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[Kazzy]

I've just finished

Spoiler

Marie's dungeon

, and I can see understand the criticism now.

Spoiler

It wasn't so much the SP draining that irritated me, in fact, I sort of liked that micro-management aspect to it, and it sort of reminded me of the challenge you only typically face at the beginning of these games. No, it was the enemies that had no discernible weaknesses, which meant there became nothing much than battles of attrition. I don't mind that in boss encounters, but to face something like that on almost every floor, well, it just became tiresome.

I've just gone over the 80 hour mark, yikes! And there I was, thinking that my previous experience would avoid another 100 hour save file!

 

[meltingparappa]

I've just finished

Spoiler

Marie's dungeon

On the plus side, it's super short! But yeah, it sort of distills the mechanics down to just bare bones and isn't particularly interesting.

I just feel bad for someone who faces the boss and

Spoiler

never before thought to actually use items

.

 

[Auron_Kale]

Speaking of guy love, was this in P4 Vanilla? I saw the option and just had to take it.

I did that. Was totally secure in my bro-ness with Yosuke. When the time comes to level up Kanji, I'm all about hugs man.

 

[Kazzy]

On the plus side, it's super short! But yeah, it sort of distills the mechanics down to just bare bones and isn't particularly interesting.

I just feel bad for someone who faces the boss and

Spoiler

never before thought to actually use items

.

The items are a saving grace, because that fight runs contrary to the rest of the game. Sure, you do get the opportunity to learn the elemental breaks, but when do you really need them? Its probably the first instance where I remember it being a viable strategy.

 

[Blue Submarine No. 6]

The items are a saving grace, because that fight runs contrary to the rest of the game. Sure, you do get the opportunity to learn the elemental breaks, but when do you really need them? Its probably the first instance where I remember it being a viable strategy.

I used them to good effect on the golden Hands of all sorts prior to Marie's dungeon... but ya, they aren't particularly useful outside of that dungeon...

 

[Kazzy]

I used them to good effect on the golden Hands of all sorts prior to Marie's dungeon... but ya, they aren't particularly useful outside of that dungeon...

Ah, I guess so, but I always brute-force those things. Megidolaon!

 

[kewlmyc]

Can you catch the Sea Guardian on any day in December or do I have to wait till the fog in town goes away and it rains?

 

[meltingparappa]

Can you catch the Sea Guardian on any day in December or do I have to wait till the fog in town goes away and it rains?

You can, APPARENTLY, it's just much more rare (assuming you've got the bait). Same goes for January/February.

I didn't know that at the time, and am still sore about not completing the Hermit link.

Edit: If you don't have the right bait, it's super easy to get after December.

 

[Kazzy]

You can, APPARENTLY, it's just much more rare (assuming you've got the bait). Same goes for January/February.

I didn't know that at the time, and am still sore about not completing the Hermit link.

Edit: If you don't have the right bait, it's super easy to get after December.

Well, shit. The last few days were spent going to the cafe, I literally have nothing else of note to accomplish.

 

[Salaadin]

WTF, LOL!

 

[Dedication Through Light]

The cutscenes look so impressive in this, actually better than the anime, at least through the first main stuff with Yosuke. I guess Im going super slow as Im only on 4/16 at six hours now. I hope the game opens up more soon.

 

[Kazzy]

The cutscenes look so impressive in this, actually better than the anime, at least through the first main stuff with Yosuke. I guess Im going super slow as Im only on 4/16 at six hours now. I hope the game opens up more soon.[

It opens up after the first real dungeon, and when you have a party of four.

 

[NIN90]

So is normal difficulty the way to go for someone who dabbled with P3 (something between 10 and 20 hours)?

 

[Auron_Kale]

The cutscenes look so impressive in this, actually better than the anime, at least through the first main stuff with Yosuke.

Cutscenes are way better quality than in the anime, but man does the anime do certain parts of the game better.

Yu Narukami is the ultimate brotagonist with swag in the anime. I honestly think it's JYB's best role to date.

 

[Trigger]

So is normal difficulty the way to go for someone who dabbled with P3 (something between 10 and 20 hours)?

I'd honestly suggest hard if you want a challenge. If you just want to cruise through the game then Normal is fine.

 

[Red_taiyaki]

I'd honestly suggest hard if you want a challenge. If you just want to cruise through the game then Normal is fine.

Even then, you eventually end up grinding so much that even hard becomes easy :X.

 

[Dedication Through Light]

Cutscenes are way better quality than in the anime, but man does the anime do certain parts of the game better.

Yu Narukami is the ultimate brotagonist with swag in the anime. I honestly think it's JYB's best role to date.

The game doesnt have one of my favorite Yosuke scenes

 

[Trigger]

Even then, you eventually end up grinding so much that even hard becomes easy :X.

Yeah, there's not much one can do with an unbalanced game.

 

[buddha0991]

The game doesnt have one of my favorite Yosuke scenes

Dude looks like his shadow self there

 

[Red_taiyaki]

Yeah, there's not much one can do with an unbalanced game.

Pretty much this. I remember getting my ass handed to me on very hard up until Naoto's dungeon. Then everything became broken until

Spoiler

Adachi's dungeon. . Even then fighting a few golden hands was all I needed to beat the boss.

 

[buddha0991]

It seems every portable Persona rerelease has had some form of imbalance over their original...except....Eternal Punishment, which is properly rebalanced...

 

[Trigger]

Most of the unbalance comes from all the newbie friendly features. lol, I feel like an old man because I think about the old days when you couldn't choose abilities and getting the right cards during shuffletime took effort. The first real boss didn't have a weakness either IIRC.

 

[Kazzy]

I'd honestly suggest hard if you want a challenge. If you just want to cruise through the game then Normal is fine.

I'd agree, were it not for the Compendium prices becoming extortionate on the higher difficulties. Which makes sense from a battle perspective, but becomes extremely inconvenient for the sake of calling up a Persona purely for the S-link benefit.

 

[buddha0991]

Most of the unbalance comes from all the newbie friendly features. lol, I feel like an old man because I think about the old days when you couldn't choose abilities and getting the right cards during shuffletime took effort. The first real boss didn't have a weakness either IIRC.

You think thats bad? I "You think you kids have it rough? Back in my day...." to Nocturne all the time lol.

 

[Trigger]

These youngsters should appreciate how well they got it.

I'd agree, were it not for the Compendium prices becoming extortionate on the higher difficulties. Which makes sense from a battle perspective, but becomes extremely inconvenient for the sake of calling up a Persona purely for the S-link benefit.

I never had that problem. First time through I only ever focused on a few social links, and SMT games have programmed me to grind incessantly too, lol.

 

[Kazzy]

I never had that problem. First time through I only ever focused on a few social links, and SMT games have programmed me to grind incessantly too, lol.

I just remember it making my perfect S-link playthough of P3P to be become a real chore. The first quarter of the game is just loaded with grinding, simply to raise the necessary funds.

 

[Red_taiyaki]

Most of the unbalance comes from all the newbie friendly features. lol, I feel like an old man because I think about the old days when you couldn't choose abilities and getting the right cards during shuffletime took effort. The first real boss didn't have a weakness either IIRC.

OMG you're telling me. I still remember trying to fuse the same personas in P3 over and over again just so that the right skills will transfer. Endless fun!

 

[Trojita]

You can choose abilities in this!?

looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

I just got the game for Christmas.

I still have my save on my Fat PS3 right before the final boss. Everything somehow done in the first playthrough: Every Social Link Maxed, Every Persona, Every piece of Equipment. I didn't end up fighting the last boss, I was concentrated on leveling my Helel from level 91 to max with the best stats he could have, but I never got a confirmation of which stats to level. I sometimes have a problem in JRPG's where I get to the end, do the sidequests, but never beat the game. This was a big problem during the PS1 era with my saves then getting wiped due to fucked up memory cards.

It's pretty amazing how much time I put into the game. I got at least 4 Persona that were Resistant to everything except Allmighty (That was difficult), and all the top tier Persona I have are powerful as shit.

I'm wondering if I should even start Golden or wait two and a half weeks so that I can finish Persona 4 Regular? (The Fat PS3 is at my parents house). I hope the ending is a lot more satisfying than the "Normal" ending.

 

[Kazzy]

You can choose abilities in this!?

looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool

Couple that will skill cards, as well as the ability to give your party bonus skills, it grants you the potential to absolutely trivialize battles.

 

[Trigger]

I just remember it making my perfect S-link playthough of P3P to be become a real chore. The first quarter of the game is just loaded with grinding, simply to raise the necessary funds.

It's not SMT if you're not grinding and losing several hours of progress thanks to hama/mudo, lol. I've never done a max link playthrough for P3P. I'll have to give a whirl soon.

 

[Trojita]

Couple that will skill cards, as well as the ability to give your party bonus skills, it grants you the potential to absolutely trivialize battles.

Are you serious? Wow. It seems like you could break the game fairly easily.

 

[Red_taiyaki]

It's not SMT if you're not grinding and losing several hours of progress thanks to hama/mudo, lol. I've never done a max link playthrough for P3P. I'll have to give a whirl soon.

I knuuuuuuuuu. I'm hoping that Atlus ramps up the difficulty again for P5. When we get that announcement that is...

 

[Kazzy]

Are you serious? Wow. It seems like you could break the game fairly easily.

Yup. That's not to mention the +1 stat cards that you get through shuffles. Izanagi is now viable!

 

[Trojita]

Yup. That's not to mention the +1 stat cards that you get through shuffles. Izanagi is now viable!

:O

 

[Trigger]

My Izanagi was often better than most of my party's personae.

 

[buddha0991]

Are you serious? Wow. It seems like you could break the game fairly easily.

By the 8 bit dungeon, I was rockin Auto Tarukaja + Mind Charge + Marakunda + Megidolaon.

 

[Ragingnight]

Yup. That's not to mention the +1 stat cards that you get through shuffles. Izanagi is now viable!

yep thats how my level 60 black frost has like 75 magic rofl

 

[Orcastar]

Finally finished the game, only took me 83 hours. Goddamn, wasn't expecting it to be this long. Not that I'm complaining, I loved every minute of it.

I skipped P4 when it first came out since my phat PS3 died right around the time it came out and I no longer had a PS2 at the time. Now I'm kinda glad I did since I got to experience such an excellent JRPG this gen. Amazing game all around. Really addictive too, "I'll just play one more day"...

Still got plenty of stuff left to do too. I only managed to max out six social links in addition to all the party member ones, only filled out 89% of the compendium, only completed around half of the quests, didn't manage to catch the guardian (I only got the fishing rod in December...) and so on. I kinda wanna jump right back into NG+, but I think I'll play something else for a while.

I guess I'll have to check out the anime now too.

 

[Shinypogs]

I'm 9 and a half hours in and having a blast. I'm pretty positive I'm doing the social links thing wrong and it'll bite me in the ass later for not spreading my time around more. Honestly I just want to have fun and enjoy the story this time around, there's always replays to do proper runs in.

BTW how do I get a fishing rod ?

 

[Noi]

My party that managed to beat the MaruQ dungeon is getting rocked in the first floor of Void Quest...

Feels bad, man.

 

[CSX]

I'm 9 and a half hours in and having a blast. I'm pretty positive I'm doing the social links thing wrong and it'll bite me in the ass later for not spreading my time around more. Honestly I just want to have fun and enjoy the story this time around, there's always replays to do proper runs in.

BTW how do I get a fishing rod ?

go to the pub at night with ladybugs in hand. You get the bugs by exchanging items with the kid at the shrine. Or if you have the net already, just go hunt for bugs at the shrine. At the pub, just talk to the lady and she will ask for a ladybug. Then voila you got a hook which then you go back to the old man by the river and he will give you the fishing rod.

 

[Trigger]

I'm 9 and a half hours in and having a blast. I'm pretty positive I'm doing the social links thing wrong and it'll bite me in the ass later for not spreading my time around more. Honestly I just want to have fun and enjoy the story this time around, there's always replays to do proper runs in.

BTW how do I get a fishing rod ?

Spoiler

Go talk to the bug catching kid after talking with the old man by the river. The kid will ask for a soda. If you give it to him he'll give you a bug. Bring the bug to the pub at night and you should get the hook the old man is missing. He'll give you the rod for bringing it to him IIRC.

EDIT-Beaten by mere seconds.

 

[Shinypogs]

Thanks guys ^-^

 

[Tiu Neo]

My Izanagi was often better than most of my party's personae.

Yep, I'm using only him on my New Game+, and he's better than all the other party members Personae in about everything but healing.

I'm 9 and a half hours in and having a blast. I'm pretty positive I'm doing the social links thing wrong and it'll bite me in the ass later for not spreading my time around more. Honestly I just want to have fun and enjoy the story this time around, there's always replays to do proper runs in.

Yeah, that's what I did. It's a lot easier to get the social links right on a second playthrough.

 

[dakkumauji]

Finally found that stupid sucker of a Reaper.

Cool that they changed it so you could find it on the first playthrough but still annoying to do the whole spawning method. And of course he never bothers you when you are actively looking for it!

Blah, missed out on the

Spoiler

Velvet Room costumes

. Oh well, at least it'll be easy to get in new game+.

 

[Beast Legacy]

I never bothered to find out, but is the Reaper chest count reset when you quit out of the dungeon or game? When people suggest methods for Reaper hunting (opening 4 chests on floor 1, back out and do it again till you hit 20 etc etc) that's assuming you

a). just fought a Reaper or
b). heard the chains but switched floors or encountered a normal enemy next correct?

Basically, when does the Reaper chest count reset aside from the two scenarios above?

 

[jello44]

Couple that will skill cards, as well as the ability to give your party bonus skills, it grants you the potential to absolutely trivialize battles.

I feel like I'm the only one who didn't use just one persona, and swapped them in and out depending on the situation.

And I barely used skill cards either. Only the bonuses from shuffle time.

 

[buddha0991]

I feel like I'm the only one who didn't use just one persona, and swapped them in and out depending on the situation.

And I barely used skill cards either. Only the bonuses from shuffle time.

Should have seen my persona team from a while back

 

[Trigger]

I feel like I'm the only one who didn't use just one persona, and swapped them in and out depending on the situation.

And I barely used skill cards either. Only the bonuses from shuffle time.

I did in the original, but I've become really attached to Izanagi.

 

[Metroidvania]

I never bothered to find out, but is the Reaper chest count reset when you quit out of the dungeon or game? When people suggest methods for Reaper hunting (opening 4 chests on floor 1, back out and do it again till you hit 20 etc etc) that's assuming you

a). just fought a Reaper or
b). heard the chains but switched floors or encountered a normal enemy next correct?

Basically, when does the Reaper chest count reset aside from the two scenarios above?

The only one besides those two are if you open non-locked chest #22 and the reaper by chance isn't in it. Then it starts over as well.