Support NeoGAF

[duckroll]

The game stops being hard after the first half or so. Not a knock on the game itself, you just have so many more options to recover after a bad turn.

So like every single Atlus game right?

I've always felt that they're like bell curves, where your odds for survival are at the lowest point at the start, and then swell up as you acquire more and more demons and skills, and then it starts to drop drastically again for a moment towards the end when the final bosses are designed to have no weaknesses and require inventive use of other stills to survive and inflict enough damage to beat.

I dunno if SMT4 will get harder towards the very end, but right now I do feel that I'm heading towards the "easy" part of the game. I'm 23 hours in, getting out of Roppongi, and being able to reflect both physical and magic is a game changer for bosses. Including Blight, Rapid Needles, or whatever else crap they can throw at me. Lol!

 

[MichaelEM3]

For the Her Memories quest, where you need to take a picture of a bar in Shinjuku, how do you actually use the camera? Am I just looking for an icon to interact with, or is there a way to manually take out and aim the camera that I'm missing?

Might just be missing the bar...

 

[InsaneElite]

For the Her Memories quest, where you need to take a picture of a bar in Shinjuku, how do you actually use the camera? Am I just looking for an icon to interact with, or is there a way to manually take out and aim the camera that I'm missing?

Might just be missing the bar...

Just enter the bar and you'll take the picture automatically. The camera being an item is just there so you know you have it.

 

[Laughing Banana]

Nocturne was worse. You don't know the pain of going STR Demi against that one elephant for the first time.

Well, *every once in a while* Nocturne did that to you, yeah. However it is my opinion that in SMT IV *things that fucks you up real bad if you're not lucky* can happen in a scarily much higher degree than Nocturne.

Well, so far at the very least.

Anyways, is Level 33 considered enough before going for the 1st time to Ikebukuro?

 

[CornBurrito]

So like every single Atlus game right?

I've always felt that they're like bell curves, where your odds for survival are at the lowest point at the start, and then swell up as you acquire more and more demons and skills, and then it starts to drop drastically again for a moment towards the end when the final bosses are designed to have no weaknesses and require inventive use of other stills to survive and inflict enough damage to beat.

And then new game + removes the bell curve, because you usually end up with an elite team of demons null to every element in the game except Holy.

 

[MichaelEM3]

Just enter the bar and you'll take the picture automatically. The camera being an item is just there so you know you have it.

Thanks. Didn't notice the room on the map at first.

 

[GeekyDad]

but it's dead jim

Well, now it is because most of us are still playing it. But it may pick up a bit in another week or so.

 

[ElektroDragon]

I don't understand. How is a game this awesome on my 3DS and not my Vita?

This game made me buy a bluetooth transmitter for my 3DS so I can hear it on my home theater instead of the crappy XL speakers.

 

[Jenga]

Spoiler

The easiest way to explain it would be as if there was a prequel to SMT IV. There was an unnamed hero there, Skins as Neutral Hero, Kenji as Chaos Hero, and Kiyoharu as Law Hero. In the real Tokyo, the hero chose Neutral. The alternate worlds are if he chose Law or Chaos (he perishes in all of them, evidently). We don't know if the White are referring to him as the fourth protagonist before Flynn, or the SJ protagonist.

Spoiler

Maybe SMT 4 is the SMT 2 to another protag's SMT 1?

that's not confusing! but it'd make sense. in fact, it could be both I think.

 

[BlackJace]

I don't understand. How is a game this awesome on my 3DS and not my Vita?

Take a wild guess.

 

[Dresden]

Well of course if you have a null-everything demons then things don't matter. But I don't think "this stops being much of an issue" is a good argument to deflect the amount of time and investment required to actually reach that point, because before that point--which to be fair, is gonna take a while I'd wager--then it is an issue.

I think in their effort to justify save everywhere feature, they went a bit crazier with stuff. I don't remember Nocturne being this crazy with stuff like this, hahaha.

I'm not saying it doesn't matter, I'm explaining that there's light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Vamphuntr]

It's so weird sometimes when the game feels generous with XP. I'm in the that forest and enemies are sometimes giving up to 50 000 exp for each party member because of the reinforcements they call. I have all demon slots filled right now so after pretty much each fight someones level up.

 

[Shauni]

What are the odds are that the limited edition is still in print run? I don't have my 3DS yet, so I was going to wait and buy this a little later, but I got a GS gift card as a present unexpectedly, was thinking about going ahead and picking this up if I could still get the LE goodies. But I see GS' page doesn't say anything about it anymore.

It was a first print run thing, right, not just a pre-order bonus?

 

[Laughing Banana]

I'm not saying it doesn't matter, I'm explaining that there's light at the end of the tunnel.

It's a damn long tunnel though, hahaha!

Anyways, a musing: I wish this game doesn't hide the names of the skills Demons can learn if I continue leveling them up behind "Symbol: ?" Now how am I supposed to know whether that Demon is worth leveling up or not?

Multiple occasions already that all I got for leveling demons to their full skills are lame skills like Dia or Attack Knowhow or stuff like that. That "Symbol: ?" is the bane of my attempt in progressing through the plot (

 

[Aeana]

It's so weird sometimes when the game feels generous with XP. I'm in the that forest and enemies are sometimes giving up to 50 000 exp for each party member because of the reinforcements they call. I have all demon slots filled right now so after pretty much each fight someones level up.

The game pretty much really wants you to be at a certain level for each area, so enemies that are above you give a ton of EXP so you'll catch up. It's nice, to say the least.

 

[scy]

It's a damn long tunnel though, hahaha!

Anyways, a musing: I wish this game doesn't hide the names of the skills Demons can learn if I continue leveling them up behind "Symbol: ?" Now how am I supposed to know whether that Demon is worth leveling up or not?

Multiple occasions already that all I got for leveling demons to their full skills are lame skills like Dia or Attack Knowhow or stuff like that. That "Symbol: ?" is the bane of my attempt in progressing through the plot (

The worst is when a demon learns their last skill like 5 levels above their base level.

And then it ends up being useless :/

 

[TurnipFritters]

On one hand, I appreciate that they even have icons so you have a general idea about what the skill is, but ultimately I would prefer it if they just showed you what it was instead of trying to make it a fun surprise.

 

[Laughing Banana]

The worst is when a demon learns their last skill like 5 levels above their base level.

And then it ends up being useless :/

On one hand, I appreciate that they even have icons so you have a general idea about what the skill is, but ultimately I would prefer it if they just showed you what it was instead of trying to make it a fun surprise.

Precisely! Makes me think that it maybe something designed with grinding in mind and, perhaps, to artificially lengthens the amount the players spend in the game.

And yeah, the Icon can give you an idea but really, more often it is a useless skill and a Null skill sharing the same icon :\

 

[duckroll]

Pro-tip: You can actually tell if the skills demons will inherit are going to be "useless" or not if you're smart with the fusion app. When you are fusing the demon and selecting the skills to inherit, pick scrub skills which have the same icons, if you pick to inherit something which they will learn later, that ? at the bottom disappears.

 

[JJD]

Government building in Shinjuku spoiler:

Spoiler

What exactly happens if you say "dont kill the demon?" Do you not fight? Or do you then fight in self defense as he attacks you anyway? I wanted to check, but absent mindedly saved over my save that was right before the battle.

Spoiler

Fighting him is the Law route.

If you don't fight him you'll have to face a demon horde of harpies (I think!). Sparing the demon is the Chaos choice.

 

[Jessicat]

Oh wow, I just saw the redesign for

Spoiler

Astaroth shown in a Famitsu article. brb crying, wtf is that I don't even. There are so few awesome male demons as it is... well I thought he was cool in DS Raidou ._.; Guess I'm rockin' it to the top in SMTIV with Narcissus and CuChulainn? XD

I'm kind of scared to ask if there's a list of the redesigned demons lol

And speaking of demon (re)designs, there's a SMTIV artbook being released soon, I just found it up for pre-order on HobbySearch, which may or may not be more affordable than Amazon JP, it all depends on shipping costs ^^; Link HERE, have fun! Oh, and if anyone knows of any import-type webshops taking preorders for the artbook DX set [the artbook with some extras], please let me know :3

 

[Laughing Banana]

Pro-tip: You can actually tell if the skills demons will inherit are going to be "useless" or not if you're smart with the fusion app. When you are fusing the demon and selecting the skills to inherit, pick scrub skills which have the same icons, if you pick to inherit something which they will learn later, that ? at the bottom disappears.

It helps but not really a foolproof solution at all. Sometimes it can feel like 5 useless skills and 1 really useful skill can share the same icon.

Anyways, this is the main reason why my MC is currently level 33 before going to Ikebukuro the 1st time, which I assume is overleveled? Because I-just-don't-fuse demons until they get all of their skills. Oh woe me and my OCD tendencies.

 

[JJD]

For the Her Memories quest, where you need to take a picture of a bar in Shinjuku, how do you actually use the camera? Am I just looking for an icon to interact with, or is there a way to manually take out and aim the camera that I'm missing?

Might just be missing the bar...

The bar is an empty room. As soon as you enter it you'll be given an option to take a picture.

 

[Busaiku]

Man, I don't like this new look of the place.

 

[Lunar15]

This game is excessively 80's. It feels like an 80's depiction of post apocalyptic Japan. 1 and 2. Heck, even the music is very, very 80's. I dig all of it, and it's very reminiscent of SMT 1 and 2.

 

[Basileus777]

And get the skill augment app. Top three app in the game.

What are the prerequisites for it?

 

[Dresden]

What are the prerequisites for it?

It just unlocks on its own during the main quest, iirc. 60 points, but it's worth it.

 

[Jinfash]

The game stops being hard after the first half or so. Not a knock on the game itself, you just have so many more options to recover after a bad turn.

I share the same feelings right now. After unlocking many skill slots for me and my demons, not to mention cranking my Dex and whispering Blight, I'm mowing down enemies like nobody's business. I'm starting to feel too confident and unchallenged, as far as regular enemies and story bosses go.

 

[buddha0991]

Thats the general consensus of this game, gets easier and easier.

New DLC is up btw, the outfit says free but when you go to buy it it say 99 cents, wut. 2.99 bucks for macca making dlc and 2.99 for....App Point items dlc? Oh crap.

 

[BlackJace]

Dammit. Got to the last round of the Hunter preliminaries and got stomped...

 

[Jinfash]

Thats the general consensus of this game, gets easier and easier.

New DLC is up btw, the outfit says free but when you go to buy it it say 99 cents, wut. 2.99 bucks for macca making dlc and 2.99 for....App Point items dlc? Oh crap.

#Gamechanger

 

[Rawr Its Ry]

Early game question -

Spoiler

Just met stephen and im pretty sure im nearing the games 1st boss,

. My samurai is 10 and the rest of the party is 8. Should I just spend some time here grinding 3-4 levels for everyone?

 

[Reveirg]

It just unlocks on its own during the main quest, iirc. 60 points, but it's worth it.

I activated the skill augment a while ago, but I still don't understand what it's supposed to do.


Quick question: I'm in the (mid-game spoiler)

Spoiler

reversed hills building

. How far am I into the game?

 

[DyslexicAlucard]

This has probably been asked before, but I've pretty much been fusing demons without looking anything up. I look to see what has the best stat increase and what spells would be useful after a fusion to decide who to fuse/use in battle. I also try to get every demon as I go along for my demon.. book... thing..

But am I setting myself up for failure or major grinding for demons/skills later on? I really hate using strategy guides and the like.

 

[Jinfash]

I activated the skill augment a while ago, but I still don't understand what it's supposed to do.

Demon skills change more often when they level up, I believe. Pretty useful when your favorites stop learning new ones.

 

[Aeana]

Blahh. I sitll can't afford the stuff at the secret shop. I know how to make decent money but it'd take a while. I might just ignore it for this playthrough.

 

[buddha0991]

^Shame they made exp, money, and macca dlc for this game. =/

I just got the both dlc's cuz I wanted the demons. I'll post their stats as I get them.

 

[Aeana]

^Shame they made exp, money, and macca dlc for this game. =/

I just got the both dlc's cuz I wanted the demons. I'll post their stats as I get them.

I'm not bothering with that DLC. I actually didn't know they released the new stuff already though, I do see there is a new free equipment set.

 

[Jinfash]

I'm not bothering with that DLC. I actually didn't know they released the new stuff already though, I do see there is a new free equipment set.

It says free but then turns into $0.99 at the checkout. I just tried it.

 

[Aeana]

It says free but then turns into $0.99 at the checkout. I just tried it.

Haha, wow.

 

[duckroll]

Lol, what a scam~

 

[PK Gaming]

I am so rocking that free 99 cent. It looks really great on Flynn, and I don't really mind that stat drops / resistance changes.

You know, i'm really glad there's a decent amount of armor variety in this game instead of Armor A is weaker than B, B is weaker than C, etc.

 

[buddha0991]

why did you buy it, the 99 cent thing is clearly a glitch lol. Asterius seems very broken. Oread was good but not really broken.

 

[Aeana]

why did you buy it, the 99 cent thing is clearly a glitch lol. Asterius seems very broken. Oread was good but not really broken.

Broken how?

 

[Laughing Banana]

So what does the new DLC(s?) do?

 

[Bigdrbingo]

Ok, so I just got to

Spoiler

Tokyo (Ueno Underground)

and I can't figure out where to go next. I've looked at the overworld map and everything appears to be blocked off. Do I need to complete every challenge quest first or something before I can proceed?

 

[PK Gaming]

why did you buy it, the 99 cent thing is clearly a glitch lol. Asterius seems very broken. Oread was good but not really broken.

It's just 99 cents. A price like that is totally inconsequential to me

And conversely, the "free" tag could be a glitch as well

/Jonathan

 

[Aeana]

So what does the new DLC(s?) do?

The new paid DLC are for macca and app points, similar to the experience DLC that was available last week. The experience DLC has enemies that drop those grimoires that give EXP when you use them, the macca one gives items to sell, and the app point one gives those 10-point cards I think.

 

[Jinfash]

If I end up with a crappy ending/alignment and decide to go for a second, smarter, and time efficient run, I might bite that App Point DLC.

 

[KarmaCow]

Ok, so I just got to

Spoiler

Tokyo (Ueno Underground)

and I can't figure out where to go next. I've looked at the overworld map and everything appears to be blocked off. Do I need to complete every challenge quest first or something before I can proceed?

If you mean after

Spoiler

you find the Counter-Demon Force's base and are told to go back to K's Tavern to get quests

, you need to go find the guy who was offering to smuggle you across the river. I don't remember the exact location but before that point he should have said he was too busy but now he'll do it for 500 Macca.