This is an issue I've been wanting to bring up for a while now.
Thievery is "steals x speed / 2" Even at the stat topic levels/speed it's like 650-700 steals for max, and only about 350-400 to match or even best his physical. Most monsters have 3-4 (0-1 rare) items and with Bandit, stealing is basically 100%. The time and effort needed for this is being way overestimated.
The specific issues over time and difficulty in leveling it up aside. I'm not sure how, in a league full of
celestial/final weapon carrying, Ultima casting (Terra), monster and (secret) Aeon summoning fighters, an easily learned attack from a game with a set class skill system could cause so many people problems. It's Zidane's second best offensive attack (max damage + ITD) after Soul Blade.
But as bad as the Thievery issue is. It can't compare with that of Dragon's Crest. I mean I seriously wonder if evryone literally just forgot about Freya's best offensive skill and damage. (9999, ITD, 3HKO)
100 x number of dragons killed (by the party, not only Freya) = damage
There are at least six dragon types of monsters in the game that count as kills. A few of which are low level and literally everywhere. Plus the Grand Dragons, which are great for leveling up (35,000 exp) and are susceptible to Quina’s Lv.5 Death. (Lv. 60) So there is little reason why you wouldn't have it fully leveled and no reason for it not to be at least substantially so. (7000-8000+ and still 3HKO)
I remember having it maxed by the time I learned it, before I even knew how it worked.
Regarding the topic itself, I think there should at least be a LISTING of Thievery, just so people remember it exists. Just put the formula for damage instead of an actual damage figure. Then at least people can just figure out what they think is a reasonable number of steals and plug in (or if they remember their endgame damage figure, just use that). Seems like a flat out bad idea to leave off moves completely regardless.
I couldn't agree more.
I find it unfortunate that even though a lot of times spells and skills with no use here in the DL get listed for other games, but yet both Zidane and Freya's best attacks get left out/off completely and very few people seem to have a problem with it.
You need 99 frogs collect to get Gastro Fork
The stats for Quina are taken with him having the Gastro Fork, you MUST HAVE CAUGHT 99 FROGS to get the Gastro Fork :V
And what is it exactly that Terra has/gets for leveling up to 99? (well other than Ultima, which obviously must be purely coincidental....obviously)
There's no practical reason to interpret Zidane as having a crapload of steals, because honestly, you have little reason to be having 450 steals throughout the entire game apart from item farming, which is impractical in itself for something of this nature, IMO.
...and collecting rare items, gaining free HP and MP healing items. (especially useful when in the middle of nowhere or in a dungeon) And, oh yeah, powering up Zidane's best attack.