Final Fantasy X (US) Omega Ruins Side-Quest FAQ
Written by thgink999(Darryl Knight, DKnight2@san.rr.com)
Written for: GameFAQs.com
Version 1.0 3/05/2002
The usual LEGAL wording that I guess I should put here like everyone else
does. This guide was written by me. The theory behind this FAQ was my idea.
You don't have to steal it from me, ask me before posting or including it
in any other form. I like fame as much as anyone else so I'll probably
allow you to use it. I'm new at this, but I will take it seriously if my
very first FAQ gets ripped off. If you use it without my permission, I will
take all appropriate steps to resolve. Copyright Darryl Knight, 03/05/2002
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Table of Contents
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* Preface
* Theory
* Statistics
* Chest Contents
* Frequently Asked Questions
* Credits and Acknowledgements
This whole Side-Quest idea came about after playing FFX my second time
through and discovering the contents of the last chest contained Warp
Sphere x99. I was thrilled to say the least and immediately went to the FAQ
pages to find out how I had missed such a key item find. I couldn't find
any reference to Warp Sphere except that Nemesis drops them. Knowing this
was important and several FAQ walkthroughs were being written at the same
time. I emailed my findings to some of the authors, and StoneKotr (Francis
Bilodeau) included my email contribution to his FAQ. The quest had begun!
I went to the Message Boards only to find references to the Ultimania Guide
and that the Warp Sphere x99 in the last of the 12 chests in Omega Ruins
was a "random" event. I wasn't satisfied with this notion, but I continued
with my second game to completion.
Wanting more to do after I completed my game, I went back to Omega Ruins to
"see" for myself if this event was actually "random" event or not. Armed
with a 'clean' SAVE before the Ruins of my last game, I went in to do
research on this.
Here's how it went:
I repeated my SAVE over and over and over again....100 times in fact and
wrote down how many chests I opened each time and using the SAME order to
open them. Initially, I assumed the "random" event outlined by my
colleagues on the message boards. I wanted to find out how long a "random"
generator would take to 'hit' my chosen chest order or as Ultimania puts it
"hit" the odds on each individual chest (using my order). As you can
presumably understand it was boring, so at around the 50th attempt I began
experimenting with TIME, and that's when everything started to change. I
started opening MORE and MORE chests! After going over the data, a pattern
showed up, and testing began using a "Time Based" theory rather than the
"random" theory previously touted by the Ultimania Guide and universally
accepted as fact.
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Theory
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THE WHOLE THING IS TIMED !!!
This was my original quote on the GameFAQs message board on 2-25-02 after
initially testing the "Time Based" theory. Now with over 700 attempts at
the quest and all the data I've logged, the results confirm the original
hypothesis. Two compatible time base methods have been confirmed as of this
version. The "original" and a technique I've simply called "doubling".
The basic concept uses the actual number of chests in the room at any given
moment as the premise of the counting method. Counting is achieved by the
player mentally (or verbally) counting off the seconds before opening a
particular chest in a room. Data suggests that the actual count used by the
game uses 'rounding' to whole seconds (ie. slightly more than a count, goes
to the next whole second).
Counting begins when you arrive at the chest, NOT when you stop moving.
Accuracy is critical, but not impossible. If you hated Chocobo Racing to
get 0:0.0 using a timer, then you'll hate this too. The exception here is,
the prize is much more valuable!
First, the "Original Method" of counting:
1. Upon entering a room, note how many chests (important)
2. Approach a chest and begin counting off the number of chests in the
room, then OPEN
3. Go to the next chest and count off (but now there is one less chest),
then OPEN
4. Repeat for each of the chests in the room
Second, is the "Doubling Method" of counting:
1. Upon entering a room, note how many chests (important) and double it
(double count)
2. Approach a chest and begin counting off the double count in the room,
then OPEN
3. Go to the next chest and count off the double count (but now there is
one less chest), then OPEN
4. Repeat for each of the chests in the room
This "Doubling Method" does NOT work (statistically significant) in the
"room with four chests"! You must use the "Original Method" in the fourth
room for best results. Each room is also timed with a maximum time to
achieve opening the chests, except the "room with four chests". If the
maximum time expires, you lose ALL of the chests in that room as if you had
opened a "trapped" chest. The "room with four chests" is an exception to
the rule (just to mess with you a little). It's the ONLY room that you can
leave and the chests do not disappear after opening a chest. Even though
you can do this, it is not recommended because of the timing issues
involved.
According to the "random" theory as expressed in the Ultimania Guide the
game decides if the chest you choose in a particular room is trapped or not
using the following calculations:
Room with 2 chests, the odds are:
1/3 that the first chest is trapped, 1/3 that the second chest is
trapped, and 1/3 chance that none of chests are trapped at all.
Room with 3 chests, the odds are:
1/4 that the first chest is trapped, 1/4 that the second chest is
trapped, 1/4 that the third chest is trapped, and 1/4 chance that none
of chests are trapped at all.
Room with 4 chests, the odds are:
1/5 that the first chest is trapped, 1/5 that the second chest is
trapped, 1/5 that the third chest is trapped, 1/5 that the fourth chest
is trapped, and 1/5 chance that none of chests are trapped at all.
So, we are left to accept that the odds are 1/240 (3x4x4x5) of getting all
12 chests without encountering a single trap. If you ask me, that's hell.
According to the "timing" theory as expressed by myself, the player decides
if the chest chosen in a particular room is trapped or not. Now, let's look
at how the statistics stack up if you now know you have an element of
control in the outcome of your choice. Meaning that, if you know when an
event is going to occur, then matching that event is now determined by the
error invoked in the choice. Data suggests a "rounding up" in the final
choice. The range of error allowed is unknown, but its small, and less than
one second. If we follow standard rounding rules, it's greater than 1/2
second, it may be less than that (and probably is).
For example, if the players' time is 0.7 seconds, it is rounded up to 1
second, if its 0.4 its instantaneous (or zero) using standard rounding.
Using this criterion, and a "worst" case scenario of a 50% error, then the
calculations are:
Room with 2 chests, the odds are:
1/2 x (1/3) that the 1st chest is trapped, 1/2 x (1/3) that the 2nd chest
is trapped, and 1/2 x (1/3) chance that none of chests are trapped at
all.
Room with 3 chests, the odds are:
1/2 x (1/3) that the first chest is trapped, 1/2 x (1/3) that the second
chest is trapped, 1/2 x (1/3) that the third chest is trapped, and 1/2 x
(1/3) chance that none of chests are trapped at all.
Room with 4 chests, the odds are:
1/2 x (1/5) that the first chest is trapped, 1/2 x (1/5) that the second
chest is trapped, 1/2 x (1/5) that the third chest is trapped, 1/2 x
(1/5) that the fourth chest is trapped, and 1/2 x (1/5) chance that none
of the chests are trapped at all.
Now, we see the results of our efforts, (1/2) x (3x4x4x5) or 1/120 of
getting all 12 chests without encountering a single trap. That's HALF the
original odds! The best part is, as you reduce your timing error, the odds
GO DOWN!
The key is to reduce your error. The lower the error in your counting, the
odds at getting all the chests decreases.
When opening the 12 chests, choose any order you like. The contents of the
chests will always be the same. The contents of successfully opening the
chests will be:
Q. Can I SAVE my progress after opening chests?
A. No, you cannot SAVE or leave the Ruins during the quest. If you do, the
item list will change and you will start getting duplicates of some
items. Any deviation from the item list in the previous section says you
did something wrong.
Q. I enter the room. There are X chests. I approach chest 1, count X times,
open, success. I move to the next chest. I count X-1 times, open,
success, etc. until I get to the last one. I count once, open, trap.
Every time.
A. I got that at first also, I kept trying. It all comes down to timing.
Remember, start counting when you get to the chest, not when you stop
moving. It's probably rounding error. I actually practiced with a second
hand on a clock to get the timing down.
Q. What is the "Brute Force" method?
A. Start from a SAVED game, then pick an order you'd like to open the
chests in, and do it. If it fails, reload and use that same pattern and
try it again. Do it over and over until you get it.
Q. Shouldn't a better Luck score on your characters increase your odds of
getting all 12 chests?
A. I don't know, I haven't tried that one.
Q. Does it matter which chest I open first? Should I open the closest one
to me as I enter?
A. I found no statistical correlation. I don't have the data to say YES and
likewise, I can't say NO.
Q. Do I have to open all the chests in a room?
A. Yes, if you leave, the remaining chests will disappear...forever.
Q. Why is the room with four chests an exception?
A. I don't know. This room has some peculiar traits. You can leave and the
chests do not disappear. The timing method favors the "Original" method.
The LAST chest doesn't always fall into the pattern. Other than that, I
would just be guessing. If you find out, let ME know!
Q. Does the order depend on other events in the game before I get to Omega
Ruins?
A. I don't think so, because the timing method has been tested by others
with a variety of "events" leading up to their appearance in the Ruins
and their results seem consistent.
Q. How many times have you achieved Warp Sphere x99?
A. 14, over the course of this study. Not all have been through counting
though. I tried variations during the sampling, so the actual results
are "tainted" (statistically speaking, of course).
Q. Based on your results alone, what is the chance that your results could
happen all by chance?
A. Good question, I would've had to have been VERY lucky indeed. I recorded
a 70% increase in non- trapped chests using this method. I still screw
up on the timing myself, but now I usually know before I press X that
I'm just going for chance.
Q. How do you count?
A. 1,2,3...no seriously, I tried one one thousand, two one thousand, etc.
but I couldn't get consistent enough with it so I personally used one
thousand,one...one thousand, two...one thousand, three, etc. I guess its
whatever works for you.
Q. If I miss the timing on a chest, what should I do?
A. Go for it. You now have a 50/50 chance of getting back on the timing set
up from the first chest. Consider yourself lucky if you hit it. Next
time, keep track of your counting.
Q. I'm skeptical, does your method really work?
A. I was too at first. All I ask is that you try it. Others have and say it
does. I'm OK with that.
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Credits and Acknowledgements
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Olivier Hague > For reminding me of the 'randomness' and the odds
Stonekotr > For listing my observations in his walkthrough
dimshade > for going the extra mile
Goobers > for defending me
dgcopter > for giving it merit and trying it
Egomaniacal1 > for a lot of support
aukevin > for trying
HolyBallZ > for support and all the BUMPs
Milehka > for noticing I was "utterly insane"
Hunter_Santorius > for noticing I was persistent
Aerius > for support
OmniFreak85 > for trying and defending me
neogbf > comments on Luck scores
SnareKick23 > suggestions on "nearest" chest
ranmafan > another suggesting I write the FAQ
lavarock > a promise to try it, next game
vOodoO_majic > for comments
Fricassee > comments about odds and lotteries
