Back then we had a much less informative net and we didnt have a legal windows for the game. For those of us hampered by that, the brady guide was useful for a quick reference.
They were good for finding quests and crafting... Saved me hours wandering around talking to every npc so I could open something... The rest was just idiotic jargon....
Eh, it was more or less only good for a certain other use in the bathroom.
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I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Airships on fire off the shoulder of Bahamut. I watched Scapula Beams glitter in the dark near the Three Mage Gate...