o---------------------------------------------------------------------o
| FINAL FANTASY VIII |
| |
| SEED RANK GUIDE |
| Version 1.3 |
| |
| By The Admiral |
| Email:
[email protected] |
o---------------------------------------------------------------------o
INTRODUCTION
------------
The SeeD rank system is one of the most pervasive elements of Final
Fantasy VIII. Yet, despite its substantial presence in the game, there
is surprisingly little accurate information available on how it works.
You can find a large and varying amount of writing about this topic in
FAQs and on different websites, but none of them, to date, come close
to accurately explaining how these ranks are calculated and what really
affects them.
This guide explains how SeeD ranks are calculated, what factors affect
this calculation, how and when you are paid, and which events in the
game will affect your rank. Some of the explanations for the SeeD rank
mechanics may be slightly technical, so a shortened, non-technical
description can be found in the "Quick Summary" section at the end of
the guide.
Please note that this guide also assumes you have completed the game or
at least have a good deal of familiarity with the game play and story
line. This guide does contain some plot spoilers, particularly in the
"Fixed SeeD Events" section, so please keep that in mind if you haven't
completed Final Fantasy VIII yet.
=======================================================================
DISCLAIMER SR00
=======================================================================
This FAQ is meant for personal use only and cannot be reproduced for
commercial use under any circumstances. No portions of this guide may
be reproduced, in part or in entirety, without the consent of the
author. If you would like to use any part of this guide in your FAQ or
website, I will probably give you permission if you ask, but you must
ask first (Email:
[email protected]). Final Fantasy VIII and all
characters are copyright of Squaresoft.
=======================================================================
CONTENTS SR01
=======================================================================
To jump to any section of this guide quickly, click the Edit option on
the toolbar, then go to Find and type in the index number listed in the
right column.
DISCLAIMER.........................................................SR00
CONTENTS...........................................................SR01
HOW SEED RANKS ARE CALCULATED......................................SR02
DETERMINING SEED EXPERIENCE........................................SR03
CALCULATING WHEN YOU ARE PAID......................................SR04
INITIAL SEED RANK (FIRE CAVE AND DOLLET MISSIONS)..................SR05
FIXED SEED EVENTS..................................................SR06
SEED EXAMS.........................................................SR07
SEED SALARY........................................................SR08
QUICK SUMMARY......................................................SR08
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.........................................SR09
REVISION HISTORY...................................................SR10
CREDITS............................................................SR11
=======================================================================
HOW SEED RANKS ARE CALCULATED SR02
=======================================================================
The game determines your SeeD rank based on an unobservable variable
known as "SeeD experience." SeeD experience works on a 100 point scale
per rank, and your current rank, when updated, is equal to [SeeD
experience/100], rounded down. For example, if your SeeD experience is
2510, you will be at SeeD rank 25; once it reaches 2600, you will be
promoted to level 26. SeeD rank A is reached at 3100 experience.
There are four things that affect your SeeD experience:
1.) For each enemy that one of your characters defeats, your SeeD
experience goes up by one.
2.) Each time you are paid, your SeeD experience goes down by 10.
3.) Each time you take a SeeD exam, your SeeD experience is rounded up
to the next rank.
4.) Fixed events in the game will raise or lower you SeeD rank. When
this happens, your SeeD experience is increased by a specified
amount for the event (usually 100 SeeD experience). A few of
these fixed events are: the Timber train mission, Missile Base
mission, Shumi village quest, getting scolded by Instructor Aki.
A complete listing of these events can be found in the "Fixed SeeD
Events" section of this guide.
In short, you can raise your SeeD rank by taking tests or killing
enemies. Enemies killed by GFs do not count towards your SeeD
experience, but enemies killed by Odin, Gilgamesh, or Phoenix do.
Running from battle does not have any effect on your SeeD experience.
Your rank will fall naturally if you are paid enough times and your
SeeD experience falls below the threshold for the next rank down.
Taking a SeeD test raises your SeeD experience exactly enough to take
you to the next rank. This means that it doesn't matter whether your
experience is 2500 or 2599 when you take a SeeD test -- in both cases,
the test will raise it to 2600. Therefore, it makes sense to take more
than one SeeD test at a time, so you get a full 100 experience points
from additional tests. Taking SeeD tests once your rank is A will have
no effect on your SeeD experience.
The SeeD experience scale is capped at 3110. This explains why your
rank will often seem to fall from A to 30; unlike other ranks, you
cannot be part way to the next level up. Your rank will drop every
time you reach rank A, unless you kill 10 enemies before the next time
you are paid.
=======================================================================
DETERMINING SEED EXPERIENCE SR03
=======================================================================
• The number of kills that are factored into your SeeD experience comes
directly from your 'Character Report' screen (first upgrade to the
Battle Meter). Kills obtained by any character that appears on that
screen (even Seifer and Edea) will have an effect on your SeeD
experience. What is significant when computing your experience is the
change in those totals from when you are last paid, not the actual
totals themselves.
(Note: If you use an editor to lower the number of kills that one of
your characters has, even if that character is no longer in your party,
you will see your SeeD rank drop).
• Your characters are credited with a kill if the enemy is defeated in
any of the following ways: normal attack, limit attack, offensive magic
attack, Card, Devour, Kamikaze, Chocobo summon (Gysahl Greens), and
Phoenix summon (Phoenix Pinion). A kill made in any of these ways will
count towards your SeeD experience.
• Your characters are NOT credited with kills if the enemy is defeated
by Doom, Break, Poison damage, Regen damage (if undead or Zombied), or
any GF summoned by the GF command. Also, any kills made by an enemy
you have confused will not count, as well as kills made by magic
reflected back at the enemy from enemy casters. A kill made in any of
these ways will not affect your SeeD experience.
• Running from battle has no effect on your SeeD experience. If a
battle has multiple enemies, any enemy defeated before escaping does
count as a kill and affects your SeeD experience.
• Kills made by Odin, Gilgamesh, or Phoenix are actually credited to
one of your characters. The credit goes to the character in the first
position on the battle screen, even if that character is dead. These
kills all count towards your SeeD experience.
• Kills made before you even have a SeeD rank count towards your SeeD
experience. This includes any enemies defeated in the Training Center,
Fire Cavern, or Dollet.
• Kills made during the Laguna dream sequences are credited to the
character that "becomes" Laguna, Kiros, or Ward. These kills also
count towards your SeeD experience.
=======================================================================
CALCULATING WHEN YOU ARE PAID SR04
=======================================================================
With the exception of SeeD exams and fixed events, changes made to your
SeeD experience will not affect your rank until the next time you are
paid. The SeeD payment schedule is based on the number of steps you
take, and this total can be found on your 'Battle Report' screen.
At each payment period, you are paid a fixed amount of gil (a full
table can be found in the "SeeD Salary" section below). When the
payment bar appears, you are deducted 10 SeeD experience and then paid
for the rank corresponding to that experience level. If you are paid
and your rank changes, you will see the first rank appear and then the
new rank scroll up. You are paid the value shown on the second number,
which is your current rank. If you are paid and take a SeeD Exam
before the payment bar fades, you will see your new rank scroll up.
However, since this new rank was attained after you were paid, you
receive the value denoted by the first number that appeared.
You are paid each time your characters take 24575 steps. There does
not seem to be any randomness to this number at all. It doesn't matter
if your SeeD rank is 1 or A, if you are in a dungeon, town, or world
map. This figure is constant. (Where does this number come from? My
guess is that it is [2^13 + 2^14]).
The total number of steps reported on the Battle Report screen does not
tell you anything in itself. The only thing that matters is the change
from the last time paid. Because of this, knowing that it takes 24575
steps until you are paid next is not very useful unless you are
tracking your step total at each payment period.
There are some situations where steps are recorded on your Battle
Report screen but not counted towards payment. These include the steps
you take before you have a rank, the Laguna dream sequences, and a few
of the events where the game moves the characters for you. The vast
majority of the time your steps will count, even during most of the
fixed events and the instances where your characters can move but a CGI
is playing in the background.
The physical steps you see your characters take do not correspond to
the number you see on the Battle Report (BR) screen. Each step you see
represents a larger number of recorded steps, and the different modes
of transportation will also increase the number of steps at different
rates.
On the world map, there are different types of movement that correspond
to the number of steps taken. Both your character and a chocobo have
"move" and "turn" animations, and these count as a different number of
steps on the BR screen. A "move" is defined as a single, physical step
forward. A "turn" is seen when you push the opposite direction from
the one your character is facing; the character will do a half step and
change direction slightly.
The number of steps that change on the BR screen with the physical
movement seen goes as follows:
Mode "Move" "Turn"
==== ====== ======
Character 3 steps 4 steps
Chocobo 7 steps 8 steps
Steps are also counted when driving cars, and will increase once you
travel a certain distance in 1 step increments. Steps are not recorded
when moving in the Garden or the Ragnarok.
Steps are recorded differently when walking in a town or dungeon.
Here, it doesn't matter what direction you move in, but only if you run
or walk.
Mode Run Walk
==== === =====
Character 5 steps 3 steps
Basically, the fastest ways to increase your number of steps are to
walk on the world map with either a chocobo or to drive an automobile.
Walking around with your character on the world map is clearly the
slowest way.
=======================================================================
INITIAL SEED RANK (FIRE CAVE AND DOLLET MISSIONS) SR05
=======================================================================
Your starting SeeD rank is based on your performance during the Fire
Cave mission and the Dollet SeeD missions. Your course of action in 6
different areas determines what your starting rank is. These areas
are: Conduct, Judgment, Attack, Spirit, Attitude, and Bonus. The
maximum number of points you can earn for each category is 100, and the
minimum and maximum scores you can have are 10 and 600, respectively.
Your starting SeeD rank will be anywhere from 1 to 10 depending on your
performance during the Fire Cave and Dollet missions.
Conduct
-------
This category measures how promptly you follow the order to withdraw
from Dollet. The more time left on the timer when you return to the
shore, the higher your score will be. The timer stops either when the
CGI video of the X-ATM092 starts or when you reach Quistis at the ship.
The scoring goes as follows:
Time
Remaining Score
========= =====
25:00 or more 100
24:59-24:00 90
23:59-23:00 80
22:59-20:00 70
19:59-19:00 60
18:59-17:00 50
16:59-15:00 40
14:59-10:00 30
9:50-6:00 20
5:59-3:00 10
2:59-0:00 0
Judgment
--------
This measures how well you can estimate the time needed to defeat Ifrit
during the Fire Cave mission. The less time you have remaining on the
clock after Ifrit is defeated and the GF naming screen has ended, the
higher your score will be. It does not matter which of the four times
you choose when entering, only how much time is left at the end.
Whether it is a bug or not, the timer for this mission ends only after
Ifrit is named, not when the battle ends, as most sources report. This
means that, despite it no longer being shown, the timer still counts
down during the experience, battle items, and naming Ifrit screens.
Fortunately, you cannot receive a "Game Over" if the timer expires
after defeating Ifrit, but you can let it count down to zero for a full
100 points. To take advantage of this, kill Ifrit and note the time
left on the clock. Now, once the battle screen pops up, wait the
amount of time you saw remaining on the clock (or slightly more, just
to be sure). You should be able to easily and safely get the maximum
points on this section by following this method.
If you don't want to exploit the way the timer works, you can still get
the highest score in this category by dealing the finishing blow to
Ifrit with between 20 to 12 seconds remaining. His dialogue and
animation after defeat take about 10 seconds, and you will have a Game
Over if the timer runs down while he is speaking. This is not as safe
as letting the timer run down after battle, but it is a little more
challenging. The scoring for this section goes as follows:
Time
Remaining Score
========= =====
0:00-0:07 100
0:08-0:29 90
0:30-0:59 80
1:00-1:59 70
2:00-2:59 60
3:00-9:59 50
10:00-10:59 40
11:00-11:59 30
12:00-12:59 20
13:00-13:59 10
14:00-14:59 5
15:00 or more 0
Attack
------
Your score in this section is based on how many enemies you defeat
during the Dollet mission. The more enemies you defeat, the higher
your score will be. Any kills made by Squall, Zell, Selphie, or Seifer
will count. Defeating any of the bosses in Dollet also counts towards
your total. When fighting the X-ATM092, you will receive credit for
one kill the first time you lower its HP to zero in each battle; you
will not receive credit for a kill by lowering its HP to zero again in
the same fight. This section uses the same criteria for defining a
kill as is used when tabulating SeeD experience. The scoring goes as
follows:
Number of
Enemies Defeated Score
================ =====
75 or more 100
25-74 80
20-24 50
15-19 30
10-14 20
0-9 0
Spirit
------
The Spirit score depends on how many times you run from a battle during
the Dollet mission. Each time you run from the X-ATM092, including the
first, counts as an escape. To get a perfect score, therefore, the
only time you can run from a battle is the first encounter with the X-
ATM092, which is the only mandatory encounter.
It takes a little work, but it is possible to avoid running into the X-
ATM092 more than once. On the screen with Selphie's cliff jump, make a
sharp enough turn and you will avoid it. On the next screen down, hold
the button to walk and the X-ATM won't appear; if you run, you will
encounter it every time. On the bridge, go to the right until the X-
ATM jumps over you. While it is in the air, start running left. When
it tries to jump over you going left, start running right again while
it is in mid-air. You should be able to clear the bridge at this
point.
Here are the scoring criteria for Sprit:
Number of
Escapes Score
========= =====
1 100
2 70
3-4 50
5-9 30
10 or more 0
Attitude
--------
Your attitude score measures how closely you follow the guidelines for
action during a SeeD mission. Unlike the others, Attitude starts at
100 and is decreased each time you violate one of the rules of conduct.
These rules, for the most part, are rather arbitrary and never fully
explained in the game itself. Note that if you defeat the X-ATM092,
the 'Attitude' category is replaced by the 'Point(s) Deducted' category
on your SeeD Rank Report. As far as I can tell, this is a bug, as the
score that appears in that slot is calculated the same way as your
attitude score and is always positive.
There are a large number of rumors present in various guides about what
actions affect your Attitude score. Below is a list of all the correct
actions, along with the number of penalty points each carries. You
lose points each time you perform the action, not just the first. You
are deducted for the following:
• Talking to almost anyone from the time Squall changes into his SeeD
uniform. This includes Cid, the instructors, and residents in the
town of Balamb, members from the other training teams, and the
Dollet soldiers. Do not talk to any of the members in the submarine
when given the choice. You will not be deducted for talking to
members currently in your party. You are only required to talk once
during the entire mission, and this is to Seifer in the Town Square
[1 deduction]
• Disregarding Sefier's order in the submarine [1 deduction]
• Moving towards the Comm Tower when stationed in the Town Square
before Seifer orders you to [1 deduction]
• Talking to Biggs after you defeat him [2 deductions]
• Using Selphie's cliff jump [5 deductions]
• Failing to save the dog from the X-ATM092 (press 'talk' to save
it) [10 deductions]
• Hiding in the cafe when the X-ATM092 passes [20 deductions]
Despite what you may read otherwise, you are NOT deducted for any of
the following:
• If you chose to walk around instead of using Selphie's cliff
jump, she will ask you why you didn't jump off the cliff. It
doesn't matter which response you give once Zell questions you.
• Leaving the Town Square with Seifer at zero HP, or having any
members of your team killed off at any time has no affect on your
score.
• On your way to the Comm Tower, you will enter a battle with an
Anacondaur. Seifer says to save the killing blow for him. It
doesn't matter whether you let him get it or not.
• On your way back from the Comm Tower (if you defeat the X-ATM092 or
let it pass), Zell will scold you if you try to go back. You don't
receive any deductions for this.
• When you return to Balamb Garden, Cid will ask you how it felt to be
in battle. It doesn't matter which response you give him.
You can calculate your score based on the number of deductions you
received from the table below:
Total
Deductions Score
========== =====
0 100
1-8 80
9-13 70
14-17 50
18-24 30
25 or more 10
Bonus
-----
You will receive a 100 point bonus on your SeeD rank report if you
manage to defeat the X-ATM092. It is possible to defeat it, and you
can accomplish this in any battle except the first. For more details
on how to defeat the X-ATM, see the "Frequently Asked Questions"
section below. Note that if you defeat the X-ATM092, the 'Attitude'
category is changed to the 'Point(s) Deducted' category on your SeeD
rank report.
Tabulating Your Rank
--------------------
Translating your actual actions on the SeeD mission into a final SeeD
rank is not very easy, and, surprisingly, the score you receive on the
SeeD Rank Report is not used to determine your starting rank. Each set
of actions have a specific point modifier that is used to determine
your rank but never shows up in the course of the game.
In the tables below, "SeeD Score" is the total you will visibly see on
the SeeD Rank Report, while the "Modifier" category is the value used
in calculating your rank. Note that there can be several different
modifiers at the same SeeD Score (Attitude in particular, which has
increasing penalties even after you've received the minimum score of
10).
After finding your score from the modifier table below, the following
formula is used to compute your rank:
Initial Rank = ([500 + Sum of Modifiers]/100) + Bonus
Basically, to find your rank, start with 500, add all the modifiers you
receive, then divide by 100. If you defeated the X-ATM092, the "Bonus"
variable will be 1, thereby raising your SeeD rank a whole level. If
you didn't kill it, the "Bonus" is zero, which has no effect on your
rank. The resulting value is then rounded appropriately up or down to
generate the SeeD score you receive. Any values below 1 will set equal
to 1, and any values above 10 will be set equal to 10.
Here are the modifier tables for each category. Credit goes to
CzarDragon for looking into the game to come up with this information,
which has all been verified through actual testing.
Conduct
-------
Time SeeD Conduct
Remaining Score Modifier
========= ===== ========
25:00 or more 100 80
24:59-24:00 90 70
23:59-23:00 80 60
22:59-20:00 70 50
19:59-19:00 60 30
18:59-17:00 50 20
16:59-15:00 40 10
14:59-10:00 30 0
9:50-6:00 20 -30
5:59-3:00 10 -50
2:59-0:00 0 -100
Judgment
--------
Time SeeD Judgment
Remaining Score Modifier
========= ===== ========
0:00-0:07 100 100
0:08-0:29 90 80
0:30-0:59 80 70
1:00-1:59 70 50
2:00-2:59 60 30
3:00-9:59 50 0
10:00-10:59 40 -50
11:00-11:59 30 -60
12:00-12:59 20 -70
13:00-13:59 10 -90
14:00-14:59 5 -90
15:00 or more 0 -100
Attack
------
Number of SeeD Attack
Enemy Kills Score Modifier
=========== ===== ========
75 or more 100 100
50-74 80 75
25-49 80 50
20-24 50 50
15-19 30 0
0-14 20 -50
0-9 0 -100
Spirit
------
Number of SeeD Spirit
Escapes Score Modifier
========= ===== ========
1 100 100
2 70 50
3-4 50 0
5-9 30 -50
10 or more 0 -100
Attitude
--------
Total SeeD Attitude
Deductions Score Modifier
========== ===== ========
0 100 100
1-8 80 70
9-13 70 50
14-17 50 30
18-24 30 0
25-29 10 -50
30-39 10 -60
40-49 10 -80
50 or more 10 -100
=======================================================================
FIXED SEED EVENTS SR06
=======================================================================
There are certain events in the game that will always raise or lower
your SeeD ranking. Most of the events alter your rank a full level
(100 SeeD experience), but some have smaller amounts that you can earn
depending on your actions. Your SeeD rank will never go below 1, and
penalties you receive while your rank is 1 will not carry over to when
it goes up. Similarly, any bonuses you receive while your rank is at
level A will not count. SeeD events can never push your SeeD
experience above 3100, even though the cap is 3110. Here is a listing
of the fixed events:
Showing off your Gunblade
-------------------------
Right after the Fire Cave test when you get Ifrit, there will
occasionally be two students sitting on the floor outside the classroom
on the 2F of Balamb Garden. The student on the left will comment that
Squall and Seifer are gunblade specialists, and ask to see your
gunblade. If you show it to him, Instructor Aki will come scold you,
warning that you will penalized. When you finally get your SeeD rank
after the Dollet mission, your rank will have decreased by 1.
Effects: -1 Rank.
Trying to sneak out of Balamb Garden
------------------------------------
This event occurs on the night of your SeeD graduation (the night that
has the CGI scene of the ballroom dance). Both before and after you go
to the training center with Quistis, you will be able to walk around
Balamb Garden. If you try to leave the Garden from the main entrance,
the gatekeeper will warn you that it is after hours. Attempting to
leave 3 times will result in your SeeD rank decreasing by 1. You will
continue to lose one SeeD rank each time you attempt to escape after
that.
Effects: -1 Rank (Repeatable).
Timber Train Mission
----------------------
Your rank will change during the presidential train hijacking mission
depending on how many times you are caught by the sensor guards when
you are inputting the access codes. If you escape without being caught
at all, your rank will go up by one. If you are caught between 1 and 9
times, your rank does not change. If you are caught more than 10
times, your rank goes down by 1.
Effects:
Number of Effect on
Times Detected SeeD Rank
============== =========
0 +1 Rank
1 to 9 No change
10 or more -1 Rank
Escape the Tomb of the Unknown King
-----------------------------------
When you are in the Tomb of the Unknown King, you will have the option
of automatically leaving by checking the auto-map and pressing the
cancel button. Each time you do so, your SeeD rank will go down by 1.
The game will warn you ahead of time that you will be demoted if you
opt to escape.
Effects: -1 Rank (Repeatable).
Missile Base Mission
--------------------
You can increase your SeeD rank by up to 2 levels depending on how you
perform during the Missile Base mission. You will face many junctures
where you are asked to make a decision, but only three of these have
any bearing on your rank: passing on the correct information to the
soldiers, choosing to fight or not, and the amount of time you set for
the self-destruct mechanism. The change in your SeeD rank is based on
the number of penalty points you accumulate for your various actions.
Here are some more details on the three areas that are scored during
the mission:
• You will receive a small penalty if you relay the wrong message
between the two inspectors and the soldier in the missile hangar.
The correct response is the "...to go on ahead" choice.
• At several points during the mission, you will have the option of
talking your way out of a situation or fighting. This includes the
dialogue after you damage the circuit room and the conversation
asking you to help move the missile silos. Choosing to fight at
any point will result in the same severe penalty. You are not
penalized in this area if you remain disguised until the mandatory
fight in the missile control room.
• Before you exit the base, you need to set a detonation time on the
self-destruct mechanism for anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes. The
longer the time you set, the greater you are penalized. Note that
if you chose to fight (above category), you will need to change the
error ratio after setting the detonation time, as opposed to
beforehand if you don't fight. This means that it will be very hard
to escape in time if you choose both the 10 minutes option and you
chose to fight. Note, there is a shortcut door in the detonation
room that will only open once the self-destruct timer is less than
20 minutes.
Here are some things that have absolutely no effect on your SeeD rank
during this mission, despite what you may read otherwise:
• Your actions when you approach the first guard.
• Your responses when asked how to break the panel in the circuit
room.
• The answer you give the wounded soldier who gives you the [ID Card]
item (he only appears if you chose to fight your way through the
base).
• The amount of time remaining when you complete the mission.
To determine your score, start with 200 SeeD experience and deduct
points for any actions as listed below. Completely a perfect mission
will net you two full SeeD ranks. Even if you chose all the worst
options at each juncture, you will still earn at least 5 SeeD
experience for completing the quest.
• Relaying the wrong information [-7 points]
• Relaying the correct information [no deduction]
• Choosing to fight your way through the missile base [-105 points]
• Choosing to remain disguised and play along [no deduction]
• 10 minutes on timer [no deduction]
• 20 minutes on timer [-15 points]
• 30 minutes on timer [-45 points]
• 40 minutes on timer [-75 points]
• Additional penalty: If you receive any deductions in more than one
category, you will be penalized a small, random amount of points.
This penalty will always be between [-3 and -8 points].
The change in your SeeD experience after this mission will be +200 less
any penalties you received from the listed actions above.
Scolded by Aki again
--------------------
During a short interval after you defeat NORG and before you arrive at
FH for the first time, there will be a boy outside the classroom on the
2F of Balamb Garden. He will ask to see you cast some magic. If you
agree, Squall casts the Blizzard spell, and Instructor Aki appears to
yell at him. This decreases his SeeD rank by one, and can only happen
once.
Effects: -1 Rank.
Master Fisherman Sidequest
--------------------------
This is one of the most frequently missed side quests in the game, and
most FAQs either entirely omit it or leave out certain parts of it.
This quest can only be completed the first time you are in FH, right
after the Garden is mobile and crashes into it. Completing this quest
will earn you some nice items and 20 SeeD experience.
The steps are rather complicated, so they will be presented as a mini-
walkthrough below. Note that you do not need to complete the events in
the exact order listed, but you must do them before you leave FH. Some
of them are just part of the normal events that happen when you arrive
in FH, but they are still included.
1.) Right after you arrive in FH, visit the Master Fisherman (MF).
You can get to him by taking the ladder down on the screen that
has the large, rusted silo and the elevator on the far right. The
ladder will be on the left side of the screen, and it's very easy
to miss if you don't look carefully for it.
2.) Talk to the MF and he'll ask you what you have done. It doesn't
matter which response you give, and you will receive Occult Fan
III after answering. Talk to him again and he tells you to check
up on his pupil near the docks.
3.) Go to the docks and talk to the boy in the fishing boat. Give him
the following responses when you speak with him: "Sort of, "I saw
him," and "I was sort of... impressed." The boy will attempt to
cast the fishing line and will be yelled at by the junk shop
owner.
4.) Go to Mayor Dobe's house. He speaks with you about when you are
leaving and orders his technicians to repair the Garden.
(Side Note: Be sure to use the Ultima draw point on the right side
of the room, visible with the Move-Find ability equipped. Also,
this is the earliest you can play Dobe for the Quezacotl card).
5.) After leaving Dobe's house, you will learn that Galbadian soldiers
have arrived in FH. Dobe will come out and try to reason with
them. Follow him to the train station. He tries speaking to the
soldier and is eventually threatened. Squall will be given the
choice to "help" or "listen longer;" it doesn't matter which you
choose, as Squall always assists anyway.
6.) You will now enter two battles, the first with three Galbadian
soldiers and the second with the BGF251F2 ("Iron Clad"). You will
be reunited with the rest of your party after the fights, and
Squall will now get to walk around on his own.
(Side Note: You can mug an Adamantine from the Iron Clad, which is
very useful at this stage of the game).
7.) Return to the boy by the docks and speak with him again. He will
try to cast the fishing line again and will succeed this time. He
asks you to go tell the MF.
8.) Go back to the MF and speak with him again. You should encounter
Irvine on your way there, and he will tag along with you. The MF
will tell Squall that he likes him, and asks to meet him at the
Inn.
9.) Follow the tracks up to the Grease Monkey's house, which is on the
same screen you fought the Iron Clad. You will find a Galbadian
soldier threatening the Grease Monkey inside, and he asks you to
step out and fight him. When you go back in, the Grease Monkey
will tell you that the soldier ran away, and you will receive a
Mega-Phoenix that he dropped.
(Note: This step is optional, but can only be done during the
point when you have Squall and Irvine in your party. You do not
need to have completed the above steps to do this one).
10.) Meet the MF on the second floor of the inn. He will tell you
about the history of Dobe (which used to be spelled Dobey) and
some things about FH. After he asks you to keep him company,
choose the "Why not...?" response.
11.) Follow the MF outside. You will see him stop and talk to all the
townspeople along the way. He will go to the docks and scold
both the Junk Shop owner and boy when they start arguing.
12.) Speak to the junk shop owner, and this will engage a conversation
about the MF's history and the founding of FH. You will be
prompted for responses twice, but it doesn't matter which answer
you give either time. At the end of the talk, the MF will give
you a Megalixir. This officially ends the quest, and you should
receive the 20 SeeD experience at this point.
Finding the Captain in Balamb
-----------------------------
You can raise your SeeD rank up to a full level depending on the method
you use to find the Captain during the occupation of Balamb stage. The
following steps are the same, regardless of which method you choose:
1.) Go to Zell's house and enter the second room. You will see his
mom greet you, and she will talk about the Commander and the
occupation.
2.) Head over to the Balamb Hotel and speak to the guards standing in
front. They will tell you that you need to find the Captain
before you can see the Commander.
3.) Go to the second harbor screen and talk to the guard standing next
to the dog. He will tell you that the Captain was recently there
and just caught some fish.
4.) Head over to Zell's house and you will see smoke pouring out of
the front. Talk to Zell's mom and she tells you that the Captain
was just there and cooked some fish. She thinks he went to share
it with his men.
Note in the above instructions that you do not need to do step 1 first,
but you cannot go onto step 4 until you have. At this point, you have
some choices as to how you can find the Captain: the "board the train"
method and the "use the dog" method.
To find the Captain with the "board the train" approach, head to the
train station. You will see that one his men is sick and lying down by
the entrance to the train. Talk to him repeatedly, and he will inch
away from the stairs. After a while, he will have moved far enough to
allow you to board the train. Head over to the Hotel after the Captain
is awakened.
To find the Captain through the "use the dog" approach, go back to the
harbor and talk to the dog that was next to the original soldier you
spoke to. Now that you have the Captain's scent, the dog will start
running until he finds the Captain. Just follow the dog and then head
for the Hotel once the Captain is awakened.
There are a few bits of incorrect information that are often printed in
guides with regards to how certain parts of this quest effect your SeeD
rank. The following actions have NO effect on your rank.
• You can pay the Tabloid Guy behind the trucks at the harbor for
clues. Talking to him, regardless of which of his clues you
purchase, has no effect on your rank.
• Helping out the 'Big Bad Rascal' has no effect on your rank. Doing
this entails distracting the guard while the Rascal sneaks out and
speaks with the Hotel owner. Helping the boy does allow you to
leave town if you choose to, and it let's you win the Pandemona card
by playing the girl in the first house (Hotel owner's daughter).
• Leaving town has no effect on your rank.
Your rank on this quest is affected in the following way:
Method of Change in
Finding Captain SeeD Rank
=============== =========
"Board the train" +65 SeeD experience
"Use the dog" +100 SeeD experience
Shumi Village Sidequest
-----------------------
Shortly after Balamb Garden is first mobile, you can go to Shumi
Village and complete the stone-collecting sidequest for a Phoenix
Pinion. Doing so will net you 50 SeeD experience.
A quick walkthrough of the stone-collecting quest is as follows:
1.) Go to the workshop on the far left side of the village. Talk to
the sculptor and he will give you permission to see the Elder.
2.) Visit the Elder's house. He says he will present you with a gift,
but asks that you help the sculptor first.
3.) Return to the sculptor and help him find the stones he asks for.
If you get stuck, you can speak to the specialist for tips (he is
the first Shumi sitting by the rock once you get out of the
elevator). The stone locations are as follows:
• Blue Stone – The large stones right behind the Laguna statue
in the workshop.
• Wind Stone - Search the rocks to the left of the inn and
above where the specialist is sitting.
• Life Stone - Examine the tree roots that are growing down the
cliff just to the right of the Elder's House.
• Shadow Stone – Take the elevator back to the surface. In the
room with the Ultima draw point, look for a spot
on the right side where all the shadow lines
cross. Search here and you'll find the stones.
• Water Stone – Look in the sink in the Artisan's house, which is
the one right next to the workshop.
4.) After gathering the stones, return to the Elder and you will be
rewarded with a Phoenix Pinion. At this point, your SeeD
experience will increase by 50. The Shumi sidequest continues
after this, but no further actions affect your rank.
Defeating Ultima Weapon
-----------------------
Your SeeD rank will increase if you defeat Ultima Weapon, the optional
boss in the Deep Sea Research Center (DSRC). To find this location,
fly the Ragnarok to the southwestern corner of the map and you will see
an old ship with a landing pad. On your first trip there, you get the
GF Bahamut. When you return, there should be a giant hole you can
crawl into, and this leads to Ultima Weapon (NOTE: after defeating
Bahamut, you need to return inside the Ragnarok before you can go down
into the Deed Sea Research Center. You only need to talk to Irvine to
take off, and then the path inside the DSRC should be opened). It
doesn't matter whether you defeat Ultima Weapon on disk 3 or 4.
Effects: +1 Rank.
=======================================================================
SEED EXAMS SR07
=======================================================================
One of the quickest ways to raise your SeeD rank is to take SeeD exams.
For each exam that you score a 100% on, your SeeD rank will be rounded
up to the next highest level. You can first take SeeD exams after you
get your initial rank from the Dollet mission. You can access these
exams by going to the Menu screen, then selecting Tutorial and choosing
the TEST option (fourth one from the top). You can take up to the test
number equal to Squall's current level. For example, if Squall is at
level 12, you can only take up to SeeD test 12; you will need to wait
until he is at level 13 to take the next exam. Taking tests once your
rank is A does not affect your rank.
Here are the answers to the 30 SeeD exams. The spacing is designed to
make the answers easier to read, and doesn't indicate anything about
the questions themselves.
________________________ ________________________
| Exam # | Answers | | Exam # | Answers |
|________|_______________| |________|_______________|
| | | | | |
|Exam 1 | YN YYY NNY NN | |Exam 16 | YN NYN YNN YN |
|Exam 2 | YN YYY NYY NN | |Exam 17 | YN NNY NNY NN |
|Exam 3 | NN YNY YYN YN | |Exam 18 | YN NNY NNN NN |
| | | | | |
|Exam 4 | NY YYN NYY NN | |Exam 19 | YN NYN NNN NY |
|Exam 5 | NN NYY NNY YY | |Exam 20 | YY NYN YYY NN |
|Exam 6 | YN YYN NYY NY | |Exam 21 | YY YYN NYY YN |
| | | | | |
|Exam 7 | YY YYY YNY YN | |Exam 22 | NN NYN NNY YN |
|Exam 8 | NY NNY YNN YN | |Exam 23 | YN NNN YYY YY |
|Exam 9 | NY NNN NNN YY | |Exam 24 | YY NNY YNN NY |
| | | | | |
|Exam 10 | YN NNN NNN YN | |Exam 25 | YN YYY NNY NN |
|Exam 11 | YY NYY NYN NY | |Exam 26 | YY NYN YNY NN |
|Exam 12 | NY NNY NYN YN | |Exam 27 | NY NNN NYN YN |
| | | | | |
|Exam 13 | YN NNY NNN NN | |Exam 28 | YN NYY YNY NN |
|Exam 14 | YY YYN YYN YN | |Exam 29 | NN NYY NNN YN |
|Exam 15 | YY NNN NNY NY | |Exam 30 | NY NNN NYN NN |
|________|_______________| |________|_______________|
=======================================================================
SEED SALARY SR08
=======================================================================
Each time you are paid, you receive a fixed amount of gil depending on
your current SeeD rank. The amount of money you receive increases
steadily in 1,000 gil increments until level 15, after which point it
increases at 500 gil per level until rank 30. At rank A, you will earn
30,000 gil each payment. The table below lists your salary payments at
each rank.
_______________________ _______________________
| SeeD | | | SeeD | |
| Rank | Salary | | Rank | Salary |
|________|______________| |________|______________|
| | | | | |
|Rank 1 | 500 gil | |Rank 16 | 13,000 gil |
|Rank 2 | 1,000 gil | |Rank 17 | 13,500 gil |
|Rank 3 | 1,500 gil | |Rank 18 | 14,000 gil |
|Rank 4 | 2,000 gil | |Rank 19 | 14,500 gil |
|Rank 5 | 3,000 gil | |Rank 20 | 15,000 gil |
| | | | | |
|Rank 6 | 4,000 gil | |Rank 21 | 15,500 gil |
|Rank 7 | 5,000 gil | |Rank 22 | 16,000 gil |
|Rank 8 | 6,000 gil | |Rank 23 | 16,500 gil |
|Rank 9 | 7,000 gil | |Rank 24 | 17,000 gil |
|Rank 10 | 8,000 gil | |Rank 25 | 17,500 gil |
| | | | | |
|Rank 11 | 9,000 gil | |Rank 26 | 18,000 gil |
|Rank 12 | 10,000 gil | |Rank 27 | 18,500 gil |
|Rank 13 | 11,000 gil | |Rank 28 | 19,000 gil |
|Rank 14 | 12,000 gil | |Rank 29 | 19,500 gil |
|Rank 15 | 12,500 gil | |Rank 30 | 20,000 gil |
| | | |Rank A | 30,000 gil |
|________|______________| |________|______________|
=======================================================================
QUICK SUMMARY SR08
=======================================================================
You can raise your SeeD rank by killing enemies and taking SeeD exams,
and your rank drops if you are paid 10 times without fighting any
monsters. Killing enemies in almost any way except through summoning a
GF will help raise your rank. Running from battles has no effect on
your rank.
You are paid based on the number of steps you take, so walking around
in any area will help you get paid more quickly. Your mode of
transportation affects how many steps you take, so you can get paid
even quicker if you ride a Chocobo or drive an automobile.
There are several events in the game that raise or lower your rank,
depending on your actions. Here is a list of these events:
• Initial SeeD rank from Dollet mission (Rank = 1 to 10)
• Getting yelled at by Aki for showing off your gunblade (-1 rank,
even though you don't have one yet)
• Trying to sneak out of the Garden on graduation night (-1 rank)
• Timber Train Mission (+1 to -1 rank)
• Using the quick escape from Tomb of Unknown King (-1 rank)
• Galbadian Missile Base mission (up to +2 rank)
• Getting scolded by Aki for using magic inside the Garden (-1 rank)
• Completing the Master Fisherman Quest (+[1/5] rank)
• Finding the Captain during the Balamb occupation (up to +1 rank)
• Completing the Shumi Village sidequest (+[1/2] rank)
• Defeating Ultima Weapon (+1 rank)
To achieve a high score on the first SeeD mission, do the following:
• Defeat Ifrit with as little time on the clock as possible
• Kill as many enemies as you can
• Never run from any battles if it can be avoided
• Return to the shore as quickly as you can when given the withdraw
order
• Do not talk to anyone outside of your party during the mission
• Do not disobey any of Seifer's orders, or try to go on without him
• Do not use Selphie's cliff jump short-cut
• Be sure to save the dog when being chased by the X-ATM092 (press
'talk' to save it)
• Do not hide in the cafe when the X-ATM092 is chasing you</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
• If you are strong enough, try to kill the X-ATM092; this will give
you bonus points
=======================================================================
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS SR09
=======================================================================
Q: Why does my rank always drop from A to 30 as soon as I get paid?
A: This is because of the way the game keeps track of your rank, and is
perfectly normal. In order to prevent your rank from dropping, you
need to kill 10 enemies after reaching rank A to keep it at A the
next time you are paid. If you fail to do this, your rank will drop
every time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: How can I make a lot of money through SeeD payments?
A: SeeD payments are certainly not the quickest way to raise gil, but
there are a few things that will speed up the process if this is
your method of choice. First, take as many SeeD exams as you can.
You get paid more at each higher rank, and SeeD tests are the
quickest way to raise your rank. Note that you can take up to the
test number equal to Squall's current level. Second, find some
place where you can freely walk around without interruptions, as
your SeeD payments are based on the number of steps you take. The
best way to do this is through riding a Chocobo on the field or
walking around in a town or dungeon (with Enc-None equipped). After
taking enough steps, you will be paid. Repeat for as long as
desired, and take additional SeeD exams to raise your rank if it
drops.
A far quicker way to make money is by using the "Infinite Gil
Trick," or one of its variations. To perform the trick, you need GF
Carbuncle with the Recov Med-RF ability learned. It also helps
immensely if you have GF Tonbery with the Call Shop, Familiar,
Haggle, and Sell High abilities learned. Basically, the trick works
like this:
1.) Go to Johnny's Shop in Esthar. It may be closed at first, but
enter repeatedly and you will eventually be able to shop there.
Once visited, it will appear on the Call Shop list as "Esthar
Shop!!!"
2.) Purchase 100 Cottages and 100 Tents. Johnny's Shop is the only
place that sells Cottages. If you missed it or are not at that
point yet, use any other shop that sells Tents.
3.) Using Recov Med-RF, refine the 100 Tents into 25 Mega-Potions
and the 100 Cottages into 50 Mega-Potions. You can save a good
deal of time by moving Tents, Cottages, and Mega-Potions to the
top of your item list.
4.) Sell the Mega-Potions for a huge profit. Having learned
the Haggle and Sell High abilities will increase your profit
margin from this trick.
5.) Repeat as desired, ad infinitum.
Using this trick, it's possible to net over 1 million gil per
minute, which is useful for purchasing stat refining items near the
end of the game. An alternative version of this trick involves
gathering Mesmerize Blades and refining them into Mega-Potions. The
steps are the same after that, but this method is much slower.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: You mentioned the "Battle Meter." What is this?
A: The Battle Meter is a series of screens on your menu that provide
information about the game. There is the original Battle Meter and
two upgrades you can get for it. Here is where to find them:
• Battle Meter: This opens up the "Battle Report" menu, which
displays the number of steps you've taken and the number of
battles/victories/escapes you've had. You get it by talking to Cid
after the Initial SeeD rank mission in Dollet, after he is finished
debriefing you. If you fail to get it at this point, you can still
receive it by going back to the 3F and talking to Cid at any point
before you leave for Timber for the first time. If you don't get
it before this, there is no way to get it in your current game.
• Upgrade 1: This opens up the "Character Report" menu, which
displays the number of kills and KO's that each of your characters
has, including Seifer and Edea. You get this upgrade by playing a
card game with the prisoner on the 10th floor of the D-District
prison on disk 2. You must have the Battle Meter from Cid in order
to get this upgrade, otherwise the card player will always say
"......" when you try to play him. Once you beat him in a game of
cards, your Battle Meter is upgraded.
• Upgrade 2: This opens up the "GF Report" menu, which displays the
number of kills and KO's that each of your GF's has. You get this
upgrade by playing cards with the man that randomly appears in
Balamb Garden's training center on disk 2 or later. This man
sells items and is also the CC Group Joker member, so you must
complete parts of that sub-quest before you can challenge him.
Note that this player also carries the Leviathan card that you can
win. If you succeed in defeating him in a card game, he will
upgrade your Battle Meter. Again, you must have the original
Battle Meter from Cid to receive this upgrade.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: You said you can defeat the X-ATM092. How is this possible?
A: The X-ATM092 can be defeated, but it may take a bit of preparation
beforehand. You can kill the X-ATM092 in any battle except the
first (despite what the guides say, you do not need to kill it on
the bridge). The X-ATM has anywhere from 3 to 5 "lives" that you
need to take away before you can kill it. To take away one life,
the X-ATM needs to pick itself up after being knocked down. This
will happen if you let it repair itself fully or if you deplete its
HP to zero, in which case it stops repairing and gets right back up.
After taking away the 3 to 5 lives, the X-ATM092 will no longer go
into repair mode, and you can kill it by depleting its HP to zero at
this point.
Some strategies for fighting the X-ATM092 are as follows. Make sure
that Squall and Zell have Str-J and Elem-Atk junctioned. Try
junctioning Thundera or Thuderaga to Elem-Atk, and a strong spell
like Quake or Tornado to Strength. You can get all these spells
through playing cards and doing some minor refining (this
information is available in several other guides). Alternatively,
you can draw the –aga spells from level 30 and above Galbadian
soldiers in Dollet. Since the enemies level up with your party,
your best bet is to kill off Zell and Squall and level Seifer to 60
in Dollet -– this will put your party at a high enough level to
encounter level 30+ Galbadian soldiers. Another option is to teach
Quezacotl a few of his "SumMag+xx%" abilities. This will let you do
a few thousand damage to the X-ATM092 pretty easily.
Killing the X-ATM092 will net you 50 AP and a random +40% GF ability
item (Giant's Ring, Power Wrist, Orihalcon, Hypno Crown, or Force
Armlet). You can rack up a few hundred AP from fighting the X-
ATM092 if you deplete its HP to zero and then run from the battle
without killing it. This will give you 50 AP each time, and you can
repeat the encounters for more AP until the timer expires. Note
that this is actually harder to do than killing it outright, as you
need to reduce its HP to zero before it repairs itself. Also,
running from the X-ATM092 repeatedly will decrease the score you
receive in the 'Spirit' category, but you can partly make up for
this by killing the X-ATM when before timer expires for 100 Bonus
points.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: I have a question about something in this guide or something that I
think should be covered.
A: If you have any questions, feel free to contact me by email at
[email protected]. Please include "FF8" in the message title so
I don't accidentally delete your email.
For answers to any other FF8 questions in general, you should make
sure to check out the FF8 message board on the GameFAQS.com site.
It's one of the best sources for up-to-date FF8 information on the
net.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
=======================================================================
REVISION HISTORY SR10
=======================================================================
Version 0.99 – August 27, 2002
• Preview version
Version 1.0 – August 28, 2002
• Initial Release
Version 1.1 – August 30, 2002
• Fixed the penalty points for Missile Base self-destruct times
• Corrected the information about talking to Irvine in order to enter
the Deep Sea Research Center to fight Ultima Weapon
• Corrected information about when you can visit the Grease Monkey
during the Master Fisherman Quest
• Made corrections to the necessary steps for finding the Captain
• Added information about kills made by poison and regen
• Minor additions to the "Attitude" scoring section about having
Seifer with 0 HP
• Minor spelling and formatting corrections
Version 1.2 – October 2, 2002
• Made some major changes to the method for calculating initial SeeD
rank
• Made a correction to "Attack" score when killing 14-19 enemies
• Added a question to the FAQ section on making money quickly and on
performing the "Infinite Gil Trick"
• Minor spelling and formatting corrections
Version 1.3 – October 3, 2002
• Corrected information on when the timer stops counting during the
Fire Cavern mission
• Minor spelling and formatting corrections
=======================================================================
CREDITS SR11
=======================================================================
Big thanks to everyone who helped me with this guide, especially the
members at the GameFAQs message boards – this guide would not have been
possible without your ongoing support. Particular thanks to the
following:
• Vilurum, for providing much of the original information on SeeD
experience and a lot of the supplemental details scattered throughout
this guide. Also, big thanks for corrections on MF quest, missile base
times, talking to Irvine after Bahamut, and kills made by poison and
regen.
• DaBubba (Mark Rosa -
[email protected]), for a lot of help in
figuring out the scoring criteria for the original SeeD mission and the
alternatives to several of the fixed SeeD events. You've been a huge
help in constructing this guide.
• CzarDragon, for determining how the initial SeeD rank is calculated
and coming up with the complete table of category modifiers used in
this guide (big thanks). Credit also for pointing out that 14-19 kills
resulted in an Attack score of 30 and that the Judgment timer stops
after naming Ifrit.
• Myst Erik Ery, for helping me work out a lot of the calculations and
SeeD experience increases for some of the fixed SeeD events.
• Conquest TSi, for helping explain things that didn't make sense with
some of the SeeD events and trying to decipher the initial SeeD rank
scoring.
• Sister, for suggesting the correct steps to find the Captain during
the Balamb occupation.
• A big thanks to xTEIDAx, KADFC, Druff, Marcell herwindo, dhamon,
SCYTHE262002, simjam, Epic, Bizkit047, ArcImpulse, Quisti, Sky Olivine,
and Angel Requiem for all your support and assistance in helping me
write this guide.
=============================END OF GUIDE==============================
