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Castlevania: Harmony of Despair |OT|
- Thread starter Shard
- Start date
Daigoro said:oh god.
exactly the kind of shit i didnt want to hear while my box has been being repaired during 3/4 of the SOA bullshit.
There are plenty of people on. It just seems like the people on are the people who are super into the game and farm the last two stages for ultimate stuff. The community will definitely leave pretty quickly though without any updates. No idea what they were thinking with only six stages. Not to mention the game is practically unplayable on hard solo.
Absoludacrous
Member
Shanks said:
Yea, this game seems to magnify the end-game problem of MMOs. You have people at the highest level who only want to do the highest level things, making it virtually impossible for new people to catch up.
I wonder how many groups would be willing to start on Chapter 1 Normal.
It's a shame. It's especially bad that this only took a week to develop.
Not really?Shanks said:
Sure, you may have to play it a little in multiplayer first, but once you get some drops you can play it in single-player, with every character, I think.
"It takes 5 minutes and/or i can use one of my less strong characters so that i can help the newbies without doing all the job."Absoludacrous said:
If there's someone online who doesn't think like this, he's an idiot and you shouldn't waste your time playing with him anyway.
It's a different story if he has 5 full-developed characters already, but who has?
Otherwise I'm sure you can get some people to help, and if I as the host see that i can only select Chapter 1-2 normal i know that there's someone in the lobby who is stuck there, so i'll help.
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
My review of this game is up:
http://pepsimanvsjoe.blogspot.com/2010/08/xbla-look-castlevania-harmony-of.html
I like it but uh...can't say I can recommend it really.
There's also a number of things I didn't mention because I would have been up all night talking about them. It's probably for the best that I waited around a week after I last played the game to write the review.
http://pepsimanvsjoe.blogspot.com/2010/08/xbla-look-castlevania-harmony-of.html
I like it but uh...can't say I can recommend it really.
There's also a number of things I didn't mention because I would have been up all night talking about them. It's probably for the best that I waited around a week after I last played the game to write the review.
divisionbyzorro
Member
Shanks said:
The game really needed a random castle generator. Just something to keep it from getting stale and predictable every time.
divisionbyzorro
Member
Snuggler said:
Click the right stick.
Shanks said:
Pretty spot on. It's only playable on hard solo if your previously played online multiplayer on hard before and got the ultimate items. With the best armors and weapon it's a breeze but you actually need to beat the latter levels to get those. Really uneven. It's pretty clear the number of assets was limited. They simply reycled stuff from SOTN, DoS, PoR and OoE. They pretty much used everything already...
divisionbyzorro
Member
So I'll repeat a question from yesterday that I think got missed:
I'm looking for a good FAQ for this game. Something that details the item/spell drops for each character, as well as suggested builds. Does anything like that exist out there?
I'm looking for a good FAQ for this game. Something that details the item/spell drops for each character, as well as suggested builds. Does anything like that exist out there?
Vamphuntr said:
Oh come on. My little brother has played and beat all of Hard mode with Jonathan solo, having never been online a single time. I've done a majority of it with Charlotte myself, but I have been online. However, it's not like Online play makes HER stronger... it actually kinda gimps her, since it's much harder to absorb skills when people are killing off the monsters.
Granted, it was HARD to do, but... I think that's the point.
Absoludacrous said:
I'd hope the GaF tag would help with this. Along with the fact that character like Jonathan, Charlotte, and Shanoa get very little difference from playing on harder stages, VS basic ones.
This is why I dislike people grinding up weapon levels in survival and the like; the game itself would last longer if people just played it like normal. Instead, everyone just rushes the first exploit they find, and then there are complaints of "why didn't this last me as long as I thought it would?"
In response, I just think of a quote from Croix in La Pucelle Tactics (EN): "You've only got yourself to blame!", harsh as that may be.
divisionbyzorro said:
Yeah, I still wish it had the ability to set rules for your room; I'd force my groups to playing through hard stages with default weapons XD Perfect teamwork, or absolute, embarassing, shameful death!! :lol
Eh, the closest you'll get to any of that is GameFAQs message boards, as far as I know. While FAQs and assistance would be nice for the obscure details the game doesn't teach you (such as absorbing skills with Charlotte, or things like Shanoa's excellent dual weapon strike speed), I strongly suggest you "feel out" what works best for you, build wise, on a personal level. Much of the fun of the game is in doing this, and you rob yourself of a lot of the enjoyment of discovery by playing this game only in certain ways.
Snuggler said:
Also note that there is an additional zoom mode (3x Zoom) that is not set on by default. You have to go and assign it in the options menu. It's the closet, most SOTN-like view, and makes the game feel much more authentic.
Note also that I've played this game exclusively on an SD TV: 31, 29, and 13 inch varieties, even! It was just as playable on each, though the squinting for HD-favoring text of course occured.
Daigoro said:
I wouldn't mind joining in on those normal runs, either. I'll still be tied up in MNC, maybe Lara croft, and definitely scott pilgrim and shank, so my Jonathan and Soma should be pretty reasonable to fight alongside. Not to mention you can easily choose to NOT equip Alucard and Soma with Uber weapons, to go through the game with plesant-for-party-play stats.
I'd welcome the chance to go through the game "fresh", as that's a LOT more fun than forced "broken-exploit-b0rken!" gameplay, anyway.
divisionbyzorro
Member
So...how do you beat the Puppet Master on Hard? I've been leveling up a Shanoa, and my regular gaming buddy is playing a Soma. Is it even possible to beat him with that combo? We can't seem to kill his little puppets before he drops them in the Iron Maidens.
If you want to beat him solo, it's imperative that you place the crates in front of the iron maidens that have them. You'll close his roaming area to a very small one, which will give you a lot more breathing room. You may think that this is impossible to do solo because of the one room that "requires" another player to fully access (the one with two gates and switches), but you don't need them because the trigger area for the switch is very large. Go as far as you can while still being able to activate it; then, as soon as it's activated, slide in the direction you need to go in. If you get the timing right, you'll slip past the gate as it's closing and you'll have opened the path into the rest of the map.
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
divisionbyzorro said:
Soma should be using an attack that hits a ton of times(like the bubbles from the bulldog-looking dudes. Between that and a fast fist weapon it shouldn't be any trouble. There are a few good souls(like Buer) that'll make decent protection from the dolls.
Shanoa should just mash away and maybe throw out a laser(from the Nova skeletons) beforehand to get a few hits in). The fists are slightly faster and if you're extremely lucky you might have her green wind regular attack. Use either and it shouldn't be too much trouble.
The main thing is using attacks that do a ton of hits, not damage. It takes three hits to destroy a puppet on normal solo so on hard with two people it takes about 300. Hyperbole maybe but hey you may as well go for broke.
EDIT:
Oh hey I'm still two achievements shy of 200/200. Anyone willing to get together to do the Boned and Dual Special attack achievements?
Gamertag is : PepsimanVsJoe
viewtiful_dru
Member
Anybody down to play? I'll be on for about an hour and a half.
GT: drubski
also, whats the GT for the GAF CVHD list?
GT: drubski
also, whats the GT for the GAF CVHD list?
Witchfinder General
punched Wheelchair Mike
Can anyone tell me what is the best gear for Alucard? Including rare drops.
Also, is there an item that heals you for every hit you've landed? I've noticed some Soma players constantly heal themselves with certain weapons.
Also, is there an item that heals you for every hit you've landed? I've noticed some Soma players constantly heal themselves with certain weapons.
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
Witchfinder General said:
Succubus soul.
Wizpig said:Good luck
I'm still waiting for
[IM]http://www.iouppo.com/life/pic1/ff9ca291798ca804bb036c4eb5f4bc54.png[/IMG]
gee thanks.
i played for a bit today. tried out a few of the different characters and grabbed some looks.
my Alucard is currently wearing sandals, hobo clothes, and a monocle. whoo!
i think ill have fun grinding in this game. probably wont bother with online until i can find a few people to party up with or i get some good drops to equip.
Alucard relies heavily on gear, and most gear, unfortunately, suck. If you want to grind and be able to get a relatively strong character without grinding the last chapters on hard for gear, I'd suggest you play Charlotte (absorb spells to "level up"), Shanoa (use spells to make them stronger) or Jonathan (use sub weapons to make them and Jonathan stronger).Daigoro said:
Also, I'd be willing to play with you. I'm available most evenings and early nights (GMT+1). Maybe not this Saturday, though. My Soma could use some more souls.
PepsimanVsJoe
Member
Once you get all the sub-weapons for Jonathon/Shanoa don't bother trying to level them up through regular play.
-Equip a astral ring
-Equip a mastery ring if you have one
-Do Survival Mode on Hard with ONE other person. Three's a crowd and crowds don't build weapon levels.
-Spam whatever on gergoth and suicide when you run out of HP, repeat.
-Use the minute or so of downtime to grind away on your favorite handheld RPG..or browse the internet.
-You'll at least get through the five or six levels on one weapon relatively quickly. It turns into a serious grind after that so switch weapons if you start to go insane.
-Set the weapon you're going to spam the most to down + B. Just hold down and tap B and LB as rapidly as you can for some insane spammage. This also works in the regular game if you're up to it. I bet there are some sick Jonathons out there that use Astral Ring with whatever food drops they can get their hands on for some very creative playthroughs.
-I think setting all four of the subweapons to the same one adds a slight exp boost but eh that's most likely false.
-This was mentioned earlier in the thread but hey it's definitely worth repeating.
Kind of hoping Maria and Julius develop in a similar manner. I already have almost all of the best gear anyway (except for Valmanway *shakes fist*)
-Equip a astral ring
-Equip a mastery ring if you have one
-Do Survival Mode on Hard with ONE other person. Three's a crowd and crowds don't build weapon levels.
-Spam whatever on gergoth and suicide when you run out of HP, repeat.
-Use the minute or so of downtime to grind away on your favorite handheld RPG..or browse the internet.
-You'll at least get through the five or six levels on one weapon relatively quickly. It turns into a serious grind after that so switch weapons if you start to go insane.
-Set the weapon you're going to spam the most to down + B. Just hold down and tap B and LB as rapidly as you can for some insane spammage. This also works in the regular game if you're up to it. I bet there are some sick Jonathons out there that use Astral Ring with whatever food drops they can get their hands on for some very creative playthroughs.
-I think setting all four of the subweapons to the same one adds a slight exp boost but eh that's most likely false.
-This was mentioned earlier in the thread but hey it's definitely worth repeating.
Kind of hoping Maria and Julius develop in a similar manner. I already have almost all of the best gear anyway (except for Valmanway *shakes fist*)
viewtiful_dru
Member
You'll enjoy the game if you run with a group through all of the chapters, then go back and do them by yourself if you so choose.Daigoro said:
Hmm... Alucard is very gear dependent, but if you do Hard chapters in parties with good people, you should get some of his decent stuff fairly quickly.
There is certainly a curve where the characters become easy to use relative to play time. I think I'd put it something like this:
early game (just starting out on normal, no great equipment, etc)
easy: Soma
medium: Charlotte, Jonathan
hard: Shanoa, Alucard
mid game (playing with parties regularly, and just started Hard chapters, and are also trying to max out characters)
easy: Soma
medium: Charlotte (big time sink), Shanoa
hard: Alucard, Jonathan
late game (have experience with Hard chapters and play in parties regularly to get good gear)
easy: Soma
medium: Alucard, Charlotte, Shanoa,
hard: Jonathan
end game (have all the best gear and spells and you're just looking to speed run or go for high score runs)
easy: Soma, Alucard
medium: Charlotte
hard: Jonathan, Shanoa
Soma's got so much available to him, that he's always good. He's certainly the most versatile character in the game, and he's broken when he gets his best gear and spells.
Alucard IMO is pretty difficult to use at first, but he eventually does get some decent drops while playing through the chapters, and becomes more powerful. Then, once you get the Yasutsuna weapon, all hell breaks loose and Alucard becomes a monster of DPS.
Shanoa starts out fairly weak, since you only get access to her flame spell, the weakest of the 4 (wtf) that she gets and her initial weapons have short range and do nearly no damage. After you absorb some of her other spells (notably the ice and lightning ones), she becomes much easier to use. But maxing out her spells is painful, and by endgame, the other characters can outdamage her with less effort. Still an interesting character to play.
Charlotte is always decent to use. She lacks mobility compared to the other chars but she makes up for it with utility. She gets much better when she absorbs some key spells (Healing, Acid Bubbles and Splash Needle) early on. By mid game she drags on because maxing out her spells (and therefore damage) takes a lot of time, especially when absorbing spells from bosses.
By end game though, she can do a lot, and her damage output and range are superb. Good team player too, cause of healing.
Jonathan isn't so bad early on because he's got range on the whip and you can get several of his subweapons early. But he gets outclassed by the other characters as you go along, and his subweapons take forever to max out. But one he is maxed, his whip does insane damage (like 100+ per hit!) but it doesn't really get much faster, so it pales in comparison to Alu/Soma whose weapons do at least 70 per swing, but each swing does 4 hits or so
. Plus Jon's martial arts moves and subweapons use mana, and he doesn't have an easy way to replenish it.PepsimanVsJoe
Member
Well after a certain point everyone becomes crazy good in their own way. It's just all Alucard needs is a couple Yats and Soma only needs a couple Vals(oh and Succubus Soul for insane HP regen). Everyone else can only get good through a lot of grinding and exploits. Even then to have a chance at approaching parity it requires some crazy build that's really difficult to use properly(like giving Jonathon an Astral Ring because his MP regen sucks and HP refills are easier to come by).
The lack of real balance still blows but on the bright side the additional DLC stages that crop up should add new abilities for Shanoa/Jon/Charlotte which will up their potential damage. Problem is Konami is going to charge for them cause they're dicks.
Charlotte is pretty uber on her own though.
The lack of real balance still blows but on the bright side the additional DLC stages that crop up should add new abilities for Shanoa/Jon/Charlotte which will up their potential damage. Problem is Konami is going to charge for them cause they're dicks.
Eggo said:
Charlotte is pretty uber on her own though.
depths20XX
Member
Got this a few days ago. Haven't really been enjoying it as much as I thought I would. Tried online a few times but it took forever to find people and it seems that most everyone is far beyond me in terms of gear. It feels like they shrunk the rooms in this or something. I know how to zoom in but I just mean in ratio to the character the rooms feel really small compared to how they were on the DS games. Alucards voice isn't nearly as cool as it was in SOTN, unless I'm just imagining things, it seems like they changed it.
I'll definetly play this more when I'm in a mood to grind but I don't think I'll be trying online again.
I'll definetly play this more when I'm in a mood to grind but I don't think I'll be trying online again.
I too am sick of the continuous 5 and 6 hard only runs. I now have a beastly Charlotte but cannot easily advance the Soma or Shanoa I wanna try due to the low enemy kills or treasure collects since it's all about racing to drac for yet another attempt at uberbroken sword.
If anyone wants to actually play the game I'm off today and will likely be up to play at anytime. GT is DarkCloud12X.
If anyone wants to actually play the game I'm off today and will likely be up to play at anytime. GT is DarkCloud12X.