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Gwyrgyn Blood posted:I just started Radiant Historia and that game seems to fit the bill there, being a well respected special agent type right at the start. Seconding. RH is notable for being a JRPG that has a protagonist who's actually competent and professional from the getgo.
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May 2, 2013 20:46
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PurplieNurplie posted:One thing that I've noticed playing a lot of different RPGs, whether they be western, eastern, whatever, is that any main character/avatar/whatever is criminally inexperienced, whether it be because of amnesia or just being new to their environment. There is the mostly translated snes RPG, Dark Half, where you play as two characters in alternating chapters: A golden warrior out to destroy evil, and Satan. The warrior is powerful, but Satan blows him and everyone else out of the water with ridiculous magic and summoning. Also as Satan, one of the first things you do is walk into a town and turn all the villagers into skeletons while spouting one-liners. It kind of requires a guide to know what the frack is going on with the game mechanics, though. I don't recall much being explained.
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May 2, 2013 20:48
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In Digital Devil Saga your characters all start out as experienced soldiers. But they are new to using magic, fighting monsters and stuff like that.
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May 2, 2013 21:44
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Okay, I'm not sure where else to ask this, since the Final Fantasy XIII thread is long since archived. I'm completely stuck, and I think my game might have bugged. Late chapter 11 spoiler: I'm in Taejin's Tower on the Fifth Tier. The statue here got blocked by the flying Fal'cie crapping ice all around it. I went back up to the Sixth Tier and got/beat Mission 26 (I'm sure that's done -- I have the Diamond Bangle from it). According to every FAQ I've found, the ice around the statue is supposed to melt, allowing me to proceed. The ice is still there, and I can't interact with the statue. Any ideas? I could revert to an earlier save, but that would be losing a couple of hours' worth of playtime, and there's no guarantee it wouldn't happen again. I'm going to be really bummed out if I got 40 hours in and can't finish the game. Edit: Okay, it definitely bugged, but I figured out what happened and I'm not blocked anymore. I went back across to the other side for the Fifth Tier and found that Mission 24 was still active. This is odd, because I finished it and have the reward already. I think the game didn't like that I did the missions in a weird order. Oh well, as soon as I beat it again, the ice cleared. WhiteHowler fucked around with this message at 02:50 on May 5, 2013 |
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May 5, 2013 02:37
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I suppose this is the place to ask. I began playing Unlimited Saga a couple of weeks ago. A couple of DAYS ago I watched several tutorials on youtube, read some FAQs and restarted two or three times and things are starting to make sense. Question: given that you only improve your characters via quests, should I avoid doing sidequests until my party is at full strength?
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May 12, 2013 16:52
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Fat Samurai posted:Question: given that you only improve your characters via quests, should I avoid doing sidequests until my party is at full strength? Yeah, kinda? Just be aware that sidequests have an invisible difficulty level - I think it's mentioned in one of the big mechanics FAQs somewhere - and that's what determines what hexes they give you. If you leave some of them too late they'll give you nothing but a bunch of lovely level 1 hexes. That said, you should be leaving one hex per person as a 'junk / whatever the gently caress I don't care' hex, so that downside's largely academic.
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May 12, 2013 21:37
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Could I solicit goon opinions on Front Mission 3?
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May 19, 2013 10:38
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Rinkles posted:Could I solicit goon opinions on Front Mission 3? It is a fun game although it suffers a bit from having the somewhat-awkward interface of a PS1-era RPG. It's a good game though and has a fair chunk of content. You may want to use a FAQ if you're looking for secrets.
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May 19, 2013 10:43
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Best in series other than maybe the 5th one that I haven't played and can't comment on. Japanese neckbeards hated it because it was too different from the SNES games but a lot of what's different is what makes it fun. I had a blast when I finally got a hold of a copy around 2004 or so, been wanting to fire it up again for a while now. Play that poo poo.
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May 19, 2013 10:44
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Just what I wanted to hear, thanks. There's supposed to be a story selection early on, any reason to go with one character (e:or rather side) instead of the other? e2: VVVVV Okay, hopefully I have the time. Rinkles fucked around with this message at 10:55 on May 19, 2013 |
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May 19, 2013 10:51
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The 2 sides are pretty different, do one then play it again for the other.
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May 19, 2013 10:54
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Rinkles posted:Could I solicit goon opinions on Front Mission 3? It has the weakest plot of all the FM games, and it has far fewer units in any given battle as well. That being said it has some fun parts, especially the eject mechanic. When it was released I had a lot of fun with the network as well, which is much improved over FM2 and sadly did not reappear in FM4 or FM5. If you're going to play make sure you do the Alisa campaign, as it has more of a "FM feel" than the Emma campaign, which the dev team was apparently pressured into making by management (In your average anime style). I think to do the Alisa campaign you choose the second option in response to Ryogo (Refuse to go with him?) but you might want to check an FAQ to be sure. EDIT: On a side note, Emma shows up again in FM5, but her personality is completely different. Did anyone else get thrown off by her new "sexy scientist" persona? I thought it was kind of weird when I was doing the fan translation and I have no idea why the team decided to go with that unexplained change. Also while FM3's story is divergent from the general FM pattern, the difficulty level is more similar to FM1 than FM2. FM1 is INCREDIBLY easy if you know what you're doing, whereas FM2 is one of the hardest strategy games I have ever played and has massive gruelling battles. It's kind of too bad FM2 is so inaccessible, because it has the best story out of all the FM games. MaterialConceptual fucked around with this message at 11:53 on May 19, 2013 |
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May 19, 2013 11:27
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I like the smaller squad sizes in FM3. It's compensated with what I feel like is more tactical depth in the combat, especially with the addition of guns with actual range (whereas in FM1 and I think 2, guns only worked in "melee" range) making stuff like line of sight factor into things every now and then. It gives a pretty different feel to the combat, which I like. Character growth is also a bit more in depth. It's basically both more tactical and more RPG-y, at the expense of smaller squad sizes and smaller maps. Everything just feels more "personal" in that way, even the story, and especially with being able to actually get out of the mechs in battle. Basically, FM3 felt more like an SRPG with some more western tactical game elements thrown in the mix whereas FM1 and 2 were much more straightforward strategy titles.
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May 19, 2013 11:54
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Dr. Video Games 0031 posted:I like the smaller squad sizes in FM3. It's compensated with what I feel like is more tactical depth in the combat, especially with the addition of guns with actual range (whereas in FM1 and I think 2, guns only worked in "melee" range) making stuff like line of sight factor into things every now and then. It gives a pretty different feel to the combat, which I like. Character growth is also a bit more in depth. It's basically both more tactical and more RPG-y, at the expense of smaller squad sizes and smaller maps. Everything just feels more "personal" in that way, even the story, and especially with being able to actually get out of the mechs in battle. I can't say I ever remember having had much trouble with FM3, whereas FM2 is one of those games where every move can be life or death. I can see what you mean about a more personal story. What's crazy is based on some of the unused data we found during our hack of FM2 for the translation it seems like FM2 was planned to be even more massive than it was, with a whole other section to the campaign that would do more to introduce Walter, Hector, and Barghest.
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May 19, 2013 11:58
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I wasn't really talking about difficulty. I haven't actually played much of 2 at all so I can't comment on its difficulty, but even if it's more difficult, that doesn't mean it's a deeper experience, and I felt like the changes they made to combat in 3 made it a lot more tactically interesting. It is unfortunate that a lot of that depth is unnecessary or wasted because of the generally easy difficulty, though. Somewhat reminds me of Grandia 2, a game that had a surprising amount of combat depth for a JRPG that was completely wasted due to it being absolutely piss easy. edit: How is FM5, by the way? And does anyone know if it runs well on PCSX2? I've been extremely lazy about ripping, patching, and playing that. Dr. Video Games 0031 fucked around with this message at 12:08 on May 19, 2013 |
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May 19, 2013 12:04
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Dr. Video Games 0031 posted:I wasn't really talking about difficulty. I haven't actually played much of 2 at all so I can't comment on its difficulty, but even if it's more difficult, that doesn't mean it's a deeper experience, and I felt like the changes they made to combat in 3 made it a lot more tactically interesting. It is unfortunate that a lot of that depth is unnecessary or wasted because of the generally easy difficulty, though. Somewhat reminds me of Grandia 2, a game that had a surprising amount of combat depth for a JRPG that was completely wasted due to it being absolutely piss easy. Well everyone has their own favourites in the series, but FM2 makes up for what it lacks in tactical depth with more strategic options. Anyhow, FM5 has far and away the best gameplay of any game in the series. It is challenging and deep, with plenty of customization, strategic, and tactical options. The story probably comes in second in the series after FM2, but it's a bit hard to follow if you don't know the plot of the other games, so I would suggest at least reading through the FM2 script before you play it. I'll see what I can do about getting a copy of the full script uploaded to the FM Fan Translation Project page. EDIT: As far as I know it runs fine in PCSX2, but you might want to check that thread for more details. MaterialConceptual fucked around with this message at 12:34 on May 19, 2013 |
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May 19, 2013 12:21
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Guys, is there anything I'll be missing out on by playing Final Fantasy Tactics A2 without having played the original? Is it fully accessible and an excellent game played in isolation, or am I better off buying Final Fantasy Tactics on GBA and playing that first? Any feedback on this would be appreciated, as I am keen to try this series but not certain whether I really need to play the first game or not.
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May 19, 2013 15:15
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Bit of a stretch to call it an excellent game, but it's entirely accessible without having played the first.
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May 19, 2013 15:18
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The original isn't FFT on the GBA, it's FFT on the PSX or PSP. It's also the best game in the series. FFTA is on the GBA, and it's not really necessary for A2, which is better.
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May 19, 2013 15:19
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Wendell posted:Bit of a stretch to call it an excellent game, but it's entirely accessible without having played the first. OK - had no idea it's not excellent. Breezed through a review that gave it a 9/10 and called it amazing. Cake Attack posted:The original isn't FFT on the GBA, it's FFT on the PSX or PSP. It's also the best game in the series. I'm kitted out with a PS3, a Nintendo DS lite and a 3DS, which limits my gaming possibilities to GBA/DS/3DS titles (I have a 45 minute commute starting Wednesday and want to get stuck into something fun) - I'm looking to play this on mobile. Is FFT (original one) playable on PS3 in UK/PAL? BadAstronaut fucked around with this message at 15:30 on May 19, 2013 |
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May 19, 2013 15:27
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FFTA2 is a perfectly good game, just play it. FFT is up on the PSN store, yeah, dunno about UK but considering how easy it is to make an US account that shouldn't matter.
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May 19, 2013 15:33
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Thanks - I am right now able to purchase either one at a decent price from eBay and I just want to know if it is worth my time/money to play the GBA version, or if I can just skip it and just get FFTA2?
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May 19, 2013 15:35
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BadAstronaut posted:OK - had no idea it's not excellent. Breezed through a review that gave it a 9/10 and called it amazing. The FFT games are pretty much completely unconnected as far as story goes. They are basically the same as the mainline Final Fantasy games in that respect. Keep in mind there's a lot of hate for the FFTA games because they have a less serious plot and tone from the original. In terms of gameplay and fun I think the FFTA games are generally better. The original has several stupid bullshit missions that will wreck you if you don't know they're coming and prepare accordingly, for example. FFTA2 is a much better game than the first FFTA and you lose absolutely nothing from not playing it.
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May 19, 2013 15:42
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BadAstronaut posted:Thanks - I am right now able to purchase either one at a decent price from eBay and I just want to know if it is worth my time/money to play the GBA version, or if I can just skip it and just get FFTA2? Just grab FFTA2.
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May 19, 2013 15:44
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I feel like people didn't really sell FM3 in the right way. You can literally punch people out of their wanzers.
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May 19, 2013 15:52
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Coughing Hobo posted:I feel like people didn't really sell FM3 in the right way. QFE. Somehow I had forgotten about that but if this doesn't make you play it there's something wrong with you.
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May 19, 2013 15:56
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Coughing Hobo posted:I feel like people didn't really sell FM3 in the right way. On longer maps where resources were thin I'd frequently do this, shotgun/flame the pilot and steal their Wanzer like some high stakes game of musical chairs. FM3 had some really neat mechanics that should have remained in later entries.
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May 19, 2013 16:19
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MaterialConceptual posted:It has the weakest plot of all the FM games, and it has far fewer units in any given battle as well. That being said it has some fun parts, especially the eject mechanic. When it was released I had a lot of fun with the network as well, which is much improved over FM2 and sadly did not reappear in FM4 or FM5. If you're going to play make sure you do the Alisa campaign, as it has more of a "FM feel" than the Emma campaign, which the dev team was apparently pressured into making by management (In your average anime style). It's funny, before hearing that I would have guessed the opposite regarding which of the two was made first. I certainly prefer the Emma campaign, anyway. At any rate, play both.
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May 19, 2013 16:23
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Levantine posted:On longer maps where resources were thin I'd frequently do this, shotgun/flame the pilot and steal their Wanzer like some high stakes game of musical chairs. FM3 had some really neat mechanics that should have remained in later entries.
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May 19, 2013 17:29
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Zereth posted:Why not do this on shorter maps too so you can steal their wanzer? Well sure, once you're set up to do it it's very hard not to, and it's too lucrative otherwise. But on longer maps it's fun to hop from one damaged machine to the next expending whatever ammo they have for missiles or shields or whatever. It makes the game feel more dynamic that way.
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May 19, 2013 17:35
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MaterialConceptual posted:Also while FM3's story is divergent from the general FM pattern, the difficulty level is more similar to FM1 than FM2. FM1 is INCREDIBLY easy if you know what you're doing, whereas FM2 is one of the hardest strategy games I have ever played and has massive gruelling battles. It's kind of too bad FM2 is so inaccessible, because it has the best story out of all the FM games. Also agreeing that FM5 by far blows FM3 gameplay out of the water. The only thing you are missing is the eject system.
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May 19, 2013 17:40
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I'm probably going to be picking up a PSP soon and can get FFIV on that, and now I ask you JRPG nerds to offer your advice as to which system I should play it on - on my DS XL or on the PSP? This is definitely not a game I will play more than once, I don't reckon, and having the option to play it on both, well, I obviously want to go for the one that is the best experience. I've read that the PSP is the definitive version - is this true, or just what biased PSP owners say?
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May 19, 2013 22:07
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BadAstronaut posted:I'm probably going to be picking up a PSP soon and can get FFIV on that, and now I ask you JRPG nerds to offer your advice as to which system I should play it on - on my DS XL or on the PSP? This is definitely not a game I will play more than once, I don't reckon, and having the option to play it on both, well, I obviously want to go for the one that is the best experience. I've read that the PSP is the definitive version - is this true, or just what biased PSP owners say? Definitely get the PSP version. It has an updated soundtrack and graphics. You can play the Interlude and After Years on it as well which isn't on the DS version. Plus the DS version is more difficult; having regular monsters like the Flame Dogs, being able to almost kill your party in one round. The DS version really relies on equipping augments on your characters in order to survive. E - I should note that I have both versions and prefer the PSP one much more. If you are looking for a great remake of the first game without any gimmicks added to it, play the PSP version. If you want a challenge with added gimmicks, go for the DS version. theonlypie314SA fucked around with this message at 22:25 on May 19, 2013 |
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May 19, 2013 22:21
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BadAstronaut posted:I'm probably going to be picking up a PSP soon and can get FFIV on that, and now I ask you JRPG nerds to offer your advice as to which system I should play it on - on my DS XL or on the PSP? This is definitely not a game I will play more than once, I don't reckon, and having the option to play it on both, well, I obviously want to go for the one that is the best experience. I've read that the PSP is the definitive version - is this true, or just what biased PSP owners say? They're two very different versions of the game. The PSP version is an upgrade of the GBA version (which itself is an upgrade of the SNES original) with a fresh coat of sprite paint and extensive bug fixing, and includes the sequel The After Years, which has a horrible story and some neat gimmicks woven into the battle system. It also includes a completely worthless "bridging" sequel in-between the regular story and After Years called Interlude that sucks hot poo poo. The DS version is a complete 3D remake with voice-acted cutscenes and rebalanced, much more difficult gameplay. It has some new, but different, gimmicks added to the battle system. This doesn't include After Years or Interlude, which to some people is a blessing. As for which one is the better experience, it's kind of up to personal taste. If you want something that reminds you of the SNES days, get the PSP version. If you want something with a high-degree of challenge/bullshit difficulty spikes, go for the DS version. Personally, I prefer the DS version.
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May 19, 2013 22:27
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theonlypie314SA posted:The DS version really relies on equipping augments on your characters in order to survive. This is entirely untrue. Aside from the Flame Dogs (who are just a badly designed monster and who Augments don't help with), what you need to beat enemies is almost never an augment. The game has a greater emphasis on status effect spells and those are what you use to beat enemies even with massive augment playthroughs. Augments actually just make the game way easier to the point where you can sleepwalk through it if you get every single augment.
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May 19, 2013 22:27
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Anybody have a hypothesis why I remember being disappointed by FFTA2 despite really enjoying FFTA a few years earlier? Story was total crap for sure, but I think there was more to it.
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May 19, 2013 23:24
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Rinkles posted:Anybody have a hypothesis why I remember being disappointed by FFTA2 despite really enjoying FFTA a few years earlier? Story was total crap for sure, but I think there was more to it. FFTA2 dropped some of the incredibly blatantly powerful moves and forced you to be slightly less broken (but still very broken)?
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May 19, 2013 23:36
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Stelas posted:FFTA2 dropped some of the incredibly blatantly powerful moves and forced you to be slightly less broken (but still very broken)? I don't know. Maybe I felt there weren't enough changes to justify the $40 (I remember feeling it wasn't worth the money after finishing it, having bought it new).
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May 19, 2013 23:42
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Rinkles posted:I don't know. Maybe I felt there weren't enough changes to justify the $40 (I remember feeling it wasn't worth the money after finishing it, having bought it new). I can't quite put my finger on why but I felt the same way. It's pretty but it's just not that interesting I guess. I've tried to make my way through it several times and I always burn out at roughly the same place. It's not bad by any stretch but it does feel a bit forgettable.
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May 20, 2013 00:10
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ImpAtom posted:This is entirely untrue. Aside from the Flame Dogs (who are just a badly designed monster and who Augments don't help with), what you need to beat enemies is almost never an augment. The game has a greater emphasis on status effect spells and those are what you use to beat enemies even with massive augment playthroughs. Augments actually just make the game way easier to the point where you can sleepwalk through it if you get every single augment. I see a lot of guides that use augments like giving Kain "Cry" and relying on Rosa's "Double Cast" or "Omnicasting" quite a lot. I do agree that status ailments (particularly Stop) is key. Rinkles posted:Anybody have a hypothesis why I remember being disappointed by FFTA2 despite really enjoying FFTA a few years earlier? Story was total crap for sure, but I think there was more to it. It could be a number of things. I know I was disappointed with FFTA2 for the story mostly. I remember there wasn't much punishment for breaking the law either. You lost the protection of your judge, which made you lose your clan bonus. I think that also meant your characters could permanently die without the judge around but I could be wrong about that. I also found that a lot of the newer classes weren't really all that great. Some of them were useful but I didn't use others at all like Cannoneer, Chocobo Knight, etc.
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May 20, 2013 03:02
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