Support NeoGAF

[CoachKevin]

PLEASE USE SPOILER TAGS! THANKS!!!


Growing up I never felt the urge to play RPGs. I would dabble sometimes with games, renting Super Mario RPG, FF 3/6, Chrono Trigger, and somehow making progress in Dragon Warrior when I was 5/6 years old with limited reading ability. As I grew up I loved Action RPG games like the Zelda series, Shenmue and put a good amount time into Oblivion.

I don't know what sparked my interest in the genre, possibly my love for portables and nes/snes games, but since this past September I have begun to really enjoy these games. It started with Ys 7 on the PSP, then to Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 (about 5 hours in before feeling burned out from 55 hours of P3P), and most recently finishing Final Fantasy IV on the PSP.

After finishing FFIV I didn't know where to go, I figured it would be best to continue with the SNES era RPGs. Thanks to some advice from JohnTV, I settled on Dragon Quest V for the DS which I ordered a few days back from amazon.



I started it last night planning to play 30 minutes before bed. Next thing I knew it was 1am and I was 3 hours into the game.

It is an odd experience going from FFIV to DQV. The story is interesting so far, the music is pretty good, and the game world is nice to look at. With that being said, a few things have me scratching my head and I am left with questions.

1. Why does my cat not follow the orders I give him? I will tell him to attack but instead he defends
2. It sucks not being able to target specific enemies. Instead I am forced to just pick a group to attack.
3. I am a save-a-holic and hate losing progress. Trips back to the church is a pain
4. I am not sure if I should be OK with dieing, having not encountered banks yet I am wary of losting 1/2 my money
5. I am guessing grinding is necessary. I spent 30 minutes grinding inbetween trips to the haunted house. Seemed to make life a bit easier after putting the work in.

It is fun and I am left wanting to play it more, I think I just need to understand how I should play a DQ game.

Edit:

I figured it might make sense to list the other games I bought and are on my to play list. I am open to recommendations. Mostly looking for portable and SNES games.

Own but haven't played/opened

• Secret of mana SNES
• Illusion of Gaia SNES
• Dragon Quest VI (Just bought on amazon)
• Dragon Quest IX
• Trails in the Sky
• Radiant Historia
• The World Ends with You
• Ys 1+2 PSP (really disliked the combat)

Finished:

• Ys 7
• Persona 3 Portable
• Final Fantasy IV Complete

Started recently but put on hold:

• Persona 4: The Golden (burned out after 55+ hours of P3P)
• YS: Oath in Felgana (too hard for me on normal, need to restart on easy)

Started in the past few years but never stuck with:

• Chrono Trigger DS (Tried like 5 times to start this one up
• Final Fantasy VI on PS1 (2-3 times)

 

[Velcro Fly]

Monsters need a certain amount of Widsom before they 100% obey. I believe it is around 20 or so.

You get used to not being able to select individual enemies. Sometimes it is best to be able to identify which monster or group of monsters is the biggest threat and focus on attacking/debuffing them first.

Grinding in DQV for the DS isn't as mandatory I don't think as other entries in the series. For the early part of the game it is a little bit but only in order to get a certain skill or two and nothing more. As you progress, you should focus more on having a balanced team that has a variety of skills instead of just a set level to be in a certain area.

 

[Diggeh]

The game picks up after the messy road to the haunted house

Spoiler

and its crazy boss

. Early game wandering as a child is prone to easy deaths,

Spoiler

but as you grow up in the game you begin to have capable human partners.

 

[Aeana]

The only time I ever grind in DQ5 is before the haunted castle. Get enough money for a boomerang and it's smooth sailing.
That's my biggest recommendation, too: keep group-hitting weapons, especially boomerangs (but whips too) for random battles, they will make them go much more smoothly!

 

[Oni Link 666]

You get a fast travel spell, called zoom, that makes going back to town much easier. You don't get it for a while in DQV; however, you can get an item called Chimaera Wing that does the same thing.

Grinding and buying the best armor and weapons helps, but it's not required.

I just reset if I wipe. I'm not taking that gold penalty. Just make sure you save before going to a dungeon.

 

[Bladenic]

I hope you like the game. I highly recommend 6 afterward as well.

 

[Hugstable]

How is DQIV on the DS? I'm thinking about picking it up as I loved V and VI, but I heard that the lack of party chat from the NES version kills it. I'm still on edge whether I should get it or not.

On Topic, DQV is amazing, and I think you will rather enjoy it too. It may not have the length and end-game content of VI-IX, but it sure as hell has one the most timeless JRPG stories that I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying.

 

[The Last Wizard]

Man I love this game, wish more rpgs were like this.

 

[Aeana]

How is DQIV on the DS? I'm thinking about picking it up as I loved V and VI, but I heard that the lack of party chat from the NES version kills it. I'm still on edge whether I should get it or not.

On Topic, DQV is amazing, and I think you will rather enjoy it too. It may not have the length and end-game content of VI-IX, but it sure as hell has one the most timeless JRPG stories that I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying.

The NES version never had party chat to begin with. Lack of party chat in the English DS version is very sad, no doubt, but it doesn't "kill" the game, else nobody would have liked it on NES to begin with. It's absolutely worth playing, do it.

 

[Syril]

How is DQIV on the DS? I'm thinking about picking it up as I loved V and VI, but I heard that the lack of party chat from the NES version kills it. I'm still on edge whether I should get it or not.

Hearing that certainly killed my interest in it. I can't imagine V without the party chat; so much of the character development was in that.

 

[Dark Octave]

I found that DQIV and V shared a lot of assets. They were both good, but because of this, when I think back on them, I have no clue which one is which.

I'm thinking I'm going to pick up VI tomorrow. I need something to play on the van pool to work and back. Plus I feel guilty that I'm leaving it out after playing all of the releases and re-releases since VIII.

 

[Aeana]

I found that DQIV and V shared a lot of assets. They were both good, but because of this, when I think back on them, I have no clue which one is which.

One of the biggest issues with DQ4-6 DS is that they are fairly homogenized. NPC sprites are all the same, a lot of other assets are the same. It really bugged me, because the original DQ5, as well as DQ5 PS2 have unique NPC designs that no other game in the series shares, and they were kicked to the curb in the DS version.

 

[Kazerei]

Dragon Quest games usually have smooth difficulty curves, but I found the haunted house in DQV to be a bit of a steep edge. The limitations in the early part of the game are pretty inconvenient. All you can do is basic grinding in the same area.

My advice is to recruit a healer as soon as possible. It's an essential member to have in your party, and the game doesn't give you one until much later.

 

[Aeana]

In terms of monsters, I highly recommend recruiting a regular slime and a slime knight as soon as you see them. These will both last for a majority of the game if you want them to.

 

[Tizoc]

OP, once you've beaten the game, read this spoiler it might blow your mind

Spoiler

The Hero's luck stat hardly/rarely increases when he levels up

 

[mattiewheels]

I hope you like the game. I highly recommend 6 afterward as well.

I keep hearing so much shit-talk about VI, what was the problem for people who like the series?

 

[Aeana]

I keep hearing so much shit-talk about VI, what was the problem for people who like the series?

The problem is with the DS version, not the game itself. It's just that the a lot of the originality of the game is sapped, and the pacing is wrecked, at least in my opinion. The original is super awesome!

 

[mattiewheels]

The problem is with the DS version, not the game itself. It's just that the a lot of the originality of the game is sapped, and the pacing is wrecked, at least in my opinion. The original is super awesome!

Ugggh.

I remember trying the first hour on an emulator 10 years ago, I guess that's the best way altogether...?

 

[Calamari41]

I started in on the DS remakes as my first Dragon Quest games a couple of years ago,and all three are must-plays in my opinion. 5 is my personal favorite, so enjoy the ride.

A few tips:

1) Dragon Quest is one of the only RPGs where status affecting spells are not only useful, but necessary
. Reducing a boss's defense for a few turns will be the difference between a near impossible, grinding fight and a quick breeze.

2) On the same token, even a little bit of grinding pays off in spades as well. If you absolutely can't beat a boss, just two levels can make all the difference in the world. The battle music and mechanics are so great, you won't even mind taking the extra time.

3) I like to upgrade my equipment for a character about every other town, staggered so that half of your team has new stuff when you get to a new town. There's nothing worse than grinding for gold to get an expensive yet powerful weapon or piece of armor, only to find it in the first chest of the next dungeon.

4) For DQ 5, recruit monsters and try them out. I'm sure there are tiers or whatever of useless ones to god-tier ones, but just use what works for you. I had one of those cyclops from that tower early in chapter two for almost the whole game, and then I didn't have any problems.

 

[randomkid]

Hearing that certainly killed my interest in it. I can't imagine V without the party chat; so much of the character development was in that.

Definitely some very moving moments that occur in party chat. I played this game for the first time last year through the PS2 fan translation. Will need to replay in a year or two to confirm but as of now it's probably one of my favorites, a real deserved pillar of the genre.

Have fun OP!

 

[Ultratech]

In terms of monsters, I highly recommend recruiting a regular slime and a slime knight as soon as you see them. These will both last for a majority of the game if you want them to.

Yup. Both are pretty good for a long while. The Slime Knight especially will last most of the game, since it's almost like a second Hero of sorts.

Other suggestions would be:

-Healslime/Cureslime: It'll come in handy, and they have loads of MP. Strictly a healer though, so don't expect much in the way of Offense. Great support though. Can be a pain to recruit...

-Golem: You won't encounter them until you're a good 1/2~2/3 through the game, but they're pretty beastly. Lots of HP, high Defense and Attack, and some decent skills to boot. And very easy to recruit.

There's lots of other good monsters out there, but they either don't show up until very late in the game or have very crappy recruit rates.
Many are good for certain parts of the game, while others are just all-around great. (And there's a handful that are just pure crap.)

Why does my cat not follow the orders I give him? I will tell him to attack but instead he defends
It sucks not being able to target specific enemies. Instead I am forced to just pick a group to attack.
I am a save-a-holic and hate losing progress. Trips back to the church is a pain
I am not sure if I should be OK with dieing, having not encountered banks yet I am wary of losting 1/2 my money
I am guessing grinding is necessary. I spent 30 minutes grinding inbetween trips to the haunted house. Seemed to make life a bit easier after putting the work in.

1. Wisdom has to be at a certain level for the monster to accept orders. It's a non-issue most of the time unless the monster has very low Wisdom.
2. It's not that bad in concept. If you tell your party to Attack a group, they'll generally single one monster out.
3. Keep in mind you can Quicksave. IIRC, the Quicksave in the DQ remakes is interesting in that it doesn't delete itself when you load up the game.
4. Losing half your money sucks, but you do keep all your progress (Items, Levels, EXP, Monsters, etc.). Once you get to a town with a bank, make sure to deposit some money if you're about to hit up some dungeons.
5. Not really. The early game is pretty bad about it, but after that, it's a non-issue. Once you start recruiting monsters, there's relatively few spots where you actually need to grind. So don't worry about it after that point.

 

[Aeana]

Definitely some very moving moments that occur in party chat. I played this game for the first time last year through the PS2 fan translation. Will need to replay in a year or two to confirm but as of now it's probably one of my favorites, a real deserved pillar of the genre.

Have fun OP!

The DS version has quite a bit more party chat than the PS2 one, also.

 

[The Last Wizard]

The problem is with the DS version, not the game itself. It's just that the a lot of the originality of the game is sapped, and the pacing is wrecked, at least in my opinion. The original is super awesome!

Maybe that's why I can't seem to get into VI DS, I mean It just feels long and padded.

 

[Cheerilee]

3. I am a save-a-holic and hate losing progress. Trips back to the church is a pain
4. I am not sure if I should be OK with dieing, having not encountered banks yet I am wary of losting 1/2 my money

Become okay with dying.

The basic idea is that when you reach a town, you should sleep and save and then hit the shops and outfit yourself for a new expedition. If you're satisfied with your purchases, save again.

When you head out, you should generally have little-to-no money on-hand. Money is useless in a dungeon. The dungeons in Dragon Quest are basically endurance tests. If you aren't as ready for battle as you thought you were and you get beat up, but you can successfully retreat back to town alive, then you've got fresh money to spend getting even more ready for another try. If you can't make it back to town alive, then you failed, and are penalized. Grind a little before trying again. There always needs to be a penalty for failure. But the penalty is not nearly worth fretting over, because your failed attempt earned you EXP and maybe some items, and even after losing half of your gold, you should be dumped back into town with more gold than you started out with. In Dragon Quest, every failure brings you just a little bit closer to success. Of course, success (or even a safe retreat) brings you closer to success than failure does.

 

[Magicpaint]

I never grind in V; for some reason it feels easier than all the others for me. Also you can easily get overpowered in this game if you're hunting for specific monsters to recruit.

Maybe that's why I can't seem to get into VI DS, I mean It just feels long and padded.

Well the SNES version would feel even longer and more padded then lol - the DS version smooths things up considerably and is easily superior to the clunkier SNES version for me (though I miss the pixel graphics). I wish they did more as a remake but it is essentially an enhanced and updated port.

 

[Kiraly]

Haven't finished it and sold everything ages ago, but goddamn if this was not one fine adventure

I feel like playing it again, is it still fucking unavailable everywhere?

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

is the ps2 or ds version better?

 

[CoachKevin]

Thanks for the pro tips everyone. Should make for a smooth play through now. Will be back with more soon.

Haven't finished it and sold everything ages ago, but goddamn if this was not one fine adventure

I feel like playing it again, is it still fucking unavailable everywhere?

I picked it up for $32 at amazon new (shipped from amazon): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NJMMHG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

 

[Magicpaint]

is the ps2 or ds version better?

I prefer the PS2 version by quite a bit - if only for the amazing orchestrated soundtrack and I think slightly faster (and prettier) battles.
DS version feels smaller and more compact and lacks some of the identity of DQV but it does have Deborah who is awesome lol

Thanks for the pro tips everyone. Should make for a smooth play through now. Will be back with more soon.

Enjoy

 

[Porcile]

Such a fantastic game. Gotta say i'm more partial to 4 in the DS trilogy, but 5 is as much a classic.

 

[CoachKevin]

Such a fantastic game. Gotta say i'm more partial to 4 in the DS trilogy, but 5 is as much a classic.

Too bad it is super rare. Just ordered DQVI. Already had DQXI from a new egg sale way back.

 

[zoukka]

I never use walkthroughs, but goddamn the DS VI was painful. So many moments where I had no idea where to go, or I forgot to speak to one NPC and some scenes didn't trigger. It doesn't help that the DQ trilogy on DS has zero interesting story for my tastes. I only play them to see the enemy sprites :b

 

[Celine]

DQ4 was my favorite DQ for ds.

I never use walkthroughs, but goddamn the DS VI was painful. So many moments where I had no idea where to go, or I forgot to speak to one NPC and some scenes didn't trigger. It doesn't help that the DQ trilogy on DS has zero interesting story for my tastes. I only play them to see the enemy sprites :b

Where to go wasn't a problem: basically you go shere there is a well or the area is greyed out.
But it's true that sometimes how trigger events were cryptic ( for example in the fishermen village ).

 

[Porcile]

Too bad it is super rare. Just ordered DQVI. Already had DQXI from a new egg sale way back.

It's not too expensive on UK Amazon, though you have to go through a third-party seller. Reminds me I need to pick up Monsters Joker 2 before it becomes a pain to find.

 

[CoachKevin]

Newegg has DQV for $31 as well: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16878144024

 

[Currygan]

still need to get this and VI. Thanks for reminding me, op

 

[speedpop]

Once you finish the game, make it a point of reference to listen to the music via the Symphonic Suite releases. Even if it is via YouTube.

It will make you appreciate the game that much more when you tie in memorable pieces with key moments in the game. Everytime I listen to the dungeon and sailing music from DQ5 I can't help but get the goosebumps.

 

[Bladenic]

I keep hearing so much shit-talk about VI, what was the problem for people who like the series?

No clue. I personally loved it. I imagine that since it was the third entry for the DS people were fatigued by the reused assets or whatnot? For me, it's got the best gameplay and world from the 3 DS entries. I also think the story and vignettes are really great, the vignettes being either my favorites or second favorites from all the games I've played.

 

[Ultratech]

I keep hearing so much shit-talk about VI, what was the problem for people who like the series?

They changed up a lot of stuff in the remake, so if you ever played the original game, it's very obvious what's off and whatnot, including the pacing.

Here's the major differences I listed from the last LTTP thread on DQV:

For one, they changed a LOT of stuff from the SFC/SNES version. I'll just list off the major points (the differences I'm reading has a fairly long list).

-Early game mobs got nerfed heavily. Monsters in general also give out a lot more EXP. As a result, you kinda end up breezing through the first part of the game.

-Monster Recruitment removed; replaced with specific Slimes you can recruit. I really hated this change, since there were some pretty cool monsters you could get. Granted, there weren't a ton of 'em you could recruit like in V, but still...

-Overworld reduced in size about 20%. I think this occurred from the new graphics and stuff.

-Quite a few towns/dungeons got different/revamped layouts.

-Remember/Forget spells removed. In the SNES version, you could use these spells to memorize or delete stored text from NPCs to help you figure out things. Quite handy, though if you used a FAQ, there's wasn't much point.

-Innate resistances/immunities removed. Basically, some of the characters had an innate resistance or immunity to certain spells. Like the Hero was resistant to Zap spells for instance.

-Bonus Dungeon is unlocked when you beat the game. In the original, you had to master ALL of the Jobs, including the "hidden" ones, before it would unlock.

-Stat growths are randomized now. They were fixed in the original. Not that big of a deal, since they don't get shifted much, but it's still annoying.

 

[friz898]

PLEASE USE SPOILER TAGS! THANKS!!!


Growing up I never felt the urge to play RPGs. I would dabble sometimes with games, renting Super Mario RPG, FF 3/6, Chrono Trigger, and somehow making progress in Dragon Warrior when I was 5/6 years old with limited reading ability. As I grew up I loved Action RPG games like the Zelda series, Shenmue and put a good amount time into Oblivion.

I don't know what sparked my interest in the genre, possibly my love for portables and nes/snes games, but since this past September I have begun to really enjoy these games. It started with Ys 7 on the PSP, then to Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 (about 5 hours in before feeling burned out from 55 hours of P3P), and most recently finishing Final Fantasy IV on the PSP.

After finishing FFIV I didn't know where to go, I figured it would be best to continue with the SNES era RPGs. Thanks to some advice from JohnTV, I settled on Dragon Quest V for the DS which I ordered a few days back from amazon.



I started it last night planning to play 30 minutes before bed. Next thing I knew it was 1am and I was 3 hours into the game.

It is an odd experience going from FFIV to DQV. The story is interesting so far, the music is pretty good, and the game world is nice to look at. With that being said, a few things have me scratching my head and I am left with questions.

1. Why does my cat not follow the orders I give him? I will tell him to attack but instead he defends
2. It sucks not being able to target specific enemies. Instead I am forced to just pick a group to attack.
3. I am a save-a-holic and hate losing progress. Trips back to the church is a pain
4. I am not sure if I should be OK with dieing, having not encountered banks yet I am wary of losting 1/2 my money
5. I am guessing grinding is necessary. I spent 30 minutes grinding inbetween trips to the haunted house. Seemed to make life a bit easier after putting the work in.

It is fun and I am left wanting to play it more, I think I just need to understand how I should play a DQ game.

Edit:

I figured it might make sense to list the other games I bought and are on my to play list. I am open to recommendations. Mostly looking for portable and SNES games.

Own but haven't played/opened

• Secret of mana SNES
• Illusion of Gaia SNES
• Dragon Quest VI (Just bought on amazon)
• Dragon Quest IX
• Trails in the Sky
• Radiant Historia
• The World Ends with You
• Ys 1+2 PSP (really disliked the combat)

Finished:

• Ys 7
• Persona 3 Portable
• Final Fantasy IV Complete

Started recently but put on hold:

• Persona 4: The Golden (burned out after 55+ hours of P3P)
• YS: Oath in Felgana (too hard for me on normal, need to restart on easy)

Started in the past few years but never stuck with:

• Chrono Trigger DS (Tried like 5 times to start this one up
• Final Fantasy VI on PS1 (2-3 times)

You know I went on a FF/DQ/Castlevania binge in 2010.

Played:

Final Fantasy IV DS
Final Fantasy III DS
Dragon Quest 4
Dragon Quest 5
Dragon Quest 9
Castlevania DS (all 3)

Later followed up with Final Fantasy IV PSP and Dragon Quest 6.

Those games minus FF4 were all new experiences for me, and I tell you what, what a glorious experience. I felt like a 16 yo kid again, and since I waited until 2010 to buy my DS it was perfect. Unfortunately I didn't do that this generation.

 

[CoachKevin]

On the side I am playing through Rondo of Blood on the PSP (Castlevania X Chronicles) and it is brilliant. Great music.

 

[CoachKevin]

Past the 7 hour mark. Got in about 3 hours today...

The best part about DQV so far is that I haven't needed a FAQ/Walkthrough when I hit a dead end. As long as I talk to everyone in town it has been smooth sailing. There was just one occasion where I needed to sleep in a specific town's inn to get Harry to decided to go to the castle.

The combat has sped up thanks to more party members, weapons that attack multiple enemies at once, and speeding up the battle text. I do miss seeing the action a la Final Fantasy's battle scenes.

And then there is the story. While often predictable, I am still invested and interested in what is going on.

Anyways, back to the game. Hopefully I can get towards the 10 hour mark by mid week.

 

[CoachKevin]

Just passed the 9 hour mark today and things are going a little slow. I guess I am still in the beginning of the game, but I hope things pick up a bit like FFIV.

Currently I am helping out the town of Hay and I am stuck fighting this monster plaguing their town. Just got my ass smoked by it.

 

[Aeana]

Just passed the 9 hour mark today and things are going a little slow. I guess I am still in the beginning of the game, but I hope things pick up a bit like FFIV.

Currently I am helping out the town of Hay and I am stuck fighting this monster plaguing their town. Just got my ass smoked by it.

Spoiler

Do you have Bianca's ribbon handy? Try using it during the battle.

 

[thetrin]

Just passed the 9 hour mark today and things are going a little slow. I guess I am still in the beginning of the game, but I hope things pick up a bit like FFIV.

Currently I am helping out the town of Hay and I am stuck fighting this monster plaguing their town. Just got my ass smoked by it.

DQV is an epic that spans a long tract of time. That does mean that it begins as a slow burn storywise, but it pays off well, and it's well worth continuing to play.

 

[CoachKevin]

Even though I said things are slow to start, I just played for 2.5 hours straight. Just keep going and going. Very unlike my gaming habits. I guess that is a good sign.

Happy I am enjoying it after picking this up from amazon this past Friday:




Now thanks to picking up the DS DQ games and the FF PSN sale on my backlog of RPGs I have

Radiant Historia
DQ VI
DQ IX
FFVI
FF VII
FF VIII
FF IX

 

[CoachKevin]

Just passed the 20 hour mark. It has been a lot of fun to see how the game's story evolves over time... The combat has been pretty standard, but that is what I was looking for. Being my 3rd real JRPG I have played through in my life, the easy to follow battle mechanics are welcomed.

The only thing I will mention about the story is that, compared to FF IV, I am much more invested in the characters. During the last few major events I have gotten a genuine emotional reaction.

And holy shit, it is about time I got a revive spell. Having to travel back to the church after losing a party member from a 1-hit kill was killing the games pace.

With the blizzard hitting me in MA right now I am going to put a few more hours into the game.

 

[Bururian]

I spent way too much time in the Casino in DQ5, enough to get multiple Metal King Sword. I had a lot of people equipped with it. Made the game rather easy after that. It did take a lot of time in the casino though.

 

[TheyTookOurJobs]

Played though but didn't quite beat VI a 2nd time and now I'm playing this again.

This is a game where the story really shines; There's no job system, but you do have recruitable monsters which makes it kinda fun if you like the pokemon sort of thing.

 

[zoukka]

I'm at the last battle in VI and in some trouble. I need to grind either the vocation levels to get more characters to have kazing or to grind the casino to get yggdrasil leafs. Te game was pretty easy to this point, but the end boss can wipe two of my weaker casters in one spell... And one of them is the only one with a resurrect spell.

Blah.