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[Zesh]

Finally finished all of the post-game bosses. Was trying to see if I could beat all of them without grinding at all; managed to beat all but the last three under level 50. Had to level up to 70 for the last two.

I quite enjoyed the new post-game dungeon; was definitely needed for some challenge, as Morrie trivializes the Dragovian Trials. Morrie and Red are very powerful; it's unfortunate that Yangus didn't get any significant buffs, as he's completely useless outside of Kerplunk now.

Decided that I'm not going to bother with the Twinkles, so I'll wrap up by getting the new ending.

 

[Nachtfalke]

What I really like about this 3DS port is the point that it does not feel like one. It does not feel like the usual downport with shoddy framerate, terrible visuals and in general not really adjusted to the hardware like so many PS4 -> Vita downports recently. It's a joy to play the game, it always runs smooth, looks really good on a 3DS and you don't have the feeling you are missing something. I have to say, the developers did an excellent job here.

 

[Phantom Liber]

Well, I didn't have a PS2 when this game first came out but I'm very early in (Tower of Alexandria) and enjoying myself. The voice acting and background events lend it a certain underplayed yet still hammy element. The soundtrack and cel-shaded graphics lend it an epic yet innocent feel so safe to say I like it even if the battle system seems fairly by the book so far.

Edit: Obviously, I've not gotten that far into the skill trees yet so my initial impression doesn't factor in how those might shake things up later.

 

[Speevy]

This is an outstanding game. Probably the best old school RPG released on a 3D console.

 

[Seda]

Finished just about everything you can do in this game. I only need more zombie shop skill seeds I guess to take a picture of him?

I'm surprised how much of this game I remember from back in the day, and it's just as good as I remember it. I think Dragon Quest 8 is a good example of how execution can trump novelty. It just does everything so well, and the balance is great.

The post-game bosses were pretty fun! And Red's final Knive skill is really danergous.

So I keep debating whether to get this or not. I have the original on PS2, and played a few hours of it. But my preference is for RPG's on portables because grinding on the go is so convenient.

Now what's keeping me from picking this up is the visual downgrade. I remember thinking that the game looked beatiful on PS2 with the subtle cell shading and bright colours. All the screenshots and videos of the 3ds version seem to have "dulled" the sharpness of the original with what looks like flat texture and dull colours and it looks kinda darker. Am I wrong and does the game look better in person on the 3ds screen? Also I'd be playing on a n3dsxl meaning everything will be "blown" up.

Anyone have some good impressions?

I think the double-speed battle toggle, change of random encounters to field icons, and being able to save anywhere easily make this game an improvement on the PS2 version. Plus having Red and Morrie can make some late / post game bosses quite a bit more dynamic than what the PS2 version could offer. And yeah, it'll look a little better on the 3DS than screenshots suggest.

 

[Adam Prime]

I just got the castle town where everyone is depressed. When do you unlock Monster Arena and new costumes? I've seen people posting on Miiverse with alternate costumes for everyone. Does that option unlock later in the game?

 

[NSESN]

Beat the Monster Arena and recruited Morrie, what skill trees I should focus with him?

 

[entremet]

I just got the castle town where everyone is depressed. When do you unlock Monster Arena and new costumes? I've seen people posting on Miiverse with alternate costumes for everyone. Does that option unlock later in the game?

You're close to the Monster Arena. It will be very apparent. You will receive a mission before attempting it.

The costumes are later. Although Jessica does get a new one soon.

 

[Zesh]

Beat the Monster Arena and recruited Morrie, what skill trees I should focus with him?

Claws and Passion. You should focus on getting 100 Claws for Hand of God, and 88 Passion for Kazing. He doesn't really need anything else; 93 Clubs can be gotten later for metal slime hunting.

 

[Seda]

I just got the castle town where everyone is depressed. When do you unlock Monster Arena and new costumes? I've seen people posting on Miiverse with alternate costumes for everyone. Does that option unlock later in the game?

Costumes are basically just certain equipments (or sets of equipment) that happen to change appearance. Most are gotten later in the game, some through mini-medals, some through the photo quest, several through alchemy.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

I'm about to fight

Spoiler

Dhoulmagus

for the first time in the Dark Ruins and I want a Zombiesbane. Tempted to sell the Golden Nugget that I have for 5000, but before I do...how many are there in the game? And are they vital for anything?

 

[Teriyaki Blues]

I'm about to fight

Spoiler

Dhoulmagus

for the first time in the Dark Ruins and I want a Zombiesbane. Tempted to sell the Golden Nugget that I have for 5000, but before I do...how many are there in the game? And are they vital for anything?

You can get these from the Blue treasure chests that you can open once a day on the world map. I got four of them from the ones at Mystical Spring (by the house near there) and Monster Arena (behind the building), so they're infinite (in theory). They are vital for several recipes. I threw all of mine in the Alchemy Pot as quickly as I got them.

If you have access to a Casino, loading up on 999 Magic Water and selling it to a vendor is profitable. Same exchange rate of tokens to gold coins as Prayer Rings, you just have to buy more.

 

[malikhaing_bayag]

Just got Angelo. What's a better build for him, swords or bows?

 

[Nachtfalke]

Just got Angelo. What's a better build for him, swords or bows?

I don't think the sword skills are that great, especially later on. I still put 30 points into it for more strength at that time. But I focussed on staves and charisma later on. Angelo is my guy for healing and buffs and he does an excellent job doing it. But that's just one possibility.

 

[Linkura]

Just got Angelo. What's a better build for him, swords or bows?

Swords. You want to max Staves for sure for the spells and such too. Did fine without putting anything into Charmisa except for Squelch.

 

[Nachtfalke]

I just beat the story boss, which was a bit too easy imo with a level 40 party. Took me 55h so far. Loved to see what the post game offers, especially the new bonus dungeons sounds very promosing. Will definitely swap out Yangus for Morrie, not sure about Red, since Angelo and Jessica are still very awesome in my current build.

 

[Linkura]

Red is indispensable for a couple of the new bosses; otherwise I mostly used Jessica and Angelo myself.

 

[GeekyDad]

Wanna replace Yangus with Red. Does she have a skill that will compare to Yangus' Executioner?

 

[Mister_Ruck]

Is it normal for Hero to hit like a wet noodle compared to Yangus? My Hero is nearly maxed on Spears and has gear comparable to the gear I have Yangus wearing but he hits for ~30-40 less on average. If this is normal, I'm really not sure what Hero is good for besides boomerangs which are becoming increasingly irrelevant. Just a secondary healer?

 

[Zesh]

Wanna replace Yangus with Red. Does she have a skill that will compare to Yangus' Executioner?

She doesn't have a critical skill, but she outdoes him in terms of damage once you invest in Knives. You'll want Yangus for metal slime hunting, though.

Is it normal for Hero to hit like a wet noodle compared to Yangus? My Hero is nearly maxed on Spears and has gear comparable to the gear I have Yangus wearing but he hits for ~30-40 less on average. If this is normal, I'm really not sure what Hero is good for besides boomerangs which are becoming increasingly irrelevant. Just a secondary healer?

Yangus has more strength, which is probably why. The Hero becomes the best healer in the game once he has Omniheal, which is his main role later on. Yangus drops in usefulness once you get Morrie and Red, who are both better damage dealers than he is.

 

[Mister_Ruck]

Yangus has more strength, which is probably why. The Hero becomes the best healer in the game once he has Omniheal, which is his main role later on. Yangus drops in usefulness once you get Morrie and Red, who are both better damage dealers than he is.

Ah ok, this makes sense. Now that I think about it I bet Angelo can hit harder than Hero. I just usually have him take the brunt of the healing while Hero attacks since he's the only one who knows Multiheal at the moment.

 

[SkywardBeam]

Any suggestion for a Red build? With Morrie I went for Claws and Passion so far. For Red I suppose Roguery is a must (?), but what should you pick as her main weapon? Knives or fans? (especially for the past-game content, where I read she becomes indispensable)

I also don't know where to put my remaining points for Yangus and hero. They are both at level 39. With Yangus I already maxed Axes and have Humanity at 82 points (I don't think Army of the Old Ones is worth the 100 points). Should I put some in Scythes or rather in Fisticuffs (especially considering the utility for post-game)?
With Hero i have Swords at 66 points and Courage maxed out. Is any of the higher sword skills really worth it? Or should I rather put the remaining points in Spears, especially considering metal slime hunting for post-game?

 

[Zesh]

Any suggestion for a Red build? With Morrie I went for Claws and Passion so far. For Red I suppose Roguery is a must (?), but what should you pick as her main weapon? Knives or fans? (especially for the past-game content, where I read she becomes indispensable)

Get 39 Roguery for Full Heal. You can bring it up to 66 to improve her stealing, but I didn't do that until later on.

7 Fisticuffs is also worthwhile to get Defending Champion, which is useful in the post-game.

Both Fans and Knives are good. Fans will get you Dance of Life at 82 (basically Kazing), and Butterfly Bop at 100 is useful as well. For Knives, Toxic Sword at 76 is useful, and Blade Cascade at 100 is one of the most powerful skills in the game.

Personally, I went 39 Roguery > 82 Fans > 7 Fisticuffs > 100 Knives.

I also don't know where to put my remaining points for Yangus and hero. They are both at level 39. With Yangus I already maxed Axes and have Humanity at 82 points (I don't think Army of the Old Ones is worth the 100 points). Should I put some in Scythes or rather in Fisticuffs (especially considering the utility for post-game)?
With Hero i have Swords at 66 points and Courage maxed out. Is any of the higher sword skills really worth it? Or should I rather put the remaining points in Spears, especially considering metal slime hunting for post-game?

Yangus isn't very useful in post-game outside of Kerplunk, which you already have. Feel free to level whatever you like at this point.

Miracle Slash isn't bad, but in the post-game, the Hero is mainly an Omniheal bot, which you already have. I'd get 11 Fisticuffs for Defending Champion and 59 Spears for Lightning Thrust.

 

[GeekyDad]

She doesn't have a critical skill, but she outdoes him in terms of damage once you invest in Knives. You'll want Yangus for metal slime hunting, though.

Hmm...I'm loath to get rid of Angelo, though, as he's kinda been my default healer/reviver. And can't get rid of Jessica because...well, she's hot.

 

[DMiz]

My own major problem with the graphics in this port - which are still phenomenal in so many ways - is how garish some of the over-saturated textures are in order to compensate for a darker 3DS screen.

Having played the original title so many times, the opening area was a bit of an eye-sore with how yellow-green the grass looked.

Otherwise, the downgrade in the music is the other major disappointment.

Those aside - this is still the same charming tale that I remember. Absolutely fantastic journey that few other RPGs can lay claim to. Hopefully this will get more fans and reinvigorate interest in the upcoming Dragon Quest 11.

 

[Arkeband]

Any suggestion for a Red build? With Morrie I went for Claws and Passion so far. For Red I suppose Roguery is a must (?), but what should you pick as her main weapon? Knives or fans? (especially for the past-game content, where I read she becomes indispensable)

I also don't know where to put my remaining points for Yangus and hero. They are both at level 39. With Yangus I already maxed Axes and have Humanity at 82 points (I don't think Army of the Old Ones is worth the 100 points). Should I put some in Scythes or rather in Fisticuffs (especially considering the utility for post-game)?
With Hero i have Swords at 66 points and Courage maxed out. Is any of the higher sword skills really worth it? Or should I rather put the remaining points in Spears, especially considering metal slime hunting for post-game?

If you max Swords, your Gigaslash turns into Gigagash.

 

[Taruranto]

This damn camera side quest is so addictive. But I really should save it for the end of the game, no point interrupting the journey every time to go backtrack and take photos.

The Cock and the Bull scene was pretty lulz.

 

[SkywardBeam]

Thanks for your tipps everyone
I think I'll definitely put some points into Spears for Hero, the 100 points in Swords for Gigagash just don't seem worth it.

Also concerning the new story content, don't forget to pay the Great Kalderasha a visit after you've defeated

Spoiler

Dhoulmagus

. You'll get a nice new story sequence that expands on the latter's past.

 

[Linkura]

Get 39 Roguery for Full Heal. You can bring it up to 66 to improve her stealing, but I didn't do that until later on.

7 Fisticuffs is also worthwhile to get Defending Champion, which is useful in the post-game.

Both Fans and Knives are good. Fans will get you Dance of Life at 82 (basically Kazing), and Butterfly Bop at 100 is useful as well. For Knives, Toxic Sword at 76 is useful, and Blade Cascade at 100 is one of the most powerful skills in the game.

Personally, I went 39 Roguery > 82 Fans > 7 Fisticuffs > 100 Knives.

I did this except I did 100 fans. Butterfly Bop is great. Blade Cascade is also great. Red is a damn good character.

Also concerning the new story content, don't forget to pay the Great Kalderasha a visit after you've defeated

Spoiler

Dhoulmagus

. You'll get a nice new story sequence that expands on the latter's past.

Oh shit can I do this in the post game? What happens exactly?

 

[GeekyDad]

So, when Red's knife skill is maxed out, does she get the passive bonuses (attack bonus, crit increase, etc.) when she equips swords, or is it still just for knives?

 

[Zesh]

So, when Red's knife skill is maxed out, does she get the passive bonuses (attack bonus, crit increase, etc.) when she equips swords, or is it still just for knives?

They apply to swords too.

 

[Hyoukokun]

This damn camera side quest is so addictive. But I really should save it for the end of the game, no point interrupting the journey every time to go backtrack and take photos.

You get some reasonably decent items from it, and it may point you toward sidequests or monsters you'd otherwise miss. I wouldn't obsess over getting everything, but definitely at least take photos opportunistically.

I finished the main game last night.

Spoiler

Rhapthorne steamrollered my team at ~lvl 39 but was fairly easy at ~41. I enjoyed the post-boss scenes; kind of sad that the post game appears to roll back the clock so that everything happens pre-final-boss.

 

[GeekyDad]

They apply to swords too.

thanks

 

[MoonFrog]

Started playing this yesterday. It was my first Dragon Quest back in the day, and really one of my first JRPGs I played to completion (twice). It is interesting going back after having played Dragon Quest I-IX and playing the game that started my love of the series. I'm just getting to the western continent now.

It is funny because I have a lot of games sitting around that I haven't completed yet and was in the process of playing, so I thought I would just buy the game to support the series on Nintendo platforms in the west (lost cause, I know, but I want DQXI 3DS and Switch!). Instead, I haven't been able to put the game down. I really like it and it makes me even more hyped for DQ XI. God I hope that is localized fast.

I finished the main game last night.

Spoiler

Rhapthorne steamrollered my team at ~lvl 39 but was fairly easy at ~41. I enjoyed the post-boss scenes; kind of sad that the post game appears to roll back the clock so that everything happens pre-final-boss.

Yeah would have been cool if, say,

Spoiler

Medea

had been a post game character. I'd have liked that a lot.

 

[redcrayon]

Finished the main story, what a great ending! Final boss himself was a bit dull but the battle was interesting. Still, the scenes after that were great. Awesome game, loved every minute, one of the most well-rounded JRPGs I've played.

 

[Crimson_Echidna]

You know, playing this game again has been a breathe of fresh air. I remember buy the original release on the PS2 a decade ago on a whim because I saw that X-Play gave it a glowing review.

 

[Linkura]

Also concerning the new story content, don't forget to pay the Great Kalderasha a visit after you've defeated

Spoiler

Dhoulmagus

. You'll get a nice new story sequence that expands on the latter's past.

Ended up booting up the game to do this. It works even as far as the post-game. Very nice, long sequence.

 

[terencecah]

I'm about 4 hours in and I have my 3rd, but not 4th character

I've died twice to a boss, please tell me that I shouldn't start over and just keep leveling.


I see so many people have different builds, are most builds viable?

 

[Hazmat]

I'm about 4 hours in and I have my 3rd, but not 4th character

I've died twice to a boss, please tell me that I shouldn't start over and just keep leveling.


I see so many people have different builds, are most builds viable?

There's no reason to start over. I imagine all builds are viable, though some will be more effective than others.

 

[aidan]

I'm about 4 hours in and I have my 3rd, but not 4th character

I've died twice to a boss, please tell me that I shouldn't start over and just keep leveling.


I see so many people have different builds, are most builds viable?

You can't really mess up your build for the main game. Try to focus on one main weapon for each character (rather than spreading yourself too thin), remember that you can un/equip weapons in battle through the Item menu, and when it doubt, grind for levels. You'll be fine.

This is the skill FAQ that I like to use: https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/583527-dragon-quest-viii-journey-of-the-cursed-king/33338154

 

[terencecah]

Thanks guys, I won't start over.


I generally don't like crafting aspects of games

How should I pay attention to them? Any tips or guidelines?

 

[darkmark1987]

Started playing this today, think I have rose tinted memory as the hero seems to run sluggishly, sure it's my memory but don't recall that on ps2

 

[Raw64life]

Beat the main game in 38 hours. Every bit as amazing as I remember and the new additions were great. One of my favorite games of all time.

At first I wasn't planning on doing the Dragovian Trials because of the insane grinding required but the enemies being on screen and camera tricks you can do to make them rapidly spawn make grinding a breeze.

Only post-game disappointment is that the new post game "dungeon" is really just a boss rush. I was hoping for more of an actual dungeon.

 

[redcrayon]

Thanks guys, I won't start over.


I generally don't like crafting aspects of games

How should I pay attention to them? Any tips or guidelines?

You'll pick up loads of recipes from bookcases throughout the game. If you don't want to spend time experimenting, every so often look at the alchemy pot and click on 'show all recipes', it'll show you everything you know that you can make with the stuff in the bag. It's definitely worth experimenting with the healing items to make better magic potions, better healing potions etc though.

 

[terencecah]

Beat the main game in 38 hours. Every bit as amazing as I remember and the new additions were great. One of my favorite games of all time.

At first I wasn't planning on doing the Dragovian Trials because of the insane grinding required but the enemies being on screen and camera tricks you can do to make them rapidly spawn make grinding a breeze.

Only post-game disappointment is that the new post game "dungeon" is really just a boss rush. I was hoping for more of an actual dungeon.

what camera trick?

 

[entremet]

You know, playing this game again has been a breathe of fresh air. I remember buy the original release on the PS2 a decade ago on a whim because I saw that X-Play gave it a glowing review.

We need more old school JPRGs. At least DQXI is coming.

 

[NSESN]

Finished the game, I like this more than 7, however I enjoyed the small stories from 7 more than the story from 8. I really liked that syle and I wish more games would do that. The gameplay, however, is much better in 8, it is really fast compared to 7, tension is good addition and the skill system was more enjoyable than the job system to me.

 

[Raw64life]

what camera trick?

Not really a "trick" I guess. An enemy on screen despawns as soon as you turn the camera away from it unless the enemy is really close to you. So if you're hunting for metal slimes you can just stand in an area with 2 or 3 monsters on screen and pan the camera back and forth and it'll constantly spawn new monsters. Makes hunting for metal slimes way easier compared to the PS2 version.

 

[Xeno_V]

Forgive my laziness to go through the whole thread but is there some simple summary here or in any website that you would recommend for skill points distribution for all characters?
I just started the game, 2 hours in and I wouldn't mind going with a pretty good plan for this.

 

[kenta]

Forgive my laziness to go through the whole thread but is there some simple summary here or in any website that you would recommend for skill points distribution for all characters?
I just started the game, 2 hours in and I wouldn't mind going with a pretty good plan for this.

Sure, there's a link to a skill FAQ on this page: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1335290&page=26