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[Labadal]

Played for three hours. The childhood arc felt a little cringe worthy at times, but I'm getting used to the characters by now. I'm on my way to visit Richard in (I forgot the name of the city). Music is forgettable. I don't remember a single melody. Character designs are a mixed bag. My biggest complaint is Sophie. Here design is absolutely awful, other than that, no real complaints when it comes to graphics.

It took me some time to get used to the battle system, but once I learned to do quicksteps properly, the battles became much easier and fun. I'm only playing on normal difficulty, but it felt good taking down the first boss in less than thirty seconds. As I suspected, mastering titles will be addictive, I'll try to max as many as possible. I'm playing my first run without a guide, because I will probably do completionist playthrough another time.

Good first impression of the game and I hope it continues this way.

 

[kayos90]

Finished NG3 a couple hours ago. Gonna get back to Graces and do a few things more for NG3 before I write it up. Word of advice, don't get NG3.

Also, I finished main arc last night. I really disliked that ending. I remember it being better in JP. Oh well....Meh...

 

[darkressurection]

Just finished the Main Arc, took 30:45. Really enjoyed it the whole way through (although that last dungeon was a little puzzle heavy for my tastes) Gonna start working on the Future Arc, and I have a copy of Vesperia on the way. I am definitely a Tales believer now and if the rumors of Xillia coming over are true I will definitely pick it up.

 

[Dark Schala]

Finished NG3 a couple hours ago. Gonna get back to Graces and do a few things more for NG3 before I write it up. Word of advice, don't get NG3.

Also, I finished main arc last night. I really disliked that ending. I remember it being better in JP. Oh well....Meh...

Duly noted. How disappointing since NGBlack was great.

Regarding the ending, we've already discussed how

Spoiler

the English voice for L wasn't as good as the JP voice. Kinda disappointing. Mmm. I liked Graces' original ending so I wonder how I'll feel about it this time.

And I really really like the title names in the English version. They're great, and somewhat better than the JP version's title names in some cases.

 

[ULTROS!]

Just finished the Main Arc, took 30:45. Really enjoyed it the whole way through (although that last dungeon was a little puzzle heavy for my tastes) Gonna start working on the Future Arc, and I have a copy of Vesperia on the way. I am definitely a Tales believer now and if the rumors of Xillia coming over are true I will definitely pick it up.

Took me 60 hrs to finish the main arc.

 

[kayos90]

Duly noted. How disappointing since NGBlack was great.

Regarding the ending, we've already discussed how

Spoiler

the English voice for L wasn't as good as the JP voice. Kinda disappointing. Mmm. I liked Graces' original ending so I wonder how I'll feel about it this time.

And I really really like the title names in the English version. They're great, and somewhat better than the JP version's title names in some cases.

The best part about NG3? Me writing the review and the credits.

Getting back on topic, the Graces ending isn't bad. It just isn't as great as I remembered it to be in JP. I guess voice acting really matters. I mean I knew it mattered but I didn't think it would mar my experience. Anyway, after writing the review I'll play future.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

Just finished the Main Arc, took 30:45. Really enjoyed it the whole way through (although that last dungeon was a little puzzle heavy for my tastes) Gonna start working on the Future Arc, and I have a copy of Vesperia on the way. I am definitely a Tales believer now and if the rumors of Xillia coming over are true I will definitely pick it up.

Welcome to the Borg.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I thought the dungeon design was weak, but this last dungeon I went through downgraded it to poor. :\

 

[kayos90]

I thought the dungeon design was weak, but this last dungeon I went through downgraded it to poor. :\

That was what downgraded? Man, mine was done like dozens of hours beforehand. Rofl.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Just finished the Main Arc, took 30:45. Really enjoyed it the whole way through (although that last dungeon was a little puzzle heavy for my tastes) Gonna start working on the Future Arc, and I have a copy of Vesperia on the way. I am definitely a Tales believer now and if the rumors of Xillia coming over are true I will definitely pick it up.

one of us one of us

 

[kayos90]

one of us one of us

Rofl. I'm surprised so many people are converting. Though it's hard to go from Graces to any other non-destiny game.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Rofl. I'm surprised so many people are converting. Though it's hard to go from Graces to any other non-destiny game.

I always enjoyed both but Graces is the first Destiny game I've really super-enjoyed, possibly more than any other.

Though if Xillia comes I'm sure I'll play it and enjoy it too.

 

[PixyJunket]

Just finished the Main Arc, took 30:45.

I'm at forty hours and just beat chapter four.

I blame the battle system.

 

[kayos90]

I always enjoyed both but Graces is the first Destiny game I've really super-enjoyed, possibly more than any other.

Though if Xillia comes I'm sure I'll play it and enjoy it too.

Xillia has questionable battle mechanics.

 

[aliencowz7]

Every tales game has some questionable battle mechanics including graces

 

[PKrockin]

All right, I finally got to play this for a few days and I'm loving it. The box art/story/characters make this the most embarrassing game I've ever played in front of my roommate, but the battle system has really been refined to be much more fluid and fast-paced. In particular I love quick stepping between attacks. So satisfying. Even though I've put in 17 hours over two marathon sessions I'm only just past Wallbridge because I'd rather keep fighting battles on Evil and getting new titles and dualized equipment than progress the story.

That one post-battle quote with Malik, Sophie, and "next week" made me laugh so hard. The dead silence with the two of them staring at each other, then Sophie points off screen as if to say, "Look, it was Pascal's idea, okay?" So good.

 

[Dark Schala]

I'd temper feelings with regards to Xillia's various systems and growth systems. The battle system is the best TP system I've played so far even if I have my issues with the arte imbalance, but I don't really like how streamlined some things were/are in that game (because I'm replaying it on and off with English Graces).

The story and characters are fine, though.

Rofl. I'm surprised so many people are converting. Though it's hard to go from Graces to any other non-destiny game.

No kidding, lol.

As soon as I touched Rebirth and ToDr, I just couldn't approach TP systems with as much enthusiasm as I did before playing those.

I'm at forty hours and just beat chapter four.

I blame the battle system.

Yep. That's why I kept saying that I didn't play the game like a normal player would, so my time estimates would always be off. :lol

 

[bubnbob]

I would go beat the main game right now but these Inn Requests are so addicting, and help me clean up all these titles.

Can anyone point me where these are?

- Tuning Fork (says Seaside Cavern but I didnt find a thing?)
- Trade Permit (hint says Lhant or Barona, but... nothing?)
- Requiem (the guy's sword he wants, from Rebirth)
- Spade (Velanik?)
- Strahta Ratchet
- Glassphere (I SWEAR I grabbed like 10 of these, and now they disappeared, am I blind?)
- Data Recorder (Telos Astue)

 

[matmanx1]

Rofl. I'm surprised so many people are converting. Though it's hard to go from Graces to any other non-destiny game.

Yeah which is exactly why I'm not touching my Tales of the Abyss 3DS game until a good month or two has passed since I finished Graces. And I really like Team Symphonia games. But just like everyone who played the Japanese version said CC is just a much better system than TP and the way it's implemented in Graces is top notch.

 

[kayos90]

Duly noted. How disappointing since NGBlack was great.

Regarding the ending, we've already discussed how

Spoiler

the English voice for L wasn't as good as the JP voice. Kinda disappointing. Mmm. I liked Graces' original ending so I wonder how I'll feel about it this time.

And I really really like the title names in the English version. They're great, and somewhat better than the JP version's title names in some cases.

So here's that review of it Schala. It's.... rofl. well, just read it. http://kayos90.blogspot.com/2012/03/ninja-gaiden-3-review.html

Anyway, I think it's time for me to get back to playing Graces. For those of you that beat it, how long did it take you guys to do future arc? I remember it taking less than 10 hours.

 

[AlphaDragoon]

So here's that review of it Schala. It's.... rofl. well, just read it. http://kayos90.blogspot.com/2012/03/ninja-gaiden-3-review.html

Anyway, I think it's time for me to get back to playing Graces. For those of you that beat it, how long did it take you guys to do future arc? I remember it taking less than 10 hours.

So I have a question, hearing that the "Future Arc" is

Spoiler

an addition to the original game: Is there any post-game stuff besides the Future Arc? And if there is, do you only do the post-game stuff during the Main Arc and the Future Arc is separate or something?

 

[kayos90]

So I have a question, hearing that the "Future Arc" is

Spoiler

an addition to the original game: Is there any post-game stuff besides the Future Arc? And if there is, do you only do the post-game stuff during the Main Arc and the Future Arc is separate or something?

You can only do main arc stuff in the main arc. you can't do them in the future.

 

[Jazzy Network]

Is the future arc somewhat like the epilogue in Legendia?

 

[Dark Schala]

So here's that review of it Schala. It's.... rofl. well, just read it.

Thanks, I'll read it in a bit. lol, that doesn't sound good.

Can anyone point me where these are?

- Tuning Fork (says Seaside Cavern but I didnt find a thing?)

Should be in there. IIRC, it's around the area where the road forks to that pretty glowy tree discovery. I can't remember if it's an eastern wall or not.

- Trade Permit (hint says Lhant or Barona, but... nothing?)

Talk to Asbel's mom. Then go back to Barona and talk to some official in the right corridor of the castle (can't remember if he's in a room or not). Get the Trade license there.

- Requiem (the guy's sword he wants, from Rebirth)

You have to do the Black Wings quest string for this.

Spoiler

In Grelsyde, you'll find a boy named Joe in one of the rooms. Talk to him and Sophie will get a title.
In Barona, you'll find Joe and his sister in a room on the second floor of the inn. You will get three hamburgers.
In Oal Raye in front of the inn, the older brother will be with Joe and his sister. Talk to them for an event.
Go to the Inn in Sable Izole and you'll find them again. Talk to them for an event.
Talk to them in the inn in Yu Liberte and get a battle sword.
At Riot Peak/Warrior's... Roost(?), there's a star mark near the docks. Examine for an event, and get 3 Eels
In the inn in Velanik, speak to them for a battle knife
In the inn in Zavert, find the group again.
In the Anmarcia Village, around the inn, speak to them again.
In Lhant... in Asbel's mansion for some reason (the guest room), speak to them here. You'll finally get Requiem.
Talk to them again and you'll also get ten curry (I forget what kind it is).

- Spade (Velanik?)

I can't remember this one. Or it must have a different name in English. Where is the original commission?

...I almost want to say it's the shovel request. Is it... that? Go to Fendel Mountain Pass and go north past the tree to talk to a guy who's looking for a drill. You can get a drill from

Spoiler

Fourier's Room next to Pascal's in Anmarcia village

. Give it to him and he'll give you the shovel.

- Strahta Ratchet

Spoiler

Go to Zavert Port, and talk to the captain. Pick the ???? option. You'll get the Strahta Ratchet sometime after doing this (after a battle).

- Glassphere (I SWEAR I grabbed like 10 of these, and now they disappeared, am I blind?)

You grabbed 'em in the childhood arc, but they turned into gald once you hit adult arc.

Stamp farm in

Spoiler

Katz Korner

. I *think* it's at stamp level 2 or 3.

- Data Recorder (Telos Astue)

Spoiler

Go back to Lambda Cocoon, and go to the end and you'll find a star. You'll get the recorder from here and you'll get a title for Sophie.

 

[Why would you do that?]

I'm thinking this might be my favorite Tales game, period. I've enjoyed every Tales game I've played, but for some reason, I can't stop playing this one.

In contrast, I've stopped playing almost every other Tales game right before the final boss, and haven't really done any sidequests in them.

 

[bubnbob]

Thanks... is there a quick way to increase stamps? Can I just buy and sell the same item (Grape Gel). I have 300k doing nothing.

 

[PKrockin]

Boy I hate Pascal. Her molestation gimmick is more annoying/creepy than funny, and despite not having a really solid reason for sticking with the party, she goes with you on near-suicidal missions behind the lines of an enemy army basically on a whim. I realize I was just introduced to her, though... she gets better, right? Like Zelos from Symphonia?

 

[Dark Schala]

Thanks... is there a quick way to increase stamps? Can I just buy and sell the same item (Grape Gel). I have 300k doing nothing.

Haha, there used to be an easier way, but they fixed it in the English version. -_-

Buying and selling gummies gels (sorry, been a while since I played a Tales game in English) is a good idea. I think dualizing and selling your weapons for a high price might be the best way now.

 

[Kandrick]

Boy I hate Pascal. Her molestation gimmick is more annoying/creepy than funny, and despite not having a really solid reason for sticking with the party, she goes with you on near-suicidal missions behind the lines of an enemy army basically on a whim. I realize I was just introduced to her, though... she gets better, right? Like Zelos from Symphonia?

Pascal is the best character in Graces. And her role in the game is basically just for plot progression, which is funny.

 

[Dresden]

Pascal is a lot more tolerable than Zelos, by virtue of being a cute girl.

 

[AlphaDragoon]

Pascal is pretty awesome. She's like what would happen if a modern normal person just got randomly tossed into Talesland, from her manner of speech and attire down to her actions.

You can only do main arc stuff in the main arc. you can't do them in the future.

So it's basically like a Dragon Age: Awakening and other DLC-type things? That's kinda weak.

 

[MechaX]

Boy I hate Pascal. Her molestation gimmick is more annoying/creepy than funny, and despite not having a really solid reason for sticking with the party, she goes with you on near-suicidal missions behind the lines of an enemy army basically on a whim. I realize I was just introduced to her, though... she gets better, right? Like Zelos from Symphonia?

When considering that every other character is essentially still on snooze for me, Pascal is a damn good wake-up call.

 

[cpp_is_king]

Anybody able to explain why when I have both the Book of Fortune and Book of Duplication in my mixer, it consumes 6x the normal amount of eleth on item production?

 

[cpp_is_king]

What do people feel are the best endgame gems and shard effects to dualize onto equipment?

 

[bubnbob]

You have to do the Black Wings quest string for this.

Spoiler

In Grelsyde, you'll find a boy named Joe in one of the rooms. Talk to him and Sophie will get a title.
In Barona, you'll find Joe and his sister in a room on the second floor of the inn. You will get three hamburgers.
In Oal Raye in front of the inn, the older brother will be with Joe and his sister. Talk to them for an event.
Go to the Inn in Sable Izole and you'll find them again. Talk to them for an event.
Talk to them in the inn in Yu Liberte and get a battle sword.
At Riot Peak/Warrior's... Roost(?), there's a star mark near the docks. Examine for an event, and get 3 Eels
In the inn in Velanik, speak to them for a battle knife
In the inn in Zavert, find the group again.
In the Anmarcia Village, around the inn, speak to them again.
In Lhant... in Asbel's mansion for some reason (the guest room), speak to them here. You'll finally get Requiem.
Talk to them again and you'll also get ten curry (I forget what kind it is).

I searched all of Greylside and I can't find any trigger to start this. Is this missable, or?

 

[Why would you do that?]

I searched all of Greylside and I can't find any trigger to start this. Is this missable, or?

Go to the inn. On the right is a door to some bedrooms. You'll find your way from there.

 

[Error]

I'm thinking this might be my favorite Tales game, period. I've enjoyed every Tales game I've played, but for some reason, I can't stop playing this one.

In contrast, I've stopped playing almost every other Tales game right before the final boss, and haven't really done any sidequests in them.

There hasn't been a tales I truly liked of the ones I've played, and I'm loving the fuck outta this one. The gameplay is just too good.

 

[kayos90]

I've forgotten how awesome Malik was. Sophie says something weird and everyone assumes she's been talking to the Captain. hahahaha.

 

[Edgeward]

The dungeon designs are so simple yet at the same time can be incredibly confusing. The castle and fortress irked me to no end, as just haphazardly made my way through without and real sense of if I was going in the right direction.

Cedric kicked my ass on hard. I find that battles are fine on Hard except when hard hitting enemies make it a point to target your mages and you have no way to get them off or draw their attention.

 

[aliencowz7]

Hard felt perfect for me for alot of the game, it got a little bit to easy late in the game though which is when i moved up to evil. Finished the game there even though the final boss was a giant pain in the ass on evil at the level i got there at.

 

[Dresden]

Fuck Wallbridge.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

Playing on chaos is a gamble. I'll be doing pretty well in one area and then a bit further in the area it's like the hardest shit ever and I get game over.

 

[chickdigger802]

idk, tales dungeons have pretty much always been awful imo.

If they go the whole FF13 style linear hallway and drop all these horrendous 'puzzles/mazes'... it might do the series some good .

Or hire new people to work on that aspect >.>"

hmmm... now I think about it... golden sun might be the only rpg's in which I kinda enjoyed the puzzles .

 

[PKrockin]

Fuck Wallbridge.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Error]

idk, tales dungeons have pretty much always been awful imo.

If they go the whole FF13 style linear hallway and drop all these horrendous 'puzzles/mazes'... it might do the series some good .

Or hire new people to work on that aspect >.>"

hmmm... now I think about it... golden sun might be the only rpg's in which I kinda enjoyed the puzzles .

holy shit no, i prefer mazey dungeons over straight lines ones. seriously who really thought FFXIII 'dungeons' were fun? FFXIII was fun for like 2 hours, once you get over the graphics it goes into 'I'll never play it again' shelf.

 

[chickdigger802]

holy shit no, i prefer mazey dungeons over straight lines ones. seriously who really thought FFXIII 'dungeons' were fun? FFXIII was fun for like 2 hours, once you get over the graphics it goes into 'I'll never play it again' shelf.

I'd prefer mazey dungeons if they were interesting and well done.

If you are gonna give me a confusing dungeon mainly due to reusing the same handful of tile sets, maybe I'll prefer a more linear approach... or give me a map.

Barona Castle is easily the worst castle in video games I've played due to all the hallways that look pretty much the same. Isn't the castle/mansion in an rpg where you flex those artist muscles?

 

[Callibretto]

idk, tales dungeons have pretty much always been awful imo.

If they go the whole FF13 style linear hallway and drop all these horrendous 'puzzles/mazes'... it might do the series some good .

Or hire new people to work on that aspect >.>"

hmmm... now I think about it... golden sun might be the only rpg's in which I kinda enjoyed the puzzles .

I just need maps, that's all. no FF XIII style linear corridor please.

 

[Ties]

idk, tales dungeons have pretty much always been awful imo.

If they go the whole FF13 style linear hallway and drop all these horrendous 'puzzles/mazes'... it might do the series some good .

Or hire new people to work on that aspect >.>"

hmmm... now I think about it... golden sun might be the only rpg's in which I kinda enjoyed the puzzles .

Team Symphonia dungeons are pretty okay, I don't recall pulling y hair out in any of those puzzles.

Future arc is so good. The character's personalities really shine here, gives me a Legendia vibe.

 

[Why would you do that?]

I beat the game. Ending was pretty cool, and surprising.

After you beat the game, there's a situation involving a lapcomp and Fredric. Was that in the original Wii version?

I'm going to try Future now.


edit: Wallbrigde was annoying and confusing at first, but once I understood the layout, it was easy:

Spoiler

There are 8 towers, 4 on the left, and 4 on the right.

 

[Ties]

I beat the game. Ending was pretty cool, and surprising.

After you beat the game, there's a situation involving a lapcomp and Fredrick. Was that in the original Wii version?

I'm going to try Future now.

Yes.

Going back to Lhant to get the computer back gives you access to

Spoiler

the bonus dungeon, Zhonecage.