The Joys of Boss Wipe-outs and the miracle of saving

I am an idiot. Yep. Me.

I spent eight hours yesterday playing Final Fantasy XII, levelling all my characters up to fifteen, only to have the Garuda level me out.

And I didn't save.

So I'm back at level thirteen, with another eight hours of battling in front of me. Oh joy. So what have I learnt?

1. Explore EVERYWHERE. Kill off everything that moves. Take everything that can't be walked on and even that if you can move it.

2. Even if it's half a level away, if you're going after a boss, SAVE FIRST!

3. Make sure your characters are of a similar level and strength. This stops the tendency for favouritism, which can be problematic if your strongest character is killed off.

4. Make sure you are adequately stocked with revivers, potions, etc before-hand. Also make sure that you go in with full health and magic points. Sometimes you're not so lucky and can't turn tail and run before you are wiped out.

Follow these pointers and don't be as stupid as me. Please.