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[Commanche Raisin Toast]

They did produce few copies of V since DQ IV and Chrono Trigger were overproduced by orders of magnitude (there is a reason Chrono Trigger is easily found below $20).

Also, (assuming US) you missed the reprint that happened a few months ago (well Amazon got a huge amount of stock in and even Gold Boxed it at $20). Sorry (Europe never got any such reprint, we also got hardly any copies of Chrono Trigger as well).

the game itself or the game guide? im looking for the game guide. amazon always has decently priced copies of the game, but the game guide was $71-ish for months and months. it briefly went down a bit but i didn't have the money at the time.

(it's on amazon for $63 used right now.... i REALLY don't want to search for a pdf)

 

[SecretMoblin]

the game itself or the game guide? im looking for the game guide. amazon always has decently priced copies of the game, but the game guide was $71-ish for months and months. it briefly went down a bit but i didn't have the money at the time.

(it's on amazon for $63 used right now.... i REALLY don't want to search for a pdf)

The game guide for DQV is extremely difficult to find, though when I was back home in my small(ish) city several months ago, Kmart still had one left...

Given what you liked about 8 and didn't like about 9, I would jump on DQV if I were you. It has the strongest story in the series, and it's generally regarded as the most thematically mature game of the nine. Lots of long-time fans of the franchise consider it among the best (if not the single best) game, and Yuji Horii has acknowledged it as his favorite, according to Kurt Kolata. The fact that it took so long to get an official translation made the game something of a legend among classic JRPG fans, and some of the reviews when it finally came out here were very kind. Jeremy Parish in particular gave the game an A+ at 1UP, which was only his second perfect score since he had been there (he has since given another to the Tactics Ogre PSP rerelease).

But I pretty strongly disagree about the charm of DQIX. I thought Level-5 did a spectacular job bringing over the big style and humor of DQVIII to the technologically ancient DS. Many of the sidequests are tedious and dumb, but several are interesting and add to the game. And while the overall story is boring and forgettable, the Dragon Quest vignettes that are series staples are at least as strong as the ones in the SNES games.

Spoiler

The doll that came to life was particularly neat, I thought.

And the localization! There are so many puns and clever language tricks that it's basically impossible to get them all. There are places all over the web where people have deconstructed the language in the game, and there were several I didn't pick up on the first time, even obvious ones like

Spoiler

Jack of Alltrades Abbey (groan)

. There are obvious problems with DQIX, but I think it's probably the single best RPG on the DS. And it did something that very few games have been able to do - get me out of the house and meeting people. I don't have any regrets about the ~300 hours I've put into it.

 

[ghibli99]

I remember bidding on both DQ4 and DQ5 strat guides on eBay earlier this year (they also included the games). Started off fair enough, but in the final days, I think they both shot up above $100-150. At this point, I tapped out.

DQ8 continues to be my favorite, so it's hard not to compare the two when expressing my feelings about 9:
-8 had lots of charm and character, 9 feels flat and stale
-8 had lots and lots of stuff to do and felt like it really fleshed out the world, 9 felt like it had tons of sidequests thrown in for the sake of adding more sidequests and stuff to do instead of allowing everything to mesh well together
-8 had characters as my party members, 9 had random 'mercs' i could hire like in diablo 2

I agree w/ you on the characters, but not on the world. I thought the world felt too big with not enough stuff to do. In a lot of ways, I felt like I was in an MMO... running for long stretches at a time with the occasional rare monster or treasure chest hiding off behind an outcropping/wall. That was good and all, but compound that with random battles that are the slowest in the series, and it gets pretty tedious. I put points into learning Zoom real quick.

I also think Alchemy sucked since the recipes were unnecessarily vague and completion was based on how many steps you take. Really, guys? Glad they fixed all that in DQ9.

8, to me, felt like Enix was pressured to create something more "epic" and cinematic to keep up with the rest of the PS2-era RPGs. I really enjoyed it, but think that it's one of those games in the series that can certainly be tightened and sped up when they eventually decide to do a remake.

That being said, I found it to be the most challenging game in the series (with 7 right behind it), which was a welcome change. 9's critical path felt like a cakewalk in comparison, which is what I played right before heading into 7 and 8.

5 just feels perfectly balanced to me, though. Especially the bosses. Such great memories from that game.

 

[Huevos de Oro]

Well, I nearly clocked 100 hours into this game. Not bad for someone who didn't particularly care for handheld gaming prior to receiving this one as a gift. I had a lot of fun, even when looking for metal slimes to boost my levels. I ended up keeping my randomly generated party except for my ranger, which I designed. The party I ended up using the most was comprised of a Gladiator, a Ranger, a Paladin and a Sage (or Wizard). After beating the main story I hunted for metal slimes, went to those places I couldn't reach before and did a number of grottoes. Too bad I'll never be able to find a legacy one.

At any rate, it was an outstanding game that singlehandedly made me reevaluate my perception of portable gaming. I'll keep an eye for a copy of DQV.

 

[ghibli99]

At any rate, it was an outstanding game that singlehandedly made me reevaluate my perception of portable gaming. I'll keep an eye for a copy of DQV.

Indeed, and glad you enjoyed it! In a lot of ways, it's a game that was perfectly suited for the platform. For many months, my DS was always with me. It's almost depressing that there hasn't been anything else on the system that has gotten me so hooked like this game.

 

[SecretMoblin]

I remember bidding on both DQ4 and DQ5 strat guides on eBay earlier this year (they also included the games). Started off fair enough, but in the final days, I think they both shot up above $100-150. At this point, I tapped out.


I agree w/ you on the characters, but not on the world. I thought the world felt too big with not enough stuff to do. In a lot of ways, I felt like I was in an MMO... running for long stretches at a time with the occasional rare monster or treasure chest hiding off behind an outcropping/wall. That was good and all, but compound that with random battles that are the slowest in the series, and it gets pretty tedious. I put points into learning Zoom real quick.

I also think Alchemy sucked since the recipes were unnecessarily vague and completion was based on how many steps you take. Really, guys? Glad they fixed all that in DQ9.

8, to me, felt like Enix was pressured to create something more "epic" and cinematic to keep up with the rest of the PS2-era RPGs. I really enjoyed it, but think that it's one of those games in the series that can certainly be tightened and sped up when they eventually decide to do a remake.

That being said, I found it to be the most challenging game in the series (with 7 right behind it), which was a welcome change. 9's critical path felt like a cakewalk in comparison, which is what I played right before heading into 7 and 8.

5 just feels perfectly balanced to me, though. Especially the bosses. Such great memories from that game.

I like you.

But 5 was balanced? I love the game, but I thought some of the bosses were tough. Not just Dragon Quest tough, but 'unless you want to grind for several hours, then this boss requires a specific strategy' tough. For the last boss, I had to

Spoiler

spend four or five hours grinding Metal King Slimes in the last area with Demon Spears

just to have a chance.

At any rate, it was an outstanding game that singlehandedly made me reevaluate my perception of portable gaming. I'll keep an eye for a copy of DQV.

Good to hear! Portable games are great, and sadly underrated as a class in the West. The DS and the PSP have some outstanding games that really shouldn't be missed. And if you're looking for DQV, Amazon currently has it for $20, which is very, very worth it.

And by the way, you can get the legacy maps from quests. The ones given out at Nintendo events were just early ways to get them.

 

[ghibli99]

But 5 was balanced? I love the game, but I thought some of the bosses were tough. Not just Dragon Quest tough, but 'unless you want to grind for several hours, then this boss requires a specific strategy' tough. For the last boss, I had to

Spoiler

spend four or five hours grinding Metal King Slimes in the last area with Demon Spears

just to have a chance.

Yeah, you hear all the time that Player A breezed through a boss encounter while Player B got destroyed (even when they were at equivalent levels). It all depends on what attacks/spells they hit you with. I was so underpowered when I went up against Gracos in DQ7, yet somehow I squeezed out a very lucky win after trying like 10 times when he kinda went limp in the later rounds (most of my party was dead).

Sometimes bosses will destroy you with 2-3 powerful breath attacks or hit-alls in a row, and then sometimes they'll waste an action 'laughing' or doing a relatively pointless buff or single-target attack. That's the one thing I've never cared for in the DQ series is the seemingly random nature of boss AI... then again, it keeps these encounters from feeling predictable, so you could chalk that up as a plus.

 

[SecretMoblin]

Yeah, you hear all the time that Player A breezed through a boss encounter while Player B got destroyed (even when they were at equivalent levels). It all depends on what attacks/spells they hit you with. I was so underpowered when I went up against Gracos in DQ7, yet somehow I squeezed out a very lucky win after trying like 10 times when he kinda went limp in the later rounds (most of my party was dead).

Sometimes bosses will destroy you with 2-3 powerful breath attacks or hit-alls in a row, and then sometimes they'll waste an action 'laughing' or doing a relatively pointless buff or single-target attack. That's the one thing I've never cared for in the DQ series is the seemingly random nature of boss AI... then again, it keeps these encounters from feeling predictable, so you could chalk that up as a plus.

Funny you say that, because the legacy bosses in DQIX have very specific attack patterns. It's comforting in a way, but even knowing that in advance isn't much help when you've leveled them really high.

And ugh, Gracos. Probably the reason I will avoid replaying DQVII. At least until I forget how awful that battle was.

 

[Huevos de Oro]

Sometimes bosses will destroy you with 2-3 powerful breath attacks or hit-alls in a row, and then sometimes they'll waste an action 'laughing' or doing a relatively pointless buff or single-target attack. That's the one thing I've never cared for in the DQ series is the seemingly random nature of boss AI... then again, it keeps these encounters from feeling predictable, so you could chalk that up as a plus.

This is so true. The first time I found the Trauminator at the end of a grotto he wiped half of my party within the first few turns, I eventually died. After being resurrected at a church, I got back to the same grotto without leveling up or changing my equipment, and beat him without too much trouble.

 

[ghibli99]

^^^ Yep! I've heard multiple people in here say the same thing about the game's final encounters, too. Some people have no trouble and others just get owned.

Funny you say that, because the legacy bosses in DQIX have very specific attack patterns. It's comforting in a way, but even knowing that in advance isn't much help when you've leveled them really high.

And ugh, Gracos. Probably the reason I will avoid replaying DQVII. At least until I forget how awful that battle was.

Haha... yeah, I was going to put a CYA sentence in my last post saying something to the effect of, "I'm admittedly ignorant on this and there are probably specific patterns to boss attacks." You beat me to it. No wonder they feel random!

As I found out later, having a Shepherd in your party for Gracos makes things much easier (which I obviously didn't). The game became a joy after that, though, as I poured a lot of time into jobs, and after a relatively short amount of time, I had a really strong and well-rounded party.

 

[michaeltraps]

After coming back to this thread on many occasions, I'm really considering picking up a 3DS (after the price drop) and rebuying Dragon Quest IX (don't ask why I sold it back the first time - I was in one of my game trade-in modes that I almost immediately regret).

After starting to play FFXI with the bf, I've really taken a liking to spending large amounts of time on a game and grinding, believe it or not. There's something to be said about seeing progression in a game like that. I think I was really overwhelmed the first time around so I'll probably pick up the guide when I buy the game again. At least I'll give DQ another purchase - keep them coming in the US!

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

i loved the alchemy pot in 8. sooo so much. but i wish there were more ingredients and more items to make. i also was pissed to find that there were certain items you couldn't make in alchemy and could only acquire by making shit tons of money in the casinos, which are games of chance. (really don't feel like saving and loading to grind money in there for days on end)

i think i'll go ahead and buy DQV while it's on sale on amazon. probably just PDF the guide unless i can find it in a used book store that doesn't know what they got, so to speak.

 

[Oxx]

What defines a good world map for you guys? I'm just glad that the series still has them.

After getting through IV and V, I was pretty sick of the green/brown/blue splodges of colour that constituted the 'world' by the time VI came around.

But at least the DS remakes had better world map music than IX.

I haven't played VIII, which seems to get brought-up as the DQ world that is most interesting to traverse and explore.

 

[evil_rad]

This game was my first RPG in NDS. I want a Dragon Quest in PS3

 

[SecretMoblin]

After coming back to this thread on many occasions, I'm really considering picking up a 3DS (after the price drop) and rebuying Dragon Quest IX (don't ask why I sold it back the first time - I was in one of my game trade-in modes that I almost immediately regret).

After starting to play FFXI with the bf, I've really taken a liking to spending large amounts of time on a game and grinding, believe it or not. There's something to be said about seeing progression in a game like that. I think I was really overwhelmed the first time around so I'll probably pick up the guide when I buy the game again. At least I'll give DQ another purchase - keep them coming in the US!

I think it's safe to say that the big games in the franchise will make it over here, at least in the next several years. Nintendo (NCL, not NoA) has been pushing the franchise like mad overseas, trying to give it a foundation so that it can be associated with the company the way that Final Fantasy has been associated with Sony for the past decade+. Their drive has led them to publish games that they knew wouldn't sell very well, like Dragon Quest Swords and DQIV, V, and VI. They're even bringing out DQM:J2 and Itadaki Street later! I would be shocked if we didn't see DQX, even if it comes out after the Wii U has been released. They're just too committed to the franchise by this point.

And side question: have you played FFXII? And have you played or are you planning on getting Xenoblade Chronicles? Both are supposedly very MMO-like in their combat and structure, but if you're wanting to play with the boyfriend then they might not have the multiplayer that you need. If you want a sort of grindy action RPG that has same-screen multiplayer you can always pick up Secret of Mana (available on the Virtual Console), which is excellent.

I haven't played VIII, which seems to get brought-up as the DQ world that is most interesting to traverse and explore.

Well, it's interesting to traverse and explore in the sense that it's certainly the most "3D" of all the games. But as ghibli99 said a few posts up, the world feels a bit empty. I think the worlds of II, V, and VI in particular are interesting and compact without being big and boring. I suppose it depends on your tolerance for 2D world maps.

This game was my first RPG in NDS. I want a Dragon Quest in PS3

It's not going to happen, unless Dragon Warrior VII finds its way onto PSN. Yuji Horii has said outright that feels the series belongs on Nintendo platforms, which is fine by me as long as he continues to be the one making them.

 

[ghibli99]

I think I was really overwhelmed the first time around so I'll probably pick up the guide when I buy the game again.

The official guide is good for the crit path, maps, and the cool artwork, but the guides on GameFAQs, Dragon's Den, etc. are far more valuable and helpful, particularly as you hit the post-game. Not to mention some of the tools like the grotto/treasure searcher, ingredient maps, etc.

i also was pissed to find that there were certain items you couldn't make in alchemy and could only acquire by making shit tons of money in the casinos, which are games of chance. (really don't feel like saving and loading to grind money in there for days on end)

Yeah, it was painful (especially since the game insists on playing those annoying fanfares after *every* win), but I did the roulette exploit to quickly build up a base of funds, and finally hit 777 on the 100-token machine.

After getting through IV and V, I was pretty sick of the green/brown/blue splodges of colour that constituted the 'world' by the time VI came around.

Gotcha. So it has more to do with the way things look vs. their actual design? It would definitely be cool to have more distinctive landmarks or varied terrain.

 

[michaeltraps]

And side question: have you played FFXII? And have you played or are you planning on getting Xenoblade Chronicles? Both are supposedly very MMO-like in their combat and structure, but if you're wanting to play with the boyfriend then they might not have the multiplayer that you need. If you want a sort of grindy action RPG that has same-screen multiplayer you can always pick up Secret of Mana (available on the Virtual Console), which is excellent.

Yup, FFXII played and beaten (both of us actually). I was looking into Xenoblade Chronicles (I even bought the SD reader to soft mod the Wii) but I might hold off on that since there's too much to play this fall already. Not necessarily looking for anything to play together per say, you guys are just making me nostalgic about a game and system I regret trading in lol.

I completely forgot Secret of Mana had multiplayer btw - I'll definitely consider that purchase as a nice diversion from FFXI. Thanks!

 

[Oxx]

Gotcha. So it has more to do with the way things look vs. their actual design? It would definitely be cool to have more distinctive landmarks or varied terrain.

Yeah, by the time I got to VI I was just watching the top-screen as the blank map would fill in. For the most part it just involved holding a direction until I ran into some mountains, then changing direction until I found a town.

 

[ghibli99]

I have a hard time playing DS games on the 3DS due to the way it has to scale things up (and those awful Select/Start 'buttons'). In 1:1 mode, things look too small to me, like I'm wasting so much screen real estate. I bought a DSi XL solely for DQ9 since I was putting so much time into it. The d-pad has a permanent 'smooth' patch over it from all those MKS grotto hunts! LOL

Yeah, by the time I got to VI I was just watching the top-screen as the blank map would fill in. For the most part it just involved holding a direction until I ran into some mountains, then changing direction until I found a town.

That's a great observation, actually. I probably did the same thing and didn't even realize it! I did feel like I had to pay closer attention to the map in DQ6 due to how things were tied together, though, so to speak.

 

[Lindsay]

What defines a good world map for you guys? I'm just glad that the series still has them.

I dunno about them but I was strictly speaking of the map-map. I'm cool with the world. Not so much with having a map that tells me nothing. Where is the Bad Cave so I can put the spear to Metal Medleys? *looks at map screen* ?? *opens up yet another faq* Okies I gotta go there! This games not very portable to me when I wanna accomplish something cause I'll always need to be at my computer with like enemy, location, alchemy, quests guides open in various tabs x.x

 

[ghibli99]

I dunno about them but I was strictly speaking of the map-map. I'm cool with the world. Not so much with having a map that tells me nothing. Where is the Bad Cave so I can put the spear to Metal Medleys? *looks at map screen* ?? *opens up yet another faq* Okies I gotta go there! This games not very portable to me when I wanna accomplish something cause I'll always need to be at my computer with like enemy, location, alchemy, quests guides open in various tabs x.x

This is true. I honestly can't even play this game w/o my laptop next to me with 10 tabs of reference FAQs/sites open in my browser. For those times that I'm w/o those resources, I'm just mindlessly grinding out GSs or something like that.

 

[Oxx]

Saving the maps that show the locations of grottoes and materials to my iPod Touch made the post-game a lot less annoying.

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

i too want a PS3 DQ game, but i think the only way that it will even remotely happen is like someone said, a PSN release OOOOOORRRRRR....... the tiniest itty bitty chance that someone (SONY) funded an HD port of DQVIII like the other HD collections, etc.

it's a massive game though, so i think it would be quite a feat to tackle. especially with all of the items/inventory being 2D sprites. if SE/Sony could make it happen i would finally forgive the switch to DS.

also: i thought they made it clear that DQ has no platform allegiance, and they only release it on whatever the top selling device is because they want as many people as possible to experience the games? wasn't 7 originally made on PS1?

sorry, OT.

 

[SecretMoblin]

Yeah, I wish they just would have shown zoomed-out locations for treasure maps. I mean, I know why it is the way it is, but it's very annoying. The map features are so vague that even if you're standing right in the middle of a location on a treasure map it can be difficult to tell.

And the fact that there are so many locations for treasure maps makes everything much more confusing than it needs to be. But the grottoes obviously added a lot to the game, so I'm fine with putting up with the slight annoyance.

 

[Cheerilee]

It's not going to happen, unless Dragon Warrior VII finds its way onto PSN. Yuji Horii has said outright that feels the series belongs on Nintendo platforms, which is fine by me as long as he continues to be the one making them.

I thought his position has pretty consistently been that the main games will always go to the best selling platform in Japan.

Enix started on the NES, moved to the SNES by default, and was going to move to the N64 by default until Square convinced them that the PSX was better suited to RPGs, and their combined move would ensure that the RPG audience agreed. Then Enix went to the PS2 by default.

When the decision was being made for DQIX, none of the consoles looked particularly appealing, and the DS was dominating, so they considered the DS and felt they were okay with taking the franchise in this direction, so they did it. A short while later, Wii became the obvious winner, so that's getting DQX. Yuji Horii might say that it feels good "coming home" to Nintendo, since Nintendo's on top of the world again, but I doubt he's going to show them any preference if they fail again.

3DS is faltering, Wii is dropping like a rock, and PS3 is outselling it. If 3DS doesn't pick up the pace and WiiU doesn't turn things around, the next big Dragon Quest just might go to PS3. Or iPhones. We won't really know until it plays out.

 

[SecretMoblin]

I thought his position has pretty consistently been that the main games will always go to the best selling platform in Japan.

Enix started on the NES, moved to the SNES by default, and was going to move to the N64 by default until Square convinced them that the PSX was better suited to RPGs, and their combined move would ensure that the RPG audience agreed. Then Enix went to the PS2 by default.

When the decision was being made for DQIX, none of the consoles looked particularly appealing, and the DS was dominating, so they considered the DS and felt they were okay with taking the franchise in this direction, so they did it. A short while later, Wii became the obvious winner, so that's getting DQX. Yuji Horii might say that it feels good "coming home" to Nintendo, since Nintendo's on top of the world again, but I doubt he's going to show them any preference if they fail again.

3DS is faltering, Wii is dropping like a rock, and PS3 is outselling it. If 3DS doesn't pick up the pace and WiiU doesn't turn things around, the next big Dragon Quest just might go to PS3. Or iPhones. We won't really know until it plays out.

I think I remember him saying in the press prior to VI's rerelease that he thought the franchise was a "good fit" on Nintendo's platforms, though that can certainly be interpreted in many different ways. Their MO as of late has been to go with the most popular platform, but even though the PS3 is currently outselling the Wii, it is definitely not in the same market position that the PS1 was. I've also seen it suggested that there should be a main series game on the PSP2/Vita, but we're just not sure until they announce the next one.

I'd love a game to appear on the PS3 (or any HD platform), but I just don't know. Nintendo has been really aggressively courting Horii over the past few years, and the result is not only DQIX but a bunch of spinoff titles on the DS (and, to a lesser extent, on the Wii) that have done very well in Japan.

 

[Oxx]

I think we're in for a long wait regardless of where they decide to put DQXI.

 

[Lindsay]

I love how silly and weirdly written this game is! A ghost was happily going to the after life after I helped her out. It was all nice an somber when a text box popped up stating you recieved a Friendant! Friendant? That made me lol pretty hard.

But why oh why is the post-game bug biting me now, nearly a year since I beat the game? I did 20 quests in the last week! I'll never get done with Suikoden III at this rate! An I'm getting tired of all of those "Seeds of" taking up inventory space. Should I just use them all on my hero and be done with it? They're permanent stat ups and aren't affected by changing vocations right?

 

[Man God]

I remember bidding on both DQ4 and DQ5 strat guides on eBay earlier this year (they also included the games). Started off fair enough, but in the final days, I think they both shot up above $100-150. At this point, I tapped out.

...I literally have a box full of both DQ IV and V guides from various Gamestops pennying them out.

Lets go look at the count.

5 DQ IV guides in perfect shape, 6 DQ V guides.

 

[SecretMoblin]

I love how silly and weirdly written this game is! A ghost was happily going to the after life after I helped her out. It was all nice an somber when a text box popped up stating you recieved a Friendant! Friendant? That made me lol pretty hard.

But why oh why is the post-game bug biting me now, nearly a year since I beat the game? I did 20 quests in the last week! I'll never get done with Suikoden III at this rate! An I'm getting tired of all of those "Seeds of" taking up inventory space. Should I just use them all on my hero and be done with it? They're permanent stat ups and aren't affected by changing vocations right?

Yes, they're permanent stat ups that carry across vocations. They are also farmable, meaning you're not going to run out if you use them.

 

[Hobbun]

Yes, they're permanent stat ups that carry across vocations. They are also farmable, meaning you're not going to run out if you use them.

Yes, but they can’t be all that easy to farm. I am guessing a very small percentage for a drop.

 

[Loto]

Yes, but they can’t be all that easy to farm. I am guessing a very small percentage for a drop.

There is a trick for getting Strength seeds. Not sure about the others.

 

[MooMoo]

Yes, they're permanent stat ups that carry across vocations. They are also farmable, meaning you're not going to run out if you use them.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm fairly certain that stats obtained from seeds do NOT carry across vocations. Rather, seed bonuses stay only within the vocation it's used on. So if you use 5 strength seeds on the gladiator class and switch vocation to the mage, the mage class won't obtain any bonuses received from those 5 strength seeds. Switching back to the gladiator class should allow you to re-obtain those bonuses. On the other hand, the stat bonuses do carry over revocations.

 

[Hobbun]

There is a trick for getting Strength seeds.

What trick is that?

And I believe MooMoo is correct. At least from what I have heard. I think the only seed that technically transfers over from vocation to vocation is a skill seed. But that’s just because it goes in your skill point pool and you can spend it on any skill from one vocation to another. Similar to gaining skill points in one vocation, switching to another one and then spending the skill points.

 

[SecretMoblin]

Yes, but they can’t be all that easy to farm. I am guessing a very small percentage for a drop.

Yeah, they're somewhat difficult to farm, but they aren't impossible. They definitely shouldn't be used lightly.

And I was wrong; skill seeds are the transferable ones. The stat seeds only carry over in revocations.

There's a trick to getting a lot of strength seeds quickly farming Brownies, but I think it involves the "Masayuki map", which is the name given to a popular map that can only be gotten by tagging someone who has it (or randomly coming across it on your own, which has extremely slim odds). I have it, and I would gather most major cities in North America have several people with it, but it's not something normally obtainable. I think - though I'm not entirely sure - that you can also farm magical mending seeds using the Masayuki map.

 

[Loto]

Yeah, they're somewhat difficult to farm, but they aren't impossible. They definitely shouldn't be used lightly.

And I was wrong; skill seeds are the transferable ones. The stat seeds only carry over in revocations.

There's a trick to getting a lot of strength seeds quickly farming Brownies, but I think it involves the "Masayuki map", which is the name given to a popular map that can only be gotten by tagging someone who has it (or randomly coming across it on your own, which has extremely slim odds). I have it, and I would gather most major cities in North America have several people with it, but it's not something normally obtainable. I think - though I'm not entirely sure - that you can also farm magical mending seeds using the Masayuki map.

The Masayuki map is the most know method but I believe you can do with Granite Tunnel of Woe. That's the first map you get and everyone gets it.

 

[Hobbun]

There's a trick to getting a lot of strength seeds quickly farming Brownies, but I think it involves the "Masayuki map", which is the name given to a popular map that can only be gotten by tagging someone who has it (or randomly coming across it on your own, which has extremely slim odds). I have it, and I would gather most major cities in North America have several people with it, but it's not something normally obtainable. I think - though I'm not entirely sure - that you can also farm magical mending seeds using the Masayuki map.

Ok, that sounds like a farming method that will not be available to me then. Unless I get the map through just blind luck (randomly).

So I am curious, why do you need the Masayuki Map? Brownies can be found in the actual game. Or is it because you can find so many of them on the map?

The Masayuki map is the most know method but I believe you can do with Granite Tunnel of Woe. That's the first map you get and everyone gets it.

That’s good then. So what is the actual ‘trick’ in getting a lot of strength seeds from the Brownies? Just the sheer number you fight?

 

[Loto]

Masayuki method
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDyOWunNBk4


(granite tunnel of woe lvl 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngQ1jIdLDn8

 

[Loto]

I believe you are doing something with the RNG, kind of like how the Hoimi table works. Having the maps open or in a certain place in your inventory effects this. I'm probably wrong and maybe someone else could explain better.

 

[Hobbun]

Ok, so you aren’t even going into the dungeon associated with the treasure map. It’s just opening it in a certain location that causes the brownie to always show up nearby.

But I could swear you can find Brownies running around just normally. Aren’t they plentiful near Alltrades Abbey? Why do the opening of the treasure map bit?

Edit: I am thinking of the Bodkin Archers (near Alltrades Abbey).

 

[SecretMoblin]

Ok, so you aren’t even going into the dungeon associated with the treasure map. It’s just opening it in a certain location that causes the brownie to always show up nearby.

But I could swear you can find Brownies running around just normally. Aren’t they plentiful near Alltrades Abbey? Why do the opening of the treasure map bit?

Loto was right; it has to do with manipulating the random number generator. In essence, you are exploiting the game's code to ensure that you always end up with a Brownie in the same spot and it is always carrying a seed. Because the random number generator follows a predictable pattern, you can use it to guarantee certain things - from the relatively benign, like damage output, to more important things, like drops. It's the same fundamental concept as the Hoimi table.

 

[Hobbun]

Loto was right; it has to do with manipulating the random number generator. In essence, you are exploiting the game's code to ensure that you always end up with a Brownie in the same spot and it is always carrying a seed. Because the random number generator follows a predictable pattern, you can use it to guarantee certain things - from the relatively benign, like damage output, to more important things, like drops. It's the same fundamental concept as the Hoimi table.

Ok, thanks.

But using the Hoimi table is not a good comparison, at least for me. I'm not even sure what it is.

 

[Loto]

Loto was right; it has to do with manipulating the random number generator. In essence, you are exploiting the game's code to ensure that you always end up with a Brownie in the same spot and it is always carrying a seed. Because the random number generator follows a predictable pattern, you can use it to guarantee certain things - from the relatively benign, like damage output, to more important things, like drops. It's the same fundamental concept as the Hoimi table.

Excellent explanation, helped me as well.

Hoimi table is a visual tool to tell the player where you are in the RNG string. It uses colored squares to tell you the position you need to be so you are guaranteed a rare drop or rare synth.

 

[SecretMoblin]

Ok, thanks.

But using the Hoimi table is not a good comparison, at least for me. I'm not even sure what it is.

It's definitely a bit complicated, but it's the same basic idea. Essentially:
1.You damage yourself enough that you can heal yourself multiple times with the basic heal spell, and then reset the game (resetting the random number generator).
2.You note the magical mending stat of the character who will heal.
3.You heal multiple times, noting the amount your character(s) is healed.
4.You enter all of these numbers into a program which simulates DQ9's RNG, and it will spit out some information.
5.You use a chart (the Hoimi table) to figure out where the random number generator is currently at. The Hoimi table gives you the probability of getting drops, so you can keep healing your characters and use the chart until you have a 100% chance of getting the drop you want.

It takes a while, but it's not very difficult to do (especially at high levels) and it does guarantee the drop you want - even the rare ones. You can also use it to have guaranteed success using alchemy. Certain items have a less than 100% chance of being created (and the game cruelly forces you to save before you alchemize those items), so using the Hoimi table ensures you will get the item every single time.

It's exploiting the game's code, yes, but I don't really mind it. It's amazing that the Japanese players were able to figure it out and develop resources for abusing it.

So yeah... rereading that, I think I made it sound more complicated than it is. Dragon's Den has a quick and dirty guide with links and YouTube demonstrations. You don't need to know Japanese or anything, you just need to know how to punch in numbers and read a chart.

 

[Hobbun]

Thanks for explaining. I will have to take a look at that guide later on.

 

[ghibli99]

Man, using the Kawasaki Map and Hoimi Table were awesome when I was heavily into this game late last year. It felt like black magic when it first worked for me. LOL

I really didn't care that it was exploiting the RNG and its timing... it still takes some careful work, so it's not a fail-safe method. They will save you DAYS of endless grinding, taking the element of luck out of the equation. I have very little patience for things like 2% drops and other such nonsense in games. Even using these methods, it takes a very long time to get all the stuff you need to make all the gear, if that's the road you're heading down.

Still give props to donny to this very day for showing me the way.

 

[ampere]

How worth it is this game if I were to only play single player?

I like MMOs and JRPGs for reference, but I have never played a Dragon Quest game.

Should I start somewhere else in the series first?

 

[ghibli99]

How worth it is this game if I were to only play single player?

I like MMOs and JRPGs for reference, but I have never played a Dragon Quest game.

Should I start somewhere else in the series first?

If you like MMOs and JRPGs, this is a great place to start since it has elements of both. Multiplayer in this is fun, but not a requirement. Many folks in this thread have put in 100-500+ hours into just the SP alone, so it's one of the best values you'll ever find on the DS.

 

[SecretMoblin]

How worth it is this game if I were to only play single player?

I like MMOs and JRPGs for reference, but I have never played a Dragon Quest game.

Should I start somewhere else in the series first?

Everything ghibli99 said. I think the multiplayer got too much focus from some reviewers and Dragon Quest fans. Literally the only thing you can't see if you don't play multiplayer is an upgrade to an inn in the game -- and that upgrade is essentially cosmetic. You won't have any problems story-wise if you play DQIX first.

So go for it! There's a lot of gameplay in that little cart.

 

[ampere]

I'm really drawn to the fact that different armor actually shows up and changes the character's appearance. It's such a bummer when games don't feature that.

I think I'll check it out when I finish the games I'm working on to tide me over until I get a 3DS.