what I'm actually going to do is list all my characters in order of when I obtained an EX weapon for them and then talk about how fun they've been to use, how much I use them, and their current state of play! or something like that, hahaha

which means, looking at this, turns out my first ever EX character was....

Beatrix!

I actually started playing Opera Omnia last January right around when the Beatrix event happened, specifically because it was happening. The fact that this FF game was going to have her as a permanent playable character was reason enough to give it a go.

Last January as in 2019, that is. Anyway, Beatrix was the first Global First character, released to celebrate the global anniversary, and that also inspired me to play the game. I wasn't used to devs giving that much oomph to their global version! Poor JP had to wait another eight or so months before they finally got Beatrix!

Anyway, Beatrix wasn't broken on release, but she was very very good, and everyone knew it. She was getting a lot of use across the board at that stage, and I was definitely part of it! Given that I'd only just started playing, she was especially helpful to me.

She brought damage and regen! At that point in the game, that was almost unheard of! A lot of units have caught up at this point, but on release Beatrix was bringing a lot of exciting things to the table.

Alas, she's super out-of-date right now, but her rework is due next month and it should bring her right back into the meta. I'm looking forward to bringing her off the bench ♥

Around the same time I got Beatrix, I also got Garnet! I think it was a happy coincidence that these two were running around the same time, but it made me very happy to have them both going.

Early on, Garnet was really good to me. She had two different options for elemental AOE, and since I was still clearing out the main story she was really useful for clearing out enemies. Her EX skill was also just a big fat heal, and that was really great for me.

These days, she's also out-of-date. Probably even more so than Beatrix, alas. Her EX has a really slow charge, and Y'shtola is right there doing the same thing much much faster and much much better. But her time is coming! Garnet has a rework on the horizon, and she's bringing Alexander with her c:<

The first EX weapon I got without really trying for it was Onion Knight, who I'm pretty sure came home from an anniversary free pull. I was. bemused? Like, sure, I wasn't going to complain, but... some FFIII guy I guess, fine, okay. whatever.

BUT ACTUALLY, turns out I absolutely loved the way his kit plays. He proved himself a versatile little DPS, and I actually loved his personality in the main story as well. So I ended up really happy to have him!

He's been out-of-date for a long time, but as of this week he's had his level cap raised and he's putting in work again! Which I'm really thrilled with, hahaha, really glad to have him off the bench. Welcome back OK.

The next one I got was apparently Celes! I thought for sure there was more of a gap than that, but I guess not!

I have loved using her since the first day I got her. I was determined to have her because she's a top tier FF fav anyway, but I absolutely love her magic tanking role. She isn't perfect for every fight, but when she's appropriate she just dominates.

I used her a lot when I first got her, and she would often come back for particular fights. And she's solid in current content too! Still working her runic magic, and she has very respectable DPS now too. Which, thank god. Her EX skill really needed it.

After her came Zell. I think I got Zell from tickets, but I'm not sure? Regardless, though, I love him and was really happy to get him!

But...... I hardly ever use him ;_; I'm sorry, Zell. You're still a good boy. But I don't really get along with his kit very well. I think he's got use in him, but I just don't click with the play style (even though I love how they've made it reflect his Duel limit). Every time I think about upgrading him, there's someone else who could use it better.

Some day, man. Some day.

Next was Maria, much to my own surprise!

I didn't think I cared about Final Fantasy II, but I liked her design... and then I liked her in the story... and then I liked her kit, and suddenly I was pulling for her. Oops!

And for a while she was really good to me! I still love the sap debuff she brings with her EX, and the spot heals were really great for a while. She's just... so, so out-of-date right now. She can't keep up at all, and it makes me so sad because I really enjoy her. Her rework is still miles off as well, in August or something.

I miss you, Maria. Your star will shine again, I swear it.

Next one I got was Tifa, and for a long while I only used her sporadically. I quite liked her! But her play style involved a lot of turns being used on buffing herself rather than attacking, and that could make things a little tedious.

And it certainly didn't help with meeting turn requirements, either. BUT, Tifa got her rework not that long ago, and damn, she's probably my best melee DPS now by quite a large margin. She doesn't bring too much utility to any party she's in, but she makes up for it be dishing out big numbers with ease.

I'm really glad! One of the things I love most about this game is that every character seems to end up getting their chance sooner or later. I put resources into Tifa even when she was sub-optimal because I like her character, and right now that's come back around in my favour. It makes it feel like nothing is every truly wasted, and that chasing meta

doesn't have to be the be all and end all of gameplay.

After Tifa was... Kuja! I'm pretty sure Kuja was the first character where I specifically saved up 75,000 gems to guarantee myself getting his EX. As it happens I got everything I wanted without having to spend all those stones, but man, I have no regrets. Love that awful boy.

Plus I'll always have fond memories of excitedly pulling for him with Fel beside me, while we were visiting in Canada. He was a holiday boy!

Anyway, Kuja has been magic user MVP twice since release, and both times he was quickly replaced by the next big meta. But whatever, man. There are characters who are stronger than him, but he's never become bad. He's consistent, he brings great AOE potential, and I love him forever so I don't care. 10/10 will use him again and again and again.

plus, who the fuck cares about golbez or whoever. kuja is the boy.

Next character was Rosa! Rosa is probably the first example of me deliberately being motivated by meta, alas.

It wasn't completely meta motivated, mind! I was undecided on whether to go for her or not. I like her pretty well in FFIV, but I really like how her design looks in Opera Omnia. Should I go for her...? I wasn't sure.

But then the community had nothing but praise to heap and heap upon her, and I decided to go for it. And...! Well. For a long time I didn't use her much at all. It was nice to have all her weapons ready to go, but I wasn't really motivated to build her up over other people I liked more.

Eventually, though, her time came. I gave Rosa the attention she deserved. and whew, she is every bit as good as people said she would be. Rosa is a regular feature in my Chaos teams, and I honestly enjoy how she plays as well, so it's a win all around!

She is so useful. She is so, so useful.

After Rosa there was a bit of a lull, and then I got Y'shtola. Another support character! And another one I didn't raise up right away, actually, but I did start using her sooner than I did Rosa.

And much like Rosa, hoo boy. I'm so glad that Opera Omnia makes support units so good, speaking as someone with a support unit soul. Y'shtola brings a lot of really excellent things to the table, and is another character I'm still using regularly. Frankly, put her and Rosa with the most appropriate DPS and there's a good chance they'll Get It Done.

I wouldn't want to rank my EX characters in terms of most useful, but if I was made to, Y'shtola would be very very near the top of that pile.

Next was Rinoa! Another character I specifically saved for, because Squall is Fel's special one which... makes me have a lil gay connection with Rinoa, shut up and fight me. I really did want to go for her though, so she got the full 75k treatment. I actually don't remember if I had to spend it all to get her though!

At any rate, she was another character considered to be high up in the meta upon release, and she's never let me down since coming into the field. She's the epitome of glass cannon and that certainly forces you to play smart sometimes, but she's been an awesome DPS for me since the first day I got her and she's just adorable to boot.

She just recently got updated, and she's better than ever. The nice thing is she never completely dropped out of relevance even in the most recent content, so long as you had the right characters around her as support. But her update has certainly pulled her numbers back up and given her some new utility.

I'm really enjoying having her on the front lines again. Eternal gratitude to that person who highlighted the insane brave buffs she can get when paired with Levi summon and certain support units. Rinoa is back and she is putting in work.

~~ INTERLUDE, I AM GOING TO GO AND SLEEP, I WILL RETURN TO THIS TOMORROW!!! ~~

Returning to finish this plurk! And the next character is someone who has coincidentally received an upgrade today, Jecht! I don't remember when I got Jecht any more, but I was definitely happy about it!

I love him, trash man that he is, but! For a long time, I didn't really use him too much. I just didn't have the resources to spare for a while, and his play style whenever I saw him in co-op games seemed long-winded and drawn out.

That being said, I have him partially raised up now, and he's not been bad for me! I just don't find him too fun to use, unfortunately. I'll probably upgrade him now that his caps have been lifted, but... probably not immediately.

After him came Vivi! Vivi is considered one of the Cursed Six, which is too complicated to explain right now, but suffice it to say I've never had the patience to really grind his artifacts to reach his full potential. That being said, he's not bad!

I like to use Vivi now and then, but his play style does have some of the same issues that Tifa used to have, where you have to use turns up on keeping his personal buff active. Plus, he's a fire-based character, so you obviously have to pick and choose the fights he'll be most appropriate for.

Sometime around here, though, I also got Zidane. I do not remember getting him, hahaha, but he was another part of my ongoing efforts to make all Final Fantasy IX characters worthwhile. But surprisingly, despite main character status, Zidane has never been that strong of a unit...?

I do get some use out of him though! He has a few debuffs, reasonably decent attacks (albeit getting quite out-of-date at this point), a launch built into his EX skill—like, he's alright! But I'm certain his star has yet to shine. Zidane's gonna end up in the spotlight one of these days. It'll come.

After Zidane there was a looooong lull where I didn't get any EXs for quite a while, but finally the streak was broken by Setzer. And damn, man, am I glad to have him. Not only is he another FFVI favourite, but he's honestly an amazing unit.

There was a point where I felt a little reluctant to go for him simply because it seemed as though the entire playerbase were all using him and I wanted to explore other options, but after Quistis came along and a lot of people jumped over to her I got off my contrary ass and started looking into what Setzer could offer me. And he's been amazing ever since.

I still use him regularly now, I have him set as my friend unit, and he's one of the only characters I've actually spent spheres on. His delay skills are amazing, he can shut the enemy down like no one else can, his EX skill is strong, supports allies, and has a really short charge, and frankly his HP attacks are on par with some people's main abilities.

He's just an excellent all-rounder, and I can't see his usefulness running down any time sooner. I'm so glad to have him on board.

After Setzer came Lightning, from a free pull. There was a point where Lightning was the height of DPS meta, but by the time she found her way to me that dawn had broken and she was very much in decline. She's also one of the last characters to get reworked into the current era of gameplay, so she's in a bad spot right now.

That being said, I have had a little use out of her! And I actually quite like how she plays, for all that she isn't a character I'm particularly invested in. So she's alright, is Lightning! Perhaps in a few months time I'll be able to bring her off the bench once more.

Immediately after Lightning came her sister Serah, who I was frankly probably even less invested in. I don't remember how I got her, honestly, but she wasn't a character I would have specifically pulled for so she might have been another free pull or she might have been tickets.

Either way, Serah was considered another excellent support unit, and my love for that character type meant I did eventually kit her out. And she's good! She's not my favourite support, but she's honestly pretty excellent and brings a lot of value to any team she's in. So I get a fair amount of use out of her! I do seem to like Opera Omnia bow girls.

Warrior of Light was next, and he's the number one example of me deliberately choosing meta. When the chance to pick a free EX weapon for any main character came along, I wasn't sure who to go for. I already had Zidane, who would have been first choice. Y'shtola was the community recommendation, but I had her too. So... Tidus, perhaps?

Sometimes I still regret that I don't have Tidus yet, even though he's rarely topping any lists of people's most valued characters. But, alas, I let my need for an effective tank sway me into taking the original WoL himself. And do I regret it?

Honestly, not for a second. Warrior of Light is such a good unit, and he functions so well with only partial resources. To this day I still haven't charged up his EX+ and he's still constantly putting in work. His shields are incredible, his spot heals are always welcome, and his damage is hardly groundbreaking but it's consistent. Fine for a tank boy.

So yeah, it was definitely the right decision. 10/10 tbh, would recommend to anyone.

Immediately after WoL was Ace, the main character from Final Fantasy Type 0. I do not remember how or why I ended up with him. Was he sharing a banner with someone else? Or had I already started to like his playstyle by this point and I threw some tickets at him? I honestly don't remember.

But the things is, I actually really do like how he plays. He's starting to get a bit out-of-date at this point, but early in the EX+ era he was a real saving grace for me, really helped a lot. And I still get great use out of him, even if the edges are starting to fray a little. Opera Omnia has done more to sell me on Type 0 than anything else ever has.

Next was Aeris, who took all 75k of the gems I saved for her and didn't even say sorry.

Kind of like Tifa, Aeris was a character I'd put resources into a long while back and had been waiting for the chance to bring her strength to the table. And her EX weapon.... ehh? It kinda helped, hahaha.

Aeris is another of the Cursed Six (of course), and her play style is really outdated at this point in the game. Anything she can do Y'shtola does ten times better and at a fraction of a cost, which is.... deeply unfortunate. I do still use her now and then! I want to make her work. But all in all, I think Aeris is waiting for her next big chance.

After her came Leon! I'd actually been running Leon for quite a while before he finally gained an EX weapon. Much like Maria, Leon really surprised me by being an FFII character who somehow really charmed me and had a kit that I really enjoyed playing with. Even before he had his EX I loved finding reasons to use him.

When his EX did finally become available, though, it really helped propel him toward viability. He's not the strongest character around by any means, and he's a Dark character, but when he's viable he can really trivalise certain content! As long as there are others to cover his lower DPS, Leon is still useful. And I really enjoy getting the chance!

Squall next, who came from a free pull and finally meant I could make Fel happy! I've put a few resources into Squall, but to be truly honest..... his kit is boring and I don't use him much at all :x I'm sorry, lonely boy. I'm sure you'll get your chance some day.

The next chance to pick an EX came around, now with a few more characters added, and this time I ignored meta to pick Yuna. I... kind of regret it? I don't really regret it because I love her, but she's another character I hardly ever use. Even though I love seeing Valefor in Opera Omnia. Can't recommend, but I'd still pick her again.

Next was Lilisette, who came home from tickets, bless you dancing girl. I already enjoyed her play style before her EX came along, so I was really happy to take the chance and make her stronger. Lilisette was my only real debuffer unit for a really long time, which made her invaluable for certain fights.

And she's really really cute as well, which totally helps. I still get use out of her! But she isn't my first pick for debuffing any more...

That role now goes to Faris. Whatever Faris lacks in terms of the debuffs Lilisette provides, she makes up for with much greater DPS and an EX skill that is just fantastic for keeping enemy brave levels in check. Faris has some issues with being tied to multiple elements, but all in all I really love how she plays.

And she is handsome as HECK, which is always a major bonus in these situations. I really enjoy using Faris, and she has been a deciding factor in many different fights for me. A most favoured character!

More handsome ladies next with Agrias. Sadly I actually don't use Agrias that much, even though she's bae as hell and has some really good skills. I honestly want to try and use her more, since I do have her all kitted out and she has access to silence and paralysis which. just seems too useful to be sitting on the way I am?

So Agrias is here, and I am going to let her shine. I will give you the respect you deserve, my lady.

I'm going to cover Machina and Rem at the same time, since they both came from the same banner. I have all of Machina's weapons and I think he has some counterattacking built into his kit which seems like something I'd enjoy? But I've honestly not raised him up and currently have no plans to. Sorry man. As for Rem...

I do use her now and then! Just this morning I finished buffing up her armour, actually, to give her a bit more viability. Rem has quite a unique kit that I've never felt completely confident with, but I suspect that I might be underutilising her. So much like Agrias, she's a character I want to try and use more.

~~ SECOND INTERLUDE, I WILL FINISH THIS IN THE NEAR FUTURE ~~

Time to finish this! Picking back up with a note that I used Rem some more this morning and feel like she's making more and more sense all the time. Thank you for your work, Rem. I will clear that fight soon...

Anyway, next up is Lenna, who.... I don't really remember how I ended up with her, and I've had pretty mixed results from her? I can tell she's a good unit, but I think by the time I set her up she was starting to fall out of use. So right now I use her... occasionally, I guess! I'm looking forward to when her chance comes again.

After all, she is another Opera Omnia bow girl.

Vaan was next! I think he came from tickets, but I did make a conscious attempt to get him. At first I hadn't been too sure, but seeing him in use in co-op made me really excited for his kit. He looked like a lot of fun! I wanted to give him a go!

I wouldn't go so far as to say I regret it, but in the end I don't get too much use out of him. His skill uses are a little on the low side, and I just have other DPS who get the job done better than he's able to.

After him was Barret, and I love him. He's probably not the best unit going, all in all, but surprisingly he does bring some buffs to the table! And he is top tier 10/10 best FFVII boy so of course I spend resources on him.

I don't use him too often, but when the chance comes I really do like using him. Now that a certain OTHER character has come along, who I will discuss shortly, Barret's viability has gone back up a bit. Ranged characters best characters.

Firion came along while I was trying to get The Emperor. I have... not even tried to use Firion, I don't care, he does nothing for me. But The Emperor cracks me up every single time he shows up in the story, and he's an extremely well regarded unit, so I decided I would give him a go.

And no regrets at all! He has a really unique playstyle with his traps, he brings a heap of damage, and I love his ridiculous sinister laugh when he attacks, hahaha. He's just such an OTT archetype and I just love him for it. I get a lot of use out of him, too! He's one of those who I regularly pair up with Y'shtola and Rosa to get things done, hahaha.

Next was Auron, who came from a free pull. Auron is amazing because he's A U R O N, but he's actually... not a very good unit at all, alas. He's really outdated right now as well, so though I definitely have my fingers crossed to get some use out of him eventually, right now the legendary guardian is resting on the bench.

Sorry, buddy. Some day :c

Sephiroth came home when I was pulling for Eiko, and so far I haven't really used him. He's a pretty solid melee DPS character, though, and I generally lack for those! So if I ever miraculously find myself with extra materials to use he'd probably be a pretty good option for me.

Eiko, though! Eiko has been an amazing character for me for as long as I've had her. Before EX weapons were even a thing she was really invaluable to me. Very competent DPS combined with healing, buffs and regen, like, she really brings a bunch to any team she's in. And now she can summon!

Eiko is one of my favourites to use at the moment, although she did force me to use a full 75k to get her. This game tends to be kind to me with free pulls, but it's often pretty brutal when I make the mistake of really going all out for any character, hahaha.... nervously looks at Edgar coming later this month..........

Ignis came from a free pull, because of course he did. Beloved new character to the franchise, considered one of the best supports units going, coveted by huge numbers of the community. Gargant doesn't want him, so of course he jumps out right away.

I'm sure he's probably as good as people say he is, but I haven't invested in him just yet. Maybe one day? But you know. He's not a priority.

AND FINALLY, my most recent addition, Irvine. Irvine's another one of those characters who helped me a lot during my earliest days of playing, so I felt a certain fond obligation to get him his EX weapon on release even though he's not really considered a particularly strong character right now.

I'm quite liking him though! He brings spot heals now, and he can make enemies vulnerable to ranged attacks—hence my comment before about having someone to pair Barret nicely with. I'm not sure how much use I'll get out of Irvine in the long term, but I don't regret bringing him back on board to be honest. He's a dumb dumb, but he's a good boy.

And that's everyone at the moment! There are characters I've wanted to get but didn't manage, most recently Gau and Eight. Gau is a super best boy, so I'm sad that he's escaped me. And Eight is another Type 0 character, but I liked his personality in the story and he's got an interesting counterattack based style that appealed to me.

But, alas, neither of them. In the upcoming events I'm really hoping to get hold of Edgar. I've got loads and loads of tickets right now, so fingers crossed! After him, though, I'm not sure who I'd be going for next. Quite possibly... Steiner! Who's going to be sharing a banner with updated Beatrix next month, I believe.

bonus! There are a few characters who don't have EX weapons yet but have been good to me in the past, or that I still get use out of even now! So props go to:
Galuf, who is an amazing physical tank. His DPS is hideously outdated at this point, which makes him difficult to use properly, but even so his niche is still very much his to fill.

I'm excited for when his rework arrives! I'm ready to welcome you back, my dude.
Laguna, who's EX has never come home but who has been a decent debuffer/ranged attacker for me in the past. I have other characters able to inflict debuffs now, but for a long time Laguna was my only option and he put in work for me. Never forget.

Quistis, who was the premier delayer for a long time. I don't like you. I won't like you. But even I can admit what a valuable unit you are.
Freya, who doesn't have an EX yet but is still an excellent DPS/Support hybrid. I love her, I love using her, she's brilliant. She's probably not anyone's first choice with some of the other options available,

but as a budget choice she's very very hard to beat. And it's Freya. It's Freyaaaa.
Penelo.... has actually never ever been good for me, but I like how she plays and I know that she's getting an EX early this month? So despite saving for Edgar I might throw some tickets her way and see how it goes. I like Penelo. I want to use her;;

And that's it! My plurk is over, hahaha. I've been playing this game for a little bit over a year now, and I'm enjoying it as much now as I did from the start. It's the most F2P friendly mobage I've ever encountered, and by a pretty huge margin to be honest.

I think that's got a lot to do with the fact that I'm still getting so much enjoyment out of it. I've legitimately spent £5 total on this game, if that. I think I've bought 4 of the 99p gem bundles? Like, Ninety-Nine Pence. That is no money at all.

And honestly, I spent that because I wanted to give something back to this game that I've enjoyed so much. Here's hoping we carry on this way! Final Fantasy is a bit hard work for me these days, but Opera Omnia is the most fun I've had with this series and these characters since.... since forever. I love it so much;; that is my story for you