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Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.

W.T. Fits posted:

Gilbert, Troubador, Portrait 1

A young wandering minstrel, Gilbert's always got a kind word of encouragement and a positive outlook, no matter how dire or bleak things may seem. A newcomer to his current profession (having been kicked out of his house after his mom got sick of him lazing about all day with no job), he still hasn't quite gotten the hang of this whole "playing music and singing" thing yet. Still, what he lacks in formal training, he makes up for with enthusiasm and determination. (These qualities don't actually help make up for his lack of musical training; his companions only tend to fight harder when he starts playing because the sooner they end the battle, the sooner he'll stop).

Sorry, by the time I saw this post, the update was almost done with, and it was already getting way too heavy with the party introductions. I'll introduce him later.

Yeah we still need a beast, though the comedy option is taking one of these and slapping it onto them. Might as well clarify what a Beast actually does. They're actually an alternative to the Protector. Unlike the Protector they have access to a bunch of damage skills, so they're decent supporting attackers. Now the thing with Beasts is that the more they're trained, the more loyal they get. To the point where they will actively throw themselves in harm's way (75% of the time) and take a hit that was coming for someone else. Unfortunately, Beasts aren't really a good class, and they have a bug that makes them even weaker, so a Protector still outclasses them.



Update's below this post. I'm sorry for all the party text, there will be far less of it in future updates, and actual gameplay for that matter.

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Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.
Tour of the Town

PC-88 Version



: Yep. That old name holds too many bad memories for me.

: Then do your best to achieve renown here in High Lagaard under your new name. Now... the time has come to induct some explorers. There is nothing preventing you from registering yourself as a guild member, of course. But there is one rule you should know... Guilds in Lagaard are not allowed to exceed 30 members.

That's a jump up from EO1's 16 member limit, and we're in no danger of running into it.

: Right, already got that covered. Some of them are here right now. Alright, my name's Fedot, I'm the leader of this Guild. There were others that signed up, but they already met up with me and told me that they were unavailable for the time being. Let's make sure not to get killed out there. Alright you, sword boy. Name?

: I'm, uh, Ken. And I'm a Ronin.

: Ronin, people that are really good at using their swords to cut up their enemies. Tell me, how are you gonna cut up the wildlife with that plastic sword of yours?

: I uh...

: Aren't Ronin quiet most of the time? I don't think you're gonna get much out of him. Name's Nick, Dark Hunter.

: Ah yes, I'm familiar with those folk. You work with whips or swords?

: Whips. I like to see my prey helpless as they squirm on the ground. All tied up and DON'T POINT THAT THING AT ME!

: Wha? First of all, it's not even pointed at you. Second of all, it's not even loaded, or even working. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Moving on. Oh, it says here you're a former member of the Royal Guard. Finally someone competent.

: Yes. Frederik, at your service. I know a bit of the healing arts. I hope our journey together will be a daunting one. Er, fruitful one.

: Pleased to make your acquaintance. Now, let's- okay, who let the 12 year old in here?

: Uh, I'm Aliara. The Hexer. It says right there I'm gonna help make everything in the Labyrinth suffer?

: Oh. Yeah. Says it right here. They really don't have an age restriction for this? Okay, we're gonna meet up with the other guild members, then head out to the forest.



Sorry about the excessive dialogue, just getting that out of the way. Well be seeing some actual gameplay eventually. Formation here helps set up our party. You can also rename your Guild members here for a hefty price. This will be our main party formation for a while, and I'll move Frederik into the front row eventually. Right now he's too squishy to handle taking a majority of the attacks.

: Hm... Your forms seem to be in order. Congratulations, you're now a registered guild. I recommend the Flaus Inn as a base of operations. You can rest or store things there. But your first stop should be the Duke's Palace. That's all I have to say. Farewell.

PC-88 Verison



Now that we have an actual party, we can visit the various places in town.

: Who's that hobo over there?

: Oh, him. Bellamy claims to come from some place called “Hungry” and claims that's he's royalty.

: It's HUNGARY, and I will have you know that I AM royalty! My title is NOT Bellamy, it's Bosconovich III The Excellent, which was bequeathed to me by-

: May I ask why you are eating a hedgehog right in front of us?

: Mmph. I will have you know, that hedgehogs are considered a royal delicacy in-

: I've heard enough. Come on, we're heading to the bar. In the meantime, why don't you actually make yourself useful and practice that alchemy stuff of yours while you're out in the streets, “Mr. Royalty?”

PC-88 Version





: I don't know if I would say saved, but yeah, that's us.

: What've yeh decided to call yerselves here? Not that I really care, but... Yeh should go see the Minister at the Duke's Palace first. He'll lay out the rules for yeh.

: Ah, that's lame.

: No back-talk! Just do as I say!

: Yes sir!



This is Cass. He likes to ramble a lot, and his bar is a place where our party can take on some sidequests, but we can't do that at this point. We'll be coming here a lot.

: I can't give yeh any work if the Grand Duchy hasn't recognized yeh as adventurers. Come back later.

So yeah, you can accept quests here, which can give you all sorts of rewards such as various items and equipment. The quests suck in this game. They are horribly designed, and the rewards also suck most of the time. There are some quest lines that lead to some bonus bosses and rewards, but when doing a quest, you're essentially jumping through hoops to get an item. It's not until EO3 where quests gave out exp and were actually worth doing. They were also designed to be far less of a pain to complete.

: What? Aren't yeh done with yer first mission yet?

: Ye-

: Don't lie to me! I see through yeh! They'll let me know once yeh're done. So get to it already, and come back then!

Something that EO2 changed that was kept in future titles, is that NPC dialogue changes every time your party reaches a new floor. In EO1, it only changed after reaching a new stratum. I'll be showing all of it off.

: Oh! Fedot! Is this the rest of your Guild?

: That would be them. How are your preparations coming along? This is Pauline. She'll be leading the rest of the guild on foraging missions.

: It'll be a while before I'm ready, but that gives me some more time to listen to people's tales of the Labyrinth. You wouldn't believe some of the crazy stuff I've heard.

: Like how people suffer when they die?

: I never listened to those. They all end in the same way.

: Well we need to stock up on supplies. We're heading to the store now.

PC-88 Version





: Huh...? Oh! You must be... You're from Odyssey, right? Did you change your name?

: That would be us. The Guild name's Firefly now. Try not to mention the old name around me.

: Well I'm still a big fan! Oh, let me explain how this store works. Welll... first of all, my father owns the shop. Him and his staff make equipment in the back, and I sell it to you explorers. I'm just an assistant, but I'm always here! Don't forget! You can sell items obtained in the Labyrinth and buy the goods created from them. When buying items, you can press the Y Button to jump to the next type of item. When selling items, you can use the Y Button to sell multiples of the same item. You may switch between party members on the bottom screen with the L or R Buttons.



A very nice addition to the series is that the bottom screen can be used to check up on what your party members are equipped with, and you can change your equipment around in the shop instead of going into the menu to do it. Very handy. Let's buy some supplies and equipment now.



This is all that's in the items section for now. In the first game, all recovery items were sold at the hospital instead. They made things less redundant by combining that store with the equipment shop. You'll probably want to buy at least 5 Medicas, especially if you're playing on a password game. That part isn't necessary if you are playing on a non password game though.



This is what's available in the weapons selection for now. I pick up a Plain Whip for Nick, and a Fire Gun for Fedot. Every class comes equipped with a Dagger and Tweed, which sell for 10 Ental each. So in case you accidentally screw yourself over, a small way to make money is to create guild members, and strip them of their equipment so you can sell them to buy some supplies, then dismiss the guild member and repeat until satisfied.



If the class on the bottom screen can't equip what you're about to buy, you'll get this warning. If they can, you'll be asked if they want to equip it in the shop, and which slot to equip it on if it's an accessory or a piece of armor. If you have a Ronin in your party, don't bother buying a Katana just yet. I do have Ken equip the Town Crown for the time being since he's pretty squishy at this point in the game, and will be one of our main damage dealers in the future.



Nothing much in the way of armor, but I buy everyone some Leaf Boots.

: Oh, you must be about to enter the Labyrinth, huh? Just wait until you see it! I've only been to the entrance, but I was still amazed! The lush greenery... Those beautiful flowers... Oh, but be careful! There are also a lot of dangerous monsters in the forest! You could be eaten! You look strong, so I'm sure you can handle them, but be careful anyway!

: Well thanks for the concern, we'll do our best to survive.

: Stocking up too? So this is your Guild. My name's Emilia. I'm still getting my own supplies, so I can't join you guys. Not that I would want to travel with those two anyway.

: Hey! You looking for a fight?

: I think you would look better with burning warts all over your face, does that sound good?

: Case in point...

: Okay break it up you three. Thank you for your help little girl. We are leaving NOW.

PC-88 Verison





: Know something interesting? It seems Odyssey, the ones who saved Etria, are here...

: That would be us.

: Wait... that was you!? Wow... Haha, my apologies! You're a hot topic of conversation around Lagaard lately. This is Lagaard Hospital, where most explorers end up sooner or later. In addition to treating wounds, we provide medicine and other supplies to Sitoth Trading. If you should be injured in your journey, don't hesitate to see us.



In EO1, the hospital was a place where you could revive dead party members and buy some restorative items. The shop handles the latter now, but the former is still available here. The hospital can also cure petrification. The fee for revival is 5x the character's level, and if the party member is petrified, it's 2.5x the character's level. Also Dr. Stiles continues the trend of Trauma Center cameos in the EO games.

: Can I help you? If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. The Labyrinth...? Have you even entered it yet?

: We're about to.

: Well if you're looking for tips, I recommend taking at least one healer with you.

Already got that covered with our War Magus. Either that or a Medic will suffice, having no healer will make your Labyrinth trips a lot rougher.

: Coming through! Oh, it's you Fedot. Sorry I can't come, there's been a lot of newbies getting themselves hurt lately.

: It's fine, as long as we don't end up like one of them.

: No no, feel free to come here if you have to! I love patching up the injured! Hey, any of you have any cuts or anything? I'm Maverick, I'd be happy to help fix you guys up. Just make sure to be prepared at all times. Fill up that bag with Medicas if you have to.

: Well he's certainly enthusiastic about his job.

PC-88 Verison





: We're from the Odyssey Guild. You know, the people who “saved” Etria?

: Huh? You're from Odyssey? You saved the town of Etria? Hmmm... Ohhh, yes, of course! Even I've heard of you! But I don't know much beyond your name... Well, I'm sure you're no different than my other guests! Bahahaha! Lagaard has lots of inns, but my place is the best! You'll fit right in. Try to get along with the other guilds!

I really don't know why the NPCs keep insisting your EO1 guild saved Etria. Your guild does nothing of the sort in EO1. If anything, they did the exact opposite.



At the inn, you can sleep and nap, which heals all your HP and TP. You can sleep at any time, but you can only nap in the mornings and afternoons. Sleeping sets the clock to 5 AM, while napping sets it to 6 PM. The fee for resting is 5x the level of the highest party member in the group. New to this game is item storage, you can pay a fee to store up to 99 items with the innkeeper. You can reclaim the items for free though. This is also where you can save your game. And I'll show off what saving's like just this once.



PC-88 Version



: Huh? What's wrong? Aren't you going into the Labyrinth today?

: Don't feel like it at the moment.

: Hmph! Lazy children... Are you sure you can handle the Labyrinth? I wouldn't want guests of mine to be eaten by monsters, so don't let it happen!

: What's all the racket? Oh, it's you.

: This here's our Protector. Unfortunately, he won't be joining us for the time being. I... don't know why really. He never really told me the reason.

: Good day sirs, my name is Aegis. I would love to join in on whatever you are doing, but my schedule is quite busy at the moment.

: Aw you sure about that? You're missing out on a chance to dominate the monsters in the Labyrinth, and make them squeal as you cuff em and gag em!

: … My schedule just got even busier, and I won't be able to join in on whatever you all have planned for who knows how long. GOOD DAY SIRS.

: Nick, how about you keep that mouth of yours SHUT when we go to the Duke's Palace.

: What did I do wrong?

The Duke's Palace is our next and last stop for this update.

PC-88 Version





: I believe I recognize you... You were once known as Odyssey, weren't you? Yes... you carry a different aura than other explorers. You were in Etria, yes? Oh, but I have not introduced myself. I am Minister Dubois, the Duke's faithful servant. My duties range from managing the citizens to overseeing exploration of the Labyrinth. Before you begin exploring, you must become an official citizen of Lagaard. You must pass a test of our devising in order to register as a citizen.



: Well that's what we came here for.

: Yes, that's the spirit! Our only goal is to make you stronger. You see, it is the Duke who wishes that the Labyrinth be explored. Our ultimate goal is to find the legendary floating castle. Perhaps it's only a myth... But chasing a myth should be the very fabric of life for an explorer, shouldn't it? If you find the floating castle, you will be greatly rewarded... Possibly even ennobled. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, you must accomplish this mission and prove yourself. At the Grand Duchy, you can undertake tasks called Missions. By accepting and completing these missions, you will receive various rewards. To take a mission, select “Accept missions” and read the description beneath.



The Duke's Palace is where you can accept and report missions to progress with the plot. Like I mentioned with the quests, missions do not give out exp in this game either, but they do have pretty big rewards. Interestingly enough, we actually have a goal, a reason to explore the Labyrinth other than, it's there, this time around. Which was pretty much the premise of the first game.



And this is where you can report your discoveries. The Gear Registry is a new list that was added to this game. It keeps track of equipped that our Guild has unlocked in the shop. (This means they don't have to buy it in order to get it in the registry.) In order to 100% complete the game, you need to fill out all 3 lists completely. Now the first two lists are not too painful to fill out, but the Gear Registry can bring that to a grinding halt. Mainly because you have to hunt down a ton of random drops to fill it out, as opposed to the Item Compendium where you only need to get one of the item, and that's it. Thankfully it never reappeared in the 3rd game and beyond, and I hope it doesn't show back up in the remake.

: Mm? Can I help you?

: How long do we have to complete this mission?

: Ah... No, there are no deadlines to the missions we offer. Go at your own pace, and don't push yourselves too hard. Should you accept the mission, I will inform the guards about you in advance. Our doors are always open. Visit here anytime you like.

Well let's accept the mission.







All the Etrian Odyssey games, aside from 4, start out with a map making mission. EO4 technically has one, but it's more of a sidequest, and there's no reward for that. The guards ask you to fill an area on the map, and they want it to be accurate. EO2 has a little twist to its map making mission though.

: You have undertaken a mission to create a basic map of the Labyrinth's first floor. It is essential that you master mapmaking skills before going too far into the Labyrinth. Go forth to the 1st floor and speak to the guard on duty for more details. When you have proven your worth in this challenge, report back to me... I will confirm you as citizens of the Grand Duchy and approve your travel through the forest. Take this parchment. It is blank now... but someday you will fill it with the forest's secrets.





: If you are not properly prepared for exploring, your journey will be all the more difficult.

And with that, we get our own map! Part of it is filled out for us already, but we'll have to fill in the rest ourselves.

: Let's get back to the inn to prepare for our mission. If there's anything you want done, do it now.



This is the menu. Items lets you access your stuff. You can carry up to 60 items in every EO game. Unfortunately, there's one problem with this.



EO1 and 2 didn't have a key item system. It wasn't too big of a problem in EO1, but in EO2 you get your hands on a lot more key items, especially if you tackle a certain quest chain, reducing your inventory to around 50 items. Adding onto the fact you had to bring in basic supplies, this meant that you barely had room for all the Labyrinth treasures and monster drops. You were essentially punished for progressing through the game.



When leveling up your skills, some of them can be used out in the field. These are mostly healing skills, but there are others that have different uses.





Status let's you check up on your stats and equipment, and what skills you have leveled up. Equip lets you change equipment around as I already showed off in the shop. As for what each of the stats do, Strength increases the power of physical attacks. Technique increases the power of elemental spells, their accuracy, and your character's resistance to elemental spells. Agility increases speed, evasion, and accuracy for Strength based attacks. Luck influences critical hits, increases the chances of status effects and binds landing on an enemy, and increases evasion. Luck influenced random drops a bit in EO1, but that's no longer the case here.



Custom is where you go to level up your skills. Every class starts off with 3 skill points when they're first created, and gain 1 skill point every time they level up. Generally the rule to keep in mind when leveling up skills in any EO game is to either stick one point in it, go halfway, or max out the skill level. A very nice change made from EO1 is that not all skills require 10 points to max out anymore. Unfortunately that was sadly kept in EOU. Some skills only need 5 or 1 point to master now. I'll start doing some class writeups, but for now, I'll let you know which skills are worth getting as soon as possible.



I want Ken to get this skill, but he won't have it for a long while. He won't need it for the first boss at least, so don't worry about going for it right away. It needs 2 skills maxed out before you can start leveling it up, but it is so worth it since this is where a majority of the Ronin's damage output is gonna be coming from. Dead Law requires 1 point in STR to level up, so I spend my 3 skill points on Overhead, STR up, and Dead Law.



This skill isn't a priority at the moment, but if you have a Dark Hunter, you want this maxed out, or at least close to being maxed out before the end of the 2nd Stratum. For now I have Nick invest all his skill points into whips, which unlocked Viper, Shackles, and Cuffs.



Frederik wants to max out Regenall as soon as possible, but make sure to take at least one point in Cure, which requires 1 point in War Lore. What Regenall does is restore 1-5 HP per turn depending on how many levels are in it. Yes this amount is static, and it falls off after the 1st stratum, but the Medic's equivalent skill, Patch Up, (Which scales far better) heals a percentage of HP after battle, and heals 12% of a character's max HP when maxed out. At this point, 5 HP per turn is much more than that, and the 1st stratum is usually the roughest part in every EO game (except in Untold where the game just never relents) so we need all the help we can get.



I have Fedot invest in Guns, which unlocks the elemental shots, Fireshot, Iceshot, and Voltshot, and I take points in Fireshot and Voltshot. You only need one point in the elemental skills, they're best just for exploiting weaknesses, and the Gunner has a much better damage skill later on. Gunners are gonna be semi supports, and semi attackers in the earlygame.



Aliara has learned the art of running away and has two points in Curses, which unlocked Sapping, Frailty, and Leaden. All powerful debuffs, but not what you want your Hexer to be going for at this point. Two levels in Curses unlocks Poison, which is a really really good skill for a Hexer to take, and is what I'll be aiming to max out first. If you want your Hexer to be more relevant in the earlygame though, go for Torpor, which puts all enemies to sleep. It only needs 5 levels to master and 3 levels in Curses to unlock, so your Hexer can start wrecking havoc by level 6.

Araxxor fucked around with this message at 21:15 on Jun 21, 2015

Aleator
Jun 27, 2011

I am nothing but a blade, waiting for the perfect time to end an ancient warrior's pride.
Well, if we really need a beast...

Aleator posted:

A socially awkward warrior aspiring panda named Bear?

Seyser Koze
Dec 15, 2013

Mucho Mucho
Nap Ghost
You didn't mention the most important reason to do quests in this game: Cass has all the best dialogue.

Kinu Nishimura
Apr 24, 2008

SICK LOOT!
Wait, was there a Trauma Center cameo in EO4? It's the only one I've played and I didn't notice one.

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.
I think one of the playable Medics in that game resembles Gabe? That would be the closest thing. There's definitely not one in Untold since the hospital got merged with the inn in that game.

Seyser Koze posted:

You didn't mention the most important reason to do quests in this game: Cass has all the best dialogue.

I do enjoy his ramblings, but that doesn't stop the quests from being so awful. :(

thefailtrain
Apr 4, 2011

Counterpoint: More pink.

alcharagia posted:

Wait, was there a Trauma Center cameo in EO4? It's the only one I've played and I didn't notice one.

I don't think so, since the clinic was merged with the Inn. Unless the lady with the stew pot that ran that place was a cameo...

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


thefailtrain posted:

I don't think so, since the clinic was merged with the Inn. Unless the lady with the stew pot that ran that place was a cameo...

Do you have a picture of her? Cause if it's Naomi then that is hilarious.

asvodel
Oct 10, 2012

thefailtrain posted:

I don't think so, since the clinic was merged with the Inn. Unless the lady with the stew pot that ran that place was a cameo...

The hospital was merged with the inn in EO3, though EO3 does still have a shopkeeper from the Trauma Center series. It may be a thing which is limited to the games on the original DS though

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.

SSNeoman posted:

Do you have a picture of her? Cause if it's Naomi then that is hilarious.

I don't think she's a cameo. The woman on the right is the innkeeper.

BlackPersona
Oct 21, 2012


Oh, sweet, Etrian Odyssey 2. 100%jesusfree got me into the first one, and theshim into the third one. I skipped over the second one after trying it out a bit. Wasn't my cup of tea. But looking forward to this!

Dr. Fetus posted:

I think one of the playable Medics in that game resembles Gabe?

Pictures for reference, definitely a similarity at least.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
Looking forward to what the twist to this seemingly simple mission is. Do the guards give you an inaccurate map that you have to correct?

Crosspeice
Aug 9, 2013

I think we can just about see it, but they box the stairs with walls. The swines! Do they not know how to draw?! :argh:

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.

BlackPersona posted:

Oh, sweet, Etrian Odyssey 2. 100%jesusfree got me into the first one, and theshim into the third one. I skipped over the second one after trying it out a bit. Wasn't my cup of tea. But looking forward to this!

Yeah, if you didn't feel like playing through 2, I don't blame you. Heck, if anyone I know feels like getting into the series, and doesn't have the time to go through them all, this would be one of the games I would tell them to skip. It's not a bad game, I like it. But you can pretty much skip 2 and not miss much.

Crosspeice posted:

I think we can just about see it, but they box the stairs with walls. The swines! Do they not know how to draw?! :argh:

Well this is how the map is drawn when it's given to you.



And do you mean drawing walls around the stairs? Because excuse me, that's how I draw my maps. :colbert:

Update's coming eventually, just trying to figure out why Youtube gets stuck at 95% on processing, and then fails to upload a minute long video. Nothing too big, just trying to show off some gameplay, but it's an issue I would like to get around by the time the first boss comes around.

Araxxor fucked around with this message at 00:27 on Sep 9, 2014

tithin
Nov 14, 2003


[Grandmaster Tactician]



Dr. Fetus posted:

And do you mean drawing walls around the stairs? Because excuse me, that's how I draw my maps. :colbert:

the correct opinion

Bamboomancer
Oct 9, 2007
A druid of an "Asian" persuasion

Captain Toad posted:

the correct opinion

Agreed. It always looked weird to me without walls around the stairs. Walls are the limits of movement and you can move onto the stairs (within the context of the game world).

Crosspeice
Aug 9, 2013

Ah now I remember how they draw the maps and it's EVEN WORSE AHHHHH. I guess it makes sense, but it looks awful and I need my maps to look good, definitely won't be judging yours.

everything must look perrrrfect

Three Cookies
Apr 9, 2010

Doctor Magus was a better name for the class.

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.

gaping gape gaper posted:

Doctor Magus was a better name for the class.

Yeah, War Magus wasn't really a good name for the class. From the name, I thought they were a version of elemental attackers or something. I think Witch Doctor would have been a far better name for them. Keeps the letter W for the first part of the name, and gets across the point they're supporters.

Update's coming later today, I just ran into a bit of a snag. :suicide:

I didn't know this event existed. That was a nasty surprise.

EDIT: Tomorrow, I underestimated how long this would take.

Araxxor fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Sep 12, 2014

W.T. Fits
Apr 21, 2010

Ready to Poyozo Dance all over your face.

Dr. Fetus posted:

Yeah, War Magus wasn't really a good name for the class. From the name, I thought they were a version of elemental attackers or something. I think Witch Doctor would have been a far better name for them. Keeps the letter W for the first part of the name, and gets across the point they're supporters.

Update's coming later today, I just ran into a bit of a snag. :suicide:

I didn't know this event existed. That was a nasty surprise.

EtrianOdyssey.png

Kemix
Dec 1, 2013

Because change

Dr. Fetus posted:

Yeah, War Magus wasn't really a good name for the class. From the name, I thought they were a version of elemental attackers or something. I think Witch Doctor would have been a far better name for them. Keeps the letter W for the first part of the name, and gets across the point they're supporters.

Update's coming later today, I just ran into a bit of a snag. :suicide:

I didn't know this event existed. That was a nasty surprise.

EDIT: Tomorrow, I underestimated how long this would take.

FOE! FOE! FOE! F! U! C! K! Y! O! U!

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.
The First Mission

Alright, let's head into the forest.





Hmm, what's this?



Ah, we can't use this right now, but we'll have access to it soon enough.

: Everybody ready?

: Yes.



: Good, let's head in.

PC-88 Version





Welcome to the Yggdrassil Labyrinth, this is where we'll be spending most of our time in the game.



On the bottom screen here, we have our map. We can zoom in to edit- wait a minute. No no no, this won't do at all.



Much better. We can edit our map here. Not much of it is filled in right now, but that will change. That green circle with an arrow in it is our party. We can move forward and back, and turn left and right. A new feature that was added to this game is :siren:sidestepping.:siren: EO1 didn't have that, so if you wanted to move to the left and right, you had to turn and walk, which really made navigating twisty paths annoying. But for some reason, Atlus decided that sidestepping also needed a downside, which we'll be seeing on the second floor.



The sight overwhelms all who see it for the first time... The Yggdrasil Labyrinth. This forest maze exists within Yggdrasil, the tree that looms over the town of Lagaard.

: Whoa, so this is the place we're exploring?

: It's really pretty.

As you marvel at its beauty, a guard appears before you.



The guard is standing in a manner that seems meant to block your passage.

: I'm in the Grand Duchy's guard corps. We help explorers like yourself on missions.

The guard takes a hard look at you before speaking again.

: I'll get right to the point. Shall we begin your first trial to become an official citizen?

: Yes. What are we supposed to be doing?

: It's a simple task. I'll lead you to a certain area of the Labyrinth. All you have to do then... Is find your way back here.

The guard turns and takes a few steps before beckoning you to follow.

: Come. Your adventures in the Yggdrasil Labyrinth are about to begin.

So if you came straight from 1 or any of the other games, you're thrown for a bit of a loop here. Instead of just wandering around a portion of the first floor so you can fill in the map, you actually have an objective to fill in addition to making a map. I thought this was a neat way to justify the map making portion of the mission. We don't want to get lost while making our way back after all.





After so many turns that you can no longer remember where you are, the guard stops.

: That should do it. This will be the starting point of your mission.

: Uh, you sure we can we can do this?

The guard scans your anxious faces and softens in an attempt to encourage you.

: It's not so bad. Just draw a map and you'll find your way back to town with no trouble.

The guard points to the brand-new parchment clutched tightly in your fists.

: Why don't I give you a quick lesson on how to orient yourselves?

In this game, you must draw your own map on the lower screen using the stylus. Take care to recreate each square exactly as it is in the dungeon on your map.









: Enough chitchat, then. I'll be waiting for you at the entrance to Lagaard. I look forward to seeing you return safely, map in hand.

: Wait, shouldn't we get some supplies so we can get back safely?

: I would give you some if you were novices... but you're veterans aren't you? I'm sure you'll be fine.

: But, but-

And with these words, the guard leaves you alone in the forest.



Any dialogue in italics next to an NPC portrait is my writing for the record. I'll try not to do too much of that. If you were wondering about that, yes, normally the guard is supposed to give us five Medicas so he doesn't just ditch us in the middle of the woods and tells us to have fun. But because we're playing a password game, we don't get those. Which is why I said to stock up on those back at the store. This is basically Atlus telling you just because you used a password, doesn't mean you're getting a free ride. While a password game does give us some benefits, it does have its disadvantages. The Town Crown if still worth it for the record. The Town Medal, not so much.

: So, “Mr. Veteran”. You'll crush all the monsters for us, right?

: About that... I used bows back in my old guild, not guns. I'm still learning how to use this thing.

: Oh god we're gonna die in here.

: Now now, I'm sure we can make it back. We did gather some supplies before we came in here. It doesn't seem like we're too far from the entrance according to the map.

Right, so the plan.



Just make it back to that spot. We really don't have to travel too far to get there.



As you have some skill at adventuring, 3 Skill Points should be available to you. To spend them on skills useful in the Labyinth, open the Main Menu with the Y Button. Select Custom to allocate skill points, but think carefully before doing so. You may already be aware of this, in which case this advice is happily unnecessary. If so, then hesitate no longer to begin your adventure in this lush, green forest!

Way ahead of the game on that front. Now that the tutorial stuff is out of the way, let's get started with our exploration.



Over to the left is this spot. There's a bunch of these all over the Labyrinth. Typically these spots are events, which can either do something good for your party, or something bad. You don't know until you've examined them.



But they seem to be weakened from the harsh sun, and have not emerged from their buds. You sigh, sure that they would have been beautiful blossoms, and continue on your journey.

: Aw, I wanted to see if I could make them wilt.

Now this seems like nothing more than flavor text. In the daytime it's just that. But something this game makes use of that EO1 didn't utilize all that much was the day and night cycle. In EO1, aside from a few quests, day and night didn't affect your exploration all that much. It didn't matter what time you explored the dungeon, barely anything changed. Later games decided to change that, 2 especially. Unfortunately Atlus loved making the time of day affect your dungeon crawling experience so much, that you can't progress if you decided to explore the Labyrinth at the wrong time. Thankfully later games didn't do anything like that. What this event does at night...

Last night

: I'm looking forward to seeing you with a nice map of this area, hmm?



: Oh, yes... I almost forgot. Something for novice explorers, just in case.

The guard rummages through his pack and doles out a supply of medication to the party.



This is what's supposed to happen if you're playing a non password game. You get 5 of these to start out.

: The forest can be more dangerous than it looks. Always be on your guard while inside it.

The guard's cheery warning echoes ominously alongside the clanging of his armor as he leaves...



Their vibrant color stands out against the forest green, as if luring you to them. You wonder what the harm could be in bending over to take a closer look. You are torn between examining the flowers and proceeding with your journey...

: What beautiful flowers! I must know what they smell like!



You lean in close to the flowers, noting carefully their structure and color. Suddenly, the blossoms begin to twitch, as if reacting to your presence! At so close a distance, you receive a faceful of pollen. You back away quickly...

: Oh no... aaaaAAACHOOO!

However, Gilbert inhaled the pollen and begins to sneeze uncontrollably!



After some time, Gilbert's sneezing fit finally stops. You take this as a warning not to be so careless as you progress through the forest.

Yeah, even flowers are deadly in the Labyrinth. That's Atlus for you. Some events have negative effects like that. In the first game, they were on the first two floors, and rarely popped up after that. The second game onwards has these little events all over the Labyrinth. Be careful when you run into these, make sure your party is in good enough condition to handle any bad things that may happen. Thankfully events that cause you to lose HP directly can't kill your party members. This event teaches you that the Labyrinth is more dangerous at certain times of day. Although to even see this event, you would have to take a nap at the inn, which you have no reason to do at this point.

: Perhaps exploring by myself wasn't a good idea. Hmm, what should I do now?

And now back to our regularly scheduled Let's Play





Right over in this little alcove is this chest.

: Why is that box floating and spinning around?

: Who cares. Let's just see what's inside.

: But-

: It's the Labyrinth. There's lots of strange things in this place. Try not to think about them too much.

: Oh fine.







Ah a Nectar. Nectars can revive someone who dies in battle, but they come back at really low HP. It's a bit risky to use these right in the middle of battle.



You might have noticed that little circle in the corner there, and that it's red now. It was blue before. That thing lets us know how close we are in getting into a random battle. When it's red, it just takes a few more steps to get into a fight, so make sure to prepare a bit before that happens. Now it's a nice feature, but if you're wondering why you have something like that, don't worry too much about it. It's real purpose will be revealed later.

PC-88 Version





So this a battle. You have a set of options, most of them pretty self explanatory. New to this game is Switch. You can select that to make that character switch the front row and back row around on the first turn. You shouldn't need to use this too much. The Boost action from the first game is gone, and is replaced by Force Skills. In the first game, boost could be used to make a skill more powerful. It barely increased the power of offensive skills, but it had a huge effect on buffs and debuffs. Force skills on the other hand, are powerful class exclusive skills that can really turn the battle in your favor. When the force meter fills up, your character can unleash a Force Skill for no cost at all, other than all the force that was built up. Let's see what we're up against.


Hedgehog
HP: 45
AT: 7
DF: 7
Exp: 79
Skills: Needle
Item Drops:
-Common: Rat Needle - 1 needed for Falcatta (Sword.) 2 needed for Green Leaf. 15 needed for Warabide. (Katana.)
--A Hedgehog's prickly fur.
-Rare: N/A
-Conditional: Long Pin - Kill on the first turn. 7 needed for Hindi (Bow.) 3 needed for the quest The leathersmith's request.
--Long, flexible, and prickly fur.
Description: A small forest rodent whose body is covered in needles, with which it pierces the unwary.
Weakness: Physical attacks (150%)
Resistance: N/A

The Hedgehog is one of the weakest monsters you'll run into in the Labyrinth. But at this point, they can hit your party pretty hard. Needle is a slightly more hard hitting attack than their regular attack. If you're reckless they can take you down easily, but aren't really anything remarkable.



The highlighted box shows who is attacking.

: Anyone want Hedgehog for dinner?

: I'll have two if you don't mind.



Occasionally your party members may miss. This also applies to the enemy.

: :ughh:

: Uhh, maybe I should work on my aim.





: How do you like that?



: I'M SORRY!

Hedgehogs and other enemies tend to hit really hard at this point in the game. Every Etrian Odyssey game aside from Untold has a brutal earlygame. Try not to be too reckless when fighting, that will get your party members killed. Eventually...



PC-88 Version



After a battle we get some exp, and some enemy drops if we're lucky enough. Enemy drops can be sold to the store to unlock new items and pieces of equipment. We weren't able to get the conditional drop, but we'll have plenty of chances to get that. Each monster can drop up to three items and the drop rates of these items can vary. Conditional drops are special drops you can only get if you kill the enemy in a certain way. In this case, it was kill on the first turn. A nice change made from EO1 to 2, is that getting the conditional drop no longer locks you out of any of the other two drops. Some monsters are weird and don't actually have a conditional drop, but have two rare drops.

PC-88 Version





Whenever we discover new monsters and items, the game will let us know.



Another new feature that was added to this game, quicksaving! You can save and leave off in the middle of a dungeon and come back later.



: Hmm, let's see what's in that room over there.



Their petals sway in the breeze as the aroma grows stronger... You wonder if it would be so bad to take a brief rest here amidst the fragrant blossoms.

: This looks like a good place to rest, don't you think?



This is a rare generous moment from Atlus. Say yes to this if you're not playing on a password game, your party will recover 10 HP. Don't say no to this, or something bad happens. If you're playing on a password game though, Atlus wasn't done kicking you around. No matter what decision you make here, you're pretty screwed.

: No. The last time my guild rested in a field like this, we got ambushed by monsters. Come on, we're leaving.

You think it best to leave this sweet-smelling vale of flowers. However... it seems your decision was hair too slow. As you turn around, you spot a pack of butterflies that were drawn to the flowers's pollen. Worse, these are no ordinary butterflies—it's a swarm of dangerous Venomflies! They're almost upon you! Draw your weapons and fight!

: Oh dammit, not again!

: That's odd, reports said they were usually seen on the higher floors.

: Oh, of course. Why am I not surprised?

It's also a bait and switch for veterans of the first game. Saying no triggers the encounter. A spot that looked like it was a healing spot would get you into an encounter with a swarm of Venomflies if you wanted to rest there. On a non-password game, this is a real resting spot, and you can avoid the Venomfly encounter if you say yes. If you're playing a password game, saying yes reminds your guild of the Venomfly encounter in Etria's Labyrinth, and you get into a fight with the Venomflies anyway.

PC-88 Version



There's actually two different encounters that can take place here, and the Venomflies are actually the least dangerous of the two. The other encounter is three Crawlers. You can at least take down the Venomflies with some proper strategy. At this point this party has no chance of dealing with the latter. If that happens, just accept defeat or turn off your DS.


Venomfly
HP: 57
AT: 8
DF: 8
Exp: 204
Skills: Poison
Item Drops:
-Common: Bug Wing - 1 needed for Therica B, Wood Bow, Hard Vest, and Venom Ring. 2 needed for Targe. 3 needed for Bullwhip. 4 needed for Wing Leaf. 7 needed for Hindi (Bow.)
--Beautiful wing with a mysterious glow.
-Rare: N/A
-Conditional: Lymph - Kill with Volt. 3 needed for Matchlock (Gun.)
--Highly flammable butterfly lymphs.
Description: Though fairly weak, its poison can pose problems for adventurers who don't expect it.
Weakness: Volt (150%)
Resistance: None

These enemies have appeared in every Etrian Odyssey game to date. Every game they show up, they are a massive pain for the party to deal with. They can poison your party members, which deals a fixed amount of damage. At the point we're at, it's a pretty big amount of damage. If you encounter Venomflies in groups, just focus one down. If you encounter them with another enemy, take down the Venomfly first. You don't want to be dealing with poison in prolonged battles. These enemies are a crash course in dealing with status effects and prioritizing enemies. Normally these are encountered on the second floor.





Take a look at the damage output from these guys. Ken is actually hitting pretty hard at this point. Keep in mind he still has his starting dagger and Nick has a whip bought from the store. This is because of the Town Crown. Ken is technically a level 2 or 3 character at this point, and that's a big advantage to have in the earlygame. Once Ken gets his hands on a katana, he'll be hitting pretty hard.



Oh yeah, Venomflies also picked up a nasty new trick since the first game. Poison doesn't hit one person anymore. It targets the whole party.











But it has a pretty low accuracy. It might tag your whole party, but usually it only manages to get two members most of the time.

: :cawg: Are you serious? You're scared of butterflies?

: Oh be quiet. They're deadly butterflies.



Of course they still hit pretty hard. Frederik is in the back row, so he's supposed to be taking less damage.







: HOW DO BUTTERFLIES HIT SO HARD?

: What's that about being scared of butterflies now? :smug:

: Shut up.



I want to get the conditional drop, so I have everyone except Fedot hold off on attacking.



Unfortunately Fedot gets poisoned because of that. It's a non issue though.

: Oh god, I don't feel so good.

: Hmm, he's twitching a lot, and he looks like he's about to throw up. I should learn how to do that!

: Please refrain from doing that on us if you're going to learn those dark arts. I would prefer to die horribly. I mean, peacefully.

: I could try poisoning you in your sleep.

: I meant by old age. Without being cursed.

: I'll think about it.



One thing to note is that status effects that cause damage don't take effect if you've finished the battle. And poison doesn't stick around after battle. Only one status effect does that in this game, and it's a pretty deadly one.

: Never mind, I'm all right now.

: That fast?

: Let's be thankful and not think about it too much.

: Oh good, you did listen to me!



That encounter gave us a lot of exp, but not enough to level up our party.

PC-88 Version





The mineral water that flows here is crystal-clear and shimmers beautifully in the sun. You stop for a while to enjoy its brisk refreshment, then resume your journey onward.

: Uh, I think we should remember this spot for later.



When making a map, mark it however you want. The important thing is that you're able to read your own map and know where the important stuff is.

PC-88 Version



Oh dear. Crawlers are enemies you do not want to be encountering this early into the game. And they're supposed to be a fairly rare encounter at this point, so I got unlucky here.


Crawler
HP: 90
AT: 12
DF: 12
Exp: 152
Skills: Web
Item Drops:
-Common: Small Nail - 1 needed for Nail Whip, Steel Pin, and Green Boot.
--A crawling creature's twisted black nail.
-Rare: N/A
-Conditional: N/A
Description: A pillbug that evolution has granted a montrous size and spinnerets to snare its prey.
Weakness: Fire (150%), Volt (150%)
Resistance: N/A

As you can tell from their stats, they're a huge step up from the other enemies on this floor, even tougher than the Venomflies. They're a rare encounter on the floor, and if your party is level 1, you may want to run from them. Web can bind random body parts of your party members. They may be too tough for some parties to handle at this point in the game. If you feel like you can't handle these enemies, just run away. There's no shame in running from an encounter. Just try not to do it too much or your party will be underleveled.









: Oh that's gross.

: Hey, I'm the one that's supposed to be tying up stuff!

Binds are another way you can be disabled, or disable enemies. They don't count as status effects, but what binding does is disable a body part, which prevent skills that use that body part from being used, and debuffs a stat. The Head, Arms, and Legs are affected by binds. Head binds generally stop spells from being cast, and lowers TEC and accuracy. Arm binds lower attack damage, and leg binds lower agility and evasion. In EO1 leg binds couldn't stop your party from running away from an encounter, but they got reworked to stop that from happening.



Crawlers hit hard. If that attack hit Ken or Nick, they would have died. If you run into one this early, just try to run away. You want your party to survive for the most part while exploring.





The party's almost close to a level up here.

PC-88 Version



I heal Aliara up, mainly because any monster would be able to take her out at this point. Medicas are very good healing items to have in the first stratum.



: Hey what's over here?

You have a task at hand: map your way back to the entrance of the Labyrinth!

: We're almost done, let's report in. We can explore there later.



The guard you recall meeting before abruptly appears before you.

: Ah! Made it back safely, I see.

The guard's voice is cheerful as he looks over your progress on the map. The guard looks at your map and speaks in a stern voice.

: This map is not complete. I cannot let you pass. You must go back and finish mapping the forest's paths.



The party automatically backs off here. And yeah the guard doesn't let you leave the Labyrinth if you're not done. He is a bit picky about how the map is drawn. The again, there's not much to map so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to finish it if you somehow missed something.

: Wait, what did I miss?



: Oh I forgot to finish drawing in the walls.

I noticed we're close to an encounter, so I wander around a bit to try to get my party to level up.

PC-88 Version



And we encounter a new monster in the process.


Woodmai
HP: 45
AT: 6
DF: 7
Exp: 84
Skills: Shell
Item Drops:
-Common: Husk Shard - 1 needed for Green Leaf. 2 needed for Amud Staff. 3 needed for Steel Pin. 30 needed for Maimai Bat (Staff.)
--The shattered shell of a Woodmai.
-Rare: N/A
-Conditional: N/A
Description: A small, weak forest denizen that retreats into its shell when it senses a threat.
Weakness: Volt (150%)
Resistance: N/A

Woodmais are also one of the first monsters you'll run into with the Hedgehog. They're pretty easy to take out. All they can really do is attack or buff their defense. Which elemental attackers like Alchemists and Gunners don't care about.





Another comparison of Ken and Nick's damage outputs, this time on a much weaker enemy.

: Okay, how are you doing that with a plastic stick?

: Well I go to the gym a lot. I guess that might have something to do with it.



Bah, not enough for a level up. Oh well.

PC-88 Version



There we go, all filled in.



He looks intently at you before examining your map again... After looking at your map, the guard's cheerful voice emanates from his helmet.

: I'd say your mission to create a map of the Labyrinth's 1st floor is a success. The Minister will grant you citizenship to High Lagaard and full access to the Labyrinth. My part is done. You may go on from here, but I suggest you report to the Minister first.

The guard finishes his speech and steps aside, allowing you to reach the stairs back to town. You may go back to Lagaard now or continues exploring the Yggdrasil Labyrinth.



PC-88 Version

Let's go and report in.



: We finished the mission.

PC-88 Version



I don't know why they extended the last note so much in this game. First time that happened, I thought my game froze.

: I received word of your accomplishments. I congratulate you on your map making skills. I hereby name you explorers of the Yggdrasil Labyrinth, and citizens of High Lagaard. As I mentioned earlier, you have but one goal. Climb the Yggdrasil Labyrinth and discover the lands said to lie in the skies above. I expect great things from you from here on out, members of Firefly. Ah, I nearly forgot. Take this token of the Duke's esteem, and keep up the good work.



We also get 500 en. Fun fact, this is the only Etrian Odyssey game where you actually climb up the Labyrinth instead of down.



: You are free to keep whatever you find there, or sell it to Sitoth Trading. Ah, wait, first... About those items and monsters you encounter in the Labyrinth... We have lived in Yggdrasil's shadow for some time, but there is much we don't know. The official guard corps are posted, of course, but they are not tasked with exploration. What we need is data on the Labyrinth's monsters, the items they drop, and your equipment. We will save these records, which should help the guard corps with their task. Adding to our store of knowledge about the Labyrinth is every explorer's duty. Good luck.







This is where we can see our monsters encountered, items discovered, and gear unlocked. The gear that the store starts out with is already in here for the record.

PC-88 Version



: Are you organizing your guild wisely? Make sure you divide the party's duties evenly. You may also choose to form specialized teams. A main team, one to gather items, and so on. That's all the advice I have for now. Never underestimate the Labyrinth.

PC-88 Version



: Now, let's get down to business. I get a lot of requests here, and I put them all up on that bulletin board over there. Usually, it's stuff like, “Pick this up” or”Defeat that.” Pretty drat lazy bunch, if yeh ask me... But the reward is usually well worth the trouble.

No they're not.

: So it's a great way to pick up a little something here and there. Got it? You can take on Quests here in the bar, which are optional jobs or requests. There are many types of Quests, each with its own reward. Select “Accept quests” from the menu to see the details.

Right, every time we reach a new floor, there will be some new quests in the bar.



: Well the monsters took a lot out of us. Didn't really know how tough this would be. I'm wondering why I even joined up with a guild in the first place.

: Ahh... Well, all I can say is, take it slow. If yeh die, it's curtains for yeh. The Labyrinth's huge, but it'll keep. Take it easy, and go at yer own pace.



: Well this looks simple enough.

: Ah, yeh'll take the quest, then? Great, great, good to hear it. This one's from the restaurant down the way. The man there's in powerful need of Rock Water. It's bracing stuff, but yeh can only find it in the Labyrinth. Yeh don't have to go too far in, mind. Should be able to get some on the 1st floor. Just bring back some of that water and the job's done. G'luck!

: Oh I think I know where that is, it's not too far.



: Sorry, but I have to check...



: Oh, is this it?

: Oh... sorry, but I don't think this is the permission I'm looking for. Once you have permission, I can sell you some special items. They're really helpful! So get permission, then come back and show me, okay? A-Are you sure you don't have it...? Maybe it's buried in all the stuff you're carrying? I mean, I was sure you had finished the training mission, so I thought... Sorry! I really, really wish I could sell you this, so I have to nag you about it. Are you absolutely sure you don't have permission?

: Uh, that's our map. I think she's talking about that card we got.

: Oh, yes. Whoops!



: Hold on. Ah, here it is!

: Perfect, thanks! Some things I'm not allowed to sell to anyone without a permit. Like this Warp Wire. It lets you come back to town from the Labyrinth at any time. When you plan to enter the Labyrinth, you should always make sure you have one.

We unlock the Nail Whip, Falcatta sword, and the Green Leaf armor by selling our items. Not much, but we didn't get that many drops.



The Warp Wire (known as the Ariadne Thread in 3 onwards) is an essential item in the Etrian Odyssey series. It instantly warps your party back into town from the Labyrinth. It's a very handy item in most situations. Carry one at all times. Some people like to carry multiple in case they forget to go back to the store to stock up. Being stuck in a dire situation with no way out would be a frustrating thing to have happen. You don't have to do that, but if you're playing this game, I really suggest having at least two Warp Wires on you. I make sure to pick up two at this point.



Some items need two or more different materials to make. If you sell enough of one kind, it'll show up in the shop, letting you know what else you need to sell to unlock it.



: How's it going? This might be an impossible request, but please try not to get hurt! I'm always praying for you to make it home safe!

PC-88 Verison



: Truthfully, I'm not sure how I feel about explorers spending so much time in the Labyrinth. Injuries are frequent, and it's our job to patch them up. It would be best if you could avoid getting hurt at all.

: Oh if only that could happen.



: It's only 100en per item! We've got space, so use it as much as you want!

: I'd say we did enough for today. What do you say we all take a rest before heading out again?

: Yeah, I'm beat.

: It hurts so much...

: I'm going to bed.

: Keep that girl away from me if you can.

: I'll take that as a yes.

I initially had my party take a nap here, turning it night. But that turned out to be a very bad idea. If you're going to rest at the inn at this point, sleep till morning. We'll be seeing one of the core gameplay elements of the Etrian Odyssey series, and just how much Atlus hates us in the next update.

Araxxor fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Jun 21, 2015

Tuxedo Ted
Apr 24, 2007



Ah, all the xp bars lined up identically in lockstep. Won't be long before sudden deaths and desperate victories send them all in disarray.

Kemix
Dec 1, 2013

Because change

Tuxedo Ted posted:



Ah, all the xp bars lined up identically in lockstep. Won't be long before sudden deaths and desperate victories send them all in disarray.

I always hate when that happens. At least everyone levels up at the same pace. Unlike a lot of OTHER RPGS that like to make character growth vary between classes/characters, even if they're the same loving level.

W.T. Fits
Apr 21, 2010

Ready to Poyozo Dance all over your face.

Tuxedo Ted posted:



Ah, all the xp bars lined up identically in lockstep. Won't be long before sudden deaths and desperate victories send them all in disarray.

Kemix posted:

I always hate when that happens.

Me too. To the point where I would actively rest my various party members in Etrian Odyssey IV at times for no reason other than to get everyone back in synch experience-wise. :negative:

BlazeEmblem
Jun 8, 2013

Uh oh. Do I use Ariadne thread or Goho-M?

Tuxedo Ted posted:



Ah, all the xp bars lined up identically in lockstep. Won't be long before sudden deaths and desperate victories send them all in disarray.

I have to assume that the Highlander being alone in the first part of Untold is just to screw with people who think like that. Like me :negative:.

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.
Funnily enough, 2 was the only game where I actually managed to keep everyone's exp bars the same all the way to the very end. Who knows how that will end up here.

BlazeEmblem posted:

I have to assume that the Highlander being alone in the first part of Untold is just to screw with people who think like that. Like me :negative:.

Don't forget the Sea Quests in 3. Those made me stop caring about exp equilibrium in that game very quickly.

Tuxedo Ted
Apr 24, 2007

Wow, I didn't expect to see so many people who tried to maintain XP equilibrium in these games. I like to do it too, but I'd never have even tried it in a series like this.

Night10194
Feb 13, 2012

We'll start,
like many good things,
with a bear.

It's pretty awesome that the Gunner's entire class seems to be based around :hellyeah:

Also, that battle theme is surprisingly catchy!

Crosspeice
Aug 9, 2013

Man look at all those cool map symbols you have. They thought it was a bright idea to tell you what the symbol was so you only had room for ten. And only one map colour. And no sidestepping argh!

I definitely prefer 2, but 1 has its charms as well. Really good update, keep it up!

asvodel
Oct 10, 2012
For those who haven't heard it yet, here are the two music tracks from this update redone for the upcoming remake of the game:

1st Stratum theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmmnvrVMC5Y
1st Normal battle theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlpVp-2fP6k

Really looking forward to this LP since I am a big fan of the series and this is the only one I haven't played through in some form / know the least about.
Waiting until the remake comes out here to play it though, since presumably it will do away with the more controversial aspects of this game.


edit:
It is pretty funny how Atlus introduced a lot of small negative drawbacks to using a password file
Does the password transfer from EO1 transfer your EO1 characters and make them level 1 or anything like that?
I thought something like that was the reason why the EO2 character portraits are the same as 1 but in different poses, I guess

asvodel fucked around with this message at 12:55 on Sep 12, 2014

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.

Crosspeice posted:

Man look at all those cool map symbols you have. They thought it was a bright idea to tell you what the symbol was so you only had room for ten. And only one map colour. And no sidestepping argh!

I definitely prefer 2, but 1 has its charms as well. Really good update, keep it up!

Ah right, I probably should have included the EO1 map screen for a little comparison on how much more detailed you can make the maps this time around. I'll put that in the next update, but here's what the map screen looked like in EO1 (Snatched from 100%jesusfree's LP.)





I forgot about how many map icons you had to work with in 1. And you couldn't draw on the edges of the map either, so you had to move the map over just to draw some walls that were on the edge of the screen.

And thank you.

asvodel posted:

It is pretty funny how Atlus introduced a lot of small negative drawbacks to using a password file
Does the password transfer from EO1 transfer your EO1 characters and make them level 1 or anything like that?
I thought something like that was the reason why the EO2 character portraits are the same as 1 but in different poses, I guess

The password contains your EO1 party, as well as what weapons they had equipped. They're not used in this game. Funnily enough, back when EO1 was the only EO game out, when people found out what the password contained, they tried to farm up the strongest sword in the game for all their characters. Which involved selling 3 rare drops with a 5% droprate from some postgame bosses to unlock. And then EO2 didn't even use that information.

Araxxor fucked around with this message at 13:53 on Sep 12, 2014

Feinne
Oct 9, 2007

When you fall, get right back up again.

Dr. Fetus posted:

The password contains your EO1 party, as well as what weapons they had equipped. They're not used in this game. Funnily enough, back when EO1 was the only EO game out, when people found out what the password contained, they tried to farm up the strongest sword in the game for all their characters. Which involved selling 3 rare drops with a 5% droprate from some postgame bosses to unlock. And then EO2 didn't even use that information.

That's the ATLUS difference, really.

Level Seven
Feb 14, 2013

Wubba dubba dubba
that blew.



Megamarm

Dr. Fetus posted:

The password contains your EO1 party, as well as what weapons they had equipped. They're not used in this game. Funnily enough, back when EO1 was the only EO game out, when people found out what the password contained, they tried to farm up the strongest sword in the game for all their characters. Which involved selling 3 rare drops with a 5% droprate from some postgame bosses to unlock. And then EO2 didn't even use that information.

ATLUS gets off on our tears, they gotta make us suffer for them.

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔
Thanks for starting this LP! The game looks pretty good - I especially like the quality-of-life information policy it apparently has, when it tells you how much poo poo you need to grind to unlock something, and presumably also the special drop conditions for enemies?

Anyway, interesting enough that I hopped onto (German) Amazon and ordered the first game for the cheap, cheap price of 5€! Why not this one? Because it apparently only exists as an US Import (not a problem) for 25€ (eh). Third costs 65 :pwn:. Yes, even used.

Grashbar
Aug 17, 2014
Is it too late to get a class? If not,

Hexer Lynn, Portrait 4

Though a quiet girl and seemingly cold at a glance, the girl is actually very caring, has trouble expressing herself properly, and tends to inwardly worry about the most trivial things.

If it's too late then eh. Still looking forward to this run! I never played EO2 due to it not getting to Europe, so this'll be a first.

Araxxor
Oct 20, 2012

My disdain for you all knows no bounds.

Simply Simon posted:

Thanks for starting this LP! The game looks pretty good - I especially like the quality-of-life information policy it apparently has, when it tells you how much poo poo you need to grind to unlock something, and presumably also the special drop conditions for enemies?

Anyway, interesting enough that I hopped onto (German) Amazon and ordered the first game for the cheap, cheap price of 5€! Why not this one? Because it apparently only exists as an US Import (not a problem) for 25€ (eh). Third costs 65 :pwn:. Yes, even used.

Unfortunately the store only tells you how much stuff left you need to grind for if the item needs two different random drops to unlock. If it only needs one, it won't tell you until you've already unlocked the item. Conditional drops are another thing the game barely tells you about. Like some of the quests in the first and second games kind of tell you about it by telling you that killing a monster in [this way] can get you [this item], but it doesn't tell you about all of them. The third game fixed that, it tells you about conditional drops as well as how to get them from most monsters. Oh wow, getting into the first game? Oof, good luck with that one. Etrian Odyssey games are rough. And the first one isn't just rough in difficulty, it's rough in terms of quality and level design. It really lacks the quality of life improvements the later games have, and the level design is okay. I wouldn't call it bad, but the quality of the dungeon design in some of the later games is more interesting than the earlier ones.

Grashbar posted:

Is it too late to get a class? If not,

Hexer Lynn, Portrait 4

Though a quiet girl and seemingly cold at a glance, the girl is actually very caring, has trouble expressing herself properly, and tends to inwardly worry about the most trivial things.

If it's too late then eh. Still looking forward to this run! I never played EO2 due to it not getting to Europe, so this'll be a first.

Sorry, all the classes have been taken.

Feinne
Oct 9, 2007

When you fall, get right back up again.

Simply Simon posted:

Thanks for starting this LP! The game looks pretty good - I especially like the quality-of-life information policy it apparently has, when it tells you how much poo poo you need to grind to unlock something, and presumably also the special drop conditions for enemies?

Anyway, interesting enough that I hopped onto (German) Amazon and ordered the first game for the cheap, cheap price of 5€! Why not this one? Because it apparently only exists as an US Import (not a problem) for 25€ (eh). Third costs 65 :pwn:. Yes, even used.

I'd imagine the value of original copies of the first has tanked a bit since the remake.

Simply Simon
Nov 6, 2010

📡scanning🛰️ for good game 🎮design🦔🦔🦔
From the comments, I already gathered that the first game is rather rough, but I'm desperately looking for cheap timewasters anyway, so that's fine. Too bad about the information policy then, but whatever. I'll play a lot of mediocre games for a fiver (plus shipping).

If I like it, I'll keep a lookout on price drops for the import copies of later games.

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Feinne
Oct 9, 2007

When you fall, get right back up again.

Simply Simon posted:

From the comments, I already gathered that the first game is rather rough, but I'm desperately looking for cheap timewasters anyway, so that's fine. Too bad about the information policy then, but whatever. I'll play a lot of mediocre games for a fiver (plus shipping).

If I like it, I'll keep a lookout on price drops for the import copies of later games.

Amusingly while Untold has the refinements of the later games it doesn't ease off on the cruelty one whit.

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