World Interaction

The world of Final Fantasy: General Tactics is very large indeed. From the deepest dungeons to the highest mountains... from the exciting towns to the peaceful villages... the world of FFGT is also widely diverse. In this section, you will learn how to interact with the surrounding environment and how to optimize your role-playing experience while doing so. The three main environments of interaction will be explained in depth here: In Town, Wilderness, and Dungeon (or castle or other such adventuring spots)

In Town

Ah, the town. Where the people live. Where the shops are. Where the adventures are found (and sometimes take place). Where friends meet. Where parties form and sometimes shatter. Yes, most things non-combat related take place here. Shopping, hanging out in the local tavern or running a business just a few of the things that you can partake in while in town. Several activities will now be explained:

Conversing with the Locals

The bartender, the farmer, the blacksmith, the average peasant milling about... all are possible targets to start a conversation with. Some enjoy simple things such as idle chit-chat. Others are only interested in business. In either case, to start a conversation, let a DM know that you want to talk to some of the locals and the DM will play the part of the locals you wish to speak with. Watch what you say to them though. This is your chance to make both friends and enemies. Conversing with the locals is a good way to catch wind of possible quests such as solving local bandit problems or possible treasure sites. Listen well to what they say. Even the most mundane of peasants may prove to be quite useful. If nothing else... it's always fun to just hang out in a bar or other such establishment. Just try to stay out of trouble -_^

Shopping

What better way to spend your hard-earned(?) than to go shopping! Weapons, armor, items, fineries, and many other such things can be acquired through shopping. Shopping is done in a similar manner to conversing with the citizenry. First, one must seek out a shop in town which sells what they need. This can be found on the Towns page and looking under the particular town you are in. Each town will have listings for every shop, inn, and other such establishments. Every shop has it's own prices and stocks are often limited. To purchase anything, simply leave a post on the world board stating what you are buying, what store you are buying from, and the total amount of Gil you are spending.

Using the TPS (Terran Postal Service)

Got a letter or package that you need to send to a friend in a far-off city but don't have the time to deliver it yourself? Just leave it to the TPS! With reasonable rates and fast delivery, TPS is the only way (literally) to send your mail! ~~~TPS Company Slogan

Using the TPS is simple and is performed in a way similar to shopping. Almost anything from potions and weapons to live animals and robots can be shipped through the TPS. No matter the location, all TPS outposts use the same rates. Shipping cost is determined by distance to be shipped and the general weight/bulk of the object being shipped. Short of Telepathy, mailing a letter through the TPS is the ONLY way to communicate with far-off friends. Rates are listed in the TPS section on the Towns page. Every town has a TPS station and some TPS outposts are dotted across the landscape, especially along well-traveled trade routes.

Running Your Own Business

Monsters proving to be a bit tough for you? Need a good source of Gil? Maybe you should consider starting your own business. What kind of business? Well... that's up to you and your imagination. Maybe a Smithy? How about a Machine Shop? Or maybe a Ranch? Or perhaps you want to put some of your class skills to work, such as performing for money (like singing as a Bard) or using the Lockpicking skill to become the local Locksmith (not a bad idea for Thieves...)? It's all up to you. All you need to know is HOW to start a business. First, you need an idea. Easy enough, ideas are free after all... unless the point of your business is to sell ideas (o.o'). Second, you need a place to run your business out of. If the business is small enough, you could run it right out of your house or on the street somewhere (with permission from the local government). Otherwise, you may need to purchase some real estate. To do so, express this interest to a DM and he/she will lay down some prices on plots of land or empty buildings. Third, you need the materials to build your business. Stock for shops, wood, stone, and/or metal to build any buildings you need such as a warehouse or stable, and other such things. To complete this step, you must again express this interest to the DM. Tell him/her what you want and they will give you a price. Finally, once everything is built and everything is in place, you need one last thing: advertisement. You don't NEED it per se, but it certainly helps. Somehow, you should try to spread the word around about your business. This part is also left to imagination. Once everything is said and done and after all the Gil is spent, sit back and enjoy... you've just created your own business!

The Wilderness

You gotta leave town someday, right? There's an entire world out there, full of adventure and riches, just waiting to be taken! From the rugged peaks of the mountains to the bottom of the deepest valleys and canyons, there is much to see and do in the wilderness... but beware, for it can be VERY dangerous!

Battling Monsters

It's a dangerous world out there, so you have to be prepared for the worst. Monsters roam the land, and at least some of them are thirsty for blood. Sooner or later, you're going to have to fight for your life against a wild beast... or maybe YOU are the one who is hunting down a beast for experience? In any case, if you're looking for a (legal) fight, the wilderness is the place to be. There are two ways to find beasties to fight. One is to randomly encounter them while traveling or otherwise. The other way is to actively seek them out for yourself. Why seek them out yourself? Well... what better way to gain experience and maybe a few Gil? If you're a Beastmaster, it's also a way to "make new friends" and also presents itself as a fine time to acquire some new Secret Hunt created pelts and other animal parts.

Setting Up Shop

Yes, even the wilds of Terra can be tamed. The evidence shows in the several towns and cities that dot the landscape as well as the several TPS outposts that reside along the paths of well-traveled roads. If the TPS can do it, why can't you? An inn out in the middle of the wilderness may seem like a bad idea... but if it's along the path of a trade route, it may make quite a bit of money. On the plus side, Real Estate doesn't have to be purchased from a local government (save a few special cases). In fact, if permission is granted, one might consider starting a shop or inn next to one of the many TPS outposts. At least competition would be virtually non-existent, neh? Rules for setting up a business in the wilderness works the same way as setting up a business in town without possibly having to buy real estate.


Dungeons, Caves, Ruins, and Other Such Adventuring Spots

What makes an adventuring spot such as a dungeon different from a town or the wilderness? Simple. It's much more dangerous. Almost nothing is safe in any adventuring spot. Not only are there usually nasty beasties awaiting you, there are also nasty traps ready to spring on the first person foolish enough to trip them. It's hard to determine which is worse. Monsters often have some degree of intelligence and you never know what sort of powers they possess. However, you can often tell when a monster is coming. If nothing else, the fear that traps cause through surprise alone is enough to cause even the bravest of adventurers to run away. That treasure chest you think is safe? Well... think again. It might not be as safe as you think.

Monsters

Adventuring Spots are oftentimes the best place to acquire experience. However, it is also the most dangerous place to gain said experience. There's no true way to prepare for a dungeon. Anything from the living dead to great dragons could be awaiting you within. What makes it worse is that they have a tactical advantage... they know the terrain. You don't. Just when you think you've gotten away, you realize that the beast you were running from actually has you trapped in a dead end. No way out but to fight. Battling monsters in an adventuring spot differs little from fighting monsters in the wilderness or in other parts of the over-world. There is one main difference however. Usually, you're not the one looking for the monsters. Usually... the monsters are looking for YOU.

Traps

Arguably the scariest part about adventuring spots, you never know when I trap might "pop up" (no pun intended). Traps can be found anywhere: in the floor, on a door, from the ceiling, from the walls, even from treasure chests. They can also be sprung in any number of ways: tripwire, floor/wall panel, thermal detection, audio detection... some are even tripped by the mere presence of life. Traps are dealt with in a way far different than monsters or other people. Traps have no intelligence. It hurts and kills without feeling or remorse. There are few common ways of avoiding being hurt by said traps, though others are out there. The first and most obvious way is to not go adventuring at all... but that wouldn't be much fun, would it? If you wanna get rich quick, you gotta take a risk. Another is have someone in the party with good trap-detecting skills, Thieves often being the most proficient in this area. The third way is to obtain special trap detecting gear such as accessories. If and when a trap is found, how do you deal with it? Again, you have at least a few choices. One is to have someone with high trap disarming skills (more than likely a Thief, once again) disarm said found trap. Another is to find some way to safely trip the trap without getting anyone hurt. A third way is to just avoid the trap altogether. All 3 ways present their own risks. It would be wise to fully analyze a situation before choosing any method.

Puzzles

Many dungeons and adventuring spots hold secret areas and treasure troves that are often sealed off by an ancient puzzle. Most require a great deal of of, not character intelligence, but player intelligence to complete, such as riddles and trivia concerning ancient lore. Some puzzles require great amounts of character dexterity to complete. Either way, most puzzles will prove to be quite a challenge but the rewards they reap may be well worth the trouble.