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Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City |OT| -- Fight & Heal Sail the Open Seas!

usually i go to official websites for the media section to get wallpapers and other downloadable stuff. rarely for infos, but i might start going for that too if the website doesn't suck.
 

lyre

Member
NichM said:
Informal poll: I've talked to a few EO fans who didn't know this game has a New Game+ mode, even though we posted the details about it a few days ago on the game's official website. It's possible that you, the person reading this, didn't know about it until I said so just now.

So how many of you go to game websites? And those of you who do, how many of you check back regularly for updates?
I only visited the site once because everything felt so cramped.
1x1eH.jpg


You get my drift?
 

sphinx

the piano man
This is kinda... weird.

Half of the posts in the last page or so seem to be all from europeans preordering from NA.

It was in Europe where EO1 hit the bargain bin like there was no tomorrow and EO2 wasn't even localized, yet here we are paying full price and whatnot to get the damned book and game.

It always saddened me to see EO1 for like 10 euro in all the "Saturn" and "Mediamarkt" stores in Germany in bargain bins that look like dump containers with all sort of shitty games thrown into them.

EO1 deserved better in Pal-Land. :-/
 
NichM said:
Informal poll: I've talked to a few EO fans who didn't know this game has a New Game+ mode, even though we posted the details about it a few days ago on the game's official website. It's possible that you, the person reading this, didn't know about it until I said so just now.

So how many of you go to game websites? And those of you who do, how many of you check back regularly for updates?

I've only checked it the day the site went up. Otherwise, I'm in Mejilan's boat: bought sight-unseen (makes it more funner anyways).
 

sphinx

the piano man
Neo C. said:
I bought it day one, but there just aren't enough EO-crazed people like me.

I get the impresion that Atlus' games aren't very popular in Europe in general.

In the US people are aware that their games turn rare very fast and they usually get them on time instead of when they are price reduced or later on. Europe couldn't care less either way, it seems.
 

Volcynika

Member
NichM said:
Informal poll: I've talked to a few EO fans who didn't know this game has a New Game+ mode, even though we posted the details about it a few days ago on the game's official website. It's possible that you, the person reading this, didn't know about it until I said so just now.

So how many of you go to game websites? And those of you who do, how many of you check back regularly for updates?

Not very much, unless it's for media like wallpapers/etc. Since we have a lot of content aggregated here, I just don't go to them as much lately. I do sometimes go on them to let the music samples or whatever play in the background though. But after I check the site once or twice (usually to see how I like it, some sites have some crazy stuff that irks me), I don't really visit it much after that.

And my copy is at my parent's (much more trustworthy than the apartment staff I have), will have to go by and get it Thursday when my other shipment comes in.
 

Ricker

Member
So thing is shipped,pre-ordred here,suppose to be in stores there but nobody got it yet...typical Atlus distribution problems,even more so up here in the Montreal area,since Atlus doesn`t give a crap about bilingual stuff...i`ll still get it when it finally turns up here,because after a week it will be impossible to find but this pisses me off everytime ;P
 

Kifimbo

Member
Am I playing this correctly ? EOIII is my first game in this series, I love the mechanics, but why is it so slow ? Lots of grinding, the first FOE was kicking my ass, and the money supply is so low.
 

NichM

Banned
Kifimbo said:
Am I playing this correctly ? EOIII is my first game in this series, I love the mechanics, but why is it so slow ? Lots of grinding, the first FOE was kicking my ass, and the money supply is so low.

Well, first off, you're not necessarily supposed to fight the FOEs. There's an NPC who appears before you meet the first one and tells you, in no uncertain terms, that it is way beyond your abilities. Listen to that man.

As for the money supply, in EO games you get money by selling off random drops you get from fighting enemies. Selling these drops off will also unlock new things to buy at the store, so there's no reason to keep all the bits and pieces you earn in battle.
 

Kifimbo

Member
NichM said:
Well, first off, you're not necessarily supposed to fight the FOEs. There's an NPC who appears before you meet the first one and tells you, in no uncertain terms, that it is way beyond your abilities. Listen to that man.

As for the money supply, in EO games you get money by selling off random drops you get from fighting enemies. Selling these drops off will also unlock new things to buy at the store, so there's no reason to keep all the bits and pieces you earn in battle.

I have to fight the FOEs, otherwise I can only explore the same fucking area (the first one) for the 20th time. I listened to the man, I had to do a lot of grinding to finally beat (barely) the first FOE. It's just so...boring. Can I avoid the FOEs ? They are everywhere on the second floor. And I just realize they are coming back after a while...

And I know how to get money. But it's almost not enough to stay at the inn regularly and to buy some stuff.
 

Althane

Member
Kifimbo said:
Am I playing this correctly ? EOIII is my first game in this series, I love the mechanics, but why is it so slow ? Lots of grinding, the first FOE was kicking my ass, and the money supply is so low.


1) You'll grind until about the first boss. Then, once you've beaten the boss, you can use him to powerlevel characters (at least, if it's anything like the previous two games) up to that levelish (and a little higher). So each stratum is a grind... but once you're there, it's really no effort to bring another character up to that point.

2) FOEs will kick your ass. They're meant to. They can be harder than the boss of the stratum (not always, but...). Don't fight them until you're ready. They're level hazards, meant to make getting around the levels harder.

3) Yeah, but getting the optional drops off of bosses (usually by killing them in a specific fashion: For EO2's first boss, it was poisoning him, for example), gives you lots and lots of cashies.
 

Althane

Member
Kifimbo said:
I have to fight the FOEs, otherwise I can only explore the same fucking area (the first one) for the 20th time. I listened to the man, I had to do a lot of grinding to finally beat (barely) the first FOE. It's just so...boring. Can I avoid the FOEs ? They are everywhere on the second floor. And I just realize they are coming back after a while...

And I know how to get money. But it's almost not enough to stay at the inn regularly and to buy some stuff.

FOEs follow a set pattern in their patrols, or pick you up and follow you. You can use character skills (not sure which ones, since I don't have the game yet...) to stop them in the field, so you can get around them.

And yes, they do come back after a while.

Inn > new stuff (because you need to heal more than you need new stuff), but use it judiciously. The first stratum usually is the grindiest and hardest to get through.
 

slayn

needs to show more effort.
it didn't occur to me until just now but did they remove all of the abilities to halt/control FOE movement in this one? I don't remembre seeing any of thsoe in the skill trees.
 
Kifimbo said:
I have to fight the FOEs, otherwise I can only explore the same fucking area (the first one) for the 20th time. I listened to the man, I had to do a lot of grinding to finally beat (barely) the first FOE. It's just so...boring. Can I avoid the FOEs ? They are everywhere on the second floor. And I just realize they are coming back after a while...

And I know how to get money. But it's almost not enough to stay at the inn regularly and to buy some stuff.

You're not supposed to try and fight FOE's, you're supposed to avoid them. Some FOE's have patterns you have to pay attention to, so you can navigate a floor, avoid them and still carry on exploring. Some are stationary and you might need to be lure them away or simply look for an alternate route, perhaps even a hidden one.

Later on it's fun to challenge and defeat FOE's, but in the early stages of a exploring a startum, you avoid them.

As for selling items for money; some people just roll with whatever drops they acquire through battles, others create a team specifically geared towards going to item harvest points and power gathering.
 

Az987

all good things
So I got a delay email from Amazon, says it is in the process of being shipped but it still hasn't grrr.

Oh and I better still get the art book or im going to raise hell. Thats the whole reason I preordered.
 
Just picked it up at lamestop! My store had three preorders and three art books. I was hoping to pick up an extra game + book for my friend.

The music is SO GOOD! Too bad I won't playing it for a while. Gotta wrap up the first one!
 

biocat

Member
Don't neglect to make a Farmer when you guys eventually start the game. They make dungeon crawling so much better.
 

sphinx

the piano man
The_Technomancer said:
Alright, and so we set off: Ranma the monk, Higure the ninja, Carrot the Hopolite, Brahe the Zodiac, and Isabella the Farmer

you got your game and you are in Europe? (or am I mistaken?)

may I ask Where did you pre-order from?
 

LiK

Member
Wow, the EOIII preorder artbook is pretty nice. Kinda wish I ordered a second copy but it's no longer available from Amazon. :(
 
Finally got my copy around 5pm. I'll say it again - stupid UPS.

Anyway, love the art book. It's a nice little bonus. So is the little fold out skill tree inside the box, with the art work on the other side.

God, I love Atlus. They are (to me) this generation's Working Designs in that they put so much care into their packaging. And I love me some nice packaging. So glad I pre-ordered this.
 
hmm just noticed a bullet point on amazon denoting 3 possible endings,

anyone know about this?

LiK said:
Wow, the EOIII preorder artbook is pretty nice. Kinda wish I ordered a second copy but it's no longer available from Amazon. :(

if the preorder doesn't sell out, usually you'll still get it. for instance, i got the Persona remake preorder bonus, actually forgot what it was now, about 5 months after release through amazon. and same thing with chrono-trigger.

by the way, the preorder from gamestop for 999 is pretty damn awesome.
 

sphinx

the piano man
tetrisgrammaton said:
hmm just noticed a bullet point on amazon denoting 3 possible endings,

anyone know about this?



if the preorder doesn't sell out, usually you'll still get it. for instance, i got the Persona remake preorder bonus, actually forgot what it was now, about 5 months after release through amazon. and same thing with chrono-trigger.

by the way, the preorder from gamestop for 999 is pretty damn awesome.

I hope you aren't talking about the little poster included in the first batch of CT copies released in NA... cause that's hardly a pre-order bonus.
 

sphinx

the piano man
tetrisgrammaton said:
wasn't there a cd too?

maybe, i just know I got a copy of CT just 2 months ago with a " mega exclusive, once in a liftetime, never ever coming back" poster that was included in the packaging. The poster was very shitty.

That's why I was wondering if you meant something else.
 
seems like there was a soundtrack too, but it was very short, and i don't care about video game soundtracks at all, so hard to remember

unless it is that EO soundtrack with jazz instruments, i really should look into tracking that down, whatever its called
 

Neo C.

Member
sphinx said:
I get the impresion that Atlus' games aren't very popular in Europe in general.

In the US people are aware that their games turn rare very fast and they usually get them on time instead of when they are price reduced or later on. Europe couldn't care less either way, it seems.
Afaik Atlus doesn't have a division in Europe. In Europe, EO I was published by Nintendo IIRC. Most of the people here just don't know much about Atlus games.
 

C.T.

Member
Neo C. said:
Afaik Atlus doesn't have a division in Europe. In Europe, EO I was published by Nintendo IIRC. Most of the people here just don't know much about Atlus games.

Most casual gamer that is. But a lot of people who import games love Atlus of course. And its well known, that they get rare quite soon. I think the problem with poor sales of EO 1 was the late release. Everyone interested already imported the game and it's too hardcore for casuals. It didn't help that there was no advertisement either.
 
EO NOOB ALERT

Ok, I only just started playing and I'm already confused. I'm just starting to map out the first area, I come to an item box/chest thing, so I'm looking for a way to map that 'now empty' chest with an icon.

Which leads me to ask - what do all the map icons mean? I mean, I see there's a 'stairs up' and 'stairs down' easily enough, and some are the auto pilot icons, but what are the others? What's that big red "E"?

I have no idea what I'm doing. I wish they had put a simple key for map icons in the game somewhere, or at least listed the icons in the manual. I checked twice and found nothing in there.

Normally I wouldn't even think to map the item box, but it's part of the map. Given, it's a dead end part, but it's still something there in the area.
 

Kifimbo

Member
DidntKnowJack said:
EO NOOB ALERT

Ok, I only just started playing and I'm already confused. I'm just starting to map out the first area, I come to an item box/chest thing, so I'm looking for a way to map that 'now empty' chest with an icon.

Which leads me to ask - what do all the map icons mean? I mean, I see there's a 'stairs up' and 'stairs down' easily enough, and some are the auto pilot icons, but what are the others? What's that big red "E"?

I have no idea what I'm doing. I wish they had put a simple key for map icons in the game somewhere, or at least listed the icons in the manual. I checked twice and found nothing in there.

Normally I wouldn't even think to map the item box, but it's part of the map. Given, it's a dead end part, but it's still something there in the area.

I'm also a noob, but from my limited experience so far you'll know what every icon means sooner or later. For example, the scissor are for cutting grass (with the farmer). Another icon is a tool to dig in the ground. On the second floor, there are pools of mud that you can map with the circles. For the empty chest, I use the same icon. When I can't open a chest, I smply write a note with the red triangle icon. And I have no idea what the red E means yet.
 
There's no 'right or wrong'. Use whatever icon you think will relate to what you want to convey.

Insofar as 'mapping' quests are concerned, they care only about the painted floors and the walls.

'E' is believed to stand for 'Event', which is the catch-all term for something happening that is not covered under the other stuff.
 

Link Man

Banned
So glad that they revised the enemies that can show up while farming. I hated it so much in EO2 that if you went to a gather spot, you might have to fight an enemy from 2 floors below that would likely wipe the floor with you (in EO3, you fight enemies from the floor you're on, which is more logical).

As for farming strategies, I have my Prince and Gladiator to take care of the enemies, and three farmers in the back row. It was very easy to get up to 5,000 EN that way.

My main party is: Front:prince, Gladiator, Monk | Back: Ninja, Zodiac. (I really like that Ninjas have no penalty to attack from the back row, as long as you have one point in that skill.)

Camp spots are a welcome addition, in that they decrease the amount of backtracking (since you won't have to go back to town to heal as much). And I'm really liking that you get experience for quests now.
 
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