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XenobladeX |Import OT| Discovery of Superb View: http://youtu.be/HgIXNOEv_40

Vena

Member
Unless I get to know good tactics to deal with this crap, I think this will mark, at least, a break in my playthrough.
The worst thing is that I know I'm to blame because I effin' saved when I was not supposed to. If I hadn't done this I would've just reloaded before the quest and tried something else...

If anything, that needs to be patched. No reason to not be able to drop Kizuna quests.

This really hasn't been my experience at all.

In general, you simply don't get quests out in the open world. You get almost all of them all in NLA. While you may have multiple quests that take you nearby destinations, in most cases you need to actively switch your tracker over to that other quest to really know.

The kind of scenario you're describing really hasn't happened at all in my 40+ hours with the game and I don't see how it can happen organically given how the game is set up. I know exactly the type of gameplay you're talking about, but it really isn't how this game is set up even if I wish it were.

Dunno what to tell you, lol.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
To be fair, it's kind of bullshit that they don't let you cancel out of kizuna quests. A lot of them restrict your party size, so you have to finish them before going back to normal gameplay.

Allowing for multiple saves also might be cool, too. The game doesn't even auto-save, so it doesn't make sense why they wouldn't allow for it.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Dunno what to tell you, lol.

Any concrete examples? I listen to the 8-4 podcast and don't really recall anything of the sort from J.J. (sprsk) and I think he was the only one that had played it to any extent.
 
I'll try to farm to make some 地形ダメージ軽減XX devices to reduce terrain (in this case lava) damage. I hope they don't need millions of overly rare components though...

edit: holy shit, they only need フワフワコットン(5),アクアルチル(1) for one device, and at level XX they reduce the amount of terrain damage by 100%...I may have found the solution to my problem a lot sooner than expected.
 

bigjig

Member
To be fair, it's kind of bullshit that they don't let you cancel out of kizuna quests. A lot of them restrict your party size, so you have to finish them before going back to normal gameplay.

Allowing for multiple saves also might be cool, too. The game doesn't even auto-save, so it doesn't make sense why they wouldn't allow for it.

Yeah, especially since you have no idea what the kizuna quest entails when you accept them.

Anyway I'm 35 hrs in and have finished through to ch 7 but I might put this game on the backburner now that The Witcher 3 is out. I've enjoyed my time with it but I've got a feeling that my experience with the game has peaked now that I have a doll and have explored all 5 continents. Maybe I'll pick it up again somewhere down the line after taking a break for a bit.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Yeah, especially since you have no idea what the kizuna quest entails when you accept them.

Anyway I'm 35 hrs in and have finished through to ch 7 but I might put this game on the backburner now that The Witcher 3 is out. I've enjoyed my time with it but I've got a feeling that my experience with the game has peaked now that I have a doll and have explored all 5 continents. Maybe I'll pick it up again somewhere down the line after taking a break for a bit.

If nothing else I'd recommend you get to the point where you can fly (need to finish chapter 9, I think). That moment where you first do a test flight has been the absolute high point for me in the game so far. I had a big ol' grin on my face the whole time, but it helps that I like the song that plays when you're in the air. So plur.

I'll try to farm to make some 地形ダメージ軽減XX devices to reduce terrain (in this case lava) damage. I hope they don't need millions of overly rare components though...

edit: holy shit, they only need フワフワコットン(5),アクアルチル(1) for one device, and at level XX they reduce the amount of terrain damage by 100%...I may have found the solution to my problem a lot sooner than expected.

Nice. I've barely even touched the device crafting because I haven't felt a need yet. I have so many goddamn materials collected, though.
 

Vena

Member
Any concrete examples? I listen to the 8-4 podcast and don't really recall anything of the sort from J.J. (sprsk) and I think he was the only one that had played it to any extent.

In what sense? On specific quests? I'd have to ask. In general? The examples I've had have been on setting out to farm up some item or just money for something (for crafting or upgrades at NLA), not always for specific gathering quest, and then getting totally sidetracked by exploring or stumbling over other quest items/monsters. I don't think any of them are special quests, just the really dumb ones, though some are Normal's that end up chaining into a bunch of dumb quests.

That actually leads to a topical complaint about the Kizuna being "isolated" and really scripted which kind of pulls them out of this, and makes them break from the above phenomenon. But since the friend who got really deep into the game really liked a lot of the cast (not the two idiots, though) she didn't mind.

As for 8-4, the most recent cast, he said he'd played for something like 60 hours? Still not even at the Doll. He's obviously found a ton of shit to do.
 
Nice. I've barely even touched the device crafting because I haven't felt a need yet. I have so many goddamn materials collected, though.

This will be my first time to be honest, I haven't done anything in affix strengthening, not device crafting, nor equipment "modding".

However the more I'll approach the time to fight super bosses, the more I'll need them.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
In what sense? On specific quests? I'd have to ask. In general? The examples I've had have been on setting out to farm up some item or just money for something, not always for specific gathering quest, and then getting totally sidetracked by exploring or stumbling over other quest items/monsters. I don't think any of them are special quests, just the really dumb ones, though some are Normal's that end up chaining into a bunch of dumb quests.

That actually leads to a topical complaint about the Kizuna being "isolated" and really scripted which kind of pulls them out of this, and makes them break from the above phenomenon. But since the friend who got really deep into the game really liked a lot of the cast (not the two idiots, though) she didn't mind.

Yeah, a specific example of an adventure that lead into unexpected questing. I really can't see it.

Early on (3rd continent), I was super excited to stumble on some structures that looked like ruins from an ancient civilization or something. Nope. Just another decoration for the terrain. Sure there were a few generic "Growth" mobs in them, but that's it. Maybe an item on the ground that requires you to use one of those field skills, but those don't give you anything but a cool sound effect and a bit of money and exp. There are plenty of cases like this where you'll find what looks like some unique bit of terrain, but there's nothing there unless you have the appropriate quest from an NPC in NLA beforehand.

That's my point. It's not that there's nothing to do out in the world, just that there's nothing to do unless you got a quest in NLA first telling you to go there.
 

Renewed

Member
I'm wondering, to get to Mia and start her quests do you have to make some progression with the game or will she always be out there in that tree? I imagine getting the flight pack is necessary considering how she's tucked away up there but I don't see anything else beyond that.
 
If nothing else I'd recommend you get to the point where you can fly (need to finish chapter 9, I think). That moment where you first do a test flight has been the absolute high point for me in the game so far. I had a big ol' grin on my face the whole time, but it helps that I like the song that plays when you're in the air. So plur.



Nice. I've barely even touched the device crafting because I haven't felt a need yet. I have so many goddamn materials collected, though.
Device is extremely important in post game content. You can't live without them.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Device is extremely important in post game content. You can't live without them.

Cool to hear. I'm probably not going to bother with any of that unless there's meaningful story stuff to see.

I imagine it would be fun in multiplayer, but challenging and intricate battles sounds like a goddamn nightmare with AI companions and how unwieldy it is to give orders during battle.
 

Diffense

Member
It seems as if part of the appeal of the game is exploration of new areas. Yet, unlike Xenoblade, there's no linear path that's guiding you through new areas and you get very efficient exploration vehicles early on. I guess that's creating a pacing issue in player's minds.
 
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Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
It seems as if part of the appeal of the game is exploration of new areas. Yet, unlike Xenoblade, there's no linear path that's guiding you through new areas and you get very efficient exploration vehicles early on. I guess that's creating a pacing issue in player's minds.

The pacing issues come about because they have clearly marked main story missions, but won't let you undertake them until you fulfill things like "raise discovery percentage to X in Y area" or "complete X kizuna quest."

As a result, more often than not, you'll find that you're not taken to new places with the story mission, but will often have been to that place beforehand. In some cases its even required that you visit it first, warp back to NLA, get the story quest, and then return to the location.

I think it would have felt a lot better if they just included a lot of the required kizuna missions into the main story, but that's more of a presentation issue, I suppose.
 

Lumyst

Member
Ah, so it can feel as if the player has to "activate" story back in NLA instead of coming across it naturally in the world, which can make the experience feel more mechanical than immersive. So it could feel as if there are stories that happen to need a world, and borrow it for a time, and so you might get the sense that the stories use the world instead of the world having a story.
 
Ah, so it can feel as if the player has to "activate" story back in NLA instead of coming across it naturally in the world, which can make the experience feel more mechanical than immersive. So it could feel as if there are stories that happen to need a world, and borrow it for a time, and so you might get the sense that the stories use the world instead of the world having a story.

So, in other words, it feels like an MMO.


Anyway, that doesn't bother me too much tbh, as long as the fast travel makes it so that I barely have to backtrack, it's fine =X

But I must say that just straight up putting a "requirement for story progression" is a little weird. I wonder if they thought people liked all the MMO stuff from the first game and then doubled down on all that stuff...
 

hatchx

Banned
Lurking through this thread has gotten a bit depressing, I guess XCX isn't the JRPG GOAT I was imagining.

Although, I've never been much of a completionist, so if I get my 20-30 hours of enjoyment exploring the world on foot and via Doll, I'll be satisfied.
 

random25

Member
I think the problem is the perception of a JRPG must flow like how traditional JRPGs progress. In typical JRPG fashion, at first you'll be given a mission, or an objective. Then you do this and that, but along the way some things happen in between that will mix up with what your original objectives are, and that's where the meat of the story and progression goes. It's like everything goes into detour. It's just how we are used to.

This game however, plays differently. You go on a mission, finish that mission, then go on and accept another mission, and as you continue to accomplish the main quests, the story progresses. Think like Mega Man Zero in terms of being mission-based in story progression. This style of story-telling is not really typical, but obviously fits with what this game is all about, with the players playing the role of soldiers in a military organization. This is a breath of fresh air with how JRPGs usually go.
 

Masked Man

I said wow
Wow, I just finished the
Ma Non holy water quest, and Fraisie is a huge bitch. As my Ma Non friends would say, 最悪なやつジャン!
 

Lumyst

Member
I think the problem is the perception of a JRPG must flow like how traditional JRPGs progress. In typical JRPG fashion, at first you'll be given a mission, or an objective. Then you do this and that, but along the way some things happen in between that will mix up with what your original objectives are, and that's where the meat of the story and progression goes. It's like everything goes into detour. It's just how we are used to.

This game however, plays differently. You go on a mission, finish that mission, then go on and accept another mission, and as you continue to accomplish the main quests, the story progresses. Think like Mega Man Zero in terms of being mission-based in story progression. This style of story-telling is not really typical, but obviously fits with what this game is all about, with the players playing the role of soldiers in a military organization. This is a breath of fresh air with how JRPGs usually go.

It is their first time making an RPG in this way as well, though, so some feedback should be appreciated by them to perfect this design if this will continue being the way they make RPGs. I've mentioned how it seems like a WRPG and JRPG blended together, with more W than last time :p Instead of putting their work in one box or another, it'd probably be best to think of it as its own RPG proposition. Then if one is like the player whose impressions linked in the OP say they had great fun even 120 hours in, they can say it was a good proposition that Monolithsoft made to them ^_^

So, in other words, it feels like an MMO.


Anyway, that doesn't bother me too much tbh, as long as the fast travel makes it so that I barely have to backtrack, it's fine =X

But I must say that just straight up putting a "requirement for story progression" is a little weird. I wonder if they thought people liked all the MMO stuff from the first game and then doubled down on all that stuff...

To my huge surprise, I found that MMO kind of stuff in the first game to be addictive. In fact, my first impression on the first game was probably harsher than those here with a more negative outlook on this game, I played it for 30 minutes, saw blue orbs and some exclamation points, confusing icons during battle, saw an "anime-looking-female" carrying some soup to her brother, and thought I may have wasted my money. So I put it away for 6 months until October that year. Then I gave it another chance, and was eventually hooked. There's players who sounded hooked to this game too, and that makes sense to me, because its gameplay inherits from the first game, including those addictive elements. The rest, the linear vs. open-world, opinions on the story and characters, whether exploration itself is reason enough to be enamored by the game's world, sound like subjective values that need to be answered by each player.
 

Despera

Banned
There's some legit good quests in there that tell neat little stories like the alien eggs at the water facility or
stuff involving meeting new alien races. Or Doctor B
But there's a lot of bad filler quests for item grinds and the worst is when they're built into a good story quest that suddenly asks you to collect some dumb items to progress in the quest.
The best thing I've done in Xenoblade was ignore most of the fetch quests and monster hunts and focus on the main story quest. Making some of those mundane activities be mandatory is pretty disappointing, that's for sure.

So my question is this: If I choose to ignore most of the filler quests, do I still get a substantial amount of unique side quests in between story ones?
 

random25

Member
It is their first time making an RPG in this way as well, though, so some feedback should be appreciated by them to perfect this design if this will continue being the way they make RPGs. I've mentioned how it seems like a WRPG and JRPG blended together, with more W than last time :p Instead of putting their work in one box or another, it'd probably be best to think of it as its own RPG proposition. Then if one is like the player whose impressions linked in the OP say they had great fun even 120 hours in, they can say it was a good proposition that Monolithsoft made to them ^_^

I'm not saying the game doesn't have some issues, even the best of games have things that can be nitpicked. Just saying that it's not wrong for this game to take a different direction that traditional JRPGs go, like story progression and other elements like finding villages and entering dungeons. This takes a surprise for those who are really expecting it to have the usual flow of JRPGs, and it really shows.
 

Vena

Member
So my question is this: If I choose to ignore most of the filler quests, do I still get a substantial amount of unique side quests in between story ones?

Far as I am aware, yes. But that also depends on what you consider mundane in a jRPG.
 

Lumyst

Member
I'm not saying the game doesn't have some issues, even the best of games have things that can be nitpicked. Just saying that it's not wrong for this game to take a different direction that traditional JRPGs go, like story progression and other elements like finding villages and entering dungeons. This takes a surprise for those who are really expecting it to have the usual flow of JRPGs, and it really shows.

It comes down to that there are bold changes compared to what players of the first game know they enjoyed, so they're understandably apprehensive. But players should also keep in mind that there are new propositions that can be made because of change. I'm most excited to see if I find the "side content" is richer than in the first game.

For players who may not be attracted to JRPGs, (and believe it or not, I'm thinking of those Nintendo console gamers who only get Zelda games, for instance; I was one of those) though, bold changes may be what are neessary to get their attention.
 

Despera

Banned
Far as I am aware, yes. But that also depends on what you consider mundane in a jRPG.
Quests that ask you to find regular items or kill regular enemies are mundane. I usually do little of those and the like.

Quests that lead to fighting unique enemies, engaging in side stories or exploring a unique location is what I'm mostly interested in.
 

Westlo

Member
Full version of THEME X soooo good :)

rejoice.png


Full version of everything is sooooo goooood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYswVaDqtu0

Jay-Z-so-so.gif
 

Vena

Member
Quests that ask you to find regular items or kill regular enemies are mundane. I usually do little of those and the like.

Quests that lead to fighting unique enemies, engaging in side stories or exploring a unique location is what I'm mostly interested in.

Plenty of all of those. There's an entire subset of quests entirely about just what you consider mundane, just like in Xenoblade. Most of the quests start from NLA and can send you places for various reasons, and most things outside of the subset of mundanes are all world building/character building.
 

Despera

Banned
Plenty of all of those. There's an entire subset of quests entirely about just what you consider mundane, just like in Xenoblade. Most of the quests start from NLA and can send you places for various reasons, and most things outside of the subset of mundanes are all world building/character building.
Good enough. Will probably do all of the latter and a little of the former.

Thanks for the info.
 
Good enough. Will probably do all of the latter and a little of the former.

Thanks for the info.

A lot of the more mundane ones are grabbed from the BLADE board and you can view the requirements beforehand (the simple ones only ever have one step), so you can usually just grab the Overed ones that are easy or the ones for items you've already collected enough of (you auto-complete those when you cancel out of the menu). Good way to get some of the more casual clothes (so many tank tops, lol) and some cash.

Anyway, here's 2 screens I took last night during the Doll-getting cut-scene. Basically what you'd expect if you'd been following trailers. (I also edited my guy so that he has a slightly darker skin, reddish hair, a scar, and freckles as a result of his adventures on Mira, coz sometimes you have to make your own story).
http://i.imgur.com/7aU2Aud.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/SGqE5yr.jpg
 

guek

Banned
So judging by these last few pages, has the overall reception been less than what the hype led us to expect? :-(
 

batbeg

Member
What's the name of that one song with the guitar that starts as Elma is showing the PC NLA the first time? You know the one, where she leans on the railing and the camera is following the PC? I really want to hear that one.
 
I don't really see the disappointment from those who have this game at home

only those who had different ideas in their minds of what this game is
I think that'll be most people, since this game is so different from Xenoblade. It's call Xenoblade(X) after all. :p

Any way, I should be able to get my first
Ares90
soon. Which will be a huge upgrade.
 

TheMoon

Member
So judging by these last few pages, has the overall reception been less than what the hype led us to expect? :-(

The last few pages are mostly two or three people debating the same general point. Not sure how that is any use in trying to find what the overall reception is. I suggest you read the impressions linked in the OP because they cover more than 3 people.
 
I don't really see the disappointment from those who have this game at home

only those who had different ideas in their minds of what this game is

I've yet to play it, but XenoX looks right up my alley:

- I loved doing sidequests in the first game.
- The whole idea of exploring the area around you to find out more about the planet sounds very appealing, addicting and immersive to me.
- Loved the OST in the first game; this one is completely different and I love it too (listening to it right now).
- Even though I hate playing online with other people, I solo MMOs because I greatly enjoy MMO elements.
- I'm a bit tired of the usual JRPG progression that keeps pulling you forward, I prefer to take my time on each area of the game.
- Mute protagonist? No problem at all.

This probably means I'll love XenoX to death, right?
 

Lumyst

Member
- Even though I hate playing online with other people, I solo MMOs because I greatly enjoy MMO elements.

XenobladeX has what they call "loosely connected online." It makes me think of Super Mario 3D World's online features (though X's is deeper). The miis scattered across 3D World's map, and sometimes featured in levels, made it feel to me like there was a party going on in 3D World, and players around the world were making progress and cheering each other on :p
 

kenji

Member
So this game could not be for me since I don't like questing in jrpgs mmo-like?

Actually it's not that I don't like them, I do, but they bore me fast.

In Xenoblade, in the first run I almost didn't do any subquest, because I wanted to enjoy the story.
In the second run I wanted to do everything but in the end I did about 80% of the quests.

Will it be that different here? Can I just enjoy the story and doing only the necessary quests?

Also I understand that this game is another thing, different from most story driven jrpgs (and I think I will love it anyway for what it is), but how actually good is the plot? Has it a good/great story to follow with interesting and unexpected plot twists?
Or is it Monster Hunter jrpg with a bunch of random cutscenes?
It's a Takahashi game damnit, even Soma Bringer's story blew my mind lol
 
XenobladeX has what they call "loosely connected online." It makes me think of Super Mario 3D World's online features (though X's is deeper). The miis scattered across 3D World's map, and sometimes featured in levels, made it feel to me like there was a party going on in 3D World, and players around the world were making progress and cheering each other on :p

Yeah, I've heard about the loosely connected stuff and seems like it's exactly what I wanted it to be. And I also enjoyed the way NSMBU and SM3DW made me feel connected to people, even though I was still playing alone.
 

TheMoon

Member
Yeah, I've heard about the loosely connected stuff and seems like it's exactly what I wanted it to be. And I also enjoyed the way NSMBU and SM3DW made me feel connected to people, even though I was still playing alone.

The online features are detailed in the OP, btw.
 
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