Games PC FINAL FANTASY VIII User Manual

LIMITED WARRANTY

For a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase, Square Electronic Arts L.L.C. (SQEA) warrants to the original purchaser of this SQEA software product that the medium on which this computer program is recorded is free from defects in materials and workmanship. SQEA agrees for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of purchase, to either repair or replace, at its option, free of charge, any SQEA software product that does not meet the above warranty, postage paid, with proof of purchase. This warranty is not applicable to normal wear and tear. This warranty shall not be applicable and shall be void if the defect in the SQEA software product has arisen through abuse, unreasonable use, mistreatment or neglect.

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FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE LIMITED TO THE NINETY (90) DAY PERIOD DESCRIBED ABOVE. IN NO

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RETURNS WITHIN 90 DAY WARRANTY PERIOD – To replace defective media within the 90-day warranty period, send the defective media, a copy of the original sales receipt, a return address, and a small note describing the difficulties you are experiencing to Electronic Arts Customer Warranty, P.O. Box 9025, Redwood City, CA 94065-

9025. If you have warranty questions, you can also contact Customer Warranty at [phone], fax (650) 628-

5999. Hours of operation: Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 11:45am and 1pm - 4:30pm, Pacific Standard Time.

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Tech Support Fax: [phone]

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Electronic Arts Technical Support, P.O. Box 9025, Redwood City, CA 94063-9025

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CONTENTS

1

The checkered destinies of two men who repeatedly plunge their mighty souls into battle

Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Installation of FINAL FANTASY® VIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Playing FINAL FANTASY VIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Basic Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Prologue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Main Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

World Map Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Shops & Collecting Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Menu Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Battle Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Junction System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Card Game/Triple Triad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chocobo World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Mini-Walkthrough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Important Note: Detailed information about the game can also be found in the study panel on Squall's desk located in the classroom on the second floor of Balamb Garden and in the Menu Screen under <Tutorial>.

2	GETTING STARTED

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

COMPUTER

FINAL FANTASY® VIII requires an IBM® PC or 100% compatible computer. The game can be enjoyed without the use of a 3D accelerated video card, but only the Software Renderer will be available.

With a 3D accelerated video card, the minimum CPU speed required is a Pentium® 200Mhz with 32MB of RAM and an 8MB 3D accelerated video card.

Without a 3D accelerated video card, the minimum CPU speed required is a Pentium® II 266Mhz with 64MB of RAM and a 4MB 2D video card.

OPERATING SYSTEM

You must have Windows® 95/98 with DirectX 6.1 or higher installed on your system. DirectX 6.1 is included in your installation CD.

DRIVES

Standard installation of FINAL FANTASY VIII requires a minimum of 300MB free uncompressed hard drive space plus space for saved games (additional space required for DirectX installation and Windows swap file).

Optional Game Data may also be installed that will require an additional 300MB of free uncompressed hard drive space. This will offer slightly faster loading times during gameplay.

You must also have an 8x speed or faster CD-ROM drive to play FINAL FANTASY VIII.

CONTROLS

FINAL FANTASY VIII supports keyboard and/or gamepad controllers. Your gamepad must be calibrated and configured properly through the “Game Controller” settings in your Windows Control Panel.

VIDEO

FINAL FANTASY VIII requires a minimum of 4MB DirectX 6.1 compatible video card for software rendering. You can enhance your gaming experience by utilizing a recommended 8MB 3D accelerated video card.

AUDIO

FINAL FANTASY VIII will work with any DirectX 6.1 compatible sound card. Your card must be configured to playback digital and MIDI audio.

INSTALLATION OF FINAL FANTASY VIII 3

Place the CD labeled “Install Disc” into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. If your computer is “Autorun” enabled, the startup screen will appear on your screen momentarily. If the startup screen does not appear you must open the “My Computer” icon on your desktop, click on your CD-ROM drive, then double-click on the “Startup.exe” icon. You will see the FINAL FANTASY VIII startup screen with 4 options to choose from. The 4 options to choose from are:

INSTALL

Click on the Install icon to begin installation of FINAL FANTASY VIII. When the “Welcome” screen appears, please read through the text and select either “Next” to continue or “Cancel” to exit without installing. Next, you will see the “Select Components” screen. Here you can choose to install “FF8 Program Files” only or install “Optional Game Data” as well. “Optional Game Data” is not required to be installed for FINAL FANTASY VIII to run, but doing so will decrease loading times during gameplay.

The default install destination is “C:\Program Files\Square Soft, Inc\FINAL FANTASY VIII”. If you want to install FINAL FANTASY VIII in a different location, click on “Browse” and change the default setting to your desired location.

Next you may choose a Program Folder for FINAL FANTASY VIII. You should continue with the default unless you want to select a different Program Folder.

Congratulations! FINAL FANTASY VIII will now be installed on your computer.

INSTALL DIRECTX 6.1

FINAL FANTASY VIII requires the installation of DirectX 6.1 on your computer system. If your system does not have DirectX 6.1 of if you are using a previous version of DirectX, click on “Install DirectX 6.1”. DirectX will analyze your computer’s hardware. Once it is finished, follow the on-screen prompts to finish installation. The system may request that you restart the computer. If so, you must restart the computer before you attempt to run FINAL FANTASY VIII.

README

Click “Readme” to view the game's Readme.txt file for any addendum or errata.

EXIT

Click on Exit to quit the FINAL FANTASY VIII Startup screen.

YAMAHA SOFTWARE SYNTHESIZER

FINAL FANTASY VIII includes an upgrade for owners of the Yamaha S-YXG50/70/100 software MIDI synthesizer. If you already have this software installed on your computer, you can find the upgrade on the Install Disc. Please consult the Readme.txt for additional information.

4 PLAYING FINAL FANTASY VIII

STARTING OR CONTINUING FINAL FANTASY VIII

After installation you must insert “DISC 1” in your CD-ROM drive before starting or if you are continuing a previously saved game. If you are continuing a game from disc 2, 3, or 4, you will be prompted to insert the correct disc before continuing. To start playing, go to the program group containing FINAL FANTASY VIII in the Windows 95/98 start menu and select “FINAL FANTASY VIII”. The intro screens will begin to play, and then the floating credit screen will appear. Press [OK] (X key) to skip to the start screen. At the start screen you will have three options:

New Game—Starts a new FINAL FANTASY VIII game. You must have Disc 1 in your CD-ROM before starting a new game.

Continue ?—This option will let you continue from your previously saved game. Press [OK] (X key) to enter to the Save File list. Select the correct Save File from 1 - 30 and press [OK]

(X key). Go to the Save Game you want to continue and press [OK] (X key) to continue. You will be prompted to insert Disc 1, 2, 3, or 4 if the correct disc is not in the CD-ROM drive.

Credits—View the credits.

Exiting a Game—Press and hold Ctrl-Q to exit the game.

FINAL FANTASY VIII CONFIGURATION

When you first start FINAL FANTASY VIII you will see the Configuration Screen. This menu screen will detail your current graphic and sound settings. You can change the settings anytime after by selecting it from the FINAL FANTASY VIII program groups in the Windows 95/98 start menu. Here you will find four tabs to choose from. The four tabs are:

CURRENT SETTINGS

Shows the current setting FINAL FANTASY VIII will run for your game.

GRAPHICS

You can configure your desired graphic setup here. Click on a tab labeled “Display”, to choose either your recommended 3D accelerator or Primary Display Driver. The other tab, “Renderer”, chooses either Software Renderer or 3D Hardware Acceleration. Select the one that complements your “Display” setting. You may also select the Display resolution with 2 options; 640x480 (Quarter Screen), or 640x480 (Full Screen). The Quarter Screen option will run slightly faster than the Full Screen option, but you trade off by having a smaller viewing area. The area on the right shows the Direct3D features that your PC supports. Do not be alarmed if your settings do not support all the 3D features. You can still play FINAL FANTASY VIII without some features. See the Readme file or 3D card troubleshooting.

SOUND

The sound driver setting should be automatically configured to your sound card. Press the test button to hear if your sound card is working properly. If you do not hear anything, change your sound driver to match your sound card. If your sound card supports stereo sound you can reverse the left and right channels by checking the “Reverse Speakers” box. Here, you may also select your DirectMusic port. The port should be automatically set to use the default DirectMusic port. If the selected port supports reverb or chorus effects, you may select these by checking the “Reverb” or “Chorus” boxes.

INPUT

You can configure your desired input here. The input will be automatically set for Keyboard and default keys for the controls. To assign new keys for each input, click on the control you want to change and input the new key. You may reset to the default settings by clicking on “Reset to default keys.”

To assign new button functions to your game controller, select “Controller” in the “Control Type” section. Click on the control you want to change, and press the new button on your controller. (refer to page 15 for in-game settings)

PLAYING FINAL FANTASY VIII

5

BASIC CONTROLS

You can play FINAL FANTASY VIII with the keyboard or a game controller supported by DirectX 6.1. Basic controls of FINAL FANTASY VIII can be divided into four categories: (Default controls shown below and throughout the manual. Controls may be reconfigured in the game or in the Configuration.)

MENU SCREEN					FIELD SCREEN
KEYBOARD	GAME CONTROLLER				KEYBOARD	GAME CONTROLLER
cursor keys		directional pad	Move Cursor / Switch		cursor keys	directional pad	Move
			screens between Status		S	B10	Pause
			Attack & Defense and
					D	B3	Open Menu Screen
			Elemental Attack &
			Defense while in the		X	B2	Talk / Execute
			Magic Junction Menu
							Commands
X		B2	Execute / Open Status
					A	B1	Talk / Challenge to
			Windows in the Status
							Card Game
			Menu
					W	B4	Cancel, Walk
A		B1	Open Limit Break Screen
							(when used with the
			(Applies only in Status
							cursor keys)
			Screen)
					Control-Q	n/a	Press and hold to Quit
W		B4	Cancel
					Control-R	n/a	Press and hold to
Q or E		B5 or B6	Switch between
							Reset
			corresponding character /
			GF.

BATTLE SCREEN					WORLD MAP
KEYBOARD	GAME CONTROLLER				KEYBOARD	GAME CONTROLLER
cursor keys		directional pad	Move Cursor / Select		cursor keys	directional pad	Move
			Commands		S	B10	Pause
S		B10	Display help / Pause
					F	B9	Toggle World Map
F		B9	Hold down to hide battle				display
			info		D	B3	Open Menu
D		B3	Change to another active
					X	B2	Get ON/OFF Vehicles*
			character
					A	B1	Move Vehicles forward
X		B2	Execute
					W	B4	Move Vehicles
A		B1	Scroll status window /
							backward
			Increase GF’s Attack Power
					Q	B5	Turn camera angle
			while “F” is held down
			(Only when GF Ability				counterclockwise
			“Boost” is learned)		E	B6	Turn camera angle
W		B4	Cancel				clockwise
Q		B5	Turn ON/OFF Target		C	B8	Change Point of View
			window				(POV)
E		B6	Trigger Squall’s gunblade		Control-Q	n/a	Press and hold to Quit
Z + C		B7 + B8	Escape (press both keys		Control-R	n/a	Press and hold to Reset
			simultaneously)
Control-Q		n/a	Press and hold to Quit		* Refer to page 10 on how to operate vehicles.
Control-R		n/a	Press and hold to Reset

NOTE: To reset to the Main Menu, press Control-R.

6

PROLOGUE

At the forefront of a rising tide of violence brought on by Galbadia’s war declaration is a SeeD cadet named Squall Leonhart. Serious to a fault, Squall has earned himself the reputation of being a lone wolf.

A chance encounter with the free-spirited Rinoa Heartilly, however, turns his universe upside down. Having thrived on discipline, Squall finds Rinoa's carefree attitude fascinating. Yet there is no time to ponder these thoughts, for the job of dealing with the sorceress behind Galbadia's irrational hostility has fallen to SeeD and Squall.

In FINAL FANTASY VIII, the player will assume the roles of Squall and Laguna to advance the story.

At times, Squall is known to fall

into a “dreamlike” state. It is during these periods that he encounters Laguna.

What destiny awaits these two characters?

At what point does the story between the two cross?

Who is Laguna…?

MAIN CHARACTERS

7

Squall and Laguna; two men linked mysteriously by fate. The friends, rivals, and beautiful women whom they encounter all come together to create a striking and moving drama.

SQUALL LEONHART

Age: 17 Height: 5'8"

The taciturn and reluctant hero

A cadet in SeeD, the special combat unit of the Balamb Garden Military Academy. His aloof and anti-social behavior makes him appear selfish and lacking a sense of team unity. Squall dislikes having others involved in his affairs and is best described as a lone wolf.

LAGUNA LOIRE

Height: 5'9"

passionate man whose pen is mightier than the sword

-soldier turned journalist, is a strong willed man

amazing energy. His compassion for the unfortunate drives him to

help the weak and bring down their oppressors. Using his writing as a mighty instrument of justice, he stands strong against the evils of the world.

8	MAIN CHARACTERS

SEIFER ALMASY

Age: 18 Height: 6'2"

Squall’s rival who causes havoc within Garden

A candidate for SeeD. Although Seifer is a naturally gifted soldier, his inability to take orders and control his temper has earned him the label of “problematic.” Although recognizing and praising Squall’s abilities, Seifer regards him as his ultimate rival.

RINOA HEARTILLY

Age: 17 Height: 5' 3 1/2"

A beautiful, spirited young woman

A lively individual with the ability to touch people’s hearts.

Open and honest with feelings, she speaks

mind without reservation. Driven by her ambitions, she can be difficult at times.

TREPE

5'6"

member of SeeD as Squall’s instructor

at the age of 15, instructs Squall and

at Balamb Garden. her cool exterior, she has a difficult time frustration and, as a

become depressed over

.

MAIN CHARACTERS

9

TILMITT

1 1/2" woman with

of place in because of

and

. Her disposition and

to catch

ZELL DINCHT

Age: 17 Height: 5'5"

A Garden Cadet with unsurpassed martial arts skills

Aspiring to become like his grandfather who was once a soldier, Zell entered Garden

at the age of 13. Not being one to think matters through, he is known to act on impulse rather than reasoning. At heart however, he is an honest, dedicated young man.

IRVINE KINNEAS

Age: 17 Height: 6'0" gunman and

consummate lady’s man

is known as the “Best in Garden.” His

for cherishing the

of women is almost as well his accuracy with a gun. he seems to be uncaring

at first glance, in

is sensitive and serious.

10	WORLD MAP SCREEN

A globe will be displayed on the bottom right of the World Map. For Squall and his party, the map is a helpful tool in confirming where they are while traveling across the world. On this

map, a gunblade will be displayed. The gunblade is an indicator that shows where the player is located on the World Map and the direction in which the player is heading.

VEHICLES ON THE WORLD MAP

As the player moves forward in the story, vehicles such as cars and spaceships will enable the player to move more freely across the world. The following operation applies to all vehicles in the game. Press the X key to get on or off a vehicle, press the A key to move forward, and press the W key to move backwards. Press the

left or right cursor keys to determine the direction in which the vehicle will

ENTERING CHARACTER & GUARDIAN FORCE NAMES

The Name Entering Screen for Squall shown on the right will be displayed when he comes under player control for the first time. It also appears when Squall

meets new members of his party or obtains new Guardian Forces. To rename a character or Guardian Force, use the cursor keys to select a letter and press the X key to choose it (Press the W key to delete). After the new name is entered, use the cursor keys to select <Confirm> and press the X key to complete the renaming process.

SHOPS & COLLECTING INFORMATION 11

It will be necessary to stop by cities to gather information and to use shops in order for the player to complete the game successfully. To speak to a character, press the X key. The party can also buy and sell useful items at shops located throughout the world (shop types are listed below).

Junk Shop	Remodel weapons and increase their power.
	Refer to "Modifying Weapons" described below.
Shop	Buy or sell items.
Hotel	Restores HP and removes Status Abnormalities for both characters and GFs
	by staying overnight. Saving is also possible at this location.
Study Panel	Gather various information related to the game.
	It would be best to use the Study Panel along with this instruction manual.

MODIFYING WEAPONS

Characters may sometimes receive items such as rods or screws after winning a battle. Not useful in themselves, these items or parts can be taken to a Junk Shop where together with the proper specifications, they can be used to modify and upgrade a character's weapon for a fee (the stronger the upgrade, the more expensive the cost will be). The specifications for making modifications can be found in magazines located throughout the

world. As modifications become more powerful, the parts needed for the modification will become harder to find. Modified weapons increase in Attack Power and Hit Rate.

MONEY IS RECEIVED AS SALARY

After Squall becomes a SeeD member, the player's party will be entitled to a salary based upon his SeeD rank. The disbursement of this salary will be credited to the party automatically at regular intervals.

12

MENU SCREEN

Press the D key to display the Menu Screen.

On this screen, the player can check the level

1

2

of each character, their current HP and

3

maximum HP, and the location. The right side

4

of the screen displays various menu

headings, the length of playtime, and the

amount of money in possession. When Squall

9

becomes a member of SeeD, his SeeD rank

will also be displayed here. Use the cursor

keys to select a menu heading and open it by

pressing the X key. To exit the Menu Screen,

press the W key.

LEARN TO USE THE MENU HEADINGS

There are a total of eleven menu headings in the Menu Screen. With the exception of <Junction> and <GF>, nine of the menu headings will be explained below.

Junction	Refer to page 20
Guardian Force (GF)	Refer to page 22

1. ITEM - USING ITEMS

The Item menu heading provides access to the Item Screen that lets the player use recovery items on injured characters or organize items in inventory. When the Item Screen is displayed, the player can select <Use>, <Rearrange>, <Sort>, or <Battle> using the cursor keys and execute the command by pressing the X key. Since <Item> is also a Command Ability (see page 24), it

needs to be Junctioned so that it can be used during battle. Descriptions of the commands in the Item Screen are as follows.

Use	Select the item to be used with the cursor keys, and press the X key
	to execute the command.
Rearrange	Rearrange the order of items manually.
Sort	Organize the order of items automatically.
Battle	Designate how the order of items appears when the <Item> command
	is selected during battle.

MENU SCREEN

13

2. MAGIC - USING MAGIC

The Magic menu heading provides access to the Magic Screen, in which the player can use recovery magic such as Cure and Esuna on injured characters. Other commands in this menu allow the player to rearrange the order of magic in the Battle Window or to exchange magic between characters. Characters who have not Junctioned the <Magic> Command Ability (see page 24) will not be able to use magic during battle.

Use	Select the magic to be used with the cursor keys and execute the
	command by pressing the X key.
Exchg.	Exchange magic between characters.
All	Take all magic from another character.
Rearrange	Designate how the order of magic appears when the <Magic> command is
	selected during battle.

JUNCTION SCREEN ICONS

A key to various icons

which appear in the Junction Menus.

Status Attack

Status Defense

Elemental Attack

Elemental Defense

Junction Ability

Command Ability

Character Ability

GF Ability

Party Ability

Menu Ability

ELEMENTAL ATTACK/DEFENSE

Fire	Poison
Ice	Wind
Thunder	Water
Earth	Holy

STATUS ATTACK/DEFENSE

KO - Character has zero HP.

Poison - HP decreases with each action.

Petrify - Turns target into stone, disabling the target’s commands.

Darkness - Target becomes blind, decreasing its Hit Rate.

Silence - Magic, GF, and Draw commands become disabled.

Berserk - Target’s strength increases, but commands become disabled.

Zombie - Applying recovery magic and items causes damage.

Sleep - Puts target to sleep

Slow - Slows down target.

Stop - Stops target and disables commands.

Confuse - Disables target’s commands, they perform commands at random.

Drain - Drains and absorbs HP from target that was attacked.

Curse - Disables Limit Breaks. (NOTE: Not in

Status Attack Screen)