RPG Progress Report

[Xeogred]

I disagree about the story, but they're very different and the first game can be a slow burn at first. But overall I think the first has a much better main plot and a very strong antagonist character, whereas ME2's main plot is pretty thin and more character driven with the side stories.

Gameplay wise I won't argue though, I didn't mind the streamlining that the sequels did. But I hated that ME2 limited you to only two weapons I think. ME3 perfected the combat.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Nayuta: Endless Trails - I'm 4 hours in and really enjoying this one so far. The simplest way to explain the gameplay thus far is like a hybrid of Threads of Fate and Ys Seven. I also find this game to be incredibly relaxing, to the point that it has put me to sleep a few times. But that's more the soothing music and muted color palette, because the gameplay itself is engaging enough.

You should try Gurumin - a great Nihon Falcom game with some Threads of Fate similarities.

[laurenhiya21]

Dungeon Travelers 2
Got past the super confusing dungeon! Now onto chapter 6 with uh... Khorramshahr Village. Had to look that up since that name is impossible to remember. Not even sure how you would pronounce that...

Anyway, luckily the dungeon isn't as confusing, just a few places which force you to the beginning but I was usually low on TP anyway so it made a good opportunity to go back to town. Only thing I have not liked so far is these "Anti-Magic Zones" where you can't use ANY magic. The enemies can still use magic though, which is incredibly annoying since some of them can hit really hard! At least I now know to bring lots of healing items...

[Exhuminator]

You should try Gurumin - a great Nihon Falcom game with some Threads of Fate similarities.

Yes, yes, I'll have to check this out in a more serious fashion.

[Ack]

How is Noise doing, Ack?

Funny you should ask that...

Drakkhen

I had a productive weekend. When I last left off, I was about to explore a castle in the polar region. Well, I threw myself into it, gathering up some new gear and swiftly executing my enemies with relatively little issue. The reward was my first Dragon Tear, of which there are 8 for the mighty Drakkhen(and the 9th for humanity). I pressed onward to a new, brief dungeon, where at the end I was given the best weapons and cuirasses in the game for my two fighter characters, Ack and Fast, and then sent to assassinate a Drakkhen, my first to actually face in combat.

Folks, Drakkhen are hard. The first time I tried it, I was under leveled and improperly equipped, and he ruthlessly snapped my equipment and slaughtered me. To remedy this, I began grinding. And more grinding. And even more grinding. God, I hate this. Since Drakkhen only allows characters that hit to gain experience, you eventually end up with some huge discrepancies in experience value based on who can actually hit, and your team couldn't hit the broadside of a barn if it was wrapped into a circle completely hemming them in. Sometimes fights are done in a single hit. Other times...good luck. I found a great place to grind, but it spawns an enemy in a very specific place which gives an advantage to specific party members to get their hits in first. As of this point, Ack is level 9, Fast level 8, Xen level 6, and Noise level 8. Noise keeps killstealing from Xen.

It turns out that was enough to do the job, because one of the last things I did on Sunday night was again throw myself at the first Drakkhen. The result: Ack and Fast both died, but both kept the most important pieces of armor intact. Xen and Noise managed to survive and drop the mighty beast with their spells. Booyah, score one for the bad guys. As soon as I was through, I revived Ack and Fast and made way to the nearest merchant. I resupplied with even better equipment than what was lost and then made the trek back to the castle where I was assigned the hit...only to be stopped again by a merchant selling the absolute best gear in the game. As of now, Ack, Fast, and Noise are wearing the best kinds of gear they can get, and I'm pretty happy. Unfortunately Xen is missing a single piece, because I could only buy it at one point early on and apparently missed the chance, and nobody sells old armor. But I turned in the mission and now possess 3 of the 8 Dragon Tears, and now I have to visit the final region, the Southern Desert.

So, time to complain: first, the experience system sucks. It royally sucks. Every character requires a different amount, characters that fall behind can easily be outpaced, and the jumps to new amounts between levels are brutal. Right now I'm guessing it will take Ack, Fast, and Noise about 10,000 more experience to level, and the best place to grind that I have encountered nets me typically about 150 a fight total, spread across characters depending on who actually hits.

Second, the armor system is a pain in the butt. I don't know what stat determines whether a piece of armor can be broken, but I'm guessing that durability is based on armor rating and something like Physique. The first time I fought the Drakkhen, he broke all of the gear on Ack and Fast. The second time, with both guys at higher levels, he didn't break the stuff with the highest armor ratings. Having thrown my guys at other things, their stuff isn't breaking on weak enemies, so there must be some kind of stat consideration. Still, I find the armor break system to be a pointless annoyance meant to hinder the player solely for the sake of hindering the player.

Third, the shops are pretty awful. Once you pass a certain point, there is no way to buy older armors. While that isn't that big of an issue for the Fighter or Scout roles, it becomes problematic for the Sorcerer and Priest because of the limitations on what they can equip. I'm stuck with a Sorcerer who is about 15 points of defense below what he could be because I missed the one pair of leg armor that he could actually equip. This is incredibly frustrating, particularly since his total armor value is so far below the others because he cannot effectively grind in the same location they can(I've tried different positionings, gear selections, etc. For some reason he is just unable to hit the thing that I'm grinding against, no matter what weapon or spell he uses). I'm worried that he may become permanently gimped.

That said...I actually find myself enjoying the game despite its numerous problems. The open world approach is impressive considering when the game came out(5 years before The Elder Scrolls: Arena), the music is soothing and mysterious, and I can actually see my party growing stronger. I just wish certain aspects had really been thought out and designed better. When Drakkhen gets things right, it REALLY gets things right. But when it gets things wrong, it's painful.

[noiseredux]

Noise keeps killstealing from Xen.

that's something that commonly happens (when noise goes AFK and the AI takes over for him).

[BoneSnapDeez]

The "hit to gain XP" system reminds of strategy RPGs like Shining Force. But it's way worse in Drakkhen.

Drakkhen is a really clunky old game, but the atmospheric elements and overall weirdness make it worth playing.

And how can you not like these visuals?

[noiseredux]

BTW, I can't seem to get any screenshots of ME2. I have the Origin version. There's a folder called "screenshots." In Dragon Age Origins it was F11 to take shots. Doesn't work in ME2. I tried to launch it thru Steam. Can't F12. I tried to take shots via Win10's "gaming overlay" thing. Just snaps a black screen.

[Ack]

The "hit to gain XP" system reminds of strategy RPGs like Shining Force. But it's way worse in Drakkhen.

Drakkhen is a really clunky old game, but the atmospheric elements and overall weirdness make it worth playing.

And how can you not like these visuals?

Ah, the tombstone monster, a classic example of a super monster you can encounter almost immediately in Drakkhen. I killed one of those for laughs on Saturday but lost a shield in the process and reloaded. The shield was far more valuable.

Drakkhen is such a weird game. It's obtuse, but there is an element of mystery to it. I will never understand why it works the way it does.

[BoneSnapDeez]

We need more French RPGs (FRPGs?!?!).

noise, I've had Steam games that never screenshotted correctly. Had to use Fraps or good ol' prt sc instead.