Some GF Question

[gilman824]

I just started playing Final Fantasy 8 a few days ago and I'm a little confused with the GF/junctioning system so I have a few questions regarding it. First, is there any sort of cost to calling your GF during a battle? I'm pretty sure you can just do it as many times as you want. If that's the case, then is there any reason why you'd limit the number of times you call your GF? Because, at least at the point in the game I'm at, if I call my GF every battle I could probably win them all very quickly. Is there a disadvantage to this?

My other question is, how do you heal your GF? I believe I came across an item that did this, is that the only way. Similarly, if your GF dies, how do you resurrect it? Anyway, those are the main things I'm currently confused about.

 

[Summoner Yuna]

Welcome to the boards. I'll move this to the Help Booth.

*moved to Help Booth*

As far as I know you can summon your GFs as many times as you want, but you certainly can't rely on them to win battles. The best advice I can give you is to junction powerful magic to your stats and equip abilities like Strength +1 so your characters will be stronger. As for reviving a GF I think there's an item that allows you to do that, but I can't remember the name.

 

[Davey Gaga]

First, is there any sort of cost to calling your GF during a battle?

No. When calling a GF, they form a barrier around yourself and replace your HP with their own. If that HP is reduced to 0, then they die.

I'm pretty sure you can just do it as many times as you want. If that's the case, then is there any reason why you'd limit the number of times you call your GF? Because, at least at the point in the game I'm at, if I call my GF every battle I could probably win them all very quickly. Is there a disadvantage to this?

Absolutely none at all; in fact, all that'll do is reduce the likliness that your characters will die. Additionally, your GF compatability will increase, meaning that the person summoning the GF will be able to do this more quickly in the future.

My other question is, how do you heal your GF? I believe I came across an item that did this, is that the only way. Similarly, if your GF dies, how do you resurrect it? Anyway, those are the main things I'm currently confused about.

You can do this with GF-potions, GF-phoenix downs, et cetera. They can be bought from Pet Shops, the first of which can be found in Timber, I believe.

 

[Dirges for Damcyan]

As has been stated, GFs are pretty much fundamental to the battle design of this FF. They are useful both as summon magic and for the junction abilities that they provide. You will rely on them heavily until you first start being able to manipulate and spam limit breaks.

Is there a cost? Yes and no. As a gamer, there is no cost, and you shuold not worry about using them liberally. The only cost associated with them appears later as a plot point (a much debated one in fact) and I will leave that for you to discover. Welcome, by the way, and good first thread.

 

[gilman824]

Thanks for the helpful responses, it all makes a lot more sense to me now. Also, Dirges, thanks for welcoming me to the forum!

 

[Fusionist]

I think that if you summon GFs too often in battle, your SeeD Rank goes down and thus decreases you over-all gil acquisition rate. Whether that matters or not is dependent on the gamer I suppose.

 

[Donald Trump]

I think that if you summon GFs too often in battle, your SeeD Rank goes down and thus decreases you over-all gil acquisition rate. Whether that matters or not is dependent on the gamer I suppose.

Does it?
Anyway don't rely to heavily on your GF's. You get more experience by killing the monsters yourself, and the way to get stronger in FFVIII is to junction magic effectively. This is no cost per se of using GF's except it limits your chance to draw magic from monsters and you can become reliant on them. Later on in the game, GFs cannot be used in one Boss battle and you should be doing more damage than your GF anyway.

 

[Sylvanius]

Summoning certain GF's will decrease how much other GF's like that person...mostly it's an element thing...i.e. everytime a character summons shiva their compatability with Ifrit will goe down. So my suggestion would be to decide which GF's you want with certain people as a general rule. As far as the GF system goes though I would say just keep using it and you will ge tthe hang of it. I didn't understand (more the whole junctioning system but whatever)it at all at first but after I while I came to really like it. Happy playing

GF's. You get more experience by killing the monsters yourself, and the way to get stronger in FFVIII is to junction magic effectively

The magic thing is deffinately true, that's where you get your real power from. Once I got good magic to junction I barely summoned GF's...I just junctioned them for the extras they gave your characters.

 

[Sora_lion_heart]

Dope

I think the GF's are stronger til you take time to get ultimate weapons. Last time I played I was young and obsessed with the GF's so I could be wrong. There hasn't ever been a real side effect to the characters in story mode when you use GF's. Makes me wonder why they even stated, probally just to add the orphanage part and not make it too "hey why wouldn't they already know that"

 

[Morh]

I think that if you summon GFs too often in battle, your SeeD Rank goes down and thus decreases you over-all gil acquisition rate. Whether that matters or not is dependent on the gamer I suppose.

So true, don't use GF's, they are too weak anyways.