Dragon Quest EIGHT

[Vonwert]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

Curse you Metal Slimes....why must you run away when I could have killed you on the next turn....!

[marcus]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

Random battles are fine if the battle system is good (in this case, it is) but it gets annoying eventually when you're running through a 30 mile terrain and get into 500 battles just to reach the next town. It turns a 15 minute walk into a 2 hour chore and it's a cheap way of lengthening the game.

The battles aren't that frequent and you get a mount later in the game so I'm not complaining.

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

DQVII was pretty difficult but DQVIII is really dumbed down

From my understanding, that was done so that us Westerners would enjoy it more, because Westerners hate hard games. Or at least that seems to be the impression of Japanese developers who want their game to sell in the US. Makes sense if you think about it.

Let's see...why I love Dragon Quest... I have absolutely no idea. I didn't get into the Dragon Quest scene until Dragon Warrior I & II on GBC, well after I had gotten used to the worlds of Final Fantasy. I enjoy the level-grinding, the simple stories, and the monsters. If I had to try to explain why I like the stuff, well I might as well try. Level-grinding, you actually have to work to proceed in the game. I'll accept playing through RPGs where everything is balanced so I'm ready for the next area by the time I finish the last, but having to fight the same monsters over and over again in order to afford new equipment and survive the next cave provides some sense of accomplishment other RPGs don't give you until you've beaten the game, if at all. The simple stories are easy to understand, and they don't distract me from the rest of the game. In the latest Final Fantasy game, you'd go through some big cinematic event where you find out your girlfriend is going to sacrifice herself to save the world, and all-of-a-sudden you find yourself wandering a dungeon fighting random battles. Simple gameplay seems to meld with simple stories better than with complex stories. And the monsters are neat-looking. I mean, how can you possibly hate that freaky, smiling blue slime?

I probably just made up a bunch of crap there, but it's really hard to explain what's so likeable about the series. It's like, trying to explain what's so fun about having a hangover.

One thing I do like though, is the exploration. There's nothing quite like wandering through a dungeon maze, and being rewarded for going into a dead-end with a treasure chest. Sure the chest may be empty, but it's still there. It's sooo much more fun than traveling in a line with nothing to do but wonder when you'll reach the end. In RPGs, at least. I'll take that in a platformer.

And then there's the inclusion of classes. No explanation needed.

Most importantly, Enix has gone through 7 installments to get the old-school gameplay right. Whether they succeeded in DQ8, DW4, or DW2 (yeah, RIGHT) is another story.

although I personally dislike calling every npc "ASTERIK *"

I kinda like it. Used it in one of my own games. It can help one tell the difference between something someone is saying, and something that is just telling you what you're seeing. It's either that, or be unable to tell whether something's being said or examined (not so easily), or give everyone their own names (which winds up with a person somewhere in the game being named "Bob").

[Vonwert]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

If you want the worst amount of random battles, then it would be a tie with Ephemeral Fantasia or Shin Megami Tensei series

[The Dark Jester]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

Can anyone tell me whats the deal with monsters just wandering around on the world map and what there purpose is?

I get a monster coin when I beat them but whats theyre deal?

[ErikaFuzzbottom]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

Well if Dragon Warrior III on the GBC is any indication, they're just something you collect for no other reason than to say "I got them all". Though I've never played all the way through DWIII, so I wouldn't really know if you get something for collecting them.

[marcus]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

Ephemeral Fantasia

Now I have to go wash myself. Thanks a lot.

[IRC]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

They join your party later on.

[Loki]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

Later you can capture these "one of a kind" monsters to fight in an special colosuem. They don't really join your party though. You can't use them in the regular battle.

Edit: IRC you bastard! I can't belive you really gave me negative rep!

[Magus]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

Wow. Marcus has got some serious relationship issues with this game. Do you like it or not, you slag?!

AS FOR ME...I finally played it for a solid 3-4 hours (just returned to Farebury with the crystal ball) last night and would've continued long into the morn if my eyes weren't burning out of my skull... but DAMN this is the most fun and charming RPG experience I've had perhaps since Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. I LOVE SLIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Being away from the RPG scene for so long... man, I got rusty. My party perished twice. I ACTUALLY DIED. That damn hammer brother guy in the waterfall cave murderlized my hero... who I named Crablord. What did you name your hero?

Oh, and the music? Astonishing. ****ing amazing. A fully orchestred RPG soundtrack?

I never knew such a thing would be possible.

[Loki]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

I named mine Loki. Imagen that.

Yeah that Hammerhood sucked. I talked my way past him, then fought him anyway. He killed the hero in one blow which left Yangus to carry his coffin aaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllll the way back to Farebury by himself.

[marcus]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

What does tension do? Does it raise your attack? If so it's kind of useless because you do more attacking twice than building up tension then attacking.

[IRC]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

You can build up your tension multiple times though, first time is +5 then +20, +50, and then +100. I haven't played with it to see what effect this has on damage yet. But some monsters are weak to tension attacks, a normal attack might hit them for 3 damage but a simple +5 tension attack will cause 20 damage. Plus it can be useful when all a monster does is heal itself. Also some skills become more powerful when you use tension first.

I named the hero Hiro. I think that it's witty to do that.

That Hammerhood did kill Hiro and the Buffalo Bill KO'd my party the first time I fought him(loaded a save **** you Bill I want my gold) but after that I haven't had problems. The one thing about DQ games is that I alwasy get ridiculusly overpowered by gold farming. I just got to the southern continent and Hiro and Yangus are level 14.

Another thing I like about DQ is that the random monsters have so much personality. I actually laughed out loud the first time a jail cat rolled over onto it's back in battle. And the Imp falling over after failing to cast magic was cuter than my male ego cares to admit.

[RPGD]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

Wow, you're serious. All this time I thought you were being sarcastic.

[IRC]

Re: Dragon Quest EIGHT

Yeah, I get that.