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Etrian Odyssey / Sekaiju no Meikyuu (Impressions Post #106)
- Thread starter ethelred
- Start date
It is really hard. Although, I think mostly it has to do with the fact I wasted all my money on buying weapons and stuff without even checking to see if I already had them. Also I didn't realize putting people in the back lessened their ATK and upped their DEF. After I figured that stuff out things got a little more managable. It looks like the price for staying at the inn goes up every time you sleep there, which is bad news, because I've been dying a lot. Also resurrection is expensive, so when you're low on cash, you can dig yourself into a pretty deep hole.
Map making is fun. You draw the borders and color in steps seperately, and you can place icons for events, monsters, items, treasure, make notes and so on.
Character customization is cool, but you have to really be careful where you spend your points. Me, being the retard that I am, took my Alchemist and put "Custom" points into TP and Fire Mastery without realizing I needed to atleast put one point into an actual spell. So, he was useless for a while hahaa. There seem to be a lot of options per class, and it also looks like there isn't just one good way to build a character.
The music ****ing rocks.
Graphics are functional, they aren't "WOWOWOW", but they won't turn you into a 3D-on-DS-hatin' Amir0x.
Game is very text heavy with a lot of kanji, so if you can't read japanese, I'd suggest waiting on the American version (if there is one). Most you can probably figure out with some basic Japanese, but I'm still at the beginning and I don't know how complex the missions get (I haven't even completed the first one yet).
My first impressions as a whole are pretty good. I'm surprised at the quality of the presentation and the addictiveness of the whole thing. Making your own map makes exploring the dungeons even more addicting. Wanting to get every last block on the map filled in will most definitely keep you from doing what you should be doing. I think, if you like these type of games, (I quite liked Shining the Holy Ark) you should definitely try this out.
Map making is fun. You draw the borders and color in steps seperately, and you can place icons for events, monsters, items, treasure, make notes and so on.
Character customization is cool, but you have to really be careful where you spend your points. Me, being the retard that I am, took my Alchemist and put "Custom" points into TP and Fire Mastery without realizing I needed to atleast put one point into an actual spell. So, he was useless for a while hahaa. There seem to be a lot of options per class, and it also looks like there isn't just one good way to build a character.
The music ****ing rocks.
Graphics are functional, they aren't "WOWOWOW", but they won't turn you into a 3D-on-DS-hatin' Amir0x.
Game is very text heavy with a lot of kanji, so if you can't read japanese, I'd suggest waiting on the American version (if there is one). Most you can probably figure out with some basic Japanese, but I'm still at the beginning and I don't know how complex the missions get (I haven't even completed the first one yet).
My first impressions as a whole are pretty good. I'm surprised at the quality of the presentation and the addictiveness of the whole thing. Making your own map makes exploring the dungeons even more addicting. Wanting to get every last block on the map filled in will most definitely keep you from doing what you should be doing. I think, if you like these type of games, (I quite liked Shining the Holy Ark) you should definitely try this out.
Is the challenge more 'you will sweat and bleed and die and you will love it' or more 'you will die over and over until you grind enough levels to continue'?
How's the F.O.E system so far (or the 'monsters walk around even while you're in combat', whatever)?
And text-heavy? What does it mainly consist of? How's the storytelling so far?
How's the F.O.E system so far (or the 'monsters walk around even while you're in combat', whatever)?
And text-heavy? What does it mainly consist of? How's the storytelling so far?
Jonnyram said:
It'll definitely be on the Gafcast this week!
I really want to do a thing on sound voyager and I still haven't gotten any otaku interviews. I'll probably talk about it after I'm finished with it. I am thinking the sp0rsk show will be nothing but post mortem stuff.
duckroll said:
It's not too early at all! They've been talking about a potential sequel in interviews for a long while now, and it seems like they'd been planning out what they'd like to do with one, so it's cool that they built in the functionality to go that route if the game is successful enough to warrant a sequel. Which I really hope it is.
Also, sp0rsk: thanks much for the awesome impressions!
Good game, good game.
This is my first game like this, although it does have a lot of similarities to old-school JRPGs like Dragon Quest, so I'm not totally out of my depth.
The way the monsters move around and you can see their proximity in the "radar" is really freaking me out. Are they actually following me around or just moving randomly?
I've had a couple of close calls but no deaths so far. I put a Medic in my party and gave him Cure before going out on my first wander, so I managed to use that a few times, and now I've gone back up to the surface to rest after reaching level 2.
I can't find anything major to complain about, other than the lack of info they give you when buying items. As sp0rsk said, it's pretty easy to buy something that you are already carrying, at least the first time you are playing. It wouldn't have hurt to use the bottom screen to show your inventory or something.
This is my first game like this, although it does have a lot of similarities to old-school JRPGs like Dragon Quest, so I'm not totally out of my depth.
The way the monsters move around and you can see their proximity in the "radar" is really freaking me out. Are they actually following me around or just moving randomly?
I've had a couple of close calls but no deaths so far. I put a Medic in my party and gave him Cure before going out on my first wander, so I managed to use that a few times, and now I've gone back up to the surface to rest after reaching level 2.
I can't find anything major to complain about, other than the lack of info they give you when buying items. As sp0rsk said, it's pretty easy to buy something that you are already carrying, at least the first time you are playing. It wouldn't have hurt to use the bottom screen to show your inventory or something.
Pureauthor
Member
*counting the days until this game comes out in english*
Hotel Dusk should help alleviate the pain for now...
Hotel Dusk should help alleviate the pain for now...
Thanks for the impressions. Are the missions the focus of the game? I mean, are they required for progressing, or are they more optional tasks? Also, are there any named characters to recruit, or can you only use the characters you create? Thanks.
I'm looking forward to this a lot. I was really impressed with Wizardry:TotFL, which was my only other true dungeon crawler.
I'm looking forward to this a lot. I was really impressed with Wizardry:TotFL, which was my only other true dungeon crawler.
yeb said:
You create every character, and you can create a whole bunch. Looks like there are 2 unlockable classes. I don't know how far you get from the main town, but I don't recon there are any other towns in the game. It seems like selling junk unlocks new items in the store, and you do get a lot of junk. Enemies don't drop money so getting a lot of it can be quite hard sometimes.
I think I'm going to restart my game so I have my money and stuff.
Bloody hell... those crabs 
I think I need to put an alchemist in my party or something.
Anyway, I'm not sure how the inn fee is calculated, but it may be level-based or something? So far, it's been 8->16->24->24 for me. I doubt it maxes out at 24, but it may well be based on progress. Also, the revival fee has remained static at 30 so far. *phew*
I've unlocked a few new things in the shop and it looks tempting but rather expensive at the moment. I am seriously loving the map drawing part now too, although it seems monsters move around while you're drawing the map :O
Oh yeah, johntv, you are the ranger in my party. DC is the sword fighter, LEOsh is the bard, Sho Nuff is the Medic and I am the Dark Hunter.
I think I need to put an alchemist in my party or something.
Anyway, I'm not sure how the inn fee is calculated, but it may be level-based or something? So far, it's been 8->16->24->24 for me. I doubt it maxes out at 24, but it may well be based on progress. Also, the revival fee has remained static at 30 so far. *phew*
I've unlocked a few new things in the shop and it looks tempting but rather expensive at the moment. I am seriously loving the map drawing part now too, although it seems monsters move around while you're drawing the map :O
Oh yeah, johntv, you are the ranger in my party. DC is the sword fighter, LEOsh is the bard, Sho Nuff is the Medic and I am the Dark Hunter.
Jonnyram said:Bloody hell... those crabs
I think I need to put an alchemist in my party or something.
Anyway, I'm not sure how the inn fee is calculated, but it may be level-based or something? So far, it's been 8->16->24->24 for me. I doubt it maxes out at 24, but it may well be based on progress. Also, the revival fee has remained static at 30 so far. *phew*
I've unlocked a few new things in the shop and it looks tempting but rather expensive at the moment. I am seriously loving the map drawing part now too, although it seems monsters move around while you're drawing the map :O
Oh yeah, johntv, you are the ranger in my party. DC is the sword fighter, LEOsh is the bard, Sho Nuff is the Medic and I am the Dark Hunter.
My fire spell does 30-50 damage. Alchemist is a must have!
I'm looking at the map screen someone posted on 2ch and the squares look pretty small. Is it really easy to draw?
Can't see that link, since it's blocked at work, but there are two map views. A zoomed out view where you can see the whole floor, but you can't draw, and a zoomed in view, where you can see your section, and are able to draw and add/remove items/events. I assume it's showing the zoomed out view because the other view is easy to draw on
So you're doing all this playing at work? :lolJonnyram said:Can't see that link, since it's blocked at work, but there are two map views. A zoomed out view where you can see the whole floor, but you can't draw, and a zoomed in view, where you can see your section, and are able to draw and add/remove items/events. I assume it's showing the zoomed out view because the other view is easy to draw on
Jonnyram said:
Mine went up to 34. So yeah, sounds like levels are the determining factor.
I finally beat the first mission and now I've got 4 little quests to do, although I'm not quite sure exactly what they want me to do.
I'm kind of wondering what I should do next.
Magicpaint
Member
Keep the solid impressions coming in guys.
Nice impressions... love the whole map-making thing, definitely a lost art as far as videogames are concerned. I'm definitely interested in picking this up when it comes to the US - but I'm worried it might be a tad too challenging. Hopefully that's not the case.
Well, since gaining a couple of levels, everything on B1F is pretty straightforward. I think there will only by too much challenge if you progress at too fast a speed. If you explore fully, and check out all the nooks and crannies, you should probably level enough to deal with stuff relatively comfortable. It's just that opening hour that's a bit stressful, I think.djtiesto said:
RevenantKioku
PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS oh god i am drowning in them
;_;
You guys are making me want this more than ever. Shouldn't have entered this thread.
You guys are making me want this more than ever. Shouldn't have entered this thread.
Beaten the first two quests and halfway done with the third and fourth. Typical quest structure, i.e. fetch this item from special place, kill monsters to drop x many of y item, get a certain number of monsters in the monster encyclopedia, etc. The monsters themselves are really nicely drawn though, and the music is awesome.
Current party is lv 6 medic and everyone else is level 5. johntv, the ranger, is having a rest, and cvxfreak, the alchemist, has been taking his place for these bloody crabs
Current party is lv 6 medic and everyone else is level 5. johntv, the ranger, is having a rest, and cvxfreak, the alchemist, has been taking his place for these bloody crabs