One of the earliest farming locations that is at least somewhat efficient (more on that later) comes up when you reach Hope Estheim’s residence at the end of Chapter 7.

** Spoilers Ahead **

To recap, there is a point in the story where Hope and the rest of the team are rendezvousing with Hope’s Father, Bartholomew, at Hope’s House in the Felix Heights of Palumpolum. After a series of length cutscenes that occur, you will regain control of your characters in Hope’s house and be thrown into battle against some PSICOM Soldiers. These enemies include:

• PSICOM Scavengers
• PSICOM Aerial Snipers
• PSICOM Bombardiers, and
• PSICOM Predators

What makes this a farming location of potential value is the ease of the enemies that you face here, the potential for them to drop Incentive Chips, and how quickly the enemies respawn. All you have to do is circle around the Estheim Residence and the soldiers will automatically reappear. You also have quick access to a Save Station nearby.

Efficiency Concerns

There are two main reasons why its generally recommended that you skip past this farming location and not spend too much time here:

1. Game Difficulty
   The game is still relatively easy and you are likely maxing out your character’s Crystariums and getting enough Crystogen Points (CP) without needing to grind and farm enemies. If you’re struggling with some enemies or bosses, maybe consider spending some more time here, but otherwise you may as well move the story forward.
2. Farming Efficiency
   As far as farming locations go, this one is not nearly as efficient as others that you will have access to later in the game (specifically, Sacrifice Farming in Chapter 13). If you need some extra gil and want to sell the items these enemies drop (which also includes Phoenix Down and Deceptisol) it may help to spend a bit of time here.

The choice is yours, but again, it’s recommended that you not spend any more time in this location than you need to.