I think I have finally snapped!

[Jamos' Old Account]

I decided to complete all of SMT: Nocturne... that will take a couple of years. ...
I'll be trying to get all of the endings, magatama, demons, items, etc. Anyone that has played the game should know that this is going to take a while. Are there any veterans of the game that have any useful hints or tips? Like a good way to defeat the fiends. I really, really ****ing hate them! It has been too long sinse I've played this game.

PS: RPGD, I think you should try this game sometime. Seems like your type of game. At least the game called to me while I was playing MR4. The game mechanics are very different, but it is an enjoyable experience.

[RPGD]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

I intend to, once I'm no longer pre-occupied.

[John Mora]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

Most of the fiends become easy (except that mofo Trumpeter) as long as you have the right monsters. My tips would be:

1. Go for the True Demon ending first, it's the hardest, but it'll net you Pierce.

2. Get Masakudus (or whatever that last Magatama is called).

3. Breed Mitama/Elementals with the really useful/rare skills, like the Pierce, the skill that regenerates MP while walking, Victory Cry, etc. That way, when you're fusing complicated monsters, they'll have a high chance of coming with those really universally useful skills.

4. Complete the bestiary on your first playthrough. Time-consuming, but if you really plan on going through it more than once, the price cut will save you tons of time later on. Plus, you'll be able to pick the right monster for every boss fight rather easily.

5. This is completely optional, but on your second playthrough, you may want to take the graveyard battles seriously. Beating the records on all of them nets you an extra press turn icon on your next playthrough. The last graveyard can only be accessed in a place in the final level of the Amala Labyrinth that makes you choose between either it or the Shady Demon Dealer that sells you the monster with Pierce on it, which is essential if you wanna aim for the True Demon ending. Otherwise, your monsters will be able to do next to NOTHING to the final boss.

[Patryn]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

Simple: fuse effective demons. 'nuff said.

I mean, you have New Game+ option. The best thing to do is at the end to fuse a basic low level demon with the greatest skills possible. So go grab like a level 2 fairy or whatever, and fuse it with a demon with whatever skills you want, and the result will be a super cheap demon saved in your beastiary or whatever with all these great skills that you can purchase early on in your next run through and then breed out like mad.

Basically I'm advocating just like Mora said, in that you can actually create at the end of your first run-through a super cheap demon or two with skills like Pierce, Null Phys, Null Magic, Mediarhan, etc. Then when the beastiary is accessible you can just buy them with the money you've got and you've got access to all these high level skills that will make things easy.

[Jamos' Old Account]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

I managed to beat the White Rider pretty easy thanks to a fire based magatama. Two of my characters could void fire and I had two that could heal everyone at once. So that became pretty easy. Red Rider is another story... now I'm recruiting and fusing more demons to find the right ones for that fight. War Cry should quiet this fiend. Thanks for all of the great advice. I would have never thought of that cheap demon idea, that will be very useful. Man, I fear the thought of fighting Lucifer, but his ass is going down! I'm going to need alot of demons with Pierce if I'm going to last long in that fight.

BTW, is Dante any good? I never really bothered to get him the last time I played.

[John Mora]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

He's good up to a point. You can't use Mitamas on him and he'll always take up a slot in your party once you get him, but you can't complete the bestiary until he's on your team. I'd get him, but make sure he's the absolutely last one that you recruit. Also, you can't customize any of his skills, which means he's useless for Lucifer.

[Patryn]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

For a little point/counterpoint, I used Dante a lot more than Mora. Basically, his major strength is Stinger, an almighty skill that will occasionally auto-kill(I'd say about 70% of the time if they don't have Death Null) but won't trip any strengths and if it doesn't kill does a fair bit of damage. I liked Stinger, and found having a fairly strong almighty skill to be useful since so many bosses have no resistance to it, so I used him from when I got him up until the last fight.

However, I will agree that if you fuse demons effectively, Dante could easily be supplanted, and totally agree that he will simply be dead weight for Lucifer, so don't even bother trying to bring him there. It also hurts that he has no way of regaining MP other than his Threaten skill, which also has the side-effect of upping the enemies's attack.

As for Lucifer, I took him down with only one demon beyond my hero having Pierce. What's more important for that fight is strengths, actually. Make sure that you have no glaring weakness, and moreso make sure you have a team that nulls status effects and auto-death.

[Karr Lord of Chaos]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

i am very good at gaming, exceptonaly good at games like this, but it still was the hardest game ive ever played without contest. i knew it was natorious for difficulty but this is exsteme. over all not a bad game though, well worth the time invested into it.

[Jamos' Old Account]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

Yep, the difficulty definitely makes it worth while. You actually feel like you acomplished something!

So Dante is a good character to have, but is useless against Lucifer. And with the right fusion you can easily replace him. I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, I was working on the mini-game in Asakusa (the box puzzle one) and I got up to stage 19... then there was a power surge. Son of a ****! All of that for nothing! Some of those were pretty hard to me, now I have to do it all over again. Anyone know where a guide is or something that can help me get through it?

[John Mora]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

Umm... you know GameFAQs, right?

[Zieg Rauros]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

SMT?

[Riotsword]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

SMT?

Are you asking what that means?

Shin Megami Tensei

[Jamos' Old Account]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

The Shin Megami Tensei series is a mature RPG series. It happens to be my favorite series, seeing as every game in it I love. If religious themes don't bother you and if you are open minded, I highly reccomend Nocturne. Expecially, if you are looking for a truelly challenging game. If you have the money, you may want to give it a try, Zieg. That is if you like RPGs.

Mora, I never actually went to GameFAQs before. Now that I have, I feel kind of stupid for asking for help on that mini-game. They have a guide solely for that particular one. I managed to get through it all over again thanks to it.

Just out of curiosity, what is your favorite demon in the game? Or the one you find the most useful?

[John Mora]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

Daisoujou. I got him with Mahamaon, Mediarama and his special skill Meditation. I didn't stop using him until I had to power up for Lucifer at the end of the game. He was one of my most expensive demons by then. I think he was only less expensive than the Pixie that you get at the end of the game. He's in his late twenties/early thirties when you get him and I'd leveled him up into the eighties. As a Fiend, he is immune to most nasty things like Death, Expel and status attacks, plus he doesn't really need any extra MP regeneration skill since Meditation takes off a healthy portion of HP AND MP and siphons it back to himself. VERY useful all around. The rest of the demons generally depend on what skills you give them. I recommend becoming familiar with what a demon's base attributes are and then trying to give it skills that either make up for weaknesses or play off of their innate strengths.

[Jamos' Old Account]

Re: I think I have finally snapped!

Sweet Jesus, I am a damn idiot. Everyone in my party (with one exception) all use fire magic. I wish you don't have to kiss good bye to your skills to replace them with others. I even made the mistake of getting a demon that has death as a weakness... too many demons use death. At least I do feel better with a horseman by my side. White Rider can kick some ass, at least with a few upgrades I gave him. Too bad they nearly cost an arm and a leg to use.