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Post by Xeogred on Jun 7, 2021 10:16:11 GMT -5
I actually was looking at manual scans earlier today. Not sure if I learned much else from it... maybe the starting gear just sucks and I can't even do many combo attacks yet. I haven't been in a dungeon with a party of four yet though, with the two new characters I have (the first dungeon with Freya seemed like a freebie). Maybe I'll be able to break more guards with 3 attackers and 1 magic user.
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Post by Ex on Jun 7, 2021 10:24:05 GMT -5
I actually was looking at manual scans earlier today. Not sure if I learned much else from it I recommend re-reading pages 27-32 closely. It discusses concepts like juggling enemies to break their guards, slide kicking tactics, how to use the Special Attack Gauge effectively, how to counter-attack, important stuff to know.
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Post by Xeogred on Jun 7, 2021 10:56:34 GMT -5
Well I don't think I can juggle anything yet. I'll keep some of this in mind though.
I hate how SELECT is the battle menu. What the heck?
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Post by Ex on Jun 7, 2021 14:05:10 GMT -5
I hate how SELECT is the battle menu. What the heck? About as dumb as the "end turn" command for the Valkyria Chronicles 2 & 3 games on PSP being the START button. Anyone who has used a PSP1000 knows the start button isn't exactly ergonomically accessible. Certainly not a button you want to press hundreds or a thousand times to beat 40-70 hour long SRPGs. I stopped playing VC3 because of that nonsense. I'll beat it someday using PPSSPP. - Sarge So I found out that SNK used to offer a free Crystalis strategy guide: Here's the cover: You can read the guide online here: www.video-game-ephemera.com/013.htmI haven't read it yet, but I might after I beat the game for curiosity's sake. Old strategy guides like this can be interesting reads.
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Post by Sarge on Jun 7, 2021 14:51:11 GMT -5
It literally requires it in some circumstances - you can't even damage some bosses unless you hit a certain level threshold. Which, honestly, is also a bit like earlier Ys games.
I've been playing so long doing the charge shot technique that I have the timing down to an art. I can generally keep an enemy from advancing on me with a L1 shot at the right rhythm. It definitely changes how the game plays compared to most ARPGs of the time. I don't use the most powerful level of sword, though, because that consumes MP and I prefer to save that for healing and other assorted uses.
Money will get a bit less stingy - I found myself in a pretty good condition to get at least one of the best equips when I hit a new town. Holding off is also sometimes useful, since the costs can vary from town to town. There's one shield in particular that's like 3000-4000G cheaper in a later town.
Huh, that guide is surprisingly sparse. Almost like a collection of Nintendo Power Counselor's Corner entries. But it was free, so I assume the idea was this game was long and adventurous enough that you'd need some help, which had to have appeal to some players.
As for VP2, I don't remember necessarily having huge issues, but I do remember taking some time to farm a boss battle to make things go a bit smoother.
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Post by Sarge on Jun 7, 2021 18:35:05 GMT -5
Alright, time to transition to another non-time sink alongside Alundra. Thinking about blasting through Willow - I'm pretty sure I haven't fully beaten that in a long time. One of the coolest things about that game, in my opinion, are the little graphical touches Capcom put in there. I especially love the tower you climb, and how you can see the lights from previous floors beneath you. It's a small thing, but also goes a long way toward setting a nice ambience. Also, the music is top tier stuff from the composer for Gargoyle's Quest.
Also, for those that might not realize it, Willow also has Link to the Past-ish combat in that standing still will swing your sword in a sweeping arc, but hitting forward while doing so will thrust instead, and if memory serves, the thrust ends up being more powerful. Your levels also factor in to swing speed - you may have to hold off equipping a newer sword until you've gained a few levels because it's ostensibly heavier or harder to handle.
I am completely convinced that this was an entirely different project that was repurposed, but that's still nothing but speculation on my part.
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Post by dunpeal2064 on Jun 7, 2021 20:13:52 GMT -5
I took Ex 's advice and played another game for the first time Drill DozerWhat a cool game. Really great visuals, fitting and catchy tunes, and really well-executed gameplay. The loop of getting your gears reset is genius, especially since the new mechanics and obstacles introduced throughout the game all change based on said gears. The new mechanics and obstacles are introduced at a great pace, too, always being just challenging enough to feel rewarding for figuring out, and steadily increasing the player's skill at the game without ever really feeling like it. By the end of the game, I was zipping and drilling about like a madman, purely due to the way the game steadily increases its difficulty and adds to its environmental hazards. I didn't get a 100% clear of the game, and I'm still debating on if I want to go back to do so or not. I liked the extra maps and their short-but-tough challenges, but where my save is right now, I'd need to grind out a few thousand credits to buy everything, and I felt an inkling that I'd walk away less impressed by the game if I doubled its length to grind and then hunt for missed treasures. That said, the game is certainly fun enough that I'm still tempted to do so, and I'll report back if I do! Really glad I checked this out, its a stellar game.
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Post by Ex on Jun 7, 2021 20:45:56 GMT -5
Thinking about blasting through Willow - I'm pretty sure I haven't fully beaten that in a long time I know you speak highly of this one, but you're the only person I've seen do so on forums. Most players, including myself, didn't take to this game very well. (I'm pretty sure toei didn't like it either?) Now it's been a long time since I sampled the game, probably eight years or so ago. I do recall the little graphical flourishes, like grass dancing in the wind when enemies appeared. IIRC my issue was the game had really unintuitive navigation, an open world that was hard to parse to even understand where you were supposed to go. I'm not saying "you're wrong" though! NES Willow might be great once you actually get into it. I took Ex 's advice and played another game for the first time. Really glad I checked this out, its a stellar game. You and I seem to have similar tastes, so I'm not surprised you enjoyed Drill Dozer. I am glad you played it, and appreciated the unique design of using drill mechanics to navigate stages. Not only is this game unique, but it's also fun and has a great presentation. Of the 42 games that Sarge recommended, the top 3 lesser played that I will personally endorse strongly (besides Drill Dozer: Brandish: The Dark Revenant (2009 PSP) ( This video tells you the differences between the SNES and PSP versions, I prefer PSP.)
Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (2011 DS) Demon's Crest (1994 SNES)
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Post by Sarge on Jun 7, 2021 21:21:44 GMT -5
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Post by toei on Jun 7, 2021 22:15:48 GMT -5
Yeah, I remember finding the dungeons very annoying to navigate. They were too vast and shapeless to be using separate screens like Zelda. Zelda's dungeons basically have no pointless rooms. You never just go through random passages where it's open on all four sides and you just end up in another similar passage screen in any direction you go. The same happened with the overworld, like Ex said, and even towns were awkwardly built. That's why I quit playing it at the time.
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