Shin Megami Tensei IV

[pinkbubblegum]

I'm at the post-Expanse bit and man, a lot of things sure happened.

I don't think I'm the only person who got extremely excited when they brought back Yuriko right? I mean, it was neat that they showed Stephen again but YURIKO'S HERE TOO. SMT has a rather convoluted continuity, but recurring characters from the original's pretty cool ; u ;

[Ein]

ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I don't think I'm gonna finish the game.

[pinkbubblegum]

Just finished my first playthrough! I got the Return to Nothingness ending (Which I actually was gunning for! Since I heard it was the fastest way to get to NG+ xD)
I'm actually very pleased with SMT IV's story. I admit, I was a bit dubious if the story was going to hold any merit but it actually got really good mid-game to end o:

[spoiler=Super duper endgame spoilers!]It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but I wasn't expecting much from the plot during the first few hours. The way it was set up had me thinking that it was going to be another cliche "time travel" or "endless time loop" story. I'm so glad that wasn't the case though! And that the game instead, seemed to stick to SMT I's reincarnation business o u o

That aside, I did find the beginning parts of the game to have been a tad bit lackluster in the story area. I mean, exploring Naraku was fun an all but the starting bits didn't really make me feel anything. I get that it was to set the stage for events to come but I kind of wish that it wasn't so bland you know? I didn't really feel much for Issachar and Navarre, for example, as much as I wish I did (Since I think they play really important roles in conveying to the viewer the problems with Mikado as a society.)

Reverse Hills was where my opinion for the game's story took an unexpected turn. I loved how morally ambiguous it was. I'm usually okay with utilitarian scenarios but... even I felt that Reverse Hill's operation was pushing it D:
I suppose my rather low expectations for the story helped bolster my opinion, but I thought the way Reverse Hills was handled was pretty great. Another point of the story that really impressed me was Blasted Tokyo xD

The whole Akira = Aquila thing kind of blew my mind haha (I'm sorry if you guys saw through that but when I heard Jonathan actually say it, things just kind of clicked for me haha)
I think I kind of get how Mikado was founded but I'm a little bit unsure as of yet.

I'm planning to play through it again, since I want to see the Law, Chaos and Neutral endings but my impression of SMT IV as of now is that it was pleasantly surprising in how interesting the story actually got. And I really like how it set the atmosphere of despair without having to shove a depressed MC and entourage in your face xD

Edited August 21, 2013 by pinkbubblegum

[JSND Alter Dragon Boner]

Don't forget to carryover a demon if you do new life

[CT075]

oh god

why

[Ein]

Looks like fun.

[CT075]

after i spent three hours trying to get him to spawn, too T-T

[Ein]

Atlus can go eat a ham for that. I'm not gonna spend hours just to fight an optional boss.

By the way, you can just pay/bankrupt yourself to Charon and go back since the Fiend will still be there after you get owned by it.

[Lunick]

Guys.. about the finals. For some strange, convoluted reason.. whenever i try to compete in the tournament finals all it says is "you no longer have any business here" .
This is my first playthrough and i'm level 54... I've already accepted the quest... for the finals.

Maybe the location's wrong... Is the place north of Kasumage- Kasumega-... that place... so my question is... is "bugeikan" the location of the finals?

I need help, i just want me some crown

[eclipse]

This game.

No, I'm not salty because I'm overleveled as all hell because I get lost easily.

It's not because I'm leaking money trying to play Big Kid's Pokemon.

It's not because the moss quest gave me something like five levels because I couldn't find one of them.

IT'S BECAUSE I FINISHED THE VERY FIRST QUEST WITH NOTHING BUT MYSELF AND ONE OTHER BUDDY, AND BARELY WON THAT. Now I'm in Ueno, and nothing has come close to that amount of headache.

[Ein]

You're in Ueno? Well you pretty much beat the game already. Nothing comes close to Medusa in terms of sheer difficulty and annoyance other than the world map and figuring out where the hell you're supposed to go bosses.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Ein

[JSND Alter Dragon Boner]

Medusa and Minotaur >_>

Although Red "Antichon" Rider comes close

[eclipse]

Eh? I just got there. Medusa wasn't that bad, and this was considering that I had three demons left, and two were weak to her (MC had something that she didn't like, and I spammed it).

My other annoyance: It's MADAME Pele not LADY Pele. Regardless, she's staying in my party forever.

[Ein]

Medusa and Minotaur >_>

Although Red "Antichon" Rider comes close

Fiends don't exist.

Eh? I just got there. Medusa wasn't that bad, and this was considering that I had three demons left, and two were weak to her (MC had something that she didn't like, and I spammed it).

My other annoyance: It's MADAME Pele not LADY Pele. Regardless, she's staying in my party forever.

WELL AREN'T YOU LUCKY

You'll fuse her away soon enough.

[eclipse]

Even if she gets fused, I'll grab another one. SHE STAYS. MY HOMELAND INSISTS.

[Fala]

I need Alice and Titania.

[Balcerzak]

so my question is... is "bugeikan" the location of the finals?

I need help, i just want me some crown

No. Bugeikan is the Cu Chulainn quest. The finals are elsewhere.

[pinkbubblegum]

Guys.. about the finals. For some strange, convoluted reason.. whenever i try to compete in the tournament finals all it says is "you no longer have any business here" .

This is my first playthrough and i'm level 54... I've already accepted the quest... for the finals.

Maybe the location's wrong... Is the place north of Kasumage- Kasumega-... that place... so my question is... is "bugeikan" the location of the finals?

I need help, i just want me some crown

It's in Tokyo Dome. It should be near there since it's above (upper left) of Kasumigaseki.

If I had one thing to criticize about SMT IV, it'd be Tokyo overworld xD

The minimap isn't as helpful as it could be for navigating it and the game doesn't go out of its way to at least highlight which boxes correspond to active quests.

It's not a very big issue but seamlessly navigating though overworld means you need to have a basic of knowledge of Tokyo's layout. Which is great if you do, but if you don't the game has no methods to let you help yourself (Such as the capabilities to select the boxes in the mini-map to check what buildings they represent, as well as mark them)

[Konnor97]

Medusa and Minotaur >_>

Although Red "Antichon" Rider comes close

Are Medusa and Minotaur really that hard? I beat Minotaur on the 2nd attempt, with the 1st attempt being lost due to a lack of him missing, and a bonus of him critting and smirking a good deal. The 2nd attempt my MC died, but I didn't want to potentially have another like, 3 attempts before winning, due to him smirking.

Medusa took I think 3 attempts, maybe 4. The 1st attempt I was unprepared and I thought she was at the bottom of the stairs, and it didn't end well. The next attempt or 2 I just lost. And then I won, and that was that. Xi Wangmu, the Hunter Tournament (prelims because I forgot to due the finals before going to Blasted Tokyo), and the Thor & Odin challenge quest annoyed me more (and finding Bugeikan for Cu Chulainn's quest, but that's another story).

[JSND Alter Dragon Boner]

They are hard compared to everything else in the game

Of course, if you have proper team(maybe Raijuu or Zhu Tun for Medusa?) they are chumps, but the same can be said for every SMT boss ever, really

And I heard Master Mode Minotaur is pretty cray

The problem with stuff like Xi Wangmu, and the Hunter Tourneys are the fact that you already have good demons by that time. Its pretty laughable seeing how Asura loses to Jack frost -> Pyro Jack, or how much Quicksilver laughed at some parts of the game

Edited August 22, 2013 by JSND

[CT075]

i'm honestly having more trouble with the fiends than i did with any other boss :(

matador's fucking anticthon spam :(

[Soledai]

Fiends more troublesome than the bosses, sounds about right, but the encounter rate for Fiends is still 1/Blue Moon, correct?

Not to be joyous of your pain CT, but reading that Matador is using Anticthon makes me happy, cuz he's still a pain in the ass, but does Matador have Red Capote in this or some variant?

[NoNameAtAll]

oh god

why

Red Rider's worse. Much, much worse. Have fun! :D

Fiends more troublesome than the bosses, sounds about right, but the encounter rate for Fiends is still 1/Blue Moon, correct?

Not to be joyous of your pain CT, but reading that Matador is using Anticthon makes me happy, cuz he's still a pain in the ass, but does Matador have Red Capote in this or some variant?

No. He does spam Sukukaja though.

Really, they're throwing back to SMT I and II more than III in this case.

Anyway, there are a few rules of thumbs when it comes to fighting fiends.

1. Do NOT have everyone null/drain/repel whatever they use, lest you suffer almighty spam that they wouldn't do otherwise (Except Red Rider. He'll do it anyway, just less often.)

2. Don't uses buffs or debuffs three times. They'll just Dekaja/Dekunda it. 2 times works though.

3. If you die to them and pay Charon to revive you, they'll still be there. You can even save and quit and then reload and they'll still be there. Just don't say no when you're prompted by the messages.

Edited August 23, 2013 by NoNameAtAll

[Soledai]

Sukukaja? Damn, no Red Capote, oh well...

Heh, I am quite familiar with the rules of thumb when it comes to Fiend Battles, Rules 1&2 are embedded into your psyche, although 3 is a unique case (wouldn't pay, would die)

[CT075]

yeah i know the rules

it isn't helping me though

even black rider (aka the joke one) wrecked me because for whatever reason he went ragemode and did megidolaon three times in a row (and he used wastrel beam 5 times already so i was super broke for charon...)