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Dragon Quest 9 |OT| Last chance* to shine
- Thread starter Aeana
- Start date
This page is all wtf confusing technical speak!
What I get I guess is that I should keep on hoarding them seeds. My characters are all only still on base vocations an really I'm directionless on where ta even take them! I saw some videos of super powered characters the other day an it left me way jealous! btw is there any other skill or item ya can use to raise tension besides Egg On or do I gotta temporarily make all my characters Minstrels so they can learn that?
What I get I guess is that I should keep on hoarding them seeds. My characters are all only still on base vocations an really I'm directionless on where ta even take them! I saw some videos of super powered characters the other day an it left me way jealous! btw is there any other skill or item ya can use to raise tension besides Egg On or do I gotta temporarily make all my characters Minstrels so they can learn that?
SecretMoblin
Member
Lindsay said:
Sorry if anything is too confusing! I have a tendency to drone on and then forget where I am sometimes. It's a consequence of playing JRPGs.
You know it's true!
If your characters are still on their base vocations, I would definitely hold off on using any seeds. Wait until you start playing with different teams until you find one that works for you, and then use the stat boosts prior to the final boss.
There are two vocation-specific skills (and several Coup de Graces) that raise tension:
-The Gladiator's final skill (100 pts), "Feel the Burn", raises tension (one tier, I think) when you get hit
-The Martial Artist's 16 pt skill, "Psyche Up", raises your tension one tier
I would strongly recommend not focusing on tension, at least during the main game. A common technique against some of the extra bosses is to boost your tension to the max and then unleash hell, but during the main game you should probably be focusing more on attack/defense buffs and enemy debuffs. And better clothing and armor can make a world of difference.
SecretMoblin said:
Its okays map/game manipulation might be way over my head but other peeps like it I'm sure! My teams all in the mid-50s and revocating seems like it'd be a pain since you're dumped back to L1! I think I saw Feel the Burn in a video actually, that also lowers your defense right? Seems like that may be something ta go for if you're feeling risky!
donny2112 said:
Ohh didn't know that. Are there more hero exclusive skills?
So ... I just bought this game the other day.
I played through as any gamer would, enjoying the beautiful scenery and laughing at the funny monster names (MEOWGICIAN!) when I realize that I don't fucking have a party.
It's like 5-6 hours into the game and I'm completely alone. I ask some friends of mine what's up and apparently I was supposed to get them at the Inn in the second town. Every single person there was talking about "hooking up with friends" and "playing with friends from other worlds" so I just assumed it was all multiplayer stuff that was irrelevant for someone who just wants to play through the game. (multiplayer in jrpg's is foreign to me D
So now I've just beaten Morag and I'm figuring I may as well just do a solo game. Any huge thing stopping me from doing that? I just beat her and I'm level 19.
I played through as any gamer would, enjoying the beautiful scenery and laughing at the funny monster names (MEOWGICIAN!) when I realize that I don't fucking have a party.
It's like 5-6 hours into the game and I'm completely alone. I ask some friends of mine what's up and apparently I was supposed to get them at the Inn in the second town. Every single person there was talking about "hooking up with friends" and "playing with friends from other worlds" so I just assumed it was all multiplayer stuff that was irrelevant for someone who just wants to play through the game. (multiplayer in jrpg's is foreign to me D
So now I've just beaten Morag and I'm figuring I may as well just do a solo game. Any huge thing stopping me from doing that? I just beat her and I'm level 19.
SecretMoblin
Member
Acullis said:So ... I just bought this game the other day.
I played through as any gamer would, enjoying the beautiful scenery and laughing at the funny monster names (MEOWGICIAN!) when I realize that I don't fucking have a party.
It's like 5-6 hours into the game and I'm completely alone. I ask some friends of mine what's up and apparently I was supposed to get them at the Inn in the second town. Every single person there was talking about "hooking up with friends" and "playing with friends from other worlds" so I just assumed it was all multiplayer stuff that was irrelevant for someone who just wants to play through the game. (multiplayer in jrpg's is foreign to me D
So now I've just beaten Morag and I'm figuring I may as well just do a solo game. Any huge thing stopping me from doing that? I just beat her and I'm level 19.
A few things:
It's very common for folks to "miss" the party creation. The game does give you a few strong hints when it's time to create your party, but if I recall it doesn't explicitly say, "go to Stornway Inn and create a party, because otherwise you're on your own". Message boards specific to the game are filled with people who find the early game extremely difficult, and the reason is because they didn't make a party. So you're not alone!
The way leveling works in DQIX is different than in most RPGs. Lower-leveled characters get a much larger proportional share of battle experience than higher-leveled characters. This means that it's not very difficult for you to rapidly raise the levels of a weak party member, provided you have at least one member with higher levels and are fighting stronger monsters. This was likely done because every time you change to a new vocation, your character starts at level one again. Releveling them isn't very difficult. So creating a party at this point certainly isn't out of the question. Even just playing the game normally, with minimal grinding, should get you a party that has perfectly normal levels long before the final boss. There are also other benefits to making your party:
Yes, a solo game is possible. But it is also very difficult, and not really worth it unless you really want to challenge yourself. It involves a lot of grinding, because in order for your Hero to have the requisite healing spells, buffs, and stats, you will almost certainly need to level him/her up in several vocations. And without another party member to accompany you, you will probably have to spend several hours grinding weak monsters to gather the necessary skill points and stat boosts to stand a chance. Playing with a full party allows you have several different vocations at your disposal.
So unless you want a huge challenge, I would just go ahead and make the party if I were you. It's certainly not too late. You should be able to get them up to speed in no time.
I'm pretty sure you've got that backwards. It's the higher level characters that get a greater share of the experience.SecretMoblin said:
I suspect it's because they expected that people would play multiplayer with other people from varying stages in the game, and they didn't want rookies to gain so much game-breaking benefit from playtime with veterans.
SecretMoblin
Member
ruby_onix said:
Er, right, sorry. The formula is EXP * (Lv+2) / (LvTotal + 2xPartySize) rounded up. Higher leveled characters get more EXP.
They balanced the game quite well to accommodate the constant vocation switching, so it's still not very difficult to level up a character from level 1. Plus, I know there's a cap somewhere, when the EXP required for a level up stops increasing. I don't know where it is, though.
wtf at quest #142. Gotta clear other quests to clear this one? That woulda been nice to know when I was tearing through short/easy quests... -_-;
Off topic but does anyone know how to view your adventure/battle records in DQ V & VI? I found 'em in IV, VIII & IX easily enough but those other two seem to have it hidden away... if they even have that at all?
Exact same thing happened to me! Its a weird weird system. Thank goodness for helpful forum peoples!
Vocations you've already leveled stay at the same level though right?
Also super story spoiler question:
Off topic but does anyone know how to view your adventure/battle records in DQ V & VI? I found 'em in IV, VIII & IX easily enough but those other two seem to have it hidden away... if they even have that at all?
Acullis said:
Exact same thing happened to me! Its a weird weird system. Thank goodness for helpful forum peoples!
SecretMoblin said:
Vocations you've already leveled stay at the same level though right?
Also super story spoiler question:
Celestria said I haven't explored all of the realm of the mighty. Does that mean I haven't found every treasure/room/whatever inside or is that just a game way of giving your characters a reason to go back to it?
SecretMoblin
Member
I just popped in IV and V (VI is with a friend) and couldn't find anything like the one in IX. So I don't think they're there.Lindsay said:
Yep. You can switch between vocations whenever you want (either at Alltrades Abbey or using the Sage's Jack's Knack skill, which is very useful), and your level will stay where you left it. Your clothes, too!Lindsay said:
It's been a while, but I'm pretty sure the game never requires you to open every treasure chest or enter every room before continuing. So I would bet on the latter rather than the former. I would check with a walkthrough if you're concerned, though.Lindsay said:
SecretMoblin said:
IV's can be found under the Misc category Battle Records. I have a feeling V & VI's may only be shown after the end credits. Maybe I'll try an re-beat their final bosses ta find out.
Good on all counts! Finally changed 2 of my team members vocations. That revocation option though... I love me some grinding but getting up to L99 even once seems like it'd be a chore! The only thing that'd push me to try that is if ya once again got skill points after revocating. I wanna max everything but they just don't give ya enough points to do so!
SecretMoblin
Member
Lindsay said:
You can continue to get skill points when you revocate, which allows you to max everything. So you don't have to pick and choose.
And grinding can definitely be a chore, but I would say IX's grinding is easily the nicest in the series. A lot of that has to do with the fact that you can actually pick your battles, but the metal slimes are plentiful in this game. And if you can find someone who has them, there are a few treasure maps floating around that have a floor that consists of nothing other than Metal King Slimes, which is a grinding mecca. You can easily grind the first 40 or 50 levels in fifteen minutes on those things, assuming you have the right setup. And like I mentioned above, there's a point at which the experience needed to level up stops increasing, so you won't need to spend hours to gain a single level.
So have fun with the vocations! One of the great things about the game is exploring all of the different classes.
Dark Octave
Banned
Would keeping my main character Minstrel be a good idea? I would like more power using swords but like having healing arts. Minstrel is kind of best of both worlds. I'm about 15 hours in by the way.
SecretMoblin
Member
Dark Octave said:
It depends; if you're willing to grind a bit more in order to keep the Minstrel's variety of spells, then go for it. Generally, though, the better idea would be to have each of your party members specialize in a specific role. Get a Gladiator for raw damage, a Priest for healing, etc. You certainly have enough time to play with your party a bit and see what works for you.
Honestly, a Priest's healing skills are more than enough to get you through the game, provided you carry some Yggdrasil Leaves just in case. But the system is flexible enough that you can do pretty much anything you want, unless you're going for a weird self-imposed challenge like a team of Priests or a solo run.
Also: alchemize! It's one of the things players neglect doing, but you can always get better weapons and armor through alchemy than in the stores.
xenoflux2113
Member
I was lucky to get it on the Best Buy easter weekend sale for $7.00. BEST $7.00 I have spent on gaming.Error said:I want to play this so baddddddddddddd
Too bad the price hasn't dropped.
xenoflux2113
Member
It really has been worth every penny and more. I would have to say it has been the best game I have played this year as well.
You can't. The DS isn't powerful enough to emulate the SNES.jaxword said:After playing DQ9, I really, really, really want to play Dragon Quest 3 again, since the SNES version has now been translated.
But I just can't figure out how to get it to work on the DS, so I'm completely stuck.
Aeana said:
Oh, but it is. I got DQ3j snes working on it. Took some effort, but it works...just in Japanese.
I've been stymied in getting the patched game to work. I can't figure out how that tiny bit of extra memory can fit. Someone suggested a memory expansion pack in the GBA slot, but I'm not savvy enough to work that out.
Aeana said:
Hmm, actually, you may be right about the speed. I didn't play the J game too long to get a feel for it, perhaps it COULD have been going slower and I didn't notice in my annoyance the patch failed yet again.
Still, I'm not giving up. Someone's gotta know a way to do it.
The PSX could emulate the SNES (Final Fantasy Anthology and Chrono Trigger), and the DS has twice the CPU (in the ARM9 alone) and twice the RAM (and a bit less screen size).Aeana said:
But it seems that with the shortcuts used at this low power level, it can't just emulate everything properly on the first try like BSNES does, and it's not as mature as ZSNES, so it has unfixed compatibility issues all over the place.
It seems that SnemulDS maybe does an okay job with carts that were 32 meg or smaller, since those can fit in the DS's RAM, but when they're bigger than that, it has to juggle resources and increases the need for game-specific fixes. DQ3j was 32 meg, but the translator inflated the cart size to 48 meg to give himself someplace to put the English. So your (jaxword) only hope is that whoever is working on the emulator puts out a new version with a game-specific fix, which is something he apparently hasn't done for about three or four years.
Or you could get a Supercard DS Two, which is the cart with the extra CPU. It has an exclusive SNES emulator made by their internal team which is supposed to be a lot better than SnemulDS. Or you can give up on the idea of playing SNES on your DS.
Heh. The PSX ports of those games are not emulated.ruby_onix said:
I'll give an explanation from someone who can explain it better than I can:
KC said:
Also, the music (slowest part of SNES emulation due to processor synching) isn't emulated at all. It's streamed from the disc.
JLateralus
Member
jaxword said:
I'm not up to date on the DS emulators, but maybe try to emulate the GBC version? It's already in English.
JLateralus said:
That is true, I could do that, thanks for the suggestion. However, that's TOO far back on the console, and the monochrome blockiness and tinny music just doesn't work for me anymore.
I need more Dq456 style gaming, haha.
I wish there were more of those, but I've already exhausted all of SquareEnix's library.
Pretty sure there's a few SNES emulators out there for the DS. Granted, it's been a while since I've even looked up on how far they've come on it.
Last I saw, it could emulate most games, but it was very imperfect. Usually missing layers and some other stuff. That's been a few years ago. And yeah, there's probably no way you could get large games or some patched games working without a lot of work done on the emulator itself.
Probably best off trying to play DQIII (SNES) on a PC SNES emulator.
Last I saw, it could emulate most games, but it was very imperfect. Usually missing layers and some other stuff. That's been a few years ago. And yeah, there's probably no way you could get large games or some patched games working without a lot of work done on the emulator itself.
Probably best off trying to play DQIII (SNES) on a PC SNES emulator.
Splash Wave
Member
Is this game being sold for dirt cheap anywhere? It's listed on Amazon for 18, but from a third-party seller. I'm not ruling them out, but I'd rather buy it from somewhere more "official."
SecretMoblin
Member
Jimmy Stav said:
Eh, I purchase things from Amazon through third parties all the time and I've never had a problem. Plus, Amazon checks these folks out, and their seller rating is quite good.
Google also led me to this Overstock listing for under $20 -- but it's today only
I ran into darkonium slimes for the first time an boy are they tough! A group of them is worse than grotto bosses! How many grottos are there anyway? I got like three pages worth of maps now. I don't know if I should discard any or keep them all! If I discarded one wouldn't I possibly end up getting the same one again later on? grrr. Finished filling in my pre-post game monster list. 76%! Alls left now is grotto baddies. Progress is so nice!
I took this advice and was able to make a few weapons/armors better then what I'd been using so yay! Even with my meager amount of materials I got some nice stuffs like the uber miracle sword, storm spear and metal king helm!
SecretMoblin said:
I took this advice and was able to make a few weapons/armors better then what I'd been using so yay! Even with my meager amount of materials I got some nice stuffs like the uber miracle sword, storm spear and metal king helm!
SecretMoblin
Member
Yeah, you'll often find that the monsters in the grottoes are tougher than the bosses -- sometimes quite a bit tougher.Lindsay said:
On the grottoes: you get a new map every single time you defeat the boss of a grotto. So you can get an infinite number of them if you just keep going, but you can only hold 99 (I think), so you'll eventually have to discard them. I won't get into technical details unless you want me to, but there are over 8 million possibilities for grottoes in the game. If you discard one, you're not that likely to get the exact same one again. So it's perfectly fine to discard the lower-level maps unless they contain treasure or bosses that you want.
Lindsay said:
Congrats! The Metal King Helm is amazing. One of the things I love about DQIX is that the game allows you to mix and match, so you can have some pretty funky armor combinations. The only real problem with alchemy is grinding to find the necessary items, but if you look online and find out where to get what it makes the process a lot easier.
Nooooooo my whole team finally had their coup de grace ready at the same time then the stupid boss goes and gets killed way sooner then I'd expected ;_; Thats it I'ma just look up co-op de grace videos cause I'm never gonna get this chance again >_<
On the bright side I got my first ever grotto boss drop its 2% brain drainer shield but still.... at what cost? At what cost?!
Thats alot of grottos... now I'll have to re-run the ones I've done and write down stuff about each and keep the ones I like.
On the bright side I got my first ever grotto boss drop its 2% brain drainer shield but still.... at what cost? At what cost?!
SecretMoblin said:
Thats alot of grottos... now I'll have to re-run the ones I've done and write down stuff about each and keep the ones I like.
SecretMoblin
Member
Lindsay said:
Oxx said:
I know that the chance of getting a Coup de Grace increases when another character has one, and increases again when two have one, and increases again when three have one. So Co-op de Graces aren't that hard to come by, if you're willing to take a little risk and avoid using your Coup de Grace until every character has it. Waiting doesn't always work, of course, and you could miss out on a Coup de Grace. The numbers and details for triggering a Coup de Grace are here.
They are just so fun to use, too.
SecretMoblin
Member
donny2112 said:
If all your party members have a Coup de Grace on the same turn, you can use a Co-op de Grace, which is like a super-move with effects that vary depending on which vocations you have in your party.
Info on the Co-op de Graces are here.
"You could use these Co-op de Graces if you have the right vocation in your party.
Cast Away - Mage/Sage - Lowers MP cost to 0.
Electro Light - Minstrel/Luminary - Turns all enemies into metal monsters.
Haulellujah - Armamentalist/Thief - Chance to earn extra exp., gold, and items.
Omnipotense - Martial Artist/Gladiator - Raises everyone's tension 3 fold.
Soul Asylum - Paladin/Priest - Makes everyone invincible.
Quadraslash - Warrior/Ranger - All 4 party members inflict considerable damage."
100 hours!
Time spent playing: 100:01
Time spent in multi-player: 00:00 (an I wouldn't have it any other way!)
Battle Victories: 2453
Times Alchemy Performed: 51
Accolades Earnt: 55
Quests Completed: 103
Grottoes Completed: 28
Guests Canvassed: 0
Defeated Monster List Completion: 79%
Wardrobe Completion: 29%
Item List Completion: 69%
Alchenomicon Completion: 8%
At 70 hours DQVIII was my longest played DQ but it just got blown outta the water. Of course that was the time taken to beat the story whereas I finished IX's main game at 43 hours. Never did VIIIs post-game trial thingies~wonder how much time that would add? Oh wells they're both good and long and even if I still prefer VIII my opinion on IX has changed alot...
I wish I coulda seen one in person since the video showing 'em all off was cool! I never even heard of them until recently and then thought they were multi-player only things!
Time spent playing: 100:01
Time spent in multi-player: 00:00 (an I wouldn't have it any other way!)
Battle Victories: 2453
Times Alchemy Performed: 51
Accolades Earnt: 55
Quests Completed: 103
Grottoes Completed: 28
Guests Canvassed: 0
Defeated Monster List Completion: 79%
Wardrobe Completion: 29%
Item List Completion: 69%
Alchenomicon Completion: 8%
At 70 hours DQVIII was my longest played DQ but it just got blown outta the water. Of course that was the time taken to beat the story whereas I finished IX's main game at 43 hours. Never did VIIIs post-game trial thingies~wonder how much time that would add? Oh wells they're both good and long and even if I still prefer VIII my opinion on IX has changed alot...
Oxx said:
I wish I coulda seen one in person since the video showing 'em all off was cool! I never even heard of them until recently and then thought they were multi-player only things!
xenoflux2113
Member
So I just finished
and have decided that before I move on I will clear out some grottoes I have maps for. I know there are thousands of maps but is it all the same bosses out of a certain number of bosses? I don't really have to get all of the maps correct? Outside of the bosses, what I find in the grotto will be just random treasure if any?
the Goretress
SecretMoblin
Member
Xeno_Flux2113 said:
Yes, the 8 million+ number is *unique* maps; there are 12 bosses that can be at the end of any given map, but it isn't exactly random. There is a complex formula that determines what type of map you will get, and higher level maps have a better chance of getting certain bosses. So you certainly don't have to get a ton of maps to see everything there is to see in the grottoes.
As far as treasure, like the maps it's semi-randomly generated. Generally, higher level maps have better loot, and what is specifically inside each treasure chest is controlled by a timer. So if you open the treasure chest after 13 seconds it will have a different item than if you open it after 50 seconds, and so on.
If you really want to get into the numbers, then this is a good link that describes the names of the grottoes, what they mean, and how you can get certain ones.
Lindsay said:
Depending on how high your levels were when you beat it, and how good your equipment is I'd say the Dragovian stuff only takes around another ten hours, fifteen if you need some better alchemy equipment. Even if you do need the better equipment you should still be able to beat the boss once and get the insta pot, which saves hours and hours.
xenoflux2113
Member
Awesome thanks. Not so worried about the maps now.SecretMoblin said:
I am around 63 hours right now and just reached
. Although I have also been doing a lot of just building of skills, vocations and levels with my characters. One of my favorite (relatively recent) techniques is going after the
I made about 6-7 levels (starting in my mid 20s) in about 20 minutes.
I have heard of a grotto map called something along the lines of
However, is the only way to get this grotto map is through tagging? If so, is there another grotto map that I can get that serves what I want (without tagging)?
Upover
Liquid Metal Slimes in the Bowhole, right near the 4th floor stairs (on the 3rd floor). Thunder Thrust/Hatchet Man owns.
I have heard of a grotto map called something along the lines of
Isle of Silver Marshes Lvl. 58 From what I have heard it has one floor dedicated to MKS, which is definitely what I want eventually.
Hobbun said:
Silver Marsh of Bane, Lvl. 58. Fairly low-level enemies (definitely lower than Masayuki's map) to go along with the MKSs and open spaces. Very nice.
Hobbun said:
The Grottos are randomly generated, so you're unlikely to get one by accident. If you have two copies of the game and a way to swap out saves, you can get a save from online that has that map, load it up, tag your game, and then put back the original save. Masayuki's is relatively common as far as a specific map being tagged goes, but you'd still probably need to be at a big event to do so. It's enemies are much harder, though. Basically, you'd need to grind to get high enough to grind out that grotto for MKSs. I actually did some low-level grinding on the first few floors of that map for a while, as they gave more experience than most enemies I was fighting and were actually possible to beat with mid-tier level party members. :lol