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[flyinpiranha]

Yeah, it really is impressive. I'll probably end up buying it just for collector's sake.

The only thing I don't get about the guide is why is there no overworld map in this thing?!?

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

There are basically two ways to play multiplayer.

1: Lower-level person joins a higher level game.
2: Higher-level person joins a lower level game.

The game's plot doesn't proceed at all for the guest. And the guest is limited to "only" going places where the host can go. You just run around with somebody, and then your friend stops and a film icon appears above his head, and you say "Oh no. He's stuck watching a cutscene" and you go wander off to do something else until they're done.

If you're a low-level person joining a higher level game, you basically get dragged along like dead weight to a bunch of advanced areas like bowholes and grottos that you've never seen before, and you get a share of the money and experience, can raid some advanced weapon stores, and open some better blue chests (in multiplayer, a blue chest can basically be opened 2-4 times and give out 2-4 items so nobody misses out).

If you're a high-level person joining a low level game, you are basically a disinterested bodyguard/enforcer. You swat some bothersome flies and get worshipped for your awesomeness.

#1 is good for grinding the lower level person's game (but only for their hero), #2 is good for rushing the lower level person's game forward (leaving them a little underpowered, but they can always catch up quicker).

I guess method #3 would be two people with similar levels joining each other, in which case the guest plays a dungeon for a while, doesn't get to see the cutscenes, and then has to turn right around and do it all over again (with the cutscenes this time) after they go home. Or two advanced people just playing grottoes for the heck of it.

Sounds totally unfun.

 

[Oxx]

Grrr. Any grotto with Darkominium Slimes in is just a massive chore.

 

[Johnas]

The only thing I don't get about the guide is why is there no overworld map in this thing?!?

Wow, I didn't catch that. Pretty big blunder, considering just about every other minute detail seemed to make it.

Finally passed the 200-hour mark today, I think I have 13 regular quests left, and after that I guess I just revocate some more while I wait for the rest of the downloadable quests to slowly trickle.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Grrr. Any grotto with Darkominium Slimes in is just a massive chore.

I found a tower where a couple of people talked about grottos, but I don't think I've encountered anything like it yet. They told me I need the maps for them, but I haven't heard much since. Is that just hinting for something to do later on in the game or is that something I can access now?

 

[jgkspsx]

:lol OK, I guess I went a little overboard with quests and grinding before the last boss.

Spoiler

Between the two final mini-bosses and the last boss.

Went down in like four turns. Gladiator w/ Uber Falcon Blade, Martial Artist w/ Solar Fan, Armamentalist w/ Soul Breaker, Sage w/ brand new Hieroglyph Wand. Gritty Ditty X 2, Light Fource All, Feel the Burn, Forbearance, and Blind Man's Biff from the first three characters. Poor Sagey was still casting Kabuff and Magic Barrier when my MC did 6300 damage to finish him off and never got an attack in.

I didn't expect it to go that easily!

Moving onto post-game quests... it's really frustrating to find grottoes without any way to move quick over the world map. Do you guys use a world map online or something?

 

[flyinpiranha]

Moving onto post-game quests... it's really frustrating to find grottoes without any way to move quick over the world map. Do you guys use a world map online or something?

There is a quest that gives you access to the

Spoiler

Starflight Express so you can fly everywhere after you beat the game. Go talk to Jonas in her house in Porth Llaffan (sp) - the town where you beat the Leviathon.

 

[MrPliskin]

There is a quest that gives you access to the

Spoiler

Starflight Express so you can fly everywhere after you beat the game. Go talk to Jonas in her house in Porth Llaffan (sp) - the town where you beat the Leviathon.

He's talking about actually finding the grottos, i.e. there's no easily viewable world map in the game, and I share the sentiments that it is annoying.

 

[lordoftherink]

I found a tower where a couple of people talked about grottos, but I don't think I've encountered anything like it yet. They told me I need the maps for them, but I haven't heard much since. Is that just hinting for something to do later on in the game or is that something I can access now?

You'll get your first treasure map outside of Zere Rocks, I don't know how far you are in the game, but it's around the middle of the story.

i.e. there's no easily viewable world map in the game, and I share the sentiments that it is annoying.

Press Y?

 

[Gaming Truth]

He's talking about actually finding the grottos, i.e. there's no easily viewable world map in the game, and I share the sentiments that it is annoying.

The Prima guide is great for that. It shows all the possible locations a grotto could appear on the map. Basically, you would look at your clue. Then leaf through like five pages of possible matches. When you find a match, you'll know exactly what region it is in.

 

[botticus]

Moving onto post-game quests... it's really frustrating to find grottoes without any way to move quick over the world map. Do you guys use a world map online or something?

Here you go!

http://dq9.ffsky.cn/maplocation.htm

 

[donny2112]

So I got a Lvl. 94 Sapphire Nest of Doom cave map with 16 levels. However level 15 is empty. Why? Was there a removed enemy type from the game? Maybe supposed to be a

Spoiler

Platinum Jewel Slime

-only floor, but they decided to specifically prevent that? Any ideas of what's going on there?

Found another mention of someone getting an empty floor here, too. No definitive answers, though.

 

[Gaming Truth]

Here you go!

http://dq9.ffsky.cn/maplocation.htm

Like the ones from the Prima guide, but in Japanese. =)

I wonder who borrowed from whom.

 

[Quixzlizx]

IIRC, if you worked a character from level 1 up to level 99, you'd get about two or three hundred points. Maxing out one of the trees costs 100 points. So if you don't change jobs, you can max out your job skills and one or two weapons. If you change jobs and max them all out to 99, you can max out all the job skills and almost all of the weapons.

If you're not even going to max out one job, then you don't have enough points to waste points on weapons you won't use.

You can and probably should give each character points in a unique weapon (like give your Minstrel fans, your Warrior swords, your Priest spears, and your Mage wands, or whatever). If you want to play around and experiment, maybe do it with your recruited characters, not your hero, because they are basically disposable (not like that really matters, but if you're going to "gimp" someone...).

So you're supposed to gain 3 skill points every time you level? When I beat the boss in the

Spoiler

Hexagon

, I leveled, and then went straight to a cut-scene. When I exited the cut-scene, I didn't have new skill points to distribute. I think it was level 6 to level 7.

 

[botticus]

So you're supposed to gain 3 skill points every time you level? When I beat the boss in the

Spoiler

Hexagon

, I leveled, and then went straight to a cut-scene. When I exited the cut-scene, I didn't have new skill points to distribute. I think it was level 6 to level 7.

You start earning points at level 5, I believe, 3 points per. You don't earn points every level. The number of points earned increases until maxing out at 6 points per level around 40, and then it decreases until bottoming out at 2.

 

[Axis]

ok so i just picked this game up...are there things i need to know before getting too far in? how rare are some of the drops and about how much time can i expect to put into the game?(i enjoy loot, a lot...over 250+ hours in ff12) =/

 

[Mockingbird]

ok so i just picked this game up...are there things i need to know before getting too far in? how rare are some of the drops and about how much time can i expect to put into the game?(i enjoy loot, a lot...over 250+ hours in ff12) =/

2% for some of the grotto bosses though you can make it 100% if you use an exploit/cheat.

 

[Axis]

2% for some of the grotto bosses though you can make it 100% if you use an exploit/cheat.

so no rare items to find in the overworld and shit like that? i just don't wanna miss anything ...i'm only 2 hours in

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Here you go!

http://dq9.ffsky.cn/maplocation.htm

Very helpful, thanks.

 

[rpmurphy]

so no rare items to find in the overworld and shit like that? i just don't wanna miss anything ...i'm only 2 hours in

The only missable treasures are from one area that becomes inaccessible after you beat the final boss. There are other things but they are post-game stuff.

 

[zigg]

The only missable treasures are from one area that becomes inaccessible after you beat the final boss. There are other things but they are post-game stuff.

That area is

Spoiler

the Observatory

(which I can't really imagine being much of a spoiler, but eh) and I don't recall there being all that much in there...

 

[Oxx]

I wish they would just mark where the grotto is once you open the treasure map.

There's no sense of skill or satisfaction involved in working-out where to go.

 

[Hours Left]

Finally got some Silver Specs on DQVC. Cutting it pretty close there. :/

 

[flyinpiranha]

He's talking about actually finding the grottos, i.e. there's no easily viewable world map in the game, and I share the sentiments that it is annoying.

Ah, yeah, the map you get when you press Y and gives a little rundown of what's going on isn't that great of a map. I also wish the guide came with one! What a weird thing to forget in an RPG with a world map ... the world map.

The good thing about the guide if you don't use the website for Grotto's is that it has all the locations of possible Grotto's, you just have to flip through 4 pages really quick to find yours and it gives you the location (Wormwood, etc ... ) then just a little hunting from there.

 

[Oxx]

Regarding grottoes... Do people tend to map the entire floor looking for chests, or just head straight down the stairs as soon as they find them?

 

[Loto]

Regarding grottoes... Do people tend to map the entire floor looking for chests, or just head straight down the stairs as soon as they find them?

I do both depending on the grotto. If it has high lvl chests I will explore. You could always beat the boss and backtrack. Once the boss is defeated all floors get mapped out, making exploring easier.

 

[Oxx]

Ooh, I've finally run into some enemies I haven't seen before. This is embarrassingly exciting.

 

[Princess Skittles]

Ooh, I've finally run into some enemies I haven't seen before. This is embarrassingly exciting.

Eye For Trouble, Half-Inch, Half-Inch, Half-Inch, Half-Inch, Half-Inch, Half-Inch, Half-Inch!

 

[ksamedi]

What does eye for trouble do anyhow? Can I see enemy HP in battles with it?

 

[Princess Skittles]

What does eye for trouble do anyhow? Can I see enemy HP in battles with it?

It adds extra flavor text to the enemy's description in the bestiary and also (the important part) shows both items they carry.

 

[bazzaar]

It adds extra flavor text to the enemy's description in the bestiary and also (the important part) shows both items they carry.

170 hours into the game and I learn something new!

Must resist going back to every mob to fill in the bestiary:lol

 

[platypotamus]

So the whole canvasing thing is basically never going to work out by chance right? I'd pretty much have to coordinate with people to be canvasing at the same time/place?

 

[Clever Pun]

So the whole canvasing thing is basically never going to work out by chance right? I'd pretty much have to coordinate with people to be canvasing at the same time/place?

I think so. I've thought about trying to just start canvasing and walk through the mall, but I doubt I'll actually pick anyone up. Has anyone in the US actually tried canvasing randomly and succeeded in finding someone?

 

[donny2112]

Has anyone in the US actually tried canvasing randomly and succeeded in finding someone?

I've tried canvassing randomly, but never got anyone. I think Aeana's gotten one before, though.

 

[Meier]

I just randomly got a hat in the mail today.. did I enter some sort of contest and forget it or was this some random gift from Nintendo for registering?

http://twitpic.com/2otmjn

Back has the DQ9 logo.

 

[Yottamole]

I just randomly got a hat in the mail today.. did I enter some sort of contest and forget it or was this some random gift from Nintendo for registering?

http://twitpic.com/2otmjn

Back has the DQ9 logo.

Did you buy DQ9 from BestBuy? If you're one of the first 7,500 people to purchase the game they send you a hat.

 

[MrPliskin]

Man, lvl 66 grotto and I'm getting DEMOLISHED by this Owl boss. His kaswoosh goes haywire every single time, and he's just crushing my party...ahhhhh.

 

[djtiesto]

I think so. I've thought about trying to just start canvasing and walk through the mall, but I doubt I'll actually pick anyone up. Has anyone in the US actually tried canvasing randomly and succeeded in finding someone?

I was gonna try at Electric Zoo a few weekends ago but didn't bother to bring my DS, since I drove in instead of taking the train. Hopefully NY Comic Con/Anime Fest has a meetup spot; I really need to get some good treasure maps (like the legendary metal slime one...).

 

[Gaming Truth]

Did you buy DQ9 from BestBuy? If you're one of the first 7,500 people to purchase the game they send you a hat.

It was freaky because there was an unexpected package on my doorstep with my address, but no sender info. Being of sufficient age, my first instinct was to open the box sideways with the top pointing in the opposite direction of me, just in case it was a mailbomb.

Spoiler

Fuck you Ted Kaczynski!

It's just a DQ9 hat. It was so cool.

Spoiler

Stop cringing. The package is now open.

 

[Oxx]

I hoped to find another Metal King spot as I went through new grottoes, but that didn't pan out and i got bored, so now I'm back in Old Faithful Lake58 heading rapidly towards revocation 2.

 

[DarthWoo]

I just started a couple job unlock quests, but all my characters already have so many levels on them that everything keeps running away. I changed all my characters' jobs so they're level 1, but I can't get a slime to stick around long enough to get anyone to 100 tension to dragon slash a slime for the gladiator quest. Any advice on how to get this one done?

 

[Meier]

Did you buy DQ9 from BestBuy? If you're one of the first 7,500 people to purchase the game they send you a hat.

Ah ha! Yep, I did get it from Best Buy. Thanks for the, ahem, heads up.

 

[Hours Left]

Hurray, the quest to get

Spoiler

Sellma

is unlocked tonight. ^_^

 

[Cheerilee]

I just started a couple job unlock quests, but all my characters already have so many levels on them that everything keeps running away. I changed all my characters' jobs so they're level 1, but I can't get a slime to stick around long enough to get anyone to 100 tension to dragon slash a slime for the gladiator quest. Any advice on how to get this one done?

Try to scare them with War Cry or put them to sleep with a spell. They can only run if they get a turn. Use one or two people to raise tension, and have the other two or three work on immobilizing. It's also good to attack a group of enemies, so there are a few left for you to hit if some slip away.

 

[Hours Left]

An excellent DLC week. Nera as the special guest, Dragon Quest III Trade Fayre and the

Spoiler

Sellma

quest.

 

[Oxx]

I just received the accolade for 5000 battles...

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

I actually got my first English version tag in Tokyo. Guest #48 for my Inn. Go figure, her message was about Jesus saving. Makes me wonder... when Jesus Saves, does he have to do it at a church?

 

[Clever Pun]

I actually got my first English version tag in Tokyo. Guest #48 for my Inn. Go figure, her message was about Jesus saving. Makes me wonder... when Jesus Saves, does he have to do it at a church?

His Quick Save doesn't get deleted after being loaded!

 

[Mockingbird]

Hurray, the quest to get

Spoiler

Sellma

is unlocked tonight. ^_^

What's so good about this? anything special here? Cause for me it's too late. I'm not going to abandon one of my charas after spending so much time them

 

[Mockingbird]

I think so. I've thought about trying to just start canvasing and walk through the mall, but I doubt I'll actually pick anyone up. Has anyone in the US actually tried canvasing randomly and succeeded in finding someone?

Some guy posted about how he drove around for four hours and got 1 tag in the US...

Doing it randomly only works in Japan, I'd say.