Ronnie Posted September 15, 2017 Posted September 15, 2017 What's the combat like? As someone who doesn't play JRPGs because of the complexity and all the systems involved I'm not sure if I'll get on with this game. Will try the demo in a couple of weeks when I finish Mario Rabbids. I liked the simplicity of the combat in games like Child of Light but I can't imagine this is similarly straightforward.
Glen-i Posted September 16, 2017 Author Posted September 16, 2017 (edited) 3 hours ago, Ronnie said: What's the combat like? As someone who doesn't play JRPGs because of the complexity and all the systems involved I'm not sure if I'll get on with this game. Will try the demo in a couple of weeks when I finish Mario Rabbids. I liked the simplicity of the combat in games like Child of Light but I can't imagine this is similarly straightforward. It's from the people who made Bravely Default, so it's a bit more complex than the likes of Child of Light. (Amazing Game, BTW, definitely one of my surprise hits of the WiiU) Despite that, it's very reasonable to understand with a bit of careful tutorial reading and practice. I'll try and explain it as concisely as possible. With the help of a screenshot that you could never tell was edited in Paint. Spoiler *Mwah* Flawless The basics of Octopath Traveller revolve around understanding 3 crucial mechanics. Shield Points Every enemy in the game has a number in a shield underneath them. These are the enemies Shield Points. (Indicated by Arrow 1) You may also notice 2 panels underneath the word "Weak". This indicates weaknesses. If you manage to find an enemy's weak point, the game keeps a record of it so you don't have to remember. It even shows you how many weaknesses they have. (In this case, it's Swords and something else) Now pay attention, here's the important bit. Every time you nail a weak point, the Shield Points decrease. If you manage to reduce these points to 0, the enemy becomes stunned and misses all of it's turns you can see on the top of the screen, as well as losing defense. Clever planning can help you get extra attacks in, control the flow of battle and deal major damage. Switching Weapons Look at arrow 2. See that panel next to "Attack"? Some characters can use more than one type of weapon. You can switch between them by highlighting "Attack" and pressing Left or Right. This doesn't use up a turn, so you're free to use the perfect weapon for the situation. The weapons you can use depend on the character you're playing as. This bloke in the picture can use Swords and Spears, for example. Other characters may be able to use "Abilities" to cast spells (Fire, Electric, etc.) These can hit weak spots as well. Experimentation is the name of the game. Boost Mode Here's the last important mechanic. See arrow 3? Note the yellow light next to 4 grey circles. These indicate your Boost Points, in this picture, you have 1 BP. Now look at arrow 4, you'll no doubt see that pressing R does something called "Boost". When you press R on this menu, you get an extra turn. This will use up one of your boost points. Don't worry though, every turn, your characters all get 1 BP. Remember the 4 grey circles? Well, if you want, you can save up to 5 BP. Now here's the most interesting thing. You can Boost up to 3 times at once. If you have the BP saved up, you can attack up to 4 times! And that sums up the basics. So how do you implement this? OK, so the goal is to destroy the enemies while mitigating damage as much as possible. How can we do this? With a bit of thought, you can effectively incapacitate these two enemies in two turns, even with one character. Sounds mental, right? But think about the basics. Shield Points decrease when you hit a weakness. An enemy loses it's turns when Shield Points reduce to 0. You can use BP to get extra turns. You get 1 BP per turn. Figured it out? You can spend 1 BP to attack twice, letting you attack twice and lower one enemy's Shield Points to 0, stunning it. On the next turn, you can use another 1 BP to do the same to the other enemy. If you continue to alternate, you'll constantly be stunning each enemy as soon as they can move. Not letting them attack anymore. Easy victory! That's basically how battles work. Now, there's no doubt later enemies will get more Shield Points, forcing you to think of different strategies, but if you keep these basic mechanics in mind, you'll get the hang of it after a bit of practice. I hope that clarifies things a bit. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Edited September 16, 2017 by Glen-i 3 1
Ronnie Posted September 16, 2017 Posted September 16, 2017 6 hours ago, Glen-i said: It's from the people who made Bravely Default, so it's a bit more complex than the likes of Child of Light. (Amazing Game, BTW, definitely one of my surprise hits of the WiiU) Despite that, it's very reasonable to understand with a bit of careful tutorial reading and practice. I'll try and explain it as concisely as possible. With the help of a screenshot that you could never tell was edited in Paint. Reveal hidden contents *Mwah* Flawless The basics of Octopath Traveller revolve around understanding 3 crucial mechanics. Shield Points Every enemy in the game has a number in a shield underneath them. These are the enemies Shield Points. (Indicated by Arrow 1) You may also notice 2 panels underneath the word "Weak". This indicates weaknesses. If you manage to find an enemy's weak point, the game keeps a record of it so you don't have to remember. It even shows you how many weaknesses they have. (In this case, it's Swords and something else) Now pay attention, here's the important bit. Every time you nail a weak point, the Shield Points decrease. If you manage to reduce these points to 0, the enemy becomes stunned and misses all of it's turns you can see on the top of the screen, as well as losing defense. Clever planning can help you get extra attacks in, control the flow of battle and deal major damage. Switching Weapons Look at arrow 2. See that panel next to "Attack"? Some characters can use more than one type of weapon. You can switch between them by highlighting "Attack" and pressing Left or Right. This doesn't use up a turn, so you're free to use the perfect weapon for the situation. The weapons you can use depend on the character you're playing as. This bloke in the picture can use Swords and Spears, for example. Other characters may be able to use "Abilities" to cast spells (Fire, Electric, etc.) These can hit weak spots as well. Experimentation is the name of the game. Boost Mode Here's the last important mechanic. See arrow 3? Note the yellow light next to 4 grey circles. These indicate your Boost Points, in this picture, you have 1 BP. Now look at arrow 4, you'll no doubt see that pressing R does something called "Boost". When you press R on this menu, you get an extra turn. This will use up one of your boost points. Don't worry though, every turn, your characters all get 1 BP. Remember the 4 grey circles? Well, if you want, you can save up to 5 BP. Now here's the most interesting thing. You can Boost up to 3 times at once. If you have the BP saved up, you can attack up to 4 times! And that sums up the basics. So how do you implement this? OK, so the goal is to destroy the enemies while mitigating damage as much as possible. How can we do this? With a bit of thought, you can effectively incapacitate these two enemies in two turns, even with one character. Sounds mental, right? But think about the basics. Shield Points decrease when you hit a weakness. An enemy loses it's turns when Shield Points reduce to 0. You can use BP to get extra turns. You get 1 BP per turn. Figured it out? You can spend 1 BP to attack twice, letting you attack twice and lower one enemy's Shield Points to 0, stunning it. On the next turn, you can use another 1 BP to do the same to the other enemy. If you continue to alternate, you'll constantly be stunning each enemy as soon as they can move. Not letting them attack anymore. Easy victory! That's basically how battles work. Now, there's no doubt later enemies will get more Shield Points, forcing you to think of different strategies, but if you keep these basic mechanics in mind, you'll get the hang of it after a bit of practice. I hope that clarifies things a bit. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Wow thanks very much for the detailed explanation. Doesn't seem too complex. Maybe this'll be the jrpg for me. Thanks again
Glen-i Posted September 16, 2017 Author Posted September 16, 2017 22 minutes ago, Ronnie said: Wow thanks very much for the detailed explanation. Doesn't seem too complex. Maybe this'll be the jrpg for me. Thanks again Hopefully, the demo will be easier to jump into for you now. I recommend choosing the bloke's scenario in the demo first, he has an easier time then the chick and is perfect for learning the ropes. 1
Ugh first aid Posted September 17, 2017 Posted September 17, 2017 * ^ * I might of made the mistake of jumping into Primorose's story first. Not only is it much shorter then the dude's ( Shhh I can't remember his name) story...It's also A LOT harder then the dude. All in all though this game is a solid must buy for me. I knew that I would be getting this game just by seeing the first trailer released, however after playing the Demo I don't need to even consider it, It's a must buy for sure...( no...I'm not obsessed with Rpg's...not at all. ) 1 1
Ronnie Posted September 28, 2017 Posted September 28, 2017 Put in just under an hour last night to finish Olberic's storyline. Liked it a lot! The battle system is actually pretty easy to get to grips with thanks to @Glen-i's tips. The boss character beat me the first time then I beat him the next go once I realised you could Boost your abilities. Anywho as someone who isn't really into jrpgs I loved pretty much everything about it, the only thing that's turning me off is the random battles. Not a fan and that may stop me from picking it up tbh.
Phube Posted October 4, 2017 Posted October 4, 2017 Why can't I equip the dagger? Is it just me or not allowed in this demo?
Glen-i Posted October 5, 2017 Author Posted October 5, 2017 On 10/4/2017 at 9:15 AM, Phube said: Why can't I equip the dagger? Is it just me or not allowed in this demo? Who are you playing as? The bloke can't equip daggers. 1
Phube Posted October 5, 2017 Posted October 5, 2017 7 hours ago, Glen-i said: Who are you playing as? The bloke can't equip daggers. Errrm yup, that'll do it! Well that wasted cash then! Did I miss the part where it told me that?
Julius Posted December 19, 2017 Posted December 19, 2017 Behind-the-music video. The music in this game sounds great! 1
Julius Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 (edited) Improvements video based on the demo feedback (with English subtitles). The demo has had over one million downloads and 45500+ survey responses. A summary of the improvements made to the game in response to the demo feedback: Quote • You can run by pushing the analog stick all the way (no need to toggle with B) and hold B to run even faster (although random enemy encounters go up to balance this) • Fast travel option in full game • Adjustments to designs of the environment. This was based on the issues with visibility, especially in dungeons, so traversable areas stand out, adjustments to wall and floor colour, and visible landmarks, among other changes. • Radar that points players towards entrances, exits and important places • Improved visibility and can adjust screen brightness, and can adjust HD-2D filters • Fixed issue where it was too easy to accidentally overwrite your save, and there are now 9 save slots and 1 autosave slot - a total of 10 save slots • Adjusted text size and streamlined the UI • Skip scene option (good for when you die against a boss and can skip the cutscenes that might occur beforehand when you go to redo the fight) • Option to replay cutscenes • Option to change text speed • Game balance refinement. Some people found the combat difficult and while the core combat has not changed, refinements to game balance are continuing to be made so that battles provide a good challenge, but are not overly frustrating. The team have also not yet shown battles with a full party of four and there are many more important elements not shown yet so they say to stay tuned for future updates. Edited January 30, 2018 by Julius Caesar 1 1
Nolan Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 That’s how you do a fucking demo. Plenty of QoL improvements in that list.
Grazza Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 Those sound like some much needed improvements to a fundamentally solid game. I was very borderline about getting the full game, but I definitely will now. I'm just going to delete the demo and start anew.
Ronnie Posted January 30, 2018 Posted January 30, 2018 Well done to the dev team for taking on so much feedback and tweaking the game, that was a great video.
Julius Posted February 5, 2018 Posted February 5, 2018 (edited) The game’s producer - Square Enix’s Masashi Takahashi - and director - Acquire’s Keisuke Miyauchi - sat down with Famistu to talk about Project Octopath Traveller. To summarise: Development • The biggest theme of this game is ‘the journey’. The world is ripe for exploration with any of the eight characters. • The project was started by Takahashi and producer Tomoya Asano, who headed the Bravely series. • Acquire was chosen as development partner thanks to their work on the What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord? series, showing off their pixel art prowess. Miyauchi recalls Takahashi and Asano coming together and suggesting, “What would this look like with rich-looking pixel art enhanced by modern technology, instead of just normal pixel art?” • It took a long while to perfect the HD-2D look. At first, they didn’t add enough depth to the view, and it was uninteresting. Another time, they went too far on the resolution and saturation, losing the appeal of pixel art. It was tough to balance things, such as whether water should be pixel or photoreal. • Furthermore, sprites looked lonely and simple in the context of a larger screen. In order to keep the appeal of sprites, the development team increased the density of tile variations and colors to create an altogether richer view. Characters • In order to have different party variations, they decided on having 8 characters: four male, and four female. In order to have different experiences with each character, they took care to differentiate each character’s storyline. • All the characters have different classes, and more info will be released later. However, Takahashi mentions that character classes verge on the realistic side, being based on different occupations in Medieval Europe. The field commands were devised based on the classes. • Olberic is popular with the Square Enix side staff thanks to being the first created character, but the man on the very left of the key art, reading a book, is popular with female staff. On the Acquire side, the man with the muffler and the woman with the hat are popular. • Olberic and Primrose were chosen to be the demo protagonists as their stories started in a similar place, and the developers wanted people to be able to recruit the other character after beating the story. Battle System • Asano and Takahashi requested to Miyauchi that the battle system be something that everyone can enjoy, even if it is old school. Takahashi further elaborated, stating that the action RPGs that are the current trend are hard for him. • A simple turn-based battle system wouldn’t be turning any heads, so after trial-and-error the Command Boost and Break systems were added. Both aren’t new concepts, but go well with turn-based systems and add another layer of strategy. • In order to add to the fun of the game, the guard points are displayed, showing how many attacks under a Break occurs. This means that players can set off their own combos, which is always a good feeling. • Battle difficulty in the game is based on area, and not by character level. Edited February 5, 2018 by Julius Caesar 1 3
Julius Posted March 8, 2018 Posted March 8, 2018 (edited) The game is releasing July 13th, with a special edition also releasing the same day. The special edition (known as the Wayfarer's Edition) will include a coin based on the in-game currency, a soundtrack CD, a map of the in-game world, and a pretty awesome case. Edited April 18, 2018 by Julius Caesar
Julius Posted March 8, 2018 Posted March 8, 2018 For anyone who missed the Direct...or just wants to watch the Octopath Traveller stuff again
Ronnie Posted March 9, 2018 Posted March 9, 2018 I'm glad they kept the name. Looks gorgeous as ever.
MindFreak Posted March 9, 2018 Posted March 9, 2018 Seems like they finalized the title now. About time.
Agent Gibbs Posted March 9, 2018 Posted March 9, 2018 I am not glad they kept the name, its just weird. that said i'll get that sweet sweet special edition This year is looking good for RPG's
Julius Posted April 17, 2018 Posted April 17, 2018 (edited) Quote Eight stories await in a new world brought to life by Square Enix. Meet two more travelers, H’aanit the Hunter and Therion the Thief, and discover their motivations. Then, delve into details on path actions and side stories. This game looks better and better with every new look we get at it! The music in the second half of the trailer builds up into an epic climax, and I love the concept of the duality of the Noble and Rogue paths. And just to address the oddly-named-JRPG-shaped elephant in the room... O - Olberic C - T - Tressa O - P - Primrose A - Alfyn T - Therion H - H’aanit Edited April 17, 2018 by Julius Caesar 4 3
Hero-of-Time Posted April 25, 2018 Posted April 25, 2018 Lovely stuff. Hopefully we get the same art over here. 1 2
Julius Posted April 25, 2018 Posted April 25, 2018 1 hour ago, Hero-of-Time said: Lovely stuff. Hopefully we get the same art over here. Man, that’s some good looking box art... Also, the 4-disc OST will release on the same day as the game in Japan; no news on a Western release date for the OST yet (as far as I’m aware?):
Ike Posted April 25, 2018 Posted April 25, 2018 Now that's a JRPG cover. Nintendo UK seem to say we are getting the same boxart. 1
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