Fixed encounter

A fixed encounter, also known as spiked tiles when referring to games comprised of sprites, refers to a method of entering a battle. Fixed encounters differ from the basic random encounters by initiating when a player steps on a certain tile or crosses a line trigger.
Fixed encounters are the normal method for engaging in a boss fight, and will occasionally be accompanied by dialogue, scripted actions or, in later titles, cutscenes.
There are two common uses for fixed encounters: a surprise battle (e.g. against bosses or stronger enemies) and to protect an area (such as for a treasure chest). Fixed encounters cannot be prevented with No Encounters abilities.
Fixed encounters are only of note in earlier games in the series where random encounters were the norm. As the series started moving away from random encounters in Final Fantasy XI, it could be said that every encounter in the modern games is a fixed encounter.
== Appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy ===
Invisible Encounters	Invisible Encounters	Invisible Encounters
Location 	Floor 	Foe
Chaos Shrine 	— 	Gargoyle x2-3
Marsh Cave 	B3 	Piscodemon x2-4, Anaconda x2-6
Western Keep 	— 	Mummy x2-6, Wraith x2-6
Cavern of Earth 	B1
B3
B4 	Earth Elemental, Hill Gigas x1-2, Lizard x0-3 
Earth Elemental 
Sphinx x2, Ogre Mage, Ogre Chief, Hyenadon x0-2
Mount Gulg 	B1
B4
B5 	Fire Elemental x1-2, Lava Worm 
Lava Worm, Fire Lizard 
Fire Lizard, Red Dragon
Cavern of Ice 	B2
B3 	Dark Wizard x1-4, Evil Eye
Specter x1-5, Wraith x1-3, Wight x1-3, Ghast x1-3, Winter Wolf x3-7, White Dragon x1-2
Citadel of Trials 	2F
3F 	Clay Golem x1-3 
Nightmare x1-2, Dragon Zombie x1-2
Sunken Shrine 	2F 	Sea Scorpion x1-6, Sea Snake x2-5, Sea Troll x2, White Shark x1-2, Sahagin Prince x0-1, Water Elemental x1-3, King Mummy x1-5, Mummy x1-8, Cockatrice x1-8, Pyrolisk x1-8
Waterfall Cavern 	— 	King Mummy x1-5, Mummy x1-8, Cockatrice x1-8, Pyrolisk x1-8
Mirage Tower 	3F 	Blue Dragon
Old Chaos Shrine 	B1
B2
B3
B4 	Lich
Marilith
Kraken
Tiamat
B1 of the Cavern of Earth has the entire left side of the entrance covered in spiked tiles against either the Hill Gigas or Lizard, making it a popular place for Level grinding.
The player must interact with the spirits for the fiends—Lich, Marilith, Kraken and Tiamat, and the arch fiend, Chaos—to trigger these events.
=== Final Fantasy II ===
Fixed encounters are frequent, often in the form of trap rooms found in dungeons. Trap rooms comprise of many spiked tiles that the user cannot avoid. Since the player starts in the center, and the tiles all possess a high chance of an encounter, the player must usually endure two battles to exit. Due to the high encounter rate, they can be used for effective level grinding.
=== Final Fantasy IV ===
The Sealed Cave has Trap Door enemies (2D & 3D), which the player will have fight to move on.
In the Lair of the Father, on the path leading to Bahamut, three single Behemoths are fought when the player steps over the single-tile thick bridges.
The Lunar Subterrane has various weapons the player can interact with that trigger boss fights, the most notorious being Dark Bahamut who guards the mighty Ragnarok sword for Cecil. The subterrane also has various chests that trigger battles.
=== Final Fantasy V ===
Many boss fights are fought via fixed encounters. When escaping Karnak Castle, a seemingly normal encounter against a Sergeant and two Cur Nakks ensues, which later reveals itself to be a boss fight against the Iron Claw.
In Drakenvale, a special boss fight involves a Zombie Dragon and a Bone Dragon attacking a Golem whom the party may choose to save.
In the last section of the Gil Cave the player has a chance to encounter a Gil Turtle after every step upon reaching the deepest part of the cave (the places where tens of thousands of gil lie on the floor).
In the fourth floor of the Pyramid of Moore, after the Mecha Head zone, the player may encounter Sekhmet before proceeding to the next floor. The player can escape. However, after defeating him, he will never re-appear again.
=== Final Fantasy VI ===
On the first visit in Narshe the player is forced to fight the town guards before reaching the mines.
When Terra falls in the hole and falls unconscious, Locke will come to the rescue and Mog and his moogle friends will split into three parties, and if they run into Werewolf they will be forced into a fight.
When Locke returns to South Figaro, he finds it under martial law, and if he talks to the soldiers as himself, or disguised as a merchant, he will be forced into battle. If he threatens the merchant, or talks to a soldier, he will enter into a battle where he can steal their clothes.
On Terra's path, as the party sneaks into Narshe though the caves, they encounter a security checkpoint; if they don't follow the path correctly, they will be surrounded by a spinning light. which if they touch the wrong light will initiate battle.
On Sabin's path when he sneaks into the Imperial Camp, he can fight some of the guards. At Doma Castle when it is under attack, Cyan can choose to fight each soldier (this is optional). Later on the Phantom Train some of the ghosts will attack if the player talks to the enemy ghost.
While protecting Valigarmanda in Narshe, the party splits into three groups and Kefka's soldiers show up. If the player runs into soldiers, they will be forced in a fight.
In the Opera House the rafters have rats that force the player to fight them.
In Vector capital or at the Vector outpost, if the player talks to the soldiers they will be forced into a battle, and will start at the beginning of the town. During the banquet when Emperor Gestahl asks the party to talk to his soldiers, some of them will fight.
In the Cave to the Sealed Gate, if the player flicks the wrong switch, a Ninja will drop down and force the player into battle.
During the house fire in Thamasa the party will encounter flames or open the wrong door, which will force them to fight.
Inside Owzer's Mansion in the World of Ruin, some of the paintings will attack the party.
In the Advance and later versions, the Gigantuar can be fought as a fixed encounter in the desert outside of Maranda. The player must speak with a thief wearing blue upon entering the town, then kill ten or more Cactuars before the Gigantuar appears. His tile is in the southwest corner of the desert, one step above the lowest edge, just to the left of the southern point.
Every time the player takes off in the airship in the World of Ruin, Deathgaze has a fixed location on the world map that changes once the player lands. Finding him is merely a matter of locating which portion of the world map he is hiding on while flying.
=== Final Fantasy VII ===
The first battle in "No. 1 Reactor Bombing" is a fixed encounter between Cloud and two MPs.
During Cloud's escape from Sector 8, he will be pursued by Shinra soldiers and can choose to fight or not three times before escaping by jumping on the moving train.
In the Sector 4 Plate Train Tunnel in "To the No. 5 Reactor", if the player heads to the south end, they will run into security guards and face an infinite amount of troops until the player chooses to run away.
Over at Don Corneo's place, if Cloud is not chosen to be his bride in "To Corneo Hall", he will be in the living quarters with a group of men, and will discard his disguise and enter into a fixed battle with them.
Should the player charge in the front door of the Shinra Bldg. in "Storming the Shinra Building", the party must defeat two Grenade Combatants. Also in the Shinra Building, the party is attacked by three Mighty Grunts on floor 59 upon approaching the elevator to floor 60. On floor 60, the party must sneak past the security guards without getting spotted, otherwise the party enters a battle and has to start over.
If the player attempts to cross the marshes in the overworld om "Going After Sephiroth", a shadow monster will appear, and the party will enter a battle against Midgar Zolom if they touch the shadow.
At Mt. Corel during "Barret's Past", if the player climbs up a cliff, they will find a nest of baby birds. If the player chooses to "Take the treasure", they will battle a Cokatolis and receive 10 Phoenix Downs.
In the Cave of the Gi during "In the Land of the Study of Planet Life", if the player breaks the rocks they will battle Gi Spectors. Also, stepping on the giant spider webs that block the path initiates a battle with a Stinger.
In the Mansion first accessible during "Unnatural Hometown", opening the safe on the second floor pits the party against the optional boss Lost Number that yields the Odin Materia and Cosmo Memory.
The battle against the Materia Keeper in Mt. Nibel is fought by running into the enemy on the field.
In the "Homecoming of a Miserable Daughter" sidequest, Yuffie will steal the party's Materia and run off. The party will encounter Shinra Soldiers called Attack Squad before continuing to Wutai. During the sidequest, the party runs into Don Corneo who sends the Rapps to fight the party. Later on, after Yuffie returns the stolen Materia, the player can visit Godo's Pagoda and Yuffie can fight five one on one boss battles.
If the player falls off the clock face in the Temple of the Ancients during "Within the Temple of the Ancients", they will get ambushed by Ancient Dragon x2.
The Icicle battles inside Gaea's Cliff during "Beyond the Snow Fields" are fought by running into the area beneath the icicles.
Getting knocked back by the wind in the Whirlwind Maze during "That Which Waits in the Northernmost Reaches" forces the party to defeat a Wind Wing.
During the raid on Junon in "In a World Approaching Its End", Cait Sith will rescue Barret and together they will fight Shinra Soldiers called Attack Squad x2.
When on the train that takes the player to North Corel from Mt. Corel during "Struggle for the Huge Materia" mission, the player faces an encounter on every carriage they jump on.
There are several fixed encounters with Underwater MPs and Submarine Crew in the Underwater Reactor in "Clash in the Deep Sea".
During the Rocket Town Huge Materia quest in "Toward the Sea of Stars" to Shinra No. 26, there are five fixed encounters with Attack Squad, Senior Grunt, and Turks:Rude the player has to fight before boarding the rocket.
The various battles with Ultimate Weapon on the World Map are fixed encounters when the Highwind moves into it, as with the Ruby Weapon. The same can be said for the Emerald Weapon when hit with the submarine.
==== Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- ====
Crisis Core has many fixed encounters, some causing enemies to appear and immediately engage Zack, others causing enemies to appear and wander an area, beginning a battle when approached.
=== Final Fantasy VIII ===
If the player is caught by X-ATM092 during the Siege of Dollet, they must fight it.
Some of the soldiers in Timber force the party to fight.
If Zell at the D-District Prison gets caught by the guards, he will be forced to fight them.
When Squall's party returns to Balamb Garden, there will a riot that involves two factions: those who side with NORG and Headmaster Cid. If the player chooses Cid's side, they will be forced into battle when interacting with the Garden Faculty.
The party can fight Cerberus at Galbadia Garden by touching it during the Battle of the Gardens.
During the mission when Squall and Rinoa arrive at Ragnarok, they encounter a group of aliens called Propagators, which can be defeated if they fight the same color.
The UFO? is a small flying saucer that crosses the screen carrying an object. These encounters are triggered by stepping on a specific area on the world map, and happen even with the Enc-None ability equipped. After seeing the UFO? four times, the player can find it in another fixed encounter on the plateau above Grandidi Forest, right above the Chocobo Sanctuary. After defeating the UFO? the player can meet PuPu in a fixed encounter by visiting the site where Balamb Garden used to be.
In the Deep Sea Research Center, moving in the vicinity of the blue pillar when it pulses, initiates a battle against a random enemy formation. Asking Zell open the final door, instead of using Steam Pressure, pits the party against several fixed encounters against fairly strong enemies on the way to Ultima Weapon.
=== Final Fantasy IX ===
When escaping the Evil Forest there are two points with fixed encounters against Plant Spiders.
In the Ice Cavern, the enemy Wyerd is a fixed encounter if the player steps into an icy gust.
During the Festival of the Hunt, all encounters are fixed.
In Gizamaluke's Grotto the player can fight two Black Mages in a fixed encounter.
Burmecia has three fixed encounters against Mimics.
Several spots in Cleyra are fixed encounters, when heading down the trunk, as well as when saving the civilians in the city, if the player chooses the wrong path. Additionally, on the way up to Cleyra, the party can fight Sand Scorpions if they allow the character to sink in quicksand.
In Alexandria, while entering the castle and escaping there, the party can fight several Alexandrian Soldiers, as well as a Bandersnatch. 
On the world map, choosing a wrong sinkhole when trying to enter the Desert Palace battles an Antlion.
Mount Gulug has are three fixed encounters with Red Dragons.
Pandemonium has three fixed encounters: the first against an Amdusias, the second against an Abadon, and the last against a Shell Dragon.
Fixed encounters are used in Memoria. When traveling through the linear dungeon, the player will enter in four different fights in fixed positions against each of the guardians of Terra. This is reminiscent of how the Four Fiends of the original Final Fantasy are fought at the end of the four final floors.
=== Final Fantasy X ===
Final Fantasy X includes a number of fixed tutorial battles that at first glance appear to be normal random encounters, but will always be activated at the same spots. Several of these tutorials are triggered upon traveling the path to leave Besaid and provide explanations regarding various game mechanics, including Wakka's usefulness against flying enemies, Lulu's use of Black Magic, and Yuna's summoning of aeons. The first battle upon Auron's joining the party will demonstrate his ability to innately pierce enemy defenses with his weapons. Following Rikku's rejoining the party, she demonstrates her Mix Overdrive ability. When the party is stranded on Bikanel Island, Tidus will face a fixed encounter with a Zu, and will be joined by Auron and Lulu as the battle continues. Once the party reunites with Rikku, another fixed encounter will occur against two Mech Guard opponents, in which Rikku demonstrates her ability to instantly dismantle machina opponents using Steal.
Being caught by the Guado when escaping Macalania Temple initiates various battles against fiends summoned by the Guado Guardians.
Returning to the temple areas after acquiring the airship commonly triggers battles against the Dark Aeons in the International, PAL and HD Remaster versions. Dark Anima, meanwhile, is fought at the entrance of Mt. Gagazet. Dark Anima will appear after completing the Target minigame on the mountain caves again, available after viewing the campfire scene at start of the Zanarkand Ruins. Each failed attempt triggers a battle composed of all fiends found in the Mountain Cave in a strict order, starting with Bandersnatch's group, finishing with Behemoth, and then back to Bandersnatch.
Being caught by the Dark Magus Sisters initiates a battle against either all three or just each sister on their own, depending on success.
=== Final Fantasy XIII ===
Cocoon is described as having "scripted battles" as opposed to Gran Pulse's "random encounters". However, both worlds have their enemies present on the field map and making physical contact with them results in a battle.
=== Final Fantasy Mystic Quest ===
This game only has fixed encounters, as the player fights each enemy sprite blocking the path in each dungeon. The player can choose to fight battlefield battles against enemies 10 times before they are cleared out, and they sometimes get a reward for it.
=== Final Fantasy Legend II ===
Throughout Ashura's Base, the player can encounter fixed encounter or random encounters inside, such as if the player walks into enemies, talks to them, or they walk into them. They'll engage into a battle with the enemies found in the area.
===World of Final Fantasy===
Each Murkrift contains a one-time fixed encounter battle when the player chooses to enter it.
Most enemies in the "secret areas" in some dungeons of Grymoire will initiate battle when approached or walking to a spot where they should appear. Likewise, certain bosses will also initiate battle in the same manner.
Touching a Mega Sharqual in The Low Seas forces the player to fight it. There are eight on the field.
Approaching a Red Dragon sitting in its nest in The Dragon Scars forces the player to fight it. There are three on the field.
Approaching certain spots within Fen 2 of The Windswept Mire may cause a Flan to pop out and ambush the player, forcing them to fight it. This also occurs in the second area of EX Dungeon A, which is based on Fen 2. In either case, there are five ambush spots.
Collecting the Sphinx Memento from a treasure chest in one of the Secret Toils of The Phantom Sands initiates a cutscene and a battle with a Sphinx when approached.
If the player gets caught by a Searcher in the Underground Prison, they are forced to fight it.
In Segment 3 of Big Bridge, touching the glowing blue enemy blockades created by the Mythril Giants initiates a battle with three Mythril Giants, which can be avoided with proper timing from the Jump Pads. The player is also forced to fight the Mythril Giants creating the blockades, as well as a lone one in Segment 4.
The Crystal Tower has fixed encounters with Kuza Beasts and Kuza Kits, all of which reward the player with a Clearcryst upon defeat. The player is forced to fight the Kuza Kit on the tower's Fifth Floor to proceed through the dungeon.
The three Cogna enemies in the corrupted Agarthir will initiate battle with the player when touched.
Interacting with false Teleport Devices in The Chainroad initiates ambush encounters with enemies.
Fleeing from enemies encountered on the field makes them intangible for several seconds, indicated by flashing, allowing the player to move away from them without having to engage battle with them again.
Category:Battle elements