SecretMoblin
Member
That was my plan, and I didn't have any trouble.Gvaz said:
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Xenoblade Chronicles |OT| Man, what a bunch of jokers.
- Thread starter Sadist
- Start date
RPGCrazied
Member
Ugh. I could try, but I haven't even messed with her skills, or anything. She has been dead weight since now.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
You have set the system menu on the Wii to 16:9, right?Anabuhabkuss said:
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
I don't bother with Mind Blast like a lot of people seem to. I'd rather just stick with summons I can spam repeatedly and not rely on my gauge being full. It does have useful effects, but meh.RPGCrazied said:
I switch between her and Shulk as my main, use Spear Break + Starlight Kick, and the rest are summons (Flare, Thunder, Wind, Ice, Earth, Copy). Flare, wind, and ice are aoe, in descending order by range. Flare, ice, and earth also blaze/chill/poison for extra damage.
Art Stealth + Ether Up + Lightning Damage Up (for Thunder since it's really fast) gems seem like the best combo.
And hopefully by skills you mean artes, and you have been swapping between her skill trees so you haven't been wasting SP!
I think the last character would like a word with you! Maxed haste + agility + double attack from gems and all double attacks critical skill. Then you can further haste yourself with the arte for even more speed, assuming it doesn't activate automatically at the beginning of battle. You'll have an avoidance tank with more HP and possibly defense than Dunban that deals damage right up there with Melia.
Of course, letting the AI handle that since it does fine on it's own and using Melia yourself, that's a winning combination.
Eventually Melia is rolled by final character, shulk, and dunban when it comes to overall damage.
Double hits half the time (or more), every double hit being a crit, hasted. They can auto attack for more than what Melia will do considering how much time it actually takes for her to get going.
This doesn't mean she is useless however, as those buffs are amazing, her controlled topple is one of the best in the game with a nice quick cooldown and a very forgiving pre attack activation requirement, and the fact that monsters ether resist is a lot lower and ether attacks are much less likely to miss.
Double hits half the time (or more), every double hit being a crit, hasted. They can auto attack for more than what Melia will do considering how much time it actually takes for her to get going.
This doesn't mean she is useless however, as those buffs are amazing, her controlled topple is one of the best in the game with a nice quick cooldown and a very forgiving pre attack activation requirement, and the fact that monsters ether resist is a lot lower and ether attacks are much less likely to miss.
RPGCrazied
Member
omg. I did it. It was like a 30min fight, and yeah getting rid of the adds made it a little easier. Pretty much over now eh?
82hours.
Man, I'll have to play this game every year.
Just entered Prison Island for the 2nd time, after Zanza
82hours.
Man, I'll have to play this game every year.
FreeMufasa
Junior Member
Is there anything that tells you where to go for side missions? For example, If i'm asked to collect X, is there a pointer telling me where to find it?
RPGCrazied
Member
FreeMufasa said:
No. Usually it tells you the area its in though.
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
So I finished Xenoblade over the weekend. Im going to avoid story spoilers and gush about the game itself.
Xenoblade takes everything Ive ever loved about Japanese RPGs, and improves all of them in every meaningful way imaginable. Most (not all) of what comprises Xenoblades gameplay, structure etc. isnt new per say; its been done before. But it makes it so much better. So for example, save anywhere outside of cutscenes and battle? Awesome, and all RPGs should do this, but its not new. Lunar did that ages ago. But were ALSO going to put in a checkpoint system where if you die you dont lose the experience you gained, items you collected, quest accomplishments etc. Warp to any major landmark youve previous visited? Awesome, but thats not new either. Grandia did this as well. However in Grandia you had to exit whatever town/dungeon you were in to the World Map to do this, and it was limited to towns/dungeons. Xenoblade doesnt care where you are (so long as youre not mid-story/battle), you can pull up the map and go whatever landmark you want so long as youve been there before at least once. Day/Night cycles where things are different and you can only do certain things in one or the other? Dragon Quest lays claim to the I did that first prize. But Xenoblade makes this better by letting you change it at any time, anywhere, and expands on this by even letting you decide what time of day it is. Fetch Quests? Well, I dont always love these, but if done well they can be lots of fun. But make it so that 70-80% of them dont require me to go back to the quest giver to complete the quest, and Im much happier to oblige. This is how you take already awesome GAMEPLAY features and make them even better, ladies and gentlemen.
Xenoblade not only features one of the most original game worlds Ive ever experienced in an RPG (Living on a giant creature, journeying up its body on your quest? Wow!), but its also beautifully designed and expansive. Any RPG where I can have barrels of fun just running around in it has already won half the battle. The world of Xenoblade accomplishes in all its SD glory something I havent felt in any HD JRPG to date; it feels ALIVE. I feel like Im running through a living, breathing world as I trek through the Gaur Plains or quest through the Makna Forest. This game is stunningly designed and constructed.
The battle system actually feels strategic, and I often found myself changing out party members and putting them in different arrangements depending on the situation. Sometimes I needed to be able to cast lots of magic, and Melia was put in. Other times I found I was dying a lot and needed that party gauge to fill up quicker, enter Riki. In most RPGs (even my favorites, sadly), I usually dont think about this and just stick to my favorite group. In Xenoblade its actually a lot harder to do this all the way through, and its much better to adjust to the situation with different people. The affinity system only further incentivizes this idea by giving you yet another reason to mix and match your groups and gain more affinity between members.
Any more and Id be going into story spoilers, so I wont do that, but Ill end with this: Xenoblade has usurped Final Fantasy VI in my mind as the best Japanese RPG Ive ever played. Its that good. Thank you, Nintendo of Europe for letting me experience this great game in English. Also:
Xenoblade takes everything Ive ever loved about Japanese RPGs, and improves all of them in every meaningful way imaginable. Most (not all) of what comprises Xenoblades gameplay, structure etc. isnt new per say; its been done before. But it makes it so much better. So for example, save anywhere outside of cutscenes and battle? Awesome, and all RPGs should do this, but its not new. Lunar did that ages ago. But were ALSO going to put in a checkpoint system where if you die you dont lose the experience you gained, items you collected, quest accomplishments etc. Warp to any major landmark youve previous visited? Awesome, but thats not new either. Grandia did this as well. However in Grandia you had to exit whatever town/dungeon you were in to the World Map to do this, and it was limited to towns/dungeons. Xenoblade doesnt care where you are (so long as youre not mid-story/battle), you can pull up the map and go whatever landmark you want so long as youve been there before at least once. Day/Night cycles where things are different and you can only do certain things in one or the other? Dragon Quest lays claim to the I did that first prize. But Xenoblade makes this better by letting you change it at any time, anywhere, and expands on this by even letting you decide what time of day it is. Fetch Quests? Well, I dont always love these, but if done well they can be lots of fun. But make it so that 70-80% of them dont require me to go back to the quest giver to complete the quest, and Im much happier to oblige. This is how you take already awesome GAMEPLAY features and make them even better, ladies and gentlemen.
Xenoblade not only features one of the most original game worlds Ive ever experienced in an RPG (Living on a giant creature, journeying up its body on your quest? Wow!), but its also beautifully designed and expansive. Any RPG where I can have barrels of fun just running around in it has already won half the battle. The world of Xenoblade accomplishes in all its SD glory something I havent felt in any HD JRPG to date; it feels ALIVE. I feel like Im running through a living, breathing world as I trek through the Gaur Plains or quest through the Makna Forest. This game is stunningly designed and constructed.
The battle system actually feels strategic, and I often found myself changing out party members and putting them in different arrangements depending on the situation. Sometimes I needed to be able to cast lots of magic, and Melia was put in. Other times I found I was dying a lot and needed that party gauge to fill up quicker, enter Riki. In most RPGs (even my favorites, sadly), I usually dont think about this and just stick to my favorite group. In Xenoblade its actually a lot harder to do this all the way through, and its much better to adjust to the situation with different people. The affinity system only further incentivizes this idea by giving you yet another reason to mix and match your groups and gain more affinity between members.
Any more and Id be going into story spoilers, so I wont do that, but Ill end with this: Xenoblade has usurped Final Fantasy VI in my mind as the best Japanese RPG Ive ever played. Its that good. Thank you, Nintendo of Europe for letting me experience this great game in English. Also:
The Hermit
Member
Awesome post! I agree, this is the best RPG I've played since the SNES era.
Also, I never use Riki, didn't realized his usefulness before you mentioned, thanks!
Also, I never use Riki, didn't realized his usefulness before you mentioned, thanks!
Diprosalic
Banned
BlazingDarkness said:
hiro4 said:
what are you guys doing then? i made every side quest there is to this point and wasted a lot of time dying repeatedly .
Diprosalic
Banned
Gvaz said:
i just started the game up and i did around 70 sidequests so i don't think i missed that much.
RPGCrazied
Member
gogojira said:
I don't care what anyone thinks, CCPRO is way better than the wiimote. You don't have to hold a button down to move the camera. Plus if you remember the jRPG days on the PS2, you'll feel right at home.
manueldelalas
Time Traveler
I would recommend Wiimote + Nunchuck.gogojira said:
The reason is that the main character's arts (read: attacks magic and skills) are heavily dependent on the position and it's very difficult to move and change arts using the CCPro. Also, your position in battle is important, and if you are using melee characters, chances are you'll want to move while changing or circling through arts.
You'll also be able to use the menus while running in the game, so you loose less time, and separated hands >> joined hands IMO.
The only benefit using the CC Pro is that it is more comfortable on the hands and you have a camera stick; but there is nothing you can do with the CCPro that you can't do with the Wiimote+Nunchuck, and the reverse is not true.
Seventh character spoilers:
I'm still only in the
so things might change, but they've kind of killed my plot hype.
I kind of hate Fiora. She's got a serious Purity Sue vibe going and the way her relationship with Shulk is being forced down my throat is setting off my gag reflex. She's amazing in battle though, so I'm kind of conflicted.
Central Factory
timetokill
Banned
iamaustrian said:
Dat Japanese writing.
Seriously, this is a problem with a lot of JRPGs. Also, the constantly saying other people's names.
Just once, I want somebody to flip out on that person:
Dunban: "I need to do this, not for Colony 9, but for me."
Shulk: "Dunban..."
Dunban: "WHAT?"
Shulk: "Oh, I was just saying your name."
SecretMoblin
Member
You certainly can move while selecting arts and menu items with the CCPro, but it is a bit awkward. For folks like me who are anal about camera controls and making constant changes, the right stick is an absolute must. And I fare quite well in battle.manueldelalas said:
It all comes down to personal taste.
Don't listen to anyone who says that one control type is garbage and the other amazing. They are both perfectly adequate and have their own advantages and disadvantages. I used both of them at different points (I let someone borrow my two CC's for a fighting game and completely forgot the CC Pro I bought on sale, so I played the first half of the game with the Nintendo Wii Remote and Nunchuck.
Combat is slightly easier with the Chuck+Remote, and exploration is slightly easier with the CC.
Combat is slightly easier with the Chuck+Remote, and exploration is slightly easier with the CC.
mclem said:
Dunban still has better tanking artes and Reyn is even better as long as his agility isn't rock bottom.
Riki with the right skill investment becomes interesting, though he'd be a much better threat generator if DOT abilities had higher aggro. He can self heal for quite a bit, though he can't usually generate enough threat except with Riki is Angry and a certain spike build.
Started a second playthrough with a regular new game (with New Game+ I feel a lot of fun was being sucked out and I was just running from cutscene to skippable cutscene, since there was no need to fight anyone). I have to say, I really do appreciate how they set up the plot elements and motifs in the early parts of the game - the presentation and foreshadowing were well thought-out. Seemingly throwaway bits of dialogue in the early parts are now taking on a double meaning, e.g. - spoiler for the ending plot points of the game; don't read unless you've beaten it
Enjoying it the second time around as much as the first; even though the plot isn't new anymore I truly understand the combat system and can minimize learning curve frustrations.
when Reyn and Shulk first decide to head out of Colony 9 to avenge Fiora and find the Mechon, Shulk talks about having "two voices" in his head; one telling him to think of what Fiora would say and to focus on living, the other saying "kill every single one of them!" Seemed like kind of a cliche description of his emotions in the first playthrough; second playthrough it seems like a funny in-joke and bit of foreshadowing, since it turns out he actually did have a second voice / personality wanting to kill all the Mechon...
Enjoying it the second time around as much as the first; even though the plot isn't new anymore I truly understand the combat system and can minimize learning curve frustrations.
RPGCrazied
Member
I wish you could play the game with certain things kept. Like affinity chart, heart to hearts, achievements, items and the like.
Keeping levels would make the game ridiculously easy.
Keeping levels would make the game ridiculously easy.
Zomba13 said:
I actually don't mind it as much in Xenoblade as I do in other things. And I don't seem to notice it much except when it's exceptionally silly (like the "believe in myself??" exchange). I guess it's because Shulk is kind of naive and he's never left Colony 9, so when people are all "Yeah, we're going to Earyth Sea!" and he's all "Earyth Sea?", I don't care cause...he probably doesn't know what it is.
Whereas it bugged me in Xenosaga, because Shion was apparently ~the best scientist ever~ and she's all "...UMN??", "...Black...box???", "....CURRY??" and it's like...guuuuurl. C'mon now. I know it's for exposition, but please. If Shion is the best/youngest scientist in her division, at least give the exposition lead-ins to someone else.
Two things I just discovered on my second playthrough that I really wish I'd known my first time through:
- I didn't realize there was a "lure" option for far away enemies, e.g. fliers - it's a purple icon you can select after you've targeted a monster by pressing up/down from the "fight" icon. You throw a stone at them and do 1 damage, and they come to you, letting you choose where to fight instead of chasing after them - this would have saved me from fighting in lots of awkward spots, and having treasures drop into abysses.
- I never accessed the "collectopedia" before and assumed it filled automatically with collectibles, and that it was just for reference (I think I skimmed through the brief tutorial window that popped up). I didn't realize you had to manually access it and fill it, like a stamp book, and that you got fairly decent rewards (gems and armor) for filling up rows.
I feel kind of silly, but then again, people missed out on the landmark fast travel and time change options while playing. Even though the pop-up tutorials seemed a bit intrusive in the beginning of the game, there are a few instances where I wouldn't have minded if they'd been more intrusive with this stuff (e.g. forcing you to use "lure" on an enemy early on, or asking you to change the clock so you could find someone at night, etc.)
- I didn't realize there was a "lure" option for far away enemies, e.g. fliers - it's a purple icon you can select after you've targeted a monster by pressing up/down from the "fight" icon. You throw a stone at them and do 1 damage, and they come to you, letting you choose where to fight instead of chasing after them - this would have saved me from fighting in lots of awkward spots, and having treasures drop into abysses.
- I never accessed the "collectopedia" before and assumed it filled automatically with collectibles, and that it was just for reference (I think I skimmed through the brief tutorial window that popped up). I didn't realize you had to manually access it and fill it, like a stamp book, and that you got fairly decent rewards (gems and armor) for filling up rows.
I feel kind of silly, but then again, people missed out on the landmark fast travel and time change options while playing. Even though the pop-up tutorials seemed a bit intrusive in the beginning of the game, there are a few instances where I wouldn't have minded if they'd been more intrusive with this stuff (e.g. forcing you to use "lure" on an enemy early on, or asking you to change the clock so you could find someone at night, etc.)
hosannainexcelsis
Member
timetokill said:
I've pretty much gotten used to this style of writing by now. You can't expect Japanese writers to write as if they're not Japanese.
Laughing Banana
Weeping Pickle
jgwhiteus said:
Mindblown. Not by the things you mentioned, but by the fact that you only just realized this on your second playthrough. Especially the Collectophedia.
How many hours you've spent for your 1st one? Upwards to 70-80 hours, I assume?
But then again, there's a person here before who did not know the meaning of "S" and "U" in weapons/armors when he already played up to 60 hours.
I am just... surprised, is all.
timetokill
Banned
hosannainexcelsis said:
Do Japanese people actually talk this way to each other, though? that's the weird thing to me. I know quite a few Japanese people and none of them have ever acted that way in my experience.
Rahxephon91
Banned
What do they mean? I won't lie, there's probably a lot of elements of the game's system I've passed on. I still don't get jewel crafting and just aim for one result when making one.Laughing Banana said:
iamaustrian
Member
quick fighting question:
What causes the sudden constant drop in KP during fights without even getting hit?
Sometimes it comes out of nowhere and I'm dead in seconds(sudden drop from 4000KP to 0KP in 500 steps).
I reckognized it more often during fights against Mechons in
.
(it's not "bleeding" because the bleeding-symbol doesn't show up above shulk. must be something else)
side note:
What causes the sudden constant drop in KP during fights without even getting hit?
Sometimes it comes out of nowhere and I'm dead in seconds(sudden drop from 4000KP to 0KP in 500 steps).
I reckognized it more often during fights against Mechons in
Mechonis
(it's not "bleeding" because the bleeding-symbol doesn't show up above shulk. must be something else)
side note:
so, Mechon = B.O.R.G. (?)
Equipment with a blue "S" have 1-3 open slots available for gems. Equipment with a "U" on them have a beneficial effect on them that cannot be removed or replaced. Such as Ether up, strength up, aggro up, etc...Rahxephon91 said:
Another thing some people may not have noticed is that you can check what the effects of an equipped gem are. Let's say you wanted to know what "Good Footing II" does. Just go to your party menu and open up the equipment screen. Choose the item with the gem you're curious about, and press the + button on the Wii remote 3 times. A screen will pop up and tell you what the effect does, and how much it increases the effect by.
Before I discovered this, I assumed Quickstep improved your ability to dodge attacks so I had bunch equipped to my NPC tank. Turns out it increases your character's movement speed.
Rahxephon91
Banned
OMG MY MIND HAS BEEN BLOWN!Seventh said: