

[Liam]

So I shouldn't play Blitzball until I get the free agent guys?

[TKz]

Looking around online at the trophies, I had a look at some of the stuff about Blitzball and the best way to get all the different Reels for Wakka without having to play a ton. If that's what you're interested in, it sounds like the best way to do it is to wait until the end of the game, scoop up the best players and then you can get all the stuff you need by only playing 17(?) games. If you just want to play for the hell of it, it doesn't really matter. You'll probably find it a bit less challenging to wait until you can pick up some of the better players, but there's no reason not to play now.

[Pizza]

I usually played one game of Blitz per save point. Kept me from burning out on it or the actual game.

[Liam]

Fuck it, game before bed >_>

[Benji]

Going for everyone's celestial weapons, I am dreading thunder dodging. At least this time I don't have to count myself, since the trophy will pop,

[TKz]

Going for everyone's celestial weapons, I am dreading thunder dodging. At least this time I don't have to count myself, since the trophy will pop,

Nope. Trophy pops when you get the item from the chest, apparently.