Saving & Loading Your Game
Saving your game is crucial, especially when engaging in idle grinding strategies like Angelo Search. This method requires Rinoa to have learned the Angelo Search ability (Pet Pals Vol.5) and works best by disabling an enemy, such as a Confused Turtapod, and leaving the game running for extended periods to accumulate items.
The gameplay of Final Fantasy VIII Remastered introduces a notable change in magic acquisition: instead of learning spells through experience, you must "draw" magic from enemies and "draw-points."
For efficient idle grinding, the Angelo Search ability is key. This requires Rinoa to be in your party and to have learned Pet Pals Vol.5. The strategy involves getting into a battle, disabling an enemy (like confusing a Turtapod so it spins indefinitely without attacking), and then leaving the game running. Angelo Search triggers during idle time as ATB bars fill. To optimize this, avoid learning Angelo Recover or Angelo Reverse, as they might interfere.
If you have the Odin GF, acquiring the Giglamesh GF on Disc 4 will cause Giglamesh to randomly interrupt battles, making Angelo Search less viable. If you plan to use Angelo Search extensively, it's best to do so before acquiring Giglamesh, or ensure you don't acquire Odin before Disc 4 to prevent Giglamesh from appearing.
After an Angelo Search session, defeat the disabled enemy, save your game, and check your acquired items. When navigating areas like the Deep Sea Research Center, a Save Point becomes available in the room where Bahamut was fought after returning to the Ragnarok and re-entering the center. Before taking the plunge into lower levels, save your game. Equip Enc-None to avoid random encounters and LV Down to mitigate XP gain. Bringing Zell can also assist with an upcoming puzzle and provide an excellent limit break.
In the depths, after your party splits, locate a Dispel draw point. Find a terminal (either by talking to party members or searching the bottom left of the screen) to start the steam puzzle. You have twenty units of "Reserve Steam Pressure" (RSP) to open doors. The goal is to expend as little RSP as possible while descending, except for the first choice after the tutorial, which automatically expends 4 RSP.