Helpful hints for games

[wolfie]

Figured it would be a good idea to keep game hints in a single thread, rather than having to search all over the place.

Jurassic World (IOS/Android):

Found this one by accident. If you have a dinosaur with a LONG hatching time (typically the case with "legendary"), and think you might want to hatch others with shorter times while you're waiting for it, start a dino with a short hatch time first, then the one with the long hatch time. You'll pay the 10 "dino bucks" to start a second incubator, but when the short one hatches it vacates the "free" incubator, so you can start another short one free. If you start the long one first, so that it takes up the leftmost incubator, you'll need to pay 10 "dino bucks" for EACH of the short ones you start while waiting for the long one.

Don't pay "dino bucks" to expand the park. Whenever I've done this, at the next "level up" I didn't get the opportunity to expand using coins. Haven't tried multiple "dino buck" expansions at a single level, so I don't know if you'll lose "coin" expansions until you catch up to what the park size should be, or whether you only lose the one "coin" expansion.

[Erinesque]

I tend to play casual games or simulation games, such as Super Granny, which, in case you're not familiar, it's a platform game where you control Granny, who has to save all her kitties and get them to an exit, avoiding enemies, etc. I also like to play The Sims, as well as an older simulation game called Pharaoh, where you build a city. It's sometimes hard to find the cheats or hints for these older or more obscure games.

[firecat88]

7th Guest: Fed up with a particular puzzle and ready to rage-quit? Go down to the library. The book on the table auto-solves whatever puzzle you're on after you go to it 3 times. Just don't go back to the puzzle afterwards or it'll reset it.

Also, one of the upstairs bedrooms contains a hint for the maze in the basement. Solve the puzzle in the bedroom and the spot where it used to be will show you a map of the maze.

ArcheAge: If you're playing as a Firran, you can still take your Trials before leaving the cliffs. Mouse around until you find a rock wall with a glowing 'there be nifty stuff here' indicator.

[protege]

Grand Theft Auto V -- Shoot at anything that moves

[darkroxas45]

Grand Theft Auto V -- Shoot at anything that moves

I did that and was killed by police. Did I do something wrong?

[lordlundar]

I did that and was killed by police. Did I do something wrong?

You're not shooting fast enough.

[wolfie]

Legend of the Red Dragon (BBS door game, a couple sites on the web have figured out a way to host it)

Each child gets you an extra fight in the forest each day. The game keeps track of LEGITIMATE children for male characters, and ALL children for female characters.

(interaction between Stable and Caverns add-ons)
The stable add-on doesn't implement the "gaining a horse gives a percentage increase to remaining forest fights/losing a horse gives a percentage decrease to remaining forest fights" rule, but the caverns add-on does, and has a chance of gaining/losing a horse each time you enter so long as you have at least one cavern fight remaining. Before using your last cavern fight for the day, and before doing any of your forest fights for the day, enter without a horse and then leave. Repeat until you gain a horse, then sell it at the stables. Lather, rinse, repeat for unlimited forest fights (and a nice pile of gems).



VGA Planets/Winplan

If the "sphere" (topologically it's a torus) add-on is not being used, and you have a Cobol and a few Fireclouds (requires capturing ships, since each is exclusive to a different race), send the Cobol and a Firecloud more than 200 LY beyond the "edge of the universe", and then have them work their way around the perimeter. They'll be out of sight (unless someone else sends a ship beyond the known universe). When you get to your opponent's "back door", head inward, then chunnel in your attack fleet before you get within 81 LY of an opposing planet. Can also be done with just Fireclouds, except you need to chunnel supplies of fuel to your raiders on a regular basis.

Lizard ground attack got you down? If the "surrender" add-on is in use, set a "safe" base's friendly code to "AC2", and all your "at-risk" planets to "SUn", where "n" is your race number. Requires that they not change the code after capturing a planet (surrender happens before ground attack), but if they miss ONE turn all their stuff is yours. Note that taking a planet by combat randomizes the friendly code. Haven't tried taking a vacant planet, setting the code, and pulling up stakes.

[darkroxas45]

You're not shooting fast enough.

Or not using the right gun. I remember when I played on my friend's file, we would do stupid stuff like shoot cops or shoot at cars or stuff like that usually laying down sticky bombs, getting a wanted level and forgetting to deselect the bombs.....and learn we did the hard way.

[BearLeeBadenaugh]

Far Cry Primal

Batari seems to be nearly immune to arrows during her last battle. Youtube videos were saying it'll take 10-15 minutes to whittle her health down with the bow. Chuck spears instead, they do serious damage to her. Battle was under 5 minutes for me.

[Kogarashi]

Final Fantasy 9 (because that's what I'm playing for my girls right now)

The first time you leave Lindblum, make sure to stop at the swamp and get Quina, who is optional at this point, and then make sure you run around everywhere eating every monster possible with him/her to learn as much blue magic as possible before you progress with the story. Maybe try Chocobo Hot & Cold in the Chocobo Forest as well, since it's a great way to grind up your healing items. Then continue the story. I keep seeing people talk about how difficult the next boss is after that point, and I had no trouble tanking it until Zidane had stolen all the good gear and then everyone hammered on the boss and it was down in no time.

Added to that, make sure you're stealing every chance you get (you'll thank yourself later), and try to steal every single stealable item from bosses before killing them whenever a thief is available (you get good gear earlier than normal, and for free, if you make sure to do this).

Lastly, if you're taking the time to steal everything you can, make sure you're constantly using Focus with Vivi (the black mage) instead of Defending or otherwise wasting his turns. By the time you're ready to start dealing out damage, Vivi's magic will hit for at least twice as much as normal.

I honestly don't know why people have trouble with the boss in Gizamaluke's Grotto....

[Kheldarson]

I honestly don't know why people have trouble with the boss in Gizamaluke's Grotto....

Because stealing his items can be a bitch?

Speaking of stealing in IX, if you're playing a version with save states, use them, particularly in the fights against Beatrice. Makes attempting for the big items do much easier. Otherwise just save as often as you can so you can load before key fights to steal what you can.

Stealing just makes the whole game easier.

[EricKei]

...Especially because, IIRC, the power of his Trance depends on the number of times you've used Steal, successful or not

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Civilization (series):

If you are NOT playing an aggressive/warlike "Kill 'em all" faction and you find out that one of your opponents is Ghandi, start a new game from scratch. Due to a glitch in the reputation system/how the AI characters think of you, he rolls over from one extreme ("pacifist") to the other ("nuke everything") early on. He WILL make a beeline for nuclear tech, and start bombarding every city he comes across as soon as he can. IIRC, later games left the glitch in on purpose.

[Kheldarson]

...Especially because, IIRC, the power of his Trance depends on the number of times you've used Steal, successful or not

One of them. The rest are rather straightforward

[lordlundar]

...Especially because, IIRC, the power of his Trance depends on the number of times you've used Steal, successful or not

Ehh, not quite. It's the strength of Zidane's Thievery skill that is based off the number of steal attempts, not his trance. His Trance mode changes it to Dyne which gives it a multi-target capability and does more damage.

[Kogarashi]

Because stealing his items can be a bitch?

Speaking of stealing in IX, if you're playing a version with save states, use them, particularly in the fights against Beatrice. Makes attempting for the big items do much easier. Otherwise just save as often as you can so you can load before key fights to steal what you can.

Stealing just makes the whole game easier.

Having Bandit (one of Zidane's static abilities) equipped helps with that, at least. I didn't have much trouble stealing, and using the other characters to keep the party healed up until Zidane got everything wasn't too bad. And out of three Beatrix fights (and nine total stealable items, I believe), I managed to get all but one item before the fight ended.

Ehh, not quite. It's the strength of Zidane's Thievery skill that is based off the number of steal attempts, not his trance.

This. Thievery is one non-Trance skill that does damage, and it's based off of the number of successful steals, including with the other Tantalus thieves when they're in the party (so make sure you steal from everything at least once, and also turn on Bandit and Master Thief when you learn them to improve your chances of stealing successfully).