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[Diffense]

Can't you just back up saves on an SD card? Unless it's Monster Hunter Tri or other online games, that is...

Yeah, the online game saves (S&P, Mario Kart, Grand Slam Tennis, MHTri etc.) give problems.

Was that with just dual layered games or all games? If it's dual layered then did you try that lense cleaning kit?

It completely crapped out. Inserting a game just triggers a request to restart the Wii at this point.

 

[speedpop]

Feel sorry for RPGCrazied. Highest poster count in the thread, double compared to the next person, and by the sounds of their posts the anticipation levels have consistently been high.

Hang in there. The wait will be more than worthwhile. Just don't allow yourself to be burnt out on the game in trying to catch up to everyone else.

 

[Dead Prince]

Now you suck! I'm in north Texas too. Lubbock area. ;/

So if I went with ASDA, I would have it now?! AHHHHHHHHHH!

i wonder how they are shipping the game and where it landed in the states. Strong chance of me getting it today? I HOPE SO!

 

[JerkShep]

Satorl Marsh here.
As far as the story goes, I didn't like very much

Spoiler

the Schala/Juju/Otharion storyline, it was a bit cheesy and the writing worse compared to the first area. The last part was awesome though, in particular the new information about the Mechon, Dunban joining the party, the Thelia (?) and the flashforward

The moments where you have the tipical Takahashi-vibe are the best, I mean

Spoiler

the attack at Colony 9 was Xenogears beginning all over again, and after the battle with Xord you have a classic swordman/mech fight (Dunban is clearly the next incarnation of the Citan/Jin line lol) and a white-haired guy talking about mysterious stuff...I was like WTF chaos is doing here

Now I think I'll stop a bit and do some subquests, but I really want to see how the plot unfolds from here.

 

[BlazingDarkness]

Anybody know where Agile Albatro is? Apparently it's near Bridge Three but I can't find it

Spoiler

Makna Forest

 

[RPGCrazied]

i wonder how they are shipping the game and where it landed in the states. Strong chance of me getting it today? I HOPE SO!

Hush!

I know I'm going with ASDA then for Last Story now.

 

[Pyrokai]

Still waiting for my copy from GAME (to US) >.<

Looks like it's not coming today. Dammit, how can I track this thing? Using Game's tracking number, all it does is say that it was dispatched

 

[CruxisMana]

Satorl Marsh here.
As far as the story goes, I didn't like very much

Spoiler

the Schala/Juju/Otharion storyline, it was a bit cheesy and the writing worse compared to the first area. The last part was awesome though, in particular the new information about the Mechon, Dunban joining the party, the Thelia (?) and the flashforward

As beautiful as that area is, it did strike me as a filler zone.

 

[Enduin]

While I love the world and have been thoroughly addicted these past two days wasting hours just picking up blue orbs for no other reason than because theyre there, I still find a few aspects of the game lacking and downright annoying.

Combat is boring as fuck, its easy as hell and theres little need or reward for intelligently positioning your character or using your arts during encounters save for boss fights, which themselves have often ended well before you actually have depleted all of their health. I dont even get hit anymore, my characters dodge every attack thrown at them, including most boss attacks.

Story wise things are pretty thin so far. I just got to Frontier Village and things look like theyre picking up but so far its not exactly thrilling. Character interactions are pretty weak as well despite party members always cutting into convos but with no real substance. Then theres the Heart to Hearts which are 90% unavailable and those that are available are between two NPCs and require a shit ton of grinding to raise their affinity towards one another before I can actually initiate the thing.

Spoiler

(Which by the way I would love to hear others views on raising relations between party members, does it require placing someone else as the head of the party besides Shulk? Does gift giving net any worthwhile amount of affection?)

Also theres way too many items, especially with the gems, I still havent gotten the portable maker yet and so when I do remember to go back to Colony 9 to make gems I end up spending over an hour fusing them cause there so bloody many of them, meanwhile I only really use like 4 of some 30+ kinds of gems cause the games so easy. Agility, Health, Strength, Muscle and Attack Plus, theres no need for any of the others.

But enough of my bitching, cause honestly Im gonna go back and play another 10 hours straight of this thing.

Anybody know where Agile Albatro is? Apparently it's near Bridge Three but I can't find it

Spoiler

Makna Forest

Jump off Bridge Three its down below on the river's north shore.

 

[quinntendopower]

put a few hours into this last night

so many great mechanics and sensibilities in this game. i've been constantly surprised how nice the structure is for quests and travel.

 

[Codeblue]

I'll expect mine on Wednesday then. I live in southern OK, so everything I get has to be passed through Dallas for whatever reason. I remember the days before Amazon Prime where I would track my shipment and it would drive right through my town from Kansas to go to Dallas then come back up.

 

[Zafir]

While I love the world and have been thoroughly addicted these past two days wasting hours just picking up blue orbs for no other reason than because theyre there, I still find a few aspects of the game lacking and downright annoying.

Combat is boring as fuck, its easy as hell and theres little need or reward for intelligently positioning your character or using your arts during encounters save for boss fights, which themselves have often ended well before you actually have depleted all of their health. I dont even get hit anymore, my characters dodge every attack thrown at them, including most boss attacks.

Story wise things are pretty thin so far. I just got to Frontier Village and things look like theyre picking up but so far its not exactly thrilling. Character interactions are pretty weak as well despite party members always cutting into convos but with no real substance. Then theres the Heart to Hearts which are 90% unavailable and those that are available are between two NPCs and require a shit ton of grinding to raise their affinity towards one another before I can actually initiate the thing.

Spoiler

(Which by the way I would love to hear others views on raising relations between party members, does it require placing someone else as the head of the party besides Shulk? Does gift giving net any worthwhile amount of affection?)

Also theres way too many items, especially with the gems, I still havent gotten the portable maker yet and so when I do remember to go back to Colony 9 to make gems I end up spending over an hour fusing them cause there so bloody many of them, meanwhile I only really use like 4 of some 30+ kinds of gems cause the games so easy. Agility, Health, Strength, Muscle and Attack Plus, theres no need for any of the others.

But enough of my bitching, cause honestly Im gonna go back and play another 10 hours straight of this thing.




Jump off Bridge Three its down below on the river's north shore.

I don't really agree with you in terms of the combat, but I partially agree on the story front. I'm also at the same place as you, and I've put 25hours into the game, but there hasn't been a great deal of story so far. I suppose that's what happens when you have such a ridiculous amount of quests, it ruins the pacing.

As for the heart to hearts. If you change party leaders, that person will get affinity towards the other 2 party members when you do quests. Honestly, I've only done 2 heart to hearts, the one right at the beginning which is part of the tutorial, and one between Sharla and Reyn.

 

[RPGCrazied]

Game came in today. Yayness.

By the way, when did it ship out for you?

 

[Windom Earle]

From ASDA, I live in north Texas.

Surprised to see this. Doesn't ASDA use the same crappy shipping as Zavvi? (the companies are connected I think?).

But yeah, basic rule for me is to never use Zavvi if it's urgent. E.g. I had to wait a month for Ridge Racer 3d.

 

[Enduin]

As for the heart to hearts. If you change party leaders, that person will get affinity towards the other 2 party members when you do quests. Honestly, I've only done 2 heart to hearts, the one right at the beginning which is part of the tutorial, and one between Sharla and Reyn.

Figured as much. Gift giving seems to do nothing Ive given people like 20 of some rare ass items and there was zero change in affinity. Ive done four so far I think , I did the two you did one between Shulk and Boobies McJiggle and Shulk Dunban. I cant do any others, cause I either dont have the necessary party member or the relations are too low.

 

[Dunbar]

I went to ASDA and it won't let me register a US card/address. Am I missing something?

 

[Durante]

This game is really impressing the hell out of me. (My local store started selling it on Friday, it's nice to get something early for once but I feel for the people who are still waiting)

I want to point out a few things that Xenoblade does really well:
- The world-building: basically from the first cutscene you learn about the origin of the world, and everything more or less makes sense so far
- The wealth of content. I've only played 7 hours or so but after anemic games like Dragon Age 2 or reuse-fests like Resonance of Fate (a fine game in its own right) it's refreshing to see a game that seems to actually justifies its length with content.
- The depth of the various gameplay elements. Combat in particular, but also itemization and the whole affinity mechanic, including how that ties into character development. I also love how the main character's ability works not only in cutscenes but also ties into battle and even quests.
- The whole (~4 hours in spoiler)

Spoiler

Aerith'ing of Fiora was handled really well IMHO. I actually liked her and had her as my main character. When Shulk had his vision I fully expected him to save her with some eleventh hour superpower.

I gained some respect for the storytelling when that didn't happen.

My only problem with game (besides graphics of course, but what can you do) is difficulty. I feel like I haven't fought a difficult battle since the optional boss in the very first cave.

 

[Chanser]

This thread turning into a Xenoblade lottery.

 

[Diffense]

*sigh*

nothing from Zavvi in mail today. This sucks. What import site offers rush shipping? If I have to do this for Last Story, I want to be prepared.

I got mail but only a first class package, no letters and no game.
Part of me is hoping there's more today ...

 

[soultron]

Might use my roommate's US Wii and import this. It looks absolutely phenomenal.

 

[SecretMoblin]

Might use my roommate's US Wii and import this. It looks absolutely phenomenal.

Do it. You know you want to.

 

[RPGCrazied]

I got mail but only a first class package, no letters and no game.
Part of me is hoping there's more today ...

Unless it comes UPS, which I doubt. Today is done. UPS doesn't deliver until around 8pm usually.

 

[Twilight Princess]

While I love the world and have been thoroughly addicted these past two days wasting hours just picking up blue orbs for no other reason than because theyre there, I still find a few aspects of the game lacking and downright annoying.

Combat is boring as fuck, its easy as hell and theres little need or reward for intelligently positioning your character or using your arts during encounters save for boss fights, which themselves have often ended well before you actually have depleted all of their health. I dont even get hit anymore, my characters dodge every attack thrown at them, including most boss attacks.

Story wise things are pretty thin so far. I just got to Frontier Village and things look like theyre picking up but so far its not exactly thrilling. Character interactions are pretty weak as well despite party members always cutting into convos but with no real substance. Then theres the Heart to Hearts which are 90% unavailable and those that are available are between two NPCs and require a shit ton of grinding to raise their affinity towards one another before I can actually initiate the thing.

Spoiler

(Which by the way I would love to hear others views on raising relations between party members, does it require placing someone else as the head of the party besides Shulk? Does gift giving net any worthwhile amount of affection?)

Also theres way too many items, especially with the gems, I still havent gotten the portable maker yet and so when I do remember to go back to Colony 9 to make gems I end up spending over an hour fusing them cause there so bloody many of them, meanwhile I only really use like 4 of some 30+ kinds of gems cause the games so easy. Agility, Health, Strength, Muscle and Attack Plus, theres no need for any of the others.

But enough of my bitching, cause honestly Im gonna go back and play another 10 hours straight of this thing.




Jump off Bridge Three its down below on the river's north shore.

I think you are over leveled. Now I'm about 2-5 levels below the enemies and combat is very interesting.
Pacing of the game has been excellent for me so far (I just left the last village), as I didn't try to do too much side quests, which is probably why I'm under leveled.

 

[UltimaKilo]

Now you suck! I'm in north Texas too. Lubbock area. ;/

So if I went with ASDA, I would have it now?! AHHHHHHHHHH!

Texas sucks man. Time to move. Some import stores supposedly are already getting it.

 

[Lumpy Onion]

Game got shipped today from 365games.co.uk. Hopefully I can get it by Friday.

Its funny that I really know next to nothing about this game, other than it shares similarities to FF XII. That alone means the world to me seeing how much I loved that game. Also just checked the composers. Good stuff, and glad that Motoi Sakuraba is nowhere to be seen. Mitsuda could me one of my top five game music composers for sure.

 

[slayn]

Combat is boring as fuck, its easy as hell and theres little need or reward for intelligently positioning your character.

I think that's a bit extreme but yeah I also think combat is a little boring. I use the arts a lot but really I just find that I come up with a series of arts that I use over and over against everything regardless of what it is. Spike auras are about the only thing in the game that made me deviate in the slightest.

And even when I do run into a high level boss, like a level +5 unique monster, I feel like the difficulty is more based on level than tactics. The game has some kind of hidden accuracy stat that seems to make you miss most attacks if you are noticeably lower level as well as get hit by every attack the monster throws out. And yeah you can do better if you change up equipment or change tactics somewhat but the power you gain from your level is so significant that I feel it marginalizes all my choices in battle.

You can fight a unique and get slaughtered and only hurt it for like 10% of its health. You can then gain like 2 levels, come back and do the exact same strategy with the exact same equipment, and suddenly win handily.

 

[SecretMoblin]

Game got shipped today from 365games.co.uk. Hopefully I can get it by Friday.

Its funny that I really know next to nothing about this game, other than it shares similarities to FF XII. That alone means the world to me seeing how much I loved that game. Also just checked the composers. Good stuff, and glad that Motoi Sakuraba is nowhere to be seen. Mitsuda could me one of my top five game music composers for sure.

This is how I know you're a good person.

 

[Dragon]

Still waiting for my copy from GAME (to US) >.<

Looks like it's not coming today. Dammit, how can I track this thing? Using Game's tracking number, all it does is say that it was dispatched

I'm in the same boat "despatched". You have to get special delivery to be able to track it according to their website.

Unless it comes UPS, which I doubt. Today is done. UPS doesn't deliver until around 8pm usually.

If you went royal mail then I believe it's USPS, which is why it may suck. I hate USPS, there's a reason they're dead last.

 

[Durante]

The game has some kind of hidden accuracy stat that seems to make you miss most attacks if you are noticeably lower level as well as get hit by every attack the monster throws out.

This. The game has a lot of positive MMO-like traits, but that level-based accuracy is a very bad mechanic to adopt. I really wonder what the point of such a mechanic is and why you would put it into a game.

 

[PumpkinPie]

After saying that the game didn't look as good as FFXII a couple of pages back I'll change my mind now. I've been playing for around 10 hours and in some ways it looks better than FFXII, the draw distance and areas are amazing and the feeling of running through a huge plain with actual blades of grass is unrivalled.

 

[thomaser]

Got it to my store today, so now it's home with me at last. But one question before I start: are there missable things and points of no return? Like in, say, the Golden Sun-games?

 

[Twilight Princess]

This. The game has a lot of positive MMO-like traits, but that level-based accuracy is a very bad mechanic to adopt. I really wonder what the point of such a mechanic is and why you would put it into a game.

if you equip a lot of +agi gears, or have agi buffs during battles, its not a big deal at all.

 

[bubnbob]

Tension has a huge effect on accuracy. If your guy is depressed (a purple fog around his portrait - normally happens when you die, or your partners are dead), he will whiff a ton. Not the best position to be in when facing a unique enemy.

 

[Durante]

if you equip a lot of +agi gears, or have agi buffs during battles, its not a big deal at all.

That depends on the level difference. My question is why would you do this at all? Why not make hit/miss calculations solely dependent on the related stats? What's the advantage of even looking at levels for that?

 

[Tempy]

If you're expecting the game to ship from the UK to the US with the free shipping method and arrive within a week, then you'll be very disappointed.

 

[Alrus]

How underleved do you have to be to get the "kill a higher level monster" achievement? I took out a named lvl 40 monster when I was lvl 37 and I didn't get it

This. The game has a lot of positive MMO-like traits, but that level-based accuracy is a very bad mechanic to adopt. I really wonder what the point of such a mechanic is and why you would put it into a game.

Dunban has an awesome aura that boosts Accuracy. Allows you to tackle higher level monsters with "ease". Dunban is pretty awesome all in all, he can be insanely fast and he dodges most attacks, probably my fav character right now.

 

[Dragon]

If you're expecting the game to ship from the UK to the US with the free shipping method and arrive within a week, then you'll be very disappointed.

I'm disappointed I don't have the game and I ordered on Friday...

 

[RPGCrazied]

If you're expecting the game to ship from the UK to the US with the free shipping method and arrive within a week, then you'll be very disappointed.

I'm passing a week from today.

 

[Lumpy Onion]

If you're expecting the game to ship from the UK to the US with the free shipping method and arrive within a week, then you'll be very disappointed.

Wishful thinking I guess. In a perfect world I would get it by Friday. Pretty sure the reality lies towards the end of next week. The invoice telling me it will "arrive shortly" is probably given to all the customers.

 

[Mojojo]

I love the amount of details in this game, the world is really well done. Makna Forest is amazing as well as the nopon village

Spoiler

OMG @ the Village Chief >.<

. It's been a long time since I played a rpg where the developpers cared about the current of the streams.

 

[slayn]

if you equip a lot of +agi gears, or have agi buffs during battles, its not a big deal at all.

The point though is that if you come up against a monster you can't handle you can shuffle around all your gear, equip all the right gems, figure out all the right arts, the right party members for the situation... or you can gain 1-2 levels.

All of that optimization and thinking is completely outweighed by an almost trivial amount of xp. And this is dumb.

edit:
the accuracy thing is a particularly bad problem because it is hidden and non-obvious. You are equipping a ton of +agi stuff not because agility is the best stat for the situation, but because you are having to compensate for the game's level based accuracy dicking you over.

 

[Lord Ghirahim]

My only problem with game (besides graphics of course, but what can you do) is difficulty. I feel like I haven't fought a difficult battle since the optional boss in the very first cave.

I'm dying all the time, a single misstep means I lose all my members within seconds usually... Did they make the PAL version easier?

 

[CruxisMana]

I'm dying all the time, a single misstep means I lose all my members within seconds usually... Did they make the PAL version easier?

I think the game is actually quite difficult, although I confess that despite my love of RPG's I'm not particularly good at them.

:lol

 

[bodine1231]

This. The game has a lot of positive MMO-like traits, but that level-based accuracy is a very bad mechanic to adopt. I really wonder what the point of such a mechanic is and why you would put it into a game.

Use

Spoiler

Dunban

if you want to beat higher level monsters,he has an accuracy buff. Anyways,it makes since that it's harder to hit monsters that are higher level than you,fight a low level monster and watch how many times he whiffs on you.

 

[Aeana]

I'm dying all the time, a single misstep means I lose all my members within seconds usually... Did they make the PAL version easier?

How much side content are you doing?

 

[Durante]

I'm dying all the time, a single misstep means I lose all my members within seconds usually... Did they make the PAL version easier?

I'm (a) somewhat of a completionist and (b) have been playing all kinds of RPGs since forever. Both of those probably factor into it, but it still seems like one of the easier JRPGs I've played recently. It may have something to do with the sheer amount of side-content compared to most other games in the genre.

 

[Lord Ghirahim]

How much side content are you doing?

Not much. I don't think I've spent more than 5 hours on side quests. Most of it was dying too.

 

[Sennorin]

There have been too many Wii games this generation that were denied release in the US and it's really quite irritating.

The only good Wii-game that was released in Europe but not in the USA is Another Code: R. You didn´t miss anything else worth playing.

 

[slayn]

I do barely any side content (although I do fully explore every map which accounts for probably 80% of my xp) and I still find the game really easy short of fighting high level uniques I'm probably not supposed to go after yet or accidentally getting stomped on by level 70+ monster.

 

[Dunbar]

Finally! Got ASDA to take my order. It says they don't ship games outside the UK though? Oh well, at least I got somewhere to take my money. Now I can just sit and wait like everyone else.