Hatsune Miku Project Diva series general discussion thread

Put me in the "Link Scratches Suck" Club.

Put me in the "Link scratches suck the first time you play some songs, don't really add a lot to gameplay, shouldn't really be considered in an F3, but are otherwise not that big of a pain"...club.

I like that they tried something new with the same old formula, but they could have done it better, and should try something different next time. I think the annoyance is minimal, as most people play each song more than once. But star notes never really bothered me much in general, so long as I can use sticks over touchscreen.
 
Put me in the "Link scratches suck the first time you play some songs, don't really add a lot to gameplay, shouldn't really be considered in an F3, but are otherwise not that big of a pain"...club.

I like that they tried something new with the same old formula, but they could have done it better, and should try something different next time. I think the annoyance is minimal, as most people play each song more than once. But star notes never really bothered me much in general, so long as I can use sticks over touchscreen.

I would not mind the mechanic if it were used in a way that they weren't just completely unpredictable all the time. In my book, any input type in a music game that can't be nailed without any foreknowledge of the chart is a bad mechanic - it should always be possible to score perfectly on a sight read.
 
I would not mind the mechanic if it were used in a way that they weren't just completely unpredictable all the time. In my book, any input type in a music game that can't be nailed without any foreknowledge of the chart is a bad mechanic - it should always be possible to score perfectly on a sight read.
You are talking as if someone could perfect every song on their first play if star links were not in it. I agree that they are an extra challenge, because you need to remember the rhythms, but that's not really any different to any other symbol. Besides, the shapes they leave are nice additions to the choreography of regular notes.
 
Alright, I'm kinda confused at the way modifiers work. Does stuff like technical zone and the bonus star thing confer extra points for completing successfully? How does the combo system work?
 
Bit of a PDF2nd overload this week :)

iboRCLYeOPYvFZ.jpg


i7BqPaa2vO0Ju.jpg


iVLWvw0qe25z0.jpg


idgWl9P4hH5pa.jpg


ibwf1BSbeOEJOL.jpg


izyakqw7TGZGh.jpg


icwELN7fead4o.jpg


ibjkOeCTUmbVfi.jpg
 
Well my copy turned up earlier today and I've spent a few hours with it so far. Being brutally honest I'm not enjoying it at all.

The one thing I've always liked about the Project Diva games compared to many other rhythm series is that the notes have always been easy to read and predict, putting the emphasis on execution. With Diva f 2nd I'm finding incredible difficulty in even trying to work out what the game is wanting me to press at times and it really ruins the flow. Star lines are the biggest problem, they float onto the screen slow but then change in speed to throw off your timing, follow paths that aren't obvious and sometimes even double back with no indication that it'll happen.

I'm also seeing loads of instances where the game is purposefully trying to hide the order of the notes with visual tricks, even on low difficulties. Karakuri Pierrot on normal is probably the best example, notes fly in odd directions to either throw off your timing on consecutive notes or make you press buttons out of order, star lines that are impossible to see where they are going, hidden double notes etc.

Sure, learning the songs would take away those issues, but having to repeat sections again and again to study what order I should be pressing the buttons isn't much fun and is the reason I stay away from a number of rhythm game series.

In my book, any input type in a music game that can't be nailed without any foreknowledge of the chart is a bad mechanic - it should always be possible to score perfectly on a sight read.
This pretty much exactly sums up my feelings.
 
You are talking as if someone could perfect every song on their first play if star links were not in it. I agree that they are an extra challenge, because you need to remember the rhythms, but that's not really any different to any other symbol. Besides, the shapes they leave are nice additions to the choreography of regular notes.
That's exactly what I'm implying. The link scratches ruined a ton of what would have otherwise been sight read perfects during my streams. In four games of charts I've never felt a perfect on the first try was unattainable. Throwing that away for the sake of a visual gimmick is unacceptable.
 
In my book, any input type in a music game that can't be nailed without any foreknowledge of the chart is a bad mechanic - it should always be possible to score perfectly on a sight read.

This so much. I feel like I'd never really gelled with Project Diva / Osu as much as with Bemani / Harmonix games solely because of this. Knowing the BGM for PJD and Osu makes such a big difference when it comes to nailing tricky rhythms.
 
This so much. I feel like I'd never really gelled with Project Diva / Osu as much as with Bemani / Harmonix games solely because of this. Knowing the BGM for PJD and Osu makes such a big difference when it comes to nailing tricky rhythms.

I've never had an issue with sightreads on Project DIVA until link scratches were introduced - there were some tricks but none of it I would label unfair.
 
Still waiting with baited breath for my copy of #2 to arrive... I guess I'll play the second PSP game (which I also recently picked up) for now... I need my Luka!
 
Yeah, I was pretty impressed with how he used the vocals as well. Might be the first vocaloid song I heard that might pass off as human.

Also secret police on hard is kicking my ass. Holy shit.
 
I think I'm gonna play every song on Extreme again and list the ones that don't have bullshit Link Scratches, just to see how small that list would be.
 
Ditto on the Star Links. I disliked the Event songs in Theatrhythm for the same reason (the rotating directionals in that game were bullshit too).

Working through the Hard difficulties on all the songs now... the track list is alright, but there are like several songs that just aren't fun. Diva F's ratio was a little better I think.
 
Alright, got every song unlocked in hard. Now to get the real game going.

Also, does hard ad extreme difficulties unlock different modules?
 
Alright, got every song unlocked in hard. Now to get the real game going.

Also, does hard ad extreme difficulties unlock different modules?

Hard, mostly. You only need to complete a single song (whichever you want) on Extreme to unlock a few modules and that's it.

Heh, good thing I managed to snag my physical copy, if what Ruby said it's right. Also, quite surprised that I managed to do it at all since I only got it the last week.
 
Clearing some songs on hard gives you a module. Be prepared to play most songs 5 times minimum to get all the modules.

Does anybody know what "Clear across x retries" means on the unlocking guide? It's not exactly clear.
 
Link scratches suck the first time you play a song, but after that are just fine. I like the ones that add aesthetics to a song, like Glory Music.

Also, man, the trophy grind this time is absolutely insane.
 
To get the modules unlocked or just to earn the diva points needed?

You only need to clear a song 5 times if you're playing F 2nd. If you're playing F/f, I think you just need to play through everything on Hard and at least one song on Extreme to unlock most of the modules. The rest will come from using each character a certain number of times.

You need a few million DP to get all the modules in F.


Diva room stuff sure does take a while now, can't just spam gifts anymore :l
 
I don't SAFE often, but when I do, it's in a Technical Zone.


Edit: Also just tried Kagerou Days on Hard for the first time... What the heck at that starting chance time and the alternating between scratch notes and regular notes... What's Extreme like?
 
I don't SAFE often, but when I do, it's in a Technical Zone.


Edit: Also just tried Kagerou Days on Hard for the first time... What the heck at that starting chance time and the alternating between scratch notes and regular notes... What's Extreme like?

It's a mix of double notes and scratch notes. The whole PV changes if you pass the chance time or not, it's pretty neat.
 
It's a mix of double notes and scratch notes. The whole PV changes if you pass the chance time or not, it's pretty neat.

I look forward to failing it repeatedly, lol

Also, Ievan Polkka (Extreme) -- can't believe they finally added this.
At the start "This is simple enough."
At the end "WTF just happened?"
 
Speaking of the chance time... I'm not sure if it's a bug or a feature, but if you do the final chance time scratch as a double, you force the non-success PV even if you finished the chance time successfully.
 
Speaking of the chance time... I'm not sure if it's a bug or a feature, but if you do the final chance time scratch as a double, you force the non-success PV even if you finished the chance time successfully.

This is a sweet find, some of the chance time pvs push me towards an epileptic fit
 
I don't SAFE often, but when I do, it's in a Technical Zone.

Ditto for almost everyone here, incluiding me, sadly

I look forward to failing it repeatedly, lol

Also, Ievan Polkka (Extreme) -- can't believe they finally added this.
At the start "This is simple enough."
At the end "WTF just happened?"

I just saw this one on Youtube. The first half? Easily doable for anyone with a little experience for the series. The second one? "Dafuq?"

Oh, and shame I was so late about buying the game that I couldn't make it to the Challenge you guys had the other day. I just made it through Tengaku on hard. Anyway, I wouldn't have qualified either way: I ended up with 78 Good notes.
 
Speaking of the chance time... I'm not sure if it's a bug or a feature, but if you do the final chance time scratch as a double, you force the non-success PV even if you finished the chance time successfully.

Huh, I was wondering why that was happening to me every once in a while. Nice to know.
 
Alright, I'm kinda confused at the way modifiers work. Does stuff like technical zone and the bonus star thing confer extra points for completing successfully? How does the combo system work?

I didn't see anyone answer this, so on the chance that you haven't yet figured it out:

There are a few different scoring systems at work here.

Diva Points are used to unlock stuff. Challenge Items, if used, cost you a few DP, but multiply the number of Diva Points you earn if the song is cleared. If your timing is good, you'll always want to use "Perfectionist," because you'll earn 4 TIMES more DP on every song. By comparison, "Mega Survival" earns 3 times the DP, but is actually more difficult to use for most players, because your life gauge can never increase.

Rank Points determine what your final rank on the song is (STANDARD/GREAT/EXCELLENT/PERFECT). Here is how those work:
- Each Technical Zone awards 3 points if you keep your combo throughout, for a total of 6
- Chance Time Success (hit the star note at the end after filling it completely) is worth 5
- All of the individual notes in the song are worth an equal amount that, when added together, equal 89 points. You earn points for each note that you get a COOL or GOOD/FINE on; all ratings below those are worth 0. There are no partial points awarded.
So in total there are 100 Rank Points for every chart. If you never break combo, you will wind up with 100 RP and a PERFECT. 95 points are required for an EXCELLENT and 90 for a GREAT. If you don't get at least 80, you won't clear the song at all, even if you finish it.

The straight up "score" points don't really count for anything unless we're running a score competition, but if you're curious, what you need to know there is
- combo is the #1 factor, so don't break combo
- COOLs are worth 200 more points than FINE/GOOD, except during Chance Time where all notes are worth much more and the difference is 600
- for "W" arrows: pressing both inputs together, rather than holding one and pressing the other, will give 200 bonus points
- for holds: getting a COOL on the judgment at the beginning of the hold doubles the point value of the hold itself
 
PS3 stealing sales from Vita, perhaps?

Maybe - the total sales between both versions is about the same as the number of people that bought f in 2012. This time around there's not nearly as much incentive to double-dip, since both versions are releasing simultaneously and there's no difference in content.
 
The first Project DIVA f sold 159K copies in its first week...coincidentally, about the sum of both versions of 2nd together.

edit: great minds think alike? lol
 
Looks like you don't have to get every module to get the trophy, just most of them. Just got the trophy for it myself, and I still a few modules left to unlock according to the unlock guide.
 
Top Bottom