Elric is going to blow his top...

[WarLocke]

Heh. That's your party, eh? Lemme tell you, those generics won't last much longer if you really explore chapter 4.

I wouldn't be surprised. This is the first time I've touched Tactics, and I've just been winging it as I learned the various systems. FFT is much deeper than SF or FM.

and often I play variants

Some of those look downright tedious, but others are intriguing (Auto-Battle only? Ramza-solo? Ramza+Guests/Specials only?). I may have to try a few at some point.

The "Dream Team" of warriors you could probably arrange with unrestricted access is

... I'm guessing that since I don't have Orlandu yet, and have yet to meet Reis/Worker 8/Beowulf/Cloud, they don't join until sometime in chapter 4 (I haven't done any ch4 storyline fights yet). So this makes a good opportunity for this question: when you gain a character through a story event, is their starting level related to yours? I ask because I got Rafa and Malak at level 28/29ish, and both knew maybe 3 skills in their base classes. Would it be more 'efficient' to go through most of the game at a low level, thus getting characters at lower levels and having greater leeway to customize them to your liking? Or am I reading too much into this?

I notice your lack of Math skill usage

... Mostly because I had to check GameFAQs to find the prerequisites, since there's no in-game help for it and I don't have a manual. Plus I tend to get fixated on mastering classes before moving on (probably a bad habit). Is Math really that powerful?

Males get exactly ONE benefit over females - the bard class

Males get a higher base Physical Attack, or higher PA progression, or something along those lines too, correct?

Lastly, I recommend you throw Malak into the nearest dumpster you can find and be done with him.

But, he's a Special! I mean, he's a storyline character! I wouldn't feel right, just... leaving him. Or shanking him in the back. Or... feeding him to a Squidlarkin. Yeah... :ph34r:

Okay, and a question about that character setup FAQ you linked to: If you have a set of clearly-defined goals like those examples, what do you do once you've attained them? A big reason for my stodgy approach is that I know I'm always making progress, if in a slow manner. Once I've mastered one job, I can use these skills as secondaries while I work on mastering the next job. But if your strategy revolves around having support skills X, Y, and Z, and being Job A, what do you do once you have it all? It seems to me like you'd be wasting alot of JP by staying in a job you've mastered.

Oh, and also, any and all tips about Propositions are welcome. Can they be completed by a solo unit? I've never succeeded in one unless I sent along 3. Should I choose the maximum days offered, or the minimum? Should I do random battles while my generics are unavailable (and risk opening a level rift), or should I do no propositions until I have enough Specials to have a full party even if my generics are all out on propositions? Do the various rare treasures and secret lands found in some propositions have any effect on the game?