Monster Hunter Freedom Unite for iOS looking likely for Western release [Up: Out now]

If your friend was taking illegal drugs, wouldn't you try to stop him? The franchise will die or be relegated to IOS on its current trajectory, just like so many great franchises before it. I'm not OK with that. It's not whining. It's condemning; strong censure with the goal of rehabilitation from a destructive path. Whining would be the drug addict telling the doctor that his prescription for rehabilitation is too harsh.

dude you're crazy haha
 
Where would Mario be without Mario 64?
Where would Zelda be if OOT never happened?
Where would Metroid be without Prime?
Where would Metal Gear be without MGS?

OK, now what happened to Megaman?
What happened to Contra?
What happened to Star Fox?
...and all the rest of the once popular now dead/dormant franchises?

Innovate or die. Thats the rule in games. I don't criticize MH because I hate it. It's because I love it.
Contra ended up with Contra IV on DS, Uprising on PSN/XBL, and Rebirth on the Wii VC. All of which I really enjoyed. Of the three of them, IV is my favourite since III twenty years ago. Same goes for Donkey Kong Returns. Not every franchise needs to innovate, an awful lot of 2D games died in the transition to 3D.

I take your point on your other examples, but Megaman is one where, after loads of crap spin-offs and experiments, it found its feet again when it went back to jump n' shoot with the Zero games and Megaman 9/10, only to then be abandoned. I'll still take jump n' shoot over all the rpg nonsense they tried with Star Force etc though.

Perhaps it's that some games are just about a beautiful simplicity, mess with it too much and it stops being so appealing. Others, that revel in a complex system to start with, can often keep pushing the concept a bit more.
 
Contra ended up with Contra IV on DS, Uprising on PSN/XBL, and Rebirth on the Wii VC. All of which I really enjoyed. Of the three of them, IV is my favourite since III twenty years ago. Same goes for Donkey Kong Returns. Not every franchise needs to innovate, an awful lot of 2D games died in the transition to 3D.

I take your point on your other examples, but Megaman is one where, after loads of crap spin-offs and experiments, it found its feet again when it went back to jump n' shoot with the Zero games and Megaman 9/10, only to then be abandoned. I'll still take jump n' shoot over all the rpg nonsense they tried with Star Force etc though.

Perhaps it's that some games are just about a beautiful simplicity, mess with it too much and it stops being so appealing. Others, that revel in a complex system to start with, can often keep pushing the concept a bit more.

I think in the case of MH, most of the main mechanics can stay intact. It just needs a graphics upgrade, and do away with the really outdated stuff like tiny areas separated by loading screens, and 4-player team size limit.

Graphics is the biggest need though, if the Capcom want to keep the franchise relevant. I really think the franchise is losing it's core playerbase. There are now plenty of 4 player games with better graphics and action than MH. It used to be the best by far.
 
If your friend was taking illegal drugs, wouldn't you try to stop him? The franchise will die or be relegated to IOS on its current trajectory, just like so many great franchises before it. I'm not OK with that. It's not whining. It's condemning; strong censure with the goal of rehabilitation from a destructive path. Whining would be the drug addict telling the doctor that his prescription for rehabilitation is too harsh.

You do this pointing at Driveclub, a game in a different genre altogether to show us what modern games should look like. It's like saying Tomodachi Life should look to Mario Kart 8 for how to proper behave. There's really nothing which suggests more hi def graphics would push the series to more buyers. In Japan they've more or less rejected three console MH releases in a row. You're saying because it doesn't look like Driveclub it's on its way to irrelevance when sales are still at peak in Japan and going up in the west release by release. Players stay with the game so online activity is still high. You say the hardware holds it back and yet everything suggests it needs to be portable to maintain its success. You choose a thread about a quick ios port to point this out, as if a MHFU re-release would ever deliver what you're after.

It's not for me to say what will get you interested in an MH game - if you're tired of the core gameplay of the series you're tired of it, fair enough. But you think this means the MH business is in danger because of that, when from a business perspective what Capcom needs to do is exactly what they're doing now. At the end of the run Capcom will have pushed around 10 million 3DS MH games in Japan alone.

It's ok to want an open world MH. It's hard to say if that would work gameplay-wise, but maybe it would, it'd be interesting at least. What we're getting at the moment are ports and G-versions, expansions, games where a radical change like this obv won't be introduced. MH4 does shake up the gameplay more than any of the other games so far. The next main entry, Monster Hunter 5, will most likely come to a new console - if they stick with dedicated portables, one that will have the machine power to do what you want. I'm not sure it's the hardware deciding that, however, or if it's the best idea for Capcom. Plenty of franchives have steadily refined the formula and kept their fanbase without revolutionizing its core.
 
I really think the franchise is losing it's core playerbase. There are now plenty of 4 player games with better graphics and action than MH. It used to be the best by far.

It still is the best. None of these hunting games that try to duplicate MH have come close to matching it in terms of gameplay, and likely never will. Regardless of how nice and shiny they look.

I fail to see how the core playerbase is fading too. It's still a huge franchise in Japan, and over here it's doing surprisingly well for a series from a company with a less than stellar repuation as of late.

I'm almost certain that of chinese developed MMO (with the visuals those with your arguments want) would not cause the franchise to get bigger. Why? Because it's the gameplay that's the dealmaker and dealbreaker for people in MH. Some people are hooked by it, some people are repelled by it.

It doesn't matter how much dynamic lighting, pixel shaders, and all that is on Plesioth's slimy ass, I'm still tossing the device across the room after it carts me.
 
As I continue playing this, I can appreciate it... But I still do not like touch controls.

Everything is just so much... sloppier. Trying to get all my quest rewards takes a little longer. Doing all of my farm activities - a little longer. Looking at equipment to make - longer.

Online is pretty much a straight rip. Wish they somehow tweaked functionality so toy could change equipment but it is what it is. It works, and that's fine!
 
This has no right to play as well as it does.

It's still not quite as precise as a traditional controller with my movement, but on the other hand (my only other real point of comparison is mh3u on 3DS) controlling the camera is fantastic - adjustable swipes with the right thumb anywhere on screen or a quick tap to center camera. The adaptation they've done with the attack and roll buttons (tap and swipe in a direction for different moves based on your weapon) is really, really smart. And it runs surprisingly well on my 4s.

Now the only real heartbreak I have is the lack of cloud saves. :( trying to decide on my iPhone versus the borrowed iPad mini I'm using now for work is killing me.

I think I still prefer MH3U as a game over Unite, but the iOS version is pretty fantastic. I think Unite probably plays better on my Vita but having this always on me is amazingly comforting. Only real downer is that on my 4S I have so little memory free that there's no real multitasking to speak of, so the game seems to reset every single time I switch to another app or get a phone call.
 
This has no right to play as well as it does.

It's still not quite as precise as a traditional controller with my movement, but on the other hand (my only other real point of comparison is mh3u on 3DS) controlling the camera is fantastic - adjustable swipes with the right thumb anywhere on screen or a quick tap to center camera. The adaptation they've done with the attack and roll buttons (tap and swipe in a direction for different moves based on your weapon) is really, really smart. And it runs surprisingly well on my 4s.

Now the only real heartbreak I have is the lack of cloud saves. :( trying to decide on my iPhone versus the borrowed iPad mini I'm using now for work is killing me.

I think I still prefer MH3U as a game over Unite, but the iOS version is pretty fantastic. I think Unite probably plays better on my Vita but having this always on me is amazingly comforting. Only real downer is that on my 4S I have so little memory free that there's no real multitasking to speak of, so the game seems to reset every single time I switch to another app or get a phone call.

For me, playing Tri on Wii, I had a ton of issues pulling off the X+A attacks, most especially the SnS jump attack. I'd end up doing an upswipe to thin air. Hasn't happened to me once in this game and that's kind of amazing. For what it's worth, though, the issue seemed somehow fixed in MH3U. Like they allowed a longer window for the buttons to be pressed if not exactly simultaneously.

Also, for the first time ever in Monster Hunter: analog camera control! Only horizontally most of the time, but man does it shine using ranged weapons.

EDIT: also, look into iFunbox for backing up and transferring saves around.
 
How would open MH not work? Even at the bare minimum it would just take the world boarders and areas away. Same gameplay but seamlessly. There can still be 'areas' but they would be directly connected with no loading.

I can't really think of how that would negatively effect the gameplay.
 
I got a used stratus controller on amazon and an HDMI out and now I am in MH heaven.

how do I add people? do I go through gamecenter? never really cared about adding people on iOS before.
 
How would open MH not work? Even at the bare minimum it would just take the world boarders and areas away. Same gameplay but seamlessly. There can still be 'areas' but they would be directly connected with no loading.

I can't really think of how that would negatively effect the gameplay.

They would need to include add safe areas, otherwise solo dual/epic hunts become unfun/too difficult since you'll never have breathing room. Imagine if there was a dual One-Ear Garuga quest. He's always permaraged. Flash/Sonic/Dung Bombs don't work. You don't have enough time to sharpen between attacks even against just a single One-Ear Garuga. Can't zone out because it's open-world now. If you want to sharpen you have to go Farcast every time then walk a long way back to battle.
 
They would need to include add safe areas, otherwise solo dual/epic hunts become unfun/too difficult since you'll never have breathing room. Imagine if there was a dual One-Ear Garuga quest. He's always permaraged. Flash/Sonic/Dung Bombs don't work. You don't have enough time to sharpen between attacks even against just a single One-Ear Garuga. Can't zone out because it's open-world now. If you want to sharpen you have to go Farcast every time then walk a long way back to battle.

You sound terrible at Monster Hunter.

I can do all of those things in the middle of the fight :p

Lol just yanking youe chain
 
If MH open world means walking around for a long ass time I would rather it stays as it is. Maybe make the areas a little bigger, but this shouldn't be compared with open world RPG's filled with side quests and things to do while you explore. Monster Hunter is all about prep and fighting, so I don't see how open world would enhance the gameplay without changing what the game is about.
 
Can someone help me? This is my first MH besides the MH3U Wii U demo.

Why can't I carve anything from these mamut-like monsters in my first training at the training school?
 
I got a used stratus controller on amazon and an HDMI out and now I am in MH heaven.

how do I add people? do I go through gamecenter? never really cared about adding people on iOS before.

Gamecenter doesn't really do anything with this app. It just shows that you play the game, there are no points to earn or anything like that.

When you hit the chat button in the online guild hall, it takes you to a chat app called Lobi. It runs in the game I think, but prompts you to install it so it loads quicker. I made a private GAF lobby in that, join and we can easily set up hunts. To hunt together, we'd simply create a room in the MHFU Online Guild Hall and share it's ID number in the chat.

Quote me to find the Lobi Chat URL I set up between e-mail tags.
 
If MH open world means walking around for a long ass time I would rather it stays as it is. Maybe make the areas a little bigger, but this shouldn't be compared with open world RPG's filled with side quests and things to do while you explore. Monster Hunter is all about prep and fighting, so I don't see how open world would enhance the gameplay without changing what the game is about.

Witcher 3 and Dragons Dogma kind of give ideas about what an open world MH would look like
 
Gotten up to Nekoths quest and HR2 with a couple of newbie friends. And this game is the shit. Playing on an ipad is glorious, and control is a masterpiece (for touchscreen). I am not missing my vita version at all. My two friends which have never tried MH before, are totally into it, they suck balls, but we are having so much fun doing quests. So if you are on the fence, this is a no brainer. First ios game that has a consol feel.
 
I need people to play with me...I'm still at the super-early time where I'm too much of a liability for most people to play with online but I need to craft new armor :-/
 
How far are you on the village quests? Easy armor is Kut ku, which gives you 150 in health, when speced with som decorations. If your a blade guy, then Ceaneataur is an excellent armor which you can have untill Ceaneataur s is available in high rank.
 
How far are you on the village quests? Easy armor is Kut ku, which gives you 150 in health, when speced with som decorations. If your a blade guy, then Ceaneataur is an excellent armor which you can have untill Ceaneataur s is available in high rank.

That's part of my problem...I'm bored playing alone so I just keep jumping into whatever online hunts I can find.


P.S. I joined your chat, chuckpebble
 
I think you have to power through at least up to 4 stars in the village quest. Just to get to learn some of the monsters a bit better. And to build yourself a cabable armor and weapons. If you just try to play difficult monsters online, without the "right" equipment, and without any knowledge of the monsters, you will only irritate your playing partners.
 
I think you have to power through at least up to 4 stars in the village quest. Just to get to learn some of the monsters a bit better. And to build yourself a cabable armor and weapons. If you just try to play difficult monsters online, without the "right" equipment, and without any knowledge of the monsters, you will only irritate your playing partners.

I'm so used to being indestructible in MH3U that I feel like such a puny human in this game. FINE, I'll do the lame village quests :-/



:-P
 
That's part of my problem...I'm bored playing alone so I just keep jumping into whatever online hunts I can find.


P.S. I joined your chat, chuckpebble

Cool. I'll be on tonight. So far, randoms are brutal. Had 3 failed quests in a row the other night before throwing in the towel. I'll send you a Lobi message when I hop on. Are you TheMarioLink?

Full hermitaur seems like a great set to shoot for in early village. I've got mine up to 260+ defense now, and was able to gem in guard +1 and defense up medium. I think the throwing skill up makes pegging things with paintballs a little safer too. Really vulnerable to lightning though, but it hasn't been a problem for me so far.
 
I played this for a while, I think it's neat, but you really, really want to play it with controller. It just made me want to buy a Wii U so I could play 3 Ultimate on the gamepad.
 
Why not just buy a controller?

Just jailbreak and use the Dualshock 3, much easier.

Speaking of controllers, is there any way of setting the game up so it automatically connects to the controller WITHOUT having to go into the option menu? I have my iPad connected to the TV and I'd love to avoid that whole process... (ultimate lazy guy, I know).
 
I realized why I felt so weak. I'm an idiot. I was doing the wrong quests! I was trying the ones from the gathering hall. Gah!

AND I had no idea I could have a felyine help me during battles. He did almost nothing and I still died SEVERAL times during three failed attempts at the
Khezu Urgent Quest
but it was nice to actually use him for once.
 
Speaking of controllers, is there any way of setting the game up so it automatically connects to the controller WITHOUT having to go into the option menu? I have my iPad connected to the TV and I'd love to avoid that whole process... (ultimate lazy guy, I know).

I use an MFI controller and having to connect the controller IS too much work. Other games just recognize it so I know it's possible...
 
I use an MFI controller and having to connect the controller IS too much work. Other games just recognize it so I know it's possible...

Jeez, I was holding off on those MFi controllers because I'm dad poor, but between the price and that, at least for this game anyway, it's just a bag of hurt.
 
Jeez, I was holding off on those MFi controllers because I'm dad poor, but between the price and that, at least for this game anyway, it's just a bag of hurt.

It's literally two seconds, so I wouldn't let it be a dealbreaker...but my lazy ass gets a little annoyed by it haha. I do think waiting is a good idea, though. I jumped the gun and bought myself a cheap refurbished Moga controller because it had dual sticks which are a godsend. It's better than touch controls, but the buttons are odd and take more effort to press fully than you'd think they should. Add to that the fact that my "A" button is even more picky than the others, and I'm missing a lot more dodges than I should be. The next generation of controllers should be much better, I'd imagine.

I'll need a new one anyway when I get the next iPhone (I'm one of those people) so I'm sticking with it until then...
 
Having fun with this. Nice little bridge from now til mh4u. Kind of wish we could see how many people were playing online...
 
Witcher 3 and Dragons Dogma kind of give ideas about what an open world MH would look like

I don't know. Open MH doesn't sound really fun. It just means more land to get over to. Areas are nice since it's easier to find monsters and it benefits you when you want to retreat to collect yourself.
 
Looking to do my HR2 urgent quest tonight if anyone's interested. It's the 4* Blangonga quest. Had him limping in a duo hunt, but my partner fainted 3 times.

Lobi is obtuse as all hell. Anyone know how that works? I just wanna talk to the people I'm in the hall with. Can't figure it out. And the yellow exclamation point: what's that all about? Have no idea what that's telling me.

Should I make a community thread?
 
Yes for community thread.

HR3 and 9 star Nekoth quest now. Starting to get in big trouble now as long it is not Rathian and Rathalos.

I have to say that touch controll isn't that far from dualshock, don't know how they managed that, but kudos to Capcom on this port. I think I still prefer MHFU over Tri (to many silly monsters in Tri) but still hoping the game gets some success so they port that one as well (and four)
 
Looking to do my HR2 urgent quest tonight if anyone's interested. It's the 4* Blangonga quest. Had him limping in a duo hunt, but my partner fainted 3 times.

Lobi is obtuse as all hell. Anyone know how that works? I just wanna talk to the people I'm in the hall with. Can't figure it out. And the yellow exclamation point: what's that all about? Have no idea what that's telling me.

Should I make a community thread?
Lobi is horrible. Can't stand it. And it's crazy that it's a big feature bullet point about how there's lobby chat for this game and it's just lobi.
 
Lobi is horrible. Can't stand it. And it's crazy that it's a big feature bullet point about how there's lobby chat for this game and it's just lobi.

Yeah, I went and made a Lobi group, I can't access it in game. And there's absolutely no way to communicate during quest outside of gestures and doing the ping. I really miss the preset chat macros you could make in Tri.

At least posting a room number in the general chat works pretty well for finding hunters that'll help.
 
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