Thunder Plains

The Thunder Plains are located north of Guadosalam, and south of Makalania Forest. It is a place which consists of 3 sections/screens: A southern part, northern part and Outside the Travel Company. Thunderbolts strike frequently here so towers were built to absorb the lightning. However, not all thunderbolts get absorbed by the towers, so they strike the ground. Travellers who are not near one of these towers are likely to be striked by a thunder bolt.


Avoiding the Thunder Bolts:
During your very first time at Thunder Plains, there will be a tutorial about how to avoid a thunder bolt when they strike. When a thunder bolt is about to strike, the screen will flash and a bolt will come shooting down followed by a thunder sound. To avoid the bolt, simply press down the X button when the screen flashes and you will dodge the bolt.


Dodging the bolts Mini-Game:
This game is all nothing more than dodging as many thunder bolts as you can. The more thunderbolts you dodge, the better the prize is. This mini-game is avaliable once you reach the Thunder Plains.

The prizes for the bolt dodging are:

Number of Consecutive Times  
Prize
5
X-Potion x 2
10
Mega Potion x 2
20
MP Sphere x 2
50
Strength Sphere x 3
100
HP Sphere x 3
150
Megalixir x 4
200
Venus Sigil
Total Bolts undodged
Prize
5
Potions x2
10
Mega-Potions x2
30
Ether
80
Elixir


Making things easier:
Although you can start this mini-game before obtaining the Airship, you should start it after obtaining the Airship. Cleansing Salts are only easily avaliable after you obtained the Airship. Collect 30 Clenasing Salts and equip it to your weapon to get the [Encounter-None] ability. With this, you can be free from those annoying battles when you're playing this mini-game.


The ways to obtain Cleansing Salt is as follows:

Monster: Fallen Monk -with Bayonet
Location: Yevon Dome
Steal: Cleansing Salt (rare)

Monster: Fallen Monk -with Flamethrower
Location: Yevon Dome
Steal: Cleansing Salt (rare)

Monster: Abadon
Location: Monster Training Facility
Steal: Cleansing Salt x3

Monster: Hornet
Location: Monster Training Facility
Steal: Cleansing Salt x2

-or-

Monster: Demonolith
Location: Inside Sin / Omega Ruins
Defeat: Drops Armor: "Stone Proof" + "Encounter None"

-or-

Dragon Race: Conquer it and receive Cleansing Salts x99


- once you have equipment that has "Encounter None" or have custom made a peice of equipment with 30 Cleansing Salts to add on the ability "Encounter None", then head on over to the Thunder Plains and start dodging those bolts.


Some Helpful Pointers:
Thunderbolts strike in different parts of the area and the frequency of bolts striking is different too. Some strike in single bolts, double bolts or even triple bolts. The place with triple bolts indicated is the highest frequency, which means the bolts strike down every 3-7 seconds. Staying in the Triple bolts area to dodge will save more time than dodging in the double or the single bolt area.

The best place to dodge is at the Northern part. There is a Triple Bolt area at the southern tip of the Northern Part, which leads to the Travel Company if you go further south. So you need not run from one end to another to dodge and claim your prize.

Here's a text-map that might help:

/----------------Thunder Plains - Nothern Plains -----------------\ | / | | | / X XX / | | / \ | | \ | | | \ / | | \ XX | | | _/ / ______________________ | | / / / Map Key \ | | / | | ------- | | | | | | X - Single Bolt | | | \ {O} / | XX - Double Bolt | | | \ __| | XXX - Triple Bolt | | | \ XXX / | {O} - Tower | | | \ __ | | 1 - To the Travel | | | | / | | | Company | | | | / | | | 2 - To Southern | | | | / | \ | Plains | | | | | | _\ \______________________/ | | | | | 2___/ | | --1-- |___/ | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------/
Other Helpful Stuff:
- Have atleast 2 hours of consecutive spare time.
- Don't try dodging 200 bolts in a row if you are sleepy or tired.
- Practice meditating for 15 minutes before hand. This allows your mind to concentrate more on one thing and to not wander.
- Make sure you have locked away every living breathing thing in your home so that they can't break your concentration while you dodge bolts.
- If it's bright outside, sunny, then close the blinds/curtains. It's distracting.
- If you need me to go on because you're out of ideas as to why you can't dodge 200 bolts consecutively, then you need drastic help - go see a psyciatrist.

Notes:
Saving or entering the Travel Agency during your dodging game will reset the dodge counter.