Go back to it.
You'll kick yourself.
It's just incredible. Incredible as in a 'wow, now THIS is what he's ended up as? HA' kind of way.
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Xenoblade Chronicles |OT| Man, what a bunch of jokers.
- Thread starter Sadist
- Start date
Go back to it.
You'll kick yourself.
It's just incredible. Incredible as in a 'wow, now THIS is what he's ended up as? HA' kind of way.
seriously, go back to it. It's a landmark, so it's easy to get to. And it makes sense, considering
metal face's name in Japan was Black Face
it's awe inspiring. There's a heart to heart between dunban and melia right next to him, but I can't access it yet.
HitokiriNate85
Member
So I just started playing Xenoblade.
I'm only 3-3 1/2 hrs. in, saved right as Shulk and Reyn are heading off. Some thoughts so far:
- Voice cast seems pretty good, though I can shake the fact that Shulk sounds older than he looks. I guess that's pretty common in JRPGs, though. I hadn't considered that the cast would be done by English VAs. I guess NoA really had zero intentions of bringing it to the US. I don't mean that in a negative way regarding the cast, but it is uncommon.
- The music is really good so far. Most of the tracks really stick out.
- Definitely digging the battle system so far, though I kept dying in the cave because I was too stupid to figure out how to select a chain attack. I missed out on killing that one optional, stronger lizard because he just kept wiping me out. Chain attack would've probably done wonders there. When pressing B at the beginning of a battle, am I aiming to hit it right as it lights up with the circle? Also, what causes the prompt to occur again during battle?
- I'm back and forth on the visuals. Technically, I dig that it looks a lot like a more polished PS2 RPG. Definitely get a FFXII vibe from it. At the same time, some of the textures just look so dated and there's some kind of tearing going on at times, though it really only stuck out when I was in the military plaza/bridge area.
- Not much to say about the story so far. Hopefully it pulls me in. The characters have all been pretty likable so far.
What does everyone play with? I'm using a regular classic controller, but I'm already thinking about getting a Pro. I wanted one anyway, and it would be a lot more comfortable to play this with one considering I have to us ZL and ZR. They're so poorly implemented on the regular CC.
I'm only 3-3 1/2 hrs. in, saved right as Shulk and Reyn are heading off. Some thoughts so far:
- Voice cast seems pretty good, though I can shake the fact that Shulk sounds older than he looks. I guess that's pretty common in JRPGs, though. I hadn't considered that the cast would be done by English VAs. I guess NoA really had zero intentions of bringing it to the US. I don't mean that in a negative way regarding the cast, but it is uncommon.
- The music is really good so far. Most of the tracks really stick out.
- Definitely digging the battle system so far, though I kept dying in the cave because I was too stupid to figure out how to select a chain attack. I missed out on killing that one optional, stronger lizard because he just kept wiping me out. Chain attack would've probably done wonders there. When pressing B at the beginning of a battle, am I aiming to hit it right as it lights up with the circle? Also, what causes the prompt to occur again during battle?
- I'm back and forth on the visuals. Technically, I dig that it looks a lot like a more polished PS2 RPG. Definitely get a FFXII vibe from it. At the same time, some of the textures just look so dated and there's some kind of tearing going on at times, though it really only stuck out when I was in the military plaza/bridge area.
- Not much to say about the story so far. Hopefully it pulls me in. The characters have all been pretty likable so far.
What does everyone play with? I'm using a regular classic controller, but I'm already thinking about getting a Pro. I wanted one anyway, and it would be a lot more comfortable to play this with one considering I have to us ZL and ZR. They're so poorly implemented on the regular CC.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
There are three different prompts, but all of them work the same way. You want to hit B when the two circles overlap. If you hit it early you get nothing, if you hit it late you get a smaller bonus depending on how late you hit it.
Battle start affinity - this is the one at the beginning of battle, and you get it at the beginning of every battle that you initiate (if an enemy attacks you, it doesn't appear). This raises tension by an amount that varies depending on how accurately you time it. Also, characters have different skills that will activate using this as well, things like strength, HP, defense, etc boosts at the beginning of battle.
Burst affinity - this one appears mid-battle. A number of things can cause it to appear, like a character dodging an attack, or maybe getting a critical hit. The chance of it appearing is higher depending on the affinity between your character and the AI character. Burst affinity increases affinity between the characters, and I think there are some skills that use it as well.
Chain links - during a chain attack, you automatically get 3 attacks/links (or 2 if you only have two party members available for it, i.e., if Sharla is using cool down, she can't chain), and after that you have a chance of getting more chain links depending on the affinity between your characters. Works the same as the other two but doesn't require as much accuracy (only need to hit it on or inside the static circle), but with each successive chain link gets faster. Don't think it provides any bonuses other than continuing the chain.
Same here. It's still a neat area to explore (maybe even a bit too large), but compared to some of the other areas before (and ahead), it never clicked with me the same way.
Yeah, swimming was way too slow.
ihasaflavour
Neo Member
Heard about this beast of a game online, from a great Youtube channel. Then hoped on the GAF, and saw the OT!
So pumped for this!!! Can't wait till April!!!
So pumped for this!!! Can't wait till April!!!
And that way is the "fast movement" ocarina cheat code, if you're using cfg usb loader.
Whoa, that ending. I didn't expect there to be any connection to
I was kinda hoping that as the camera panned out it would reveal that colony 9 was off the coast of
....
Earth, humans and the real world, that came as a complete shock and a nice shock too, it makes the lore more interesting than if it was another made up world that came before. The Manado being HAL is a bit insane though, the Manado throughout the entire game was talked about as if it was the more important thing in all existence and hyped up massively all the time, but it was just some computer.
I was kinda hoping that as the camera panned out it would reveal that colony 9 was off the coast of
New York
SecretMoblin
Member
Ouch. That never happened to me, though I did manually reload once due to a sidequest in Frontier Village which automatically resolves in the "bad" way if you have certain materials on you when you initiate it. I only lost an hour or so, though.
Ditto. In fact, I swam around the edges and then I swam inwards in a spiral until I'd uncovered the entire map. I did use Quick Step when exploring, through. (25% faster movement is better than nothing.)
SecretMoblin
Member
How... how are you able to type? Aren't you still swimming?
Yeah well, it really sucks. Normally I'd give up on the game after something like this. Though maybe I'll just see the main story through and ignore all the sidequests, they don't seem to really do much of anything anyways.
First time I'm getting my ass kicked ;-; at sword Valley I can't seem to beat the giant Mechon Reinforcement at the 3rd gate... I'm one level under him tho.
There were a couple of big mechon at the start of the Valley that were 2-3 levels above me and I could beat those!
What the fuck, I was okay with Shulk but his silly discourse about faced Mechon made me dislike him now. Didn't need all this cheese.
I really hope Metal Face didn't die right now. Basically main villain for the 1st half of the game and he just falls of a cliff like an idiot. Really left a bad taste in my mouth this sequence.
There were a couple of big mechon at the start of the Valley that were 2-3 levels above me and I could beat those!
What the fuck, I was okay with Shulk but his silly discourse about faced Mechon made me dislike him now. Didn't need all this cheese.
I really hope Metal Face didn't die right now. Basically main villain for the 1st half of the game and he just falls of a cliff like an idiot. Really left a bad taste in my mouth this sequence.
StunandStab
Member
Can someone explain to me what I'm supposed to do endgame? I can't figure out where anything is except the few quests I did find were for like 15 levels higher than me. Thinking about just going to beat the game instead of bothering with this stuff
In any other game it would sound like the behaviour of a crazy person, but the XP rewards for finding new locations, and the benefits of unlocking fast-travel points make it justifiable.
SecretMoblin
Member
That fight against the unique was tough for me, too.
It deals loads of spike damage, which you need to mitigate somehow. Rather than loading up on gems, try spamming Shulk's Purge as you let the team finish it off. It's not particularly elegant, but it gets the job done.
Also, you might want to put that second part in spoiler tags, just in case there are any new players lurking.
From here on out, the story starts getting much more involved. Rest assured the buildup in the early part of the game was not for naught.
I'm assuming you beat
Lorithia in the Bionis' Interior
Prison Island
Tephra Cave
Eryth Sea and Alcamoth are home to monsters you should be able to fight that provide a great opportunity to level up. There are also some quests scattered around Eryth Sea. You haven't finished upgrading Colony Six yet, so if you want to do that then now's your chance to get most of the way thereone of the materials you need is in the final dungeon.
extra skill trees for each character
The end game which includes fun stuff like unlocking the fifth character trees and fighting really hard monsters in some old areas and ending some interesting quest lines is something of a double edged sword. Doing all this interesting content and gearing up for the 100+ monsters will make the final dungeon and fight a complete joke.
The best solution is to roll on until the final area of no return, make a save, beat the game, and then go back to that save if you feel like doing the end game stuff.
If you decide that you don't care about having an easy end game and want to do the content right now your best bet is to start by going to the Bionis Leg on the far side of the big bridge and pick a fight with the enemies there. You'll quickly gain some more levels and start your collection of the best end game armour (Lancelot Set with free gem slots) and when you're done with that you can go and explore the entire new wing of the Tephra Cave that unlocked.
StunandStab
Member
Yeah, I beat her, it was a tough battle lasting for probably over 20 minutes lol. It would probably have been over quick if I had just used Melia. I made it up to the final point of no return in the final dungeon, so yeah, I'm going to make a save there and beat the game before doing other stuff (if I even decide to do that other stuff). I've been trying to max out affinities for the whole game and I'm getting realllly close... I've been switching my team around so much I'm not even sure who I'll bring to the final battle.
EDIT: Thanks for your answer as well Man God.
sublimit
Banned
Wow how did i missed that?? :O
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
I assume you mean every party combination?
Off the top of my head I'd probably go with Shulk(Purge), Dunban (tank+high damage against Tyrea), Sharla (healing). Beat the Telethia first, purge when it's dodging all your attacks.
Alternatively you can use Melia and Mind Blast in place of Shulk and Purge if you know how to use her, there are some tips on this page regarding her. She'll do more damage to both enemies, but Mind Blast is harder to work with than Purge IMO. You really need to main Melia if you use her though, AI is terrible with her.
Alternatively you can use Melia and Mind Blast in place of Shulk and Purge if you know how to use her, there are some tips on this page regarding her. She'll do more damage to both enemies, but Mind Blast is harder to work with than Purge IMO. You really need to main Melia if you use her though, AI is terrible with her.
Other than that, just double check your gems and skill links, upgrade armor, use chain attacks in the battle, etc. That was a tough fight, but I don't recall it being THAT tough. You should be able to do it at 40 for sure.
Big thanks! Will give it another shot.
I can't believe this game is still introducing new mechanics 30 hours in (just opened up the Purge move on the Monado and enemies' spike ability). Never played a real JRPG before, it's great fun but maddeningly unwieldy: I can't remember how to do half of the things I'm supposed to be able to (to name a few, I can't seem to use any Heart-To-Hearts; no idea how forging works; the Affinity system is completely baffling; how to counteract enemy attacks after Shulk has a vision has long since been lost to the recesses of my brain, etc). All that will probably come back to bite me later on, although I'm doing a lot of grinding and EXP questing to stay a few levels above each new set of enemies in the hope it might save me. Great game, but bloody hell it's complicated for a newbie.
I've also stuck with playing as Shulk so far, since he seems the most adaptable to different situations and I've powered up his attacks quite strongly. The original team of him, Reyn and Sharla has worked best for me so far - Reyn drawing aggro, me attacking with Shulk and Sharla healing. Is there any particular reason I'd need to give Dunban (who I tried using for a while, but was too similar to Shulk) or Melia - the only other characters I have so far - any time in battle? Do they get more awesome later on?
I've also stuck with playing as Shulk so far, since he seems the most adaptable to different situations and I've powered up his attacks quite strongly. The original team of him, Reyn and Sharla has worked best for me so far - Reyn drawing aggro, me attacking with Shulk and Sharla healing. Is there any particular reason I'd need to give Dunban (who I tried using for a while, but was too similar to Shulk) or Melia - the only other characters I have so far - any time in battle? Do they get more awesome later on?
drtomoe123
Member
Melia is amazing if you control her yourself. Honestly, my main party consisted of Melia, Sharla, and the next character you're going to get.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
The game teaches you to use a pretty basic attacker/tank/healer setup, but you can be successfully with just about any combination of characters once you get more of their arts unlocked.
Dunban is a tank too, but with an emphasis on dodging attacks instead of eating damage. So that means when he's set up properly (agility agility agility, light armor, more agility) you won't require as much healing. And he deals more damage than Reyn.
Melia can deal damage really quickly if you use her properly, and her arts (which are really all you want to use with her, not auto-attacks) are ether based which are useful in a number of situations. AI sucks with her, and using her is pretty different and more involving than other characters.
It probably sounds crazy, but later on you can drop Sharla all together once you've got the game figured out. She can be more of a liability than an asset, she is by far the worst damage dealer in the game. Swapping her out and focusing on quick damage and agility so your party can dodge attacks works just as well or better than trying to use a healer that slows down battles.
Regarding the things you said you didn't get:
The thing about heart-to-hearts is that you can find them before they are actually available to see. You'll need both characters involved, you have to be beyond a certain point in the story (sometimes), and they have affinity requirements between those two characters.
Affinity between characters increases the more you use them together, and affinity for areas increases as you do quests in those areas. That's basically it, unless you're getting into the stuff affinity impacts, like the ability to do certain quests, or increased chain attack rates.
Gem Crafting Guide. Gem crafting is really poorly explained in the game, it shows you how to do it but you still don't have any idea what's going on or how to do it well. So you're not really alone on that one.
And countering visions is like the base of the combat system. You'll pretty much be forced to learn to deal with visions later in the game. But basically it's just a matter of using an art to cut down or negate the damage, get the aggro on a different character, or topple (extends vision time) and daze (enemy changes attacks) the enemy.
drtomoe123
Member
Dunban makes things die a lot faster. Sharla is nice right now, but she stops developing attack arts for a while. You'll never die, but fights will take forever. Dunban will be an immediate upgrade of your party dps, and when developed a little, will often be a better tank than Reyn (more dps, dodges more attacks). Shulk can handle what little healing will be needed.
Melia destroys everything when you control her. My main group was Dunban/Shulk/Melia (control Melia), and I only switched it out to do some testing with other characters. Sharla will still be a good choice when going against some tough uniques, and the last character you get can fill multiple roles. The game does manage some really nice balance with different parties. Each group may not be able to handle every fight, but for the most part they can all work.
Melia destroys everything when you control her. My main group was Dunban/Shulk/Melia (control Melia), and I only switched it out to do some testing with other characters. Sharla will still be a good choice when going against some tough uniques, and the last character you get can fill multiple roles. The game does manage some really nice balance with different parties. Each group may not be able to handle every fight, but for the most part they can all work.
Yup. His lines never get old, either. His arts are pretty fun to use as well as switch round to try different playstyles. Originally, I used quite an aggressive set (e.g.
Tantrum, Hero Time, Riki is Angry, Sneaky
Lurgy, Behave, Bitey Bitey, Burninate etc
Say Sorry
As I mentioned earlier, my savefile landed at 225 hours in the end. (Total playtime 236 going by the Nintendo Channel stat.)
This included filling every map, viewing every heart-to-heart, leveling everyone to 99, maxing all arts and skills, connecting every person in the world on the affinity chart, maxing out affinity with every party member and every area, completing 453 quests and beating all the level 99+ monsters.
Did you get all the in game achievements? Because even after doing everything you listed I could not motivate myself to grind out those.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
The linked one at the bottom of the OP is loaded with unmarked spoilers, but it tells you where to get the advanced ones. Not sure if there is a guide for the intermediate ones, but they are all in shops.
And Shulk gets the same number of arts as everyone else, but half of them are Monado arts (and two are unlocked by doing certain sidequests). If you're bored with Shulk use different party members, they all play differently.
Wow, thanks for all that advice! I'm not really good enough at the game yet to start using (what sounds like) a specialised character such as Melia. My strategy still mostly involves rushing in, hoping for the best and trying to adapt to whatever havoc gets thrown my way. (Thanks to my excessive grinding, this hasn't worked too badly so far). Kind of terrified that working out visions becomes such an important part of the game later, as my counter move has mainly just been to heal the target ASAP.
Thanks for the details on affinity and heart to hearts, I suppose I should start swapping party members over more often.
counteracting visions isn't that hard. there are only 3 types of visions anyway:
- "specials" (art names are written in white) - can be prevented by using monado shield oder canceling it out with sleep(melia/sharla) or stun (yellow arts)
- physical (art names are written in red) - can be avoided by agility, there is a monado art for that(single target only!), also you can tell your tank to intercept(when using dunban). they can also be canceld by sleep or stun. when playing melia you can reflect them.
- ether (art names are written in blue) - they are a pain in the ass, you can absorb most of the damage with monado armor (you'd need to do a quest for that art), or cancel them with sleep or stun.(or reflect them with melia).
- "specials" (art names are written in white) - can be prevented by using monado shield oder canceling it out with sleep(melia/sharla) or stun (yellow arts)
- physical (art names are written in red) - can be avoided by agility, there is a monado art for that(single target only!), also you can tell your tank to intercept(when using dunban). they can also be canceld by sleep or stun. when playing melia you can reflect them.
- ether (art names are written in blue) - they are a pain in the ass, you can absorb most of the damage with monado armor (you'd need to do a quest for that art), or cancel them with sleep or stun.(or reflect them with melia).
I just spent ages fighting Blizzard Belgazas, and got it down to about 20% health left. When it was about to use Mountain Stomp, I instinctively warned another party member... using up the rest of the party gauge, and leaving my main to get squashed. Oops.
Time to try again, I guess.
Time to try again, I guess.
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