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Xenoblade Chronicles X |OT2| Welcome to New L+A a.k.a. Read the Frakkin' Manual!

Astral Dog

Member
I treated myself with this game for christmas, but it seems to be pretty overwhelming. So I understand that there are lots of characters you can get in your party, but is there a cut off point where you can miss out on some of them?

Or to formulate the question a little different, is it possible to just play and explore the game to my liking and see what I can find on my own before I consult FAQs, walkthroughs and the like to complete various things, or can it happen that I lock away possible party members by advancing too far or make certain decisions?
Dont forget to read the manual!
 

thematic

Member
just got my skell license, finally

any suggestions how to proceed from here?
I want to get another skell but my team is only at level 24-25

I rarely do any quests. my only focus before was getting the license LOL
is there any missable quests or something preventing me to get something in the future?
 

vareon

Member
"Oh hey, a human camp in Sylvalum! And they have a mission, too! What could go wrong?"

- Mission is complete -

Fuck this game.
 
I've been looking for a Duogill (Placid or any, really) for well over an hour now and it's really showing some of the limitations in the game.

I don't see how it's a 'limitation.' Your hand isn't held?

Some monsters only spawn at night. I'm pretty sure there was a Duo gill at the beach just outside the east gate.
 
It really sucks that there are tyrants locked behind weather. Especially when the kill is required for the map segment. Spammed fast travel a lot but just not getting fog in Noctilum. Also seemingly never getting rain in Oblivia.

Ran also to the inventory size limit, which kinda sucks but I guess it was to be expected not to be infinite.
 
just got my skell license, finally

any suggestions how to proceed from here?
I want to get another skell but my team is only at level 24-25

I rarely do any quests. my only focus before was getting the license LOL
is there any missable quests or something preventing me to get something in the future?
I think the only thing missable is one character's heart-to-hearts, if you don't do them before certain chapter.

If you want to know who and what chapter (warning that personally I wish I hadn't known, and heart-to-hearts aren't that important really; it doesn't make that much of a difference though),
It's Lao and chapter 8.
.

Anyway, I'd suggest to do some quests. At that point some interesting normal quests open up.

edit: sorry 2 posts in a row
 

thematic

Member
I think the only thing missable is one character's heart-to-hearts, if you don't do them before certain chapter.

If you want to know who and what chapter (warning that personally I wish I hadn't known, and heart-to-hearts aren't that important really; it doesn't make that much of a difference though),
It's Lao and chapter 8.
.

Anyway, I'd suggest to do some quests. At that point some interesting normal quests open up.

edit: sorry 2 posts in a row

alright thanks!!
 

NeonZ

Member
"Oh hey, a human camp in Sylvalum! And they have a mission, too! What could go wrong?"

- Mission is complete -

Fuck this game.

5IS2hj3.jpg

And the characters you meet there are so goofy that the final result becomes even more unexpected.
 
Just about to get my skell, yeah buddy. I heard getting the skell is more or less halfway through the game. Is this true?

Also, I haven't had any heart to hearts happen...how do you set one off or whatever?
 

zroid

Banned
Just about to get my skell, yeah buddy. I heard getting the skell is more or less halfway through the game. Is this true?

Also, I haven't had any heart to hearts happen...how do you set one off or whatever?

it's half way in terms of story missions, but in terms of play time it really depends on how much you've explored already before getting them

you don't set off H2Hs, they get unlocked when you reach the required affinity with a party member. then you have to find them in a certain spot in NLA at the right time of day. there are NPCs with yellow dialogue markers scattered about who will inform you when and where the H2Hs are and it gets noted on your map.
 
it's half way in terms of story missions, but in terms of play time it really depends on how much you've explored already before getting them

you don't set off H2Hs, they get unlocked when you reach the required affinity with a party member. then you have to find them in a certain spot in NLA at the right time of day. there are NPCs with yellow dialogue markers scattered about who will inform you when and where the H2Hs are and it gets noted on your map.

Thanks.

As far as exploration I think I've got like 25% of Noctilum, most of Primordia, and like 15% of Oblivion.

What's been everyone's favorite exploration/discovery moment so far? I think mine was in Noctilum where
I saw that huge spiral tree from a cliff, went up it, found the Nopon braid bridges and highlands.
Really made the landscape seem meaningfully designed and not just big for the sake of big.
 
I'm finding this game to be extremely overwhelming starting out. And I played the last one.

I'm liking it well enough so far but it's such a timesink.
 

Griss

Member
I don't see how it's a 'limitation.' Your hand isn't held?

Some monsters only spawn at night. I'm pretty sure there was a Duo gill at the beach just outside the east gate.

This 'handholding' meme as a way of defending a game against poor or obtuse game design really needs to end.

The game is massive and gave no indication whatsoever as to where the animal could be found, or that it's only in one location for 8 hours. Either you get lucky having spent hours looking, or you look it up online.

Needing to look things up online is poor game design. I reckon a majority of people who play this game will rely or do rely on online faqs, guides and the like, such as the ones in the OP. It doesn't ruin the game, but it could be far better.
 
I've been looking for a Duogill (Placid or any, really) for well over an hour now and it's really showing some of the limitations in the game.

The quest doesn't give you any hints, follow ball doesn't work, I've apparently never run into any of these creatures since they don't appear in my intel, and the map is awful at marking locations, even when zoomed in. In a game this big this means endless useless wandering, which isn't the same thing as exploring (I've been to all these locations before), and which isn't really fun.

I've visited every lake on Primordia and there are simply no Duoguills. Frustrating.

Seriously, though, the hexagon and probe parts of the map work fine, but the 'plain map' should be so much better than it is.

If you're looking for the actual animal you're going to have to look it up, but if you're just looking for monster parts, go to the online terminal in the barracks and use the squad tickets to buy it and save yourself the hassle.
 

B00TE

Member
Got my copy for Christmas and I'm absolutely loving the game. Just finished the Chapter 4 story. Love the community elements in the game and squad stuff. Being able to scout other players characters at the BLADE base or around the wild is awesome, absolutely love stuff like that (Pawns in Dragon's Dogma).
 

zroid

Banned
This 'handholding' meme as a way of defending a game against poor or obtuse game design really needs to end.

The game is massive and gave no indication whatsoever as to where the animal could be found, or that it's only in one location for 8 hours. Either you get lucky having spent hours looking, or you look it up online.

Needing to look things up online is poor game design. I reckon a majority of people who play this game will rely or do rely on online faqs, guides and the like, such as the ones in the OP. It doesn't ruin the game, but it could be far better.

What mission are you stuck on btw? Blue Electric Tentacle? Get it from the barracks terminal.
 

Astral Dog

Member
I'm finding this game to be extremely overwhelming starting out. And I played the last one.

I'm liking it well enough so far but it's such a timesink.
Its overwhelming at first, but im finding it a bit smaller than the first game, actually. As you progress more travel options and locations are available, the running and jumping is much faster, the major thing that stops you are high level monsters everywhere but eventually you learn to work around those.
 

Regiruler

Member
It's all about the melee combos and overdrive spam.

I have 7000 TP that I can fill before the fight even starts with Essence Exchange (trade your current HP with your TP).

It works pretty well and I don't even have half the Jedi abilities yet. Can't wait to get the rest so I can see far this thing goes.

What the fuck is a melee combo even.

Only Overdrive rush I trust is the Servant Sacrifice generator.
 
What the fuck is a melee combo even.

Only Overdrive rush I trust is the Servant Sacrifice generator.
Use a melee art then use another melee art. That is a melee combo. There are skills to boost art damage in melee combo, reduce cooldown in melee combo, boost melee damage while aura is active (stack it with offensive stance...which is great until you get OHKOd by some gravity attack as your decoy expired).

This 'handholding' meme as a way of defending a game against poor or obtuse game design really needs to end.

The game is massive and gave no indication whatsoever as to where the animal could be found, or that it's only in one location for 8 hours. Either you get lucky having spent hours looking, or you look it up online.

Needing to look things up online is poor game design. I reckon a majority of people who play this game will rely or do rely on online faqs, guides and the like, such as the ones in the OP. It doesn't ruin the game, but it could be far better.
An NPC next to the one you hand the materials for that mission in says "oh you can find them at Silent Mire at night". I facepalmed as I ended up talking to that NPC as I was handing the item in. Thing is silent mire is a pretty bad place given the ones there are level 20 and you're bound to accept that mission at a lower level than that. I happened upon so lower level ones in a cave somewhere western primordia but in hindsight as fun as finding that cave was I should have just used reward tickets.

But the whole indication, no indication the game is very schizophrenic about this. Some missions will tell you exactly where to go while others involving the exact same enemy won't tell you shit. I think it is down some missions being made by a different person but it isn't good, cohesive design. I feel this a game that shines despite its problems.
 

Rurunaki

Member
Is there like a GAF squad for NA?


Edit: Is Elma's VA the same as Leela from Futurama? I'm almost always expecting her to say "O lord" when I choose decision options..
 

zroid

Banned
I had to use my Skell insurance for the first time yesterday :(

jumped off the ledge of that big chasm in Oblivia trying to reach the probe site suspended down there. I fell just short. :lol

Actually saved right before though so I just reloaded. Still traumatic!
 

Dr. Worm

Banned
My character is Lv. 30, Elma and Lin are around 28, and everyone else is still hovering around 20.

Is there a fast way to get those 20s up toward 30 with what I have now? I'm starting to struggle with some of the post-Ch. 7 missions, and I figure I should probably get these guys Skell-worthy.
 

jonjonaug

Member
I treated myself with this game for christmas, but it seems to be pretty overwhelming. So I understand that there are lots of characters you can get in your party, but is there a cut off point where you can miss out on some of them?

Or to formulate the question a little different, is it possible to just play and explore the game to my liking and see what I can find on my own before I consult FAQs, walkthroughs and the like to complete various things, or can it happen that I lock away possible party members by advancing too far or make certain decisions?

There is extremely little missable content in this game. There are no missable characters, and it is impossible to screw yourself out of 100% survey completion (every hex on the map being "filled in" with the yellow marker), any kinds of weapons or armor, more than a few sidequests (and the ones that are missable have no unique rewards), any of the achievements, or any of the trophy rewards that you can display in your barracks.

There is one thing that is missable due to story progression (saying what it is would be spoilers), but it's something you'd be unlikely to find without a guide anyway and doesn't affect anything else in the game (completion rates, other storylines/sidequests, etc.).
 

HawthorneKitty

Sgt. 2nd Class in the Creep Battalion, Waifu Wars
I think one thing that is cosmetically missable are portraits in the affinity chart. If you don't talk and inquire to NPCs that die throughout the course of the game, they are left with nothing. Not entirely sure though.
 

jonjonaug

Member
I think one thing that is cosmetically missable are portraits in the affinity chart. If you don't talk and inquire to NPCs that die throughout the course of the game, they are left with nothing. Not entirely sure though.

I'm not sure if there are any NPCs that can die before being added to the chart and stay gone from it. Even relationships between characters will work from a queue of sorts. So if you ask a character about "recent developments" after completion of a quest and they'd have more than one thing to say that would bring their relationship with another character up to date, they'll say something about one relationship, then say a different thing (repeated) after you talk to them again.
 
This 'handholding' meme as a way of defending a game against poor or obtuse game design really needs to end.

The game is massive and gave no indication whatsoever as to where the animal could be found, or that it's only in one location for 8 hours. Either you get lucky having spent hours looking, or you look it up online.

Needing to look things up online is poor game design. I reckon a majority of people who play this game will rely or do rely on online faqs, guides and the like, such as the ones in the OP. It doesn't ruin the game, but it could be far better.

My objection is mainly the word you chose. The game has missions that clearly identify locations of monsters you have to kill, and the identifies the monsters themselves in the field. So having some quests not have some or all of these features is NOT grounds to say the game is poorly designed.

I didn't look up anything for this quest, or a ton of others. I read the word gill, and knew it was something by water. I spent 30 minutes killing those swordfish flyers on the north coast not getting the tentacle. Then I realized they don't have tentacles. Also an EARLIER mission to Janapth lake has you kill a named tentacle floater/swimmer thing. I put 2 and 2 together.
 

Oswen

Member
Couldn't get this at launch but ended up receiving it for Christmas to my surprise.
I'm quite the rpg fan and loved the first Xenoblade however this one is quite overwhelming and, being quite the perfectionist, I am deathly afraid to skip important missables.

Should I do as many quests as possible before going on with the story? Should I level up alot to do affinity quests before they disappear? Do they disappear? Anything important I should do before ruining everything in general?

I am only at chapter 4 for the moment.
 
It really sucks that there are tyrants locked behind weather. Especially when the kill is required for the map segment. Spammed fast travel a lot but just not getting fog in Noctilum. Also seemingly never getting rain in Oblivia.

Ran also to the inventory size limit, which kinda sucks but I guess it was to be expected not to be infinite.

Yeah, inventory management is hell in this game. I don't know how they allowed you to sort by attribute and slot, but it never dawned on them integrate sort by LEVEL.

As for the Tyrants that are weather related, I would simply just keep it in mind and do other stuff in that area until your weather hits. Just remember fast traveling resets the weather, so beeline for that guy when it rains.
 

Rurunaki

Member
My only issue with this game is the "collectible" missions especially when the item you need is of the rare variety.. It's tediously running around in an area that you think the collectible is in and hopefully RNGesus is merciful..
 
My character is Lv. 30, Elma and Lin are around 28, and everyone else is still hovering around 20.

Is there a fast way to get those 20s up toward 30 with what I have now? I'm starting to struggle with some of the post-Ch. 7 missions, and I figure I should probably get these guys Skell-worthy.
Honestly, that sounds a bit low for chapter 8. It's pretty tough.

You can now get a lvl 30 skell (the first one is lvl 20) which is a lot more powerful and as such, makes it possible to kill a lot more powerful enemies. For now you can give your first skell to a teammate and get lvl 30 skells to them when they hit 30 too.

See places with enemy skells, they're pretty weak even on higher levels but tend to give a lot of exp.

As for the Tyrants that are weather related, I would simply just keep it in mind and do other stuff in that area until your weather hits. Just remember fast traveling resets the weather, so beeline for that guy when it rains.
Pretty much what I've been doing for days now (i.e. do other stuff in the area), but RNG just doesn't want it to happen.
 
Research probes make the most money with sites that have 'discovered 'sight seeing spots. It's more important than it's actual letter grade for Revenue.

OK, good advice. I was going by the letter grade.

I linked all my research probes in combination with a duplicator and booster probe in Primordia, but apparently it's not enough. Only netting me about 11,000.

Any way to know what sight seeing spots I've discovered? I honestly only remember encountering maybe one.
 

HawthorneKitty

Sgt. 2nd Class in the Creep Battalion, Waifu Wars
I'm not sure if there are any NPCs that can die before being added to the chart and stay gone from it. Even relationships between characters will work from a queue of sorts. So if you ask a character about "recent developments" after completion of a quest and they'd have more than one thing to say that would bring their relationship with another character up to date, they'll say something about one relationship, then say a different thing (repeated) after you talk to them again.
No, I mean they are added, but they got no face. I'd need someone else to make this conclusive though and frankly it's just a teeny tiny thing if so.
 
I'm enjoying this game a lot. Currently level 24 at 27 hours in. I strangely was getting wiped out on a Affinity Mission with Doug a couple levels ago but I guess some of my team's AoE attacks aggroed the level 50 flying by. I just did the one with Lao's team and cheesed the boss by sniping him on a rock while my team got up close
 
Trying to get White Cometites for Lin's affinity mission. Do I seriously have to wait for my FrontierNav stuff to mine it randomly?? I feel like this could take forever. I've put mining probes where you can get the white cometities but I've got 3/5 so far.

I've just been doing random missions while I wait.
 
Trying to get White Cometites for Lin's affinity mission. Do I seriously have to wait for my FrontierNav stuff to mine it randomly?? I feel like this could take forever. I've put mining probes where you can get the white cometities but I've got 3/5 so far.

I've just been doing random missions while I wait.
Sadly yes, you have to wait it out. :/
 
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