Ike Posted April 22, 2022 Posted April 22, 2022 1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said: Thunder Thrust. Hatchet Man is proving useless. It's yet to land a hit on a thing. They have 25% crit damage, 25% normal damage and 50% miss rate. The upgraded versions are better (50% chance of hitting which will always be a crit). Oh, and I think you can use Holy Water to inflict damage on them in VIII as well. On the 3DS version, you can easily hunt metal slimes by rotating the camera to cause the monsters to respawn. 1
Hero-of-Time Posted April 22, 2022 Posted April 22, 2022 Yeah, that's what I've been doing. They show up super fast! I've unlocked Executioner for Yagus now and that seems to be doing the job nicely. I'm still not sure where to put skill points on Yangus. I put 66 into axes but have left the rest of the points in storage.
Glen-i Posted April 22, 2022 Posted April 22, 2022 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: I'm still not sure where to put skill points on Yangus. I put 66 into axes but have left the rest of the points in storage. Putting them into humanity to work towards Kabuff is what I would do. Gives him some support functionality for bosses. Midheal is also handy in a pinch, but loses potency near the endgame. But it does help for conserving MP in dungeons. Edited April 22, 2022 by Glen-i 1
Ike Posted April 22, 2022 Posted April 22, 2022 Next skill in axes gives you +20 attack which is nice. Kerplunk in humanity is also handy when you're in a pinch. Kabuff is good too. 1
Glen-i Posted April 22, 2022 Posted April 22, 2022 7 minutes ago, Ike said: Next skill in axes gives you +20 attack which is nice. Kerplunk in humanity is also handy when you're in a pinch. Kabuff is good too. Out of all the entries I've played over the years, I don't think I've ever used Kerplunk/Kamikazee once. Never been in a situation where the last character alive was the one who had access to it. Unless it's Smash Bros. I use Kamikazee far too often in that game!
Ike Posted April 22, 2022 Posted April 22, 2022 I've used Kerplunk before, probably against the post game bosses. Yangus is tanky enough to be the last one on the field.
Julius Posted April 22, 2022 Posted April 22, 2022 2 hours ago, Glen-i said: See, I'm the kind of guy who tries to keep everyone in an RPG balanced. It's helpful in games like Chrono Trigger and Octopath Traveler, where everyone is useful, even if Tressa is by far the best in the latter. But Final Fantasy VI's balance is all over the place with the characters. Some, like Terra and Celes, are multitude times better then most of the other characters. And unfortunately, you get Cyan, who has mediocre stats, a dreadful skill, and an absolutely woeful endgame weapon selection. Tempest Sword is the best he can equip, but that's best used to make Gau an utter monster. So he just has nothing going for him. It's so bad, that freaking Gogo is more viable for the final dungeon three party run, thanks to him copying better skills from better characters. Shame too, Cyan has a great plot. Yeah, for me the weighting is mainly for story > stats, but like I said, if there's overlap and the party needs reworking to account for that, I'll absolutely do it. Suikoden and Suikoden II both have dozens of potential party characters and it can easily become unbalanced, but a lot of the time having a core three characters based on story (i.e. the main trio for Suikoden II) and then a character or two based on whatever story beats are going on, and then filling out the party with a character to balance things works well. And for the record, while I used Cyan through a good chunk of VI, he didn't make my final party (that was Terra/Celes/Locke - for story reasons - and Sabin - because I love Blitz and it's simply too fun inputting combos to not want to use). But yes, Cyan's story is awesome, as is his theme! Problem with a cast as big as VI's is simply that some characters inevitably fall by the wayside (if they were ever even a focus for a moment in the first place). If they ever made a spin-off for VI, I'd want it to centre around Cyan (well, that and I'd also want an entire game based on the opera). Dragon Quest VIII is very different though, at least for me, in that the game, as far as I'm aware, wasn't originally balanced around Morrie and Red, nor did the story centre around them in a way you'd consider them the main party going on this journey. So the 3DS version of Dragon Quest VIII, I'd argue, is more like making a character like Leo (yeah I remember what happens) or maybe the Esper Elder, or heck maybe even the guy playing Draco, a playable character in Final Fantasy VI -- at least more than it is simply using a character already playable and that you could keep around, like Cyan was. Again, nothing wrong with choosing those characters though: play how you want to play, regardless of if it makes the game easier or harder for yourself, as far as I'm concerned. But for me, just personally, knowing that the original story was centred on these four characters, and that the game was originally balanced around these four characters, makes me want to play it how it was originally designed. I'm also a weirdo who will want to play games with the original controller they were intended for, and play rereleases of games which were exclusive on the current platform that manufacturer has available now, but I think we've definitely all got our own quirks when it comes to approaching games. On a replay, though? Yeah, I could potentially see myself checking out Morrie and Red! Well, that is, unless I love the original four too much... But before that: I'll beat the game for a first time 1
Hero-of-Time Posted April 22, 2022 Posted April 22, 2022 Continued playing the game this evening and seen some great story cutscenes. Spoiler I met Angelo at the pub and the scene that followed was hilarious. The whole fight in the pub had me in stitches. Yangus throwing tables, Jessica throwing fireballs and Adam just looking left and right as debris was flying past him. Dhoulmagus has finally made an appearance. Dude sounds a little like Frieza. The battle that happened soon after his reveal was a little surprising. Due to how charming and colourful these games are, you often forget how dark and serious they can get. Seeing the team getting slapped around, the Abbot being killed and the funeral that followed was quite upsetting. Angelo has now joined the team. Adam is level 24, Yangus 23, Jessica 21 and Angelo 12. I'm gonna do some Metal Slime farming to get him up to scratch with the rest of the squad. I'll probably invest his skill points into the bow move set. Doing the exp grinding tonight will get me ready to move the story on in the morning. 1 1
Hero-of-Time Posted April 23, 2022 Posted April 23, 2022 I've made a lot of progress today. Spoiler Helped a king come to terms with the loss of a loved one Lost a horse Rescued a horse Seen Morrie and Red Visited the king's cursed castle Took on a very musical mole Got me a ship I'm currently sat on an island at the bottom left corner of the map farming Liquid Metal Slimes. Hate it when they run away before you even get the chance to attack. My current levels are Adam 34, Yangus 33, Jessica 32 and Angelo 31. I'll stick around here for a little while. Not sure if I can zoom back here and so i'll make the most of it to save me sailing back later. Still loving the game. The pacing has been spot on. The story segments have been meaningful and don't take an age to get to the point. *stares at Tales of Arise* 1
Julius Posted April 23, 2022 Posted April 23, 2022 1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said: The pacing has been spot on. Yes, this! I was thinking the exact same thing when I was playing this afternoon: story segments are typically 30 - 60 minutes, and then the exploring/grinding between locations can take typically 30 - 60 minutes (I mean, a bit more if you decide to go nuts Metal Slime hunting – and why wouldn't you?), before you find yourself on the next story beat. Dragon Quest is definitely one of the best JRPG series I've played (I mean, XI is maybe my favourite game of all time, and I'm loving VIII, but I know there's still a lot of DQ I've got to experience!) when it comes to keeping the smaller story beats short and concise, but still meaningful on the grand scheme of things, as they normally drive some form of character development, be it a flashback, seeing how a character reacts to something which further implies something, etc. When you couple that with regular segments of travelling around which are roughly the same length, you get this stupidly well balanced pacing where a two hour session can make you feel like you've made huge progress in terms of levelling up and in terms of seeing story beats through from start to finish. In a lot of other long JRPGs, a session of a similar length might see you make progress in one of these areas, and I don't think it's surprising at all when you hear about people getting turned off by certain JRPGs and feeling burnt out, because I would be too if I was spending potentially that long on just one activity. What makes it even more special is obviously the charm of these games, which creates a huge contrast when it does decide to have a serious - or sometimes even surprisingly violent! - moment, which makes those moments even more powerful. Look, let's be honest, Dragon Quest's storytelling - at least my experience with it so far - is that it is simple, but it's smart decisions which make these simple stories so damn effective. It's funny, because now that I'm thinking about it, I seriously think the only series I can think to compare to Dragon Quest when it comes to how it balances charm and serious moments, and how they delicately ride that line where it's a push and pull between both sides which creates this heightened emotion for players, is Yakuza. 1
Glen-i Posted April 24, 2022 Posted April 24, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, Julius said: What makes it even more special is obviously the charm of these games, which creates a huge contrast when it does decide to have a serious - or sometimes even surprisingly violent! - moment, which makes those moments even more powerful. Look, let's be honest, Dragon Quest's storytelling - at least my experience with it so far - is that it is simple, but it's smart decisions which make these simple stories so damn effective. It's funny, because now that I'm thinking about it, I seriously think the only series I can think to compare to Dragon Quest when it comes to how it balances charm and serious moments, and how they delicately ride that line where it's a push and pull between both sides which creates this heightened emotion for players, is Yakuza. I mean, you're a fan of PMD, so it doesn't surprise me that the whole "Light-hearted visuals make more serious moments impactful" shtick that DQ has refined to an artform is something you'd like about the series. DQV is another entry that really pulls it off well. That game really makes you feel for the hero there, despite being mute as always. Seeing the two of you give your thoughts as you progress through it has made me start thinking of the upcoming DQ XII, and how it has been toted as (paraphrasing here) "a Dragon Quest for adults". And I know I should have some faith it'll turn out alright, because I've never played a DQ I haven't enjoyed yet, but I hope it doesn't lose that tone balance. It's something you don't see done too well in games, at least not on that grand scale. Edited April 24, 2022 by Glen-i
Hero-of-Time Posted April 24, 2022 Posted April 24, 2022 I ended up farming Liquid Metal Slimes until my party were level 40. I think that was a decent place to stop because I'm now steamrolling enemies and a certain boss done absolutely nothing against me. Spoiler With the boat now in my possession, I went searching around the different island and picked up a few treasure chests here and there. I got myself a Sabrecat, which has come in very handy. The areas you visit in this stage of the game are a little larger and so being able to run around on the cat makes traversal that much more easier and fun. I really enjoyed the Prince Charmles storyline. The story segment where the king was trying to explain to the prince about how good looking his future wife is (VA VA VOOM) had me in stitches. This storyline kinda reminded me of the prince storyline in DQXI. The Dark Ruin dungeons was quite fun to play through. Sure, the puzzles were very simple but it was nice to have to think even a little when doing a dungeon run, something that is lost in a lot of modern JRPGs. Dhoulmagus showed up at the end of this dungeon and I sweeped him aside very easily. I suspect something else is going on though. Jessica seemed weird when she collected the staff after the battle and now she's gone missing. Another hilarious moment was when she went missing and you ask the person in the inn about it. She describes Jessica as the girl with the big bosom. Not the red head or any kind of description about her clothes. Nope, straight away she described her chest. This is now the furthest I've reached in the game. I had a look through the PS2 DQVIII thread and the last progress report I made all those years ago mentioned getting the Sabrecat but nothing after that. I've got skill points waiting to be spent across a few of the characters at the moment but I'm happy to keep them until I think I need them. Keeping myself over levelled has meant that I've not really needed to rely on skills so much. I look forward to finally meeting the Metal King Slimes so I can start farming exp again. 1 1
darksnowman Posted April 24, 2022 Posted April 24, 2022 Doesn't matter what party members you opt for, just make sure you don't forget to look after Munchie! 1
Hero-of-Time Posted April 25, 2022 Posted April 25, 2022 Lots of progress has been made today. I've reopened the casino, got the ultimate key, ditched the boat for a flying alternative, beat the S rank on the monster arena, unlocked the other two characters and done some Metal King Slime grinding so that my team is just shy of level 50. Spoiler I'm a bit disappointed with how things how turned out. We went from chasing a creepy looking jester type guy to chasing a scruffy looking dog. Yeah, not a fan. The way the 7 sages are getting picked off one by one is hilarious. It's a freaking dog with a stick! Throw a fireball at the thing or something!! The monster arena was a nice distraction, if a little easy and short. I got all the way to A rank just by using a troll that had 999HP and a couple of other random monsters. To complete the S rank I used a team recommended by a few places and got the win with my first attempt. There's obviously some RNG involved though. I mean, if the AI decided not to use the healing moves then I would have struggled. I wanna do some more exp farming but not sure where the best place to grind would be. The Dragon Graveyard was decent but at the Slime Hill area the spawn rate seemed to be higher. I'll have a play around with them both later to see which gives the best results. I wanna try and get another session on the game this evening and make some more progress before going back to work tomorrow. I may just push on with the story and then use my lunch breaks tomorrow to do exp farming. 1
Ike Posted April 25, 2022 Posted April 25, 2022 Honestly I'd say not to grind anymore, you're too high as it is. 1
Hero-of-Time Posted April 25, 2022 Posted April 25, 2022 50 minutes ago, Ike said: Honestly I'd say not to grind anymore, you're too high as it is. 3
drahkon Posted April 25, 2022 Posted April 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Ike said: Honestly I'd say not to grind anymore 2
Glen-i Posted April 25, 2022 Posted April 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Ike said: Honestly I'd say not to grind anymore, you're too high as it is. It was a valiant attempt. You think after what happened with EarthBound Beginnings, he'd think about it, but nope! Never change @Hero-of-Time! I say that knowing full well that I'm nearing the end of Grandia and I'm routinely hacking off a third of a Boss's HP with one attack! So I'm almost just as bad. Although I grind more with a "Kill everything along the way" method, then a "Hang around one place and whack Metal Slimes" one.
Hero-of-Time Posted April 25, 2022 Posted April 25, 2022 Slime Hill is definitely the best place for exp. Volume is the key. I've been getting encounters with 6-8 Liquid Metal Slimes, with the odd King thrown in, and because there are so many of them, it means I get to kill at least a couple before they run away. At one point I managed to snag 60k in exp! My team is now level 55. Methinks that wil do....for now.
Hero-of-Time Posted April 25, 2022 Posted April 25, 2022 Spoiler Just fought and kicked the butt of Juggerwroth. I was wondering who the game was hinting at and so it was great to see Marcello show up and lend a hand. His new look was great. Dude is Vegeta to Angelo's Goku.
darksnowman Posted April 26, 2022 Posted April 26, 2022 15 hours ago, Ike said: Honestly I'd say not to grind anymore, you're too high as it is. 3
Hero-of-Time Posted April 26, 2022 Posted April 26, 2022 Well, I've managed raised the levels of my party to 60 and above during my lunch break. I think I'll farm a bit more exp once I get home and once they hit level 65 I will move on with the story. Given the events that have already occurred, I can't have that much left to do before the credits roll.
darksnowman Posted April 26, 2022 Posted April 26, 2022 Sounds like DQ VIII has been keeping your spirits high? Love it. Great game. The only thing I can say against it is the same "negative" I have for OoT 3DS (so it's in good company): as fantastic as it is to have such a grand adventure on handheld, it can feel a bit pokey on the small screen. Other than that it's one of the best and I wouldn't not want it on 3DS.
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