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I almost wish Nocturne only had one battle theme, because the "Normal Battle" theme is really bitchin'. Except for the Amala Labyrinth one, none of them are as good, though at least none are as bad as Reach out to the Truth. I just kind of tune it out now but it's probably my least favorite song on the soundtrack. I feel like Mass Destruction is probably pretty bad too, but Tartarus made me reach some kind of grinding zen where playing large amounts of unnecessary and repetitive battles seemed really fun, and I may have brainwashed myself into actually liking Mass Destruction 
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Apr 4, 2012 18:50
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Dolphin Fetus posted:I loved the hell out of Xenogears, one of my favorite games of all time, up there with Chrono Trigger....how bad is XS in comparison? If you liked Xenogears that much I would recommend Xenosaga Episode 1. It really is the most Gears-like game in the series, mainly because it was the one Tetsuya Takahashi (the mind behind Xenogears) was in direct control of. With 2 everything got out-of-control and by 3 they were kinda just winging it. 3 is to be commended somewhat for its mostly adequate closure, despite the countless obstacles that doomed it to failure. There are those who complain about Episode 1 being cutscene-heavy but they are really good cutscenes. You have Mitsuda music, an amazing English dub, wonderful cinematic direction, and so-forth. I have my DVD of the first game and love watching it. Episode 2 tried to do this too but it's horrible voicecast and nightmarish "realistic" art design just killed it. Episode 3 really threw me off because it uses speech boxes. Instead of really cool movie-like scenes, the characters mostly just stand thee while their lines are read out. I found it rather irritating, not least of all because you can tell this new style really played havoc with the VAs. A lot of the lines come off as stilted and unnatural, like they read one half of a sentence then had to stop and they put in the rest later. I like the story of Xenosaga and would heartily recommend both Episode 1 and 3 if you are interested in that. A couple little things like the generic gameplay, the speech boxes, the (IMO) excessive praise it gets when compared to 1, these all make the game far less enjoyable for me than it once was. Since you are a newcomer though, I think you'll like it fine. XS, like XG, is a very vibrant and well-detailed world, full of different characters with their own personalities and development. Even if you don't like Shion or some aspect of the story, there will be a lot of other characters and plots to focus on. NikkolasKing fucked around with this message at 19:54 on Apr 4, 2012 |
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Apr 4, 2012 19:49
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I will always remember Xenosaga 1 fondly, there really is a ridiculous amount of depth in the universe of that game. There was this one really minor villian that turned into a gnosis (and a really hard boss) and then died yet he got like a huge backstory that was both ridiculous and awesome. And who doesnt love Albedo? crazy motherfucker always had the best lines.
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Apr 4, 2012 20:06
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The dialogue boxes in Episode III were there pretty much out of necessity, and they should have been in the series since Episode I. One reason the series floundered the way it did is because Takahashi didn't recognize his limitations and insisted that every scene in Episode I(save for a couple) be CG. It makes me sad whenever I watch a scene that's just the characters sitting around and talking. They could have saved time and money by doing speech boxes instead, and maybe have actually gotten the entirety of the plot into that game instead of having to wrap it up in Episode II.
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Apr 4, 2012 20:13
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niggapolis posted:I will always remember Xenosaga 1 fondly, there really is a ridiculous amount of depth in the universe of that game. There was this one really minor villian that turned into a gnosis (and a really hard boss) and then died yet he got like a huge backstory that was both ridiculous and awesome. And who doesnt love Albedo? crazy motherfucker always had the best lines. That would be Cherenkov. I suppose some could turn it around and say it's a mark of how bad the game is, but I choose to see how one of the game's minor antagonists often being brought up as one of the best characters in the game is a testament to the storytelling. And you aren't kidding about the depth of the game. DolphiN Fetus, one of the best things about Episode 1 is the inclusion of a Database. I'm sure you got lost in all the terms and crap in Xenogears every now and then? Well in Xenosaga, there is a Database that you can look up at your leisure which gives background information on the world, the characters and so-on. It periodically updates as you progress through the game as well so you're up-to-date with all the new events and what certain lines mean. People often say that the Xenosaga writers just threw in stuff that looked and sounded cool. I think Episode 1's Database in particular shoots this idea down. There are detailed entries on pretty much everything, often having to do with the philosophical or scientific basis of it. For instance, a character mentions using an "EPR Radar" in a cutscene. The Database tells you what this is, as well as giving an entry on the EPR Paradox. just little stuff like that shows what loving detail they put into the futuristic world Xenosaga takes place in. U-DO Burger posted:The dialogue boxes in Episode III were there pretty much out of necessity, and they should have been in the series since Episode I. One reason the series floundered the way it did is because Takahashi didn't recognize his limitations and insisted that every scene in Episode I(save for a couple) be CG. It makes me sad whenever I watch a scene that's just the characters sitting around and talking. They could have saved time and money by doing speech boxes instead, and maybe have actually gotten the entirety of the plot into that game instead of having to wrap it up in Episode II. Your criticism of Takahashi over-stretching himself and the budget is objective fact so I can't say anything there. Even still, I can't imagine Episode 1 being like 3. Maybe if it utilized speech boxes better but I just didn't really care for it. I mean, FFX didn't have speech boxes. I guess they probably had a bigger budget though.
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Apr 4, 2012 20:53
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NikkolasKing posted:Your criticism of Takahashi over-stretching himself and the budget is objective fact so I can't say anything there. Even still, I can't imagine Episode 1 being like 3. Maybe if it utilized speech boxes better but I just didn't really care for it. The difference is that FFX had only a few pre-rendered CG scenes, and the rest of the scenes were rendered in real time. On the other hand, aside from the one or two terrible speech box scenes, everything in Xenosaga I was pre-rendered. While it was helpful for the action scenes, it served no purpose for the talking scenes other than to eat up more disc space. I know it's kind of pointless to rant about bad design decisions made 10 years ago, but considering that the game cost Takahashi his control over the series, it still depresses me to think about. I want the full series dammit! 
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Apr 4, 2012 22:54
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Everyone always harps on the story/CG and stuff but it was really the new combat system in XS2 that crushed my soul. Combat was long, it was un-fun from the pace, and just not very rewarding at all. I was really glad to see they simplified the system again in XS3 and reintroduced workable mech combat. It was a really easy system but at least it was fast and enjoyable. I really enjoyed XS3 at the end of the day and was glad that the series got a conclusion at least.
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Apr 4, 2012 23:01
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U-DO Burger posted:The difference is that FFX had only a few pre-rendered CG scenes, and the rest of the scenes were rendered in real time. On the other hand, aside from the one or two terrible speech box scenes, everything in Xenosaga I was pre-rendered. While it was helpful for the action scenes, it served no purpose for the talking scenes other than to eat up more disc space. I know it's kind of pointless to rant about bad design decisions made 10 years ago, but considering that the game cost Takahashi his control over the series, it still depresses me to think about. I want the full series dammit! You're not alone there then. I would have loved if Xenosaga continued on for 6 games. Hey, you might enjoy this if you haven't read it already. The Histroy of Xenogears and Xenosaga It's pretty much the definitive collection of background information on how the series came to be, Takahashi's plan for six games, and so-on. I find it particulrly interesting for all the info surrounding the Episode 2 controversy with Takahashi's wife. She seems like such a nice lady and I wonder why she wasn't involved with Xenoblade like she was with Gears and Xenosaga 1. Rascyc posted:Everyone always harps on the story/CG and stuff but it was really the new combat system in XS2 that crushed my soul. Combat was long, it was un-fun from the pace, and just not very rewarding at all. Like I said, my first time through Episode 3 I loved it to pieces. Second time trhough I still adored it as well. It's just that repeated playthroughs have made me quite nitpicky. I still love the game but I'm prone to pointing out its flaws compared to Episode 1. Like you I'm glad the series got a nice and memorable conclusion. And you're also right about the mecha combat. Episode 3 is easily the only Xenosaga game with fun robot gameplay. AGWs were poo poo and ESes were painfully slow and dull in 2. NikkolasKing fucked around with this message at 12:17 on Apr 5, 2012 |
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Apr 5, 2012 12:13
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I don't think I've ever had more anticipation for a video game than I did for Xenosaga 1. I followed every bit of news as closely as I possibly could, from the 2001 TGS trailer to driving how many towns over to pick it up day of release in the states. While the game is "decent" at best, my expectations remained high even as XS2 trailers started to pop up (they actually were pretty cool IIRC). The let down of XS2 was monumental and nearly heartbreaking.
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Apr 5, 2012 13:49
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NikkolasKing posted:
Thanks for this, I've loved Xenogears since it came out and it still had some interesting revelations on their inspiration and process. I am slowly reading through the whole article - it's pretty massive, but fun to read. Takahashi is nothing if not ambitious - which was also clear in a recent Nintendo Power interview with him. He actually felt that he had become a bit more constrained by knowing how much work it would take to implement some of his ideas into a game. He also admitted that his ultimate goal is to make a game with as much scope and detail as the real world. Shooting for things like that gave us Xenoblade, though, so I'm not complaining.
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Apr 5, 2012 18:21
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Nate RFB posted:I don't think I've ever had more anticipation for a video game than I did for Xenosaga 1. I followed every bit of news as closely as I possibly could, from the 2001 TGS trailer to driving how many towns over to pick it up day of release in the states. While the game is "decent" at best, my expectations remained high even as XS2 trailers started to pop up (they actually were pretty cool IIRC). The let down of XS2 was monumental and nearly heartbreaking. I can definitely sympathize with your XS2 heartbreak. I expected a lot of things from 2 and none of them at all were realized in the game. It's hard for me to decide what I hate most about 2 but I think it must be the audio. That may sound weird but it's kinda like with MGS. I can forgive silly and stupid scenes if they're done well. Xenosaga II had terrible audio quality and most of the new voices were very bad. Fix that and even though the story would still be butchered and the gameplay would be dull, I wouldn't have to press mute every other word. Sionak posted:Thanks for this, I've loved Xenogears since it came out and it still had some interesting revelations on their inspiration and process. I am slowly reading through the whole article - it's pretty massive, but fun to read. You're very welcome. That entire site is jammed full of a lot of cool Xeno info. And ambitious is the perfect word for it. Xenogears and Xenosaga are far from perfect but you can tell Takahashi was really trying for something. How well he succeeded is a matter of opinion but I don't think anyone woudl ever accuse him of being lazy or unimaginative.
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Apr 5, 2012 19:55
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TehGherkin posted:Due to the amount of praise I've read about it on here I've grabbed a DS off eBay and Radiant Historia, the grid twist to the normal jRPG combat system's interesting enough, and the main character is refreshingly unretarded. I used to be a huge jRPG fan in my younger days (Before I played other games more focused on character choice and development, etc) and it's been a long time since I played one, there's just something about them that I find very comforting (Maybe from playing them so much as a kid) and cathartic, I'm really enjoying it, I was hoping you goons could recommend some other good DS RPGs? Quoting this from a couple pages back as it unfortunately got buried in a lot of Xenosaga discussion. If it helps I'm into almost any sort of RPG, tactical or no. I'll take suggestions for pretty much any good DS games, but RPGs are my favourite type. If anyones played the Phoenix Wright series; are they worth a shot, and with which do i start? I also have a Radiant Historia question for anyone who's played the game, it relates to a fairly early sidequest That guy wants me to get him some stuff from Alma mine, I assume I have to go there in the other history, but when should I do this? There are a lot of nodes to pick from and it seems like all the ones that let me walk around, everytime I try to go to Alma mine I get stuff like "We need to go to X instead, not Y!" edit: cheers, I'll go take a look around. TehGherkin fucked around with this message at 01:51 on Apr 6, 2012 |
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Apr 6, 2012 00:18
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TehGherkin posted:Quoting this from a couple pages back as it unfortunately got buried in a lot of Xenosaga discussion. I think you can just go to the node where you do the alma mine dungeon for all the quests that need you to go to the mine
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Apr 6, 2012 01:44
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NikkolasKing posted:Hey, you might enjoy this if you haven't read it already. Jesus, it's like a dissertation. There's a lot of interesting staff info in here I wasn't aware of, so thanks for this.
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Apr 6, 2012 01:55
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So there's this RPG called Confrontation that's just popped up on the Steam store. Anyone know anything about it? More importantly, is it any good?
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Apr 6, 2012 19:35
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MadJackMcJack posted:So there's this RPG called Confrontation that's just popped up on the Steam store. Anyone know anything about it? More importantly, is it any good? Ad blurb posted:Will you survive the Ragn'Narok? Thrilling action role playing game, Confrontation, lets you lead a Griffin Elite Squad in missions through the territory of the fearsome Scorpion creatures, the terrible Wolfen packs, or the brutal Bran-Ô-Kor Orcs.
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Apr 6, 2012 19:50
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MadJackMcJack posted:So there's this RPG called Confrontation that's just popped up on the Steam store. Anyone know anything about it? More importantly, is it any good? Screenshots make me think its another DotA clone.
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Apr 6, 2012 20:08
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It's basically another table top game mashed with a Dawn of War 2-esque engine for gameplay. I'm tempted to try it out since I am a sucker for those types of gameplay.
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Apr 6, 2012 20:09
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I only had to read the word "Ragn'Narok" and I'm pretty sure my blood pressure just leapt sky-high.
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Apr 6, 2012 22:04
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Lead the elite grif'fin squad through many dangerous mis'sions in this thrilling action role'playing game. Also don't for-get to def-êat some Bran-Ô-Kor ôrcs ôn your-way.
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Apr 6, 2012 22:34
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So I just rebought the complete Might&Magic franchise on gog.com Now back then we did our mapping on graph paper, but I really don't want to go that route anymore. Is there a recommended software tool that helps with the mapping process?
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Apr 6, 2012 22:42
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What's the best place to start with Disgaea? I only have a PS2 (well, none of them have come to the 360), but most of them have been on PS2 as far as I can tell.
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Apr 6, 2012 23:06
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Cityinthesea posted:What's the best place to start with Disgaea? I only have a PS2 (well, none of them have come to the 360), but most of them have been on PS2 as far as I can tell. 1 and 2 are on ps2. 3/4 ps3. Since there are 2, start with 1. They are both better on psp if that is an option imho though.
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Apr 6, 2012 23:32
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Kharmakazy posted:1 and 2 are on ps2. 3/4 ps3. Since there are 2, start with 1. They are both better on psp if that is an option imho though. If you enjoy them you can also try La Pucelle Tactics (Proto-Disgaea), Phantom Brave (no grid, also on wii), Makai Kingdom (no grid), and Soul Nomad (Squad Tactics). But if you're planning on getting a PSP/Vita you can get 1, 2, 3 and Phantom Brave off PSN.
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Apr 7, 2012 00:22
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Yeah if you really want to play disgaea the PSP ones are always better and add systems in from future games. Disgaea 4 will probably be better on the eventual Vita release too.
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Apr 7, 2012 08:02
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Ok how the CHRIST do you beat the skeleton monster thing in The Sunken Desert in Chrono Trigger? I know that water magic reduces his defence so I have frog casting Water II just about every round, but gently caress this now I am getting so, so over it. Can someone please tell me how to move on from this? Faaaarrrrrkkkk. /rant
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Apr 9, 2012 13:40
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BadAstronaut posted:Ok how the CHRIST do you beat the skeleton monster thing in The Sunken Desert in Chrono Trigger? I know that water magic reduces his defence so I have frog casting Water II just about every round, but gently caress this now I am getting so, so over it. There are three targets. Kill his core.
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Apr 9, 2012 13:55
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Greyhawk posted:So I just rebought the complete Might&Magic franchise on gog.com Every game in the series except for the first one has an automap. In M&M2 you have to enable the automap by buying the Cartographer skill in the first town; from 3-5 it's automatically available if you start with a Sorcerer in your party and the skill can still be bought if you don't; from 6 onwards my memory is a little fuzzy but I think it's just automatically available. For M&M1 I'd honestly recommend just downloading the hintbook off GOG and referring to the maps in that. But if you want to do it on your own, good luck.
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Apr 9, 2012 13:58
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BadAstronaut posted:Ok how the CHRIST do you beat the skeleton monster thing in The Sunken Desert in Chrono Trigger? I know that water magic reduces his defence so I have frog casting Water II just about every round, but gently caress this now I am getting so, so over it. Do a few other quest, like the resurrect chrono and the Magus castle for example.
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Apr 9, 2012 14:12
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BadAstronaut posted:Ok how the CHRIST do you beat the skeleton monster thing in The Sunken Desert in Chrono Trigger? I know that water magic reduces his defence so I have frog casting Water II just about every round, but gently caress this now I am getting so, so over it. Destroy the core ASAP. Don't screw around with water magic then, just kill it. This leaves you with two parts, which you can kill in either order you like but I prefer to kill the legs first. The head's group target attack is Shadow damage and can therefore be nullified with Black armors, or reduced by the appropriate helmet. Do not use Water 2 or Ice 2! The magnitude of the water damage doesn't matter, just the element. I take Crono, Marle, and Frog into this fight; a fast damage dealer and two sources of single target water attacks, with a couple of group healing options for emergencies. Conserve your MP and set up a rhythm: Water/Ice -> Attack -> Water/Ice -> Attack -> etc. The water damage lowers its defence, while the physical damage increases it, so don't waste time spamming water attacks and then landing a bunch of hits - it nulls itself out fast. You want to establish a quick rhythm, as the longer you wait between hitting it with something, the more likely it is to use one of its stronger attacks. If all else fails, grind a few levels for HP, though that really shouldn't be necessary unless you're severely underleveled. Techs, gear, and strategy matter more for this fight than levels.
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Apr 9, 2012 16:12
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Greyhawk posted:So I just rebought the complete Might&Magic franchise on gog.com As said all save 1 have automap features. I'd use graph paper for that myself though, tabbing in and out of the game would start to annoy me after a while.
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Apr 9, 2012 22:20
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I downloaded this free turn-based 2d RPG game a few years back and forget what it's called. The few things I remember are that there's a central character who is a "dark ninja/'I'm an angsty experimental warrior who wants to be good!'" archetype and he becomes one of the bad guys a quarter of the way through and doesn't rejoin the party until the game is almost over. There were lots of party members. I recall an Indiana Jones type of gunslinger who traveled around with his female summoner companion. And one white-mage girl reveals she was raped by enemy soldiers about halfway through the game in a ridiculously hammy scene that this particular game is infamous for. I think there may have been an air-ship battle scene where you jumped from ship to ship. Anyone know what it's called? It's seriously bugging me since I want to recommend it to a friend who is looking for free traditional-style RPG games as it has a FFIV-ish vibe to it but no dice.
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Apr 11, 2012 04:29
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SlenderWhore posted:I downloaded this free turn-based 2d RPG game a few years back and forget what it's called. The few things I remember are that there's a central character who is a "dark ninja/'I'm an angsty experimental warrior who wants to be good!'" archetype and he becomes one of the bad guys a quarter of the way through and doesn't rejoin the party until the game is almost over. There were lots of party members. I recall an Indiana Jones type of gunslinger who traveled around with his female summoner companion. And one white-mage girl reveals she was raped by enemy soldiers about halfway through the game in a ridiculously hammy scene that this particular game is infamous for. I think there may have been an air-ship battle scene where you jumped from ship to ship. That was called Everlong. You can find it here. http://www.nealien.com/Everlong/
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Apr 11, 2012 06:33
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I've recently started replaying Xenogears, and I can't stop hearing everything Hammer says in the voice of that guy in the Chappelle's Show sketch "If the Internet Was a Real Place" who tries to sell Dave boner pills. Also, Xenogears is awesome gently caress the haters.
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Apr 13, 2012 00:49
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I like Xenogears because when I was young I unironically thought it was the deepest poo poo ever, and then then I liked it again when I was older because realized it was actually hysterical and a non-stop rush of giant robot homages and parodies. Great music too. It's still my favorite JRPG even with the unfinished second disc.
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Apr 13, 2012 04:03
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Well, another post and another Chrono Trigger help request from me. I'm on what has to be the final battle of the game against Lavos after completing Black Omen and keep getting utterly and completely owned. Any enemy that can do over 1000 damage essentially murders one or more of my guys in one shot. Which party line up do you recommend for this battle, and can you give me some tips as to how to beat this guy?
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Apr 13, 2012 08:33
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Try to be around level 60 if you don't have specific Armor. Who's in your party, what's your equipment, etc?
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Apr 13, 2012 08:38
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BadAstronaut posted:Well, another post and another Chrono Trigger help request from me. I'm on what has to be the final battle of the game against Lavos after completing Black Omen and keep getting utterly and completely owned. Any enemy that can do over 1000 damage essentially murders one or more of my guys in one shot. Sounds like you just need some more levels and better equipment under your belt. Have you done all the sidequests that have opened up? If you go to the End of Time, the dude there will point you in their general direction. You can also go through the Black Omen more than once in different time periods and refight the bosses for even more experience.
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Apr 13, 2012 08:39
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Thuryl posted:Sounds like you just need some more levels and better equipment under your belt. Have you done all the sidequests that have opened up? If you go to the End of Time, the dude there will point you in their general direction. I have done every sidequest there is. My party at the moment is Crono, Lucca and Robo, but I think I can drop Lucca for someone else. Suggestions? Corrosion posted:Try to be around level 60 if you don't have specific Armor. Who's in your party, what's your equipment, etc? Well my characters are around level 45 but their hitpoints are approaching 999 (I don't like the cap...). You think I should backtrack and complete Black Omen in the other time zones? What armour/accessory config do you recommend? I have a 2 and a half hour train ride coming up this evening AND I WILL FINISH THIS GAME.
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Apr 13, 2012 12:28
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Do you have any of the Prism equipment? That would be a good place to start. Maybe swap out Robo for Marle, Frog, or Ayla? Crono/Ayla/Frog was my go-to team.
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Apr 13, 2012 12:37
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