Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate: The Official Thread For The Ultimate Game

[Hero-of-Time]

 

Those of you who have been around here for a while know that I like to do a OT for when a new big game is released. I did this for Xenoblade and The Last Story, with the help of RedShell of course. With Monster Hunter Ultimate just around the corner it was inevitable that I was going to do it again. So here it is. Welcome to the Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate OT. For best results listen to these while reading the thread.

 

Monster Hunter Tri Theme

	Audio

Original Monster Hunter Theme

	Audio

 

 

EU:22rd March 2013

US:19th March 2013

AU:23rd March 2013

JP:Out Now….jammy gits.

 

 

 

About The Game

 

This was taken from a Neogaf member. It is his thoughts on what makes Monster Hunter what it is.

 

Monster Hunter is...

 

...a game that expects a lot from its players. Newcomers have probably gotten this sense already just from playing the demo. The various systems are explained better within the full game, with regards to gathering items, crafting/upgrading equipment, skills, and of course combat, but they largely leave it up to the player to experiment with everything that's laid out for them. Ultimately it's up to you to decide what weapon types you're most effective with, how to use them on each particular monster, what skills you want to specialize in, what items to bring along, and so forth. You're given a ton of options, but it's left up to you to work out the minute details of what's most relevant to you. Don't expect your hand to be held once you start getting to the large monsters.

 

...about improving yourself as much as improving your character. You can classify Monster Hunter as an action-RPG, but I don't feel that either half of that description really does the game justice. You have equipment with attack and defense stats, elemental effects, special skills and so on, but unlike most games with character progression of that nature, the focus is not solely on getting better gear for your character. It is just as focused on honing your actual ability to play the game. Nothing is more valuable to your success than your own experience, whether it be understanding the maps, learning the monsters' patterns and attacks, or even things as basic as how to best move around using your weapon of choice. You will constantly be learning new things as you go.

 

...slow and "clunky," but deliberately so. It makes sense when you think about it. You're not a space marine or some gene-infused supersoldier in Monster Hunter, you are just a regular (albeit extremely well-conditioned) human being, hauling and swinging around weaponry that probably weighs up to several hundred pounds. Of course swinging a great sword is going to be slow to wind-up and recover from. Weaponry has a major sense of weight and momentum to it, and in that sense MH is actually much more realistic than most other games involving weapons like this. As the goal is to defeat monsters without getting your own ass kicked, attacks are meant to be accurate and methodical. Pick your spots wisely and know when to attack, and just as importantly when not to attack. You are fighting beasts many times your own size that are much more powerful than you. You are more vulnerable than they are, keep that in mind.

 

...more like a fighting game than an action game. What I mean by this is kind of tied to the last two points. Obviously this isn't Street Fighter, but you'll have a bit more success with the controls and pace of the game if you think about it from that mindset more than comparing it to, say, a Devil May Cry or other contemporary action games. Any weapon class you use, you instantly have access to their full array of moves. Every weapon class is given its own diverse set of tools, much like fighting game characters get their same set of attacks and specials right out the gate. Mastery of the game first comes from learning the nuances of the weapon you're using. What sort of combos can be performed, which moves can be roll-cancelled out of, what attacks can you use to boost your mobility, so on and so forth. And also just like a fighting game, the core toolset that you develop has to be tweaked and adjusted to suit the opponent that you face. Just like learning how to predict what moves your opponent will do and countering them with your own, so too must you learn the behaviors of monsters and figure out how to best exploit them using your weapon. Defeating all of the boss monsters in this game comes down to more than just running up, hitting them, healing and repeating. As you fight a monster repeated times, you come to learn their patterns, figure out when and where to dodge, when and where to attack, predict what they're about to do and be ready to punish them when they do it. Your moveset is fixed, but your strategies are always evolving.

 

...based around the balance of investment and reward. The people that play Monster Hunter often spend a LOT of time playing Monster Hunter. Why is that? There are only so many monsters to fight, it can't take that long...but that's where the investment and reward come into play. Every boss encounter, when you first reach it, is a big affair. They can be difficult, it might take several lengthy attempts before you can bring down a monster that troubles you. Seemingly everybody finds a "wall" beast at some point or another...but the thing about Monster Hunter's most dedicated players is that the boss fights extend beyond simple pass/fail bouts that are completed once and abandoned in favor of the next thing. As I said, the more experience you gain using certain weapons or against certain monsters will sharpen you and give you a better handle on how to fight the next time around. The first time you defeat a monster that gives you trouble is immensely satisfying, but to me just as enjoyable of a feeling is facing a monster until you've got its behavior mastered. Even in Tri I still enjoyed facing the Great Jaggi long after he ceased to be a threat, because I knew how he moved so well that he can be decimated in one or two minutes while barely (or never) taking damage. This doesn't strike me as the sort of game that you play just to beat, rather it's one that you play to master, and you'll feel far more powerful and far more satisfied from slaying a beast and knowing that the victory was won by your own experience and precision rather than simply building up stats over time.

 

...a game filled with player-generated memorable moments. During one of my earlier forays into bowgunning while playing on Tri with a group of my friends, we took on the Qurupeco. Late in the fight, he began to limp away and took off, intending to fly off to another area to rest. In a fit of desperation I launched my last Crag shot shell into the air long after he was out of everyone else's reach. The resulting explosion dropped him right out of the sky and sent him flopping back down onto the ground where the rest of my team promptly swarmed in and finished him. It was an awesome "oh no you don't!" moment that we all got to laugh and share in, and it's but one of many high-emotion moments to be had. Whether you feel desperation turn to triumph like above, the tension of just barely dodging several attacks in quick succession with just a sliver of health left, taking a huge beast head-on, or even just screwing around with gestures in the multiplayer cities, those patented "Monster Hunter Moments" have become one of the series' hallmarks, and unlike a lot of games nowadays who look to generate memories through deliberate set-piece action shots or plot twists, the highest highs and lowest lows of Monster Hunter are always the ones you experience while wrapped in the midst of play. The cooperative nature of it, to me, makes for much more fun "war stories" than the tales of k/d domination in other multiplayer-focused games.

 

I was never just going to leave it at that! Here are a few of my thoughts about what makes the game so great.

 

Adventure

You set off in a big open world with just a shoddy weapon and your underwear. It is in this open world where you will have to face off against some of the most fearsome creatures in a videogame, but don’t get ahead of yourself. At the start you will be lucky to survive a Kelbi ambush never mind taking on Rathlos.

 

You will need to first pick your weapon of choice. For new players I would recommend the Sword & Shield as this offers a quick attack method and also allows you to block attacks. I personally enjoy using the larger swords, such as the Great Sword or Longsword.

 

The GS could also be a good weapon for newer players as this also allows for blocking. The problem is that it is really , really slow. It is has an amazing attack power though, so you have to decide whether the pay off is worth it.

 

The LS is a fast and elegant weapon type that allows you to unleash a flurry of attacks once the combo meter is filled. After a combo is done you simply put your sword away and walk off casually. AWESOME. The downside to this weapon is that you can’t block with it.

 

There are a number of other weapons available and it is highly recommended that you try them all out. Everyone is unique and everyone has their favourites. Some weapons are better tailored to some enemies so being able to use different weapons becomes a valuable asset to a hunting party.

 

Friendship

This is a game that requires team work and everyone pulling together. It is also about having many a laugh and seeing funny situations. No other game that I have played has had such a bonding effect when it comes to team work. Get together with friends and this game elevates from being a great game to an amazing one.

 

When you do hook up with people you know and everyone knows the part they are going to play then even the strongest of the beasties will be limping away after a well played out attack plan.

 

Hooking up with friends is easy. Just pick a town and everyone can follow. With this version you can now lock towns down meaning that you can set a password so that others can’t spoil the party.

Sometimes it is fun to hook up with random people though, I have made many a friend over the years by just meeting them on the various versions of Monster Hunter I have played.

 

The amount of laughs and memories I have had from the series are so many that I can’t remember them all. Trying to catch a monster that was already dead, seeing my mate being killed by a Mosswine, charging Jhen just as the original Monster Hunter theme hits, all fantastic times that I have had while playing with friends.

 

Jealousy

Ah, the green eyed beast…no you don’t have to kill it. Trying to get an item that you have been after for for weeks and then only to see a friend get numerous supplies of them can be one of the most annoying things in this game. Sure, it’s supposed to have a RNG in place but every seasoned hunter will tell you the same. Never wish for something in Monster Hunter as most of the time the game will read what you are after and not give it up.

 

Grinding

If you let the game get it’s hooks into you then it will be a MASSIVE time sink. The amount of hours I have put into the series has been insane. I was kicking around 700+ for Monster Hunter Tri alone.

 

The game does require you to grind though. If you are after armour of a new weapon you will have to kill multiple creatures numerous times. You may think this feels like a chore but that isn’t the case. As previously mentioned, hook up with some friends and the game is joy to play and the usual thoughts of grinding go out of the window.

 

 

Teaser

 

Comic Con Trailer

 

New Details Trailer

 

Ultimate Battle Trailer

 

Multiplayer Trailer

 

 

Half Hour Gameplay Session

 

Ville Demo Gameplay 1

 

Ville Demo Gameplay 2

 

RedShell Demo Gameplay 1

 

RedShell Demo Gameplay 2

 

 

 

 

Here is a selection of the new monsters that you will face in the game. As well as these new beasties you will also get to fight the harder, colour variants of a few of the monsters.

 

Brachydios

 

Great Wroggi

 

Duramboros

 

Nibelsnarf

 

Logombi

 

Volvidon

 

Zinogre

 

Arzuros

 

Capcom Localisation Notes Part 1

Capcom Localisation Notes Part 2

Capcom Localisation Notes Part 3

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Wiki

 

N-Europe

IGN

Nintendo Life

 

 

You can check out the original thread for this game, look at the new meetup thread and start discussing tactics or even go back in time and read about our hype and adventures in the Monster Hunter Tri threads.

 

Original Monster Hunter Ultimate 3 Thread

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 3DS Thread

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate N-E Brotherhood - An Online CALL TO ARMS

Monster Hunter Tri Thread

Monster Hunter Tri Meet Up Thread

 

 

ShopTo: Free T-Shirt with console bundle

GAME: Free T-Shirt with a preorder of the game.

 

 

BIG thanks to RedShell for once again providing the GFX and generally tidying everything up.

Edited February 10, 2015 by Hero-of-Time

[-Dem0-]

Goodness me... Great stuff RedShell & H-o-T, this game feels even more epic now.

[Dcubed]

THE FINAL WEEK! And a epic OP to celebrate it!

 

Great job guys!

[Guy]

I guess the N in N-Europe actually stands for Neogaf.

 

Just playing, great thread guys.

[Hero-of-Time]

I guess the N in N-Europe actually stands for Neogaf.

 

I was gonna nick a description from Wiki or somewhere like that but Doorman from Gaf did a much better job.

[Kaepora_Gaebora]

Wow what a brilliant OP, cheers guys!

My brothers wedding tomorrow, me, him and the two best men are all big Nintendo gamers, planning on a bit of Mario Kart 3DS before the ceremony, we spent all yesterday trying to convince him it still wasn't too late to push it back a week so we can all do some Monster Hunting together before and after it! (And probably during knowing us, my brother wanted to have a Wii U/ 3DS section to the reception, apparently vetoed...)

[S.C.G]

An excellent thread indeed, well said H-o-T and a nice job on the GFX as usual Red I must admit that the first time I played Monster Hunter Tri on the Wii I either didn't 'get' it or I didn't put the effort in and it has been one of those things that has saddened me over the last couple of years, perhaps there were other factors too, the Wii's online wasn't great in general but it was still functional but mainly I suppose I just didn't put in the time for whatever reason, yet I did want to but something stopped me.

 

Now though, I've found myself playing the definitive version of the game weeks before release and I don't know what to say, everything finally 'clicked' for me, as I've put in a play time of around 55 hours so far and I can't see myself stopping any time soon.

 

I should have the review written today - so look out for that when the embargo lifts on the 19th of March - but once that's done I'm free to continue playing this wonderful game; that isn't to say that I feel the review is a 'chore' far from it in fact it's an honour to be writing it and though if I was asked to review the original I would have thought that I wasn't 'worthy' enough to, now I feel like I've been properly initiated in the wonderful world of Monster Hunter, which to me is a privilege, so I feel the same about writing the review, also you won't need to worry about the score, of course it will score highly but not just because 'it's Monster Hunter' but because I feel that it truly deserves it, just how highly though? You'll have to wait and see.

 

Anyway I really do look forward to playing with you all when the game launches on the 22nd of March - or before for those of you who order from ShopTo - I've actually kept my pre-order for both versions of the games - even though I have a review copy - as I intend to give my Fiance mine - we're back together again - so that hopefully she'll get hooked on it too in the hope that it'll bring us closer, naturally when I go to see her I'll at least be able to take the hunt with me on the 3DS version so that I can ensure that I always have 'my daily fix' of the game because now I genuinely 'need' it in my life. :p

 

So hopefully I'll be seeing a lot of you all online one way or another being that I intend to put many, many more hours into this fantastic game that I've already invested over fifty in but can easily see myself sinking around ten times that amount into it, in fact I will make it my goal to at least make it to five hundred hours and that's a promise that I'm sure both 'you' and my Wii U will be happy to hear.

 

*blows horn*

 

'Let the real hunt begin!'

 

: peace:

[Mokong]

Great Thread HoT and Red : peace:

 

One Week left, cannot wait

 

The only thing left is for Capcom/Nintendo to bring back teh Ironbeard adverts...BRING BACK IRONBEARD NOW!!!!!!

[Kagato]

Absolutely epic thread! Knowing im less than a week away from the games release has me going crazy, everything im playing in between is filling time until i can get Monster Hunter started. Ill need to remember and pick up one of those analogue stick things for my 3DS version of the game, had been hoping they would do a special edition with it included.

[S.C.G]

Absolutely epic thread! Knowing im less than a week away from the games release has me going crazy, everything im playing in between is filling time until i can get Monster Hunter started. Ill need to remember and pick up one of those analogue stick things for my 3DS version of the game, had been hoping they would do a special edition with it included.

 

ShopTo are shipping those right now! I got an e-mail/text about it today, it's just a shame that they won't be shipping the 3DS game that early too but yeah, just in case you wanted your Circle Pad Pro XL extra early.

[Retro_Link]

I feel sorry for anyone wanting to view this thread with a slow running computer. :p

[Magnus]

I feel sorry for anyone wanting to view this thread with a slow running computer. :p

Yeah, I was going to say, I look forward to this thread getting to page 2.

[Ike]

My 56k dial up modem can't handle it.

[dazzybee]

Has there been any feedback with regards to the voice chat and all the methods it uses?!

[S.C.G]

Has there been any feedback with regards to the voice chat and all the methods it uses?!

 

It works with the Mic on the gamepad, if you plug in a headset to it this seems to work as well, there are options in-game online for changing the volume etc, I'll try and get another online session going between now and tomorrow to confirm that it works properly - I've mainly played with other Europeans so far - but there's no reason why it shouldn't. : peace:

[Fused King]

So how should those, myself included, who will not pick up this game go about our ways on the forum during the time you guys hunt?

Should we gather fruits and nuts and whatnot?

[Debug Mode]

So how should those, myself included, who will not pick up this game go about our ways on the forum during the time you guys hunt?

Should we gather fruits and nuts and whatnot?

 

Haha my thoughts exactly. I didn't even have this game on my radar, but all the hype from every one here actually makes me want to play it! Shame no standardised online for the 3DS version though, that's still a major kicker even with the efforts they've made.

[Ville]

So how should those, myself included, who will not pick up this game go about our ways on the forum during the time you guys hunt?

Should we gather fruits and nuts and whatnot?

 

Haha my thoughts exactly. I didn't even have this game on my radar, but all the hype from every one here actually makes me want to play it! Shame no standardised online for the 3DS version though, that's still a major kicker even with the efforts they've made.

 

1) Stop making excuses

2) Get your asses to the store (or eshop) on launch day

3) Gather the game ; D

[Debug Mode]

1) Stop making excuses

2) Get your asses to the store (or eshop) on launch day

3) Gather the game ; D

 

I could easily get the Japanese version for under half the price of the eShop version, but I'm currently under a mountain of unfinished games!

[RedShell]

Anyone know much about Charm Tables? I had no idea what the hell that was until yesterday when I stumbled across a post about it on NeoGaf, but it seems that they control what kind of charms your character collects, and that some tables are better than others.

 

From what I can gather this was also used on Tri, but the difference being that every time you booted up the game you'd randomly be assigned a charm table that would influence which charms you could find on that particular play session.

 

Apparently Capcom have changed this on Ultimate though, and the game randomly assigns you a charm table when you create your character, but you're then locked to that table for the duration of the game. Meaning that there will be certain charms that you wont be able to find at all! And if you're given a particularly crappy table, you'll be very much out of luck later on in the game.

 

Some players have figured out a way to determine what charm table you're on, by collecting info from the game and inputting it here:

http://mhvuze.de/3ucharm/fishEN/

 

This vid explains what you need to do:

 

The catch is, that it takes quite a while to find out what you've got, and if you got a bad one you then need to delete your character and start over.

Which doesn't seem worth the hassle really. But on the other hand, if you're going to end up putting hundreds of hours into the game, it's probably better to be on a decent table. Especially considering how tough things can get towards the later parts of the game.

 

There's a poll for this over at GameFaqs:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/683294-monster-hunter-3-ultimate/65697673

Looks like table 10 is considered the best.

 

What does everyone think about this?

Will you just play through the game normally, without finding out what table you're on? Or will you take the time to choose a specific one, or to just make sure you get one that isn't bad?

[S.C.G]

Well I've learned something new today, thanks @RedShell my thoughts on it? This reminds me of Section ID's on Phantasy Star Online except those were determined by what name you gave to your character but it would mean that only certain items/weapons etc would drop for you or that you'd get more of a particular item.

 

Charms are important in Monster Hunter from what I have gathered but not important enough for me to even consider starting over again now that I'm around 64 hours into the game but it is something that I might take into consideration if I make another character but realistically this won't bother me that much but it is certainly an interesting topic.

[Kagato]

I had no idea this even existed, i never really got far enough in the previous game for charms to make any real impact on my guy but since im planning on spending hundreds of hours playing id better make sure i spend some time doing this correctly. Thanks for the heads up!

 

Well I've learned something new today, thanks @RedShell my thoughts on it? This reminds me of Section ID's on Phantasy Star Online except those were determined by what name you gave to your character but it would mean that only certain items/weapons etc would drop for you or that you'd get more of a particular item.

 

Charms are important in Monster Hunter from what I have gathered but not important enough for me to even consider starting over again now that I'm around 64 hours into the game but it is something that I might take into consideration if I make another character but realistically this won't bother me that much but it is certainly an interesting topic.

 

Yeah i remember being caught out on PSO, i was an android shooter type and my section id made it so i only ever found swords lol.

 

So it seems that everyone is saying if you dont know what table to chose, to go for table 10, would everyone agree with this?

[Dcubed]

I'm just gonna play the game normally, without worrying about the charm tables stuff.

 

I have no intention to collect every armour piece/weapon/charm anyway. Just gonna play the game and enjoy it

Edited March 16, 2013 by Dcubed

[Ville]

Apparently Capcom have changed this on Ultimate though, and the game randomly assigns you a charm table when you create your character, but you're then locked to that table for the duration of the game. Meaning that there will be certain charms that you wont be able to find at all! And if you're given a particularly crappy table, you'll be very much out of luck later on in the game.

 

Thanks for the info man, had no idea! : o Unfortunately, it does seem to be true, i.e. confirmed by Capcom employees too. No idea what they were thinking, but it's a rather dumbass design choice in such a game where people spend hundreds of hours getting better gear... >_>

 

This reminds me of Section ID's on Phantasy Star Online except those were determined by what name you gave to your character but it would mean that only certain items/weapons etc would drop for you or that you'd get more of a particular item.

 

Haha, exactly. Planned out my names pretty carefully there! xD Anyway, my take on the issue?

 

Personal: I'm no stranger in getting exactly what I want in games, be it a perfect town setup in Animal Crossing or the best table here. So yes, might just go for a good table... o_O

 

In general: Well, I played 550+ hours of Tri yet I don't think I got some of the most über charms out there, like the 3-slot one. So I'm not so sure about the probability here either, i.e. how much work you would have to do for a specific super charm if you have especially bad luck. I mean there are so many possibilities out there anyway, using different armours, charms and jewels to get the combination of skills you want. An exactly-tailored super charm would probably mean that you could cram one more armour skill into your finely-crafted *insert weapon here* killing machine setup, but nothing you can't live without. It's just tinkering and fine-tuning, really.

 

Anyway, the most important piece of information here seems to be that some of the tables are seriously gimped. According to AthenaADP's charm tables here, you can see that most of the tables give you a selection of 21600 charms total, very nice! However, tables 11, 12, 15, 16, and 17 only have 800 or 216 charms! : o So if you do care about charms, at least check you're not on these "cursed" tables...

[Rummy]

(This may be the stupidest question ever - but in the 3DS demo does the R button do anything/anything important? I don't think mine works and I just wanted to check)

 

 

First post is pretty epic, well done Hero-of-Time! I'm not going to be on this for a few weeks, hopefully you guys won't leave me behind or anything. The fact it'll have gamepad-only play makes me think I might get more playtime out of it too so I'm hoping to catch up(most likely shan't be 3DSing). How/did you really manage 700+ hours Hero?! That's like..mental!!

 

Anyone know much about Charm Tables? I had no idea what the hell that was until yesterday when I stumbled across a post about it on NeoGaf, but it seems that they control what kind of charms your character collects, and that some tables are better than others.

 

From what I can gather this was also used on Tri, but the difference being that every time you booted up the game you'd randomly be assigned a charm table that would influence which charms you could find on that particular play session.

 

Apparently Capcom have changed this on Ultimate though, and the game randomly assigns you a charm table when you create your character, but you're then locked to that table for the duration of the game. Meaning that there will be certain charms that you wont be able to find at all! And if you're given a particularly crappy table, you'll be very much out of luck later on in the game.....

....

 

Personally I think(remember I know very little fo the game anyway) this is really radly fucking retarded. Why the hell you'd do it in what seems to pontentially be such a social and online game, I've no fucking idea. Imagine consumer frustration not knowing this, but everyone you playing with doing fucking awesomely and getting all the good shit whilst you get fuck all. Just imagine that, and you wouldn't/couldn't know why. Even knowing why, the solution seems to be final solution business of deleting your whole character! Mental.

Edited March 17, 2013 by Rummy
Automerged Doublepost