Calling all FF12 players, help me

[podraza]

I am only a few hours into this game and at the point where I have to make my first decisions as to what to spend LP on.

I am wondering if somebody who has finished the game or played it sufficiently far could give me sort of a primer on weapons and armor.

I am an experienced FF player, but I am trying to understand this new battle system before I rush out and make any decisions. Specifically, I am wondering what the difference between heavy, light, and mystic armors are. I can't tell any thus far, but it is still quite early.

I was also thinking about ignoring the majority of weapon choices and instead teaching each of the characters the sword and the bow and letting that be that. Any reason why I shouldn't do this? Any reason why I need any of those other choices? Aren't they all just sort of variations of the sword and bow anyway?

Whoever answers me first will be my best friend, FOREVER.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

The answer is 42.

Am I your friend forever now?

 

[Xanikk999]

As for some of your questions..

Light armor gives hit point bonuses but less defense then heavy armor.

Heavy armor gives str bonus and more defense.

And mystic armor increases int which makes your spells do more damage.

I would first spend LP on the newest armor and best weapon you can use then spend it on some basic abilities and augmentations like battle lore.

 

[podraza]

The answer is 42.

Am I your friend forever now?

Yeah I guess you are. I really should have put more thought into that.

How about the weapons? I understand the difference in the armors, and I have seen it reflected in some of my characters stats, but I am wondering what to do about weapons. Purely as a personal preference, I would like to ignore most of them, but I'm not sure if that is wise. I thought bows and swords for the fighters and I guess staffs for the mages. But do I really need guns?

 

[skadistic]

Go for what ever you can buy at the time. For weapons I use axes and heavy for armour. Focus on the south west of your skills LP with some spells thrown in. There is no need to get weapons armour or spells and skills if you can't even buy them.

 

[Nikis-Knight]

I heard Katanas and staves do damage based on Magic Pwer rather than str, and that katanas and ninja swords combo more. Guns ignore defenses, guns and bows can hit flying (and spells, of course). Rods and staves increase MP and/or magic power, and axes and hammers do random damage over a wide range (I tend to like them.) One handed weapons allow a shield, which is very useful.