Yeah, that fight, and the cutscenes, were where the game really 'starts' IMO. But fortunately, the vast majority of bosses now you do HAVE to kill, and they'll never be another fight like Xord, due to story events.

The sidequests are non-essential. I'd highly reccomend skipping anything which has no name (i.e. just 'Monster Quest' etc.), but to do most of the ones from NPC's with names, and appear on the affinity chart (e.g. 'A Young Captain's Trust'). They give you extra affinity, exp., and add to the backstory. 

Only one, Xord, does this happen. The other repeated boss of Face Nemesis I suppose is the same, but that's completely different. Then Metal Face, Egil and Zanza are the only repeated bosses, but again, you do HAVE to kill them each time.

you forgot Gadolt and how was the name of this Machina Prince. It is still annoying.

Egil is the Machina Prince. 

And Gadolt...yeah I suppose. But there's two fights, and both are completely different from each other.

There's a problem to this, or so i've been told (i haven't bothered picking up sidequests unless i was specifically trying to grind): if you over-level due to sidequests, you get screwed over on AP and SP, because EXP/AP/SP rewards scale based on your level compared to the enemies, but sidequests ONLY grant EXP, so what you end up with is a high level and a high level only, with the inability (until you reach better monsters) to get your Arts or Skills the points they need, and you will need them.

The Reyn-Melia pink heart-to-heart had Melia saying "Poppycock" as one of the optional responses. It was the wrong response, and i knew it was, but i had to say it.

Let's be honest, that's totally what Melia would tell Reyn.

Exactly, and that's why Melia is the best character.

Deal with it.

I've spent 193 hours now. I'm up to the Bionis Interior but I'm still questing and trying to level up. Gogols on the Bionis Leg worked for a while but I'm at level 79 now so it's a slow grind. Are there monsters between 80 and say 83 to grind on. Yes I found the level 80 Gogols but it seems that it skips to 85 or 86 with very little in between. I have found some level 84 critters but they all have backup from stronger monsters.

Help me Obi-Cone Kanobi your my only hope. :)

There are 82-85 Gogol up on the canyon near the end of Satorl Marsh (if you go downriver from Soroal Statues, on the banks of that canyon is where they are), then once you pick up, you can get other mid-80s creatures around Satorl marsh and the Kromar on Kromar coast in Eryth Sea. That's how i did it. Got up to level 87 and steamrolled the final bosses.

Double post because it's an important post.

Beat the game, and actually not much to say. More to say on latter Heart-to-Heart convos, like Riki's idiotic plan to bring that giant crystal back to the village that seemed to involve having Reyn smash it with his head. When Riki got blown away by the geyser, that was good too. I wish they had elaborated more on who got together with whom at the end of the game, especially after hitting you over the head with Reyn-Sharla the whole time only to ultimately leave you hanging. Melia implied she was after someone else in her top-level conversation with Sharla too, but never specified who. Also would have liked a bit more elaboration on the nature of the New World. Almost needs a sequel if they could find an appropriate villain.

And now, i feel empty. What's next?