Panzer Dragoon Saga Question(s)

[ReddMcKnight]

Besides, CD-r's probably just wreck the console anyway.

Not at all, unless you start tweaking the potentiometer to read CD-RWs.

Why do they wreck other Consoles then? (3DO, Dreamcast)

EDIT: Plus, it still doesn't help that I can't even perform the simple installation of a Modchip.

[Curlypaul]

I think that its myth about the lasers being wrecked on all of the consoles personally.

Have you tried different Saturns? There were a load of variations of the boards and some of them just plain won't work with a chip.

I've played thru PDS and it is a cool game. Its pretty short but its got great atmosphere, a cool battle system and a customisable dragon. Worth finding a way to play it if you can

[ReddMcKnight]

I think that its myth about the lasers being wrecked on all of the consoles personally.

Have you tried different Saturns? There were a load of variations of the boards and some of them just plain won't work with a chip.

I've played thru PDS and it is a cool game. Its pretty short but its got great atmosphere, a cool battle system and a customisable dragon. Worth finding a way to play it if you can

Doesn't it have 4 Discs? Why would it be short? Is it too easy? Is most of it FMV Scenes? Something else?

[flamepanther]

Besides, CD-r's probably just wreck the console anyway.

Not at all, unless you start tweaking the potentiometer to read CD-RWs.

Why do they wreck other Consoles then? (3DO, Dreamcast)

EDIT: Plus, it still doesn't help that I can't even perform the simple installation of a Modchip.

I don't know anything about issues on 3DO, but the problem with CD-R on Dreamcast is that the games' file systems have to be completely rebuilt in order to convert from GD-ROM. The rebuilt file systems are often not arranged in a way that is optimal for the game, forcing the motorized arm to move the laser greater distances and more frequently. In extreme cases, this can shorten the life of the motor. Since games that use plain CD-ROM media don't need their files re-arranged, they do not cause this issue.

Also, before someone mentions it, there's a half-myth that burnable media takes more work for the laser to read. While burnable media may have less optically distinct pits, lasers do not suffer eye strain. It's simply a beam of light reflecting off a sheet of foil, and a light sensor measuring changes in the brightness of the reflection. The most it's going to do if it fails to read a sector is try to adjust the angle and focus of the lens, which is the same as it does when a printed disc has dust, small scratches, or smudges on it. If you encounter this on a burned game due to the physical media, the drive will not be able to correct for the problem, and your game will stop working and you won't play that copy anymore. Little or no harm done.

A pressed disc with light scratches, on the other hand, will probably still be playable, and your drive may be forced to re-read sectors many times. In this way, real discs in average condition almost certainly cause more wear than burned ones with no scratches or smudges.

[Hatta]

Yes, it's a pretty short game. I think I'm at around 12 hours just starting the 4th disc. There is a a lot of FMV, and the dungeons are pretty linear. I don't mean to complain much about it, because it is a good game, but I'd be a bit disappointed if I had paid the market rate for it.

Also, great bit of myth busting by flamepather there. A lot of times when CDRs get blamed for killing consoles, people are just making post hoc fallacies. Buy a 10 year old console, throw a mod chip in it, and when the 10 year old console dies somehow it's the CDRs fault and not just wear and tear.

[wootcube]

I don't know about the first two questions. I wanted a physical copy so I went ahead and bought a US version. There is a lot of text, but most of the story isn't essential. I don't remember using many items at all so there isn't much inventory stuff. The gameplay is pretty linear - usually the next place you go to is revealed in sequence on the map, however there are some times where a character will tell you to go back somewhere else and that is where I think it would be tricky playing a non-English version.

I liked it but it was definitely not what I expected (In a good way!). There are RPG elements - but honestly the stats don't matter at all because the game is really well paced. It's short but there is NO grinding which is really nice. It's more about strategy - where you place your dragon, what morph it is, timing, etc.

However, it's still pretty easy. I tried making the most out of every battle but I eventually settled on just using only my favorite morph of the dragon (high attack & speed). It is entirely possible to beat the game at a really low level. I could never find the maximum possible level for your dragon online so I'm assuming nobody English speaking has taken the time to level it all the way up. There really isn't any point to keep going past what you need.

The environments aren't that thrilling but the ships and creature designs are really, really cool IMO. So for me I kept playing because I wanted to see more of the panzer dragoon world.

[MrPopo]

In addition to the FMVs there's also a lot of voice acting, which also uses up space.

[flamepanther]

I thought some of the environments were compelling. The burning forest especially stands out in my memory.

The most important thing about this game to me is that it was FUN. No, it wasn't very difficult. No, the story isn't great. Yes, the game is fairly linear. But you know what? The combat, while somewhat easy, was interesting and entertaining enough that I actually enjoyed grinding. There are almost no other RPGs I can say that about. I don't dislike RPGs, but I have a long history of abandoning them once the combat gets old--because let's face it, that's the point of these games, and some mediocre story isn't going to keep me playing a shallow strategy game once I've gotten bored with it. Panzer Dragoon Saga is one of the handful of these that I have cared to complete--others being Chrono Trigger, Magic Knight Rayearth on the Saturn, and a few of the Seiken Densetsu games.

[final fight cd]

you could always buy the game - play it and enjoy it - and a month or two later sell it for the same amount you bought it for.

the good thing is that copies are always available on ebay and the demand for the game won't go down anytime soon.

[Breetai]

I've had a modded Saturn since 1999 or 2000, and have never had a problem with it. Modded PS1 since 1997 or '98, and same deal... I've been playing burnt CD-Rs on an FZ-10 3DO since probably 1996 or so. Again, no issues. Sega CD I got in 1993 and playing CD-Rs on since the mid-90s... no issues.

I don't believe the idea that CD-Rs wreck most consoles at all. Perhaps some older ones... maybe, but... I still find it hard to believe.

PDS is cheap in Japan because the Saturn was HUGE there and PDS (actually PDA (A for Azel)) had large print runs. It's a fairly common game. It's usually $5 or so on the low end, and maybe $25 or $30 on the higher end.