[Spoilers!] WoR Mechcanically Most Optimal Route?
Greetings, all!
I've played through FFVI many times since it was released, mostly on the SNES. I'm on the GBA version now so I can do the new content.
The World of Ruin (WoR) was one of my favorite parts of the game since it's early open world RPG fun. However, for this run, I was curious if there's a mechanically optimal way to access all the available content with a minimum of grinding across the whole game.
My preferred way of handling the WoR after Cid is listed below. My method was to do all the pre-airship stuff: Get Sabin, beat Phunbaba the first time, and loot the world as much as we can. Save before getting the airship, move the airship as high as possible without moving horizontally, and fight Doom Gaze. (I'm unsure if that's his default starting position, but it's worked reliably for me.)
Assume "loot the world to the best of our ability" in each phase.
Phase 1: Fast stuff.
Visit Phoenix Cave, change the party to be a 3-pack, and get Gau on the Veldt. Change my party to what I want.
Get Bum Rush near Narshe. Get Palidor from Solitary Isle. Get Terra from Mobliz after fully killing Phunbaba. Float the party then kill the Opera House Earth Dragon.
Phase 2: Narshe.
Get Mog and the Moogle Charm. Possibly return to the airship and put him in the party. Fight Tritoch then the Ice Dragon. Get Terrato and beat up Umaro so he joins.
Phase 3: Kefka's Teaser
Equip Mog with his Moogle Charm and run through the first part of Kefka's Tower with him in each party. Warp out or use the cranes to escape each time.
Phase 4: Gogo-a-go go!
Get Gogo from Triangle Island. Enjoy briefly being lunch for a Zone Eater.
Phase 5: Arts & Farts
Visit Jidoor, rescue Relm, then rescue Strago. Use Strago and maybe also Gau to learn the desired Blue spells, including Tsunami from the Water Dragon, Big Guard from the Solitary Island Land Rays (Sketchy!), White Wind from the Solitary Island Peppers (Sketchy, sketchy!), and Aero from Storm Dragon.
Ensure Strago is around for Mt. Zozo (and get Lover Boy Cyan while there) and the Ancient Castle to get these. While we're at it, if Mog doesn't already know Water Rondo and we're on GBA, put him in the party and sail between Nikeah and South Figaro to find Leviathan and learn it. Just because.
Phase 6: Hot Necrophilia
Phoenix Cave time for real! Kill the Red Dragon along the way. Get Locke and Phoenix. Have him fruitlessly pine for his dead GF. Fail to use a Phoenix Down or Life spell to fix her when we've been doing that on our party members all game. Start learning Life3/Reraise.
Make Locke forget his awkward love interest by looting Narshe's civilized areas. Get the Cursed Shield then determine if you're grinding hundreds of fights to fix it. Get the Ragnarok and use it well. Either works. I've always taken the esper.
Phase 7: Cultist Simulator
Get your steps in as you slowly walk or quickly rush up the tower with the Moogle Charm. Berserk the MagiMaster and get the Gem Box.
Phase 8: LEEROY JENKINS! (Brave New World fans will probably get it.)
Strago and Relm take their 2 best friends who likely have better stats to Thamasa, open Hidon's Rock, and overstuff a gluttonous mimic until it dies from indigestion and suffocation. Strago also learns GrandTrain/Black Omen/super move.
Phase 9: The Shadow. The Shadow? The Shadow.
Head (back) to the Veldt Cave, clear it out, then bet the Striker to get Shadow. Use him if you want.
Phase 10: I Dreamed a Dream in Days Gone By...
Take Cyan and 3 fellow dreamers to snooze in Doma Castle. Kill the 3 Stooges, and enjoy the pre-Earthbound psychadelic backgrounds.
Phase 11: Clean Up
Finish your pre-Kefka preparations and have at him! Just steal a Ragnarok during the third phase of the final boss fight for use in postgame content.
Phase 12: Post-Game
Preparations, Dragon's Den, Soul Shrine. Mostly applies to the Game Boy Advance (GBA) version.
I chose this setup to prioritize fast progress and get access to powerful party members and items sooner. Gau has been very swingy for me in the early game and I've barely used him in 30 years of playing. (Whatever he does, others can do without checking a spreadsheet every time.)
Some amount of grinding, however intentional, is likely, such as to fight an extra battle to push someone to the next level or learn that next spell.
What do you say?
Thankee! Smile! Lord Jesus loves you!