In many ways, Square Enix started the Bravely Default series to seemingly reboot Final Fantasy. It actually began as a sequel to the DS game Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, before it got retooled into its own thing. Now, three games later, Bravely Default is just as beloved by some as some of the earlier games in the Final Fantasy franchise.
Part of the reason why is the Job system. How does it play out compared to the Final Fantasy games along with the other games in the Bravely Default series? Here are a few changes for Bravely Default II to be aware of as well as some words of wisdom to bestow upon to new players.
5 Asterisks & How To Acquire Jobs
Jobs are acquired through Asterisks, which are the stones that grant the party power. These are gained from boss battles, although there are a few exceptions. Sometimes these battles will be one versus four while other times the enemy will double up.
It always seems like the bosses in their Asterisk states are way more powerful than the party but it does make sense in a way. The AI of the game can easily break down data in order to use the full depth of each Job. It might be a good idea to take notes while in these battles to think of strategies that can be implemented in the future.
4 The First Four Jobs
Players will begin the game with Seth in the Freelancer Job, who will soon be joined by another Freelancer, Adelle, and Elvis the Black Mage. The last party member, Gloria, is also a Freelancer at the start. This is odd for a Square Enix game, especially what is essentially a spin-off to Final Fantasy, to not have this party decked out in some standard set of Job classes other than the basic Freelancer.
This is not a huge loss, though, as the party will gain Asterisks within the first couple of hours. Furthermore, the Freelancer is mighty handy, which will be further detailed. What one should note now is that the first Asterisk acquisitions include the White Mage, which is the obvious healer, and the Vanguard, which is basically a Knight or Warrior from other Final Fantasy games. After that, there is the Monk Job, a sort of bare-knuckle brawler, which then allows for all four party members to claim a specialty Job.
3 How Many Jobs Are There?
After those first four Jobs are acquired, one might be thinking about what is there to look forward to next. How many Jobs are there in the game in other words? The simple answer to that is 24.
Again, almost all of these will be gained through a linear progression of boss battles like every game in the series before it. This formula is a lot like Mega Man, wherein players would fight a boss in order to acquire their powers.
2 The Gambler & The Salve-Maker
However, there are some exceptions as two Jobs are optional. The first is the Gambler, which can be acquired after Chapter One wraps up. This quest can be taken on in Bernards’s Gambling Hall in Savalon. Players basically have to master a card area expanse game that is kind of like Tetra Master from Final Fantasy IX or Triple Triad from Final Fantasy VIII.
The Gambler is not that good of a Job and getting it takes a lot of time through this mini-game, so it might be worth a skip. The other is the Salve-Maker which can be acquired in Chapter Three. This is sort of like a potions master and is a better Job of the two although also not that great in the grand scheme of the Job listings.
1 Basic Tips For Early Hours
There is a basic set of guidelines one should follow early on in the game to help maximize time and power acquisition. Level nine of the Freelancer Job has an equip-able ability called JP Up which will increase JP acquisition by 1.2. The final level increases this acquisition by 1.7 when stacked with it. While it will help in the long run if everyone has both skills, that is understandably a big-time investment.
What should at least go down is everyone getting JP Up. Do this by keeping one party member as a Freelancer, and then swapping out with another once they reach level nine. In order to further help JP acquisition, one can use bait. It’s sort of like consecutive battles that happen when two or more monsters are in close proximity of each other. The more consecutive battles fought, the more experience and JP points will be gathered and multiplied by a bonus.
Rounding up monsters in the field can be tricky though, although using bait can reduce this annoyance. For example, Beast Flesh will attract beast-type monsters as indicated by a heart by their heads. Through this method, one battle could produce three or four rounds. The Minotaurs in Bernard’s dungeon are great to grind against at this early point in the game.