Best Star Ocean: TLH combination.

[Annubis]

Technically you can get an Eternal Sphere in the first few hours of SO2, but it's almost cheating... sweet sweet wonderful boss annihilating cheating.

[Dice]

Technically you can get an Eternal Sphere in the first few hours of SO2, but it's almost cheating... sweet sweet wonderful boss annihilating cheating.

IIRC you had to wait for an ore or something found on Nede the earliest.... no?
That was the soonest I got it (no way did I wanna grind for skill points on Expel).

[Annubis]

You can get one just after the Lacour tournament. You pretty much wreck the shit out of every boss with it.

[Agent D.]

You need 2 mithrils, plus the weapon from the blacksmith gamgee, sharp edge. Customize it twice with mithril and you got the eternal sphere. Technically you can come across 2 mithril before nede, but you had to do some sidequesting, and pickpocketing. Course, who didn't pickpocket in SO2? Battle suits ftw!

[Dice]

You need 2 mithrils, plus the weapon from the blacksmith gamgee, sharp edge. Customize it twice with mithril and you got the eternal sphere. Technically you can come across 2 mithril before nede, but you had to do some sidequesting, and pickpocketing. Course, who didn't pickpocket in SO2? Battle suits ftw!

I never understood how to get the battle suits. D:
Then I got upset and went all "Forget it!! *pout pout* I don't need that!  I can win the game without it!!! *pout*".  I know it's tricky though. :P

[Akanbe-]

Story:
- Lets write a good story and let people see it from 2 different angle.

The entire first half of the game (ie; Expel) was technically and completely unnecessary seeing as how... it gets blown up anyways, and your efforts literally get destroyed.  The second half is ACTUALLY about the plot.

This is a preference, at least I think so.  I have no problem with Jrpgs that just fuck around for the start because characters are still getting developed at least.  I liked how Lunar Silver Star Story had a couple smaller quests before starting the main story.

[Dice]

Story:
- Lets write a good story and let people see it from 2 different angle.

The entire first half of the game (ie; Expel) was technically and completely unnecessary seeing as how... it gets blown up anyways, and your efforts literally get destroyed.  The second half is ACTUALLY about the plot.

This is a preference, at least I think so.  I have no problem with Jrpgs that just fuck around for the start because characters are still getting developed at least.  I liked how Lunar Silver Star Story had a couple smaller quests before starting the main story.

It's more than that annoying me. 

They DO develop a sort of myth behind Expel around demons and monsters.  But with "Expel's fate" it doesn't matter.  Remember the first, maybe, third of the game is dedicated to getting those ancient writing from Cross Cave analyzed?  WELL... sure you find the fuck to translate them, after one tedious fetch quest to appease Bowman to introduce you to the linguist... but there was no resolution to what those writings meant.  Oh wait.  There is.... when the developers remembered it last minute in Bowman's fucking ending. 

Linguist-ass: "These docs talk of a paradise"
Bowman: "It must have been Nede"

OOOOOHHHH... not that it matters anymore when Nede meet's IT'S fate and Expel comes back.  Furthermore, not like this plot point can every be resolved unless you took Bowman

Like I said.  Is it good writing?  No.  It's charming.

Aw fuck it.  I give up, I'm through trying to argue this kaka.  I'm no nerd!!!!

[Azrael]

The two battle suits I'm guessing you're thinking of aren't worth the trouble. They require recruiting Ernest and seeing a Private Action that will put you back on the ship so you can go rob those two dudes with the battle suits. I did get them on one playthrough, but I ended up not finishing that playthrough. I forget why. I did something irreversibly game breaking I think. In any case, I had a better time just getting Opera without Ernest.

Also, who WOULDN'T get Bowman. Dude was all like "POISON PILL!" and shit. And it sure beat the hell out of Precis' annoying high pitched voice. Though she is pretty awesome as well. I think this is why Star Ocean 2 is so great. Outside of maybe Noel and Ernest, all the characters have good enough pros to warrant playing through the game a few times to try them all out.

And yes, it's got a hell of a lot of charm.

[Dice]

The two battle suits I'm guessing you're thinking of aren't worth the trouble. They require recruiting Ernest and seeing a Private Action that will put you back on the ship so you can go rob those two dudes with the battle suits. I did get them on one playthrough, but I ended up not finishing that playthrough. I forget why. I did something irreversibly game breaking I think. In any case, I had a better time just getting Opera without Ernest.

Also, who WOULDN'T get Bowman. Dude was all like "POISON PILL!" and shit. And it sure beat the hell out of Precis' annoying high pitched voice. Though she is pretty awesome as well. I think this is why Star Ocean 2 is so great. Outside of maybe Noel and Ernest, all the characters have good enough pros to warrant playing through the game a few times to try them all out.

And yes, it's got a hell of a lot of charm.

Charm works... well, like a goddamn charm for it's amount of charm.  And I'll always love it for that.
S'cuse me for the bitching, but man it makes me shake my head.

I find any Magic user in those types of games are pretty useless.  Especially by the end... Celine/Leon can only one-hit for 9999 and in the time it takes to cast, melee fighters have already done ten-times as much.  Rena was awesome, but I've heard a lot sub her healing for Opera's Healing Star doing amazingly well at max proficiency.

[Annubis]

Is there one Enix game where magic doesn't suck endgame compared to physical?

[Dice]

Is there one Enix game where magic doesn't suck endgame compared to physical?

Valk Pro a bit, I guess.  But for the most part...

[Agent D.]

It's funny, as much as I like doing the story for ernest and opera, ashton is just so much more fucking wintastic. I mean seriously, tri ace.

Tri ace.

[AuraChannelerChris]

Although extremely weak, magic is only good in stun-locking later enemies in SO3.

[Dice]

Sidekick + Demension Door fucked up Sphere 221 (or whatever digits).

[Traveling Swordsman]

Is there one Enix game where magic doesn't suck endgame compared to physical?

All the ones i have played the magic was good for healing...