• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Official Persona 3 thread: first time in school for NA players.

Yaweee

Member
Shouta said:
The Koro walking scenes allow you to occasionally level up Commus that are accessible only during the day and occasionally you'll get unique scenes with the other characters in your party. As I recall anyway.

From the videos I've seen, you when you talk to Koro at night in the dorm, you can get the option to go for a walk, where you'll be joined by teammates or come across S. Link friends. However, I'm curious as to how the scenes work-- one per week? Two per week? Are there some sort of cue that will notify you when a new scene is available?

I'm working on the 'Official Persona 3: FES Thread', so any information is helpful.

-----

With regards to the above poster, I think the game is really really easy. If you select Easy mode, you actually get a limited supply of 10 continue items. You can save before bosses in Tartarus. As long as you save every few fights and do separate trips to run from checkpoint to checkpoint, it is hard to lose much save data. Two of the Story battles with long scenes before them can be annoying, however, but that is rarely more than ten minutes.

I'm looking forward to hard mode, but there is some confusion as what's been changed in it, aside from running odds, enemy damage, and prices.
 

Joule

Member
FrenchMovieTheme said:
fellas how hard is this game? i have it preordered and im stoked to play it, but i'm not so great at RPG's and i freaking hate playing for 2 hours then losing all my progress by getting stomped.

is there an easy mode in the game?

Essentially the entire game is an easy mode at least compared to other SMT games and FES. If you are cautious and well prepared, losing hours of progress shouldn't be too much of a problem. There times where bad things can happen however.
 

Metroidvania

People called Romanes they go the house?
Joule said:
Essentially the entire game is an easy mode at least compared to other SMT games and FES. If you are cautious and well prepared, losing hours of progress shouldn't be too much of a problem. There times where bad things can happen however.

Basically, try not to use a persona weak to light or dark, which are all instant deaths if they connect.
 

Yaweee

Member
Metroidvania said:
Basically, try not to use a persona weak to light or dark, which are all instant deaths if they connect.

That might be my main complaint about the series. Two instant death elements that not only can kill you quick, but allow you to waste enemies instantly. Thirty minutes running around Monad alone with Die For Me! was enough to nearly max out my level.
 

zoku88

Member
cpro said:
That might be my main complaint about the series. Two instant death elements that not only can kill you quick, but allow you to waste enemies instantly. Thirty minutes running around Monad alone with Die For Me! was enough to nearly max out my level.
Lawl, I did that to beat the final boss... I only did it up for lvl 78 or so.
 
the only other SMT game i played extensively was DDS1, and i got almost to the end. if it's the same difficulty as that i'll be ok (that game was hard for me but it was a good kind of challenge)
 

Yaweee

Member
zoku88 said:
Lawl, I did that to beat the final boss... I only did it up for lvl 78 or so.

This goes along with my previous problems, though, in that there wasn't anything else for me to during the last month.



Oh, and if you still have your save, beat DDS. That isn't a game you should give up on.
 

zoku88

Member
cpro said:
This goes along with my previous problems, though, in that there wasn't anything else for me to during the last month.
I spent a lot of my nights in the last month
maxing out the old monk soul link
and unwisely sleeping >.>
 

Yaweee

Member
zoku88 said:
I spent a lot of my nights in the last month
maxing out the old monk soul link
and unwisely sleeping >.>
I actually never even unlocked the Monk in my game, because I ignored Yuko like the dirty whore that she is. That month of skipped phases pushed my tolerance for load times over the edge.

Fortunately, in FES, the last month adds
the Aigis S. Link.
Not sure if its only in the day, or also at night.

Man, FES is a laundry list of necessary fixes, and P4 is like a longer list of fixes to FES.
 

zoku88

Member
cpro said:
I actually never even unlocked the Monk in my game, because I ignored Yuko like the dirty whore that she is. That month of skipped phases pushed my tolerance for load times over the edge.

Fortunately, in FES, the last month adds
the Aigis S. Link.
Not sure if its only in the day, or also at night.

Man, FES is a laundry list of necessary fixes, and P4 is like a longer list of fixes to FES.
I really wanted an Aigis S. Link in the original. I loved her. This: [-----------------] much.
 

mollipen

Member
cpro said:
because I ignored Yuko like the dirty whore that she is.

You shut your filthy mouth! Yuko is easily one of the most likable females in the game. The rest all either have serious issues or some other personality flaw.
 

Yaweee

Member
shidoshi said:
You shut your filthy mouth! Yuko is easily one of the most likable females in the game. The rest all either have serious issues or some other personality flaw.

From the first few S. Links I had with her, she seemed like she was anorexic/bulimic. Then she went into Reverse with me, so I talked to her to get out of it, but never followed through.
 

itsinmyveins

Gets to pilot the crappy patrol labors
Shouta said:
You can max stats in regular runs of the game. It just takes a bit longer. I didn't abuse the shrine in my first run through the game and I maxed them all.

I'm 33 hours in and I've maxed out charm, and I got one step left on both academics and courage.
 
cpro said:
From the first few S. Links I had with her, she seemed like she was anorexic/bulimic. Then she went into Reverse with me, so I talked to her to get out of it, but never followed through.

You have to work the girls one at a time. You know, she said my gift was "okay, i guess" and it pissed me off so bad I ignored her for 6 months.
 
Yikes I forgot about this thread...

So basically I stopped playing 8 months ago to wait for FES. I was only up to mid-October and had done 90 (?) floors, and considering I didn't buy P3 I decided it was worth the wait. I've totally missed all news since last November:

  1. Can I import all my stuff from P3 even if I didn't finish the game?
  2. If saves carry over Is it better to start over?

Guess that's all until I read like 25 pages. :-C
 

nyong

Banned
Ok, so I picked up a copy of the original Persona 3 awhile back because I figured I'd eventually want to try it, and I thought the price was going to skyrocket. Little did I know Persona 3 FES would come out.

My question is this: Is the value of a sealed copy of the original Persona 3, complete with the art book and soundtrack, going to likely rise substantially in price, even though FES is out (and a better game)? I'm trying to decide if I should buy FES, or just open and play Persona 3.
 

Yaweee

Member
nyong said:
Ok, so I picked up a copy of the original Persona 3 awhile back because I figured I'd eventually want to try it, and I thought the price was going to skyrocket. Little did I know Persona 3 FES would come out.

My question is this: Is the value of a sealed copy of the original Persona 3, complete with the art book and soundtrack, going to likely rise substantially in price, even though FES is out (and a better game)? I'm trying to decide if I should buy FES, or just open and play Persona 3.

In terms of quality of the game, FES is a substantially better product, and if your only intent is to play the game, trade in P3 and buy FES.

Honestly, I can't recommend opening up a sealed copy of P3 to play it. Not only is it likely to at least return to MSRP eventually, it just isn't particularly worth playing while FES is out there.
 
So I'm getting near the end of Persona 3 (In mid December), and I am slightly concerned that I may not be leveled up enough for any end boss fights or whatnot that I may encounter, so instead of needlessly grinding to an undetermined level, I was wondering what level people were at when they completed the game and whether they thought they were over-leveled or under-leveled.
 

Yaweee

Member
Working_Stiff said:
So I'm getting near the end of Persona 3 (In mid December), and I am slightly concerned that I may not be leveled up enough for any end boss fights or whatnot that I may encounter, so instead of needlessly grinding to an undetermined level, I was wondering what level people were at when they completed the game and whether they thought they were over-leveled or under-leveled.

On the last day, you don't get tired-- you're just in the last dungeon and can't leave. It is impossible to get stuck, as you always have opportunities to level and return to the base floor to fully recover.
 
I just got what I believe is referred to as "SMT'd" for the first time in my life!

Spent an hour or so climbing 12 floors, stupid allies got ambushed by two monsters on a floor before a boss, I engage and kill everything cept one last little tiger. Entire group runs toward it. It does some whirl attack where it spins in a circle. Instant KOs 3/4 my party, including self. Whoo! Had found 3 fucking golden shadows and 3 xp pinatas too!

Also glancing over this thread is bizarre. The voice acting is one of the best parts of the game and better than a metric shitload of games.
 
Okay, the schoolchildren shooting themselves in the head officially creeps me the fuck out. It only took 20 hours or so, but it's gotten to me. Especially after everyone's turned into a little emo bitch. And their call outs are always these suggestive "I can do it" and "My Turn" things, right before they step into the light and put a gun to their skulls. I can't decide which animation is creepier, Yukari's hesitation or Akihiro rushing to blow his head off.

Oh and the summer sucks, and the fifty goddamn billion personas is obnoxious overkill when you need a very specific one for a boss.
 
Yaweee said:
On the last day, you don't get tired-- you're just in the last dungeon and can't leave. It is impossible to get stuck, as you always have opportunities to level and return to the base floor to fully recover.

That make sense; however you still have to worry about HP & MP (or whatever its called). I know if you end up at a normal boss and are underleveled, your Personas tend to be too weak and one hit kills become common.
 

Hobbun

Member
Working_Stiff said:
That make sense; however you still have to worry about HP & MP (or whatever its called). I know if you end up at a normal boss and are underleveled, your Personas tend to be too weak and one hit kills become common.

Yes, but you can always return to the 1st floor to refill your HP's and SP's. So it isn't a problem.

Myself, I have not run into a problem of having one hit kills from a boss yet. The best thing I can suggest is to build up (grind) a bit.
 
Hobbun said:
Yes, but you can always return to the 1st floor to refill your HP's and SP's. So it isn't a problem.

Myself, I have not run into a problem of having one hit kills from a boss yet. The best thing I can suggest is to build up (grind) a bit.

So what level where you (approximately) when you completed the game?
 

YagizY

Member
GAF: I need your opinion.

I can either play Persona 3 Portable for PSP or Persona 3 (non-FES version) on PS2. Which one should I play if I only plan on playing through the game once?
 

Gvaz

Banned
If I'm at around august, how far in the game am I?

I find it hard to keep going to tartarus to finish the sidequests. Especially now since it's "oh kill these rare mobs" so I'll have to hang out in tartarus for a few hours.
 

firehawk12

Subete no aware
YagizY said:
GAF: I need your opinion.

I can either play Persona 3 Portable for PSP or Persona 3 (non-FES version) on PS2. Which one should I play if I only plan on playing through the game once?
Once? Portable for sure.
 
YagizY said:
GAF: I need your opinion.

I can either play Persona 3 Portable for PSP or Persona 3 (non-FES version) on PS2. Which one should I play if I only plan on playing through the game once?

P3P if you absolutely have to control all your party members and not just your MC, portability factor, and don't care for running around places outside dungeons.

FES if you prefer to run around, the game being on a console/better graphics, don't mind just controlling the MC (I held off getting P3 FES for a while because of this but when I played it, this didn't matter to me), and The Answer story arc (20+ hours) which takes place after the main story. I thought it was pretty good but a bit tedious since there's no S. Links. Good extra music/bosses though, wraps up the story and fills some holes.
 

Proven

Member
Jarmel said:
Ugh. Tartarus is one of the worst things I've ever seen in a game.
The game is dungeon crawl and date/life sim. Normally, if a game is 50/50, you can easily trudge through one to get to the other, but this game took me around 100 hours to beat. You have to seriously love both parts to be bothered after a point.
 

Jarmel

Banned
Proven said:
The game is dungeon crawl and date/life sim. Normally, if a game is 50/50, you can easily trudge through one to get to the other, but this game took me around 100 hours to beat. You have to seriously love both parts to be bothered after a point.

I don't mind dungeon crawlers but the design of Tartarus is pissing me off with the random room layout, if you jump back you have to fight your way up, and the pure number of levels.

Tomodachi said:
Define "better".

More exciting or just something make it more memorable.
 

Proven

Member
Jarmel said:
I don't mind dungeon crawlers but the design of Tartarus is pissing me off with the random room layout, if you jump back you have to fight your way up, and the pure number of levels.
More exciting or just something make it more memorable.
Take the teleporters back down on the mini-boss levels, and treat each set of levels between mini-bosses as a "section".

You run through specific sections over and over again to find certain monsters and items (side quests). You treat them per section rather per floor because of Death.

Basically, you run through a section, get experience and money, then teleport back down to save, or whatever. Everytime you teleport back, you get free heals. So staying in Tartarus for a long time becomes more a matter of betting; how far do you think you can push to get a lot of xp/cash/items as fast as possible, before you go back down to save, get healed, but risk teammates calling it a night.

Considering Death and the constant wariness of insta-kill spells, Tartarus is not a place where you explore for any length of time. It's a place you race through over and over again.
 

Jarmel

Banned
Proven said:
Take the teleporters back down on the mini-boss levels, and treat each set of levels between mini-bosses as a "section".

You run through specific sections over and over again to find certain monsters and items (side quests). You treat them per section rather per floor because of Death.

Basically, you run through a section, get experience and money, then teleport back down to save, or whatever. Everytime you teleport back, you get free heals. So staying in Tartarus for a long time becomes more a matter of betting; how far do you think you can push to get a lot of xp/cash/items as fast as possible, before you go back down to save, get healed, but risk teammates calling it a night.

Considering Death and the constant wariness of insta-kill spells, Tartarus is not a place where you explore for any length of time. It's a place you race through over and over again.

That's exactly how I've been treating it which pisses me off. I like exploring and the game seems to punish that. Another thing is trying to figure out if I'm underpowered. Like the boss guarding midway through the second block took me three tries to beat(each of which were a good 10 minute stretch). I feel like I should be grinding more but the way they designed Tartarus is counter to that.
 

Proven

Member
Jarmel said:
That's exactly how I've been treating it which pisses me off. I like exploring and the game seems to punish that. Another thing is trying to figure out if I'm underpowered. Like the boss guarding midway through the second block took me three tries to beat(each of which were a good 10 minute stretch). I feel like I should be grinding more but the way they designed Tartarus is counter to that.
It gets easier to do as you level up, but Tartarus often times feels like it's an exercise of how many walls you can run into before you go to sleep for the night.

As for being over/under-leveled, if you can get as far as possible in Tartarus each month, then you should be fine. Beating a floor boss is mostly dependent on your Persona types and their skills, so any grinding you have to do should be more focused on the Persona(s) you want to use for that fight rather than just your own level. If you're able to beat every mini boss you can reach for the month, you should be scrappy enough and have access to a wide enough Persona spread to deal with whatever surprises come at you later.
 
Top Bottom