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Xenoblade |OT| Sorry I Kept You Waiting!

I'm assuming this for £24.99 ($41) with a Classic Controller is a great deal right?. I've been meaning to buy it for a while now and with no games I want until Hyrule Warriors..
 

Shizuka

Member
I started this game yesterday, but the scope of the world and sub quests and everything is a bit too much for me right now. Is there any problem if I skip sub for now and follow with the story? Are they missable, or must be done in order to get ready for some point in the game? What are the best advices for someone who's just beginning and didn't play a JRPG of this scope since FF XII?
 
I started this game yesterday, but the scope of the world and sub quests and everything is a bit too much for me right now. Is there any problem if I skip sub for now and follow with the story? Are they missable, or must be done in order to get ready for some point in the game? What are the best advices for someone who's just beginning and didn't play a JRPG of this scope since FF XII?

Skip sidequests for the most part, but if you're OCD like some are, at least wait until you've already cleared the area, this way you won't be massively overleveled.
 

Dunbar

Member
I started this game yesterday, but the scope of the world and sub quests and everything is a bit too much for me right now. Is there any problem if I skip sub for now and follow with the story? Are they missable, or must be done in order to get ready for some point in the game? What are the best advices for someone who's just beginning and didn't play a JRPG of this scope since FF XII?
Any quest that needs to be done by a certain time will be marked by a little clock next to it in the quest list. The game will make it very clear when you are advancing past the point that locks out those quests (which happens several times during the game). Try to get those done on time, but do everything else at your own pace.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
Almost any time the game asks if you are sure you want to continue, it's a sign that some timed quests (denoted by the little clock) are going to expire.

The only exception IIRC is when you leave Alcamoth/Eryth Sea for Valak, no quests expire at that point but it still asks if you want to continue.

The timed quests in one area do expire without warning, but there are only like 5 of them in that area so it's not that big of a deal.
Sword Valley

Still, I don't think there are any meaningful missables, but it might be harder to get some things. The only thing I can think of that MIGHT be missable is
Melia's 5th skill tree if you do zero timed Alcamoth quests,
but even in that case I'm not sure.
 
Almost any time the game asks if you are sure you want to continue, it's a sign that some timed quests (denoted by the little clock) are going to expire.

The only exception IIRC is when you leave Alcamoth/Eryth Sea for Valak, no quests expire at that point but it still asks if you want to continue.

The timed quests in one area do expire without warning, but there are only like 5 of them in that area so it's not that big of a deal.
Sword Valley

Still, I don't think there are any meaningful missables, but it might be harder to get some things. The only thing I can think of that MIGHT be missable is
Melia's 5th skill tree if you do zero timed Alcamoth quests,
but even in that case I'm not sure.

I believe that
all the post-Core quests are enough to get 5 stars, which by proxy means doing all the timed Alcamoth quests is relatively pointless lol
 

Shizuka

Member
Any of those early in the game?
I'm on my way to rescuing Juju for the second time, after facing that second faced Mechon and losing.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
Any of those early in the game?
I'm on my way to rescuing Juju for the second time, after facing that second faced Mechon and losing.

Not really, no. Leaving Eryth Sea is the earliest thing from that list I mentioned.

Those timed quests from Bionis Leg could end soon, but you get to choose when that happens. I don't think it forces them to end until the last leg of the game if you don't do it sooner.
 

JulianImp

Member
So, what's everyone's favorite party to use?

I liked running around with 7th, Dunban and either Shulk or Riki for the remaining slot, but I often switched 7th out for Melia against uniques and bosses with those blasted damage spikes, since 7th's attack speed often led to crazy amounts of self-inflicted damage.
 

Rawk Hawk

Member
I think It's time I start branching out with my party, I'm roughly 60 hours into the game and I have played probably 95% of the time with Shulk, Sharla and Reyn. The game itself it so massive that after a week or two of playing I put it down for a while after being overwhelmed. So when I come back, I just revert back to what makes sense holy trinity wise (tank, healer, dd).

Glad some people posted their groups, going to give some of them a go this week/weekend as I try to make the push to the end. The game itself is amazing, but for some reason I always try and do everything, get burned out and go back to something else.
 

meow

Member
So, what's everyone's favorite party to use?
Melia or Shulk are my favorites to play, followed by Riki and Dunban, and I like to switch things up between party members. I basically never use Reyn in a party at all (sorry, Reyn), and I hardly use AI Sharla. I'll control her myself once in a while if I'm bored and want to switch things up. I also don't like 7th that much, but I hear so much about 7th, I think I just don't know how to properly play with that character.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
End game, Shulk/Dunban/7th with VI gems. Chain attack every 30secs.

This guy gets it. OP party, damage output is ridiculous, Dunban laughs at physical attacks and Shulk's support abilities prevent anything else from hurting him.

Melia or Shulk are my favorites to play, followed by Riki and Dunban, and I like to switch things up between party members. I basically never use Reyn in a party at all (sorry, Reyn), and I hardly use AI Sharla. I'll control her myself once in a while if I'm bored and want to switch things up. I also don't like 7th that much, but I hear so much about 7th, I think I just don't know how to properly play with that character.

The main trick with that character is to take advantage of the fact each "attack" is actually two weaker attacks. Gems like double attack and lightning attack activate on both attacks, making them more deadly than they are on other characters which can substantially increase damage output. Use those gems maxed out with a maxed electric attack up on your weapon and things just get nuts.

(And of course you don't have to sacrifice Haste for that since everybody can get that on an armor slot, albeit at "only" 45% instead of 50%)

And if it's not obvious, auto-attacks are king in this instance. Standard physical attack arts without great effects aren't worth too much since they are going to be slower than your hasted, double attacking auto-attacks. Double Blade, Spear Blade, Air Fang. All of those are going to slow you down more than anything. Double Wind is a possible exception since Tension Up is quite a good effect and it's AOE.

Speed shift and power drain are wonderful arts. Speed Shift is obviously an aura, you get additional haste and double attack on top of your gems. Power Drain is awesome because it's NOT an aura and stacks with Speed Shift. Reduces enemy attack power while increasing your own, made even MORE awesome by the fact it's cooldown time is eventually less than it's effect time. Meaning it can be active 100% of the time.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
I suggest to watch this video if you have a niconico account.(End game spoiler)
http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm14703159

Or just go to youtube, watch people kill
avalanche abaasy
in
one minute
. lol

Lol at level 99 for that.

I'm sure there are a lot of one minute kills on any of the superbosses, the only "strategy" there is building up damage output as high as possible disregarding all else and use arts that deal extra damage on toppled enemies late in chain attacks.
 

meow

Member
The main trick with that character is to take advantage of the fact each "attack" is actually two weaker attacks. Gems like double attack and lightning attack activate on both attacks, making them more deadly than they are on other characters which can substantially increase damage output. Use those gems maxed out with a maxed electric attack up on your weapon and things just get nuts.

(And of course you don't have to sacrifice Haste for that since everybody can get that on an armor slot, albeit at "only" 45% instead of 50%)

And if it's not obvious, auto-attacks are king in this instance. Standard physical attack arts without great effects aren't worth too much since they are going to be slower than your hasted, double attacking auto-attacks. Double Blade, Spear Blade, Air Fang. All of those are going to slow you down more than anything. Double Wind is a possible exception since Tension Up is quite a good effect and it's AOE.

Speed shift and power drain are wonderful arts. Speed Shift is obviously an aura, you get additional haste and double attack on top of your gems. Power Drain is awesome because it's NOT an aura and stacks with Speed Shift. Reduces enemy attack power while increasing your own, made even MORE awesome by the fact it's cooldown time is eventually less than it's effect time. Meaning it can be active 100% of the time.
Thanks!! I'm going to try to re-arrange, finally ready to pick this up again this week, gonna try to finish the game in the next 1.5 weeks.
 
So is Sword Valley supposed to be a difficulty spike? I got to the
metal face ambush
and got annihilated, and I wasn't having a ton of luck going through the level normally anyway. I've gone back to replace Riki with Shulk (my other party members are Dunban and Melia) so I didn't have to use the weaker Anti-Mechon weapons. I'm level 46. Any advice? I was doing okay in that snowy area.

I also wish they had made it more clear on how to fix Colony 6. I had been saving up all my materials because I thought that they'd be used for something, but decided they weren't and sold them all. 30 minutes later I realize I'm supposed to talk to Juju lol. On the bright side I got 900000 gold.
 
So is Sword Valley supposed to be a difficulty spike? I got to the
metal face ambush
and got annihilated, and I wasn't having a ton of luck going through the level normally anyway. I've gone back to replace Riki with Shulk (my other party members are Dunban and Melia) so I didn't have to use the weaker Anti-Mechon weapons. I'm level 46. Any advice? I was doing okay in that snowy area.

I also wish they had made it more clear on how to fix Colony 6. I had been saving up all my materials because I thought that they'd be used for something, but decided they weren't and sold them all. 30 minutes later I realize I'm supposed to talk to Juju lol. On the bright side I got 900000 gold.

Metal Face is level 52 there, you should probably get another level so he won't have a red tag.
 

meow

Member
Just booted up and apparently the last time I saved/played this game was June 2013. I hope I remember/can figure out wtf I was doing.

edit: I just died immediately.

I've been trying to use Melia's Hypnotize but a lot of times I seem to get "Immune" or something come up. Is this something specific to the enemy or is the art too low level? I think it's at level 6 or something currently.
 

789shadow

Banned
So I just got to Sword Valley, and I was wondering if the specific Anti-Mechon weapons are worth it or if I should just have Shulk constantly using Monado Enchant.
 

flyover

Member
From what I remember (could be wrong), those weapons were pretty crappy -- and I always had Shulk in the party -- so I had him enchant. I think I bought a couple of the weapons just in case, but I never used them.
 
So I just got to Sword Valley, and I was wondering if the specific Anti-Mechon weapons are worth it or if I should just have Shulk constantly using Monado Enchant.
They're only worth it if you're not using Shulk, which you should be at that part. It takes your team a few seconds before it can start doing damage but your main weapons will probably be way better than the anti-mechon ones anyway. I used Melia at that part since she doesn't need the enchant to do ether damage and her Starlight Kick combo still works no matter what
Also she's the most fun to use.
 
They're only worth it if you're not using Shulk, which you should be at that part. It takes your team a few seconds before it can start doing damage but your main weapons will probably be way better than the anti-mechon ones anyway. I used Melia at that part since she doesn't need the enchant to do ether damage and her Starlight Kick combo still works no matter what
Also she's the most fun to use.

Ether damage is cut to half if not using anti-mechon weapon, though. I suggest to use those anti-mechon weapons, keep using enchant is lame IMO.
 

789shadow

Banned
They're only worth it if you're not using Shulk, which you should be at that part. It takes your team a few seconds before it can start doing damage but your main weapons will probably be way better than the anti-mechon ones anyway. I used Melia at that part since she doesn't need the enchant to do ether damage and her Starlight Kick combo still works no matter what
Also she's the most fun to use.
But I really want to stick with Dunban, Riki, and Reyn. :( Oh well, I guess I'm forced to play as the main character for the rest of the game, unless his AI can generally be counted on to cast Enchant when it's needed.
 
Ether damage is cut to half if not using anti-mechon weapon, though. I suggest to use those anti-mechon weapons, keep using enchant is lame IMO.
That's why I let AI Shulk do it, he does it immediately so you won't ever hit the mechon without it unless you're looking at a long battle.

I actually never noticed that about reduced Ether damage versus Mechon.
But I really want to stick with Dunban, Riki, and Reyn. :( Oh well, I guess I'm forced to play as the main character for the rest of the game, unless his AI can generally be counted on to cast Enchant when it's needed.
If you want to keep your current team then by all means buy the anti-mechon weapons, I was just saying that it's way easier with Shulk and Melia(to a lesser extent). The annoying thing about this is that you'll be unable to use normal weapons for a while since you'll be exclusively fighting versus Mechon, but you should always prioritize using your favorite team over efficiency so go for it.
 

braves01

Banned
So after losing my 40+ hour save a while back (makes me cry a little inside, I was at some rocky/mountainous place with lots of mechon
prison island
maybe?), I'm about 12 hours deep again and loving it.

How far was I before I lost my save?
 

Fantastical

Death Prophet
How close am I to the end of the main story?
I just got defeated by Egil, Gadolt just sacrificed himself, and the Mechonis moved. It feels like I'm approaching the end...

Trying to plan out my grinding and quests and stuff.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
How close am I to the end of the main story?
I just got defeated by Egil, Gadolt just sacrificed himself, and the Mechonis moved. It feels like I'm approaching the end...

Trying to plan out my grinding and quests and stuff.

All the remaining timed quests are about to end at that point.

You have a couple more significant areas left, and a couple areas that are basically just boss fights.
 
How close am I to the end of the main story?
I just got defeated by Egil, Gadolt just sacrificed himself, and the Mechonis moved. It feels like I'm approaching the end...

Trying to plan out my grinding and quests and stuff.

Alcamoth quests are about to go bye bye after you reach the next set of boss battles

also the final boss is like 10 levels above the one you just fought, so you're near the end now
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
The worst part of those fights is the stupid flamethrower they open with. That's a OHKO due to the damage over time if you don't have enough flame resistance.

You can cheat and kill them easier and avoid that attack and a couple other devastating ones entirely, but cheating is for losers.
 
The worst part of those fights is the stupid flamethrower they open with. That's a OHKO due to the damage over time if you don't have enough flame resistance.

You can cheat and kill them easier and avoid that attack and a couple other devastating ones entirely, but cheating is for losers.

Are you talking about that trinity attack trick where you can survive with one hp?
 
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