Tidus only challenge!

[Phoenix Flame]

Yup, I've finally begun a challenge I wanted to do for the past couple months - completing FFX - while only using Tidus! Obviously, just as in other challenges, there will be a few instances during gameplay where Tidus is not available and I will be forced to use Yuna or another character - but these are exceptions.

I thought this would be MUCH easier than a Kimahri only challenge - although I would like to complete that as well at some point...perhaps next lifetime 8~ )

Today I played up to Killikan Island - Sin's attack. I'm at about 2 hrs. (I wanted to wait till I got the loner overdrive before I left Besaid...although that was completely optional. I'm sure I would have learned it soon regardless.)

Pretty much, as Zeromus_X before me on VII with his Kitten Sith thread, this will just be a thread for me to update gamers on my quest and any problem areas I encounter. I'll also label the specific areas of the grid I decide to wander through. My first thought is to go through Tidus' section till I get slowga and use a return sphere at the Mi'hen Highroad to warp and get steal from Rikku's section, then somehow meander through till I open up Yuna's section; however, I think that this would leave him lacking in the attack department - I'd have to run a LOT! Another alternative I was thinking of was just going all the way through to Quick hit, then using a friend/return sphere to where Kimarhi is for Lancet and onwards to Rikku's portion from there...we'll see. Right now - fightning in Killika forrest. Got Haste and am waiting till I get to provoke to fight Geneaux.

[Phoenix Flame]

Total time 12'00''.

Just finished operation Mi'hen.

Most problematic battle to date: Chocobo Eater. Took me 7 tries. He was easy, just wanted to knock him off of the cliff. "?" "!" :D Never saw that before. Always was too leveled up to care. Story is pretty boring playing through again, but I love what Square did with the scenery.

Blitzball in Luca also took me 3 tries. The offensive line of the Goers was killing me...that is until I finally got the ball on blitzoff. Once that happens, it's easy to kick the Goer's into goners! I'm positive that I won't be playing any longer though. I'm not using Wakka - so there's no point in getting his ultimate weapon, right?
Stats:
Hp: 1620
Mp: 72
Def: 17
Str: 25
Agil: 16
Magic: 9
Magic def: 5
luck: 22
evasion: 15
accuracy: 16


So far, not so bad...I always knew Tidus was the best Blitzer!

[Zeromus_X]

Yay!! :) I'll be sure to check on this! Good luck. I can see lots of fights getting tough, especially without Aeons or Mixes. But I'm sure it'll be quite possible (isn't like you're doing an NSG SCC...ugh).

Also, how do you have the patience to kill everyone off every battle? Don't they return with 1 HP at the end of every battle they were killed? Or maybe I'm thinking of another game...

Anyway, you seem very knowledgable (and enthusiastic) about FFX, so the best of luck with your challenge! :)

Edit: Wow, you can...win? that game? I guess I hated Blitzball too much to care. xD

[Phoenix Flame]

Well...I am anticipating some tough battles ahead. So far the most difficult was still the Chocobo Eater :)
Now, I'm at the Thunder Plains - man I hate this place! Good for exp. though. Here's my stats:
Hp: 2220
Mp: 92 - about to be 112
Str: 30
Def: 21
Mag: 13
Mag Deg: 9 :p
Agility: 24
Luck: 22
Evasion: 21
Accuracy: 20

For a Tidus only challenge, you don't have to necessarily kill-off your party, just escape w/them. This makes it a little easier.

I've found most battles begin this way:
Turn one: Flee or Haste, turn two: a) attack, or b) slow/slowga, or c) cheer or d) change weapons/defend to get overdrive up. Loner overdrive mode is awesome! Only seven turns to get OD up. My base attacks now are about 500 on magic fiends and 1200 for easy fiends, such as the Raptors.

I'm hoping to Overkill Sperimorph for two lev.2 key spheres...so that may be a difficult/annoying battle where I may have to reset a lot, but I'm not counting on it. I'm going to fight him after I get my Str to 36. At that level, Blitz Ace should do nicely.

[Phoenix Flame]

I just realized something:
Ok, I HAD to write this (and I'll probably spam a little by posting it in two or three other spots because of importance.) I found an 'EASY' way to dodge lightning!
In the second main area, (after the travel agency) right when you start out - walk northwest until you come to the lake in this area. Where I stood was the corner of the lake (where you could either walk up-left diagonally on the d-pad to go towards the west side of the plains, or right/up-right on the d-pad to go towards the east and north ends of the plain respectively.) Lightning here dodges as follows: first bolt in about 8-10 seconds, followed by a 2-3 second interval 2nd bolt. It may sound a little odd at first, but once you get the timing down it is SO easy! I dodged, waited a few seconds and dodged again; ran back to the edge of the lake again and waited a few more seconds and repeated. Doing this, I was able to dodge 230 bolts in a little over 45 minutes (I think, I didn't time myself - but will next time) all this while STILL FIGHTING! I was able to capture all the fiends in the calm lands AND get the sigil very easily.
Secondly - I wanted to note this because in addition to the sigil, you also get a) 2x MP sphere for dodging 20, b) 3x Str. sphere for 50, c) 3x Hp sphere for dodging 100, and d) 4x Megalixer for 150. I'm currently working on a Tidus-only challenge, and those Str. spheres and Hp spheres will come in handy - especially early on in the game! Best of luck (you won't need it!)

These would have helped so much.

Currently, I'm at the calm lands capturing fiends. (I know, I'm zooming through so far!) I'll edit this tonight/tomorrow, post my stats and a few strategies/battles I had problems with.

I'm thinking about customizing one capture weapon with Deathstrike (worked REALLY well with Wakka's weapon last two games.) The walkthrough I'm reading says to use a Teleport sphere to customize Evade & Counter on my weapon, but deathstrike would kill most fiends in one hit. I could always have two or three - depending on what I'm capturing, I can swap out one for the other if they are immune to death. I was thinking
1) Deathstrike, 2) E&C, and/or 3) Double AP...not too sure about the third, but it would definitely help~!
Any suggestions?

[Phoenix Flame]

Sorry, still don't know what my stats are, but I'll say a few things about the challenge. After a certain point (like the first time you go to the Highbridge and fight Seymour) you can basically run through most of - if not all of the rest of the game. You just have to be REAL careful where you stick Tidus on the sphere grid when you get a Return Sphere or Teleport/Friend sphere. If you don't level up right...too bad, you'll be fighting a lot in one area to get enough strength/speed/Hp to beat the next boss.

I went all the way through Tidus' sphere grid up to Quick hit. Used a Skill sphere to learn steal. Backtracked through the beginning of Lulu's grid and opened up the level 2 lock blocking the latter portion of Rikku's grid for Mug. Went through most of her section to bribe and warped up towards Auron's section for Armor Break and Triple Threat, as well as a couple of much needed Str + 4 spheres. Then Returned to Rikku's and went through unlocking Lev 3 & Lev 4 locks to Doublecast and the plethora of stat-boosting spheres there till I got to Flare - which is where I'm at currently. I'm going to Friend-to Yuna and go get the Auto-life Sphere. Then Return to Rikku's portion to unlock the Lev. 3 lock at Holy and sojourn through Yuna's section picking up stats.

This seems to have worked VERY well for me. I'm at the Omega Ruins - very carefully leveling up. I don't have the No Encounters Auto-ability on my armor yet...the Fiend at Baaj didn't drop one - and I don't remember where I can find the other...I'll have to look on Gamefaqs. Right now, however, I don't need it and am happy fighting. Because of the Agility boosts in Rikku's grid I am killing most of the fiends with Quick Hit before they get a chance to attack. And I was lucky enough to get the Initiative Auto-ability on her weapon early on in the game so I haven't been ambushed since (I think) the Thunder Plains.

Some trouble spots were 1) Via Purifico - trying NOT to get KO'd using Yuna. 2) Died on Evrae once. 3) Any area with those floating Eyeballs!!! They really suck! I hate confuse!

Otherwise - I think I'm correct to assume you can complete this challenge in under 24'00''

Heck you could probably do it in under 20'00''.

Any takers???

[Zeromus_X]

You must have alot of patience to progress through the Sphere Grid like that. 0_o;

[darkshadow2247]

I think it's more strategy than patients. Like 60/40? o.0

[Phoenix Flame]

Much patience, yes. I will NOT stat max in this game or beat any of the monster arena bosses...just going onto Sin and the end. I'm actually on vacation - but not playing video games this week. Just taking time to do all the rest of the stuff I've neglected while going through the other - stat maxing game.