Attempting to play this again

[Godspeed]

So I played this game roughly 5 months ago, but I stopped after the first boss fight I believe, it was the one against the two guys after you fight a bunch of Galbadian soldiers. I've got a pretty rough memory of it, but I think there's a monster or something after the two that just wouldn't die. I remember having a huge amount of trouble with it, but thinking that it shouldn't be too hard as it was only the second boss or so.

I planned on restarting to refresh myself, but I've been reading up on it and now I'm thoroughly confused. People say that the card game makes it really easy, and I don't remember much about it. I also didn't understand Junctions and such, but I think I could figure that out. Last thing that confuses me is this whole "drawing from monsters until 100" or something.

Anywhere I can go to understand all that?

 

[L]

some of your GFs will have abilities like Junction - Str or whatever, it's been a long time since I've played the game. The more powerful the magic is and the more you have of it from using the Draw Command to Store it, the more powerful your stats will be when you junction it to them.

If you didn't get Shiva and Quezacotl from the computer in the first scene where you control Squall you might be fucked and have to start over <_<

Don't forget to Draw from bosses frequently... That boss has Siren and later in the game if you don't Draw Alexander you can't make Doomtrain (whose Meltdown bypasses boss immunity)

 

[Donald Trump]

It sounds quite complicated but it's actually very simple. If you learn how to junction properly you can beat the game without leveling up at all. Junctioning is using magic to boost stats. Like Derek/L said, each GF has certain junctioning abilities which allow you to junction magic to a particular stat eg strength to increase your strength.

The card game can make does make it easier, but if you can't be bothered with it, it's no great loss. The drawing until 100 is simply drawing magic so you can junction it. 100 is the most magic you can have stocked, you can have 100 fires and 100 waters, but you can't have 101 fires. The more magic you have stocked, the more it benefits stats when you junction it.
If you're still finding junctioning confusing, there is an auto-junction thing which will junction magic for you.

 

[Gaige]

To add to what Hal and Derek have said, the card game's use is basically that you can use the GF Quetzalcoatl's ability to refine cards into magic and items. For example, refining a certain card could get you 100 Triples. It makes the game easier, but as previously stated, it isn't required.

Some of your GFs, such as Shiva, Ifrit etc can also refine items into magic. But all you need to do is go into the GF ability section and click on Refine Magic and it'll show you the items you can refine. It's a great way to get Level 2 and 3 spells without having to play Triple Triad, though it does make things easier.

 

[Rydrum2112]

Don't worry about missing GF's you can get the ones you missed in the last castle.

Junctioning is a simple concept, you draw magic from enemies (you can then cast the magic but it is more beneficial to not cast them). What you do is junction a magic to whatever stat you want and it boosts the stat. The stronger the megic the larger the boost. Besides stats you can junction magic to elemental defenses, or status defense - which increases the defense.

 

[Steve-O]

hmmmm this is the one thing that has put me off playing FFVIII... but now u guys have explained it i understand XD one of the few systems in FF that i don't like

 

[Zajac]

Junctioning is quite simple actually.. and they have a tutorial in game to make it easier for beginners to adapt to the system.

 

[Noize]

Don't worry about missing GF's you can get the ones you missed in the last castle.

Junctioning is a simple concept, you draw magic from enemies (you can then cast the magic but it is more beneficial to not cast them). What you do is junction a magic to whatever stat you want and it boosts the stat. The stronger the megic the larger the boost. Besides stats you can junction magic to elemental defenses, or status defense - which increases the defense.

You can only get the drawable GF's from the bosses in Ultimecia's Castle. The optional sidequest GF's such as Tonberry, Doomtrain and Jumbo Cactaur can be gotten at any point within any disc, because they're not inside Bosses and you don't need to venture into any cities.

 

[Donald Trump]

I'm not sure how helpful it is to get all the GFs at the end. Just draw from bosses, some like Pandemona and Cerberus who have SPD junction are incredibly useful straightaway. If you don't know/can't remember what bosses to draw from it only takes a couple of seconds to check.

 

[Æon Flux]

hmmmm this is the one thing that has put me off playing FFVIII... but now u guys have explained it i understand XD one of the few systems in FF that i don't like

Its actually very easy once you get the hang of it.
I have found it to be one of the easiest systems

Spoiler

but this could also be do to the fact I played it for hours on end befor I realised I needed a save card for it

So needles to say I got the hang of it rather quickly.

Spoiler

After going threw the damn tutorials over and over again because of the above mentiond glitch in brain vs stupid

 

[Ness]

It's not necessarily critical to have all of the GFs, since you'll reach a point where you just never summon them (or at least I did). You'll mainly want a variety of GFs attached to each of your main party so that you can junction magic to a variety of stats.

Also take note that different spells have different effects on different stats. Curative magic will junction better to HP, while status magic junctions best to Stat-Atk or Def. The auto-junction feature normally works pretty well, just feel free to tweak it a bit to your liking.