Serenes Forest's Teehee Thread

[DragonFlames]

1 minute ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

It's gonna feel dated and maybe tough at times- it was originally a SNES game- but it is held in rather high regard within the franchise, and is the favorite of the one of its founders. Theres a reason it over the other DQs got turned into a (bad) movie last year.

Frequent use of Party Chat whenever you have human characters around is how you'll be able to see more of their charm, because you won't see a lot of mandatory lines from them. Use it in towns and dungeons, use it specific places in towns and dungeons, use it after talking to specific NPCs or seeing specific events.

For combat tips: 

• A Slime Knight is a very good early monster ally- almost a second MC. 
• A Golem once they appear later are great through the very end for damage.
• Although it's more luck-based, getting a Heal/Cure/King Cureslime is awesome for a healer.
• Buying a boomerang for the main character is a good idea for mowing down enemy mobs. Swap to a stronger sword if you have one when fighting lone foes.
• When it comes to recruiting monsters, not all can join and it is random based on a fixed % chance for each species, but it can only be the last enemy you killed in a given battle.
• Enemies pounding on the physical damage? Apply Buff/Kabuff, which can stack several times, Insulate doesn't stack but is essential against enemy Breath attacks. Consider casting Sap or better Oomph if you need to deal more physical damage.

I see, I see! Thank you for the tips!
I didn't know you can recruit monsters in this game.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Quote

Kids these days, not having the patience for random encounters...

Random counters slow down the game and can be distractful.

Especially for players who don't want to grind for speedruns, they are a pain in the ass.

 

2 hours ago, Armagon said:

iirc, you could escape battles in Tales of Phantasia PS1 by just running to the edges. I think. It's been a while.

Yeah, I remember this.

 

I mean I sorta tolerate Phantasia's random encounters for having a great battle theme.

 

Decided to continue Persona 5 Royal.

It feels like a textbook for me with all the long dialogues.

It doesn't help that I know the entire content already by playing the regular game.

Sumire was shown up for a minute, otherwise it just feels like a replay of Persona 5.

The only difference it's the first Persona game which was localised for me.

I don't know if Persona 4 Golden was localised since I haven't played this one (and never will).

Seeing the arcana supports translated feels absolutely weird.

Who doesn't get used to I am thou, thou art I...?

Edited July 11, 2020 by Falcom Knight

[Codename Shrimp]

Random encounters = insta drop tbh

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Yup, exactly!

Applied to Bravely Default and all Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games I've played yet.

I think Octopath Traveler had them too, but I quitted it because I couldn't beat the first boss (which was a 1 vs. 1 fight btw).

 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Falcom Knight

[Interdimensional Observer]

2 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

I see, I see! Thank you for the tips!
I didn't know you can recruit monsters in this game.

It'll come before you know it. It's far simpler than in Pokemon (DQV predates that franchise by 4 years, but not SMT), no typing or other stuff to worry about. Some monsters do have magical resistances and weakness, but it shouldn't come into play that often- the one noticeable case being your first mandatory monster recruit and the lava dungeon boss- don't bring 'em for that.

You won't always have a full team of humans to go on, so you'll need to train a few reliable monsters. Though when you can go full humans, it's fine- I got through the later game that way.

 

3 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

Random encounters = insta drop tbh

Make an exception for Bravely pretty please. Being able to freely at any time set it to zero encounters, constant encounters, or anywhere in-between is supreme quality of life but what is quality of satan is the second half of BD.

[DragonFlames]

2 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

It'll come before you know it. It's far simpler than in Pokemon (DQV predates that franchise by 4 years, but not SMT), no typing or other stuff to worry about. Some monsters do have magical resistances and weakness, but it shouldn't come into play that often- the one noticeable case being your first mandatory monster recruit and the lava dungeon boss- don't bring 'em for that.

Anything is better than Pokémon, tbf.
Will keep this in mind!

[Caster]

This is why you guys will never play some great games, because of one annoying problems some RPGs have, for shame.

[Caster]

You guys have dropped some games for much pettier shit than I have, so I can say this

[Acacia Sgt]

I guess I'm also almost alone on the random encounters thing too. Tsk. Well anyway...

26 minutes ago, Interdimensional Observer said:

It's gonna feel dated and maybe tough at times- it was originally a SNES game- but it is held in rather high regard within the franchise, and is the favorite of the one of its founders. Theres a reason it over the other DQs got turned into a (bad) movie last year.

Frequent use of Party Chat whenever you have human characters around is how you'll be able to see more of their charm, because you won't see a lot of mandatory lines from them. Use it in towns and dungeons, use it specific places in towns and dungeons, use it after talking to specific NPCs or seeing specific events.

I'd say, it hasn't been that tough for me so far. Then again, I've been playing this right after playing IV, which was right after III, and so on. So perhaps I just know how to handle things by now.

Oh yes, V certainly has a high spot within the franchise. Regarding the movie, it's not really that bad. It's mainly the ending that is controversial.

Party chat is a blessing, totally. And yes, there's party chat for just about everything. In the world map, in almost every single map screen (even within in a dungeon you'll get different responses if you change screens), almost every NPC. It really does give you a more through look at the characters this way. The DS version of IV nixing party chat for its overseas releases was very tragic. It's a good thing it was translated for the mobie release, which is why people consider the mobile release of IV to be its best version just for that alone.

24 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

I see, I see! Thank you for the tips!
I didn't know you can recruit monsters in this game.

Oh yes, it's likely the main game mechanic of V. DQ would make use of it several times over, though more as a spin-off series than in the main games.

That said, it will be a while before you can. Even so, to add to what what already stated:

Quote

For combat tips: 

• A Slime Knight is a very good early monster ally- almost a second MC. 
• A Golem once they appear later are great through the very end for damage.
• Although it's more luck-based, getting a Heal/Cure/King Cureslime is awesome for a healer.
• Buying a boomerang for the main character is a good idea for mowing down enemy mobs. Swap to a stronger sword if you have one when fighting lone foes.
• When it comes to recruiting monsters, not all can join and it is random based on a fixed % chance for each species, but it can only be the last enemy you killed in a given battle.
• Enemies pounding on the physical damage? Apply Buff/Kabuff, which can stack several times, Insulate doesn't stack but is essential against enemy Breath attacks. Consider casting Sap or better Oomph if you need to deal more physical damage.

• I second this. The Slime Knight is overall the best monster you can have. You can get it as soon you can recruit monsters (technically not, but you can exploit the way the encounter zones work to fight Slime Knights before you're meant to), has a good equipment draw, good support which includes healing spells, and not too bad on stats either. It's definitely a keeper. Pay no attention that I stopped using mine in my playthrough.
• Golems and a healing slime are also good choices.
• Due to how monster encounter groups work, having group-hitting weapons like boomerangs are a good thing to have. Don't mind if you soon get a higher-attack single weapon. Alternate as needed. Changing equipment is a free action during battle, so long it's in a character's respective inventory, so don't worry about that.
• Adding to this, it's not the absolute last monster. Just the last recruitable monster you beat. So don't worry if you kill a recruitable monster early, so long the remaining monsters are non-recruitable it's fine. You still have a chance to recruit it.
• Also adding to this, equipment with effects will often be more worthwhile than equipment with higher raw defense. For a long time, magic and abilities like breath attacks did set damage. So how high your defense was didn't matter. As such, equipment which cuts down magical damage and the like will be valuable even long after they're outclassed in defense. Until you get equipment that gives you higher special protection anyway.

Edited July 11, 2020 by Acacia Sgt

[DragonFlames]

I have nothing against random encounters. So long as the battle system is fun, I don't mind if encounters are random, set, or whatever, because frankly, a bad battle system won't get better by encounters not being random, since even non-random encounters have a way to force themselves on you in many games. Be it that enemies just stand directly in your way and you can't dodge them or they can move faster than you.
OR they can just decide to engage you in battle and you lose out on your minimap, while you're either completely lost on a quest and/or trying to find your way in a new area you haven't been in before. Bonus points if said enemy is several levels higher than you are. And you have no way of just ending the battle whenever you want, so even running away from them sometimes doesn't do anything.

1 minute ago, Caster said:

You guys have dropped some games for much pettier shit than I have, so I can say this

I have dropped a game because the protagonist was awful. That's about the most petty video-game related thing I ever did.

[Codename Shrimp]

Random encounters just ruin the pace and force me into battles i don't want to part of of. Even if the battle system is fun, sometimes i don't want to battle (especially when backtracking). That and i like to know what i am getting into

2 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

I have dropped a game because the protagonist was awful. That's about the most petty video-game related thing I ever did.

I mean

that's a pretty legit reason to drop a game tbh

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

By the existing of random encounters it automatically erases (dis)advantage encounters.

Also the mentioned games I mentioned don't even have an appealing battle system for me.

I mean Final Fantasy's is like Atelier Ryza's, just worse.

[Acacia Sgt]

Considering games do give you the ability to escape from battle, the pace isn't really that broken when it is only seconds at the worst.

Edited July 11, 2020 by Acacia Sgt

[Codename Shrimp]

Just now, Acacia Sgt said:

Considering games do give you the ability to escape from battle, the pace isn't really that borken when it is only seconds at the worst.

• Not every game has guaranteed escape (only minority of games have that)
• Animation and loading.

[Acacia Sgt]

Unless it actually takes you more than a whole minute per encounter... I still don't mind.

In fact, I rarely flee from battles, even if I don't need to fight.

Edited July 11, 2020 by Acacia Sgt

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

In the Liberl and Crossbell series I only do like a couple of Pom fights early on which give me the experience to walkthorugh the upcoming dungeons without engaging any encounters.

Edited July 11, 2020 by Falcom Knight

[Lightcosmo]

28 minutes ago, Falcom Knight said:

Random counters slow down the game and can be distractful.

Especially for players who don't want to grind for speedruns, they are a pain in the ass.

Well, RPGs arent really designed for speedruns, to be fair.

[DragonFlames]

1 minute ago, Shrimperor said:

I mean

that's a pretty legit reason to drop a game tbh

Thanks.
It still feels kinda petty, since the rest of the game might be good or even great.

1 minute ago, Falcom Knight said:

I mean Final Fantasy's is like Atelier Ryza's, just worse.

Atelier Ryza and Blue Reflection are the only games that made that kind of battle system fun.

2 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

• Not every game has guaranteed escape (only minority of games have that)

This is the worst thing about escaping from battles: the random chance associated with it.
"Oh, your party is half dead and you want to go and heal? Here! Have enemies that can kill you easily when you're weakened!"
Though, tbh, this can happen to you even without random encounters. Just one wrong move - boom - dead.

[Codename Shrimp]

Random encounters also screw with the balance. Usually, With on screen enemies when you fight everyone once, you should be set for the story.

With Random encounters you might be overlvld, underlvld, etc.

1 minute ago, DragonFlames said:

Though, tbh, this can happen to you even without random encounters. Just one wrong move - boom - dead.

tbf, that's one the player then

[Caster]

2 minutes ago, Shrimperor said:

With Random encounters you might be overlvld, underlvld, etc.

I'm not gonna lie, I completely disagree with you almost entirely.
I prefer on field encounters, but I also have no idea how much I am supposed to fight without becoming overlevelled or underlevelled. 
With random encounters, if I fight most of them 90% of the time I'm going to be fine for whatever is coming up in the story, unless the game isn't the best balanced.

[DragonFlames]

I myself prefer seeing the enemies on the field as well, because it just adds to the immersion, but I don't think the difference between having and not having them is that big.
In the end, I'd say it depends on the game. Some games have downright bullshit random encounters, other games have on-field enemies you can't avoid or are very hard to avoid that can just outright kill you.

[Codename Shrimp]

reposting reddit memes...why am i doing this

Edited July 11, 2020 by Shrimperor

[Acacia Sgt]

If it's about immersion, I still prefer random encounter. If that monster in the overworld is actually like five or six, then better off thinking they came out of nowhere than see the one clone itself before battle.

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

Imagine your party is low on health, you have no healing items anymore and there's no savepoint near by, and suddenly a fight triggers out of the blue.

This is why this mechanic shouldn't exist.

15 minutes ago, lightcosmo said:

Well, RPGs arent really designed for speedruns, to be fair.

Fair, but speedruns should exist for all genres.

14 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

Atelier Ryza and Blue Reflection are the only games that made that kind of battle system fun.

What is this?

[Acacia Sgt]

2 minutes ago, Falcom Knight said:

Fair, but speedruns should exist for all genres.

Considering speedruns often involve skipping stuff, whether normally or through bugs and glitches... no thanks.

I'd rather make my money's worth the full haul of what I bought, and not just the pieces I only bothered to play with.

Though this is more on why I would never speedrun a game. Unless it is part of the game. Like getting Excalibur II on FFIX. Though I'd still have a more normal playthrough too first.

Edited July 11, 2020 by Acacia Sgt