What to do next? Any tips?

[Yochab]

Hi!
I'm kinda new here to this forum, so if there's a thread around here that resembles that of mine, please don't obliterate me =]

Well, I've reached a certain point in the game where I just don't know what do to next.

Storyline Wise:
I'm at the point just before you begin to fight sin, on the airship.

Stuff that I've managed to get, unlock etc.
1 - Besaid ruins 1+2
2 - Bikanel Island
3 - Sanubia sands
4 - Arena (at calm lands. I've managed to get past the opening thing, where you need to get one of each monster around the calm lands).
5 - Omega ruins (although I think that my characters are too weak to train there. Seriously. my BIGGEST problem is that I don't really know where should I train).
6 - Zanarkand ruins (I think that that's in the unlockables' section. I'm not positive, tough.. =])
7 - Celestial mirror.

Characters, aeons and stats

Auron:
STR 46, AGI 12, DEF 33.
I have the crest for his celestial weapon, I have the celestial weapon, DON"T have the sigil.
He holds the murusame (one mp cost ability).
I can't seem to get Auron to his required state of power. In some walkthrough's I've read, by now auron should be doing at least 5000-8000 dmg with every hit, and mine does about 2-2.5K. that's all! Tidus is stronger.. I mean, what did I do wrong?

Tidus:
STR 48, AGI 40, DEF 30.
I have the caladbolg, fully powered. I don't know how to take this character further.

Rikku:
STR 27, AGI 59, DEF 16, MAG 25.
I have the God hand, not upgraded at all. I have the crest, but not the sigil.

Yuna:
AGI, 42, MAG 64, EVA 60, MAG DEF 56.
I have the Nirvana, not upgraded at all. I believe I have the crest, but not the sigil.

Kimahri:
I haven't used him a lot, since some walkthroughs suggested the use of Auron instead.
STR 22, MAG 32, EVA 25, AGI 14, DEF 40.
I have his crest, so I believe. No Cel' weapon, no sigil.

Wakka:
STR 51, AGI 29, DEF 26, ACC 39.
Have crest, no sigil, no cel' weap'.
I have Pep talk on him, and Rematch (evade and counter abilities)

Lulu:
DEF 41, MAG 36, EVA 72, MAG DEF 74.
Crest, no sigil, no weapon.


OK, that's about it.
Now I just want to know, what do I do from here?
Do I continue with the arena stuff, or do I go to the desert to do the Cactaur mission (I haven't got a No-Encounter armor yet.. Can't seem to get Ghosts to drop it).

The most important thing is that I don't know where to train my characters. I mean, where is a good place that there I can establish some force and then go and to the quests?
Seriously, I'm kinda confused here.

Thanks a BUNCH for any tips!

 

[Dimix1]

i'd get all the sub mission out of thee way cause after sin you will be in the main storyline for quite a while so do all the sub quests you wanna do cause it'll be a while before you use it.

 

[Baks]

Well you can go to Thunder Plains and dodge 200 Lightning bolts in a row to get Lulu's sigil for her ultimate weapon.

I think the crest is in the Farplane but I don't think you can get her Celestial wepaon until later in the game.

As for Kimhari's Celestial, while you are in the Thunder Plains go pray to all the qactaur stones to make his weapon appear.

Also I think you get the sigil by doing the Butterfly catching game in Maclania.

For Yuna's ultimate weapon, you should be unable to unlock the chest at the monster arena now that you have got the celestial mirror.

For her sigil, you have to get all the secret summons and goto Remiem temple and beat Belgieme.

To get Tidus's crest after you have beaten Yunalesca later on in the game - you should find the chest at the back of the room.

As for Wakka's ultimate weapon - go win some Blitzball matches and the cafe owner in Luca should give you it.

 

[Big Casino]

One way to train really quickly is to fight don tonberry in the battle arena using a weapon with overdrive ap and double ap, and setting your overdrive modes to stock and comrade. Type it up on google and itl give you a more detailed explanation. you gan get like 20+ sphere levels from like a 5 minute fight.
I usually finish all the side quests before the final battle, right at the end.

 

[Mitsuki]

Ah, this belongs in Help Booth, so I'll move it for ya'.

-Thread Moved-

 

[Bambi]

Just to chip in, a good place to train would be either The Omega ruins, you can also do some monster catching in there aswel if you haven't done so already......that's something I try to do as Im progressing with the story so I dont have too much to go back too...if you feel you are getting your arse handed to you in Omegas ruins then just stay near the save sphere and run round it......fighting & saving as you go. It's a prety tough place at first, but you will level up like it's going out of fashion.......it's abit tedius but it does the job ^^

When you beat Yunalesca later DO NOT forget to get the sigil from the back of the room if you are playiong the PL version because if you try going back in you WILL get your arse handed to you in a very depressing and humiliating way ;_;

If you REALLY can't face Omegas ruins yet, I suggest going around doing some monster catching in all the areas, it might be slower levelling but it's killing two birds with one stone ^^