Random thoughts on whatever JRPG you're currently playing?

[Puukko]

Started Final Fantasy VIII with a number of mods, most importantly the Ragnarok difficulty mod:

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=18404.0

My previous FF experience was likewise with a difficulty mod, namely Struggle for freedom for FFXII, which I greatly enjoyed, so I immediately installed this as it had good reviews. I've found myself liking fan made difficulty mods in general, millions of people playing a game over two decades does tend to result in accurate assessments of a game's shortcomings, especially on the difficulty and balance front.

And yes, it is indeed difficult. The very first enemies immediately deal status ailments at a pretty high rate, and Ifrit required very good execution - couldn't afford one bad turn. Some combinations of random enemies are very scary, these double elite soldiers in particular. The communication tower boss took me a good half dozen tries as well (and it doesn't let you skip FMVs...) though it did devolve into GF spam as otherwise I'd end up in a downward spiral of rezzing, getting silence/sleep status and not getting any damage in. Supposedly some recent patch buffed GFs and auto attacks in the late game, though. I hear magic in the base game was weak, and it got buffed.

I'm playing the 2013 version which has a number of issues. Alt tab causes it to freak out, it doesn't detect reconnected controllers in game, there's no button prompts by default, just B1/B2/etc which is bizarre. In game sound volume doesn't seem to do anything. And I hear the 2019 "remake" was a dud - I wonder if it manages to be worse than this...

 

[Doktor Best]

Started Final Fantasy VIII with a number of mods, most importantly the Ragnarok difficulty mod:

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=18404.0

My previous FF experience was likewise with a difficulty mod, namely Struggle for freedom for FFXII, which I greatly enjoyed, so I immediately installed this as it had good reviews. I've found myself liking fan made difficulty mods in general, millions of people playing a game over two decades does tend to result in accurate assessments of a game's shortcomings, especially on the difficulty and balance front.

And yes, it is indeed difficult. The very first enemies immediately deal status ailments at a pretty high rate, and Ifrit required very good execution - couldn't afford one bad turn. Some combinations of random enemies are very scary, these double elite soldiers in particular. The communication tower boss took me a good half dozen tries as well (and it doesn't let you skip FMVs...) though it did devolve into GF spam as otherwise I'd end up in a downward spiral of rezzing, getting silence/sleep status and not getting any damage in. Supposedly some recent patch buffed GFs and auto attacks in the late game, though. I hear magic in the base game was weak, and it got buffed.

I'm playing the 2013 version which has a number of issues. Alt tab causes it to freak out, it doesn't detect reconnected controllers in game, there's no button prompts by default, just B1/B2/etc which is bizarre. In game sound volume doesn't seem to do anything. And I hear the 2019 "remake" was a dud - I wonder if it manages to be worse than this...

Does the mod still use scaled enemies or do they have fixed values now?

 

[mushaden]

Thinking of playing Dragon Quest 7 or Phantasy Star 4. Which is more difficult?

 

[Silentstorm]

If i recall, Phantasy Star 4 is harder but Dragon Quest 7 is much longer.

 

[birb]

I played some of the original Dark Souls again recently (not the remaster). I couldn't help but feel that, despite it's lack of polish, it had something that Dark Souls 3 just didn't have. I think it's rough edges kind of make it a nicer experience.
DS3 pvp still miles better though.

 

[Grampy_Bone]

Thinking of playing Dragon Quest 7 or Phantasy Star 4. Which is more difficult?

DQ7 has a wider range of difficulty, can be hard early on (if you're playing the PS version) but becomes much easier through grinding. PS4 is more narrow, easier to start but grinding has less of an overpowering effect, so the challenge is more consistent.

 

[Puukko]

Started Final Fantasy VIII with a number of mods, most importantly the Ragnarok difficulty mod:

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=18404.0

My previous FF experience was likewise with a difficulty mod, namely Struggle for freedom for FFXII, which I greatly enjoyed, so I immediately installed this as it had good reviews. I've found myself liking fan made difficulty mods in general, millions of people playing a game over two decades does tend to result in accurate assessments of a game's shortcomings, especially on the difficulty and balance front.

And yes, it is indeed difficult. The very first enemies immediately deal status ailments at a pretty high rate, and Ifrit required very good execution - couldn't afford one bad turn. Some combinations of random enemies are very scary, these double elite soldiers in particular. The communication tower boss took me a good half dozen tries as well (and it doesn't let you skip FMVs...) though it did devolve into GF spam as otherwise I'd end up in a downward spiral of rezzing, getting silence/sleep status and not getting any damage in. Supposedly some recent patch buffed GFs and auto attacks in the late game, though. I hear magic in the base game was weak, and it got buffed.

I'm playing the 2013 version which has a number of issues. Alt tab causes it to freak out, it doesn't detect reconnected controllers in game, there's no button prompts by default, just B1/B2/etc which is bizarre. In game sound volume doesn't seem to do anything. And I hear the 2019 "remake" was a dud - I wonder if it manages to be worse than this...

Does the mod still use scaled enemies or do they have fixed values now?

Levels are fixed as far as I know.

 

[SecondAmendment]

Thinking of playing Dragon Quest 7 or Phantasy Star 4. Which is more difficult?

Play PS4 first, because maybe you catch the coof and die. Imagine not having played one of the greatest RPGs of the era.

Neither game is difficult.

 

[mushaden]

It’s decided, then

 

[Puukko]

Dove deep into FFVIII and I am very happy with the difficulty level. I'd place it a notch below Nocturne Hardtype which is the upper limit as far as my experience with difficulty mods goes. Most bosses take 5-6 attempts as opposed to the dozen or so that Hardtype bosses take, but regular battles can be tougher with some deadly enemy combos - which you can run away from. Even then, I have made minimal use of guides, mostly just checked locations and ensured I haven't missed any GFs. The hardest boss so far has been the fake president, followed by the regular enemy "boss" in the second dream sequence, whom I had to grind some levels for. Other than that, I haven't really had to grind much at all.

I understand the junction system is divisive, and I don't know whether I would have liked it in vanilla, but with this mod I quite like it. Furthermore I realized that while I really don't understand streamer culture, it was really nice to stream my gameplay to a few people on a server and have someone to talk to about the game as I was playing it. It gave me that extra bit of motivation and prevented my bad habit of getting distracted while playing.

 

[Exhuminator]

I stopped playing Rogue Galaxy for a while, so I could go and beat a bunch of mech games. After spending over 40 hours beating mech games, now I'm back on Rogue Galaxy again. With 35 hours invested thus far, I've got a love-hate relationship with it. I just finished the Gladius Towers section, which was honestly the most annoying dungeon in any game I've ever played. Rogue Galaxy is a gorgeous yet vapid experience. Every time I play it, it's like dating a really hot dipshit girl, who makes your cock hard but can't engage in any deep conversation whatsoever. Eh but now I'm falling victim to the sunk cost fallacy. "Come this far, might as well finish it."

 

[Kaivokz]

I stopped playing Rogue Galaxy for a while, so I could go and beat a bunch of mech games. After spending over 40 hours beating mech games, now I'm back on Rogue Galaxy again. With 35 hours invested thus far, I've got a love-hate relationship with it. I just finished the Gladius Towers section, which was honestly the most annoying dungeon in any game I've ever played. Rogue Galaxy is a gorgeous yet vapid experience. Every time I play it, it's like dating a really hot dipshit girl, who makes your cock hard but can't engage in any deep conversation whatsoever. Eh but now I'm falling victim to the sunk cost fallacy. "Come this far, might as well finish it."

That’s the feeling I had throughout the entire game. For a minute I thought the ending might make it a little more exciting, but it doesn’t. Nothing about the story is memorable, but the world is beautiful, characters have cool design, and combat is engaging enough.

 

[Puukko]

Wasn't it an easy game? I remember reading up on it and being put off by that.

 

[Exhuminator]

Nothing about the story is memorable, but the world is beautiful, characters have cool design, and combat is engaging enough.

I agree with all that except the combat. The game has a combat system that seems like it'd be complex and multi-layered but...

Wasn't it an easy game? I remember reading up on it and being put off by that.

So far this game has been an absolute cakewalk in general. For every normal encounter, I just have Jaster (main character) use his Desert Wind V2 ability to kill all enemies instantly, worst case just cast it twice. For bosses, I have a character do a party attack buff, another character do an anti-status effect party buff, then have Jaster cast Illusion Sword (makes his sword a ranged weapon). Bosses drop like flies against that battle setup.

The one thing that saves this game is its graphics. They are cel shaded correctly, and have aged very well as result. Rogue Galaxy originally released in 2005 in Japan, and for a 2005 PS2 release these graphics are really incredible. But the gameplay itself is just vapid, and the story is incredibly lame and boring. But I know if quit playing now I'll be mad at myself later. Might as well finish the damned thing.

 

[Sreggin Etah I]

SMT 1 has good music:

 

[AdamReith]

Decided to give Elminage: Original a shot just to see what all of the fuss was about.

I have to admit, there is something special to it. The only other DRPG I've sunk significant time into was Operation Abyss and the main thing that struck me here is the difficulty. I rolled fifty characters just messing around, had failed resurrections where my character turned into ashes and started dreading each step I made deeper into the dungeon. Everything is obtuse as fuck and it feels like game actively hates me yet for the first time I've accidently stayed up to 3am with a game.

I think I understand the old school wizardry appeal more now. It is one of these things that can't be explained to you, you have to experience it for yourself.

 

[Puukko]

Been playing absurd amounts of FF8, I'm now good ways into disc 2. My opinion of the mod has stayed very positive and I think 8's gameplay holds up really well at this level, whereas Nocturne shows some cracks due to its binary nature. To compare three difficulty mods I've played recently, and how they achieved that difficulty:

- FF12 had a focus on boss difficulty over random enemies, though there were definitely parts where getting through multiple trash was a serious hurdle, but there's only so much a game without random encounters can do. Bosses relied on hitting hard and using lots of status ailments - the performance check was often keeping up with the special abilities that came on a timer. Optional bosses had heavy additional handicaps like a constant aura or straight up banning magic or something. Later bosses would have required pretty hefty grinding. Other than that, allows for some flexibility and shorter term planning.

- Nocturne Hardtype relies on deadly random encounters utilizing specific combinations of demons and extra tough ones at full moon. Bosses have a fairly rigid approach to them, where employing specific demons with specific abilities is nearly mandatory. Need to plan well beforehand and build specific teams for nearly every boss. Possibly the most difficult if going in blind. Does not require heavy grinding unless this changes later.

- FF8 has the most build variety in what kind of summons with which abilities you can have on which characters, and what their stats look like. Very valuable summons must be obtained from specific bosses or be lost until much later. Random encounters can be even more scary than Nocturne's with some really scary high level ones occasionally thrown about. Perhaps the largest number of bosses that require perfect setup and occasionally complete understanding of the boss' mechanics to minimize wasted turns. Ailments are used, but not nearly to the extent as in 12 which sometimes turns into s real AIDSfest. Lots of party switching, and at least one section so far where there is no access to a vendor for several hours - if your summon dies and you don't have items to resurrect it, tough shit. Combat is fairly standard ATB but allows for quite a lot of micro management for minimizing enemy turns. Occasional grinding required to keep up with HP requirements, but not excessive at all. Possibly the easiest to go in blind as long as you understand how these older JRPGs were designed and what they expect of you.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

I'm currently finishing SMT: Strange Journey. Easily one of my favorite JRPGs and perhaps just RPGs in general. Previously I started it three times and never managed to get far until now. Everything just clicks in the game. My only problem is that it's a bit too long.
-Bosses are consistently difficult, most take me at least 2 tries, some much more. There's no part of the game after you just breeze through everything without even trying.
-Demon co-op is the best combat system I've seen in SMT so far. It makes demon (and PC) character actually matter in the gameplay by making only demons of matching affinity do the co-op. In previous games I barely even knew which demon race supports which side of the conflict. I prefer it to press-turn since it makes elemental weaknesses matter without devolving into the entire game into spotting the demon weakness and just wailing at it like Persona 4 and Nocturne did.
-As always using actual mythological creatures/gods instead of generic blobby animals or your old handy ADnD monster manual adds to the atmosphere.
-Setting and the general setup is refreshing both for the jRPGs in general and the series. My only complaint is that using the theme of "shitty thing from Earth" for 4 separate dungeons was a bit too much. Having no teenagers in the cast would probably please most members here.
Looking forward to finally getting into Devil Survivor after this one.

 

[Puukko]

I'm currently finishing SMT: Strange Journey. Easily one of my favorite JRPGs and perhaps just RPGs in general. Previously I started it three times and never managed to get far until now. Everything just clicks in the game. My only problem is that it's a bit too long.
-Bosses are consistently difficult, most take me at least 2 tries, some much more. There's no part of the game after you just breeze through everything without even trying.
-Demon co-op is the best combat system I've seen in SMT so far. It makes demon (and PC) character actually matter in the gameplay by making only demons of matching affinity do the co-op. In previous games I barely even knew which demon race supports which side of the conflict. I prefer it to press-turn since it makes elemental weaknesses matter without devolving into the entire game into spotting the demon weakness and just wailing at it like Persona 4 and Nocturne did.
-As always using actual mythological creatures/gods instead of generic blobby animals or your old handy ADnD monster manual adds to the atmosphere.
-Setting and the general setup is refreshing both for the jRPGs in general and the series. My only complaint is that using the theme of "shitty thing from Earth" for 4 separate dungeons was a bit too much. Having no teenagers in the cast would probably please most members here.
Looking forward to finally getting into Devil Survivor after this one.

What difficulty are you playing on? OG or Redux?

And I'm pretty sure all areas were based on human vices.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

What difficulty are you playing on? OG or Redux?

Standard and Redux. I've head that Womb of Griefs makes you overlevelled and ruins the main game, but that wasn't the case for me.
EDIT: I also headed there pretty late so it's possible that getting there too early does ruin the game.

And I'm pretty sure all areas were based on human vices.

Only from the middle of Antlia until the end of Delphinus. I didn't really mind the battlefield but going from a brothel to the supermarket to the junkyard was a bit too much.

 

[Puukko]

Expert was a really good difficulty. I didn't use the MC KO =/= game over commands until the final bosses. There's a surprising amount of NG+ and alignment locked content too.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

Finally beaten MA. One of the toughest (if not the toughest) normal boss I've ever seen in an RPG. I had trouble with her despite fusing the entire party specifically for the final combat, clearing all the bonus content up to that point as well as using all the bullshit apps. Which I'm glad I did since she killed my with a one-hit-KO attack when her health was in the red. Funny how the fight forced me to use opposite strategies to the usual ones. Demons with different alignments instead of matching ones, relying on normal damage and not the demon co-op, defense instead of offense, etc. Probably would be impossible in a standard RPG since you can't just rebuilt your party when you face a wall.
Currently heading to finish the bonus content.

 

[Puukko]

MA (the skill) missed 4 times in a row on me so I got very lucky. Shekinah is up there as one of my favorite SMT bosses, I'd say she's a bit more difficult than Mem Aleph. It's one of those fights you really need to learn and execute near perfectly.

 

[Exhuminator]

I recall back in August 2000 when Neill Corlett and crew released the English fan translation for Seiken Densetsu 3. I remember trying it with ZSNES at the time, confirming my patched ROM worked. And then... I just forgot about the game. That can happen when you've got a lot continuous options. Well almost twenty years later, along comes SQEX's Collection of Mana, which includes Seiken Densetsu 3 officially localized as Trials of Mana. And it took zero time for someone to extract the Trials of Mana ROM from that collection. Me being the upstanding pirate I am promptly secured the leaked ROM, and vowed that this time I -would- play this game. So here we are now, in April of 2020, and I'm finally getting around to playing Seiken Densetsu 3 via its Trials of Mana official localization.

Anyway this game surprisingly lives up to the hype it once received. I've got 5 hours in it, doing an all girl team of Riesz, Angela, and Charlotte. Thus far the graphics and audio have been top notch for SNES (or Super Famicom really), game design has been fun, and the pacing is consistently fast. Just a damn fined action-RPG like the '90s used to make. Speaking of, back in 1997 I did beat Secret of Mana (which was actually Seiken Densetsu 2) and later beat Legend of Mana and Children of Mana, so I'm not completely unversed in this series' game design. But Seiken Densetsu 3 is really in a league of its own versus its siblings.

 

[Puukko]

Saw a video about the collection that explains it pretty well.



Tl;dr SE gonna SE.