Final Fantasy XII

FF12 is finally managing to get more than my passing attention. After eventually extricating myself from aforementioned tunnels*, I was able to purchase new gambit settings, making the combat bearable; re-equip my characters, making the RPG part of this game seem real; and begin to understand the game's plot, which is, well, nice. I'm not quite prepared to forgive those first several hours of unnecessarily aimless gameplay, though.

In those early hours, I found myself playing FF12 not unlike a real-time strategy game with a pause button - setting all my party members, even my party leader, to use gambits for keeping up a level of automated offense. I'd jump in when necessary to use items or do preventative healing, or for other forms of course-correction, but most of the micro-management took care of itself, quite happily. As of my last encounters though, that approach is looking less viable: I fought a flood of enemies that was difficult to get away from, and a boss that was tough to keep up with even through constant intervention. Originally I thought I was wussing out by setting the game to pause in menus, but now I don't think I'd be able to survive, otherwise.

As for the story, it's beginning to approach comprehensible, although I'm not holding out hope that this'll last the rest of the game. I assume it'll follow the standard Square-Enix Path to Bullshit: series of seemingly random events -> a party brought together to unseat the evil empire (I'm here) -> deeper mysteries uncovered -> something about gods and magic -> fucking bullshit.

• In a mark of particularly evil genius, some asshole decided to make the next dungeon in a mine on a floating island. Yes, an above-ground tunnel. Dick!

Progress: Bhujerba