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Xenoblade 3D |OT| Is that a Monado in your pocket or are you just really feeling it?

Xbro

Member
Finished it. I loved it. Probably my favourite RPG I've played actually.

Though even after playing 60+ hours, I still have no idea what the tension system is at all. Or what any of the bars underneath the character portraits are.

The bars under the characters are the level gauge. Fill it up, level up.
 

Tom_Cody

Member
After ~325 hours with MH4U I am ready for something new, and I think that something is going to be Xenoblade Chronicles 3D.

Quick question: Do you need the R button to play the game, or can you use the ZR button instead? My N3DS's R button has been dead for a few months (the result of a drop onto my bathroom floor) so I'm trying to figure out if I can play this immediately or if I will have to get my system repaired first. In MH4U, the ZR button automatically mimics the function of the R button, so I was able to continue with that for over 200 additional hours without a hitch.
 

TheMoon

Member
After ~325 hours with MH4U I am ready for something new, and I think that something is going to be Xenoblade Chronicles 3D.

Quick question: Do you need the R button to play the game, or can you use the ZR button instead? My N3DS's R button has been dead for a few months (the result of a drop onto my bathroom floor) so I'm trying to figure out if I can play this immediately or if I will have to get my system repaired first. In MH4U, the ZR button automatically mimics the function of the R button, so I was able to continue with that for over 200 additional hours without a hitch.

R is used to change the target. But you can use both L and R so I guess you're good to go and just have to use L. I just popped the game in to see if just pressing L would cycle through everything and it does.

Here's a link to the manual of the Wii version, refer to the Classic Controller section to see the layout for the N3DS version.
 

Tom_Cody

Member
R is used to change the target. But you can use both L and R so I guess you're good to go and just have to use L. I just popped the game in to see if just pressing L would cycle through everything and it does.

Here's a link to the manual of the Wii version, refer to the Classic Controller section to see the layout for the N3DS version.
Thanks for the answer! And especially for actually turning it on to check.

Wow, the controls are fairly complicated.

Follow-up question: do R and L literally do the same thing? Or do they switch change targets to the left and right respectively?
 

Xbro

Member
Thanks for the answer! And especially for actually turning it on to check.

Wow, the controls are fairly complicated.

Follow-up question: do R and L literally do the same thing? Or do they switch change targets to the left and right respectively?

Targets are going to be in different places regardless, and you won't know which one is to the right/left anyway, so I'd imagine they do the same thing.
 

TheMoon

Member
Thanks for the answer! And especially for actually turning it on to check.

Wow, the controls are fairly complicated.

Follow-up question: do R and L literally do the same thing? Or do they switch change targets to the left and right respectively?

Yes, that is specifically the thing I checked. :)

But it won't matter much since there are never that many enemies at once that this would be a problem.

The controls also aren't that complex. All you really need to worry about most of the time is selecting arts and moving around, so the <, >, A, and B buttons will be all you need in combat really. You'll probably select the targets before you initiate the battle anyway. Don't worry about it. :D

edit: ah, I guess I forgot the party commands. Probably because I never used them. :D
 

Tom_Cody

Member
Targets are going to be in different places regardless, and you won't know which one is to the right/left anyway, so I'd imagine they do the same thing.

Yes, that is specifically the thing I checked. :)

But it won't matter much since there are never that many enemies at once that this would be a problem.

The controls also aren't that complex. All you really need to worry about most of the time is selecting arts and moving around, so the <, >, A, and B buttons will be all you need in combat really. You'll probably select the targets before you initiate the battle anyway. Don't worry about it. :D

edit: ah, I guess I forgot the party commands. Probably because I never used them. :D
Thanks guys.

I think I am going to download this tonight. I'm excited!
 

Overside

Banned
I'm now in (late in the game)
Agniratha
, and fighting the boss
Jade Face/Gadolt
. This one is the first real roadblock I've hit. My party is ~Lvl. 68, so
the same level as him. Currently using Reyn, Dunban, and Sharla, but getting beaten every time since Dunban and Sharla cannot survive the laser attack that Gadolt pulls :/ Any suggestions apart from grinding for more levels?

He only does the laser snipe from far away. When he sees a party member to target, the vision timer starts, advance to the next nearest barrier, and call your team mates to you, when they are out of his los, the pending attack stops.

Repeat until you have closed the distance and force him to fight in close quarters.
 
He only does the laser snipe from far away. When he sees a party member to target, the vision timer starts, advance to the next nearest barrier, and call your team mates to you, when they are out of his los, the pending attack stops.

Repeat until you have closed the distance and force him to fight in close quarters.

You're thinking of the wrong Jade Face fight, since he says Agniritha. Here's some advice about what helped me my first playthrough

Use Reyn's Last Stand Aura whenever the vision comes up. It'll automatically revive him when he's killed when it's active, and the revival has quite a bit of HP back as well. Save your party gauge for reviving party members,, and just keep fighting until he dies
 

Tom_Cody

Member
Got the game and I'm a few hours in. Definitely fun so far.

Unfortunately I have another R-button related question. Every once in while prompts appear that say "Story Memo". And it is my understanding that these are activated by the R-Button. Do these matter? Is there any other way to access them besides using the R-button?
 

Vitacat

Member
To those hesitating...

I hesitated for a few weeks as well. Then it went on sale and with my GCU I could buy it for about $24 at Bestbuy. So, I bought it, unsure if it was worth it since I already have a copy of the Wii game.

I am so glad I bought it. It is fantastic. In fact I think I enjoy it more on 3DS if only because I can so easily pick up and play it now. Does the low res display hurt the visual impact? Yes, definitely. And the 3D is very subtle and sadly really doesn't add much. But the game is sublime once you understand the battle system, and IMO it controls very well on my N3ds XL.

So, yeah. If you like JRPG's and own a New 3ds, don't hesitate. It is so worth it.
 

Xbro

Member
Got the game and I'm a few hours in. Definitely fun so far.

Unfortunately I have another R-button related question. Every once in while prompts appear that say "Story Memo". And it is my understanding that these are activated by the R-Button. Do these matter? Is there any other way to access them besides using the R-button?

The story memos are there just in case you forgot what was going on. Say you took a 3 month break on the game and forgot what you are doing.
 

Xbro

Member
Wait wait wait wait. Isn't the top bar the SP bar and the bottom bar (5 segments) the EXP bar? I distinctly remember using that to determine when to switch skills/skill trees.

I looked it up and found it relating to tension. The top bar that is. I played the game before I had glasses, so I never really saw the top bar.
 

alvis.exe

Member
I looked it up and found it relating to tension. The top bar that is. I played the game before I had glasses, so I never really saw the top bar.

Haha yeah it's pretty tiny. I'm still like 99.9% sure it's the SP bar though :p It doesn't change at all during battles even when the portraits are going back and forth and the tension arrows are flashing red/blue.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
Top bar is SP.

maxresdefault.jpg

In this picture everyone has very high tension, but Shulk and Dunban both have empty bars (likely because they are on skill trees that are fully unlocked). Riki's bar is nearly full though.
 
Used my Amazon employee discount and bought a new 3ds and this game to hold me over until MGSV. Love rpgs and never played the wii version so I can't wait
 

perorist

Unconfirmed Member
How would you guys say the story compares to xenogears?
IMO the story doesn't hold a candle to xenogears' layered story telling/plot twists and the characters are shallow and uninteresting in comparison. Huge disappointment coming in as a gears fan. The game itself plays much better of course.
 
Cool, thanks. I didn't think it would bear xenogears. That's my favorite rpg ever. Still looking forward to this though...I need something bad to play until MGSV drops
 

MattVT

Member
How accessible is Xenoblade Chronicles? I'm looking for something to play during this slow period of the summer, and I'm intrigued by this game. However, since I primarily play action/adventure games, I'm wondering how approachable this game is to someone who does not play many RPGs. To give some context, I played and enjoyed Persona 3 and Persona 4 (I know Xenoblade is nothing like those), but those have fairly simple gameplay systems. Anyone have advice?
 

Xbro

Member
How accessible is Xenoblade Chronicles? I'm looking for something to play during this slow period of the summer, and I'm intrigued by this game. However, since I primarily play action/adventure games, I'm wondering how approachable this game is to someone who does not play many RPGs. To give some context, I played and enjoyed Persona 3 and Persona 4 (I know Xenoblade is nothing like those), but those have fairly simple gameplay systems. Anyone have advice?

I'm in the same boat on RPGs, I don't play many of them, but I found Xenoblade to be very easy to get into. It's very user friendly, takes out a lot of stuff I find wrong with most RPGs.
 

TheMoon

Member
How accessible is Xenoblade Chronicles? I'm looking for something to play during this slow period of the summer, and I'm intrigued by this game. However, since I primarily play action/adventure games, I'm wondering how approachable this game is to someone who does not play many RPGs. To give some context, I played and enjoyed Persona 3 and Persona 4 (I know Xenoblade is nothing like those), but those have fairly simple gameplay systems. Anyone have advice?

It's as accessible as it gets. You can read up on anything the game teaches you in the menus again at any point and it doesn't dump a lot on you. Plus everything is built around convenience anyway.

Jump in.
 
Hi, I finally bought this game after my new 3DS only being a Monster Hunter machine.

Is there anyway to see more details or even markings on the map for sidequest ? Because there's like one sentence and I don't no where to go.
 
Sorry for DP, but this game is great so far. Pretty awesome, didn't expect that.

I still have problems when there are like 10 mechas, but everything else is okay for me so far. I am on my way to colony six and to find that kid on the buggy.
who ran away
 

random25

Member
Sorry for DP, but this game is great so far. Pretty awesome, didn't expect that.

I still have problems when there are like 10 mechas, but everything else is okay for me so far. I am on my way to colony six and to find that kid on the buggy.
who ran away

If you're having problems with a group of enemies ganging up on you when you try to pass on them, use Lure from a good distance to take them on in smaller groups or even 1 on 1.
 

random25

Member
I'll try that, do I have to switch to Reyn to use that ?

Nope. Anybody can do that. Press down when the Talent Art at the center is highlighted when you target an enemy before you charge and attack. It will cause the party leader to throw a stone at the target, luring it to approach you.
 
Not quite. Luring (the purple icon) is a different icon for starting a battle that's in the same spot as the "start battle" icon, which you cycle between by using up and down on the D-pad.

Nope. Anybody can do that. Press down when the Talent Art at the center is highlighted when you target an enemy before you charge and attack. It will cause the party leader to throw a stone at the target, luring it to approach you.

Okay, just found that, you have to press one down. Never knew that even existed, lol. Thanks guys.
 

Tom_Cody

Member
I just got to Gaur Plain and I've hit a bit of a wall with the battle system. Can anyone recommend a link and/or videos with explains tons of everything? Or at least everything I should know up through this point?

I believe I need to be using the shield function of the monado when I get a vision showing that the mammoth thing is about to kill me, but unfortunately I won't be able to try this out until tonight.
 
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