Final Fantasy VIII Disc 2

Return to Garden

What’s up with Garden?

Prep work: As soon as you have control again, JUNCTION. You can technically leave Garden and head to the town of Balam to weapon mod if you read the Weapons Monthly, JuneMagazineWeapons Monthly issue: Disc 2; for Squall; found at Defeat BGH251F2 at Missile Base; can be bought at Esthar Book Store; unlocks Flame Saber, Gauntlet, Morning Star, Red Scorpion. you just won. There’s not really much else you can do in Balam, though leaving Balam Garden at least allows you to save outside on the world map, if you want.

You can fight fish on the beach if you need to teach any abilities to your GFSystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities., but when you’re ready to tackle this section, head through the main Balam Garden gate. You will almost immediately be accosted by a faculty member asking a weird question. In my game I chose to say that I was a follower of Cid. You know, the HEADMASTER. So I got attacked a lot. If you tell the first guy you swear allegiance to “Garden Master NORG,” you can avoid some of the battles here, but you’ll miss out on some excellent loot.

Finding Cid

So your first task is to find Cid. At the turnstile area, talk to the guy there for a Mega-Potion. Go to the directory area and talk to Raijin and Fujin, then you’ll make a circle around the Garden clockwise (head left). At each area of the Garden, you can help people for various rewards.

1. Infirmary: Head to the infirmary. You can mugGF AbilityReplaces Attack with a stealing attack. Learned by Diablos and Bahamut. Wizard StonesItemStone with strong Magic power from the Granaldo. Talk to the Doctor for an ElixirItemFully restores abnormal status and HP.

2. Quad: Exit the infirmary and continue clockwise to the Quad. Head left after the Faculty member retreats. Tell the people in SeeDSystemBalamb Garden's mercenary rank system. Higher SeeD levels mean higher salary payments. uniforms that you’re with the Headmaster. Talk to the people here for an X-PotionItemFully Restores HP.
3. Cafeteria: Exit the quad and continue clockwise to reach the cafeteria. Talk to the Faculty member. You can MugGF AbilityReplaces Attack with a stealing attack. Learned by Diablos and Bahamut. a Bomb FragmentItemStone with Fire element (Compat Ifrit +1) from the Bomb. Talk to the people in the Cafeteria for Gysahl GreensItemSummons Chocobo GF.
4. Dorm: Leave the cafeteria and continue on to the dorm. Talk to the Faculty member. You can mugGF AbilityReplaces Attack with a stealing attack. Learned by Diablos and Bahamut. a Spider WebItemQuistis can learn Blue Magic, Ultra Waves from the Caterchipillar. You can save and rest in your room. With one bed. (My party consisted of Squall, Rinoa, and Quistis; awkward!)
5. Parking Lot: Continue around the loop toward the Parking Lot. You can mugGF AbilityReplaces Attack with a stealing attack. Learned by Diablos and Bahamut. a Dragon FinItemVery hard dragon's scale (Compat Cerberus +3) and draw Double from the Grendel. After the battle, head to the Parking Lot and talk to everyone here for a TentItemFully restores abnormal status and HP to all.
6. Training Center: Leave the parking lot and head to the Training Center. Save the younglings. You can mugGF AbilityReplaces Attack with a stealing attack. Learned by Diablos and Bahamut. a Dino BoneItemLarge dinosaur bone (Compat Brothers +3) from the T-Rexaur. Talk to the gal afterwards for a RemedyItemCures abnormal status.
7. Library: Leave the Training Center and head to the Library. Talk to the faculty member and fight a super powerful Grat. After the battle, talk to everyone for a RemedyItemCures abnormal status.
8. Leave the Library and head toward the directory.

After you come full circle around the Garden, you should see Xu running up the stairs. Follow her. She’ll get off on the 2nd floor and go around the corner past the classroom. Talk to her and she’ll invite you to meet Cid.

When you’re ready to move on, head back to the elevator and it will go up to the 3rd floor to Cid’s office. Cid agrees to meet with you and talks a lot. You can also check any GFSystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities. updates to make sure you are learning stuff. If you have Rinoa with you, you may also want to verify that Angelo is learning something. He isn’t? What kind of dog trainer are you anyway? Don’t forget you have to READ the Pet PalsMagazine SeriesMagazine series that teaches Angelo abilities for Rinoa. You have to read them before Angelo can learn the listed trick. magazines you’ve picked up to be able to set him to learn a skill.

Talk to Cid and save your game. Now then, walk over to the elevator and watch some cool CG.

Saving Garden

When the elevator breaks down, you need to find a way to escape. Talk to the girls, then:

• Examine the elevator control panel, then examine the floor panel.

You noticed that panel, right? Climb down the ladder quickly, and thank the stars Selphie isn’t here. What a terrible angle for a ladder. Once you get to the bottom you will automatically jump to safety as the elevator crashes down past you. Wait, I thought it was STUCK. What broke? And why does it work in the next scene? Oh sorry. Suspending Disbelief…

Head down the hall and examine the floor with the big thing sticking out of it. When Squall jumps down the hole, he talks to himself about fire for a while. (Fire… Fire! He he he… FIRE… Uh huh huh. Huh…)

Area Enemies: Balam Garden Basement

Enemy	Location	Card / Rare Card	Useful Draws
Tri-Face	Balam Garden Basement	Tri-Face Card / -	Lv 30+: Pain, Bio, Flare, Stop

When he’s finished, head down the tube and around the corner. Go out the tube and down the ladder. Get off the ladder and go through the door across from you. Examine the huge valve there in the middle. I needed two people to finish the job.

Go back out the door you came in through and down the new ladder that has appeared. Exit the ladder and head down the long catwalk. Begin random encounter sequence. Use Diablos’Guardian ForceGravity-themed Guardian Force from the Magical Lamp. Diablos brings Enc-Half, Enc-None, Mug, and key time/status magic refinement abilities. Enc-HalfGF AbilityCuts random encounter rate in half. Learned by Diablos. or Enc-NoneGF AbilityPrevents most random encounters. Learned by Diablos. if you have it, or just fight/run. If you do find a Tri-Face here, be sure to Card him, then card modGF AbilityRefines Triple Triad cards into items, which can often be refined again into strong magic. Learned by Quezacotl. for the Curse SpikeItemQuistis can learn Blue Magic, LV?Death, then ST Mag-RFRefine AbilityRefines status magic from items. Learned by Diablos. for Pain. It’s cool stuff. Anyway, go and draw Full-Life here, then go around the big pillar in the middle of the floor. Have Squall climb up.

• Press the button on the panel.

Watch the effects, then examine the ladder and climb back down. Examine the glowing green light on the gate, then go down the ladder.

• Save your game - this next battle can be tough.

Boss Fight Prep

Set Blind and Confuse on Status Defense if possible. The Oilboyles cannot be carded and can inflict both statuses at higher levels.

The Oilboyles battle can be tough if you’re not well prepared - hopefully you saved. At high levels, these guys will have Confuse and Blind, so junction accordingly. If you don’t have Confuse, it’s tough but you can draw it here. Kill off one of them, and draw Confuse while using Esuna and Curaga to keep your guys alive. In some cases the best defense is a good offense. For this battle, the best offense is a good defense.

Once you beat the Oilboyles, go through the doorway and down the ladder. You have to jump on from the left. More cool CG. Go down the ladder (you may not be able to see yourself, but you’re at the top of the ladder) and off to the left. Go forward and push buttons. Keep it up and eventually tell Cid you will go check on the other people.

Finding NORG

1. Go to the second floor observation deck. That’s past the classroom, through the door at the end of the hall. (Not the emergency exit on your left.)
2. When you have control again, go back toward the classroom. Now press B1 a lot. :) Eventually, you will end up back in your room with Rinoa and she will ask you to show her around Garden. Don’t change your junctions unless you are planning on doing the CC side quest (which means you will need to enter the training area).
3. Go counter-clockwise toward the directory and talk to the doctor along the way. After visiting the doctor, head back the other way and visit the Parking Lot, the Training Center, and the Library. When Rinoa looks around the library, head one screen right. Try talking a few times, then leave the library and head toward the elevator.
4. When you get to the directory screen, a member of the Garden Faculty will come and tell you to go down the elevator. You can leave the screen now, if you want. You can do the Card GameSystemFF8's card game. Winning cards feeds Card Mod, which feeds items, magic, weapons, GF abilities, and all sorts of nonsense in the best way. side quest for Balam’s club.
5. Talk to Cid, then prep based on the notes below. When ready, follow the Faculty guy to the battle with NORG.

Boss Fight Prep

Make sure at least one character can draw so you don’t miss a GFSystemGuardian Forces are FF8's summons and the source of most junction, command, support, refine, and stat-growth abilities.. Junction Wind to Elem-Atk or be ready to cast it. Don’t junction Poison to Elem-Atk.

Have two characters manage the orbs while Squall attacks or summons until the pod opens. When NORG is exposed, BE SURE TO DRAW LEVIATHANGuardian ForceWater-element Guardian Force drawn from NORG. Leviathan brings Recover, Spr Bonus, and support magic refinement. BEFORE ATTACKING HIM! Once exposed, use Wind Elemental attacks to end things quickly.

Optimizing GF Distribution with Leviathan

Group 1: Siren, Carbuncle, Leviathan

Group 2: Quetz, Ifrit, Brothers

Group 3: Shiva, Diablos

Strategy: Builds the eventual stat-bonus character with Spr Bonus.

Ability Priority: Supt Mag-RF, GFRecov Med-RF, Spr+20%, Spr+40%, Spr Bonus, Boost. Full list.

If you need to sell or buy stuff, the Man from Garden can sometimes be found in the Training Center (take the right entrance and look for him on the dock; if he’s not there, leave and return.)

When you are ready to continue, go to the infirmary and talk to the doctor and Cid. Give report, etc. Now walk around to the directory and tell Xu where Cid is, then head to the 2nd floor observation deck. After your party splits up, go and find Ellone. Big hint: She’s in the Library. Press OK a lot, watch Squall go through a crisis…