We Play Tales of Symphonia

[kittyxiii]

Don't, save your grade for NG+. You'll find plenty of EX gems by just playing normally.

 

I'll answer the questions after I reach the checkpoint.

Yeah, that's what I thought but I wanted to double check thanks for the reply!

[NullRay85]

Checkpoint 2 reached, took me a while since I accidentally explored a bit and ended-up being in Asgard (fortunately, I quickly managed to avoid going further.)

 

Discussion #1

    

 

1- First impressions of the game? Have you played these type of games before?

I'm finding it really enjoyable. Not really, I'm more used to traditional JRPGs such as Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, and Final Fantasy.

 

2- Thoughts on the story so far? Does it engage you?
Pretty good so far. I like the exposition and I feel it's going to be a good one. Yeah, I'm interested in what will happen to the party next.
 

3- Thoughts on Lloyd? Is he a relate-able protagonist?

Lloyd is pretty cool. Yes, he fights for what he thinks is right and will always be there for those in need.

4- Favorite character so far? Why?

Have to say Lloyd. His battle-style suits me and he's really a fun character. Also, he looks a bit similar to one of my favorite anime characters, Vash The Stampede from Trigun, if you give him blond hair and a gun.

 

                                          Vash 

 

                                         Lloyd
5- How are you finding the gameplay? If you played previous Tales games, how does gameplay compare to other entries in the series?

The gameplay is pretty addicting. I normally hate grinding in RPGs, but in Symphonia, I don't mind since the gameplay is fun.

6- Favorite party? Do you take an offensive or technical approach in battles?

Lloyd, Colette, Raine, and Kratos. I'm balanced in my approaches. I have Lloyd and Colette taking the offensive while Raine and Kratos provide back-up.

 

7- Symphonia has been out for a while now-- over 12 years. How are you finding the presentation (music, voice acting, visuals)? Does the HD version do a good of polishing things up?
I really like the art-style of the game, the use of bright colors give it a sense of life. The chibi character models are nice, Colette being the cutest The soundtrack is amazing, I'm having a blast listening to it. The voice-acting, on the other hand, is so-so. It may grow on me later on.

 

8- Did you like the anime intro at the beginning?

Yes, it was pretty awesome. Gives you a taste of the adventure that awaits you.

 

9- How are the boss fights so far? Did the fight against the Ktugach in Triet Ruins give you any trouble?
OK, if you manage your party well. At first, yes. But as I leveled-up my party it was a piece of cake.

10- Are you having any trouble with the game? Difficulty leveling up, dealing with enemies, earning money, etc. ? Dav is lending us a hand, so don't hesitate to ask him for help.

Not at the moment. Probably the only trouble I'm facing is the money, since I keep spend it on lots of potions and weapons. 

 

11- Any thoughts other thoughts regarding the game?

So far so good. I'm really interested with what will happen next in the story and the gameplay is my favorite aspect at the moment.

 

 

 

Some good discussion points here! I'll put my answers under a spoiler. Also, if you haven't played through the second checkpoint I mentioned some things that happened during that time so be aware of spoilers haha:

 

Tales of Symphonia Discussion #1

1- First impressions of the game? Have you played these type of games before?
This is my 4th Tales of game, I'm really enjoying it! It's taking me some time to get used to the story but I'm getting into it. I'm not a fan of the open-world type thing you travel in between towns and such though, but I finally found a cornerstone so I can use Noishe in the Triet Desert area which was really cool.

2- Thoughts on the story so far? Does it engage you?
It's interesting, for sure. I haven't gotten around to play Zesteria yet but I watched the Anime special when it first aired and it reminds of the Shepard (someone is born every few centuries to save the world type thing). I'm curious to see what happens to Colette with every trial we complete, Kratos is slowly growing on me, I'm waiting to see how old Genis and Raine really are and if they were around for the previous chosen ones. Also, I do not trust Colette's '''''father''''' (Riemiel, is it? It's something like that anyway) like at all. I'm not as engaged as I was with say Graces F, but that may be because we haven't hit the full story yet. I'm hoping we learn more about the human ranches (yuck) and the Desains as a whole, especially mysterious blue haired man in the base/dungeon and the assassin in the Ossa trail - why do you want to kill me!? I haven't done anything!... I hope.

3- Thoughts on Lloyd? Is he a relate-able protagonist?
I think he's relatable in the way that he has strong morals and isn't afraid to stick up for what's right. He's a cool guy though, I just really hope he doesn't develop some sort of White Knight Syndrome the further we get into the game haha

4- Favorite character so far? Why?
Ohhhhh. Does Noishe count? I love me some animal protagonists. If I had to pick a human though, I don't think I have a favourite quite yet. Give me a few more checkpoints for someone to grow on me further

5- How are you finding the gameplay? If you played previous Tales games, how does gameplay compare to other entries in the series?
The gameplay is relatively the same to the other Tales of games I've played, I really like being able to regain hp/tp by cooking meals after a battle is complete, and unlocking different attacks mid-battle is a really nice touch. Although am I right in assuming that there's no free running available in the fights? That's a bit annoying, although I haven't tried it yet so it could appear in the future. Also, like I mentioned earlier, I really don't like the open world part mostly due to the camera and the randomly appearing enemies, I'm sure it'll grow on me soon enough though.

6- Favorite party? Do you take an offensive or technical approach in battles?
As of now I'm controlling Lloyd, Kratos helps heal the party and since Colette gained her wings Angel Feathers has made her super OP so I keep her around for magic. I switch out Raine and Genis in the battles depending what I need to prioritise in the battle (Raine for healing and Genis for magic). I try to have a mix between offense, defense and healing, but I leave the offensive fighting to myself and have the others focus on more of the technical/magic attacks.

7- Symphonia has been out for a while now-- over 12 years. How are you finding the presentation (music, voice acting, visuals)? Does the HD version do a good of polishing things up?
Well, the voice acting is... something. There have been moments where I'm not sure how I feel about it haha. Visually speaking it's aesthetically pleasing but the textures and faces are occasionally pixilated but it's not game breaking or distracting. The music, though - one of the good things I heard about the Symphonia chronicles was the music and I wholeheartedly agree, it's beautiful - I keep finding myself staying in the same place like Triet just to listen to it. I can't compare it to the original since this is the first time I've played it but it sounds like it's held up.

8- Did you like the anime intro at the beginning?
I thought it was really cool! The song is catchy and it looks good. I wouldn't say it's my favourite Tales of intro but I liked it.

9- How are the boss fights so far? Did the fight against the Ktugach in Triet Ruins give you any trouble?
They've been alright, it took me two goes to defeat the Ktugac because I was a bit underlevelled and wasn't fighting well at all but it was easier the second time around. I actually found the fake chest in the opening hall of the ruins more difficult, I had to level up a bit further to actually defeat it, but it may be more difficult for reasons I've yet to discover haha

10- Are you having any trouble with the game? Difficulty leveling up, dealing with enemies, earning money, etc. ? Dav is lending us a hand, so don't hesitate to ask him for help.
Other than the fake chest, not being the right level when facing some of the bosses and running out of gold quite quickly I'm good haha. I can just spend some time grinding and running into every battle I can before moving onto the next area so I'm okay... for now. I'll be sure to request assistance if I need it Also, a question for anyone who's already played the game in case you're reading this - is it worth spending any grade you've earned on EX gems or should I leave it to another playthrough? I've already accidentally bought one though so I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing haha

11- Any thoughts other thoughts regarding the game?
I really like how at certain points you can reply to a conversation or decide where to go with two different options. That may become a pain later on, but it's something I'm enjoying now. I can already tell trying to get all of the titles and chests will be annoying >< I'm looking forward to seeing how everything pans out though!

 

 

I agree with everything you said.  The camera angles when free-roaming are a pain, since it can obstruct your path.

Edited November 7, 2015 by NullRay85

[Dav9834]

Checkpoint 2 reached, took me a while since I accidentally explored a bit and ended-up being in Asgard (fortunately, I quickly managed to avoid going further.)

 

Discussion #1

    

 

1- First impressions of the game? Have you played these type of games before?

I'm finding it really enjoyable. Not really, I'm more used to traditional JRPGs such as Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, and Final Fantasy.

 

2- Thoughts on the story so far? Does it engage you?Pretty good so far. I like the exposition and I feel it's going to be a good one. Yeah, I'm interested in what will happen to the party next.

 

3- Thoughts on Lloyd? Is he a relate-able protagonist?

Lloyd is pretty cool. Yes, he fights for what he thinks is right and will always be there for those in need.4- Favorite character so far? Why?

Have to say Lloyd. His battle-style suits me and he's really a fun character. Also, he looks a bit similar to one of my favorite anime characters, Vash The Stampede from Trigun, if you give him blond hair and a gun.

 

                                          Vash 

 

                                         Lloyd5- How are you finding the gameplay? If you played previous Tales games, how does gameplay compare to other entries in the series?

The gameplay is pretty addicting. I normally hate grinding in RPGs, but in Symphonia, I don't mind since the gameplay is fun.6- Favorite party? Do you take an offensive or technical approach in battles?

Lloyd, Colette, Raine, and Kratos. I'm balanced in my approaches. I have Lloyd and Colette taking the offensive while Raine and Kratos provide back-up.

 

7- Symphonia has been out for a while now-- over 12 years. How are you finding the presentation (music, voice acting, visuals)? Does the HD version do a good of polishing things up?I really like the art-style of the game, the use of bright colors give it a sense of life. The chibi character models are nice, Colette being the cutest The soundtrack is amazing, I'm having a blast listening to it. The voice-acting, on the other hand, is so-so. It may grow on me later on.

 

8- Did you like the anime intro at the beginning?

Yes, it was pretty awesome. Gives you a taste of the adventure that awaits you.

 

9- How are the boss fights so far? Did the fight against the Ktugach in Triet Ruins give you any trouble?OK, if you manage your party well. At first, yes. But as I leveled-up my party it was a piece of cake.

10- Are you having any trouble with the game? Difficulty leveling up, dealing with enemies, earning money, etc. ? Dav is lending us a hand, so don't hesitate to ask him for help.

Not at the moment. Probably the only trouble I'm facing is the money, since I keep spend it on lots of potions and weapons. 

 

11- Any thoughts other thoughts regarding the game?

So far so good. I'm really interested with what will happen next in the story and the gameplay is my favorite aspect at the moment.

 

I agree with everything you said.  The camera angles when free-roaming are a pain, since it can obstruct your path.

No unfortunately unlike Xillia there is no free movement in battle however symphonia is still my favorite as of now.

Never buy ex gems, never ever ever your grade is worth wayyy more at the end of the game

[NullRay85]

No unfortunately unlike Xillia there is no free movement in battle however symphonia is still my favorite as of now.

Never buy ex gems, never ever ever your grade is worth wayyy more at the end of the game

Just some questions regarding the game. In future play-throughs, do my EX gems, weapons, levels, etc. carry over?

Since we're talking about EX gems how do you raise your grade? And are there any powerful gems later in the game?

[Xillia]

Just some questions regarding the game. In future play-throughs, do my EX gems, weapons, levels, etc. carry over?

Since we're talking about EX gems how do you raise your grade? And are there any powerful gems later in the game?

The things that carry over depend on what you buy with your grade when you start the NG+ (like titles, monster book, gems, consumables, w/e...). Levels and gear (save for the ultimate weapons) won't carry over but you will be able to buy 10x EXP instead. I'm not sure if you can transfer gald, but I believe you just get the 5x gald bonus.

 

You can just farm the grade on weak monsters before you start the NG+. The general idea is to win quickly and get no damage.

[Omar]

The things that carry over depend on what you buy with your grade when you start the NG+ (like titles, monster book, gems, consumables, w/e...). Levels and gear (save for the ultimate weapons) won't carry over but you will be able to buy 10x EXP instead. I'm not sure if you can transfer gald, but I believe you just get the 5x gald bonus.

 

You can just farm the grade on weak monsters before you start the NG+. The general idea is to win quickly and get no damage.

 

You can actually transfer your gald as well, and there is an option to also increase the grade window in battles, so that you get more grade if you do good and less grade if you do poorly. EX Gems can also be carried over

 

Just some questions regarding the game. In future play-throughs, do my EX gems, weapons, levels, etc. carry over?

Since we're talking about EX gems how do you raise your grade? And are there any powerful gems later in the game?

 

When it comes to EX gems, there are 4 levels of them (plus a gem that gives access to a character's 16 perks), each level has 4 perks attached to it. Perks change depending on which character gets the EX gem (slight increase to some stats, different battle bonuses, etc) 

 

The greatest ace of EX gems is the fact that you can create compound EX skills by having active two or three perks at the same time. Combinations are fixed, so once you figure them out, you can activate the compound EX skill you want at will. Some compound EX skills are extremely useful, so make sure to explore the EX gems system and find them out

 

EX gems also determine the direction a character's skillset goes (Technical (T) or Strike (S))

 

Oh, and Checkpoint #2 has been reached ^^

Edited November 7, 2015 by Omar

[Kyomi-Okami]

I might as well mention for those of you who don't intend to play on higher difficulties. Depending on how bored you are, you can go grind out 256 battles on hard to get Lloyd's Berserker title. It gives Lloyd a huge attack boost per level which makes him super OP.

How would I go about this?

Can I change the difficulty to hard, obtain the title .then change it back or will that affect anything ?

Cause there is so many things to think about with this game ... And I have two jobs

[Xillia]

How would I go about this?

Can I change the difficulty to hard, obtain the title .then change it back or will that affect anything ?

Cause there is so many things to think about with this game ... And I have two jobs

Yup. Just fight the battles and switch back to normal.

[Kyomi-Okami]

Yup. Just fight the battles and switch back to normal.

cool thanks for the tip , looks like it's grind time then.

[NullRay85]

The things that carry over depend on what you buy with your grade when you start the NG+ (like titles, monster book, gems, consumables, w/e...). Levels and gear (save for the ultimate weapons) won't carry over but you will be able to buy 10x EXP instead. I'm not sure if you can transfer gald, but I believe you just get the 5x gald bonus.

 

You can just farm the grade on weak monsters before you start the NG+. The general idea is to win quickly and get no damage.

Thanks for the explanation

You can actually transfer your gald as well, and there is an option to also increase the grade window in battles, so that you get more grade if you do good and less grade if you do poorly. EX Gems can also be carried over

 

 

When it comes to EX gems, there are 4 levels of them (plus a gem that gives access to a character's 16 perks), each level has 4 perks attached to it. Perks change depending on which character gets the EX gem (slight increase to some stats, different battle bonuses, etc) 

 

The greatest ace of EX gems is the fact that you can create compound EX skills by having active two or three perks at the same time. Combinations are fixed, so once you figure them out, you can activate the compound EX skill you want at will. Some compound EX skills are extremely useful, so make sure to explore the EX gems system and find them out

 

EX gems also determine the direction a character's skillset goes (Technical (T) or Strike (S))

 

Oh, and Checkpoint #2 has been reached ^^

Nice, with this in mind our future playthroughs should be a bit more relaxed.

[WidthOfACircle]

I've reached Checkpoint #2 also.

[Xillia]

I have reached Checkpoint #2! I didn't have issues with any of the bosses and I beat the Sword Dancer as well. I also got the Berserker title for Lloyd, Honor Roll for Genis and Turbo Waitress for Colette.

 

1. First impressions of the game? Have you played these type of games before?

It's okay. I've played through the story before on my old account but I didn't do any of the post-game/NG+ stuff because I couldn't be bothered.
 
2. Thoughts on the story so far? Does it engage you?

Honestly, I'm just kinda skipping through the story since I already know what's going on. The story is cool but it gets better later on.
 
3. Thoughts on Lloyd? Is he a relate-able protagonist?
 He's probably the best out of the characters that are playable right now.

4. Favorite character so far? Why?

Hmm... Lloyd, I guess. I don't really care for any of the characters that are available so far. My favourite is still coming up. Honestly, the story in ToS is great, but the reason I don't like it that much is because the characters are lame.
 
5. How are you finding the gameplay? If you played previous Tales games, how does gameplay compare to other entries in the series?

It's okay for an old game though I really miss free running and I can rarely block in the right direction. >_>
 
6. Favorite party? Do you take an offensive or technical approach in battles?

I'm using Lloyd/Kratos/Colette/Genis right now. I haven't needed Raine so far, Kratos' First Aid is good enough to cover for the team and he does tons more damage than Raine.
 
7. Symphonia has been out for a while now-- over 12 years. How are you finding the presentation (music, voice acting, visuals)? Does the HD version do a good of polishing things up?
 I haven't played the original so I can't compare. I don't mind the visuals for the most part, the only thing that bothers me is that Colette looks so much uglier in the game. >_>

8. Did you like the anime intro at the beginning?
 Symphonia's intro is my 3rd favourite of the Tales of openings. Right behind Zestiria's and Xillia's.

9. How are the boss fights so far? Did the fight against Ktugach in Triet Ruins give you any trouble?
Super easy. I haven't had any trouble with the bosses. The Sword Dancer isn't that difficult either. 

10. Are you having any trouble with the game? Difficulty leveling up, dealing with enemies, earning money, etc. ?
 The money comes and goes rather quickly. Nothing else comes to mind.

11. Any other thoughts regarding the game?

I NEED MY HUSBANDO!!

[Omar]

1- First impressions of the game? Have you played these type of games before?

Can't be first impressions because I've played this game from start to finish over 10 times lol I have played almost every Tales game, along with tons of JRPGs so yes, I've played this genre before.

2- Thoughts on the story so far? Does it engage you?

I know how it goes down, but it hooks me in every time. The beginning is a bit shaky compared to the second half, that's where it escalates.

3- Thoughts on Lloyd? Is he a relate-able protagonist?

The best thing about Lloyd is how his character develops without losing his essence. He is also supported by a great cast overall, but then again, the folks joining the party further into the game are stronger quality-wise.

4- Favorite character so far? Why?

Out of the ones in the party at the moment, I'd say Lloyd or Kratos, they stand out compared to the other 3, but I may be a bit biased because I've played the whole thing lol

5- How are you finding the gameplay? If you played previous Tales games, how does gameplay compare to other entries in the series?

Tales of Symphonia was the pioneer on the gameplay scheme used by Tales games from that point on (or better put, its transition into full 3D graphics). The gameplay of this game just never gets old or tiring, never EVER. The lack of free movement feels like a burden after enjoying the feature in Tales games like Xillia or Graces F

6- Favorite party? Do you take an offensive or technical approach in battles?

My party is Lloyd, Genis, Kratos and Raine. Despite Kratos' healing assets, he is strong physically so I don't want him dedicated to healing, hence the use of Raine. Raine actually becomes a party staple

Colette gets in and out of the party so many times that it's just annoying to have her in the main 4 lol

7- Symphonia has been out for a while now-- over 12 years. How are you finding the presentation (music, voice acting, visuals)? Does the HD version do a good of polishing things up?

The music remains epic, the cel shading remains cool-looking, animations and gameplay feel a bit dated but still fun. The story themes are uber cliché these days, not so much when the original ToS came out lol

8- Did you like the anime intro at the beginning?

The anime intro is really amazing, I loved how the PS3 version's intro kept the original song, the EU Gamecube release put an instrumental composition instead.

9- How are the boss fights so far? Did the fight against the Ktugach in Triet Ruins give you any trouble?

Boss fights in this game are a matter of knowing what you are doing to make things easier for you. Ktugach becomes a joke when you take the time to disable every Genis spell excluding Aqua Edge  (of course, I did not know that when I first played the game lmao)

10- Are you having any trouble with the game? Difficulty leveling up, dealing with enemies, earning money, etc. ? Dav is lending us a hand, so don't hesitate to ask him for help.

If I was having issues after so many runs, that would be worrying hahahaha everything absolutely okay so far, actually playing a Mania NG+ for this We Play, I'm in for the challenge

11- Any thoughts other thoughts regarding the game?

Very few games have the power to keep me entertained run after run after run.....Tales of Symphonia is certainly one of them!

Edited November 9, 2015 by Omar

[Superbuu3]

I'd like 3 more people at least to hit the checkpoint before we continue, if they don't we move forward on Friday regardless.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Superbuu3

[Kurorac]

Hey guys,

 

just wanted to say that I can't play this week because I'm on a seminar the whole week for my job. I will play again next week and will get to the point where everyone else is, even if you move on to Checkpoint #3

[sweetcoop]

Checkpoint #1 has been reached. I hope to reach checkpoint #2 by the end of the week.

[Superbuu3]

Hey guys,

 

just wanted to say that I can't play this week because I'm on a seminar the whole week for my job. I will play again next week and will get to the point where everyone else is, even if you move on to Checkpoint #3

No worries I understand people may have busy schedules.

 

Checkpoint #1 has been reached. I hope to reach checkpoint #2 by the end of the week.

Cool nice progress seeing as you just started. I'm sure you'll catch up in no time.

[sinnriel]

my progress has taken a back seat at the mo as im working on geting plats primed for the plat rain event wich ends on 1-3 jan, il creep along on this one sorry buu

[Superbuu3]

As promised new checkpoint, if you're not using a guide you may want to wait an hour or two to see if any of the advisors recommend anything in particular. I am hoping people are able to catch up over the weekend, hence I made sure to get this checkpoint up at a decent time today.

 

Checkpoint 3 - Reach Hima, The Village of Adventurers

Dav9834's advice:

Do not go to asgard first!!
Sorry I was up late last night and just saw the post!
Go straight Luin! You won't miss it, it's in the middle of that continent, with a lot of trees around.

In luin, get the wonder chef and buy 2 or more rabbits feet! Plus the dog(I think the dogs there). Grind to get the gald for the rabbits feet if you need to. Later in the game you'll use them enough to justify the cost and time.

Then go to asgard and continue the story

Edited November 13, 2015 by Superbuu3

[Dav9834]

As promised new checkpoint, if you're not using a guide you may want to wait an hour or two to see if any of the advisors recommend anything in particular. I am hoping people are able to catch up over the weekend, hence I made sure to get this checkpoint up at a decent time today.

 

Checkpoint 3 - Reach Hima, The Village of Adventurers

Do not go to asgard first!!

Sorry I was up late last night and just saw the post!

Go straight Luin! You won't miss it, it's in the middle of that continent, with a lot of trees around.

In luin, get the wonder chef and buy 2 or more rabbits feet! Plus the dog(I think the dogs there). Grind to get the gald for the rabbits feet if you need to. Later in the game you'll use them enough to justify the cost and time.

Then go to asgard and continue the story

[Omar]

To make it fully clear, reaching Hima means making it to the point in the story in which the party first HAS TO go to Hima, right? I ask because from the moment you cross into the Luin region, you can basically hit Hima anytime you want  

 

I will put in a spoiler the very first moment the party HAS TO go to Hima:

 

After a first and short visit to the Asgard Human Ranch, a party member will suggest going to Hima to ask someone for advice on how to infiltrate the ranch again.

 

If everybody agrees, we could make that the checkpoint to avoid people stopping at different spots

 

Also, FOLLOW Dav9834's tip and do what you have to do in Luin ASAP

[Xillia]

Do not go to asgard first!!

Sorry I was up late last night and just saw the post!

Go straight Luin! You won't miss it, it's in the middle of that continent, with a lot of trees around.

In luin, get the wonder chef and buy 2 or more rabbits feet! Plus the dog(I think the dogs there). Grind to get the gald for the rabbits feet if you need to. Later in the game you'll use them enough to justify the cost and time.

Then go to asgard and continue the story

Why do you need the Rabbit's Feet? I tried looking it up and everyone just says that you need two, but not why. Put it in spoiler tags if necessary.

[Myu]

Hello everyone!

I'll join you from now on

 

I'm pretty happy to play this game as a group !

[Xillia]

Aaaand I've reached the third checkpoint.

[Dav9834]

Why do you need the Rabbit's Feet? I tried looking it up and everyone just says that you need two, but not why. Put it in spoiler tags if necessary.

Directly from my (maybe one day) guide.

 

Read at your own discretion,

I will tell you when they are necessary so there is no need to read the spoiler, even if it doesn't spoil much. When the checkpoint comes close I will post so you won't have to worry otherwise. They are not trophy related technically. However they do make getting one of the trophies more worthwhile in game, and also later they can make it easier for something I had come across, but won't post until the guide is up or you reach the end as no-one else on the internet has come across this.

 

When you get Zelos as a character-

 

"Equip both on Zelos, give him an Ex Gem Lv2, equip him with "personal", make him the onscreen character and talk to all the females in town. (Leave him as the on screen character for these times) This allows you to get a much higher chance of very rare items while working on the trophy Gigolo.

If you get a "Rune Bottle" and/or "Hourglass", hold on to them, they are rare and very helpful later in the game.

Hint: You can talk to females more than once to get more rare items, you have to leave the town you're in and re-enter, take advantage of this.

Hint: Don't forget to talk to the female children as disgusting as it sounds.

Knowledge: Your odds of getting a rare item is based on Zelos's luck(thus the need for rabbit feet), however after every time you talk to a female with his personal skill on and receive an item, his luck stat changes, so there's no way of keeping it at a stable number regardless of what you've read before. If you're looking for rare items, just keep talking."

 

 

Also rune bottles can be use to get you an infinite amount of gald late in the game, so having them before hand is a convenience as you won't have to grind for them.

 

And that's it, nothing extremely special, however extremely convenient, and worthwhile very early on in the game.