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Shin Megami Tensei Community Thread: Be Your True Demon

S

snow in jamaica

Member
Well, the Mickey image in the banner tells me yes.

cj_iwakura said:
http://personacentral.com/nocturnal...hin-megami-tenseis-first-localization-part-1/

Great article about the demon localizations from resident occultist Eirikr. Demon names are always pretty dicey, nice to see them broken down.
Click to expand...

Is it me or does practically no one but Eirikr look into and question this stuff? So much of the mythological insight I receive regarding SMT comes from him, and that strikes me as odd when the demons and mythological themes are the defining aspects of the series.
 
R

randomkid

Member
Kaneko chats with my other favorite game artist about high fashion, running away from fights, nipple removal, wearing Travolta suits, SaGa art, and more:

http://shmuplations.com/kobayashikaneko/

This was actually an interview I funded with one of the last available shmuplations vouchers before they were closed off.

The only other Megaten interview on the docket is one about Soul Hackers I've been voting for. It's a few votes away from moving to the top of the list if you wanna drop two bucks to help!

Vote
 
D

Dragon1893

Member
randomkid said:
Kaneko chats with my other favorite game artist about high fashion, running away from fights, nipple removal, wearing Travolta suits, SaGa art, and more:

http://shmuplations.com/kobayashikaneko/

This was actually an interview I funded with one of the last available shmuplations vouchers before they were closed off.

The only other Megaten interview on the docket is one about Soul Hackers I've been voting for. It's a few votes away from moving to the top of the list if you wanna drop two bucks to help!

Vote
Click to expand...

Oh god, this is gold.

Kaneko: I had always wanted to be a dancer. (laughers) I idolized Travolta in Saturay Night Fever. I used to put the outfit on and spend the night dancing at Ueno. I got harassed a lot. (laughs) I was told that if you wore that kind of clothing and went to discos, you’d be put on the police’s wanted list as a yakuza member. If that happened, no venue would let you inside.

Kobayashi: Was it really that bad?

Kaneko: No, not really.
Click to expand...

He comes across so diferently in this one.
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Kaneko: I had always wanted to be a dancer. (laughers) I idolized Travolta in Saturay Night Fever. I used to put the outfit on and spend the night dancing at Ueno. I got harassed a lot. (laughs) I was told that if you wore that kind of clothing and went to discos, you’d be put on the police’s wanted list as a yakuza member.
Click to expand...

qq1oSjo.gif
 
S

SatelliteOfLove

Member
randomkid said:
Kaneko chats with my other favorite game artist about high fashion, running away from fights, nipple removal, wearing Travolta suits, SaGa art, and more:

http://shmuplations.com/kobayashikaneko/

This was actually an interview I funded with one of the last available shmuplations vouchers before they were closed off.

The only other Megaten interview on the docket is one about Soul Hackers I've been voting for. It's a few votes away from moving to the top of the list if you wanna drop two bucks to help!

Vote
Click to expand...

Kobayashi: She Knows How To Draw A Good Butt
 
F

Frimaire

Member
Hey, I'm not sure if this is the best place for this, but since they're both Atlus games I figured I might as well ask here.
If I like SMT games is the Etrian Odyssey series any good?
I'm about to finish SMT IV:A, and after that I don't really have any games until like mid-January.
I'd play Strange Journey or something, but I think I'm a little burned out on SMT right now...
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Frimaire said:
Hey, I'm not sure if this is the best place for this, but since they're both Atlus games I figured I might as well ask here.
If I like SMT games is the Etrian Odyssey series any good?
I'm about to finish SMT IV:A, and after that I don't really have any games until like mid-January.
I'd play Strange Journey or something, but I think I'm a little burned out on SMT right now...
Click to expand...

The EO games are brutal and have a solid, but minimalist plot, and fantastic music.

So yes, you'll love them. Play the DS original if possible, not the remake. EO1 is my favorite.
 
F

Frimaire

Member
cj_iwakura said:
The EO games are brutal and have a solid, but minimalist plot, and fantastic music.

So yes, you'll love them. Play the DS original if possible, not the remake. EO1 is my favorite.
Click to expand...

Nice, I'll probably order one soon then.
Is there a reason the original is better than the remake?
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Frimaire said:
Nice, I'll probably order one soon then.
Is there a reason the original is better than the remake?
Click to expand...

The remake pretty much spoils or telegraphs every major plot twist early on, and also really lowers the difficulty. The original is brutal, and I love that about it.

Play it after the original, sure, but not instead of.
 
A

asagami_

Banned
cj_iwakura said:
The remake pretty much spoils or telegraphs every major plot twist early on, and also really lowers the difficulty. The original is brutal, and I love that about it.

Play it after the original, sure, but not instead of.
Click to expand...

The lack subtle hints to the plot twist are a thing of the Story mode, or it's something common to both modes? I am enjoying my time with EO IV and after finish it I was thinking go to play the remake, classic mode.
 
S

spiritfox

Member
asagami_ said:
The lack subtle hints to the plot twist are a thing of the Story mode, or it's something common to both modes? I am enjoying my time with EO IV and after finish it I was thinking go to play the remake, classic mode.
Click to expand...

It just part of story mode. Classic carries pretty much the same script from the original game.
 
F

Funyarinpa

Member
So finally got around to playing Soul Hackers, and I'm loving it! Just got done with (early dungeon)
the icy warehouse.
I quite like the game though I feel that the OST could be better overall. Nemissa is great and demon negotiations are fun as ever (;_;).

How do you primarily acquire magnetite? Almost ran out a while ago.

Really liking the whole dungeon crawly grid gameplay. Anywhere I can check my party's alignment? Also, anything I gotta know for ending/route stuff? Is a physical-focused build all right?

The atmosphere could have been a bit better done honestly (music has room for improvement, I feel that there's a lack of worldbuilding coming from SMT4) but at least the negotiations don't feel too random right now. Good times.
 
B

Barrylocke

Member
Funyarinpa said:
So finally got around to playing Soul Hackers, and I'm loving it! Just got done with (early dungeon)
the icy warehouse.
I quite like the game though I feel that the OST could be better overall. Nemissa is great and demon negotiations are fun as ever (;_;).

How do you primarily acquire magnetite? Almost ran out a while ago.

Really liking the whole dungeon crawly grid gameplay. Anywhere I can check my party's alignment? Also, anything I gotta know for ending/route stuff? Is a physical-focused build all right?

The atmosphere could have been a bit better done honestly (music has room for improvement, I feel that there's a lack of worldbuilding coming from SMT4) but at least the negotiations don't feel too random right now. Good times.
Click to expand...

It's been awhile since I've played Soul Hackers, so I pulled out my copy to refresh myself on some things. I believe the main way I'd get more Magnetite was to go out of my way to negotiate for it. Also, keep in mind that it's usually best to just have as many demons as you need for surviving the dungeon and no more, which is usually just MC, Nemissa, and the Dolly Kadmon demon that requires no Magnetite (I played on hard mode so I'd often have an additional demon out as well). Save a full party for when you really need it, aka bosses.

Alignment is purely for the sake of gameplay in this game, and the plot does not change as your alignment does. Your party's alignment is determined by the demons you have summoned at the moment. Certain demons are not allowed to be summoned unless your active party's alignment is compatible with them. If you have Law Demons out, you are unable to summon Extra Chaos demons, and if you have Extra Law Demons out, you are unable to summon Chaos or Extra Chaos demons. The reverse is true for the Chaos side, and Neutral demons can always be summoned.

Since Soul Hackers MC is like SMT1 and 2 MC in that he doesn't use magic, a Physical Build is for the best. Some of the best equipment in the game does require a Magic stat of 10 to equip though, so getting up to that number before the endgame is a good idea.
 
F

Funyarinpa

Member
Barrylocke said:
It's been awhile since I've played Soul Hackers, so I pulled out my copy to refresh myself on some things. I believe the main way I'd get more Magnetite was to go out of my way to negotiate for it. Also, keep in mind that it's usually best to just have as many demons as you need for surviving the dungeon and no more, which is usually just MC, Nemissa, and the Dolly Kadmon demon that requires no Magnetite (I played on hard mode so I'd often have an additional demon out as well). Save a full party for when you really need it, aka bosses.

Alignment is purely for the sake of gameplay in this game, and the plot does not change as your alignment does. Your party's alignment is determined by the demons you have summoned at the moment. Certain demons are not allowed to be summoned unless your active party's alignment is compatible with them. If you have Law Demons out, you are unable to summon Extra Chaos demons, and if you have Extra Law Demons out, you are unable to summon Chaos or Extra Chaos demons. The reverse is true for the Chaos side, and Neutral demons can always be summoned.

Since Soul Hackers MC is like SMT1 and 2 MC in that he doesn't use magic, a Physical Build is for the best. Some of the best equipment in the game does require a Magic stat of 10 to equip though, so getting up to that number before the endgame is a good idea.
Click to expand...

Thanks a whole ton! Is there a way for me to check the alignment of my demons in a menu or something?

Why is there even a magic stat if that's the case? Weird. o_O
 
B

Barrylocke

Member
Funyarinpa said:
Thanks a whole ton! Is there a way for me to check the alignment of my demons in a menu or something?

Why is there even a magic stat if that's the case? Weird. o_O
Click to expand...

You can check demon alignment while looking at your demons stats. You might have to scroll over to a different screen to see that stats, which I believe you do with the analog pad. You can also see how your party alignment is and what you can or can't summon when you're in the summoning section of the menu. There should be a gauge split in two, with the top half showing what you have summoned and the bottom half showing what you can and can't summon.
 
S

SatelliteOfLove

Member
The enunciation in that is a delight.

What isn't a delight is lists of 2004 greats in Gaming that doesn't have this game in it! Lists 20 deep and nada!
 
L

Lynx_7

Member
Well looks like my JRPG rabbit hole continues, I'm back to my Soul Hackers playthrough. Something about having two MegaTen games (this and DeSu) on-hold didn't sit well with me so I decided to finish the shorter of the two. I stopped it pretty early on (the "freezer" dungeon or whatever it's called) and remembered almost nothing from the story so that recap mode when you load the game is a YHVHsend. Seriously, every single RPG in existence should have something like this. Hell, any story driven game should.

I'm not one to usually complain about demon negotiations, in fact I love them in Nocturne and IV/IV Apocalypse, but negotiations in this game are kicking my ass. Some questions legit have no answers that lead to a satisfying conclusion, it's pretty ridiculous. Any tips on what I should be doing? I heard getting Magnetite through negotiation is supposed to be pretty important so I better get the hang of this quickly.
 
D

Dragon1893

Member
Can't wait for my copy of Apocalypse to arrive.
Finally it's time for us european plebs to play it.

Nice to see some SH talk again, I really need to replay it some time.
 
S

Spieler Eins

Member
Fuck it, it randomly overcame me and I impulse bought one of the last Strange Journey copies at VGP. I don't like several things I've seen and heard of it, but in the future I'd probably regret not trying it legally, when it's going to be a bitch to obtain in EU.
Hopefully it at least washes away that awful Apocalypse taste.
 
B

Barrylocke

Member
Spieler Eins said:
Fuck it, it just overcame me and I randomly impulse bought one of the last Strange Journey copies at VGP. I don't like several things I've seen and heard of it, but in the future I'd probably regret not trying it legally, when it's going to be a bitch to obtain in EU.
Hopefully it at least washes away that awful Apocalypse taste.
Click to expand...
What things look bothersome in SJ?
 
O

Opa-Pa

Member
Strange Journey has the best atmosphere and plot in any mainline SMT, IMO. I'm not sure what you heard of it, but outside of its difficult final boss and a bit over the top maps near the end, I can't think of many things that would turn off fans (I guess the combat isn't as exciting as press turn, but it's still fun IMO and forces you to think and build your party more carefully).

That soundtrack too... Damn.

SJ is GOAT material.
 
B

Barrylocke

Member
Opa-Pa said:
Strange Journey has the best atmosphere and plot in any mainline SMT, IMO. I'm not sure what you heard of it, but outside of its difficult final boss and a bit over the top maps near the end, I can't think of many things that would turn off fans (I guess the combat isn't as exciting as press turn, but it's still fun IMO and forces you to think and build your party more carefully).

That soundtrack too... Damn.

SJ is GOAT material.
Click to expand...
This is my personal take on SJ as well. I remember being much more cautious with my SJ builds than in the far easier SMT4. Final boss is awful though, and I still haven't beaten it.
 
J

jonjonaug

Member
Regarding SJ: To quote myself from earlier in the thread.

jonjonaug said:
I'd almost call Strange Journey's difficulty just about right. There's really only a few things that stick out.

1. The sector E boss is able to just straight up kill your party if it feels like it, with little to no room to counteract particular move combinations that may arise. I appreciate the difficulty of this boss fight for the most part, but to some extent it feels random if you'll be able to win or not even with a well prepared party. All that really needs to be done here is change how it's random status effect attack works so that it has less of a pool of possible statuses to inflict.

2. The invisible walkway section in sector H can leave you in a situation where you have a map that looks entirely explored with no idea of where to go, and unlike the invisible doors in other sectors this section is spread out across multiple floors. The save points available to you in this part are also far fewer than the rest of the game, so you can easily spend over an hour wandering in circles without finding any save points and with no idea of what to do next.

3. The final boss is scaled at least 5-10 levels too high for when you'll likely first encounter it. The easiest way to kill it isn't to spend time forming a smart party, but either use codes to summon up a team of very low level demons with reflect skills on them due to how reflect damage is calculated (does the amount of damage it would do to the target, instead of being calculated against the defense stats of the caster) or just grind a bunch. Every other boss in the game can be killed as soon as you encounter it by being clever, but the sheer strength of Mem Aleph throws this mostly out the window. The final boss on the Chaos route at least isn't so bad.

4. Despite the map on the second screen having a lot in common with the Etrian Odyssey series, there are no mapping tools. You can't draw your own maps or notarize the map, which leads to some rather unfair feeling situations in the later dungeons. I don't actually have a problem with the difficulty of most of the dungeons everyone complains about as-is, but being able to draw and annotate your own maps for this kind of game would go a long way in making it more fun in general.

There's really not much else in the game that I think needs to be tweaked. If these things were fixed it would give Nocturne a run for its money in my book as the best SMT game, but as it stands I'd place it below quite a few of the other games in the franchise. #2 and #3 above particularly stand out in how they leave a sour taste in your mouth in the last few hours of an otherwise excellent 40-50+ hour game, whereas I find that most SMT games and their spinoffs tend to have quite satisfying endings. If there was a 3DS remake for the game that addressed this I would buy it in a heartbeat.
Click to expand...

Strange Journey is a great game, but look up maps for the final couple floors of the last dungeon and a strategy to cheese the final boss.
 
A

Aeana

Member
I love Strange Journey. The only thing I don't like is demon co-op. Eridanus is one of the best dungeons in games.
 
I

Imp the Dimp

Member
Sector E is some of the best dungeon crawling you'll ever play. Terrific design and very good challenge. Digital Devil Saga 1 has some similarly good dungeons, so definitely give that game a try too if you people haven't. It's really good; its sequel is quite a bit weaker though.
 
E

eyeball_kid

Member
So I'm playing SMT1 (the iOS port) and I'm in the Kongokai area. I've been sent to find Soma and bring it back. I've retrieved it twice now, and each time when I get back to Ozuno he complains that I came back with nothing. Sure enough, I look in my inventory and it's gone.

Is there a time limitation component to this fetch quest, or did I hit a bug?
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
I did Eridanus without notes, but I'm insane. I came up with a mental system for keeping track.

SJ is easily the most balanced SMT. Never loses its fangs, never gets too unfair. Even the final boss comes down to how lucky(or unlucky) you are in regards to her patterns.

eyeball_kid said:
So I'm playing SMT1 (the iOS port) and I'm in the Kongokai area. I've been sent to find Soma and bring it back. I've retrieved it twice now, and each time when I get back to Ozuno he complains that I came back with nothing. Sure enough, I look in my inventory and it's gone.

Is there a time limitation component to this fetch quest, or did I hit a bug?
Click to expand...

Sounds like a bug, I never had that happen.
 
7

7threst

Member
Man, I really hope SMT III comes as a PS2 classic to PS4. My PS3 is nearing the end of it's life and don't feel like connecting my PS2 just to do my yearly replay of that game :)
 
nicoga3000

nicoga3000

Saint Nic
This seems like a good thread for this. I started playing SMT IV - it's my first SMT game. I'm a bit confused on what to do with demons regarding leveling, fusing, and whispering skills. I'm doing a 3 DEX, 1 agi, 1 luck build. Any new player tips on how to approach this game?
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
nicoga3000 said:
This seems like a good thread for this. I started playing SMT IV - it's my first SMT game. I'm a bit confused on what to do with demons regarding leveling, fusing, and whispering skills. I'm doing a 3 DEX, 1 agi, 1 luck build. Any new player tips on how to approach this game?
Click to expand...
You'll want some mag stat. OP as hell in IV. Dex is great in SJ, though.

Good basic rule of thumb: have magic quotas covered by your demons. One of every element.
 
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