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Shin Megami Tensei Community Thread: Be Your True Demon

F

Foofaraw

Member
I just went to play P3 and could not find my memory card with the save on it. The horror! However, I do have a copy of Nocturne that a friend gave me for watching his cats and an empty memory card just waiting to be filled with demons.

However, upon popping the game in and leveling up, I am faced with a crippling fear of where to allocate my stats. I am pumping up Magic and Vitality and hoping for the best.

And jumping to preorder Devil Summoner 2. I think I'll still get it around launch date if I order tonight.
 
S

SatelliteOfLove

Member
Foofaraw said:
I just went to play P3 and could not find my memory card with the save on it. The horror! However, I do have a copy of Nocturne that a friend gave me for watching his cats and an empty memory card just waiting to be filled with demons.

However, upon popping the game in and leveling up, I am faced with a crippling fear of where to allocate my stats. I am pumping up Magic and Vitality and hoping for the best.

And jumping to preorder Devil Summoner 2. I think I'll still get it around launch date if I order tonight.
Click to expand...

That is a good friend indeed.

That's pretty good build if you go either a healer route or an early Tornado+Force Boost build, especially if you can nab a demon that learns Makakaja early enough. I don't recall that many bosses that are Force-resistant, and then of course you can fuse demons to cover your ass on this reguard as always.
 
S

Seda

Member
I spent most of yesterday playing Persona 3. I'm around 6/10 or something like that. I've gotten used to pretty much everything I think, but I don't really like how fighting battles leads to fatigue. I would like to spend some time experimenting with the Personas and fusions, but I spend most of my time in Tartarus avoiding battles so I can explore deeper without getting tired.
 
M

Manmademan

Member
Seda said:
I spent most of yesterday playing Persona 3. I'm around 6/10 or something like that. I've gotten used to pretty much everything I think, but I don't really like how fighting battles leads to fatigue. I would like to spend some time experimenting with the Personas and fusions, but I spend most of my time in Tartarus avoiding battles so I can explore deeper without getting tired.
Click to expand...

ah, yes- getting "tired" was the bane of my existence in that game. The original version of P3 had a bug though, that would prevent getting tired the night before a full moon.

If you have that copy (and not FES) exploit the hell out of it.
 
S

Seda

Member
Manmademan said:
ah, yes- getting "tired" was the bane of my existence in that game. The original version of P3 had a bug though, that would prevent getting tired the night before a full moon.

If you have that copy (and not FES) exploit the hell out of it.
Click to expand...

Yeah I heard about that. Too bad they fixed it (I have FES).
 
G

goldlion054

Member
Manmademan said:
ah, yes- getting "tired" was the bane of my existence in that game. The original version of P3 had a bug though, that would prevent getting tired the night before a full moon.

If you have that copy (and not FES) exploit the hell out of it.
Click to expand...

Soooo good. It took me about half way through the game to figure that out, but I abused it so hard when I did. I feel like I should play FES or the PSP version now and try some new things

Nah, Yukari forever
 
R

randomkid

Member
I'm an unabashed fan of tiredness in P3. I thought it added tension and improved the pacing of the game overall, really encouraging you to mix it up, unlike P4 where you're actually penalized for failing to boringly one-shot all the dungeons.

I remember reading a post somewhere pointing out that P3 borrows lots of elements from roguelikes, things like fatigue/stamina, the presence of death, and the randomness of cards/different floor setups. Thinking about the game in that way really helped me understand it more on its own terms, it suddenly clicked why I didn't mind that Tartarus was more "boring" than all the mainline SMT dungeons. P3 is going for something else entirely, and it all integrates nicely with the rest of the game's systems. On the other hand, I don't have any argument to make for P4.
 
K

Kazzy

Member
randomkid said:
I'm an unabashed fan of tiredness in P3. I thought it added tension and improved the pacing of the game overall, really encouraging you to mix it up, unlike P4 where you're actually penalized for failing to boringly one-shot all the dungeons.
Click to expand...

But past the first month, that's precisely what I did in P3. They both have enough S-links and activities that will likely never be fulfilled short of using a walkthrough, so in that regard I don't see how they differ.
 
R

randomkid

Member
Watanabe Kazuma said:
But past the first month, that's precisely what I did in P3. They both have enough S-links and activities that will likely never be fulfilled short of using a walkthrough, so in that regard I don't see how they differ.
Click to expand...

It's been a few years since I've played but I think I'm misunderstanding you. How do you go all the way up the segment of Tartarus in one night if you get tired along the way? Unless you just avoid all battles or something?
 
K

Kazzy

Member
randomkid said:
It's been a few years since I've played but I think I'm misunderstanding you. How do you go all the way up the segment of Tartarus in one night if you get tired along the way? Unless you just avoid all battles or something?
Click to expand...

It becomes less of an issue the further you get in the game. I think it's directly tied to your overall level.
 
C

charlequin

Banned
randomkid said:
I'm an unabashed fan of tiredness in P3. I thought it added tension and improved the pacing of the game overall, really encouraging you to mix it up, unlike P4 where you're actually penalized for failing to boringly one-shot all the dungeons.
Click to expand...

I'm not a huge fan of either. I'd rather that they implement something where you don't have to skip other activities to go to the dungeon so you CAN spread it out but it's still possible to marathon it if you need to.
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Manmademan said:
same here. I've been putting off a second playthrough for years, and I love that game.
Click to expand...

I hate to say it, but P4 NG+ draaagged, and I think it's for reasons said above. You mostly bide the time after you one-shot each new dungeon(which is usually the best plan).

It didn't start being fun again until Heaven or so, when I was finally able to take on Margaret(which was an awesome fight).
 
K

Kazzy

Member
Irritated Ming said:
Just read that Persona 2: Eternal Punishment has been announced for PSP.
Click to expand...

This is good news. I've been meaning to get Innocent Sin for the longest time, but having never played either of the P2 games before I really wanted the 'full' experience.

I would ask when its getting localized, but I mean, that's a redundant question at this point!
 
J

Jenga

Banned
am I the only one who's ever been disappointed with the shadows of P4? they feel like light parodies rather than an actual personification of how fucked up the cast are

well besides teddy


compare the shadows of P2:IS to P4. we got ginko who's unstable and in love with Tatsuya and whored herself out to old men to rebel against her father. P4 is just like haha kanji is so confused! rise just wants to show her bits! etc etc
 
D

Daimaou

Member
Jenga said:
am I the only one who's ever been disappointed with the shadows of P4? they feel like light parodies rather than an actual personification of how fucked up the cast are

well besides teddy


compare the shadows of P2:IS to P4. we got ginko who's unstable and in love with Tatsuya and whored herself out to old men to rebel against her father. P4 is just like haha kanji is so confused! rise just wants to show her bits! etc etc
Click to expand...

I thought the P4 shadows were pretty well done, they fit the tone of the game. P2 is a much darker set of games, so it's only natural they'd be a bit heavier.
 
S

SatelliteOfLove

Member
They're both deeply and authentically Jungian, and there is the fact that 4's influence the plot much more. Lisa did
show how not confronting that renders one a wreck in EP well, though.
Also, I hope P5 has a higher "Fucked up Megaten-Ass Megaten Plot" quotient that 1&2 had, but that's it.
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Aside from lacking Shadow Selves, I thought P3 was a very SMTish game in tone. Certainly bleak and foreboding.

I respect them for trying something sunnier with P4, but SMT really is at its best when it's at its darkest. (Raidou 1 over Raidou 2 being another good example, there is some DARK stuff going on behind the scenes in Raidou 1... though Raidou 2's not exactly a happy game either.)
 
Z

zewone

Member
Thought I'd offer this here. Not sure if it's okay or not, if so feel free to remove it.

I have a sealed Devil Summoner 2 that I'm looking to sell since I'm moving. Thought maybe some of the SMT fans here might want it.

Looking for $45 shipped. PM me if interested.

yaRY5.jpg
 
S

Seda

Member
Beat Persona 3, grinding away on the Answer now.

Any tips, hints? Clearly it will require more strategy than the Journey.
 
D

Daimaou

Member
Seda said:
Beat Persona 3, grinding away on the Answer now.

Any tips, hints? Clearly it will require more strategy than the Journey.
Click to expand...

It's been so long since I've played The Answer, the only real tip I can give is to use Metis in your main party regardless if you like her or not.
 
S

Seda

Member
cj_iwakura said:
Brace yourself, it's gonna be rough.
Click to expand...

That's what I've heard.

I also want to say that, outside of Fuuka sometimes, the voice acting is pretty great. A lot of the Social link epilogues were pretty emotional too.

As for the ending of the journey,
I don't think it hit me as hard as other sad/bitter game endings because the MC was a blank-sheet personality.

The soliloquy by Akihiko was probably my favorite scene in the game.
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Seda said:
That's what I've heard.

I also what to say that, outside of Fuuka sometimes, the voice acting is pretty great. A lot of the Social link epilogues were pretty emotional too.

As for the ending of the journey,
I don't think it hit me as hard as other sad/bitter game endings because the MC was a blank-sheet personality.

The soliloquy by Akihiko was probably my favorite scene in the game.
Click to expand...

Fuuka redid a lot of her lines for Answer, and she sounds WAY better in battle.
 
S

Seda

Member
Just beat the answer in #Persona3. Definitely glad I gave the game another shot, but only about a 6/10 or so in my opinion. 1'm a harsh grader, so that's not as bad as it sounds.
 
N

neoemonk

Member
I've been playing the Snow Queen quest on Persona PSP. I was able to do the max ambrosia run, trade in the five ambrosia for the totems, but from there I don't know what else to do.

I tried to fight the last boss but my party is completely underleveled I think. My MC is around 53 but the rest of my team is in the low to mid-30s. No matter what happens I think I'm in for a ton of grinding if I want to finish this game. The final boss wiped my whole party but my MC had Lilim and was able to survive for a very long time because her magic heals him. Eventually she killed him however.
 
N

neoemonk

Member
I raised a few levels and gave the Night Queen another go. The Lilim cheese strategy worked, I just had to actually pay attention and manually heal my MC a few times. Pretty boring way to finish the game though to be honest.

The Snow Queen quest in general is weird, because when you finish it, it seems as if the players are still going to embark on the Sebec quest.

I'm a little disappointed that I fused all the ultimate personas that you can make with the totems obtained from the max ambrosia run, but never had any of my characters at a high enough level to actually use them. Now that I've unlocked the summit of Devil's Peak I might spend some time trying to level up there, but for the most part it just feels like boring grinding.
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
The Snow Queen quest was probably the most challenging undertaking I've ever had in a Persona game, shy of maybe the Philemon dungeon in EP, but that's a different flavor of difficult.
 
E

Emitan

Member
Been playing Persona 1 PSP all weekend. I'm at the Black Market which according to the guide I'm occasionally consulting, puts me somewhat close to the halfway point.

I'm playing on Beginner due to me sucking at this kind of game, but it's still really fun!
 
P

perfect free

Member
Billychu said:
Been playing Persona 1 PSP all weekend. I'm at the Black Market which according to the guide I'm occasionally consulting, puts me somewhat close to the halfway point.

I'm playing on Beginner due to me sucking at this kind of game, but it's still really fun!
Click to expand...

Have fun in Pitfall Kama Palace! Who did you take as your fifth party member?
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
Phew! Just spent an hour and 20 minutes fighting (Eternal Punishment Ultra Boss)
Philemon.

War of attrition. He couldn't even scratch Maya, except with Photon Cannon.
Just healing, countering, and letting him hurt himself when Maya bounced her spells back at him. (That and Crescent Mirror.)

I gotta hurry up and get to Elizabeth. I want a real challenge.


Oh wow, these voice messages.

Please leave a long message! I can't trace your call if it's too short.
Click to expand...


I'd forgotten about the IS dubs from EP.

Eikichi: Neutral(He has a surfer dude voice in EP, kinda fits him)
Lisa: EP PS1(I like her voice)
Jun: No question, IS PSP
 
P

PowderedToast

Junior Member
so how is the first devil summoner for PS2? i'm in PAL land so that's the only one available to me. i love the concept but it's quite expensive and i've heard some mixed things.
 
A

archnemesis

Member
PowderedToast said:
so how is the first devil summoner for PS2? i'm in PAL land so that's the only one available to me. i love the concept but it's quite expensive and i've heard some mixed things.
Click to expand...
Both the PS2 Devil Summoner games are fairly average in my opinion. The setting is very interesting and they do many things right, but some parts feel needlessly cheap and janky. If you're a MegaTen fan then they're definitely worth playing, but make sure you keep your expectations in check. The first game has a better story, but worse combat mechanics.
 
S

SMT

this show is not Breaking Bad why is it not Breaking Bad? it should be Breaking Bad dammit Breaking Bad
Looks like Devil Summoner ReMake for a handheld.
 
S

SteeloDMZ

Banned
What game would you guys recommend to start first: Persona 3 Portable or Devil Survivor 2? Which one would be faster to complete (without rushing through)?
 
S

SMT

this show is not Breaking Bad why is it not Breaking Bad? it should be Breaking Bad dammit Breaking Bad
SteeloDMZ said:
What game would you guys recommend to start first: Persona 3 Portable or Devil Survivor 2? Which one would be faster to complete (without rushing through)?
Click to expand...

Devil Survivor 2, Persona 3 portal is based on around taking your time.

I would recommend the PS2 version of Persona : FES after you finish Devil Survivor 2.
 
T

Teknoman

Member
Gvaz said:
What the fuck, when was that?
Click to expand...

As long as its released soon. Sucks when you discover a game you missed, see it's being translated, then do a bunch of research on it. Makes you want it that much more.

EDIT: Looks like its still a long way off.
 
G

goldlion054

Member
Actually finished FES after starting it at least a half dozen times. Really glad I stuck with it. Enjoyed it alot. I don't really want to play The Answer, though. From my understanding, its just alot of dungeon crawling. I'm sure I'll play it some day, but not now. Kind of burned out on Persona 3 -_-

Jumping straight into Nocturne. A couple of hours in and liking it. The controls are bit wonky after P3 spoiled me, but whatever
 
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