Random thoughts on whatever JRPG you're currently playing?

[j2alg]

playing DT2-2 again, I still think that triple physical damage zones are the best thing and every RPG should have them

 

[Carpincho Pampeano]

Playing caligula effect 2 too, i'm doing my fourth dungeon so i think i have a really good idea of all the game has to offer. Instead of three actions every turn every character can only do one, this makes the game far more interesting and boss fights are actually hard now, story is okay and they have improved the side quest JUST A LITTLE, they are still shit.

Reminder that overdose ruined the first game and that the original release on vita is the best version, that's all.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Replaying BoF3 and it feels kind of nice. Been years since I played a PlayStation era jrpg and I'm planning on going through BoF3 and then 4. Kinda wish Capcom would revisit this series again and make a real entry again and not something that sucks (BoF6) or doesn't suck but doesn't really fit in with the main series (BoF5).

 

[Carpincho Pampeano]

These are the ramblings of a local caligula autist of a small image board i use, i think people should be more aware that the remake is an inferior product to the original and in my previous post i didn't elaborate much in the topic.

While we're on this topic, I'll confess that I used to blame Yamanaka a lot more than I should have (although these screens don't explicitly show it). Having looked into it more, the Overdose mess was mainly caused by executive demand. Yamanaka apparently left FuRyu right after Overdose (which came out in Japan in May 17, 2018) to do freelance work, which implies he was dissatisfied with his lack of independence.
https://archive.fo/LEYf6
>

Affiliation: freelance (independent since July 2018)
He directed Caligula2 for FuRyu as a freelancer, not from within the company. This is probably the main reason behind the sequel's significant improvements over Overdose, though the combat is still not nearly as deep as the Vita game's. At the end of the day, Caligula is still a FuRyu-owned brand, and I believe Yamanaka did (almost) as well as he could with C2 without violating the company's retarded post-Vita casual-friendly policy.

https://archive.fo/Cy4Rm

Yamanaka:
The first game, "Caligula," was adjusted to my liking. It was aimed at core gamers, and was difficult to get into. That didn't match with FuRyu's policy of wanting to expand the player base, so for the previous game, Caligula Overdose, we asked Historia's help to make the battles more suitable for the light-weight audience.
Sasaki:
I think the last game was a little too much for the light audience. I'm proud to say that we were able to make up for that this time.
Yamanaka:
When I made the game, it was too difficult and people got angry, and when Historia adjusted it, it became too light. The actual fans of "Caligula" were somewhere in between. Having made both games, I was able to find the right balance, and that's what I'm using in Caligula2.

I pretty much copy-pasted the rambling of that anon, so credits would be to him.

 

[Dishonoredbr]

These are the ramblings of a local caligula autist of a small image board i use, i think people should be more aware that the remake is an inferior product to the original and in my previous post i didn't elaborate much in the topic.

While we're on this topic, I'll confess that I used to blame Yamanaka a lot more than I should have (although these screens don't explicitly show it). Having looked into it more, the Overdose mess was mainly caused by executive demand. Yamanaka apparently left FuRyu right after Overdose (which came out in Japan in May 17, 2018) to do freelance work, which implies he was dissatisfied with his lack of independence.
https://archive.fo/LEYf6
>

Affiliation: freelance (independent since July 2018)
He directed Caligula2 for FuRyu as a freelancer, not from within the company. This is probably the main reason behind the sequel's significant improvements over Overdose, though the combat is still not nearly as deep as the Vita game's. At the end of the day, Caligula is still a FuRyu-owned brand, and I believe Yamanaka did (almost) as well as he could with C2 without violating the company's retarded post-Vita casual-friendly policy.

https://archive.fo/Cy4Rm

Yamanaka:
The first game, "Caligula," was adjusted to my liking. It was aimed at core gamers, and was difficult to get into. That didn't match with FuRyu's policy of wanting to expand the player base, so for the previous game, Caligula Overdose, we asked Historia's help to make the battles more suitable for the light-weight audience.
Sasaki:
I think the last game was a little too much for the light audience. I'm proud to say that we were able to make up for that this time.
Yamanaka:
When I made the game, it was too difficult and people got angry, and when Historia adjusted it, it became too light. The actual fans of "Caligula" were somewhere in between. Having made both games, I was able to find the right balance, and that's what I'm using in Caligula2.

I pretty much copy-pasted the rambling of that anon, so credits would be to him.

That's kinda crazy story for such niche and not well know IP. Thanks for sharing it. Shame about Yamanaka. I hope he get to work on more games and maybe even a third Caligula Effect without bullshit from FuRyu, he clearly knows what he's doing even with such low budget Caligula Effect 2 is pretty fun game and indeed , he got the right balance. The combat is MUCH MUCH better. You actually have to think how to combo each character skill into each other.

Edit: PS Vita version is hella diffferent from Overdose, holy shit.

 

[lightbane]

I wonder what would typical "OLOLO I don't play japanese rpgs 'cuz all of them are silly like FF7" cRPG-loving hardcoer 'Dexers say if they actually tried this game. Probably they would give up during tutorials...

Almost forgot: Jesus, that WoG dungeon looks insane. And you have to finish all of that to get the new endings? Seems quite hardcore.

 

[Puukko]

WoG is good stuff. There's NG+ exclusive bosses too. Only issue is that it's paced to be played alongside the regular dungeons when it could have been an exclusively endgame high level dungeon. As a result I breezed through most of it since I only did it after Mem Aleph.

Grinding Trumpeters is also very funny. No other game where you just kill Fiends by the dozen like that.

 

[Exhuminator]

I beat Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga last night. Didn't even mean to beat it on Halloween eve but fitting enough.

Quick Thoughts:

Digital Devil Saga is an offshoot of the Shin Megami Tensei JRPG series using a modified SMT3 engine. DDS focuses on a futuristic techno-dystopia aesthetic, although infused with demons as expected. The protagonists exist in a world that is not what it seems, fighting their way through something reminiscent of "The Hunger Games" (although DDS predates THG). DDS differentiates itself from mainline SMT by being a linear JRPG with preset protagonists and no demon recruiting. Digital Devil Saga is recommended to any JRPG fan who wants something unique and uncompromising, but they'll need the patience of a cyber-monk to finish it.

+Outstanding OST.
+So. Much. Atmosphere.
+A plot unlike any other RPG I've ever played.
+Deep game mechanics and expansive battle system.
+Serious challenge for serious JRPG players.

-Encounter rate ranges from annoying to absolutely infuriating.
-The random battles are often more deadly than the bosses.
-Sidequest design focuses too much on backtracking for my taste.
-Loads of unresolved plot stuff (wrapped up in the sequel surely).
-The final boss is extraordinarily unfair, good luck!

Took me about 28 hours to finish (no walkthrough or strategy guide used).
I rate DDS an 8/10.

Moving on to the sequel next.

 

[Cromwell]

-Encounter rate ranges from annoying to absolutely infuriating.

wasnt there a fix for this and other fixes for the game when played with an emulator? I thought someone posted that here somewhere.

 

[Exhuminator]

wasnt there a fix for this and other fixes for the game when played with an emulator? I thought someone posted that here somewhere.

No idea. I didn't emulate DDS. I played a legit disc on a real PS2.

 

[GhostCow]

DDS2 has one of the worst final dungeons I've ever encountered and the story is kind of shit. Do yourself a favor and just read some spoilers instead of playing it

 

[lightbane]

-Loads of unresolved plot stuff (wrapped up in the sequel surely).

The sequel is an extended epilogue, yep.

-Encounter rate ranges from annoying to absolutely infuriating.

DO NOT play this on hard when given a choice upon loading a save, you'll regret it. At least the MC learns to run in the sequel, making dungeons less annoying.

 

[Puukko]

DDS is one of the easier games in the series. And well, turbo would help with random encounters, that's how you deal with these older JRPGs in general. The halved encounter rate cheat has problems with boss encounters.

I highly recommend Hard for DDS2. You'll get that option if you import your save from 1, along with items, and decisions in 1 will affect outcomes in 2.

 

[Exhuminator]

DDS is one of the easier games in the series.

I previously beat the PS2 version of Nocturne on legit hardware, without a guide or walkthrough. Have also beaten Soul Hackers as such. I suppose the Famicom and Super Famicom Megami Tensei entries are "the hardest" though.

turbo would help with random encounters, that's how you deal with these older JRPGs in general

If you're emulating sure, but I'm not emulating this stuff.

I highly recommend Hard for DDS2. You'll get that option if you import your save from 1, along with items, and decisions in 1 will affect outcomes in 2.

Duly noted.

 

[Puukko]

The SFC entries are actually generally easier - I haven't played 1, but "just auto bro" is a meme aimed at that game. SMT2 is fairly average to easy difficulty wise - most difficulty will arise from its obtuseness. You won't always be sure where to go (good luck finding Masakado's limbs without a guide) and the combat mechanics can be very opaque. Enemies have partial resistances, you have several different physical categories and whether those skills work from the backrow is up to trial-and-error - you won't know how stuff like makarakarn/tetrakarn/tetraja works (I looked it up, and forgot already) and then there are bugs. You know what's fun? When your best demon's STR overflows during the last battle and he goes from dealing 500 damage a round to 20 damage. Lol.

It's still very much worth playing and I have fond memories of it, but only once you've got 10 other games in the series under your belt. Not because you're scratching the bottom of the barrel at that point - that would take another 10 games - but because at that point you'll be wearing the mechanics like your favorite piece of underwear and all the accumulated knowledge will help you deal with the game's limitations.

And then there's if..., which is the hardest of the lot and the purest blobber. It's called proto Persona due to its themes and setting, but gameplay wise it's more like a proto Strange Journey. If you want a pure dungeon crawl you can play in a zen like state, this is it. The dungeon design is like those SJ maps posted earlier. My current playthrough is stuck at the last boss's true form (Reiko's route) because I would have to go and grind a whole new set of demons as well as get the best sword in the game because the boss is immune to gun, which basically everyone builds their MC around, and has resistance against everything but swords. I can just imagine the shit eating grin on the devs' faces when they came up with that one. And then there's Akira's NG+ route which is supposedly even harder. Still on my list for when I get the inspiration.

So I suppose ranking the three mainline games as being easy/medium/hard in that order wouldn't be too far off.

Haven't beat the Majin Tensei games or Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei so can't offer an opinion on those, except that KMT will crush your balls in the beginning.

 

[lightbane]

What's the consensus regarding the lesser known SMT games like Demikids and Last Bible?

 

[Exhuminator]

I can just imagine the shit eating grin on the devs' faces when they came up with that one.

What you described is pure trolling sadism, ugh.

Thanks for your breakdown on SMT difficulty. I don't intend to play every game in the Megami Tensei universe. I do intend to play Strange Journey eventually. I've to the 3DS version of that one. As far as the older stuff goes, Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei has always looked interesting from a distance. But the reality of its play may be more than my patience can bear these days. I respect anyone who can make it through stuff like that and If... in this day and age.

 

[spekkio]

BROs, cool story about Strange Journey Redux

Reached fifth sphere of Womb of Grief as Lawfag:

Got my ass kicked by BRO Zeus. I mean, I coud've killed him, but wasting (too) many items. My main problem was lack of demons with buffs/debuffs (wanted to make these ~ level 70, in preparation for the endgame). Anyway, decided to go back to the main game and start Horologium to train some niggaz there. When suddenly!

Yeah. No gods or demons, only rape.

Unfortunately, becoming a Neutralfag meant that I have to fuse some decent Neutral demons for follow-up attacks. Or kill Zeus for the "follow-ups with demons of any alignment" Forma. But to grind in Horo, I had to kill the russian Lawbitch first. Using my current setup of mostly Law demons...

#cockblocked



Anyway, decided to create some decent Einsatzgruppe of Windfags (both Zeus and Lawgirl are weak to wind).

Substitute bench in case of trouble:

Anyway, killed both cockblockers and went into Holo / WoG 6th sphere.

Still mere ~90 hrs of gameplay...

Spoiler

Send help.

 

[dacencora]

Playing HeartGold currently. It's major nostalgia bait for me because I played Gold for hours upon hours as a kid. It's really fun, though. I highly recommend it if you haven't played it.

 

[flyingjohn]

Playing HeartGold currently. It's major nostalgia bait for me because I played Gold for hours upon hours as a kid. It's really fun, though. I highly recommend it if you haven't played it.

You should play the sacredgold romhack,more difficult and balanced.

 

[dacencora]

Playing HeartGold currently. It's major nostalgia bait for me because I played Gold for hours upon hours as a kid. It's really fun, though. I highly recommend it if you haven't played it.

You should play the sacredgold romhack,more difficult and balanced.

I'm sure I'll replay this one later on. I'll keep that in mind when I replay it. Thanks!

 

[dacencora]

Not sure if it counts as a JRPG, but I'm playing Pokemon MD: Explorers of the Sky. Quite a fun dungeon-delving roguelike. Shame the friendly AI is retarded, and the difficulty is uneven: At points, you're steamrolling the opposition, then, suddenly bad weather fucks up your party, and you stumble upon a Monster House (aka the room is flooded by powerful enemies), cutting your escape. THEN you step into a trap tile when you try to move to boot.

Finally finished this game, then watched a LP for the postgame because it's actually boring. Took me 50+ hours. Quite good and highly recommended, don't let the Pokemon look fool you, this game IS NOT for kids: The difficulty spikes near the end, with enemies capable of spamming attacks that insta-kill your entire party, traps that can remove party members from your party for the entire dungeon (or even make your escort vanish and thus fail a "escort NPC" mission"), enemies love to target your vulnerable units, you can accidentally wander into post-game dungeons you randomly unlock that will tear your apart if you're not prepared, some Pokemon choices for your avatar are horrible traps that will make things VERY hard, the plot is mature and not bad (no swearing and at one point you're tied in front of an execution squad lead by the villain, who decides to have you clawed to death before you have a chance to escape), etc.

The Super Mystery Dungeon has lots of QoL improvements, but many steps back, including random items you can grab to get bonuses that have a RT timer to be acquired. In a fucking turn-based game. You also cannot make suspend saves, which is absolutely criminal. For good or bad balance is also nonexistent due having 700+ of the critters present: Being one-shotted by an attack off-screen can happen. At least your partner dying is not an instant loss. The plot is also sadly more "kiddy", which is a step-back compared to EoS.

It's also odd that your avatar is a school boy that was transported from whatever he is to a Pokemon world... And he still goes to a school as a pokemon, derp. At least most of the classes are survival/battle themed.

What do you think of Rescue Team DX? I have heard that the Explorers games are the best, but I have rarely seen Explorers compared to DX.

 

[lightbane]

Still mere ~90 hrs of gameplay...

God, it takes forever. I watched a LP of the OG game from LParchive with all the endings and such since I wanted to skip directly to the enhanced version, but sadly, to get the new content you pretty much have to replay the game multiple times, it seems. Also, in the OG game Gore got butthurt and hostile if you were anything but neutral upon meeting him in the last level. Is this the same here?

What do you think of Rescue Team DX? I have heard that the Explorers games are the best, but I have rarely seen Explorers compared to DX.

No idea, I don't have a Switch and I dunno if I should bother with that one, I remember reading a LP of Rescue Team, which is what got me to get the EoS game for my 3DS. The following game was shit IIRC, so I skipped directly to Super Mystery Dungeon, which I still have to replay and finish. I'm not sure if I'll bother with a remake of the first game for now.

 

[spekkio]

in the OG game Gore got butthurt and hostile if you were anything but neutral upon meeting him in the last level. Is this the same here?

Yup, it's the same in Redux.

I wanted to skip directly to the enhanced version, but sadly, to get the new content you pretty much have to replay the game multiple times, it seems.

AFAIK there are only two areas that require New Game+ : one in Grus (entire second part of the level - it was present in OG as well) and one in WoG (after killing the final boss of the Womb). Everything else in the game (main & WoG) can be accessed during first play. Axcept some small Law or Chaos -only areas (one quest and one fight -> weapon for each alignment).

ATM I'm at the end of 6th sphere of WoG. IMO it's the best (the most fun to explore) dungeon in the game. So fags baawing about new art style and Demeter / Red Cunt being "out of place" can suck it. Redux is worth playing just for the WoG alone.

Anyway... The train doesn't stop!

Fantastic fight. You either buff yourself FAST, or you're dead.

Fucking finally! One of the most useful Apps (shows invisible floor panels). This and all 3 Visualizers OFC.

Killed all evil bitches...

Demon Sources are a great idea. Much better than random skill inheritance (SMT3). But also better than total control (DS, SMT4).

Anyway, only one thing left - final boss of the WoG:

Oh, and to add some useful content: I've enhanced the best map of WoG's 5th sphere, made by Sis moiraipine. By adding info about number of teleporter's "petals" (people who played Redux should know what I'm talking about). Plus, woman (?) missed 3 teleporters.

Anyway, with this map and the App that shows you where each teleporter leads, traversing this area (the most difficult in the game) should be a breeze.

If this map is still not enough, there's also another one available, with ALL info this time:

 

[Viata]

The last good MegaTen game