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Etrian Odyssey Community Thread: The Ongoing Adventures of Fight and Heal

pariah164

Member
I've never played an Etrian game, but I enjoy dungeon crawlers like Persona Q and Demon Gaze. And right now, EO IV is on sale for $15 on the eShop...

Kinda want to jump on it. I don't need to play any of the other games to understand it, right?
 

omlet

Member
I've never played an Etrian game, but I enjoy Dungeon crawlers like Persona Q and Demon Gaze. And right now, EO IV is on sale for $15 on the eShop...

Kinda want to jump on it. I don't need to play any of the other games to understand it, right?

EOIV has a lot of references/throwbacks to previous games but not really in the main story itself so yeah you don't have to play them in order to understand them.
 

ohlawd

Member
I've never played an Etrian game, but I enjoy dungeon crawlers like Persona Q and Demon Gaze. And right now, EO IV is on sale for $15 on the eShop...

Kinda want to jump on it. I don't need to play any of the other games to understand it, right?

if you suffered through Demon Gaze and Persona Q, yeah of course you should buy EOIV. how to put it? a fine dessert after a terrible dinner?
 

pariah164

Member
if you suffered through Demon Gaze and Persona Q, yeah of course you should buy EOIV. how to put it? a fine dessert after a terrible dinner?
Suffer is a powerful word; I enjoyed them. What makes them so bad in comparison to EO?

Also...

KSKLWPN.jpg
It begins.
 
I've never played an Etrian game, but I enjoy dungeon crawlers like Persona Q and Demon Gaze. And right now, EO IV is on sale for $15 on the eShop...

Kinda want to jump on it. I don't need to play any of the other games to understand it, right?

Get EO4, it's the best starting point, and it's WAY better than Persona Q and Demon Gaze.

Edit: You got the game? nice!

Ideally, everyone should start with EO1/EOU Classic Mode.

you're always going to say that and I will always say EO4 lol.

Suffer is a powerful word; I enjoyed them. What makes them so bad in comparison to EO?

Also...

It begins.

They aren't bad, but they suck compared to the glory that EO is.
 

omlet

Member
Suffer is a powerful word; I enjoyed them. What makes them so bad in comparison to EO?

I enjoyed PQ and it isn't a bad game but because of its ties to Persona elements it suffers from role homogenization, for one. I beat the whole game on Risky with no tank and no dedicated healer. That was kind of a novel experience but it bothered me a bit that the game leaned heavily towards "everyone can do anything" (though, again, it didn't bother me that much because I think that the Persona cast/influence is a good reason for this).

Demon Gaze, on the other hand, is also a game I didn't outright dislike but it has several things about it that I do dislike and that make it way inferior to EO games. Demon Gaze is a brain-dead dungeon crawler which is very different from EO's approach to the genre.

Classes in DG are boring. Each class gets a very small set of skills, of which an even smaller set are worth ever using. Skills are gained automatically so you don't have to ever think about skill builds. Contrast this to EO where each class has a much bigger toolset (admittedly there are a good number of skills in EO that aren't very useful) with a larger amount of useful skills and the fact that you have to spend your skill points wisely keeping in mind where you are in the game and what you're currently up against.

Stat points are another thing handled poorly in the game. I've never been a fan of the manual stat distribution thing but in DG it's pretty bad because stats aren't explained and the game doesn't make it easy or practical to experiment. You also can't respec them not even the classes themselves give you much guidance as to what stats to focus on.

Gear acquisition, specifically relics (or whatever they're called that give you skills) being randomized is pretty annoying, too. It doesn't add anything of value to the game, it just wastes your time. Things like this that actively encourage savescumming are bad design in general.

Also Demon Gaze is piss easy on the default setting and still too easy on the "warm" setting (I need to try some more on the hardest setting but I haven't played the game lately). It's no exaggeration to say that I got through the game by auto-battling my way through 90% of random encounters using the "repeat same command" feature the entire time (paladin uses provoke, cleric uses shield, everyone else attacks, hold down button until you win). Boss battles were only hard at the beginning, then everything was a snore until the last boss, who is only hard because he uses stupid mechanics that are random and you have limited means to defend against (kidnapping).

Overall Demon Gaze wasn't *bad* IMO but it has some major problems that soured what could have been a better experience. Your time is much better spent on EO if you like dungeon crawlers.
 

MrDoctor

Member
Another update!

I was literally a *single* hit away from victory before a game over. AAAAAAAAH!!! And it happened because I forget to purchase supplies before heading out -- the scourge of all adventurers!

...I ran with P/DH/R | H/M...
Ha, that's my exact party currently.
For money, like Zweizer said, in OG EO1 (and 2), Survivalists party with harvesting skills...yeah it's a little tedious but it's the best way. In EOU1 I had way more money than I could ever spend without even trying hard to make money.
Yeah, I wanted to know if there was a quicker/less tedious method. It seems like B6 is the best harvesting spot? Unfortunately, I'm talking about the original EO.

Boss battles were only hard at the beginning, then everything was a snore until the last boss, who is only hard because he uses stupid mechanics that are random and you have limited means to defend against (kidnapping).

Overall Demon Gaze wasn't *bad* IMO but it has some major problems that soured what could have been a better experience. Your time is much better spent on EO if you like dungeon crawlers.
It took around 3 turns for me to defeat the final boss. :S

I found Demon Gaze to pretty cool for the most part; it was just bogged down by the lack of challenge and fluidity in party builds. The game only looks bad in comparison because EO is top tier.
 
Decided I'm gonna try to beat EOIV. As much as I love EO, I haven't ever finished one. Either the dungeons start to bore me, or as I the case now, all enemies seem to decimate my team.

I'm exploring the Sacred Mountains. Have peeked into a few of the caves, but my team gets slaughtered abs barely survives.

My team consists of a Landsknecht (lv 27), Fortress (lv30), Sniper (lv 30), Runemaster (lv26) and Arcanist (lv 30). I don't grind, but I don't run from fights either I have done 22 side quests at the bar.
Any advice?
 

omlet

Member
It took around 3 turns for me to defeat the final boss. :S

How is this even possible? You have to fight through all the previously beaten bosses, don't you?

My team consists of a Landsknecht (lv 27), Fortress (lv30), Sniper (lv 30), Runemaster (lv26) and Arcanist (lv 30). I don't grind, but I don't run from fights either I have done 22 side quests at the bar.
Any advice?

Drop the Sniper and get a Dancer or Nightseeker is my advice, unless you're set on doing a linker party, in which case tough it out with what you have until you're not at as steep a level disadvantage.

You're probably a little low level for sacred mountain. I'd recommend you try a little FOE farming if you haven't done that yet. Maybe try filling out some codex entries for conditional drops, make a few gathering point runs, stuff like that as little goals to gain you some exp without thinking about it as "just grinding."
 

MrDoctor

Member
How is this even possible? You have to fight through all the previously beaten bosses, don't you?
Not if you're quick enough to not let him get a chance summon. I loaded up my Fighter with crazy Samurai skills and watched the HP bar drop by about 1/3 every round. "Is that really it?" was my reaction.

(Oh, I didn't say the weapons were maxed out)
 

yami4ct

Member
Finally picked up EOU a couple weeks back and just finished the first story stratum. This is my second EO game after IV (Which became an all time favorite RPG for me) and I'm really liking it. I actually like the way the story is forcing me to use different class setups than I would choose myself. I wouldn't for a second want that in a main EO game, but for a side remake thing, it's cool. It also has made the game surprisingly difficult playing on Hard. I really miss having an Arcanist for debuffs and nightseeker to do massive burst DPS, but on the other hand I'm learning how to effectively use ranged Gunners for binds and dedicated healers (Something I never picked up on in IV). The lack of a subclass system is clearly going to make this game a much, much worse game for me than EOIV, but it's still quite fun.

I hope they don't bring the floor jump system into future EO titles, though. Being able to warp to any entrance or exit you've cleared kills the risk/reward for me in a lot of ways. Really hate what it does to the design.
 

Zweizer

Banned
Yeah, I wanted to know if there was a quicker/less tedious method. It seems like B6 is the best harvesting spot? Unfortunately, I'm talking about the original EO.

I'm guessing your Survivalist party is too low-leveled to go harvest in deeper floors? I'd suggest you put some points into Stalker and check the radar while moving around.

My team consists of a Landsknecht (lv 27), Fortress (lv30), Sniper (lv 30), Runemaster (lv26) and Arcanist (lv 30). I don't grind, but I don't run from fights either I have done 22 side quests at the bar.
Any advice?

I personally feel Arcanist far outclasses the Sniper, so try to replace it as well (with a Dancer or Nightseeker as omlet suggests). Also, try to have your whole party at level 30 at least. You should be fine dealing with the FOEs from the previous area for Exp.

That feeling when you're deep in a dungeon and realize you didn't buy Ariadne Thread.

Welcome to the true Etrian Odyssey experience~

At least there are no squirrels in EO4.

Finally picked up EOU a couple weeks back and just finished the first story stratum. This is my second EO game after IV (Which became an all time favorite RPG for me) and I'm really liking it. I actually like the way the story is forcing me to use different class setups than I would choose myself. I wouldn't for a second want that in a main EO game, but for a side remake thing, it's cool. It also has made the game surprisingly difficult playing on Hard. I really miss having an Arcanist for debuffs and nightseeker to do massive burst DPS, but on the other hand I'm learning how to effectively use ranged Gunners for binds and dedicated healers (Something I never picked up on in IV). The lack of a subclass system is clearly going to make this game a much, much worse game for me than EOIV, but it's still quite fun.

I hope they don't bring the floor jump system into future EO titles, though. Being able to warp to any entrance or exit you've cleared kills the risk/reward for me in a lot of ways. Really hate what it does to the design.

Expert mode is the way to go, as it's the closest to the original game's difficulty. As you said, there is no Subclass system, but the Grimoires are arguably much more versatile, though also far more clunky and tedious.

Floor Jump is pretty stupid, yeah, though considering that the Untold series are basically an attempt to reach a wider, less hardcore audience, it's not too surprising that such implementations were made.
 

MrDoctor

Member
I'm guessing your Survivalist party is too low-leveled to go harvest in deeper floors? I'd suggest you put some points into Stalker and check the radar while moving around.
Was already working on that with one of them. I said B6 because of the thin shells. I could buy Gold Chimes and try B18, but...
 

Zweizer

Banned
Was already working on that with one of them. I said B6 because of the thin shells. I could buy Gold Chimes and try B18, but...

Aren't these shells rare materials? I'd personally stick to the floors that have a pole if your Survivalists' level is a bit on the low side.
 
I hope they don't bring the floor jump system into future EO titles, though. Being able to warp to any entrance or exit you've cleared kills the risk/reward for me in a lot of ways. Really hate what it does to the design.

I don't see an issue since it's optional, although maybe it could be unlocked if you've reached the lowest floor of the dungeon section instead of as you clear floors like in EOU1 so it doesn't feel as cheap.

https://www.google.com/maps/@26.535...!1e1!3m2!1su2433Hy2oPl3Eo6xDpMRQA!2e0!6m1!1e1

Somewhat OT, but instantly thought of the Etrian Odyssey series when I saw that when driving home earlier this week.
 

Nachos

Member
I don't see an issue since it's optional, although maybe it could be unlocked if you've reached the lowest floor of the dungeon section instead of as you clear floors like in EOU1 so it doesn't feel as cheap.
That's sort of what I was thinking. Just make it so that you unlock warping in after mapping most of a floor, but you basically need to complete the stratum to unlock warping out. I really like floor jump for helping you get back in the action as quickly as possible, but it is pretty silly that it diminishes the value of threads. Plus, it's really easy in Untold to warp straight to the floor with the healing spring in the second stratum, which makes the inn and the springs in the later stratums not nearly as useful.

They could also just design the floors so that you have a pretty small path to follow to the boss, once you unlock all of the shortcuts, but I don't know how dead-set they are on keeping the feature.

https://www.google.com/maps/@26.535...!1e1!3m2!1su2433Hy2oPl3Eo6xDpMRQA!2e0!6m1!1e1

Somewhat OT, but instantly thought of the Etrian Odyssey series when I saw that when driving home earlier this week.
Muckdile country.
 

pariah164

Member
Well, I WAS going to take a screenshot of my guild card to show off my lame newb party, but it doesn't want to work. So.

FRONT ROW:

Pari - Level 11 Landsknecht
Mia - Level 11 Nightseeker
Karu - Level 11 Dancer

BACK ROW:
Yue - Level 11 Runemaster
Cedric - Level 11 Medic

(EOIV Land 1 Dungeon Spoilers)

I barely managed to stay alive in the red baboon boss fight, so I'm trying to grind a bit. Aside from leveling and buying the best equips possible, I'm not sure how else to get stronger. On a side note, I'm never, EVER going into a dungeon without Ariadne Thread EVER again.
 

omlet

Member
I barely managed to stay alive in the red baboon boss fight, so I'm trying to grind a bit. Aside from leveling and buying the best equips possible, I'm not sure how else to get stronger. On a side note, I'm never, EVER going into a dungeon without Ariadne Thread EVER again.

You say that now but it's gonna happen again.

:3

As for getting stronger, well... generally the EO games are designed with the encounter rate such that as long as you are fully exploring every map, going back to town when your bag fills up (I usually take about 15-20 items with me on a trip), not running from many encounters, not swapping your party around (or resting/retiring early), and killing FOEs as soon as you're able to you'll generally be at the appropriate level for the entire main game and won't have to "grind" or anything.

Then past the level 70 cap in postgame is when you might need to do some leveling just for the sake of leveling. Or sooner, if you're not doing one or more of the things I listed.
 

pariah164

Member
As for getting stronger, well... generally the EO games are designed with the encounter rate such that as long as you are fully exploring every map, going back to town when your bag fills up (I usually take about 15-20 items with me on a trip), not running from many encounters, not swapping your party around (or resting/retiring early), and killing FOEs as soon as you're able to you'll generally be at the appropriate level for the entire main game and won't have to "grind" or anything.

Then past the level 70 cap in postgame is when you might need to do some leveling just for the sake of leveling. Or sooner, if you're not doing one or more of the things I listed.
Monsters like the stupid scorpions can easily kill my party even now if I don't off them first. i don't even want to think about taking out an FOE. And I would like to hang around in dungeons longer, but someone (usually my Nightseeker) runs out of TP and then I have to hoof it back to town.

And yes, I always buy 2 threads now.
 

yami4ct

Member
I don't see an issue since it's optional, although maybe it could be unlocked if you've reached the lowest floor of the dungeon section instead of as you clear floors like in EOU1 so it doesn't feel as cheap.

https://www.google.com/maps/@26.535...!1e1!3m2!1su2433Hy2oPl3Eo6xDpMRQA!2e0!6m1!1e1

Somewhat OT, but instantly thought of the Etrian Odyssey series when I saw that when driving home earlier this week.

I've never really bought into the "if it makes it too easy, don't use it" idea. If a game's mechanic harms the rest of the design, than it's still free to criticize. As has been said, though, this is meant to be an entry level EO title, so it doesn't bother me as much.

I do like the idea of unlocking it at the very end of a dungeon, though. Makes hopping back to a specific floor for a quest or item less tedious, without killing the overall difficulty. I'm fine with the warp point system as is, but I wouldn't be opposed to something like that also being added.
 

Zweizer

Banned
Monsters like the stupid scorpions can easily kill my party even now if I don't off them first. i don't even want to think about taking out an FOE. And I would like to hang around in dungeons longer, but someone (usually my Nightseeker) runs out of TP and then I have to hoof it back to town.

That's how it generally goes in the early game. Things will get better as you progress and get access to more options.
 

MrDoctor

Member
So, I finally defeated Iwaopeln yesterday after much preparation...before it instantly respawned and a guide tells me I have to defeat every FOE first. fml
 

omlet

Member
So, I finally defeated Iwaopeln yesterday after much preparation...before it instantly respawned and a guide tells me I have to defeat every FOE first. fml

Yep. :x

I think my team was a little overleveled by the time I fought that boss due to several failed attempts to clear out all the FOEs (failed as in made a bad move and had multiple closing in on me at once and warped home to start over) so when I got all the movements down it wasn't too bad. By then I'd also learned all the dangerous attacks they had and knew what to bind to prevent them so my DH pretty much went nuts on them then I refilled her TP with items before facing off against the boss and the rest of my team didn't have to expend much energy.
 

Anteo

Member
Monsters like the stupid scorpions can easily kill my party even now if I don't off them first. i don't even want to think about taking out an FOE. And I would like to hang around in dungeons longer, but someone (usually my Nightseeker) runs out of TP and then I have to hoof it back to town.

And yes, I always buy 2 threads now.

Doesnt matter, you will forget to restock twice in a row.
 

Rutger

Banned
EO1's fifth stratum is my least favorite fifth stratum.
It looks cool, but is really boring to explore. There's no interesting puzzles sadly.
The music is nice, but too upbeat for the area imo, making it my least favorite fifth stratum song.

I don't care much for EO1's dungeons all around actually. At least the sixth one is cool.

Edit: Forgot about how disappointingly short EO4's fifth dungeon was. Well, at least it has better music going for it...
 

Zweizer

Banned
EO1's fifth stratum is my least favorite fifth stratum.
It looks cool, but is really boring to explore. There's no interesting puzzles sadly.
The music is nice, but too upbeat for the area imo, making it my least favorite fifth stratum song.

I don't care much for EO1's dungeons all around actually. At least the sixth one is cool.

Edit: Forgot about how disappointingly short EO4's fifth dungeon was. Well, at least it has better music going for it...

EO1's fifth stratum's strength coems from the incredible atmosphere and twist that it carries. I love it to bits because of these qualities, even though as you said it's not as elaborate design-wise compared to later installments'.
 

Hikami

Member
Whew, just beat Etrian Odyssey Untold. Now to wait for EO2 Untold to come out..

Thinking of picking up EOIV in the meantime though.
 
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