Archades

Moving on up from the old section of Archades, the party enters the Empire’s center. The city is gleaming and is bustling with activity. All the stepped buildings and geometric, metal embellishments exude Art Deco panache. It looks like the city from 1927’s Metropolis.

Vaan goes running up to the edge of a walkway gawking at some George Jetson cars. Penelo tells him that he has changed. But then she says he has always been impatient to get out of Rabanastre. Vaan changes the subject by reminding her that Larsa is there. Then both of them are all “I can’t believe we are so cool!” Basch interrupts and talks his Cro-Magnon talk: “Good Vaan – me work for princess.”

There are a lot of new items in Archades and it is good to buy them now. Just be careful making your purchases, you must have at least 2500 Gil left over for the next area. This is also the last chance you have to get some items for a very difficult boss fight.
- Level: 32
- Don’t upgrade your black magick yet, they are useless against the next boss as he will just reflect them back.
- Upgrade your tanks’ equipment – focus most of your upgrades on defense and armor.
- Also make sure everyone in your party has Dispel, haste and protect
- 30 x Hi-Potions, 30 x Phoenix Downs //Yes you need a lot

Venture into the city and Balthier will leave saying he has stuff to do. When you talk to the citizens of the capitol everyone says they are quite well off. However, they usually follow that by saying they still are not that happy. Notice how in Old Archades everyone wants to get to the main city to make their life better. But, talking to people in Archades, they are still unfulfilled. This is an example of the Man Made Does not bring happiness theme.

NIBASSE
At the very south end of this zone is a cab. The driver says he will take you but you must pay a price. You can pay in Gil or Chops. The Gill rate is too high so the only other method is to use chops. Jules appears and says that he will start you with your first one for 2500. Pay it and he tells you how to get more – strange that he is so helpful. He says a friend of Balthier is a friend of mine. Fran stares at him which means he is not a friend of either.

|| HOUR - 46:30 ||

To get chops you will have earn them from the generous citizenry. They reward them for kind deeds so you will have to go around talking to people and telling them good news to get them to give up the chops. Do this by first talking to a person and listening to their story. When prompted, commit the story to memory. Then, talk to more Archadians until you find someone who would be helped by the story you memorized. Select retell story if you think it is appropriate (there is no penalty for telling the wrong story to the wrong person). If the story you tell is helpful to the person, they will give you a chop. Repeat these steps to get a total of Nine chops. You can match up conversations in all four zones of Archades. The pair of conversations will always be in the same zone. To check how many chops you have, open your inventory and find them in the loot category.

|| HOUR - 47:00 || 

TSENOBLE:
When you have the nine chops, go back to the cabbie. The ride will take us to the next part of the city. Balthier arrives to tell us that he found an ride to the research labs. Continue through town and you will see that most of the guards are leaving the city.

Run around this part to find the guards have blocked the entrance. Run around further to see a cut scene where we learn that Jules took the chops Balthier intended to give to us and sold us just one for 2500. All that money and he still can buy a decent shirt or shave off that Jr. High beard. Jules goes on to explain that the lab is in lockdown ever since Vayne became dictator. The camera zooms in and it looks like it is Jule’s exposed mid drift is talking.

Go back to the cab and talk to the guide. Select the option “You know where to go” – nudge nudge, know whatahmean, say no more. Confirm and you will be taken to the super secret lab, by a cabbie.

The cab lands in a huge, awesome looking lab with a giant spinning thing in it.