Yeah, it's a little nuts, the amount of grinding you need to do at the very end. At least there's free heals?
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Dragon Quest Community Thread |OT| Party Chat
- Thread starter Hecht
- Start date
10 hours into dq xi and considering dropping the draconian harder enemies difficulty. Stuck on a boss and it feels like it would take atleast an hour grinding the xp to get some higher levels...idk what to do, I keep hearing that normal difficulty is just too easy..to those who stuck with it, how did you feel about it?
Pretty sure I'm not much further than you. It's frustrating and time consuming, but MAN is it satisfying beating a boss by the skin of your teeth. For a couple bosses, I find just leveling up a couple levels work wonders. For a recent boss, I actually went to GameFAQs did a search for the boss name and found a really obvious "just learn multithrust and Snap Crackle Poof" and boy did it make that fight easy.
I'd say it's a real time sink to play it on Hard. I've definitely considered it, but I'm sticking with the Hard Monster difficulty.
I love it.
It felt a bit cheap in the beginning, cause the monsters had way too much HP and battles felt like a slog sometimes, but as the game progressed, normal enemies became more or less trivial with an occasional surprise emergency here and there, and bosses are merciless, as it should be. I love me a brutal boss fight.
From my experience with harder enemies, the normal difficulty would be boring, cause harder feels just right. DQ has to be hard, otherwise you can't really enjoy the battle system.
But yeah, it's gonna take longer to finish the game. It doesn't require A LOT of grinding if you can come up with good strategies, but you will have to grind a bit here and there. I'm a 100 hours in and still haven't finished the game, although I very close to, and I have been playing in a very relaxed pace, taking my time to explore, doing side quests, etc. I still have the postgame to do, and even after playing so much, I'm still looking forward to it.
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Ok you guys have inspired me..grinded a lil, now most of my party is at level 15. Getting further progress with that desert boss that the prince is trying to beat (cant remember name) but he still slowly kicks my butt with his confusion attacks. Any tips? I've been using zap, spells that lower his defense and agility but they miss a lot.
Yeah, that one is a bitch.
I don't really remember any particular strategies for him because it's been a while, but as a general rule, you should prioritize buffing your own characters instead of debuffing the enemies because 1- buffing moves never miss and debuffs miss a lot and 2- bosses in this game don't have disruptive wave (a staple move in the series that removes all buffs from your party) except for maybe one or two of them. Later on you will get debuffs that will actually do wonders for you when they actually hit, but even then you focus on buffing first.
Aside from that you should have one character as your heavy hitter (I think at this point your best option is Erik with his status inflicting moves) and have him continuously putting damage while the others offer healing/support and attack if they get the chance. The roles will get more defined later on, in the beginning you have to be more versatile. Bosses are generally succeptible to status ailments so explore that, and try to equip things that make you immune to whatever they throw at you.
I don't really remember any particular strategies for him because it's been a while, but as a general rule, you should prioritize buffing your own characters instead of debuffing the enemies because 1- buffing moves never miss and debuffs miss a lot and 2- bosses in this game don't have disruptive wave (a staple move in the series that removes all buffs from your party) except for maybe one or two of them. Later on you will get debuffs that will actually do wonders for you when they actually hit, but even then you focus on buffing first.
Aside from that you should have one character as your heavy hitter (I think at this point your best option is Erik with his status inflicting moves) and have him continuously putting damage while the others offer healing/support and attack if they get the chance. The roles will get more defined later on, in the beginning you have to be more versatile. Bosses are generally succeptible to status ailments so explore that, and try to equip things that make you immune to whatever they throw at you.
It took a few weeks but they all finally showed up. Behold, the weapon-wielding trio!
I'll give these guys all mini-reviews.
Mischievous Mole: Both this and the Hammerhood have a little stick inside the handle of their weapon so the Mole can actually use it to prop itself up a little bit. It's a little hard to see in the pic but it does indeed have those two little whiskers sticking out of either side of its snout, which is a nice little detail. They're not curved like in the official art but to be honest I think they look cooler when straight so I don't mind that change. On the other hand, one deviation from the artwork I don't like as much is the angle of his shovel. He can't hold it up straight, it's always at a bit of an angle. Overall, it's a simple design, but very cool.
Bodkin Archer - As the most detailed of the three, it was probably to be expected that it'd also be the one with the most room for errors. His bow is the flimsiest of the three weapons due to being made of what appears to be hard felt instead of being stuffed. There are a couple of spots where they didn't do a great job of getting rid of the loose ends on threads, and it's also the hardest one to have stand up on its own. It's the weakest plush of the three, but still awesome and recommended for any fans of these Yoda wannabes. For the freaks out there wondering what's under a Bodkin Archer's robe... I won't be the one to spoil your fun.
Hammerhood: I saved the best for last, this one is just fantastic. It's super-accurate to the official art, it can stand up by itself, it's got this slightly hunched-over pose that looks hilarious from the side, and it's really clutching that hammer to its chest like there's no tomorrow. Speaking of the hammer, its great textured look makes up for the Hammerhood's lack of detail. If you can only get one of these three, this is the way to go.
I'll give these guys all mini-reviews.
Mischievous Mole: Both this and the Hammerhood have a little stick inside the handle of their weapon so the Mole can actually use it to prop itself up a little bit. It's a little hard to see in the pic but it does indeed have those two little whiskers sticking out of either side of its snout, which is a nice little detail. They're not curved like in the official art but to be honest I think they look cooler when straight so I don't mind that change. On the other hand, one deviation from the artwork I don't like as much is the angle of his shovel. He can't hold it up straight, it's always at a bit of an angle. Overall, it's a simple design, but very cool.
Bodkin Archer - As the most detailed of the three, it was probably to be expected that it'd also be the one with the most room for errors. His bow is the flimsiest of the three weapons due to being made of what appears to be hard felt instead of being stuffed. There are a couple of spots where they didn't do a great job of getting rid of the loose ends on threads, and it's also the hardest one to have stand up on its own. It's the weakest plush of the three, but still awesome and recommended for any fans of these Yoda wannabes. For the freaks out there wondering what's under a Bodkin Archer's robe... I won't be the one to spoil your fun.
Hammerhood: I saved the best for last, this one is just fantastic. It's super-accurate to the official art, it can stand up by itself, it's got this slightly hunched-over pose that looks hilarious from the side, and it's really clutching that hammer to its chest like there's no tomorrow. Speaking of the hammer, its great textured look makes up for the Hammerhood's lack of detail. If you can only get one of these three, this is the way to go.
I was hoping no one would ask, but alright. You really wanna know? Here it is. But just remember, once you've seen it, you can't unsee it.
WARNING: NOT SAFE FOR WORK!!!
Do you think SquarEnix hasn't been honest with the public about potential side effects of the Buff spell?
/ asking for a fellow party member
So I finally finished act 2 of DQXI yesterday at 110 hours... And the game is not over lol
I had the impression that the postgame stuff people kept talking about was, you know, usual postgame stuff. Like an extra dungeon, some new sidequests, a secret boss... But no, the game literally is not over, there's this whole new story arc that seems to be just as important and integral to the story as the other ones. This is amazing, tbh, especially in times like these when games already launch with DLC locked chapters.
From a story point of view, it's like a dream coming true that a game is showing you what happens afterwards. Like, as a kid I was always upset when things ended and I would never know what happened to those characters, how were their lives after they finally fulfilled their dreams, saved the world, etc, and even though games are the perfect kind of media to show that, they never did. The game worlds were always frozen in that same state after you completed the story, and most times you couldn't even see the results of your saving the world. That made me sad, so kid myself would be thrilled to play DQIX's act 3, it's magical.
That said, as happy as I am, I'm also a bit overwhelmed, since I was planning on playing something else cause I've been playing this games for so long now. I think this is the longest I have ever taken to finish a game in my whole life, and apparently this record is still increasing.
I had the impression that the postgame stuff people kept talking about was, you know, usual postgame stuff. Like an extra dungeon, some new sidequests, a secret boss... But no, the game literally is not over, there's this whole new story arc that seems to be just as important and integral to the story as the other ones. This is amazing, tbh, especially in times like these when games already launch with DLC locked chapters.
From a story point of view, it's like a dream coming true that a game is showing you what happens afterwards. Like, as a kid I was always upset when things ended and I would never know what happened to those characters, how were their lives after they finally fulfilled their dreams, saved the world, etc, and even though games are the perfect kind of media to show that, they never did. The game worlds were always frozen in that same state after you completed the story, and most times you couldn't even see the results of your saving the world. That made me sad, so kid myself would be thrilled to play DQIX's act 3, it's magical.
That said, as happy as I am, I'm also a bit overwhelmed, since I was planning on playing something else cause I've been playing this games for so long now. I think this is the longest I have ever taken to finish a game in my whole life, and apparently this record is still increasing.
The deceased actress and DQ super fan Keiko Awaji had a good method for getting a lotta value out of playthroughs. She would play up to the last boss on one save file then start a new game on another file and play through the to the end. That way she could maximize her DQ time between installments.
So I'm about to get the last orb in DQXI, I'm about lvl 30 and about 65 hours into the game. Will I ever find out what these little ghost things are?
When is Square announcing that DQXI S on Switch outside of Japan is even a thing that exists?
Hopefully soon. I want to replay DQXI and DQXI S sounds like the next best excuse after a localized 3DS version.
Also curious about what they're adding wrt the scenario. Probably just going to be little things that don't end up adding much but they could be fun or they could actually be substantial and I could be wrong!
Also curious about what they're adding wrt the scenario. Probably just going to be little things that don't end up adding much but they could be fun or they could actually be substantial and I could be wrong!
Hey all!
DQXI was my first Dragon Quest game (well, I played the one on DS but never finished it) and I fucking loved it. Starting up DQVIII and while I am enjoying it, it seems way more demanding in terms of reviving party members and running out of MP etc.
I'm up to the second dungeon and it's a real drag to run all the way back to town to revive a party member then run all the way back and continue the dungeon.
Is there some way to avoid this? Will it change over time? Is there a guide for recommended levels for each dungeon?
DQXI was my first Dragon Quest game (well, I played the one on DS but never finished it) and I fucking loved it. Starting up DQVIII and while I am enjoying it, it seems way more demanding in terms of reviving party members and running out of MP etc.
I'm up to the second dungeon and it's a real drag to run all the way back to town to revive a party member then run all the way back and continue the dungeon.
Is there some way to avoid this? Will it change over time? Is there a guide for recommended levels for each dungeon?
You get a warping spell after not very long (Zoom), but also there is a warping item from the start (Chimaera Wing).
Seeing some bits and pieces about a Dragon Quest computer animated film on twitter. Not sure if it's for real or not. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki apparently. Here's a news story
EDIT: Confirmed to be a DQV film same director as smash-hit Stand by Me Doraemon
EDIT: Confirmed to be a DQV film same director as smash-hit Stand by Me Doraemon
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Oh wow, this would be awesome! I swear I've said it elsewhere but it really seems like aside from celebrating its anniversary, it really seems like they're gearing up for a huge push of DQ in the West.
-Dai in Jump Force (I kinda figured maybe a new anime series would be in the cards)
-Erdrick possibly being in Smash (we could find out in a few hours)
-Various DQ releases for Switch this year.
A movie would play into that really well. Let's hope it's a top of the line studio with plans to release it dubbed in the West.
So happy that we will be able to play DQ 11's 2D mode. Will go full 2D for my next run of DQ 11.
Alright so I finally truly beat the game at 150h on Draconian difficulty, aaaaand I need to discuss the ending. Be aware that I'm going into deepest lore shit here, and if you think that stuff is bullshit, you're better off skipping the read. I know nothing was planned from the start, but I think DQ11 was written to put some independent pieces together, and solving that puzzle might be fun. Obviously spoilers about DQ11, and also DQ1-6:
So what I got from the ending is that 11 is like the Ocarina of Time of Dragon Quest, it has some split timelines thing going on.
As I understand, when Serenica went back in time to save Erdwin, they created a timeline where Morcant never turned into Mordegon. Since the post credits scene is the opening for DQ3 and now we know that the purple haired lady is actually Serenica, I figured this timeline is DQ1-3, Erdwin is Ortega and their son is Loto/Erdrick. By the time DQ1 happens, Yggdragon turns into the Dragonlord.
As for the the timeline where the Luminary stayed and lived his life, I think it might have originated the Zenithian trilogy, where the heroes for those games would be his descendants and the Zenithian dragon is the descendant of Yggdragon. Now, I remember DQ6 ends with the birth of the Zenithian dragon, I think that was Yggdragon's egg, maybe?
There's also the timeline the Luminary abandoned (what a douche, btw), where he didn't marry Gemma and left no descendants, so I have no idea what DQ could have followed from there. This is kind of a stretch, but I suspect DQ8 might fall here, since this seems to be the timeline where the world remains more or less as is it, and DQ8's world seems to coexist with 11's, cause we see mentions of Trodain and Maella Abbey seems to be connected with Don Rodrigo's knights.
Now, one thing I don't understand is, why does the ending also shows the Luminary turning into the hero of DQ1? Was that just an allegory to introduce the series retrospective? Cause it doesn't fit at all, since DQ1 hero is the descendant of Loto/Erdrick, which himself seems to be the son of Erdwin on another timeline. Maybe it's some kind of reincarnation thing going on? What do you guys think?
As I understand, when Serenica went back in time to save Erdwin, they created a timeline where Morcant never turned into Mordegon. Since the post credits scene is the opening for DQ3 and now we know that the purple haired lady is actually Serenica, I figured this timeline is DQ1-3, Erdwin is Ortega and their son is Loto/Erdrick. By the time DQ1 happens, Yggdragon turns into the Dragonlord.
As for the the timeline where the Luminary stayed and lived his life, I think it might have originated the Zenithian trilogy, where the heroes for those games would be his descendants and the Zenithian dragon is the descendant of Yggdragon. Now, I remember DQ6 ends with the birth of the Zenithian dragon, I think that was Yggdragon's egg, maybe?
There's also the timeline the Luminary abandoned (what a douche, btw), where he didn't marry Gemma and left no descendants, so I have no idea what DQ could have followed from there. This is kind of a stretch, but I suspect DQ8 might fall here, since this seems to be the timeline where the world remains more or less as is it, and DQ8's world seems to coexist with 11's, cause we see mentions of Trodain and Maella Abbey seems to be connected with Don Rodrigo's knights.
Now, one thing I don't understand is, why does the ending also shows the Luminary turning into the hero of DQ1? Was that just an allegory to introduce the series retrospective? Cause it doesn't fit at all, since DQ1 hero is the descendant of Loto/Erdrick, which himself seems to be the son of Erdwin on another timeline. Maybe it's some kind of reincarnation thing going on? What do you guys think?
I felt it was fine on the harder difficulty however I feel the jump between "harder" and "normal" was too big. They desperately needed something in between. Some of my friends refuse to not play on harder modes and are having a miserable time with XI due to them finding the difficulty too high. So think about it like this. Are you having fun? Is it a chore to play? If yes to the latter turn it off.
Thanks for the response! Still sticking with draconian! Usually make progress then get stuck on bosses and just have to grind a lil. Damn does it feel good to persevere though ha. Currently stuck on the boss battle against the knight in that seaside town where the festival is :/
Hey everyone!
I've always wanted to get into DQ and this thread helped me so much getting into it. I'm currently marathoning all of the games! When XI came out I got very interested in the franchise so I used that thread to figure out which versions of each I should play.
I went with the phone versions for I and II, didn't super love them, then played III's fan translated SNES version and wow, that game quickly became one of my favorite games ever - certainly my favorite Dragon Quest up to this point and the game that got me into the series. The job system is great, I loved the graphics, probably one of the prettiest games on the SNES, this is where they really started their smaller vignette style of storytelling and it just all comes together in such a nice way. It's probably in my top 5 RPGs now easily.
DQIV (mobile) I kind of enjoyed. Going back to touch controls after having buttons was a little bit of a hassle, plus I vastly preferred DQIII's simplicity. IV's added complexity in the scenario and stuff didn't do much for me, and the structure of it got kinda on my nerves (I also am not a fan of Arte Piazza's graphics, monster sprites aside, which will be a recurring theme...)
DQV (PS2) was great! I mean, I kinda hated the graphical style and noticed heavy asset reuse from the DS version of IV (or, I guess, the other way around since the PS2 version of V came out before) but the monster designs looked amazing in the 3D style they went for and the plot retained some of that simplicity from the III days while also telling an emotionally involving story.
DQVI (mobile) I actually started with the SNES version which looked amazing, but the quality of the fan translation was a little bit too rough for me to continue that. I gotta say I was really hooked at the start and thought that this would become a favorite, at least the story, but then it kinda loses focus in the middle stretch and the lack of guidance and awkward sequence breaking traps made this one hard to get through. Plus, the asset reuse, particularly on towns and such from Arte Piazza really highlights that you shouldn't marathon these games...
...so naturally I kept marathoning these games. Now I'm currently playing DQVII (3DS) and well. Arte Piazza still using the same freaking assets for the environment after so many years and games is really getting to me. I can't fathom what they were thinking! Making a 100h+ game but having everything look not only the same but also the same from so many games that came before it is kinda grinding at me. I like the writing, though so far it's very formulaic. But I'm only about 15h in, which to my understanding isn't all that far in this game, so I guess we'll see. I just wish the environments...didn't look so samey. I doubt this will become one of my favorites but I will definitely finish it.
As of right now my ranking for all the ones I've finished would probably be III > V > IV = VI > II > I
I've always wanted to get into DQ and this thread helped me so much getting into it. I'm currently marathoning all of the games! When XI came out I got very interested in the franchise so I used that thread to figure out which versions of each I should play.
I went with the phone versions for I and II, didn't super love them, then played III's fan translated SNES version and wow, that game quickly became one of my favorite games ever - certainly my favorite Dragon Quest up to this point and the game that got me into the series. The job system is great, I loved the graphics, probably one of the prettiest games on the SNES, this is where they really started their smaller vignette style of storytelling and it just all comes together in such a nice way. It's probably in my top 5 RPGs now easily.
DQIV (mobile) I kind of enjoyed. Going back to touch controls after having buttons was a little bit of a hassle, plus I vastly preferred DQIII's simplicity. IV's added complexity in the scenario and stuff didn't do much for me, and the structure of it got kinda on my nerves (I also am not a fan of Arte Piazza's graphics, monster sprites aside, which will be a recurring theme...)
DQV (PS2) was great! I mean, I kinda hated the graphical style and noticed heavy asset reuse from the DS version of IV (or, I guess, the other way around since the PS2 version of V came out before) but the monster designs looked amazing in the 3D style they went for and the plot retained some of that simplicity from the III days while also telling an emotionally involving story.
DQVI (mobile) I actually started with the SNES version which looked amazing, but the quality of the fan translation was a little bit too rough for me to continue that. I gotta say I was really hooked at the start and thought that this would become a favorite, at least the story, but then it kinda loses focus in the middle stretch and the lack of guidance and awkward sequence breaking traps made this one hard to get through. Plus, the asset reuse, particularly on towns and such from Arte Piazza really highlights that you shouldn't marathon these games...
...so naturally I kept marathoning these games. Now I'm currently playing DQVII (3DS) and well. Arte Piazza still using the same freaking assets for the environment after so many years and games is really getting to me. I can't fathom what they were thinking! Making a 100h+ game but having everything look not only the same but also the same from so many games that came before it is kinda grinding at me. I like the writing, though so far it's very formulaic. But I'm only about 15h in, which to my understanding isn't all that far in this game, so I guess we'll see. I just wish the environments...didn't look so samey. I doubt this will become one of my favorites but I will definitely finish it.
As of right now my ranking for all the ones I've finished would probably be III > V > IV = VI > II > I
III-IV-V is arguably the golden age of DQ. Don't take my word for it; they've been milking the hell out of that IP of late.
But mariek, one thing ya gotta hand to them is their willingness to try new things (recycled assets aside). Not every DQ works for me but that's because every one is different in its own way. So it's certainly OK if one didn't work for you; you can try next one one assured it won't be the same old.
But mariek, one thing ya gotta hand to them is their willingness to try new things (recycled assets aside). Not every DQ works for me but that's because every one is different in its own way. So it's certainly OK if one didn't work for you; you can try next one one assured it won't be the same old.
Oh yeah, don't get me wrong, if I had played the originals for all of them, I'd probably be less tired of the lack of visual variety. But since Arte Piazza was in charge of the majority of the remakes (V on PS2, IV to VI on DS, VII on 3DS) and they keep using the same assets I am getting pretty tired of this style. Of course that's kinda my fault for playing the remakes rather than the originals!
Hi all!
After beating DQXI two weeks ago, I downloaded and beat DQI on iOS in a bout a week. Man was that thing grindy, but thankfully it was very short.
Now I've heard horrible things about DQII. Should I skip it and just go to III, or should I give it a chance? I'll be playing on iOS.
After beating DQXI two weeks ago, I downloaded and beat DQI on iOS in a bout a week. Man was that thing grindy, but thankfully it was very short.
Now I've heard horrible things about DQII. Should I skip it and just go to III, or should I give it a chance? I'll be playing on iOS.
I have been replaying them on my phone as well, and it's pretty nice how well the original games hold up compared to their original versions. DQ1 can be beaten in like a day or so if you play enough. I literally just beat DQII yesterday and while it's still rough around the edges, the mobile versions are leagues above the original versions in terms of playability. II is much easier now, but still can be tough near the endgame. Definitely worth playing if you've gone through the original DQ, if only to see how they improved on the first game.
Plus it will also make you appreciate DQIII that much more, since they pretty much nailed it with that one. Of course, I'm a little biased towards DQIII and all. ;)
You are right about that, DQ II feels like a prototype about what would be III, so at the end is a good/decent game, but DQ III is amazing in another scale.
I'm going to go with DQ2 then :-) Thanks everyone!
Do you guys have any cute slime decorations for your rooms or desks at work? I'm looking for merch but it's hard to tell what isn't a bootleg. Should have picked up some stuff while I was in Japan.
Do you guys have any cute slime decorations for your rooms or desks at work? I'm looking for merch but it's hard to tell what isn't a bootleg. Should have picked up some stuff while I was in Japan.
I've a slime key ring and a couple of DQ hero figurines on my desk at home and at work. Also have a replica donut that smells like coconuts, I'd recommend that over anything else.
I have a Hagure Metal Slime coffee mug I keep at work.