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[mcdomination]

This will be my first experience with a DQ game (however, I am a Final Fantasy nut!). I was wondering how DQIX is compared to older FF games like IV.

Is DQIX more of an open-world/sandbox environment, or is it linear with an open map like FFIV? From what I can tell, it seems to be pretty open and have a lot of side quest type stuff (hopefully). I'm looking for something that will give me a couple hundred hours of gameplay and a lot of character building/customizing/grinding.

By that description, is this (DQIX something that might enjoy? Thanks!

 

[Freyjadour]

Bah, pictures make me hate being at work

 

[toythatkills]

BENEVOLESSENCE

My new party:

 

[Yaweee]

:lol You don't seem to have a grasp on how much the game has gone up in price. I am sure it will come down, but take a look:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NJMMHG/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Heck, the NA version is in high enough demand that its profitable to import resell the game from the UK!

Spoiler

The new copy at $39 is one of those UK copies, look at the cost of the others

Laugh all you want, jackass, but there are ways to buy the game other than Amazon affiliates. A look on Google Shopping shows numerous US stores with copies for $30~45, at least a few of which look reputable. I have my suspicions that at least one of them are selling knock-offs, but certainly not all of them.

And, like I said, there are dozens of copies at Gamestops within driving distance for MSRP or less, and that is from my perspective living out in the country. It's not such an extraordinarily rare game that there is need for the price to have shot up.

If you insist on using Amazon affiliates as some metric of actual cost, ZOMFG, Minish Cap is over one hundred dollars!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00030GS80/?tag=neogaf0e-20

----
And for the guy earlier that was looking for the game:

Alternative DVD, in California, $37

Hastings, $43 New, $19 Used

 

[Deku]

This will be my first experience with a DQ game (however, I am a Final Fantasy nut!). I was wondering how DQIX is compared to older FF games like IV.

Is DQIX more of an open-world/sandbox environment, or is it linear with an open map like FFIV? From what I can tell, it seems to be pretty open and have a lot of side quest type stuff (hopefully). I'm looking for something that will give me a couple hundred hours of gameplay and a lot of character building/customizing/grinding.

By that description, is this (DQIX something that might enjoy? Thanks!

DQ starts linear then opens up. It's always been like this. If you play JRPGs, you will notice a lot of familiar conventions. And that is largely because everyone is apeing DQ.
It's classic JRPG, so expect lots of towns to explore. The big change in this title is enemies are now on screen (think Chrono Trigger) so random battles are less tedious, though enemies can be aggressive and chase you down.

DQIX is unique in that it's multiplayer centric, but also customization/exploration centric.
you can also trade treasure maps (randomly generated)

Game doesn't end when you complete the story. There's lots more to do. And it's not tacked on, like a bonus dungeon, or bestiary or something like that. It's actual in-game content, quests, new enemies etc. In that sense, it has way more replayability than a standard RPG.

 

[Hex]

How long is it before you can change class?
Just want to know should I save points or fluff up minstrel for now.

 

[Sqorgar]

How long is it before you can change class?
Just want to know should I save points or fluff up minstrel for now.

Maybe 10 hours or so. But the Minstrel points are specific to the Minstrel. Go ahead and spend them. They don't carry over, but the skill lines do. So spend 20 pts on Sword in Minstrel, then change to a lv 1 Warrior and you'll still have 20 pts put into Sword.

 

[levious]

Laugh all you want, jackass, but there are ways to buy the game other than Amazon affiliates. A look on Google Shopping shows numerous US stores with copies for $30~45, at least a few of which look reputable. I have my suspicions that at least one of them are selling knock-offs, but certainly not all of them.

most of the ones on google shopping are actually out of stock if you click the links, like the alternative dvd one you posted.

Is goHastings an ok site?

 

[Aeana]

Maybe 10 hours or so. But the Minstrel points are specific to the Minstrel. Go ahead and spend them. They don't carry over, but the skill lines do. So spend 20 pts on Sword in Minstrel, then change to a lv 1 Warrior and you'll still have 20 pts put into Sword.

Huh? Unspent points absolutely do carry over, and can be spent on another class.

 

[Sqorgar]

Huh? Unspent points absolutely do carry over, and can be spent on another class.

Really? I guess I never kept any unspent points around...

 

[bluemax]

Here's my translated material map (click for huge):

Very nice, thanks!

Does anyone know how to make materials on the map regenerate? I'm guessing you have to actually power the game off which is mildly annoying.

 

[demonkaze]

So is it at all possible to get an e-guide of the DQIX guide or am I going to have to buy a physical copy?

 

[Volcynika]

Played a bit during lunch and got a quick question. (This is before you even make it to the second town)

Spoiler

I'm supposed to find Patty, but Erinn keeps saying it's too dangerous at her house. Can I just go there now, or do I have to talk to someone about going there? I wasn't sure if I had to sleep or something and go in the morning.

 

[Liberty4all]

How much "more" does multiplayer bring to the game?

I'm tempted to pick up another DS and extra copy of the game so my wife can play with me. But I'm second guessing myself, spending an 235 plus tax seems kind of foolish for just one game.

edit; Also does the game have the "over this bridge shit gets real" thing I remember from part 1, where every crossing a bridge basically means you better be ready because you are about to get your ass kicked.

 

[Aeana]

Played a bit during lunch and got a quick question. (This is before you even make it to the second town)

Spoiler

I'm supposed to find Patty, but Erinn keeps saying it's too dangerous at her house. Can I just go there now, or do I have to talk to someone about going there? I wasn't sure if I had to sleep or something and go in the morning.

When someone tells you it's too dangerous, that means to get your butt in there and save the day!

 

[lordoftherink]

Finished the Wight Knight section last night. Love this game so much.

Edit:

Made the picture small so its extremely poor quality isn't as apparant. My DS being a launch one and my camera being not that great make for crappy picture taking

 

[Volcynika]

When someone tells you it's too dangerous, that means to get your butt in there and save the day!

:lol

CAN DO!

 

[GaimeGuy]

My new party:

You, sir, are awesome.

Also, I forgot to mention, but I didn't realize until about 10 hours into the game:

Edwinn
Erinn

It was a "mind blown" moment for sure

 

[Oli]

I'm really tempted to buy this game, since I've been after a new RPG for awhile now. I'm a bit hesitant since it would be my entering point into the series, barring Rocket Slime.

But then again, FFXIII was my entry point into FF, and I loved it. Soooo, should I just go for it? My main concern at this point is the grinding, since I don't like grinding, but I may be willing to overlook it if the game is just good.

 

[Freyjadour]

Really? I guess I never kept any unspent points around...

Bah! Been trying so hard to keep people straight on points and you go and confuse them again! :lol

And yes Hastings is reputable, they are a bookstore that sells a lot of other stuff with brick and mortar locations around the US.

 

[RPG_Fanatic]

Here's my translated material map (click for huge):

Thank you so much for this.

 

[Tiktaalik]

It's a shame that the touch controls aren't a little bit better because it's so close but just a little bit off.

The implementation for world movement at first seems good, but if falls apart and gets awkward when you have to travel very small differences. The style of movement in the Zelda games, where your avatar moves toward the point you press on the screen is much better suited to small movements and I think that's the best design for touch screen movement.

With touch screen battles there's simply too much double clicking for it to be superiour or even at the same level as the button controls. Likely the double clicks were a guard against accidentally clicking on the wrong option, as all the clickable text is very small. In this area I would have liked to see them redesign the interface to be more akin to the larger, "can't miss" buttons of the Pokemon games. This way it would not be that necessary to have double clicks and battles would be much more playable with just stylus control.

As it is I'll be playing through the game with the buttons, which is brisk and generally good. My only gripe is that running around the 3D world on a diagonal with the DSi's D-Pad is a little bit awkward.

 

[Ricker]

Second real early Boss

Spoiler

White Knight

kind of kicked my ass but I was level 10,still a Minstrel and formed a party of a Female Warrior,male Mage and female Priest,who where only level 7 by then...some medicine herbs where in the bag,so they weren`t showing for the 3 others in my party and I decided to equip a whip on my Mage but he barely does damage with it(what`s her name in DQVIII was awesome with a whip,I want someone to be good like she was in this game with one hehe)...so yeah,grinding a bit now till I fight him again and fixing my crap up right now hehe...love the game.

 

[RoryDropkick]

When someone tells you it's too dangerous, that means to get your butt in there and save the day!

And see, I had thought the same thing, do I take someone with me or what, but I just went there and did it :lol Thought I was going to be severely underleveled.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Laugh all you want, jackass, but there are ways to buy the game other than Amazon affiliates. A look on Google Shopping shows numerous US stores with copies for $30~45, at least a few of which look reputable. I have my suspicions that at least one of them are selling knock-offs, but certainly not all of them.

And, like I said, there are dozens of copies at Gamestops within driving distance for MSRP or less, and that is from my perspective living out in the country. It's not such an extraordinarily rare game that there is need for the price to have shot up.

If you insist on using Amazon affiliates as some metric of actual cost, ZOMFG, Minish Cap is over one hundred dollars!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00030GS80/?tag=neogaf0e-20

----
And for the guy earlier that was looking for the game:

Alternative DVD, in California, $37

Hastings, $43 New, $19 Used

I'm not sure how reliable the GS in-store stock is. I've been to at least two of the stores listed nearby recently that allegedly have them in stock right now and have never seen it available. (I may actually check one or two of them on the way home, though.) And I've been keeping an eye out for DQ5 every time I'm in a game store for months. So either there's been a recent influx of copies or the store tracker is bunk.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

I can't believe how beautiful this game is! AHHHH! It's crazy, the DS has never looked so good!

 

[vagabondarts]

It's a shame that the touch controls aren't a little bit better because it's so close but just a little bit off.

The implementation for world movement at first seems good, but if falls apart and gets awkward when you have to travel very small differences. The style of movement in the Zelda games, where your avatar moves toward the point you press on the screen is much better suited to small movements and I think that's the best design for touch screen movement.

With touch screen battles there's simply too much double clicking for it to be superiour or even at the same level as the button controls. Likely the double clicks were a guard against accidentally clicking on the wrong option, as all the clickable text is very small. In this area I would have liked to see them redesign the interface to be more akin to the larger, "can't miss" buttons of the Pokemon games. This way it would not be that necessary to have double clicks and battles would be much more playable with just stylus control.

As it is I'll be playing through the game with the buttons, which is brisk and generally good. My only gripe is that running around the 3D world on a diagonal with the DSi's D-Pad is a little bit awkward.

I totally agree with everything here

 

[Foxix Von]

I just beat the first two bosses

Spoiler

wight knight resolution is awesome

Just out of curiosity though do the bosses ever become more challenging? I'm feeling like they're really easy right now.

 

[Cmagus]

Ok so I am not that far in but these are my characters so far.

My party is
Warrior -Eight lvl 15
Warrior -Tapion lvl 9 (dragonball reference I know)
Mage -Maya lvl 9 (had the 3D app open couldn't think of a name)
Martial Artist - Marron lvl 8

If your wondering why my main guy name is Eight ever since the DRagon quest 8 demo where the main characters name was Eight for some reason it just always stuck with me as dumb as that sounds but i normally name my main DQ char Eight.

 

[Freyjadour]

I just beat the first two bosses

Spoiler

wight knight resolution is awesome

Just out of curiosity though do the bosses ever become more challenging? I'm feeling like they're really easy right now.

If you've ever played a DQ, this isn't much different. Starts easy and builds. Battles are definitely getting more challenging where I am, but you also have to remember that when you take time to grind skills and what not you are grinding. This is easy and fun to do in DQIX, so it will affect the difficulty level.

 

[Aeana]

As an experiment, I've been playing the game without doing any grinding whatsoever, to great success. Whenever I change somebody's class, I just go right back to doing the story, or doing whatever quest I'm on, without perpetually fighting around to gain levels. 30 hours into the game, with the difficulty still feeling totally perfect, I'm becoming pretty confident in saying that, like other DQ games, 9 doesn't require any grinding either.

 

[levious]

If your wondering why my main guy name is Eight ever since the DRagon quest 8 demo where the main characters name was Eight for some reason it just always stuck with me as dumb as that sounds but i normally name my main DQ char Eight.

I bet we all knew right away

 

[Yaweee]

I'm not sure how reliable the GS in-store stock is. I've been to at least two of the stores listed nearby recently that allegedly have them in stock right now and have never seen it available. (I may actually check one or two of them on the way home, though.) And I've been keeping an eye out for DQ5 every time I'm in a game store for months. So either there's been a recent influx of copies or the store tracker is bunk.

I'm pretty sure the online system is linked to the inventory management, and is updated once a day. I'd recommend calling before you head there; it is possible that there's an error in the system, or the game is sold before you get there, but I'm having a hard time imagining the pages filled with copies in the the online tracker are all bunk.

 

[Instro]

Got me a copy yesterday, up to the part where I can start making my party but I am waffling with my design and name choices :lol

Im planning to get a mage, priest, and either a martial artist or thief. Which would serve me better, the thief or the MA? Also where is the best place to go to get these guys leveled up before I go fight this Wight Knight fellow?

 

[Foxix Von]

If you've ever played a DQ, this isn't much different. Starts easy and builds. Battles are definitely getting more challenging where I am, but you also have to remember that when you take time to grind skills and what not you are grinding. This is easy and fun to do in DQIX, so it will affect the difficulty level.

Ah good to hear, this is actually my first Dragon Quest game. Really, really in love with it so far. I know it's nothing like it but I kind of get a Tales of Symphonia vibe which is a good thing since I absolutely plowed through that game.

In other news I just realized that whips work sort of like guns in Phantasy Star. I kept wondering why the damage seemed so low :lol

 

[Cmagus]

Got me a copy yesterday, up to the part where I can start making my party but I am waffling with my design and name choices :lol

Im planning to get a mage, priest, and either a martial artist or thief. Which would serve me better, the thief or the MA? Also where is the best place to go to get these guys leveled up before I go fight this Wight Knight fellow?

I am surprised how strong the martial artist is my martial artist is a much lower level then my main character but seems to do almost the same amount of damage

 

[Aeana]

Martial artist is worth leveling at least a little for all of your characters, as you get psyche up for 16 points into their focus line. Yay tension!

 

[botticus]

I am surprised how strong the martial artist is my martial artist is a much lower level then my main character but seems to do almost the same amount of damage

Yeah, just need to keep in mind that your main is a Minstrel. While still a handful of levels behind as a Warrior now, I'm starting to catch up in damage dealt.

 

[ryan-ts]

Whoever came up with Metal Slime is a damn genius, grinding made easy. The Quarantomb is a pretty good spot to find them.

 

[jaundicejuice]

Martial artist is worth leveling at least a little for all of your characters, as you get psyche up for 16 points into their focus line. Yay tension!

Pfft, I want this game's equivalent of the Tambriel of Tension,

Spoiler

the Bard's secret skill

.

 

[Dark Octave]

Just got DQIX yesterday and I have DQV still sealed from about seven months ago.

I want to get on IX but I feel that I should get on V first. Probably doesn't matter.

 

[Deku]

How much "more" does multiplayer bring to the game?
.

It's local multiplayer. so if no one you know players, it doesn't mean much.

Tag mode is also situational stateside (though this is had been a pokemon level phenom in Japan with tons of people using it), but could be fun if there are other people broadcasting their maps and so on. I suspect both tag and multiplayer will be big draws if you attend conventions and gatherings where gamers get together. I suppose the school yard also qualifies.

The most useful online option is probably the wifi shopping, which allows you to pick up rare items via an online store setup by the developers.

 

[Liberty4all]

It's local multiplayer. so if no one you know players, it doesn't mean much.

Tag mode is also situational stateside (though this is had been a pokemon level phenom in Japan with tons of people using it), but could be fun if there are other people broadcasting their maps and so on. I suspect both tag and multiplayer will be big draws if you attend conventions and gatherings where gamers get together. I suppose the school yard also qualifies.

The most useful online option is probably the wifi shopping, which allows you to pick up rare items via an online store setup by the developers.

Well the thing is I was considering running through the campaign completely with my wife. So I'm wondering how that will alter the experience (if at all).

edit: but is sounds like most people are playing single player only and still having a blast

 

[Jeels]

I asked this earlier, any list of all the quests in the game with info on each quest?

 

[Aeana]

oh my god this quest is beyond annoying. I have to HOPE that my warrior does 3 damage to the metal slime so that my mage can kill it with the final blow. Last fight, my warrior hit it for 3 hp and winded up KILLING IT. wtf 4 hp please, wtf.

I responded to you elsewhere, but I guess you didn't see it. One thing you can do is switch your warrior to mage, get 8 skill points and learn wizard ward, and then switch him/her back to warrior. Then they can do the quest instead of your mage, using metal slash. Or you can switch your mage to warrior, and teach metal slash, and do it that way.

Also, yeah, monsters in DQ games have slightly random HP. A metal slime will have anywhere from 2 to 4 HP.

 

[ACE 1991]

I Asked this before, but should I be treating my other 3 created party members as essentially extensions of myself, gearing them as I would the main character?

 

[Aeana]

I Asked this before, but should I be treating my other 3 created party members as essentially extensions of myself, gearing them as I would the main character?

Yes, unless you want your party to be weak! They never leave you.

 

[theMrCravens]

I asked this earlier, any list of all the quests in the game with info on each quest?

I posted this a few days ago. Not sure if there's an updated NA version yet.

Quest 1 - 60
http://ameblo.jp/koulinovesperia/entry-10302025225.html#main

61 - 120
http://ameblo.jp/koulinovesperia/entry-10302721299.html#main

121 - 184
http://ameblo.jp/koulinovesperia/entry-10303351173.html#main

 

[Jeels]

Thanks mrcravens.

Wow, Sandy says I've already defeated ten percent of the monsters. =(

 

[Foxix Von]

It's local multiplayer. so if no one you know players, it doesn't mean much.

Tag mode is also situational stateside (though this is had been a pokemon level phenom in Japan with tons of people using it), but could be fun if there are other people broadcasting their maps and so on. I suspect both tag and multiplayer will be big draws if you attend conventions and gatherings where gamers get together. I suppose the school yard also qualifies.

The most useful online option is probably the wifi shopping, which allows you to pick up rare items via an online store setup by the developers.

Yeah I just remembered PAX isn't too far off now. There will be much win I'm sure. Last year there were so many conflicting DS signals it was almost impossible to connect to anyone :lol

I'm considering buying the guide, does anyone that has it have any impressions? The last time I used one was for Mass Effect and it was downright terrible. The quest section was a complete jumble and almost impossible to find particular missions, assuming they were even listed in the guide. Blagh.