Final Fantasy Tactics Update 1.5: Why No Update?

It has been a while since the last update and I do have to start this off by stating that I do apologize for that.  The reason for it is purely technical; I've mentioned it a few times but my PSP is really running on Empty in these long, long months before the Vita comes out and I'm encountering quite a few issues with the device itself.  The analog nub just had long worn out and floats; whenever I open the internet browser, the 'mouse' just goes straight down or sometimes straight down and to the right and will always head that way and nothing I do fixes it, though I can stop it from doing as much if I press and hold the bottom left corner of the device (where the nub is) which is, as you can imagine, less than constantly feasible.  The only problem this directly presents is that, without fixing it, the map has a tendency to move all by itself (as you control the map rotation with the nub) which is quite disorienting, however I've also had some problems really accessing menus, presumably because the PSP is registering too many inputs.

On top of that, the battery is, understandably, really really past its prime.  I've said it several times before and will likely say it again:  My PSP is a 1000 from before the 2000s were even announced.  It is old.  And I've never modded it or anything, so it's just been a regular old PSP-1000 for years.  It is understandably old and worn-down and, to paraphrase Metal Gear Solid 4, has 'had a hard life', but that doesn't make it any less bothersome to me.  I have, however, discovered that using my PSP Theater Experience Nyko Case (it was cheaper when I bought it) has not only the handy benefit of extending the battery life, but has completely solved the issues I have with the analog nub when it concerns Final Fantasy Tactics.  This is a boon, of course, and while it's a bit unwieldy, I'm more than happy to go with it since it helps me enjoy a game I want to enjoy!  Discovering this has, of course, led to me actually getting to play the game once again without having to glare in frustration at it.

Unfortunately, I have this update marked 1.5 for a reason as there really is -little- to update here; I've grinded some (too much, possibly) and got some of my folks closer to their master class, but not enough that I want to divulge the information here.  At least, not about my main party.  I have, however, picked up one of the 'extra' characters I've alluded to possibly getting along the way (that isn't a Unique character) and have been working on building her up for....really no reason at this point.  I very highly doubt she's going to see much combat, but I just want to have her around anyway, if just for the 'lulz' as kids these days put it.  I believe I discussed her briefly in my last update or some other post, but she is Minerva Metzinger of the Metzinger family that I created....pretty much around her, despite being the youngest of them.  So I will go ahead and talk on her for a bit.

If you can't tell (as in, if you don't have any experience with FFT), the picture being used for her is that of an Orator (or Mediator in classic FFT) which would suggest that that is her Master Class, as I have done in the past.  And in truth, I'm not sure if it will be; though it very well might be.  She's going to be a Samurai/Mediator blend, I know that much and since the Samurai picture is already taken by Sakura, I sort of have to default on Mediator.  While I've decided that she'll be sort of a 50/50 of both classes, I do still have to figure on what she'll be in everyday walkabout, which has me leaning towards Samurai for the better HP and better Base Attack, but I'm worried that it just won't be necessary in that I plan on having her either use katanas or guns, and I'm not sure which is the base.  So either I have her as a Mediator with "Equip Katana" taking up a slot, or a Samurai with "Equip Gun" doing the similar, with one having the secondary of the other.  And as I've mentioned, it really does sound silly, but it's more thematic than it's meant to be adhering to the principle that states "All characters must be as 'good' as possible" which is a theory that I generally subscribe to, hence why I think having her around is 'important' even if it's not.  I need to break that habit to really have fun with games sometime, so there's no better way than to do that in a game that's so easily broken as FFT is.

There will likely be more 'Extra' characters of this sort, as well as the sort that has Unique sprites that I will be using in very utilitarian ways only, as my main party will be my -party- for as often and long as possible.  I'll touch on them whenever I feel it's necessary for you to know about their growth, if any.  You'll notice that I didn't mention much about Minerva -currently- as she is more potential than anything at the moment.  Started as a Squire (as they all do), and has moved into Knight to unlock some other jobs.  Once I see what all she can get access to without a bunch of job-hopping, I'll have a better picture of how I can work out her growth, but for now there is very little done for her, hence no real update beyond introduction and theory, as I did with the rest of the party to start.

Hopefully I'll have update 2 proper in a reasonable amount of time here.  No guarantees, but I can actually play the game now and I have the desire to do so, so there's not a whole lot standing in my way!  I need to start actually advancing the story anyway as I am far outclassing the equipment available to my characters currently and it's getting a little annoying to say the least.  Which is why I believe Extra character 2 might be a thief of some sort, in case I get lucky with them deployed and run into a random encounter with a human opponent since, well, they tend to have appropriately leveled equipment and that's certainly one way to upgrade.