Cards is a side game to Final Fantasy VIII. While they can provide useful
additions to refining and raising stats, they are not essential to the
adventure. Cards cannot be bought or sold,
 but
are acquired in the following ways:
1) Collected and
2) Refined into useful items, magic etc
3) by winning triple triad card battles
4) Turning monster into a card using the
card command ability.
5) obtaining a monster's, boss's or GF's
card after battle. Some are dropped randomly some you will get immediately.
Aim Of The Game:Two players place cards in turn, one at a time, on a 3x3
grid called the battle area. Your opponents cards are shaded reddish-pink, your
own cards are shaded blue. A player can turn over an opponents card under
conditions that are explained below.
Basically, a card with a higher value on the side adjacent to the opponents card
will turn
over the opponents card to your own shaded colour. The one with the most shaded
colour wins. Cards that have already been placed cannot turn over a new card.
This card could be turned over if you or the opponent places a card with a
higher value near it so they touch. Depending on the rules, the winner gains at
least one of the cards that his/her opponent have used during the game.
Card Information:
 Each card has a picture on it, this is either of a
monster, player/character or a guardian force. The four number in the top left
corner of the card are it's value. The numbers go from a possible 1-9 or A. 1 is
the lowest value, A is the highest. The higher the values, the more powerful the
card. Sometimes you may see an elemental symbol on the card. These will only be
available during the game, if the Elemental rule is applied.
Note: be careful when choosing your cards, make sure to pick only the
highest values to make sure you have a good chance of winning.
Elemental Symbols:
Thunder,
Earth,
Ice,
Wind,
Poison,
Fire,
Water and
Holy.
Elements are weak against the opposing element. For example fire is weak against
water. Keep this in mind when placing cards. Visit the rules section for more
information.
Gameplay:
When a card is played, it's values are assessed and compared to any
cards which are adjacent on the grid. If no cards are adjacent, no assessment is
made and game continues.
If a card is placed next to card already on the grid, the values on
corresponding sides of the cards are assessed. For example, in the card play
below the blue card is placed on the east side of the red card.
 
The two cards are assessed. The corresponding value on the
resting card (east, 6) is compared to
the corresponding value on the challenging
card (west, 1). Because the challenging
value is less than the resting value - (1 <
6) - there is no action made.
Should the situation be like in the one depicted above the
challenging value (A) is higher than the
resting value (6). When this occurs,
the losing card is changed in colour. In this situation, the
challenging card will turn the
resting card blue.
It is only when a challenging card is of higher value that a colour
change is made in normal rules, some rules apply that when the values are the
same they change. Visit the rules section for more info on this.
Types of Cards:There are a total of 110 different cards. Most of them
can be attained by playing cards with other people, some are only obtained after
battles, and others can only be won of 1 individual and are considered rare. You
can hold upto 100 copies of cards. However, you can only hold 1 copy of a rare
card. Card levels make up these categories:
Challenging:Challenging people to a card game is easy. Approach a
person in normal fashion and press the SQUARE button. If the person is a card
player they'll most likely to accept your challenge. If not, they'll converse
with you normally.
You can obtain a few cards at the beginning of the game, in Balamb Garden, go to
the man sitting down in the 2F corridor and talk to him. He will hand you some
cards. Its now time to start challenging people and winning more. After a while
it will get easier and easier and you will be getting cards in no time. |
