The “On Balance” is a unique side quest in Final Fantasy 16 that deviates from the normal fighting aspect and focuses on problem-solving instead. Given that, there’s nothing else but cutscenes and solving puzzles, this particular side quest is quite easy to complete but may take a lot of time.
The main point of the “On Balance” side quest is to find and retrieve an instrument – Mid’s Scales – that Shirleigh seems to have lost. She suspects that the younglings she guides may have been involved in the instrument’s disappearance and asks for your help.
Hence, Clive must now first find the kids, and then encourage them to find a way to get the instrument back together – upon learning that they have dismantled it.
Before you move on to that though, remember that you must have completed the Things Fall Apart mission to unlock this quest in FF16. Once that’s done, you can meet up with Shirleigh at The Shelves (The Hideaway) to start this quest.
How to complete On Balance in FF16
First and foremost, you have to talk with Shirleigh at The Shelves to initiate the quest. Shirleigh informs Clive that she had borrowed Mid’s Scales to teach her kids about weight, but they went missing shortly after.
She suspects that the kids may have something to do with it, but can’t get them to budge. Hence, she asks for Clive’s help in solving the mystery.
Choose to help Shirleigh, and the quest will automatically start. Since her pupils are your first and only lead to finding the Scales, you must meet with them.
Find Josselin
The quest markers will lead you to the kids, who can be found at the western end of the Hideout – the Atrium. Follow the quest marker to the Atrium and you should see the kids pondering over a few instruments on the table.
When you reach them, you must first initiate a conversation with Josselin – the blonde-haired pupil. Upon talking with the children, Clive learns that the children have dismantled the scales but can’t put them together again.
As admirable as the children’s dedication to becoming a ‘ninja-neer’ may be, Clive needs to give the kids a lesson. After encouraging them about taking responsibility for their actions, you will be given an objective to inspect the pieces on the table.
Inspect the Scale’s pieces
There are three pieces on the table – the arm, the pans, and the gears. After inspecting each piece, Clive teaches something about it to the pupils.
Once all of the pieces have been inspected, Clive puts them together one by one and reconstructs the Scale.
Talk to Shirleigh again
Once that’s done, head back over to The Shelves and speak with Shirleigh for a second time.
Once the conversation is over, the “On Balance” side quest will be considered for it, and you will be rewarded for your troubles.
On Balance quest rewards in FF16
Upon completion of the “On Balance” quest, you will be rewarded with:
- 1 Black Blood
- 2 Gil Bug
- 900 EXP
- 800 Gil
- 25 Renown
These are pretty decent rewards for a fairly easy mission since pretty much all you had to do was watch cutscenes!
