Battles
Combat is the key to character development and game progression. Battles occur randomly as you cross through areas, or they can be triggered by certain events or by contact with certain characters. Random battles usually involve weaker enemies. By using an enemys' weaknesses against it, you should become able to defeat most enemies easily.
Unique enemies of particularly powerfil strength and little weakness that are encountered through events are called boss monsters.
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Config
The config menu features several options that enable you to alter the gameplay experince in various ways.
Sperechanges: When a character changes dresspheres during battle, the battle changes briefly to "Wait" mode and a short transformation cinema plays. This option allows you to change the lenght of the cinema. When the function is set to "OFF," each transformation is shown only one in its entirety. Thereafter, the character transformation is instantaneous.
ATB Mode: When set to "Active," this function allows enemies to attack continuosly regardless of what you're doing. When set to "Wait," time pauses while you choose abilities or items to use.
ATB Speed: Battle timer gauges will charge more quickly or more slowly depending on how this option is set. The charge also effects Enemy turns, for better or worse. Slowing down battles allows for more time to enter combat commands for each player.
Cursor: In the "Default" setting, this option resets the cursor to the top option of each battle menu, item listing, and ability listing, but when set to Memory, the cursor is set to the last command issued or the last item or ability used. The Memory function makes it faster and easier to repeatly cast the same spell or use the same ability.
Battle Help: The help window displayed at the top of the screen during battle can be toggled on or off.
Vibration: The vibrating function of the controller can be turned on or off.
Subtitle: The subtitles that appear at the bottom of the screen during scenes can be turned on of off.
Subtitle Names: Shows of hides the name of the speaker when each subtitle is displayed during scenes of dialogue.
Guide Map: Toggles the guide map normally displayed in the upper-left corner of the screen during field mode on or off. The on-screen map provides an outline shape of the surrounding area, making it easier to spot side areas, entrances, and exits.
Sound: Changes the quality of sound to best suit televisions with stero or monaural sound.
Screen Positions: Corrects screen position errors that may occur on some smaller televisions. Move the cursor to highlight the Adjust option, then hold the Square button and use the D-pad to adjust the centering of the screen image. To return to the defualt position, highlight the position and press the Square button.
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Controls
FIELD CONTROLS
D-pad/Left Stick Move Character
X Speak to person/Search/Action
Circle Jump or climb raised or cliff surfaces
Square Speak to person(Special Events)
Triangle Open Menu
START Pause
MENU CONTROLS
D-pad/Left Stick Move Cursor
X Select/Confirm
Circle Canel/Exit Menu
R1 Next Character (Equip screens)
L1 Previous Character (Equip Screens)
R2 Scroll to next Screen (Item, accessory, and other lists)
L2 Scroll to the Previous Screen (Item, accessory, and other lists)
BATTLE CONTROLS
D-pad/Left Stick Move Cursor/target ally, enemy, groups
X Confirm command or hihglighted item
Circle Cancel
Triangle Skip Character turn
R1 Special Attack (e.g., Trigger Happy)
L1 Change dresspheres
R2 Scroll to next screen (Item and ability lists)
L2 Scroll to Previous Screen (Item and ability lists)
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Exploration
Throughout the game, you must navigate the main character, Yuna, through various areas in search of items to aid in this quest. Yuna represents the position of the entire party on the map. the rest of the party, Rikku, and Paine, will not appear on-screen until a cutscene or a battle is triggered.
Knowing how to search wisely and efficiently can reduce game time. Items that you can find are contained in treasure chests. Some treasures chests are positioned in obvious locations and are easy to locate. Other chests are cleverly tucked behide obstacles that make them difficult to see. As you move the player character around some areas, you'll notice that the forward portion of rear of an area, the camera will switch to a new position, enabling a different view that reveals the location of a hidden of obscure treasure chest or item. For this reason, it is important to move the player character all around a map as you cross through any area.
As you progress from one chapter to the next, each area becomes refilled with all new treasure chests. Sometimes the exact same chests become refilled with new items. Other chest will disappear at the end of certain chapter, whether they've been opened or not, and new chests will appear in completly differend locations on the map. For this reason, it is important to revisit every location in every chapter. With this method, you can supply the characters with enough items and accessories to carry them through any battle.
While exploring areas and defeating enemies,it's important to touch the blue, glowing Save Spheres scattered throughout Spira. Not only does a Save Sphere enable you to preserve your game progress, it also restores the entire party to full HP and MP and heals status ailments. Save Spheres enable your party to remain strong even while passing through dangerous areas where random encounters are frequent and draining on the characters' health.
