The RPG Completion Quest

[James]

The following RPGs, I have never beaten, or never played, and are in my posession (either in catridge, disc, or ROM form):

7th Saga
Bahamut Lagoon
Chrono Trigger
Dragon Warrior 3
Dragon Warrior 4
Earthbound
Final Fantasy 3
Final Fantasy 4
Final Fantasy 5
Final Fantasy 6
Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 9
Final Fantacy Tactics
Legend of Dragoon
Mother (Earthbound 0 - thanks for the rom, Blackjack. At least I THINK it was Blackjack)
Paper Mario
Seiken Densetsu 3 (Secret of Mana 2)

Also on my list of games is Xenogears, Xenosaga, Dark Cloud, Dark Cloud 2, and possibly Legend of Mana, Chrono Cross, and the SaGa series. But I don't own them yet.

Anyway, I intend on playing through all these games (with a few exceptions, if they really suck. Dragon Warrior, I'm looking at you). And considering your average RPG, when taken at a moderate pace, takes about 72+ hours, I'm in for quite a treat.

Just thought I'd share. Maybe I can get some moral support, or some pointing and laughing. Maybe you have some suggestions of which games I shouldn't bother playing (I'm STILL looking at you, Dragon Warrior), or games I should add.

[Zomboid]

Earthbound is my favorite rpg and one of my favorite games, but you didn't like ff7, so who knows what you'll think of it >:

Legend of dragoon's not bad but it's kinda stale and doesn't really have the charm of any of the ff games. I still had fun with it though.

[James]

Well, I actually tracked down my copy of EB about a year ago, and played it as far as the desert part before I got sidetracked. So I did like it.

And I fail to see any connection between EB and FF7. And also, I didn't say I didn't like FF7. I said was I didn't like it as much as most of the other FF games.

[timrpgland]

I'd say play Chrono Trigger first.

[Zomboid]

And I fail to see any connection between EB and FF7. And also, I didn't say I didn't like FF7. I said was I didn't like it as much as most of the other FF games.

I meant if you don't like one really good rpg, you might not like another >:

[mew barios]

if you have a compulsion to complete every game you start playing, i might suggest holding off on 7th saga for a while. that game is LONG o...o and very very difficult.

[James]

I had played part of it, up to when you get a partner. I wasn't overly impressed (after all, it IS an Enix game.) But I got sidetracked from the game, and just recently deleted my save state for the game. I would have started it over anyway.

Also, on my completion list:

Final Fantasy 1
Final Fantasy 2
Final Fantasy 3
Drag-on (haha I made a joke about how boring the game is) Warrior 1
DW2
Final Fantasy 7 (3 fucking times so I could understand that the hell was going on)
Final Fantasy X
Kingdom Hearts
Secret of Mana
Secret of Evermore
Final Fantasy Adventure
Super Mario RPG
Dark Cloud

Just curious: What do you guys think of Wild Arms, Breath of Fire, Ogre Tactics, and Suikoden?

[Skulhedface]

As much as people complain about the cel-shading, I actually loved Wild Arms 3. It wasn't all too compelling, but for some reason I just had an obsession with it for awhile. Wild Arms 3 actually had the "Old West" motif that a name like "Wild Arms" would signify, which of course means I'm inplying that WA 1 and 2 didn't nearly as much, but all in all they were all enjoyable and fun to play.

But Final Fantasy it ain't.

The one edge that WA has over FF is that you can not only rename your characters, you can rename your SPELLS too. It's meaningless in the long run, but if you find yourself getting bored at times, giving a spell a fucked up name provides a cheap laugh and gets you back on track.

[MaskedMonk]

I'd say play Chrono Trigger first.
Yes. It has a decent plot and the coolest special attacks ever.

[Ninjavenom]

Bahamut fucking Lagoon. >:

[James]

What about Bahamut fucking Lagoon? >:

I'm not asking for what games I should play in what order, you know. >:

[timrpgland]

I like the Breath of Fire series. Part 3 is my favorite but I haven't played 5 yet.

Seiken Densetsu 3 is worth playing through. It is a awesome game.

Tactics Ogre is good. The translated PS version is fun and the GBA TO is even better, imo.

Ogre Battle is also good. Ogre Battle 64 is my favorite of that series.

[Les Waste]

I love the Breath of Fire Series.

How the hell have you not finished Final Fantasy 4 yet? >:

And Chrono Trigger is one of my all time favorite games. But don't even bother to get Chrono Cross. It's not even a decent game, and it's even worse when you're expecting a sequel to Chrono Trigger.

This thread makes me want to beat Secret of Mana again, for some reason :/

[Rongi]

Breath of Fire is my favorite RPG series :). The 2nd one was my favorite. Wild Arms also kicks ass :D

[James]

How the hell have you not finished Final Fantasy 4 yet? >:

Because I haven't even played it yet. I end up taking my time with my games, which means that I'll eventually get sidetracked and start playing the new game I'm bound to get every couple months. In FF4/Chrono Trigger's case, I bought it while I was really into another game, and it got buried when I got other games.

Another thing is I don't like to play more than one RPG at a time. The last thing I need is to start looking for something in one game that's from another.

[Skulhedface]

Wild Arms also kicks ass :D


Woah. Either Hell's thermostats have dropped by several thousands of degrees or me and Rongi actually agree on something.

Yes, Wild Arms 3 is MORE than worth it, considering most new games that come out are about $49.99 Suggested Retail Value (on average) and I bought WA3 brand new for $39.99. It was VERY much worth it. Like I said, Final Fantasy it ain't, but I was FAR from disappointed with it. It sucked me in hard enough that I did the exact same thing I did with the FF games, cancel all my plans (including sleep unless necessary) to play this fucker through.

[James]

OK, I finally beat Drag-on Warrior II. I also updated my games to beat list with a couple more games (or just one, if you saw my previous edit).

[JeefGyle]

I got a free Wild Arms 3 demo in the mail a few months ago, but have yet to even play it. Now I have the motivation to

[James]

I wish someone would send you a free suicide demo in the mail. Just a rusty razor and some dotted lines you can stick on your wrists to guide you.

[JeefGyle]

I would sell it on Ebay, and then buy SOCOM and a ps2 online adaptor.

[CaptainBubba]

Do not play paper mario. Throw it away. Don't sell it to some poor unfortunate victim. Its horrible, but if you start playing you'll play the whole thing through hoping to god theres at least something close to as good as Super Mario RPG in the damn game.

There isn't. It isn't even a real rpg. I think you start with 10 hp and by the end of the game I think I had 30. >:

EarthBound was the first RPG I ever played, so it makes me nostalgic just thinking about it. Being unfamiliar with RPGs I remember thinking it was stupid of the big boss to send his worst lackies to attack me first, because they only made me stronger. :)

Its a safe bet that any game made by Square is going to be awsome. The only exceptions being Chrono Cross and Secret of Evermore.

[whoreable]

phantasy star.

[Skulhedface]

I guess I'm in the minority here but I actually liked Chrono Cross. I'm not going to speculate on why you don't, but it seems like the people that hate it around here are people that are pissed that Akira Toriyama didn't have anything to do with it like he did in CT, and so all it is locally is a bunch of pissy Dragon Ball Z fans who can't get past a fucking simple character design. But I personally didn't see anything wrong with it except length. It could've been a LOT longer.

[Ninjavenom]

Bahamut Lagoon is awesome, that's what. If you like Final Fantasy tactics, you'll like Bahamut Lagoon. You WILL.

[Anonymous]

Cross sucked because the plot was retarded, the game was boring, and they killed off all the old Chrono Trigger characters.

[mew barios]

i liked cross cuz you get to be a kitty. :o

[Skulhedface]

Chojin, that's half of what made Cross interesting to me, much in the same vein as Empire Strikes Back, everything didn't end happily ever after. I know that's a weak basis to stake a fondness for a game on, but I liked it. The story wasn't weak to me, maybe a little crammed perhaps. I never thought I'd complain about this, but they threw in too many characters, which DID bring the story down a few notches (Mojo is awesome, but was he really necessary?)

[Zomboid]

Earthbound is the best rpg ever, I'd say. It doesn't follow the unspoken rpg rules and it's got a certain charm to it that I really like. The humour is also a huge part of why I like it.

[Skulhedface]

I think Earthbound was a landmark because it's the first videogame in the US to use the word "fart".

Seriously, I liked it.

[Ninjavenom]

One of the enemies gives you the finger. :)

[Skulhedface]

Don't remember that part...

But still, I wasn't expecting it when I saw it so that just made it that much funnier, that squeaky clean Nintendo would suddenly throw in a classic line like:

"Hey hey! Don't get too close to me. I just farted, heh heh...sorry."

[timrpgland]

I actually enjoyed CC as well. It's not even close to the level that CT is but oh well, it was enjoyable and I played it through without putting it down. It didn't have a great story or anything really special going on but it was a good rpg. Battles were somewhat unique.

At least you get a little bit of CT nostalgia when you get to the bell and the end :)

[Anonymous]

Chojin, that's half of what made Cross interesting to me, much in the same vein as Empire Strikes Back, everything didn't end happily ever after.
Not really; They just used the deaths of all the main characters as a cheap and quick way to villainize Lynx. Kids who head-on fought and destroyed a world-destroying superpower would have been able to fend off the vicious onslaught of a big kitty, I should hope.

[Skulhedface]

Yea, that's one of the biggest parts that did it for me was that this is the first Square game to reference the previous game THAT much, aside from throwing in a chocobo or something (a la Parasite Eve). The only character we don't seem to catch a THING about is Frog.

LoL I remember about 6 months after this came out and everyone was familiar with it, how much fighting and arguing there was about Guile being Magus or Guile not being Magus... lol

Still waiting for Chrono Break.

[Anonymous]

Cross already broke the series. :(

[mew barios]

the part when you're a kitty is the good part for playing. :o

[James]

I played FF3 until 4am last night, and then finally beat it this afternoon. Now I started Dark Cloud.

Very interesting game, though I'm not feeling the weapon repairing thingy. I was working on a pretty weapon, and it broke, so I turned my game off. :(

[Les Waste]

What pissed me off the most about Chrono Cross (and there were lot's of things that pissed me off about it) is that there are waaaaaaaaaaaay too many playable characters. Because of that, none of them got developed very well. I mean, you can't play the game once and get all the characters. You have to play it multiple times just to see all the characters, and it wasn't interesting enough to go through the same shit more than once.

Also, I think the story sucked. And the plot twist about 3/4's through was stupid. I don't need a good plot in a game, but a really bad plot actually takes something away from the game.

[timrpgland]

I still liked Chrono Cross. A ok rpg. :(

It's too bad it had the Chrono name to live up to (which it didn't).

[James]

Just beat Dark Cloud today, including the Demon Shaft (special 100-floor area that opens up after beating the game).

Surprisingly good game for a launch title. The rebuilding of towns is interesting, but can get annoying (let's say you don't get the final piece to rebuild a shop until late in the dungeon, so you have to keep going back to a previous town).

The randomly generated dungeons end up being tedious. Level after near-identical level. And having to switch between allies just to pass certain things (you need to switch to one play to cross chasms, another you hit switches, etc). But in the end, it's fairly decent. With Dark Cloud 2 out, though, you might want to skip this in favor of the sequel.

Anyway, on to FF4 tomorrow.

[James]

I beat FFIV today. Fucking last boss was a tricky fuck, only because he can get so many powerful attacks in. Oh, and the FAQs on Gamefaqs for the final boss are a load of shit.

Aside from a 26 year old guy falling in love with a 7 year old, the game was pretty good. It's not FF6 as far as development goes, but it's definitely worth playing. Can get pretty hard, though (the PSX port is FFIV Hardtype, the original version that Square thought would be too hard for American gamers. FF2 US for the SNES is actually FFIV EasyType).

Anyway, onto Chrono Trigger.

[Grazzt]

Console RPGs aren't my favourite (especially Final Fantasies) but I did enjoy Chrono Trigger, for instance. But try some plot driven computer RPGs too.

Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 with expansions
Planescape: Torment
Icewind Dale 1 & 2
Fallout 1 & 2

[James]

See, the whole point is that I'm completing games I've either bought and never played/finished, or ROMs I've downloaded. Computer games like that would probably require me to get a new video card, and drop even more money on games.

If you wanna buy them, then fine.

[AChimp]

All the games that Grazzt named rule. >:

If that isn't a reason to spend money on them... >:

[executioneer]

I'm almost positive Fallout 1 & 2 won't make you get a new graphics card :/

Plus they sell them in those double-cd packs for probably 10 bucks :/

-willie

[Zomboid]

Unless your computer is like the biggest piece of shit in the world, it'll be able to run fallout 1 and 2.

2 of the best rpgs of all time.

[James]

Never heard of Fallout, so it probably will run on my computer just fine if it's older. Doesn't mean I'm going to buy it, though.

[Anonymous]

You should.

[timrpgland]

It's cheap now anyway.

[whoreable]

I offered it to him for free. He didnt want it :(

I havent played it much though. My attention span was way too short at the time..maybe I will try it again and see if I can actually figure out how the combat system works :/

[Zomboid]

I uploaded it to whore's ftp a while ago, so it's free, and you're unwilling to try it?

Some people...

[James]

Wow, it's been too long. :(

I'm just bumping this for now, so I can find it later. I just have two "chapters" in Chrono Trigger left, along with all the sidequests. However, I'm not sure if I'll replay the game to get the other endings, because I just don't like this game. :/

[Rongi]

If any of you guys still have that free Fallout thingy, how's about sending it my way...;(

[budgetjiggalo]

I noticed at the top of you mentioned Legend of Mana as a possiblity to buy, I wouldn't recommend it, it sucks, especially compared to the other games in the series.

[James]

Yeah, I know it's not the best, but it was just something on a list. Never had any intention to run out and play it.

I can't believe it took me this long to get so close to beating CT. I don't care what any of you say; It's overhyped. It's a cross between Final Fantasy and Secret of Mana, but with half the story. The time-travelling thing is a plot device, doing whatever the makers wanted it to in order to cover up any need for a better story. And the game, while taking me so many months to get through, is short.

Since the PSX version has a New Game + mode after beating it, you can go back and play through with your characters and equipment from your last game, making it easy to run through and get all the endings. But I'm just not sure if I wanna play this game any more than I "have" to.

[CaptainBubba]

The SNES version had that game+ version feature as well.

I liked Chrono Trigger for the follwing reasons:

1. Character development. It was good. Frog's/Magus' story in particular.
2. The Music. I'm pretty sure its sold the most video game soundtracks in history.
3. The Visuals. They seemed impressive to me at the time (1995) and now they hold nostalgic value. I also like Akira Toriyama's style. Alot.

I'll admit the plot isn't absolutely spectacular but it wasn't sub-par to say the least. Each time period was linked to Lavos in some way, many in very interesing ways. Perhaps you were too eager to simply beat it rather than to enjoy it? I just can't imagine someone really disliking CT. :/

[James]

Nah, I tried to give it a fair chance. But I just don't see much development. It's like a series of short stories in the form of time periods, linked together by a common threat throughout all time. It's an interesting concept, sure. But it just wasn't executed all that well.

The worlds are small, and the NPCs lacking. Sure, you're supoosed to take all the periods as being one big world, but it gets annoying having to jump through time over and over, rather than flying around one big world.

To be honest, I just think the main problem is they made it so small, so you could run through and get all the endings. And that just makes it less enjoyable, because so much could have been added, but at the risk of making it longer.

And I hate the battle system. Selective/forced battles that require you to exit the screen and come back is an OK concept. But like everything else, there's not enough of it. You can go through and fight like 4 battles on a screen, and then you have to leave and come back to reset the monsters. It gets tedious when you're trying to upgrade your characters or get money.

[Schimid]

E.V.O. >:

[Perndog]

James, if you don't want to waste time getting the Chrono Trigger endings, there are gameshark codes to unlock them on the PSX game and you can also find them in .mov or .mpg format somewhere online.

That said, Chrono Trigger remains my all-time favorite game of any genre. It doesn't have a chance of being unseated until I finish Xenogears and Xenosaga. I think Yasunori Mitsuda is an essential ingredient in making me really love an RPG. Until some other fantastic composer comes out of the woodwork (sorry, Mr. Uematsu, just not my style..) or Tsuyoshi Sekito gets in on a better project than Brave Fencer Musashi.

[timrpgland]

Chrono Trigger is a awesome game. One of the most expensive SNES game back then too. Damn, cost me like $80 for it. It was amazing for its time. You gotta take things in perspective. Maybe you aren't as impressed because you are 8 years late... Slacker. :) Those were some of the best gaming years back then and Square was on top of its game. Just a year earlier we got treated to FFVI.

I haven't played it for the PSX cause I don't see why I would want to other than the anime intro, etc. Play it on the SNES for the true experience.

I enjoyed the battles, it was a change of pace from the usual setup. Sure it got tedious to come in and out but it wasn't any more tedious then just running around for a random battle.

There were plenty of cool characters (and NPCs) and the dialogue was very well done.

New Game + was a big suprise back then too. Hadn't really seen anything like that.

[James]

Nah, I was even later with many other games, and enjoyed them very much.

That could just say that Chrono did not survive the test of time. I just felt that it didn't have enough of what an RPG should have. And the time thing is a novelty that gets tedious.

[Anonymous]

The game is a lot worse if you know all the main characters get killed before the next shitty game by a big kitty.

[Shoeless joe]

If you want to try some good RPGs, i suggest Live a Live and Tales of Phantasia, 2 games that were never released here but were fully translated by dedicated fan groups.

Also try the Lunar: silver Story game on the PS1. A great game with a decent battle system (everyone fights!) , and some great humor (where else can u find references to IU's?). True the plot was cheesy at times but the funny parts hold it all together.

As for Crono Cross, I fucking hate the battle system!! Not only did it keep kick ass double and triple techs to a minimum (to many characters :( ) but it had it that magic can be allocated to any one, thus making the characters interchangable and unneccesary. It's kinda like the materia system in FF7, as you throw any character into the mix without any thought to strategy. Kinda makes me wish i had a chainsaw right now...

[James]

Well, it only took 5-6 months, but I finally beat Final Fantasy 5. Unless you're a diehard FF fan, skip this one.

The story is thin, relying on the same theme of crystals as all the ones before it. The villain is forgetable, used simply to push the story along at certain points. He never really comes off as being worth your time. The only distinguishing feature is the Job System, but that just leads to FAR too much random battles for my taste. Character building and game/story progression should have a balance between them.

With FFV, let's say you need all your characters to have a certain skill in order to beat an upcoming boss. Let's say that skill is obtained by leveling up your Ninja class a level, and to do that takes 400AP. Now, if the most you can get per battle is 4AP, if you're lucky, that's a lot of time fighting battle after battle. I eventually dreaded the thought of playing this game, because I wasn't getting anywhere. It was just hours upon hours of walking across the same piece of map, leveling up my classes so that my characters would be prepared for the next one or two parts that progress the actual game.

Now, I'm moving on to Dark Cloud 2. If you've never looked into the Dark Cloud games, do yourself a favor and get the first game while you still can. It's only $20. Then get Dark Cloud 2.

[Perndog]

This is why I start cheating if an RPG's gameplay doesn't keep me interested after the first couple of hours. I beat FFIV in one sitting because I got bored pretty quick and used a Game Genie just to get through the rest of the game for the story.

[Emu]

I couldn't beat the last boss in 5, cuz I got to the very end and mastered nearly every class because the enemies only give you job points and not experience, so I had every job mastered but my levels were low :\ suxk

[thebiggameover]

Wild Arms 2 sucks balls. i hated that game, sold it before i even finished it. ff8 is my favorite of all rpgs. the battle system is THE SHIT. fft is also good. i'm going through ff6 right now...

[JerkFromGermany]

FF1 - Nice.
FF2 - Strange.
FF3 - Great.
FF4 -Great.
FF5 -Good.
FF6 - >:
FF7 - Great
FF8 - Hate. >:
FF9 - Hmm....6/10 Points
FF10 - Die.

Secert of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound are my favs. :)

[timrpgland]

FF6 - >:

Boo to you. Your FF list is useless.

[Flynn]

Play Dragon Warrior IV. It's arguably the best game ever made for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game is so large it should take you about 100 hours to beat. Not bad for a 8-bit Nintendo game. If you've got time, get Dragon Warriors V and VI also. They were both released exclusively in Japan, but versions translated to English can be found fairly easily on the net.

[timrpgland]

It takes you a hundred hours if you suck. :) DQIV/DWIV is a awesome game though. Seperated by chapters and then all put together during the last chapter where your character finally comes into play.

[James]

Play Dragon Warrior IV. It's arguably the best game ever made for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game is so large it should take you about 100 hours to beat. Not bad for a 8-bit Nintendo game. If you've got time, get Dragon Warriors V and VI also. They were both released exclusively in Japan, but versions translated to English can be found fairly easily on the net.

If you go back and look, you'll see that I am never playing another Dragon Warrior game.

Anyway, I started Dark Cloud 2. Really good so far. A lot of the problems with the first game (repetition, weapons breaking, useless characters, etc) have been dealt with, and the story is a lot more evident. You actually feel like there's a point to keep playing. I haven't gotten to the georama part of the game yet (rebuilding towns), but I just got the camera that you use to get ideas and create new items. It's really fun so far, and all the new things added give you a lot to strive for.

[Anonymous]

I beat Ys III: Wanderers from Ys again.

[slain]

I remember dragon warrior 7, there werent any battles until like the second disc or something like that.. i played it until i forgot to save like 15 hours after my last save point :/ so i havent finished it, i've heard good things though and its a VERY long game :) :( I'll try to borrow it again so i can add that to my list

[AChimp]

Have I talked about how great Return to Zork is in this thread yet?

[JerkFromGermany]

FF6 - >:

Boo to you. Your FF list is useless.

My opinion. :/

[Schimid]

Yeah, well your opinion sucks.

Dude, play E.V.O. if you get the time. I'm sure that no one has heard of it. :(

It's an SNES game. You start out as a fish--a plain, ordinary fish with no jaws or anything. As you eat other animals, you gain EP, Evolutionary Points, and use them to buy harder scales for protection or bigger teeth for a better attack. Eventually, you'll become other animals like apes and lizards...talking about it makes it sound really lame, but I would definitely give it a try if I was you...if you aren't too bogged down already, Jesus.

[Anonymous]

If you're really good you can evolve into a caveman in the land levels or a mermaid in the sea levels ;<

[Schimid]

I had to quit when the son of that big monkey guy came up and kept pummeling me with his bone. I could never beat him. :(

EDIT - Hahah, that sounds horrible. :(

[JerkFromGermany]

E.V.O is great, finished it with a Horse -something Hybrid, not the Caveman...

[executioneer]

Have I talked about how great Return to Zork is in this thread yet?

return to zork is not a role playing game >: if you're gfoing to talk about a zork game in this thread you have to talk about Beyond Zork >:

-willie

[Rongi]

Wild Arms 2 sucks balls. i hated that game, sold it before i even finished it. ff8 is my favorite of all rpgs. the battle system is THE SHIT. fft is also good. i'm going through ff6 right now...

You're retarded if you think FF8 is even a decent game. Just shove your head in an oven you stupid twat. WA2 fo-eva

[ItalianStereotype]

FF8 rocked ass! X(

[Rongi]

Pfft please :rolleyes

The combat system blew, the characters were completely one dimensional, the story was boring, and Squall was a bigger faggot then Tidus.

WA2 forever, bitches >:

[ItalianStereotype]

YOU'RE A BIGGER FAGGOT THAN TIDUS >: GRAR >:

besides, Tidus was a stone cold pimp with auto-haste, quick strike, and the Ascalone...if that's even the right name for the sword.

[Rongi]

IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO BE A BIGGER HOMO THEN TIDUS :rolleyes YOU CAN'T GET BETTER THEN BEST UNLESS YOU'RE SQUALL :rolleyes >:

I wasn't really talking about his abilities, just his character :/. In their later years Square is starting to make some really ambigously gay characters

[ItalianStereotype]

you are >:

[Rongi]

your mother :(

[ItalianStereotype]

you're the one who does it >:

[Rongi]

I've never had sex with your mother :rolleyes

[ItalianStereotype]

you're the one who does it before the first >:

[Rongi]

http://www.italiansingle.net/Images/Kid_on_Bike.jpg

Sit on that >:

[ItalianStereotype]

I've already posted like 8 times today, I'm getting tired. >:

[AChimp]

Have I talked about how great Return to Zork is in this thread yet?

return to zork is not a role playing game >: if you're gfoing to talk about a zork game in this thread you have to talk about Beyond Zork >:

-willie

I wish I had a giant onion. :( :dornbeast

[thebiggameover]

Pfft please :rolleyes

The combat system blew, the characters were completely one dimensional, the story was boring, and Squall was a bigger faggot then Tidus.

WA2 forever, bitches >:

ff8 had the best combat system in the world. by far. yet another reason you suck...
>:

edit: damnit! your avitar makes me think your meatman!!! so its not another reason, but a reason...

[RorshachTest]

Damn, I signed up just to make this post since I was treading through the RPG's listed and you missed a couple of good ones. I know I'm a fan of the tactical RPG and if you think you might be you should pick up a copy of Front Mission 3, Disgaea, and later this year the american releases of La Pucelle Tactics and Phatom Brave. OTherwise I bow to you in some respects, I own many of those games but it's actually rare that I beat an RPG nowadays. Lunar Legand for GBA was cute and fun in way. I have this problem with getting to the last disc, I'm too easily distracted by new games.....

[James]

That's my problem. Since RPGs are such long games, I usually pace myself and take a few months to go through them. But during those few months, a new game might come out that I want, so I get that and start playing that, and forget about the last game.

Dark Cloud 2 is really fun. They improved on all the things that made the first one great, and took out all the things that dragged it down. The inclusion of a more involving (though not entirely original) storyline makes you feel more interested in progressing through the game, and inclusions of making inventions and taking photographs are fun additions.

It'd best be described as a real-time RPG meets Legend of Zelda. So for those of you who don't like turn-based RPGs, you should look into Dark Cloud 1, and then Dark Cloud 2.

The only downside is the Georama system is a little TOO complex, without a simple pick-up and move objects option that was in the first game. But one you get familiar enough with the system, it'll be alright.

[James]

k, I'm about a day away from beating Dark Cloud 2. I beat Chapter 7, and now I'm on Chapter 8, which is kind of like a side quest.

This is really a great RPG for people who don't like RPGs. I'll spare saying more, because I've already said enough. Since Dark Cloud 1 is only $20, and this one is getting close, I'd suggest people look into them. There's certainly a fair amount of original ideas, and the RPG elements are few enough to make the game enjoyable to non-RPG fans, while still having enough to appeal to those who are fans.

Up next will be Final Fantasy X-2, finally.

[Perndog]

Did you ever finish Bahamut Lagoon? I'm playing it now, and really enjoying it.

[James]

I've actually not even played it yet, and I don't know when I'll get around to it.

[ArrowX]

100th POST IN THIS THREAD YES!!!

[MrAdventure]

someone ban this post counting fag seriously

[VolCanon]

If you -WANT- a decent Dragon Warrior (It's really Dragon Quest but whatever), play the two releases for SNES and the remake of DQ4 for PS. Only problem is they are in Japanese. I think there are translation patches for the two SNES ones (I don't need em, never bothered to get them). They are at least on par with FF games. I found DQ6 to be a lot better than FF3 cuz:

1) It's actually hard
2) Every character can learn almost every ability, but fighters will still suck at using magic (whereas in ff3, shadow 1-shot KO's kefka with 8 consecutive ultima's)
3) Most importantly, you can recruit monsters to your party (this was BEFORE pokemon). In my file on DQ6 I have 4 slimes, all over Level 40 (Slime, Hoimi(Heal) Slime, King Slime, Slime Knight). There's a slime arena where you can pit ur slime against other slimes for prizes.

[James]

I will never again touch a Dragon Warrior/Quest game, even if it promises to deliver to me 50 sexy women made out of money and french fries.

[Cap'n Crunch]

You'd touch it if it was men. :lol

[James]

No shit, Mr. Obvious.

But I'd trick them into giving me the men first, then I'd run away to Mexico with them without ever touching their fucking games. Seriously, Dragon Warrior is the game Hitler must have played to get himself all psyched for another day of Jew killing.

"Jews are blue slime! Kill blue slime! No metal slime. Germans are metal slime! REICHEN EIZDEN AUCHSTE EDRICH!"

[AChimp]

I finished Serious Sam: The Second Encounter today, dudes. :picklehat

[Comrade Rocket]

I always liked that one RPG where you were that dude with the sword and hes all like HEY, DONT TAKE THE PRINCESS and the bad guy is like TO BAD, YOUR TOO WEAK TO BEAT ME. and then you do a bunch of crap and the princess winds up being in another castle anyway, you know what game im talking about?

[MikeSoAwesome]

From what I have heard Dragon Quest and dragon Warrior are the same series Warrior uses olde english and Quest uses modern englishas well as some other minor differences, If you like Dragon Warrior DO NOT play the GameBoy version it is a dumbed down version of it and enimies are weaker. FF8 had a great battle system(as opposed to newer RPGs), so did FF7(don't play it over and over again to figure out the story it's not happening. Tactics however had the most veratile and customizable battle system. As oposed to RPG's I have but never finished Phantasy Star I, Miracle Warriors, Final Fantasy 1, Ultima:Exodus, Final Fantasy 4(PSX) and Final Fantasy 8.

Anyone know where I can find a decent SMS(Sega Master System) emulator? Massage sucks. as well as emulators PS1 was the only one I could find.

[MikeSoAwesome]

From what I have heard Dragon Quest and dragon Warrior are the same series Warrior uses olde english and Quest uses modern englishas well as some other minor differences, If you like Dragon Warrior DO NOT play the GameBoy version it is a dumbed down version of it and enimies are weaker. FF8 had a great battle system(as opposed to newer RPGs), so did FF7(don't play it over and over again to figure out the story it's not happening. Tactics however had the most veratile and customizable battle system. As oposed to RPG's I have but never finished Phantasy Star I, Miracle Warriors, Final Fantasy 1, Ultima:Exodus, Final Fantasy 4(PSX) and Final Fantasy 8.

Anyone know where I can find a decent SMS(Sega Master System) emulator? Massage sucks. as well as roms PS1 was the only one I could find.

[executioneer]

no, warrior uses english and quest uses fucking japanese, pay attention >:

[James]

Bump.

I've just recently gotten into Chapter 3 of 5 in FFX-2, so I thought I'd give an update.

As I said before, you can play and beat a mission, then turn the game off and feel like you did a whole lot. This is still true, and can really slow down your advancement through the game. But one thing I want to touch up on is the battles.

When I'm playing, I'm finding myself fighting A LOT of random battles, instead of progressing through the story. The thing is, I'm CHOOSING to do this. I could easily just rip through and take the challenges that come across, but I actually LIKE fighting random battles.

While sometimes tedious, the key is that they're typically fun. The frantic action and the various skills make battles go really fast. And with the great job system, you'll always be getting new skills for your jobs, and/or levelling up and getting some good items. The bottom line is you actually constantly feel like you're accomplishing something while fighting. In other RPGs, the battles can feel fairly tedious or drawn out with very little payout. So the real reason I'm progressing through the story so slowly, is because I'm having so much fun just building up my characters.

Also, by the end of Chapter 2, you'll have two accessories: One to eliminate random battles, and one to increase them. So even if you're not a big fan of the random battles, you'll have the option to moderate them soon enough.

[James]

BACK FROM THE DEAD!

So guess what? You see how I was saying FFX-2 was a good game? I was so wrong. I'm RIGHT at the end of Chapter 5, but I can't bring myself to complete the game because it's just mind-numbingly tedious to complete all the side quests.

I was trying to beat Via Infinito (100-floor basement filled with tough enemies), and it's just REALLY fucking hard when you get to the last few floors. And the final boss is really fucking hard, too. After that, I go to the LAST FUCKING AREA OF THE GAME and beat it. Why I won't just give up and beat the game, I don't even know for sure, myself. I feel compelled to complete everything I can in the game, and I've already given up oversouling every enemy in the game to get a special garment grid. But there are certain side quests you need to do to get 100% and see the best ending, and Via Infinito is one of those. :(

FFX-2 starts out strong enough, but then it just drags on as you near the end. Only play it if you're a hardcore RPG gamer and have a huge boner for Final Fantasy.





Moving on, I just beat Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories. An above average game, but one I was happy with. Battles can get a bit tedious, especially with the card-style active battling. And at the start of the game, the whole things will feel like a retread of the first game (the story REALLY opens up after a few worlds into the game). If you're a fan of KH, you WILL want to play this before you get Kingdom Hearts 2.

RPGs are kind of taking a break for now. I have a lot of non-RPG games to play. But I DID get Golden Sun for the GBA, so that will probably be the next thing you hear out of me about. Unless I somehow manage to force myself to beat FFX-2.

[bigtimecow]

i didnt read this entire thread so i don't know if it was mentioned...

is dotHACK any good?

[James]

I've not heard many good things about the .hack series. The whole MMORPG that's not an MMORPG deal gets old fast, and the series gets ridiculously harder with the last two games. No real interest in it.

I started Golden Sun yesterday. I bought it used for $15, and there was still a save file on it. The last person who owned it spent 33 minutes playing the game, then decided to sell it.

I played through the prologue, and saved. 33 minutes. I can see why the person would have sold it. So far, there's a LOT of pointless conversation. Something about elemental stars and alchemy and... I don't know. They throw all this shit at you, and not all of it makes a lot of sense. And some people just don't shut the fuck up.

Also, you're asked Yes-or-No questions A LOT, and they never matter. They're not there to decide the outcome of events. They're just there to piss me off.

"Hey Isaac, that's what we did, isn't it?"
"Should we keep going, Isaac?"
"That didn't go as expected, huh Isaac?"
"You're going up to the mountain, Isaac?"
"You're going down this path, Isaac?"

SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LET ME JUST DO THINGS. Should we keep going? LET ME KEEP GOING AND YOU WILL FUCKING FIND OUT.

I also loved the moment where we had to escape IMMEDIATELY from a volcano, and about 3 minutes of conversation followed, about how we needed to escape. JUST LET ME FUCKING LEAVE YOU FUCKING DOUCHEBAG I GET IT I HAVE TO LEAVE SO I WILL LEAVE IF YOU JUST FUCKING LET ME WALK OUT OF HERE JESUS CHRIST.

I just got to the part where I can travel the world map (after an hour and a half into the game), so I'm hoping things get better. I'll also say the gameplay is very confusing, revolving around character classes and Djinn you collect to boost your skills. But none of it really is explained well enough to make any sense. I'm hoping this changes once I get to experience it in the game.