|
What does this mean? "time-unit management"
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2013 18:01
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 3, 2024 10:16 |
|
|
BadAstronaut posted:What does this mean?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2013 18:03
|
|
|
BadAstronaut posted:What does this mean? In VPL each chapter gives you a certain number of Time Units to represent how long things take. So for instance, scanning the map (basically mandatory) takes up time units as does entering a dungeon takes or visiting a town. Within each chapter you have a limited number of things you can realisitically accomplish and at the end of the chapter, aka when time units hit 0, it requires you to lose at least one party member permanently by sending them to valhalla. There are a lot of intertwined mechanics at play here (including secret ones to determine if you can even play the final dungeon) and the time limit can feel like a lot of pressure when you have no clue what influences what or who you should be sending off to the big war in the sky.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2013 18:05
|
|
|
Endorph posted:BoF3 is pretty average. My impression was that it was pretty decent, when it's not engaging in hilariously awful tar-pit timewaster events.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2013 18:25
|
|
|
FuzzySlippers posted:I've been trying to look at action rpgs with detailed actiony combat. That is more detailed than Diablo style clicking or Secret of Mana style attack spamming. The most detailed is definitely Dark / Demon Souls but I've also looked at Monster Hunter, Witcher 2, Fable 2, Mass Effect, Gothic/Risen, Skyrim, Castlevania SOTN, and the Ys games. Any notable ones I'm missing? If you're looking at that hand-ful of time sinks I thought you'd like to hear an opinion about them. Think of Dark Souls a bit like a Zelda game. The universe is contiguous and maze-like with each area being open-able in a different order depending how you approach it; with different character abilities and weapon / equipment strategies encouraging different routes of action. The game is the same every time, but the way you play it can be different. Dark Souls feels and looks great and is absolutely worth a play-through, and as long as you're willing to cheat just enough to look at the wiki and plan a practical path of action you'll have a blast. That's not to mention the bizzare "coop / if you're trying to coop random people can come "invade"... not coop and kill you instead" mechanic in Dark Souls, which frankly is very entertaining even when you're on the losing end. However I will say the PvP in DS is nothing to write home about because it is not balanced and you'll hit enemies that are either cheating or so min-maxed they might as well have cheated. Regardless, nothing, in thousands of hours of being a gaming enthusiast, approaches the feeling of invading a player in Dark Souls, waiting, alone, in a library - disguised as a podium - literally a podium, and then erupting molten volcano death and stabbing a guy in the back as he passes; or using "force push" spells to kill players by launching them off cliffs. It is a very unique game. The Witcher is much, much more linear, and I feel it's combat mechanics are inferior, and character development is almost entirely vertical. What it has going for it is an engrossing plot with entertaining cut-scenes, flashy graphics and over-the-top scripted events and such. Absolutely worth seeing, but not really a "make it yours" experience. Skyrim has been watered down dramatically compared to it's predecessors and stands as basically the Elder Scrolls Cinematic Experience, which as far as that goes it's quite good, but again character development isn't very broad and customization is fairly shallow. Combine that with totally linear plots (very little branching) and frankly I don't recommend Skyrim to the involved RPG player. A total overhaul of Oblivion achieves similar graphical satisfaction and similar combat action satisfaction while offering a much more involved character customization experience - but you've got to take the effort to build it. I recommend Oscuro's Open Oblivion. Similarly Mass Effect has been watered down quite a bit, however I think it fared better because it was always more of a shooter in the first place. If you want a shooty RPG it's a great choice. it probably doesn't have any more branching than say skyrim, and definitely no more customization- but they expanded where it matters; in character (plot-wise) development and number of weapons / powers to choose from. In addition, Mass Effect 3's multiplayer survival arena is quite fun, if only a repetitive arcade shooter. Fable, Gothic, Risen, and Y's are outside my (recent) experience. Don't bother with Fable 3; Skyrim does most of what Fable 3 does better and the game comes across as an action adventure geared for a younger audience; but you already knew that. Diet Lime fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Aug 14, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2013 18:28
|
|
|
BadAstronaut posted:Goons, help make this entirely arbitrary decision for me. I would say VP by default. If you want to shoot for the best ending though, make sure to use a guide (as the mechanics for doing so don't really make sense until in hindsight). FFT's PSP version has baffling slowdown after each spell-cast which was rather easily patched out, but getting the patch working requires dipping into the realm of  , so your mileage may vary on that. BoF 3 is exactly decent. If you've kept up with BoF 1 and 2, there may be some added reward in following the story, but it's still pretty mediocre.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2013 18:46
|
|
|
Wendell posted:drat, it's about time they did this! Though $20 for three almost definitely bad jRPGs is too steep for me. I have only played Beggar Prince, and I thought it was TERRIBLE. Really wish someone would translate that Surging Aura game, unless it's impossible or something.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2013 18:49
|
|
|
Barudak posted:In VPL each chapter gives you a certain number of Time Units to represent how long things take. So for instance, scanning the map (basically mandatory) takes up time units as does entering a dungeon takes or visiting a town. Within each chapter you have a limited number of things you can realisitically accomplish and at the end of the chapter, aka when time units hit 0, it requires you to lose at least one party member permanently by sending them to valhalla. There are a lot of intertwined mechanics at play here (including secret ones to determine if you can even play the final dungeon) and the time limit can feel like a lot of pressure when you have no clue what influences what or who you should be sending off to the big war in the sky. The time limits exist but it's really, really hard to actually hit them unless you spam the near useless rest option.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2013 20:52
|
|
|
dis astranagant posted:The time limits exist but it's really, really hard to actually hit them unless you spam the near useless rest option. Yeah, I've never actually come anywhere near the time limit even on my first playthrough of the game. It may as well not exist.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2013 20:55
|
|
|
dis astranagant posted:The time limits exist but it's really, really hard to actually hit them unless you spam the near useless rest option. True, but its something I could only confirm once I had the guide open and thats not the sort of information I like just hanging up in the air when I'm being graded regularly and to a certain requirement just to see the end game. I'll admit I'm incredibly weird when it comes to time-limits in games and no matter how relaxed they are I tend to open a guide to confirm what I need to be doing and how much leeway I actually have.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2013 20:57
|
|
|
It's really only there so that you have to go a bit out of your way to get the C ending, which is one of the few clues as to how you might approach getting the A one.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 00:05
|
|
|
Valkyrie Profile 1s time system is a non-thing. I'm pretty sure it's literally impossible to run out of time unless you do it on purpose. One dumb thing about Valkyrie Profile 1 is that it's hard mode is actually easier then normal mode because you get to do more dungeons. Still like the game though. I actually really liked both VP1 and 2 a lot. I hated Covenant of the Plume though, and I'm not sure why. Hell, I know I beat Covenant of the Plume and to this day I can barely remember what it was about at all. Something about overkilling or something I don't know? Love me some VP1 and VP2 though.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 00:44
|
|
|
I started playing VP for the first time a few days ago, and lo and behold people are talking about VP. That's great, because now I get to rant: I'm on chapter 7 and I'm struggling to finish. I really like some aspects of the game, especially the premise. It's like a Japanese PS:T! The combat system is interesting, but poorly balanced, and not in a "broken to the point of grinning at the absurdity of it" way like in SO2. I kill almost everything with one sorcerer spamming Poison Blast, and anything that doesn't die in two rounds of Poison gets Guard Sapped and then obliterated by an Arngrim finisher chain. This makes dungeon crawling a chore, because the designs are generally terrible to begin with, and the combat isn't exciting enough to keep me engaged. Also I just read a guide and apparently I'm out of the running for the A ending because I've been too helpful in sending souls to Valhalla, and it's all because of a single stat that's tucked away in the third page of Lenneth's character sheet. A stat which, IIRC, is never mentioned in-game. God, I hate cryptic bullshit like that. I actually like the game, but finding out about the A ending has really sapped my desire to finish it. 
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 04:50
|
|
|
It's hinted at in the endgame and in the C ending but nothing near conclusive enough for you to really stumble upon the fact that your starting accessory is literally holding you back and that you can and should afford to be very stingy with what you send up with like 2 exceptions. You're not supposed to get the A ending on your first run and it probably wouldn't make that much sense if you did.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 05:11
|
|
|
Hey nerds, just picked up FFVII on Steam, having never played it. I played FFX for 20 hours or so a long time ago and that's pretty much my FF experience. Any tips?
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 05:25
|
|
|
Fun Times! posted:Hey nerds, just picked up FFVII on Steam, having never played it. I played FFX for 20 hours or so a long time ago and that's pretty much my FF experience. Any tips? Just play it, it is an incredibly easy game.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 05:29
|
|
|
Fun Times! posted:Hey nerds, just picked up FFVII on Steam, having never played it. I played FFX for 20 hours or so a long time ago and that's pretty much my FF experience. Any tips? Once you get Cait Sith and the first two E.Skill materias, look up a guide on how to get Big Guard and White Wind.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 05:38
|
|
|
I'm going to start VP Lenneth soon, but don't want to throw my PSP against a wall because of some impossible to know bullshit. Are there one or two pointers to avoid this forced to lovely ending route? I don't need a full 'What Should I Know Before I Play...' so much as a 'What Do I Need To Know To Not Hate Its Design Decisions And Regret Playing It'...
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 08:21
|
|
|
There's no lovely design decision here. You're expected to play 2.01 times to get the full experience. You're going to want a guide for your actual hard mode A ending run but going for B on a different setting then looking up C on youtube afterwards really isn't a huge deal or a big waste of time.
dis astranagant fucked around with this message at 08:26 on Aug 15, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 08:24
|
|
|
Just read up on the A ending on gamefaqs. The B ending is lovely and unsatisfactory, and while I love the game enough to have played it half a dozen times, you might not want to play through it twice. e: and play on hard mode. Not only is there more content, that content makes the game easier than putting new recruits at level one makes the game hard. cheetah7071 fucked around with this message at 08:30 on Aug 15, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 08:25
|
|
|
cheetah7071 posted:Just read up on the A ending on gamefaqs. The B ending is lovely and unsatisfactory, and while I love the game enough to ave played it half a dozen times, you might not want to play through it twice. Being at level 1 actually makes the game easier because you can slap Emerald Necklaces and stuff on them even. It's just flat-out better in every way.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 08:28
|
|
|
I think any game that requires a guide for completion contains bad design decisions.  Thanks for the tips, though - I will play on hard and see how I go. If there is any possibility of multiple routes through the game (ala PS:T, Fallout etc where you can complete tasks in multiple ways with different main characters) then I might play it twice - but I don't think this is really a thing in JRPGs. If it's too much of an on-rails RPG then I wouldn't make two play throughs probably ever.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 08:31
|
|
|
BadAstronaut posted:I think any game that requires a guide for completion contains bad design decisions. The guide really is not necessary for completion and it is drastically overstated how much it is needed. Every character in the game has a Hero Value in their status menu except Lenneth who has a Seal Value. Hero Value starts low and you want it to go up. Seal Value starts high and you want it to go low. Doing anything Odin likes makes it go up. Doing anything focused around humanity/outside of your mission (recruiting Einherjar, viewing side events, ect) makes it go down. This is different from your Evaluation Rating which you want to keep high. All you need to do to get the A rating is having your Seal Rating below a certain point, and to send a certain character up to Valhalla. The character you have to send up is super-obvious and is also basically custom-made to be sent up in one of the chapters for the highest possible score. The guide telling you how to do it is basically explaining the easiest way to go about it while also maintaining a high Evaluation. If you just want to get the A ending it's ridiculously easy to tank your Seal score. ImpAtom fucked around with this message at 08:41 on Aug 15, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 08:34
|
|
|
I wouldn't say it requires one but there's a couple things that basically require you to have paid close attention to the attract mode movie and some other little hints dropped. You also can't get the A ending on anything but hard mode and I want to say one of the dungeons for it is one time only. If you're really dense about some of the hints the game makes around chapter 4 or chapter 5 you might waste too much time trying to figure out just where you need to be to get things moving on the right track. I may be conflating getting the A ending with getting the A ending and also doing all the things you need to fully unlock the Seraphic Gate.
dis astranagant fucked around with this message at 08:43 on Aug 15, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 08:36
|
|
|
dis astranagant posted:I wouldn't say it requires one but there's a couple things that basically require you to have paid close attention to the attract mode movie and some other little hints dropped. You also can't get the A ending on anything but hard mode and I want to say one of the dungeons for it is one time only. If you're really dense about some of the hints the game makes around chapter 4 or chapter 5 you might waste too much time trying to figure out just where you need to be to get things moving on the right track. I may be conflating getting the A ending with getting the A ending and also doing all the things you need to fully unlock the Seraphic Gate. Neither is all that complex. The requirements for the A ending are as follows: Recruit Mystina (impossible to miss, she shows up in Spiritual Concentration) Fight Lezard (Impossible to miss, he shows up as part of a Spiritual Concentration. You can miss the event if you leave his dungeon after it shows up and do another dungeon. but that is about it.) Meet Brahms in his castle. (Giant glowing red dungeon marker on the map. Does not show up in Spiritual Concentration but is very obvious anyway.) Recruit Lucian (again, Spiritual Concentration) Send Lucian to Valhalla before Chapter 7. (He's basically custom-made to be sent up in an earlier chapter.) Get your Seal Rating below 38. Of those, the only two you can reasonably miss are sending Lucian to Valhalla and tanking your Seal Rating. Of those two the only one that requires any forethought is the Seal Rating, and that is only because sending up an Einherjar is a +12 to your Seal because almost every other event in the game lowers your Seal Rating. The only other way to raise it is to wearing the Nibelung Ring during the between-chapter section which is a +2. If you're coming close to going over 38, just don't send anyone to Valhalla and take the Evaluation hit. That probably looks complex written out like that but it's easy to summarize: Do every dungeon and every character recruit you can, send Lucian to Valhalla before Chapter 7, get your Seal Rating down to below 38. There are several side events you can see which lower your Seal Rating by a huge amount and they are the key to getting a good Evaluation AND the A ending. They are: Visit The Weeping Lily Meadow Visit Gerabellum anytime between Chapter 2 and Chapter 5 (before recruiting Lucian.) That gets you an extra -30 Seal to work with which you wouldn't have otherwise. It only works once each however. To unlock the areas in the Seraphic Gate: Many dungeons in the game have a Flame Jewel item. Each Flame Jewel you find allows you to unlock an extra thing in the Seraphic Gate. Just explore the dungeons fully. If you're not sure, wear the Treasure Search item which glows if there is a treasure you haven't found in the room. ImpAtom fucked around with this message at 09:03 on Aug 15, 2013 |
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 08:55
|
|
|
Yeah, and you rarely get anything that impressive for evaluation anyway, just need to keep it from getting so low that you get ending C.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 08:58
|
|
|
Typical Pubbie posted:I actually like the game, but finding out about the A ending has really sapped my desire to finish it. It's worth noting that if you're not playing on hard, you're literally only seeing about half the game, and not just in terms of plot. The hardmode dungeons are full of neat tricks and platforming and some pretty fun bosses.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 09:01
|
|
|
Not to mention that a couple of bosses that can be criminally unfun on normal and easy are pretty cool on hard.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 09:02
|
|
|
I don't actually remember what anything in the game is like on Normal. Hard is basically the only way to play it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 09:05
|
|
|
01011001 posted:My impression was that it was pretty decent, when it's not engaging in hilariously awful tar-pit timewaster events. BoF 3 was basically my Dragon Quest 8 for the longest time. For me it was a nice JRPG that, while it has pacing issues, is just a nice journey with some fun characters. Watching Ryu grow through his battles as a kid made me smile. That and I liked the fairy village. And the Dragon mechanic was great and some of that poo poo was freaky. Also Garr.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 09:08
|
|
|
ImpAtom posted:I don't actually remember what anything in the game is like on Normal. Hard is basically the only way to play it. I did an easy run once and aside from skipping most of the dungeons and having some lovely recruits you can only get there not much different except Barbarossa and Bloodbane are loving nightmares to kill with your wimp weapons (none of the higher alchemy tiers are available) lack of some of the more abusable skills.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 09:14
|
|
|
dis astranagant posted:I did an easy run once and aside from skipping most of the dungeons and having some lovely recruits you can only get there not much different except Barbarossa and Bloodbane are loving nightmares to kill with your wimp weapons (none of the higher alchemy tiers are available) lack of some of the more abusable skills. It's impossible to fight bloodbane in easy mode, since the A ending isn't available. Bloodbane isn't too bad even in normal mode, just load up on guts, angel curios, stun checks, and clock him with sap guard + might reinforce + spell reinforce. e: this actually works on any boss late enough in the game for you to have those tools.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 09:18
|
|
|
Coulda sworn you fought him on both endings. The Barbarossa point still stands, you just don't have the damage output to not eat millions of his great magic and apparently the US version makes him cast it more often.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 09:20
|
|
|
Romancing Saga: Minstrel Song Has anyone gotten a Khellendros polearm from the Silver Dragon in the Silver Cave?
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 14:00
|
|
|
Fun Times! posted:Hey nerds, just picked up FFVII on Steam, having never played it. I played FFX for 20 hours or so a long time ago and that's pretty much my FF experience. Any tips? You should spend some time grinding up Aeris once you get her. Having her limit breaks all unlocked early really makes the game a lot more fun.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 16:32
|
|
|
Joshlemagne posted:You should spend some time grinding up Aeris once you get her. Having her limit breaks all unlocked early really makes the game a lot more fun. You're a horrible person and I laughed anyway. More seriously: There is absolutely no need to do that, though her Limit Breaks are really good. But the most important one is Fury Brand, and that's a level 2 one.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 17:29
|
|
|
re: Valkyrie Profile. You can fight Bloodbane in Ending B but he's tucked away in some corner and isn't required to fight to advance. The other Ending A boss -- Fenrir -- is exclusive to A.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 17:45
|
|
|
I guess I'll see when I get to him again, but I remember Bloodbane being a massive dick. My party was pretty well equipped, but he just loved to spam some attack that OHKO'd all party members (thank god for Guts absurdly high activation rate). I don't think even the final boss gave me as many heartaches as Bloodbane did. I also remember that he sounded a lot like Dr. Claw for some reason.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 18:21
|
|
|
Kild posted:Romancing Saga: Minstrel Song
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 18:39
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 3, 2024 10:16 |
|
|
Prism posted:You're a horrible person and I laughed anyway.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2013 18:51
|
|
